Ebudae

by Carroll, John H.

  The one in Ebudae’s hand was powerful. She knew that because she had created it. Runes were her favorite part of magic and carving them into runeballs was the most enjoyable of all the supernatural crafts. Keywords normally activated them, but this one had extra safety precautions in the form of a series of motions to trigger it.

  It took a minute to go through all of the necessary motions and Ebudae made certain to do it exactly right. There was a point where she could stop and take her attention off it just before the end. Pelya and the slaves were a safe distance ahead, so she looked back. At that instant, the double doors blasted to pieces. Shards of wood flew through the air, landing in the water and on the bridge.

  To break through her wards and to destroy the doors that way would require a wizard of power and knowledge. Ebudae saw yellow and black uniformed soldiers coming out of the door and decided not to wait for whoever else might be coming. She said the final incantation and ran her thumbs over two of the runes.

  Sky-blue light shot forth from the runes. Even though they were thin, the light was overwhelming. Ebudae threw the runeball at the bridge and watched.

  She should have run and she knew it, but the urge to see it work was too great. The runeball hit the bridge, causing the light to escape. The stone disintegrated around it and the air tore as the blue light poured forth. Within a few seconds, the bridge had crumbled into glowing dust that fell into the murky water below it. The air became bright blue as though the sky was invading the dark. The tearing sound continued, leaping to the left and then to the right as though struggling its way out of a bag.

  Instead of the stone dust falling harmlessly into the murky water, it set it on fire, blue flames springing up in a sickening roar. The smell was bitter, like disease washed with vinegar. Ebudae began to back up as the light ate into the stone path leading from the bridge. She could make out figures on the other side running back into the building.

  The light was slowing as it expanded, but Ebudae turned and ran to join her friend. They would be safe from Blavoci’s men for quite a while.

  The dangers of the ruined city ahead were another matter.

  Chapter 9

  “I can’t believe they left us,” Pelya muttered as she handed food and drink to a bone-thin man wearing rags. Ebudae had used another runeball, one that created a feast, and they were serving the famished slaves. She had smaller ones for just the two of them when they went adventuring, but had made this one because a lady never knew when a large group would have to be served.

  “I’m surprised by that too. It makes me mad and a little hurt.” Ebudae handed some meat and cheese to an elderly man who smiled at her, showing how few teeth he had left.

  “So much for not wanting us to get into danger,” Pelya said sullenly. She handed fruit and bread to a man who had been helping others. He bowed to her with tears in his eyes, causing the warrior’s eyes to tear in response. “The magnificent Carnies rescued their friend and then left two little girls to make their way alone with these poor people.”

  The next man to approach smiled at Pelya. “You are noble young women we owe our lives to, not little girls,” he replied in a voice cracked from disuse. “Thank you for rescuing us.” Others weakly issued thanks as well. Dim hope filled their eyes when they weren’t looking at the dark surroundings in terror.

  It was twenty minutes after leaving the bridge behind and they were camped in a collapsed building. The walls were still intact and there was only one entrance to defend. Pelya was leading the group south in hopes of finding a way out of the ominous gloom. Slaves carried seven of Ebudae’s runeballs, which provided white light to see by.

  Ebudae reached down and put a carrot in front of Shade who had already eaten some lettuce and a couple slices of apple. “We haven’t rescued you yet,” she told them gently. “We’re doing our best, but this is a part of the ancient city we haven’t explored.” She broke a piece of bread and handed it to the next man along with some carrots and a slice of meat.

  “You ladies shouldn’t be exploring down here,” One woman said in disapproval. “It’s dangerous and not at all proper.”

  “Which is why we’re going to ask you all not to tell anyone about us,” Pelya replied. “There’s a small chance those men won’t be able to find out anything about us, but if you tell someone who rescued you, we could be in danger.”

  “We’ll not tell,” the man with the cracked voice said. “I give you my word on that.”

