Presage kept silent. Even Shelby saw the fear and hopelessness deep inside the officer. Casselton turned away, and at first, it seemed he would not speak.
At last, he flared, his jowls shaking. "My boy, Presage. They took Simon. He is but a child."
Milo interrupted. "You risked the fate of a country for your son, Casselton. That is a choice punishable by death." His words were hot with anger.
"Calm down, Milo," said Presage. "This is no normal act of treason. He will be judged, but no need to damn a loyal citizen of Meridia when his only son is held hostage."
"One of my Stonecoats is dead, Presage. He is lucky I do not judge him now with my sword."
Presage shook his head at the Stonecoat to signal that he must not act here, then returned his attention to the traitor. "How did they contact you, Casselton?"
"In Meracuse. They placed a letter in my chambers. It instructed me to tell a staff member of the Assembly, one with his sister held captive, of our plans of travel. I was also instructed to botch up the mobile portal. If not, they would behead my boy," Casselton whimpered.
"The staff member's name?"
"Mapleton."
Presage raised an eyebrow. "Previous to this, Mapleton was a loyal man. That may explain how the Assembly was captured. Mapleton discovered where they held their weekly meeting, and they were likely ambushed."
Vilaborg stood behind Presage, his eyes welling with tears. Sculptor crept up.
Casselton looked up at them and dipped his head in shame. "My Simon means the world to me. I was confused and disoriented. I figured if I reported the abduction, he'd be killed. I thought maybe a different way out would emerge, where we could all survive, that I could strategize as time passed." His chest heaved.
"We are fortunate. Zach has found Throg and is safe. You will be judged in forum, Casselton. As disappointed as I am with you, I do promise we'll do everything we can to rescue your son."
As two Meridian soldiers were ushering Casselton off, Shelby darted over. "Where are you taking him?"
Presage explained the circumstances to her.
"You're going to hold him? They took his son."
Milo said, "I have studied your country's laws in school, damsel. Treason is punishable by death."
Shelby cast him a stern look. Casselton continued to weep, and she scurried over to him and rested a hand on his arm.
"Please, dear Kin, whatever happens to me, please try to help my little boy," he pleaded.
"I promise," she said and hugged him.
The Meridian soldiers escorted him away. Disheartened, Shelby stared at them a few seconds and then whirled around to Milo. His hair was mussed, his armor dented, and his expression somber.
"I'd like you to tell me what you would do if your only son were abducted, you brute," she snapped and dashed off.
Shelby returned to the Kin, who had been sitting and trading stories. She explained what had happened to Casselton, and they fell silent for a while, staring at nothing and brooding. Casselton betraying the entire country seemed too unreal. Even if they'd kidnapped his son, what he did just wasn't right. Shelby knew it, though she didn't want to believe it.
Max said, "Shelby, I know this is horrible, but you'd feel the same way as Milo if one of us had been killed due to Casselton's actions."
"It still doesn't make things better. They have his little boy. He was thinking with his heart."
"I shudder to think of where a man must decide between what is right and his son," said Mr. Dempsey.
They chewed chud and drank water. Shelby tried to enjoy the sounds and sights of the forest. The sentinels and oaks spread onward forever, but she only felt sad.
Before long, Presage strode over to the Kin. "Reconnoiters will assist in locating Throg and Zach and escorting them back to us. I can't tell you how relieved I am that he found his way to Throg. We cannot stay in one place for long, so we'll be moving again shortly. Milo and Barrick are discussing an alternate route back to Meracuse, as the Dorado Path appears too perilous for us to travel. We will let you know as soon as we make a decision."
The Kin reclined for some time. Shelby played with the dirt, tracing her fingers through it in random patterns.
"That poor boy," said Riley with a shake of her head. "I remember when I was little. I got lost in the supermarket, and was I ever scared. The whole experience freaked me out for a long time!"
"I can't imagine getting lost here," agreed Stuart. "Above all, without anyone to explain things to you."
"I hope this Throg guy was able to tell him what's going on," said Riley.
