The Shadowed Land

by Ryan W. Mueller

  "I can't fight you either."

  From above, the clan chief said, "Oh, you'll fight. If you don't, you'll be raped and tortured to death."

  Danica picked up her sword. Berig thought she was going to attack him, and he didn't blame her. But then he saw her true intentions. She raised the sword in both hands and pointed it toward her chest. Her arms trembled.

  "No!" Berig shouted. "Don't do it!"

  "I'm sorry, Berig. It's the only choice I have."

  * * * * *

  Klint and Aric rode hard through the day. By the time night fell, they could see the fires of the Clan Seagull settlement. Thankfully, they'd encountered only a couple weak monsters, and the clansmen had taken care of them with little effort.

  "What're our plans now?" Klint asked, gazing at the settlement from a hill overlooking it. He wanted to race down there. It might already be too late.

  Darek's expression was grim. "We can't win a battle with 'em, not after losing so many warriors. We've gotta do something a bit sneakier."

  "Sneaky is my specialty," Klint said. "I'll find a way to get them outta there."

  Aric shook his head. "But what about your people there, Darek?"

  "I'd like to save 'em, but this is part of clan life. Normally, we'd leave 'em. It ain't sound strategy to wage two battles so close together. But you don't belong to this life. Your people deserve to be rescued. If we can rescue a few of our own, that's even better."

  "If we're not going to fight them," Aric said, "why'd you bring so many warriors?"

  Darek tugged at his beard. "Well, once they discover we've taken some of their captives, they're gonna fight back. You might want some protection when that happens."

  "Thank you for sacrificing so much on our behalf," Aric said.

  "Don't worry about it," Darek said. "We take any chance we can get to strike at Clan Seagull. They give all the clans a bad name."

  Cheers came from somewhere deep within the settlement, and Klint gazed toward the sound. "How're we getting inside? How can we know where they are?"

  "Getting inside shouldn't be too hard," Darek said. "They'll have a few sentries, but most of the guards will be in the center of the settlement, keeping an eye on the prisoners."

  More cheers came from the distance, and Klint's stomach swam. Any one of those cheers could be a sign that Berig or Danica had died. Klint hated that he'd become so attached to them, but maybe he needed that kind of attachment in his life.

  If he lost them, however . . .

  "Once you're inside," Darek said, "you'll be able to blend in with the crowd. I don't know how you're gonna rescue them. You've gotta do that part yourselves."

  Some of the clansmen came forward and gave Klint and Aric more appropriate clothing that would allow them to blend in. Klint felt sick as he donned the clothes. Every few seconds, there were more cheers. He struggled to hold back tears. He hadn't cried since losing his sister, and he wasn't going to start now.

  "I'm ready," he said to Aric. "Let's go."

  "I wish you luck," Darek said.

  We'll need it, Klint added silently. He gestured for Aric to follow, and they started down the hill, keeping an eye out for sentries. There were scattered trees on the hill, offering a few opportunities for concealment. Once, a sentry passed, and they had to hide behind a pair of trees.

  Klint's heart pounded as he waited for the sentry to move far enough away. Then Klint motioned for Aric to follow again. They crept through some light vegetation at the edge of the settlement, hanging close to the tents.

  The cheers had grown louder. Klint crept forward, recalling his days as a thief and smuggler. He felt nervous, yes, but it was the kind of nervousness he liked. It made him more aware of his surroundings, less likely to make mistakes.

  It was nothing like that battle. Here, Klint was in his element.

  They passed tent after tent, all empty. A few guards patrolled the dark settlement, but most were along the perimeter. Whenever Klint saw a guard, he held up a hand to halt Aric's progress. Twice, they had to duck into tents to avoid detection. Once, Aric even spotted a guard that Klint did not.

  Step by step, they moved closer to the center of the settlement. At times, the cheers were almost deafening. They grew into a great shout, then fell eerily silent. Klint hated that silence more than anything. What could have made the crowd go so quiet?

  He peered around a tent, looking toward the center of the settlement, where nearly all the clan members had assembled. That silence stretched on.