  Pelya smiled gratefully at him. “Thank you.” She handed food to the next person. Fortunately, there were only a few more because the food was almost gone. “We need to find someplace to get out soon though, because I don’t think we’ll go unnoticed for long.”

  They resumed looking into the darkness in silence again while Pelya and Ebudae handed out the last of the food. Five minutes later, Pelya stood. “It’s time to go. We can’t stay here.

  The freed slaves groaned as they stood, with some requiring help to get up. But all of them made it to their feet and began following the young women with the stronger ones helping the weaker. Ebudae didn’t say anything about the yellow eyes she saw in the distance. Hopefully, the group was too big for the creatures to bother them.

  Hope had been used up. Pelya whispered in her ear. “I saw yellow eyes to our right. There were a few of them.”

  “I saw a pair . . . I see more. I don’t want to fight.” Ebudae whined just a little. She was tired.

  “I know, but . . .” Pelya shrugged. The eyes came closer.

  “What’s that?” a young man asked in a tremulous voice as he looked into the murk.

  “My ladies, I think there’s something out there,” one of the older men suggested. Ebudae could hear fear in his voice and didn’t blame him in the slightest.

  Pelya drew her sword, making it sing as it departed the sheath. The sound danced into the darkness. The creatures that hunted them wouldn’t be intimidated, but Pelya didn’t care.

  Shadowy shapes slung low to the ground made snuffling sounds as they sniffed the dank air for their prey. Their bodies moved on powerful hind legs while long, thin front legs reached forward for fleshy prey to scratch. Their skin was pale with stubbly brown hair covering it and flowed into long twitching tails like a cat’s. Sharp teeth posed a serious threat, but at least they didn’t have poison like other creatures in the ruins.

  They were slochunds and the girls had fought them before, but it would be much harder to protect a large group. Luckily, they never traveled in more than one or two packs of a half dozen or so of the creatures. “Weaker people in the middle,” Pelya said over her shoulder. “Anyone who doesn’t have something already, try to grab a stick or rock as a weapon.” A few of the men had found metal bars and one even had a rusty sword that was just as dangerous to him if mishandled as it would be to the creatures.

  Yellow eyes came closer and the creatures began making squealing sounds that terrified smaller prey into freezing. It was also effective on most of the slaves. The girls knew slochunds to be cowards once things went badly. Ebudae set Shade down and acted first with a spell. The ingredients were in her hands and she turned them into fiery orange energy with a few words. Then she shaped that fire with gestures and an incantation.

  Ebudae made the mistake of forgetting how much magic she had already used and how tired she was from it. When the supernatural wind slammed into her back, she staggered just a bit. The dragon’s mark on her back burned as it compensated for her weariness. She was skilled enough to keep her mind and focus strong though. A hundred darts of flames shot forth from her fingers in a large fan aimed low at the creatures. The ones that hit pierced flesh, setting skin and tissue on fire.

  Squeals turned into high-pitched screams of agony as the creatures to the left and in front of the group were burned. Ebudae’s spell had managed to catch nine of them that either writhed on the ground in agony or turned and tried to run.

  The flames also illuminated a horror that the girls had never see
n before. “There’re hundreds of them,” Pelya said in an alarmed voice. “I think we found some sort of nest.” Indeed, beyond the packs stalking them were hundreds more of the creatures. They had foolishly led the slaves into even greater danger than before.

  Ebudae picked up Shade and carried her back to a woman in the group. “We have to find another way. We’ll cover the retreat.” She didn’t know how much help she would be. Her back was still hot and her bones were beginning to hurt. Exhaustion wouldn’t be far away. The best solution was some runeballs kept tucked away for emergencies, but she hated the thought of using them.

  A brave slochund darted forward at Pelya, who had moved to protect the flank. It saw her away from the group and thought her easy prey. It died when the warrior dodged its charge and sliced through its neck. Pelya allowed the force of its charge to carry her back some and removed her blade as it stumbled the last few steps of its miserable existence.

