Patrina climbed to her feet, trembling and angry at the same time. She stared at where the snake had been and saw dozens of white eggs practically glowing in the darkness. She scowled and took a step towards them, and then cried out as her knee gave out and she fell. She landed on the snake, prompting her to push away from the scaly smooth body. She reached up to wipe her fresh tears from her face but stopped just before she touched herself. Her hands had the snake's blood on them, and she was sure she didn't want that in her eyes.
She forced herself to her feet again and, moving carefully, crushed every last egg she could find with her axe. The baby snakes weren't ready to survive on their own yet, sparing her the misery of hunting down a hundred baby snakes on a bad leg. She turned away and limped back to the junction of hallways and made her way to the door at the end. It was already opened nearly a full foot, enough room for the snake with a full meal in its belly to slip through. Patrina shuddered and stepped through, only to find herself looking at a staircase that led up.
She paused a moment and then nodded. "Almost there, Trina," she whispered to herself. "Just a little farther and then you can rescue Alto."
She put her foot on the first step and wondered if Alto had been as terrified or as clueless when he'd come to rescue her from the dragon.
Chapter 16
Patrina moved through the manor house as quietly as she could. Light filtered in through broken windows and small holes in the walls, allowing her to see properly again. It was dim and sporadic, keeping it dark and confusing. She'd barely managed to muffle her shriek when she'd almost stepped on the desiccated rat corpses when she rounded a corner.
She made it past the rats but stood still when she almost walked into a massive webbing that stretched across the hallway. She drew her sword in her off hand and tried to sweep it aside, only to be surprised at how strong the cobwebs were. She used her sword like a machete and chopped through it, and then cried out when the spider that had made the webs emerged from beneath the shadows of a cabinet.
Two more spiders crawled out of hiding, each large enough to give her father's hunting hounds pause. Her sword was coated in the sticky webbing, making it of little use, save as a club. She tossed it at the closest spider and used the distraction to back up and grab her axe in both hands. The awkward back step sent a bolt of pain from her knee up to her hip and drew a ragged gasp from her lips.
The brown and yellow spotted spiders scurried towards her. She swept her axe across and scooped the first spider so that it went {R1flying into a wall. It bounced off and twitched, and then regained its feet and started towards her again.
She brought the axe back and smashed the second spider into the wooden floor, cutting it almost in half with her blade. Juice splattered across the floor and made her lip curl up in disgust. The next spider ran across it on eight legs, uncaring of its brother's fate. The spider latched onto her boot and tried to drive its fangs into her, only to be foiled by the metal plates sewn into her boots.
Patrina kicked with her foot but the spider hung on. She tried to balance on her injured knee but it screamed its disapproval and started to buckle again. She jammed her other foot into the ground to steady herself, squashing the spider on her boot in the process.
The first spider was dragging one of its legs. It slowed it down enough for Patrina to jab the spike tipping her axe into it and pin it against the floor. The spider's legs twitched while it tried to pull itself free. She leaned on the axe handle and waited until it stop moving before she picked it up and swung her axe to send the dead spider {R1flying into a wall.
She balanced on her good leg and swung her foot from her knee a few times, grimacing at the pain each movement caused. She sighed and started forward, only to stop when she saw there were several more webs beyond the first one she'd started to cut down. And spiders. She saw dozens of spiders crawling from holes in the walls and ceiling and from under and behind furniture.
Patrina forced herself to breathe and glanced behind her. Maybe if she could clear out the rubble that had caved in the hallway the snake had been in, she might find another way out. She turned back and saw the spiders were moving faster and getting closer. She raised her axe and glanced at the glistening fluid on her boot. That meant the spiders were probably poisonous.
The wall and ceiling exploded next to her. Patrina cried out and fell away, twisting her knee in the process. Broken timber showered the room, striking her without doing any damage but obscuring her vision. The spiders retreated from the new threat.