  Klint moved to the back of the crowd, surprised that no one seemed to question his presence there. It was dark, though, and everybody was focused on the spectacle below.

  At last, Klint reached a spot where he could see, and his heart nearly dropped out of his chest. Even from this distance, he recognized the two people in the bit below. Berig and Danica stood opposite one another. Danica held a sword, which she had pointed toward her own chest, as if she intended to kill herself, but Klint knew she didn't have the courage.

  * * * * *

  Berig trembled as he watched Danica prepare to take her own life. She didn't deserve to die, not like this. But what could he do? They were outnumbered and outmatched.

  The clan chief called down to them. "If you kill yourself, he will suffer unimaginable cruelty."

  Danica's arms were shaking more than ever, and Berig understood now that there was no way she'd go through with it. There never had been, most likely. That wasn't the kind of person she was. She would never give up like that, however much she knew it was the right thing. Berig was the same way. He'd survived too much to give up now. But what could they do against these odds?

  "We have to fight each other," Berig said. "That way, one of us will make it."

  Danica had tears in her eyes. "I-I can't do it."

  "We've got no choice." He hated the words more than he'd ever hated anything. It wasn't even that he was afraid to die. It was the thought that he might kill Danica, or that she might have to kill him. She couldn't have that stain on her conscience.

  And that made his decision for him.

  "Are you really prepared to die?" he asked.

  “I know I'm not prepared to kill you."

  Berig picked up the sword at his feet. Swords had always felt awkward in his hands, but none had ever felt the way this one did. It felt wrong.

  "I'm growing tired of this," said the clan chief. "Fight or you'll both be tortured to death. And you better make it a convincing battle. No one's sacrificing themselves on my watch."

  "You heard him," Berig said. "Let's make this convincing."

  * * * * *

  Klint and Aric stood at the front of the crowd, unable to think of a plan to save Berig and Danica. They were about to start fighting, and though Klint had no idea who would win, it didn't matter. He had to save them.

  But he and Aric were outnumbered so badly they wouldn't survive a second once they demonstrated their intentions. Aric looked deep in thought, and Klint could imagine the thoughts running through his head.

  They were going to die. All of them.

  Klint surveyed the scene, knowing he didn't have much time. The guards here all held swords, but he didn't see any with staffs. That was Klint's only chance.

  "I have a plan," he whispered to Aric. "They're all focused on the battle. You need to take the clan chief hostage. I'll get 'em outta that pit."

  Aric bit his lower lip. "Not the best plan I've ever heard."

  "But it's the best we've got."

  "I know."

  The clan chief stood close to some of the other spectators. Klint and Aric both made their way to the front of the group, earning a few angry looks, but only in passing. Then Aric started off to the right, toward the clan chief. There was some muttering, but by the time the crowd realized what was going on, Aric had his sword to the man's throat.

  "Let the prisoners go, or I'll kill him," Aric said.

  The clan chief laughed. "I might be chief here, but I'm only o
ne man. By all means, kill me. But you won't leave this place alive."

  "They are only two prisoners," Aric said. "Are they worth your life? They haven't killed any of your warriors. They don't belong to any clan. Are you so cruel that you'll force them to fight each other. To the death. Think about what you're asking them to do. This isn't war. This is a disgusting spectacle, and there's no need for it."

  Klint admired Aric's ability to reason with the man so calmly, but it wasn't going to work. In his time as a smuggler and thief, Klint had seen people like this. Violence was the only language they knew.

  The clan chief laughed again. "You fail to understand our ways, outsider."

  While everyone focused on the chief, Klint moved toward the pit, using his staff to cast a shield around himself in case they loosed arrows at him. He reached the edge of the pit without incident, then climbed down the rocky wall, tuning out the conversation above.

  Berig and Danica turned to face Klint.

  "You've got great timing," Berig said. "So, how're we getting outta here?"

  "Haven't figured that out just yet."

  Berig chuckled. "My favorite kind of plan."

  "Let's just climb outta here," Klint said. He was about to start up the wall when he looked up to see four men pointing staffs down at them. The clan chief was among these men.