  Pelya took a moment to wipe the sword on the monster’s back. The others were holding off, cautious after seeing their companion fall. More of the squealing emitted from their throats. It traveled in a wave all the way through the nest.

  When a loud, chilling wail sounded from a distance away, the hairs on the back of Ebudae’s neck stood straight. It didn’t come from the slochunds.

  “I don’t want know what that was, Ebudae!” Pelya exclaimed.

  “It must be some sort of creature the slochunds devote themselves to or something.” The creatures on her side were becoming brave. Ebudae pulled a runeball out of a pouch on her belt and said the words to trigger it. Activation took very little energy, but she had used so much on other spells that the she could feel the tiny drain.

  She threw it as far as she could. It landed in a group of slochunds that followed it with their gaze, sidestepping when it hit the ground between them. Bolts of lightning sprang from the ball as it disintegrated. Each bolt hit the nearest slochunds, sending enough lightning through it to kill the screaming creature before jumping to the next. Fifteen were killed by it and fifteen more by the next one Ebudae threw just like it.

  The terrible smell of burning flesh rose from the creatures, threatening to sicken the slaves. They rushed back as fast as they could, but more of the slochunds were circling around behind their escape route. More lightning jumped from the other side as Pelya threw two of the same runeballs, which Ebudae had given to her.

  Two more of the creatures attacked Pelya and she killed them both, slashing the first as she leapt over it and then stabbing the second. They always stayed low to the ground and the warrior had discovered that leaping above their heads was an effective method of fighting them. On occasion, she had even run along their backs to get to the next.

  One came too close to Ebudae, so she cast a small spell that sent out shards of ice using the moisture in the air for material. Her back heated and her bones ached, even though it wasn’t powerful. The shards did kill the creature and injure the one behind it.

  “Your neck is glowing orange,” a slave said from behind her. Ebudae looked over her shoulder and saw that the orange lines of the tattoo that trailed up her neck. Most of the time the mark was invisible, only showing when stressed. For it to glow from underneath her clothes meant she was overburdening it.

  Two of the men on her side moved forward to fight off one of the slochunds. They beat it off weakly. “Look out,” another slave yelled, pointing at one of the creatures moving to the side of the farthest man.

  The slochunds sprang forward and latched onto the man who screamed in terror and agony. Others tried to hit it with rocks and fight it off with bars, but the creatures moved backwards, dragging the fallen slave by the leg. The screams only lasted a moment after more creatures set upon him.

  Ebudae threw a runeball at the other slochunds that were attacking. It transformed into liquid that ate a hole into the monster’s side. It squealed, causing another rippling effect throughout the nest. Another of the chilling wails from within the nest followed, closer that time.

  Suddenly the darkness disappeared, replaced by a stream of molten sunlight arching from behind the slaves into the nest of creatures. The slochunds screamed and backed away while the people shielded their eyes. It spread through the creatures, lighting them on fire. A hulking creature wailed from the middle of the nest when the molten fire hit it, causing the girls and slaves to drop to their knees as the sound reverberated through their skulls.

  Fortunately, the wail didn’t last long as the monster died in a fit of thrashing. The stream of sunlight ended, splashing down and scattering burning drops to kill scores more of the slochunds. A riot of sounds surrounded the group. The sudden lack of light blinded Ebudae, while indistinguishable spots of fire floated through the darkness as surviving creatures tried to run from their own burning skin.

  Thundering hooves echoed through the ruins from behind the slaves. Ebudae rubbed her eyes and gave them a second to adjust. She looked for Pelya and saw the warrior slice through the hide of another slochund. They were still attacking the group. Then Ebudae heard a snuffling sound and turned to see one just a few feet from her, its teeth bared and its visceral eyes glistening with yellow hunger. She reached for another runeball and began to take a step to the side.

  “By the light of Reanna, Die foul beasts!” The knight’s horse appeared to move in slow motion as it came forth. The magnificent sun emblem on his orange tunic blazed as he swung a shining greatsword down through the bodies of the creatures attacking the slaves on her side of the group.