"I'm sure he was," said Max. "And if not, we can bring him up to speed."
Shelby noticed that Emily pulled her knees to her chest and refused to look at anyone. Such a quiet girl. Shelby was about to ask Emily if she wanted some chud, when Mr. Dempsey strolled over to Emily, handed her a steaming mug of tea, and sat down beside her.
"The evening approaches." The Kin turned to behold Milo. He didn't meet Shelby's gaze, but he did motion for them to get up. "We should move on."
They packed their belongings and prepared for the coming journey. Shelby paused and peered into the darkening wood. The twilight air carried an arctic hush.
Throg and Zach continued at a light jog, slowing every few minutes to examine their surroundings. Zach recollected his experiences so far, as they traveled. He'd barely had a chance to let them soak in. He thought of the Bogmen and the Fugues. Had the Fugues not intervened, he might have been killed twice already. The encounter with the witch still made him nervous.
They stopped for a respite. Zach's shirt clung to him, as sweat streamed down his back, neck, face, and chest. They had been sprinting for nearly an hour. Without his new body, he could never have run quite so long.
Throg said, "I wish it was possible to put my mental shield down to contact Presage. He's a trusted advisor to the Assembly and a mentor. I fear, however, this would alert others to our location."
"Is it also dangerous when my link tries to contact me?"
"No, it's a different type of transmission. That message would go directly to you, so do not fear."
"I was wondering about the witch I ran into and Baku. Are these creatures back on Earth as well?"
"In different forms, absolutely. Some originated on this planet. Beings having access to certain magic—such as the case with the witch or a celestial being, like Baku— can travel to wherever they want. Azimuth is a more comfortable setting for witches. You might remember in Earth's history when they were burned at the stake. Some pure dwarves still live on Earth in underground cities far from man and Biskara. Biskara attacked the Meridians' home on Earth, Atlaseria, through a tremendous wave. The mentors managed to establish contact with Azimuth and decided to travel here."
Zach nodded and the two were off once more. Constant racing was mundane, and he was thirsty, licking his dry lips. Sometime ago, he had stopped looking at the trees and shrubbery. For now, he just avoided running into anything while gasping for air. They had a cask of water thanks to Drake, but no food except for some berries Throg had picked from a bush.
In a short time, they came upon an older man working a campfire. Throg slowed and Zach was grateful for the relief. He inhaled a few deep breaths, glad to fill his lungs and take a drink. Cold water slaked the worst of his thirst.
They approached the campfire as the old man shot them a suspicious look. He poked a stick into the fire with leathery mitts, his long grey hair expertly missing the flames by an inch.
"We are simply passing through," said Throg, holding his hands out at hip level.
"My, that's been said before," declared the man in an accent that reminded Zach of British English. "This part of the woods, nobody is passing through. You are either on the run, looking for someone, or a bandit."
"Where do you fall?" Throg asked.
"Me? I'm a bandit."
Throg smirked and rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. "We're looking for someone. Frie
nds of Meridia."
"You're not the only ones. A troop of dark soldiers passed through a few hours back. Never seen their type before. They left me alone. I pretended I was deaf."
"You're luckier than the last group we ran into. They encountered that same troop, but didn't live."
"No kidding? Well, my share of bad luck is full, so a little good luck is due. My name is Brodeur. If you're hungry, I can offer some smoked lattice with salt, and plenty of tea leaves as well."
"We are flying light, and although we are rushed, it won't do us any good to walk with an empty belly. We accept. Few bandits offer lattice. Dang hard fish to snag." Throg grinned and sauntered toward the campfire, and Zach followed warily.
"They're plentiful in the Invunche Lake," said Brodeur. "I had a good run on them last week, so much that I had to smoke most of my catch to keep the meat from spoiling."
They sat around the flames, enjoying the warmth. Brodeur unfolded a soft leather rag and pulled out a generous hunk of the smoked fish for each of them.
The lattice was delicious. Zach likened it to trout, except much better. The taste wasn't quite as salty as he'd expected, and it was buttery.