  "Did you think we had no channelers on our side?" he asked.

  A couple of guards shoved Aric into the pit. He tumbled down the rocky wall and hit the ground with a heavy thud, but he was up almost immediately, holding his sword ready.

  "I find myself in a surprisingly agreeable mood," said the clan chief. "You've made me think that maybe we should go about things differently." He flashed them a chilling smile. "You four are going to face off against one of our most fearsome monsters."

  "Don't like the sound of that," Berig said. "What the others faced was bad enough."

  Klint tightened his grip on his staff. "But we've got magic on our side."

  "Let's hope it's enough," Aric said.

  Chapter 24: Eyes of the Serpent

  Berig's legs trembled as a gate at the other end of the pit rumbled open. Deep in the shadows there, something stirred.

  Something enormous.

  The monster emerged through the open gate, its movements slow and hesitant. When it came closer, Berig felt as if his insides had turned to water. It was a giant snake.

  Slithering out from the depths, it focused its enormous yellow eyes on them. Berig looked into its eyes, and felt a horrible tingling sensation all over his body. His legs buckled, and he hit the ground hard. When he tried to move, none of his limbs responded.

  Aric and Danica had hit the ground beside Berig, but Klint remained on his feet with his eyes closed. He sent jets of fire at each of the snake's eyes as Berig watched, unable to move.

  The snake writhed as the fire burned it. Klint staggered but kept his balance. "I think it's safe to look into its eyes now.”

  The feeling was returning to Berig's legs. He got to his feet shakily. The snake was still reeling from the injuries to its eyes, which were covered in giant black blisters.

  "Good work, Klint," Aric said, using the wall of the pit for balance.

  At last, the snake calmed down. It couldn't see them anymore, but it could still use its tongue to catch their scent. Klint launched a few more fire spells at it, but the spells bounced off its scales. When he tried lightning, the spell arced back and nearly hit Danica.

  Aric smiled grimly. "Guess we're fighting this thing the old-fashioned way."

  It came toward them, but more slowly than Berig had expected. Aric darted toward it and had to leap to the side to dodge a snap of its giant jaws. It turned, trying to find him, and he rolled out of the way before leaping atop it. Clinging to the snake's neck, he tried to stab it through the head. His sword hit the scales but couldn't penetrate the thick armor.

  Klint's eyes were wide. He pointed his staff at the ground, and there was a low rumble. A jagged piece of rock burst from the ground, hitting the snake's belly. Berig's breath caught in his throat. If this didn't work, what would?

  The snake recoiled when the rock stabbed its underside, but it didn't look to be a serious injury. The snake hissed and launched its head toward Berig. He threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding its jaws, but not its putrid breath. The impact with the ground knocked the wind out of him. He lay there, trying to get his breath back, wishing his body would move.

  Klint hit the snake with a burst of water, and it turned away from Berig moments before it would have eaten him. But now Klint stood facing it with nothing but his feeble magic. That magic had once seemed so powerful, but it couldn't do a thing now.

  Klint grabbed a dagger strapped to his clothing and threw it at the snake's open mouth. The snake jerked at the last moment, and the dagger didn't hit it. Berig scooped the dagger off the ground. The snake slammed its enormous head against him. Berig went flying, clinging to the dagger, and hit the ground hard.

  Heart pounding, he scrambled back to his feet. Now the snake had turned its gaze upon him again. All he had was his sword and now this dagger. Not much use in a situation like this.

  Klint used his staff to pull more spikes out of the ground, but none penetrated the snake's thick scales. What hope did they have now? Berig could hear it in the cheers of the crowd. The snake was going to kill them.

  Berig turned, spotting Danica at the edge of the pit, pale and terrified. The snake must have scented her because it slithered toward her. Berig couldn't let it kill her.

  He raced to Danica's side, dodging a couple snaps of the snake's jaws. When he reached her side, she was trembling fiercely. They stood side by side, with their backs pressed against the rock wall. The snake slid closer, scenting the air with its tongue. It stopped a few feet away, as if determining the easiest way to eat them.

