by B. T. Narro
Steffen felt as if he had to interrupt before Marratrice got even more excited. “But the Slugari don’t have any control over Sartious Energy, which is why their spells are limited to light and heat.”
“Yes, but they have the best thing of all for evesal vines—a plant that takes in Bastial Energy and produces Sartious Energy.”
Steffen felt his jaw drop as he realized she was right. “The unistai flower.” Steffen had told Marratrice about it previously. It was a source of food for the Slugari. He’d seen hundreds of them last time he’d visited the colony. The Slugari ate the unistai’s meaty green petals.
“But wait a minute.” Now Steffen had to stop himself before he was overexcited. “If this seed has been in your family for all these generations, and all of you are sure it’s going to grow into an evesal vine, why hasn’t it been planted already?”
“None of the mages in my family have had enough skill with SE to be confident they could take care of the plant. It requires too much upkeep. But from what you’ve told me, the Slugari are the best gardeners in the world.”
“All this just for a chance at some evesal fruit? Could it really be that good?”
Marratrice had a smirk. “Wait until you try it.”
She really believes this is going to work. Steffen didn’t have it in him to disagree. If she was this excited about planting some thousand-year-old seed in the Slugari colony, who was he to ruin that. There was one concern, though.
“You are planning on asking Queen about this, correct?”
“Of course.” She laughed. “I just have to wait until I have a chance to speak with her without Javy around. I bet Queen will be just as excited as I am.”
“I doubt that,” Steffen accidentally said aloud.
She scowled at him, and he put his hands up to block her stare.
“Sorry.”
When silence followed, Steffen couldn’t help but think of a question that he had no hopes of figuring out on his own.
“Why is this so exciting for you? You won't even have access to the plant’s fruit.”
“It’s not just exciting for me, but for my family as well. We’ve always dreamed of finding a home for an evesal vine. For all we know, this could be the very last seed—the last hope before extinction.” Marratrice went silent for a breath as she showed Steffen a glance of concern. “You really don’t understand how good it would feel to save a plant from extinction?”
“I do. I just hope it works.”
“As long as the Slugari can take care of it, then it will.”
How can she be so confident? Her hubris didn’t seem healthy, making Steffen feel as if he should try one last time to convince her not to get her hopes up. But as they walked alongside each other, he noticed a glow in her green eyes. She seemed ready to burst as she stared at Queen, waiting for her chance.
At this point, all I would do is annoy her. When people became this hopeful, there was nothing that could stop them. It made him think of men who’d chased stories of treasure just to get themselves killed or lost. Blind optimism is the most hazardous form of stubbornness. At least Marratrice doesn’t have her mind set on something dangerous.
But then Steffen had a startling idea. Unless there’s something about the evesal vine that she’s not telling me.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Javy and Jack arguing.
But when Steffen and Marratrice hurried forward to listen, the men stopped.
“It seems like you all could use some rest,” Queen suggested. “Would you like to stop for the night?”
“We might as well,” Jack said, tilting his head toward Javy.
“Fine,” Javy said. “But are we to simply lay on the dirt right here?”
Queen let out a light laugh. “No.” She hollered for a Slugari. One slithered over in a hurry. “Take the Humans to the nearest cove,” she told him in Slugaren, then turned to Javy. “Please follow him. When you and your party are ready to continue north after resting, let a Slugari know and they’ll call me over. Because of our antennae, we can send messages to each other farther than with voices.”
“Thank you, Queen,” Jack said.
“I would like to hear more about this dangerous discovery beneath Tenred,” Javy called after Queen as she started to slither away. “What do you mean by that?”
“I’ll explain it when we get there,” Queen said. “For now, sleep.”
The Slugari brought them toward a crevice in the wall. When Steffen was closer, he saw that it opened into an alcove where about thirty Slugari seemed to be sleeping. Their escort pointed within.
“In here?” Javy asked.
But the Slugari didn’t speak common tongue and showed no sign of replying.
No matter. Javy already knew the answer as soon as he asked. This was clear by his expression. “Well,” he whispered. “Let’s sleep for a few hours if we can. I’m sure it’s the middle of the night above ground.”
The Slugari seemed to be sound sleepers, none of them waking as Steffen and the others removed their packs and belts. Marratrice appeared to be holding in a giggle the whole time they were getting settled.
“This is so strange,” she whispered to Steffen.
As soon as he lay against the hard dirt, Steffen dearly missed the flower bed of begardeens. Luckily, he was exhausted enough to fall asleep quickly.
The next day—or what their party assumed to be the next day—they were following Queen through the cavernous tunnels once again. The Dajrik no longer accompanied her. “Busy with other tasks supporting the colony,” Queen explained. “Without him, we never would’ve been able to live down here.”
“How did he end up down here with you?” Steffen asked. Jack and Javy were behind, discussing something in hushed tones.
Queen grunted at Steffen’s question. “I’m not sure if you realize what you’re really asking.”
Steffen stepped back, worried he’d encroached on a forbidden subject. But when he noticed the twisted smile along her mouth, he came closer once again.