Brodeur boiled tea and gave them both a large clay mug laced with rope. He shuffled in his bag. After unfolding another tan rag, he pulled out a sticky honeycomb and poured a spot of honey into their cups.
They cradled their warm mugs and ate their fish. The crackling of the flames reminded Zach of a camping trip he'd been on with his foster parents when he was younger—one of the best times of his life, right before they'd started yelling.
"They were looking for you, this troop," said Brodeur, sipping his tea.
"Did I mention we're also on the run?" Throg smiled.
Brodeur coughed, nodding his head. "Usually, men run for more than one reason. I guess you can say a bandit is always on the run."
"May I ask which way they were headed?"
"Sure. The same way you're going. They're Nightlanders, aren't they?"
"They are."
"Well, then I am lucky, because these woods will be turned inside out. I may need to head to Vixen for a spell."
Throg grinned again and looked at Zach. "Vixen is a village about a day's walk from here, off the Dorado Path. It's an entertainment town, a bit like Earth's Amsterdam mixed with Las Vegas, but smaller. You can travel with us part of the way, Brodeur, if you can keep up and don't mind that the Nightlanders are looking for us."
Brodeur didn't answer for a few moments. He then gathered his belongings and placed them in his bag, and strapped a crossbow to the side.
"I guess I can take a chance. Maybe my luck will still be good for a little while, and I have missed the comfort of companionship for some time. I did hear some Zumbaki are on this side of the wood, so company is a trade-off. Much safer to travel in numbers. By the way, I'm not so ancient that I can't keep up a brisk pace yet... long as you don't turn it into a marathon." Brodeur winked.
They walked for about an hour before the woods began to stir. A pack of ferrets scampered by, accompanied by a gang of gophers. The animals started getting bigger. A trio of oversized boar raced to the south of them, followed by a score of terrified bearcats to the north.
"Something spooked them, for sure," Brodeur observed.
A throng of deer and cheetahs bolted past them, thrashing through the brush.
Throg stopped. "Okay, now, when cheetahs are running with deer instead of hunting them, something bad is going on."
Ahead of them, Drake emerged from the woods. His hands were on his temples, and he appeared distressed. The Leshy sighed when he spotted them.
"What in the world...." Brodeur fished out a knife.
"It's okay," said Throg. "I know him. Leshy do not like speaking to strangers. Stay here." He walked up to Drake with Zach.
"Dimshootz! I knew these dang Nightlanders would be a problem for the forest," said Drake.
"What got the wildlife all roused up?"
"The Nightlanders' stupidity. They caught a chimera up in the Evern Mountains. They brought the thing down here with its jaws wrapped in a muzzle, but one of the Disembowelers tussled with it and knocked the gag off. The chimera panicked and shot flame. Half of my woods are ablaze. I'm calling out to my brethren for assistance, but it'll take us some time to extinguish this conflagration."
Throg shook his head. "I'm sorry, Drake. What of the battle on the path, and the Kin?"
"The skirmish subsided. I assisted the two Kin in escaping, and Milo brought them back to safety. I told him you rescued this Kin and asked for aid. Then the fire started, and I got my hands full. You will not be able to travel through it. You need to travel westward if you wish to go to Meracuse."
"Blast. Going west is completely out of the way," Throg muttered.
"Aren't the Canopus Hills west?" Zach asked.
"Yes, they are. Don't get any ideas, though." Throg gave him a stern look. "If the Assembly is held there, you're not the one who will rescue them. That job will fall to a Meridian division, or to the Stonecoats."
Zach shrugged. "I wonder if the rest of the Kin had contact with their links. If they're also headed to the Canopus Hills, maybe this Presage will be going there, too. Do you think they'd wait for us?"
"A good point, but we must assume Presage will send out reconnoiters to bring us in. Until then, we'll go around the fire and hopefully meet up at the Dorado in a day or so."
"Well, I have work to do," Drake said. "Nightlander patrols are scattered west. Keep a lookout." He disappeared into the brush.
Brodeur strode forward.