Patrina blinked through the dust and glaring sunlight. Something blocked the light, letting her see better. She cried out as the wall broke inwards again, and then she felt herself grabbed by the foot and ripped out of the estate, smashing her against the floor and wall along the way. Her armor managed to take the brunt of the impacts but she was still winded and wondered if her leg was going to be torn off at the hip.
When the world stopped spinning, Patrina heard her name being shouted. It sounded familiar, but more important was the very large black face, with even larger teeth bared, less than a foot from her. The ape's nostrils flared as it sniffed her, and then a moment later the airflow reversed with an enormous sneeze.
Patrina's brain caught up a moment later. She was covered in ape snot and every joint in her body felt like it had been pulled out of socket. She looked up—no, she was looking down at the ground—and saw that her axe was still in her hand. How had she managed that? She hadn't even tried to keep her grip on it.
"Trina!" Alto's words drifted through her mucus-covered haze. She twisted in the ape's hand as best she could and saw him waving from the top of a tower. Not the top floor, the very top. The roof. He was twenty feet off the ground. How was she supposed to get to him?
Patrina lost sight of him as she was jerked through the air again. She felt her back popping from the shaking and knew it was a matter of time, probably seconds, before one of the pops was permanent. She was swung forward and bent at her waist, using her momentum and swinging the axe up to hack into the forearm of the ape holding her.
Patrina flew through the air and landed on the ground, rolling as she went. Air blasted from her mouth and she could taste a mix of blood and dirt. She rolled just enough to twist her head and look up. The ape was grunting and screeching while it held its injured arm. Another one slammed its hands on the ground and rushed towards her. Patrina stared up as it raised both fists and was about to crush her. Her body wasn't ready to move again yet.
Bucky crashed into the ape above her and sent the female crashing into a wing of the estate. He roared at the female ape he'd displaced and then turned back to the one that was still shouting and carrying on. The male ape turned back to Patrina and snarled at her. He grunted and punched the ground near her several times, making it clear that he could kill her if he wanted to.
Patrina gathered her axe up and jammed the shaft into the ground. She used her weapon to climb to one knee and started to rise when Bucky grabbed her and squeezed tightly, crushing her axe against her. Patrina grunted and fought the darkness that pressed at the edges of her vision.
When her sight returned, Patrina saw Alto waving and shouting. He was halfway over the parapet of the tower and about to risk breaking his legs if he fell. That was Alto, ready to risk everything to help her. She shook her head. "This is my rescue," she mumbled. "I'm here to save you." It didn't matter to her that her voice was so quiet no one could hear her.
Bucky lifted her up in the air, leaving her stomach behind until it caught up with her. She saw Namitus in the tower and the jungle over the walls beyond the castle. She blinked and then realized that Bucky was threatening to throw her into the ground hard enough to make sure she'd never be a pest again. It worked. Alto backed away from the edge of the tower.
Patrina looked over at Bucky and frowned. He looked savage and vicious, but he wasn't acting like a stupid animal. Winter, her unicorn that Alto had found for her, was her first experience with an animal as
intelligent as a person. She wondered if Bucky was like that, too. Winter could understand her—could Bucky?
"Bucky, put me down," Patrina said as loudly as his squeezing fist would allow. "Nobody needs to get hurt."
The ape roared at her, making her gag and swoon with his fetid breath. Negotiations, it seemed, were not an option.
"Let her go and I won't fight you," Alto shouted from across the courtyard.
Patrina shook her head. He couldn't do that! He couldn't give up; that would mean they'd lost. "No, Al—"
Bucky's roar overpowered her and left her with a ringing in her ears and pain throbbing in her head. Bucky lowered her and spun away, confusing her. A moment later, she saw the gate of the castle and groaned when Bucky ducked to fit through the inner and outer gatehouses of the bailey. Once through the gates, she was lifted back up and vertical again, though it did little to help her sense of balance.