“I don’t believe I know what you mean,” he admitted.
“You’ve just asked me to tell you a story, a very troubling story to recall. Even worse, you could’ve already heard the story before coming down here and saved me the trouble.”
That confused Steffen even more. He checked to see if Marratrice understood, but she shrugged back at him.
“Two of your companions, the Krepp and the Elf, heard the story from other Slugari the last time you were here. Though they were more curious about Doe and Haemon than the Dajrik. You’ve at least heard of these Slugari, right?”
“Yes. They lead the Krepps,” Steffen answered.
Queen bent her body for a glimpse behind at Jack and Javy. Whenever she twisted in this way, long wrinkles formed deep in her flesh. “It looks like those two are still bickering, so we have some time.” Queen straightened out and slithered onward. “I’ll tell you under the agreement that you’ll remember every detail and share the story with anyone else who asks, so I won’t be forced to repeat myself. I don’t like this story. Understand?”
Steffen nodded.
“We Slugari didn’t used to live underground but in the mountains in eastern Entja instead. We refer to them as the Dajrik Mountains, and you’ll find out why soon enough.” Queen already seemed tired, glancing around as if looking for another Slugari to take over the story. But then she sucked in air through her mouth and continued with a somber tone.
“The mountains were home to us for hundreds of years, if not more. We lived with not one, but three Dajriks.”
“Three?” Marratrice covered her mouth.
“Yes three, each of them older than they can remember. But the problem with a Dajrik’s age is that the older they get, the worse their nightmares. They get so bad that eventually the Dajrik can’t sleep more than an hour without being awoken from a feverish dream, leaving them even more exhausted than when they’d first shut their eyes. There’s a plant that acts
as a cure when mixed with Bastial Energy—the rujin flower. The Dajriks have no control over Bastial Energy. This is why our two races get along. We melt a thousand rujin flowers and then trap the substance in a hard casing that the Dajriks can wear around their neck. It only needs to be close to their bodies to work, and it lasts about fifty years before the potency of the substance is no longer enough and needs to be replaced.”
Steffen had never imagined there were more Dajriks that still could be alive within Ovira. It took all of his willpower not to ask if they were. He figured that the more interruptions, the less likely Queen would be to finish the story.
“But Slugari started disappearing,” Queen continued. “At first it was young Slugari and it was assumed they’d gotten lost within the mountains. But then Slugari of all ages went missing. It turned out that there was an incident. Enraged by some accident caused by a group of Slugari, one unstable Dajrik killed them and ate their bodies to hide his actions from everyone else.”
Queen paused, her beady eyes dim within the folds of her face. “This is the part I hate the most,” she said. “The Dajrik enjoyed the taste of us, continuing to kill and consume us in secret. Eventually enough came to be missing that we knew something was wrong. By then, this Dajrik had been confronted by the other two. It admitted that it ate the Slugari, raving about the taste. One was curious to taste Slugari, and the other wasn’t. I imagine you can guess which Dajrik is still with us.”
Steffen and Marratrice nodded.
“Soon, our Dajrik was the only one who hadn’t eaten any Slugari, and he was already in discussions with our leaders about the problem. He convinced the other two Dajriks that he’d begun to eat Slugari as well, and he set up a meeting deep within the mountain where they could discuss the issue and figure out what they wanted to do. But what the other two Dajriks didn’t know was that ours had set a trap.
“He collapsed some of the mountain in front of their only exit after they entered the meeting space. He knew they would be strong enough to move the pile of rocks and escape, but it would take them days. This gave our Dajrik and all of the Slugari plenty of time to leave the mountain.”
Queen’s two front teeth bit down and curled the bottom of her mouth. “But that was only the beginning of our problems with other creatures. Krepps were spread throughout all of northern Ovira, which our ancestors discovered as soon as they left Entja. Pretty soon we came to realize we weren’t safe above ground. Not only could the Dajriks find us, Krepps began to hunt us.
“There was one major battle before we dug deep into Ovira. A few tribes of Krepps had come together and attacked. Our history says that we outnumbered them fifty-to-one, but we still were forced to run, leaving thousands behind to die.”
Steffen couldn’t help but ask. “The Dajrik being on your side wasn’t enough to win the battle?”
“Our Dajrik is strong but slow. Krepps are fast. Our Dajrik took many arrows and nearly died. I’m sure I wouldn’t exist right now if he or the rest of the Slugari had stayed to fight. Every time I think of our past, I worry about our future. I hate wondering about those two Dajriks we left in Entja…the nightmares they must be having, the fury that’s been building over the years. Even worse is how two of our own now lead the Krepps against us.”
“How can Doe and Haemon live with them without being eaten?” Marratrice asked.
“The Elf and Krepp explained that to us. Because their scent has changed, Doe and Haemon don’t elicit the same urge to feed as the rest of us. But more importantly, Krepps know they’ll be killed the moment they show any aggression toward their Slugari leaders. Doe and Haemon’s control over Bastial and Sartious Energy is unmatched in this world. It’s because of a poisonous root they choose to consume that we call the eppil plant.”