"A large fire in the forest means we can only travel west," Throg said. "It's far out of the way to reach Meracuse."
"Not much we can do about those things. West we go," Brodeur said.
The distinct smell of burning wood, and the sight of billowing smoke in the sky, accompanied them on their detour. Animals of all kinds continued their steady escape from the fire.
As they hiked around the blaze, Brodeur entertained them with tales of his past. One of his stories was especially interesting—how he had impersonated a Lord Falconer in a king's court near a city named Tobor. He'd enjoyed a fabulous meal, sat only four seats from the king, and snuck away with several gold chalices.
Although Brodeur was a thief, Zach sensed Throg trusted him, and his own intuition agreed.
After a few hours of traveling, they stopped for a rest. A rustling clatter erupted from the bushes, and Throg and Brodeur crept toward the noise, their swords drawn.
"Monganese turtles. We're in luck." Brodeur rubbed his hands together.
"In more ways than one. Their shells are excellent shields," Throg said.
They caught and skinned the two large turtles as Zach watched. Brodeur lit a fire, and before long, Zach enjoyed the first turtle meat he'd ever eaten. The tangy meat reminded him of a cross between pork and chicken.
As Brodeur and Zach continued to devour the grilled turtle, Throg started working on the shells. He'd asked Brodeur for some extra leather hides, and pulled out a few smaller tools and nails from his knapsack.
After an hour's work, Throg packed up the husks and insisted they move on. "I'll finish these on our next stop. They'll come in handy if we run into a Nightlander patrol."
The farther they traveled west, the more the woods returned to normal. After taking another break, Throg finished constructing the Monganese turtle shields. He laced the shields with soft goatskin on the inside, and fastened a tough leather sling to cradle the defensive unit between the forearm and the elbow.
"These shells are hard as any metal," Throg said.
The front of the turtle shields was winter green with light jade edges, and one fit snugly on Zach's wrist. His body felt like he knew exactly how to defend himself with the shield, even though he'd never seen one.
They'd marched for an hour when high-pitched shrieks rose from the south of the forest, over a knoll. They studied each other at a standstill, until rea
ching an unspoken agreement and dashing up the mound. When they reached the top of the slope, they crawled on their bellies to catch a glimpse of where the cries had originated.
At the bottom of the hill, a girl no older than fifteen sprinted. A second later, a quintuplet of Nightlanders emerged, running and howling with their weapons raised.
"I count only five soldiers with none following. They shouldn't give me a problem," Throg said, eyeing Brodeur. "How are you with that crossbow?"
"I last tested my aim a while ago, but I should be able to even the odds." Brodeur unwrapped and loaded his bow.
"What about me?" Zach snapped.
"I can take these few on my own. I'm not risking you in this." Throg bounded down the hill.
Brodeur aimed and fired his crossbow. The bolt whistled through the air and sliced into a Nightlander's back.
The soldiers spun around.
Throg thrust his sword into one, pulled it out, and parried a blow from a different Nightlander, slashing him on the side while a bolt whizzed by him and struck down another.
Battle cries echoed from down the path, and several more Nightlanders burst onto the scene.
Brodeur fiddled with his crossbow. "It's jammed. He won't last long alone."
Zach stood and stared at Throg as he struggled against the throng of soldiers.
I need to help him.
He sucked a deep breath and charged down the hill.
Zach rolled under a soldier to the middle of the pack, then jumped up, knees to his chest as an axe swished underneath. His leg extended in mid air, right into the head of a warrior. He deflected two swords aimed at him, pushing the soldiers back, and then jabbed a pair of warriors to his left with lightning speed.
A large trooper bear-hugged him from behind. Zach launched his legs forward into an oncoming Nightlander, and then propelled his head back into the mouth of his assailant. Next, he twirled forward, blocking swords and hacking with each turn. Not a thought entered his mind, his body moving with pure instinct.
He turned to Throg, who was heaving on one knee. The last one remained before them, standing his ground, which was almost admirable, considering that his group lay slaughtered at Zach's feet and he could have fled.
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