She fought her nausea and looked around, taking in as many sights as she could, especially those of the castle that Bucky left behind. He took her down the overgrown road that curved down the mountainside, his stride eating up the distance as fast as a horse could run. In minutes, he pushed into the jungle, swatting aside trees with his free hand and stopping occasionally to sniff the air.
Patrina considered trying to talk to the ape again. She wasn't sure if he understood her or not, but she suspected he might have. He seemed to have made sense of what Alto'd said to him. The giant monkey had roared her into silence every time she'd spoken, too. She didn't know how he could understand them, but she was sure he must.
"Please don't hurt him," Patrina risked saying. "I—"
Bucky shook her, though not as severely as the female ape that had first captured her. It made her bite her tongue hard enough to draw blood. She kept her mouth shut after that.
The ape moved through the forest, stopping on hills and in clearings to sniff and search about. She was sweating and miserable in his grip but he made no move to let her go or even loosen his hold on her. The minutes turned into an hour and more while he wandered around the island. The sun was dipping low in the west when he finally stepped out of the jungle and started up a rise towards the ruined city on the southwestern coast. Patrina stared beyond it, hopeful that her people would see her. More likely they'd see Bucky and it would terrify them, but it might get their attention, at least.
With the small village still a mile or more in the distance, Bucky stopped and sniffed the air again. He turned slowly, grunting softly and staring at the trees. Patrina gasped when Carson stepped out from a small copse of orange trees with an arrow fitted to his bow.
"Put her down, Bucky," Carson called out.
Bucky snarled and hooted at him. He raised Patrina again as though her survival was a bargaining piece.
Carson held his ground and raised his bow to point at Bucky's face. "You know this probably won't kill you, but it'll hurt for days, maybe weeks. Put her down, now!"
Bucky kicked dirt at Carson, forcing the hunter to turn away and shield his eyes from the grass and dirt that the giant ape's toes had torn up. Patrina cried out as Bucky all but tossed her onto the ground. She rolled against {missing word?}, her arms swinging out and stopping her. She looked up and saw the ape running back through the tall grass and heading for the jungle.
A moment later, Carson was kneeling at her side. "Are you hurt?"
Patrina turned and stared up at him. She blinked and opened her mouth. Instead of speaking, the darkness she'd been fighting for hours slipped through her lowered defenses and claimed her.
Chapter 17
"I always feel so inspired when I come in here," Aleena said in a tone hushed with reverence.
Celos glanced at her. "That's good. The church was built to be uplifting."
Aleena smiled and moved with her mentor to stand before the altar to Saint Leander. They dropped to their knees and bowed their heads in prayer. After several minutes of silence, Aleena rose up and looked to her right. Celos was gone. She turned and saw him standing back near the entrance. Aleena hurried to join him, and then followed him through the halls to Sir Amos's chambers.
"Is everything all right?" Celos asked her before he knocked on the door of the head of their order.
"Yes, why do you ask?"
"You spent a long time in prayer. Before we present your deeds, I have to be certain there is no doubt in you."
Aleena smiled. "No, there's no doubt. The more I learn and see the more I want to know. I was—"
Celos held up his hand to stop her. "What you share with Saint Leander is between the two of you. I have seen all I need to see to know it is time for you to be tested."
"Thank you. For everything you've done for me, even when you tried to force me out."
Celos grimaced. "I suppose I should thank you for reminding me of my mistakes. I don't need the sprite's prophecy coming true!"
"It wasn't a mistake," Aleena insisted. "If you hadn't been so rough on me, I wouldn't have worked as hard as I have. I wouldn't be who I am or where I am today."
"Perhaps," Celos allowed. "Whatever the case, know that you've won me over to believing in you."
Aleena felt her cheeks heat up. "Why, Sir Celos, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
"I can go back to drilling you through all hours of the day if you'd prefer?"
Aleena chuckled and remembered the time spent answering questions of faith between grueling workouts. "I'd welcome it. What better way to keep us strong of mind and body?"