“If it’s poisonous, how come it hasn’t killed them?” Steffen asked.
“There are many different types of poison. Some affect the body—the heart and blood. But others affect the mind.”
Of course, Steffen realized, thinking of his failed experimentations on Fred and Leonard, his rats. The issue with the growth potion wasn’t its physical effects, but what it did to their minds.
“Doe and Haemon are paranoid and aggressive, but they’re still smart, for it couldn’t have been easy bringing all the Krepps together under one army and keeping them under control.”
“Why are they doing this?” Marratrice asked.
“Those two Slugari were always bitter. Although they’re massive now, they used to be small for adult Slugari. They were among the lowest-ranking members of our colony—those responsible for digging into uncharted territory, which sometimes included going above ground. It was a dangerous task, but from what I’ve heard, it was the only thing those two were good at besides griping to other Slugari.
“They dug into a cave that was just below ground level. This was where they discovered the eppil plants. Rodent carcasses—they probably died after chewing on the black, twisted root—were scattered all around the plant. I don’t know why Doe or Haemon had the idea to try some of the eppil, but they did. They must’ve enjoyed the taste, or more likely they liked the way it made them feel. Whatever it was, they told no one about this discovery.
“They started to grow and become even more irritable. Eventually, they were the two largest Slugari in the colony, and this brought forth many questions they couldn’t answer. The Queen at the time had them followed. When Doe and Haemon’s lair was found, they were confronted about the plant they were eating. It was clear from the conditions of where it grew that it shouldn’t be consumed. The worsening moods of Doe and Haemon made its poisonous nature even clearer.
“But they couldn’t see for themselves what it was doing to them. After being told the eppil plant would be destroyed, they shocked everyone by casting fireballs and fleeing, killing many of the Slugari that chased after them. I’m sure they had eppil seeds in their pouches, for they’ve only gotten bigger and stronger in the many years since then.
“They made it above ground, where we assumed they would be killed by Krepps. But as you can tell, the worst has happened. They’ve joined forces. The Elf told us that Doe and Haemon claim they were the victims in this story and they want revenge against their own kind. This is a lie. We believe the real reason they want to take over the colony is because their minds have been warped by all the years they’ve spent eating this eppil plant, and deep down they miss living down here. Our gardens contain the most delicious food. They may have the Krepps taking care of a few crops, but there’s no way they have the same variety that we do. Many plants have gone extinct above ground.”
That’s too much of an introduction for Marratrice not to say something about the evesal vine, Steffen realized. He could see it on her face; she was just trying to figure out how to start.
Her hand moved within her coat pocket, adjusting the pouch. “Queen, thank you so much for telling us that story. I can see why it would be difficult to tell. But you’re with Kyrro, and we’ll win this war. Soon, your race won’t have to worry anymore.”
“I appreciate your words.”
Marratrice checked behind her for Javy and Jack. They still were in discussion, their hands gesturing wildly.
“I was hoping I could speak to you about something,” she said, shyly removing her pouch and withdrawing the evesal seed.
“What’s this?” Queen asked.
Marratrice jumped when Javy shouted ahead to them. “Steffen, come here.”
“Good luck,” Steffen whispered to Marratrice before he turned and hurried over to Javy and Jack.
“Ask one of these Slugari if we’re below the Fjallejon Mountains yet,” Javy said.
“He doesn’t want to ask Queen because he doesn’t trust her,” Jack commented.
“Leave the boy out of it,” Javy said. “You should think it’s suspicious as well that she won’t tell us what’s underneath Tenred until we get there.”
“It’s only because you haven’t forced the questi
on. If you really want to know, just ask again.”
“I’m on the King’s Council. I shouldn’t have to ask twice.”
Uncomfortable standing between them, Steffen practically ran for the nearest Slugari.
“My leader would like to know where we are,” he asked in the creature’s language. “Can you please tell me?”
The Slugari brushed his claw against Steffen’s arm, leaving a trail of heat. “Under the Fjallejon Mountains, halfway between Kyrro and Tenred.”
“Thank you,” Steffen said.
By the time he was back beside Javy, the man no longer seemed interested in the answer. Instead, he and Jack were arguing again.
“You’ve never trusted others enough,” Jack said.
“I was right not to—” Javy interrupted himself when he saw Steffen. “What did the Slugari say?”
“We’re under the Fjallejon Mountains.”
“Then we should be underneath Tenred before we need to sleep again,” Jack said. “You might as well wait until we get there.”
“I can’t stand not knowing what I’m walking into. Steffen, see if you can find out what’s there from Queen. But don’t let her know I’m asking.”
“I…but…” Deceit was Steffen’s worst skill.
“What’s wrong?” Javy’s tone held no sympathy.
“I’ll try.”
Marratrice seemed to be done telling Queen about the evesal seed. From the smile on her face, it seemed as if she’d been successful in convincing Queen to plant and take care of it. Steffen would’ve been surprised if he wasn’t so worried about what he was going to say to his Slugari host.
“Queen, could you tell me what’s happening…I mean, what’s below Tenred?”