by T. K. Chapin
An older man stood out that sat next to Nejik. His face was worn like leather and a pipe full of gopher tobacco smoldered as he held it between his yellow stained teeth as he spoke amongst the other gentlemen at the table. Approaching, Tessla was about to speak, when the old man suddenly smacked the table so hard that silence fell across the entire tavern.
“Enough with the stories,” the old man said as he glared at Nejik. “We want to know where it is.” Nejik stood up and made eye contact with Tessla. His eyes widened as he looked to be overcome with fear to see her in the tavern. “Where do you think you’re going?” the old man asked grabbing onto Nejik’s arm and pulling him back into his seat.
“I was just going to get some fresh air,” Nejik said.
“Not until you tell us where the stone is,” the old man said taking another puff of his pipe. Stone? What is Nejik talking to these people about? Tessla wondered.
“It’s buried at the base of the tree that sits in the fork of the river,” Nejik said with a quieted voice.
“You best not be lying boy or it’ll be your throat we take,” the man said leaning into Nejik’s face as the smoke barreled out of his mouth. Nejik coughed as he pulled back from the old man’s gaze.
“I promise it’s there,” Nejik said as he stood up. “You have my word.” Extending a hand to the old man, they shook firmly on the matter, and Nejik walked right by Tessla as if he didn’t know her. Following him out of the tavern, she grabbed his arm turning him around.
“That was stupid!” Nejik said turning quickly to Tessla. “You could have gotten yourself exposed or hurt!”
“You have been gone for hours, we got worried about you!”
“Why? Did you two honestly think I could just walk into a tavern, ask a question and leave with the information?” Nejik laughed as he grabbed her arm and hurried back towards the log pile.
“Well…” Tessla responded searching for her thoughts. “I was worried about you.”
“Well… I can handle myself,” Nejik said. “I’ve been on my own for quite some time now sister.”
“What was the stone you were talking to those men about?” Tessla asked.
Stopping as they were about to the log pile, Nejik turned to her again and shook his head. “You wouldn’t understand. You haven’t had to live and fight for your life daily like I have. I can’t explain it to you in a way that you would understand. All you need to know is I know where they are keeping Ada.”
“What was that stone Nejik?” Tessla asked angered.
“It’s the stone that Amon, or Illadari… whomever, left behind at the Great Tree when you two went to Silvermeer,” Nejik said.
“You stole his stone?” Tessla said in disbelief. Nejik walked away and headed back to the log pile. Following after him, they arrived back at Illadari and Tessla grabbed Nejik’s arm. “Why would you take the one thing he had from his father?”
Nejik laughed, “I didn’t steal it. To steal something, it has to be in another’s possession and it wasn’t. It was at the Great Tree and might I add… he had left it there over a decade ago.”
“You took my stone?” Illadari asked. Tessla took off the robe and gave it back to Illadari.
“See… this is what you city folk don’t understand about the world outside of your precious walls. It’s a give and take out here in the world. Did I take the stone? Yeah, I did, but guess what? That stone is leading us to your son.”
“That’s great, but you shouldn’t take what doesn’t belong to you,” Illadari said as he put his robe on over his head. “That isn’t right.”
Shaking his head in frustration, Nejik said, “Out here beyond the castle walls and the city, lays the real world. The world where you don’t get what you want without giving something in return. Sometimes the truth and reality is not pretty.”
Tessla knew that Nejik had changed from coming to live out amongst the forest dwellers and had even became accustomed to the druids within the Darkwood Forest, but she never thought for a moment that Nejik would ever take something that did not belong to him. As her eyes were focused on Nejik as he tried to justify himself, she saw him in an entirely different way. She no longer saw him as a little boy who played out in the courtyard with her as a child, but a man who made choices through his actions, even if they were not what she had wanted.
“Do you want to know where your son is? Where Ada is?” Nejik asked with his eyebrows raised. “Or do you want to continue on about how bad it is I took something I didn’t have any right to have?”
Placing her hand on his shoulder, Tessla looked him in the eyes and said, “What you did was not right. It might have not been a big deal to you, but it was important to us. I understand though… you were doing what you thought was right. You have to be able to do what you think is right in the moment no matter what, and that choice is going to help us find our son.”
Illadari shook his head, “He’s a thief Tessla!”
“No,” she snapped at Illadari. “He made a choice and now it’s going to help us. Let us not cast judgment on his decision. Now tell us, where is Ada?”
“She’s being kept in a cavern along the coastline of the Guilted Gulf. It’s just east of here along the shoreline,” Nejik said. He paused for a moment and shook his head as he looked down. “You would have never found her if it wasn’t for me having a bargaining chip with those sailors in there.”