  "What can we do?" Danica whispered, clinging to Berig.

  "No idea."

  After all, only the snake's blindness had kept it from killing them. All its movements were uncertain.

  The snake opened its mouth wide and launched its head toward Berig and Danica. Berig closed his eyes, expecting to feel its fangs sinking into him, but instead he felt a brutal blast of heat. He opened his eyes to see Klint sending fire into the snake's mouth.

  It recoiled from the heat, thrashing its massive body, then turned its sightless gaze upon Klint. When it closed its mouth, he let the flames die. They'd have no effect against the snake's tough skin, but at least there was a tiny flicker of hope.

  The snake couldn't eat any of them without Klint sending fire down its throat. Now Aric and Klint stood beside Berig and Danica.

  "Got any ideas?" Berig asked, trying to steady his trembling legs.

  Aric squinted toward the snake, which was keeping its distance. "Its scales are impenetrable, but that doesn't mean it's invincible. If I give it a chance to eat me, I can stab it from inside its mouth, and hopefully get the sword through its brain."

  "But what about its venom?" Berig asked. "It could kill you."

  "Somebody has to make the sacrifice, and I'm the best swordsman."

  "No," Berig said. "The whole reason we're out here is to cure you."

  Aric's expression was grim. "Maybe I was never meant to be cured. You heard what Cyrus said. Something about this quest is bigger than me or you or any of us. Maybe curing me was just an excuse to get things going along the right path."

  "I don't care about those damn Webs of Fate," Berig said. "You're my friend."

  "He's right," Klint said. "We'll find another way to kill it."

  The snake remained perhaps thirty feet away, as if scared. The battle had weakened it.

  "What's your plan then?" Aric asked. "Believe me, if there were another way to kill the snake, I'd gladly agree to your plan. I don't really want to die."

  "I have an idea," Berig said, and everyone turned to him. He felt queasy, but he ignored the feeling. "Maybe I can find a way to clim
b atop the snake and stab it through its eyes. I mean, the brain's behind the eyes, ain't it?"

  Klint chewed on his lower lip. "Sounds like a better plan to me."

  "I'll find a way to do this," Berig said.

  Aric nodded. "We'll distract it."

  Berig approached the snake from its left while the others went the other way. Klint launched spells at the snake, and it turned toward him. Danica and Aric remained close to Klint as though he could protect them.

  The snake moved with terrifying speed, closing in on Berig's friends. Its body had to be eight to ten feet tall, and though its scales looked sticky, he wasn't sure he could climb atop it.

  He reached the snake. It undulated, hitting him hard and knocking him backward. He hit the ground with a heavy thud, scraping his arms, but he was back to his feet in an instant. He stood facing the snake, trying to think of a plan.

  If the others died because of him . . .

  The snake continued twisting its body, making it almost impossible for Berig to climb it. Fire surged off to Berig's right, and he prayed that Klint's distraction would be enough.

  No point waiting. Berig launched himself toward the snake's body, jumping higher than he thought he could. He held his sword out, hoping he could use it to help him climb. The sword penetrated just enough into the snake's skin that it stuck. The snake twisted its head madly, turning its entire body so that it could face Berig.

  Holding to the sword with one hand, struggling to keep his feet from sliding, he plunged the dagger in his left hand into the snake's skin. To his relief, it also stuck.

  Now he could climb atop the snake. Staying on top of it . . . that was a different matter. It thrashed around more than ever. With every step he took, the snake's hisses sounded more enraged. It tried to throw him off, but he clung to the sword and dagger.

  Ten feet to go. He could do this. He had to do this.

  Five feet. The snake reared its body so much that Berig slid down its side. At the last moment, he gripped a small ridge on the snake’s back, holding onto his sword with one hand. His dagger clattered to the rocky ground.

  No time to waste. He launched himself forward, climbing atop the snake's head. Its burned eyes were so close now. He didn't hesitate to plunge his sword through its right eye. The snake thrashed wildly, and he clung to the sword with everything he had. Sweat poured down his face and coated his hands. He felt his grip slipping. Then, at last, the snake fell still.