Celos shook his head and chuckled. He rapped on the door and waited until they heard the muffled voice bidding them to enter. Celos opened the door and allowed Aleena to enter Sir Amos's office first. He shut it behind them and together they saluted the elder knight.
"Ah! My young friends, Leander's chosen. How good it is to see you again." Sir Amos rose from his desk with the aid of his hands on his desk. He rounded the desk and walked over to them, moving slower than Aleena remembered. "You look well. Tell me, how fared you in your travels?"
Aleena fought the urge to frown. Sir Amos had seen potential in her, potential she hadn't even known she had. He gave her a chance when others had laughed in her face. Now he seemed so frail. A little more than a year had passed since she'd fought beside him at the battle of Dragonsgate, but it was a year in which the elder knight had aged considerably.
Before Celos could respond to the question, Sir Amos looked at Aleena and smiled. He winked at her and said, "Worry not, squire. I've served Leander a great many years and seen many things come to pass. It does my soul well to know that there is a rising passion among the people for Saint Leander. A new church is being built in Highpeak, and much of the fault of this rests on your shoulders, young lady."
"Me?" Aleena gasped.
"A serving maid riding into battle as one of Leander's chosen? You've caught the hearts of the people. Men and women alike—they want to know more." Sir Amos sighed and reached up to place his hand on his chest. "My heart is old and has seen many battles; it's tired. It will march on until Leander calls me to his side. I pray he waits long enough for me to see you become a knight."
Celos and Aleena looked at each other. Celos returned his attention to Sir Amos and spoke. "Sir Amos, the evil that plagued the forest has been banished. It was a nature spirit, a nymph, that fell from grace many years past. Her malevolence lived on and was used by an evil wizard who conducted unwholesome experiments."
Sir Amos nodded. "I've heard of the tale of the nymph and the warrior. So it was true then?"
Aleena cleared her throat and received a nod from Celos. "Sir Amos, it was. Her misguided love confused and twisted her. Her body failed her when she misused the magic of nature too often and too much, so she put her essence into her tree. It was that tree that poisoned the land around it and allowed a wizard named Therion to work his evil on the creatures of the forest."
"Not all the creatures," Celos added.
"What?" Sir Amos asked. He smiled.
"You're not telling me something, are you?"
Sir Celos chuckled. "It was Aleena who destroyed the nymph's spirit."
Sir Amos's grin broadened. "Well done!"
"Wait," Sir Celos said. "There's more. I defended her from the denizens of the swamp and was trapped under the water. She called upon Leander's Light and was blessed with his healing hand to restore me."
Sir Amos's grin faded as his lips parted. He clamped his mouth shut and smiled again, and then nodded his head while looking at Aleena. "Leander's blessing," he whispered.
"Sir Amos," Celos said, "I think it's time."
Aleena glanced back and forth between the two men. "Sir Celos saved me in the swamp, too," she blurted out. "He laid his hand on me after I'd been clubbed on the head and nearly drowned."
Sir Amos chuckled and shook his head. "This is a blessing upon blessings. Why didn't you mention that, Celos?"
Celos shrugged. "I was just doing Leander's will."
Sir Amos chuckled. "Indeed you were. This is cause for a celebration! It has been far too long since the rank of paladins has gained strength instead of lost it."
Aleena's jaw dropped that time. Paladins were the highest order of the Knights of Leander. They were the truly chosen of Leander. Warriors with a touch of the powers of priests, putting them on an even level with the priests. It made sense, now that she thought about it, but to rise to such a station seemed impossible to her.
"Paladins?" she breathed.
"Any opposition will be swept away in the testing, I think," Sir Amos said.
"What testing is there?" Aleena asked.
Sir Amos chuckled. "It's not much of a test if you know what it is, now is it, child?"
* * * *
Aleena waited on her knees outside the testing room. The door remained shut while she prayed to Leander for guidance and strength in the coming trial. Sir Celos had gone before her, his right by seniority. When the thick door had shut, she had heard nothing more of him.
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