  Droplets of saliva shook loose from the horse’s mouth as its hooves pounded the ground. On the upswing, the knight’s blade reached the slochund in front of Ebudae, cutting it in half as though the creature was made of butter. The sword came back down and around, killing another slochund just as it lunged at Ebudae.

  She stared at the snout of the monster as it landed on her boot. Time returned to normal and Ebudae wondered why it had bothered to slow in the first place. “Milady!” a voice said behind her as Ebudae fell back. She wondered why she was falling.

  A freed slave caught Ebudae before she hit the ground. The knight raced ahead in front of the group, slaughtering more of the beasts with his brilliant sword. The slave looked down at Ebudae in concern. “Milady! What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

  Ebudae did a quick self-check. She wasn’t injured. The magic she had used drained her strength. Answering the person would take more strength she didn’t have, so she just watched the rest of the battle. Pelya was on top of another slochund, driving her sword into it. A horseman wearing the same colors as the knight fought near her, killing his share of the creatures in order to protect the group. Ebudae panicked a little, realizing her side was unprotected, but turning, she saw another horseman cutting away at the creatures.

  The knight rode back toward them, killing a few stragglers on his way. Most of the remaining creatures were running by that point, realizing that there was no longer an easy meal for them. Ebudae looked up at the man in his shining armor. It was the same knight who had stopped them in the street the day before.

  “Ebudae!” Pelya yelled. She rushed over and fell to her knees. “Are you hurt? What happened?” Ebudae only had enough energy to smile reassuringly.

  A woman rode up and dismounted next to them. “Let me look.” She was beautiful, but frail. Thin blonde hair rustled against her brow and down her back. She looked at Ebudae with pink eyes, much the same color as her own. Her hands were thin and her face gaunt. However, when she took Ebudae’s face in her hands, strength streamed through.

  Ebudae scrambled to her feet with Pelya’s help. “What was that? Wow!”

  “That was the power of Reanna,” the knight said in his rich voice. He also dismounted and approached them while sheathing his spotless greatsword. The other two horsemen circled the group, guarding against any creatures that might be foolish enough to try again. “Appana is a holy priestess of Reanna, filled with divine healing power and enough love in her hea
rt to light even this darkness.”

  Appana rolled her eyes and moved to tend to the frightened slaves. Ebudae took a deep breath and relaxed. The heat on her back and in her bones had lessened a great deal. She was still tired and very hungry, but would be alright.

  One of the horsemen approached. “Two people were lost to the creatures, Milord. The rest are frightened, but it seems they will survive.”

  “Thank you, Gratham,” The knight replied.

  “Two?” Pelya’s sword was still drawn. She wouldn’t sheath it until clean. “Two died? It’s all my fault. I didn’t save them.” She released Ebudae’s arm and turned to see who was gone.

  “Pelya Jornin.” Power traveled through the knight’s voice to stop her. It wasn’t supernatural. Some people had the ability to make others listen to them just by force of presence. Pelya turned. The knight folded his arms and frowned. “Why are you down here in the evil below Dralin?”

  Pelya exchanged glances with Ebudae. Looking at the knight, she opened her mouth to answer, thought about it and opened her mouth again. Nothing came out. The knight continued to look on sternly. Pelya gathered her resolve. “Friends of ours from Carnival needed our help to rescue someone. Things went badly and we ended up running away from dangerous people. Along the way, we found these people in cages,” she gestured at the slaves behind her, “and released them. We were trying to get them to safety, but we don’t know this part of the ruins and made a terrible mistake. It’s my fault they died.” Pelya’s head hung low as did the tip of her sword.

  “I have a great many more questions for you, Pelya Jornin, but for now, we need to get these people to safety.” The knight gestured for them to turn and begin walking.

  Ebudae turned and fell because her legs refused to cooperate. “Ebudae!” Pelya grabbed her and kept her from hitting the ground. The knight moved to the other side and together they helped her stand.