Tessla hugged her brother and kissed him on the cheek. “I understand that Nejik… but that does not erase the fact that you took and buried that stone long before we arrived at this predicament.”
Nejik became speechless for the first time in the argument. Continuing, Tessla said, “It’s okay you did it… I just didn’t know you were that kind of guy. You are growing up and making decisions for yourself. It’s not wrong, just different than when we were kids.” Looking up through the forest, Tessla continued, “These forests… they’ve changed you into the man you are today.”
“For the better,” Nejik said.
“Maybe,” Tessla said.
“We aren’t kids anymore Tessla…” Nejik said stepping closer to her. “I promise I’m still a good man and person you would be proud to call your brother. You must stop treating me like a child when I’m the one making grown up decisions to get your child back.”
“You are right,” Tessla admitted.
“We should rest here,” Illadari said. “We will leave at day break for the Guilted Gulf.”
“Do you wish for me to come along?” Nejik asked.
“Of course,” Tessla smiled. “You’re my big brother.” Smiling softly at Tessla, Nejik nodded. Tessla removed gymer bread and waterskins from her pouch and gave each of them a portion as they sat down behind the log pile. Handing Illadari’s leaf to him, he quickly took it and popped it in his mouth without murmuring a complaint in the slightest.
Chapter 16
Waking up to a new day, the three of them gathered their supplies and set foot for the Guilted Gulf. Remaining inconspicuous, they traveled far enough north of Ashengale that they remained undetected as they took the southern path that led from the battlefield for the Curo and Runic, known as the Echo Flats, to the shoreline of the Guilted Gulf.
As they traveled further south on the path, Nejik stopped and stuck his neck out as he appeared to be listening for something.
“What is it?” Tessla asked. “Do you hear something other than the birds and creatures stirring about?”
“It sounds like whistling almost,” Nejik said as he set foot into the woods off the path. The whistling became louder and Illadari and Tessla could hear it the farther they went into the woods.
“Shhhh….” Nejik said as he carefully led them through the woods. Stepping over logs and rocks along the way, they traveled deep into the thick woods; Illadari could hear the whistle coming from the tops of the trees, which caused him to stop. Glancing up, he saw nothing but branches. Listening intently again, the whistling had vanished.
“T
he whistling, it stopped,” Nejik said climbing back over a log as he approached Illadari.
Illadari kept his eyes fixated upwards as he looked around at the trees. “I heard the whistle from this tree.” Glancing over at Tessla and Nejik he shrugged, and then started back towards the path when suddenly, they all heard the sound of a tree uprooting itself from the ground. Turning around, a large overgrown tree that reached up above all the other trees took a step closer, causing the ground to shake.
“Do not be afraid,” the tree spoke in a booming voice down at Illadari, Tessla and Nejik. Their hair blew backwards from the blast of the tree’s voice and Illadari trembled with fear at the massive speaking wormwood tree.
“How can we not be fearful? You are a talking tree!” Illadari said with his hands up in the air. “Trees are not supposed to talk!”
“Turn and head southeast to find the cave with the witch. You are heading too far south,” The tree said. Leaves shook as the tree stepped back into its position and rooted itself back into the ground. Before the face vanished from the tree, it spoke again. “Beware of the troll that protects the Blistering Caverns.”
Running up to the tree, Illadari touched it and said, “Tell us more about the troll! And who are you? How are you talking?”
Looking up, the face had left the tree and it stood idly in the forest with all of the other trees. Shaking his head he looked at Tessla and Nejik, “What was that about?”
“I don’t know… but should we follow its advice?” Tessla asked.
“I am more inclined to believe the sailors over a wormwood tree,” Nejik said.
“Really?” Tessla looked confused at Nejik. “You think a couple washed up sailors in an Ashengale tavern knows more than a mystical talking ancient tree?”
“Well… when you put it that way,” Nejik said embarrassed.
Illadari leading the way, they began heading southeast like the tree had directed them to go. The forest began to thin out as they came upon a rocky terrain that sloped upwards like that of a hillside. “This must be the caverns,” Illadari said as he began to walk up the side of the rocky hill. Making it to the top, the three of them peered over to see the sandy beach of the Guilted Gulf.
“Where’s the troll?” Tessla asked as she ran her eyes along the coast.
“Maybe there is no troll,” Nejik said.
“There it is,” Illadari said pointing over towards the water. The troll’ss head sat in the water looking as if it was just a rock, but focusing their sights on it, it was easy to tell it was the top of a giant troll’s head by the thin strands of hair that were sporadically sprouting out of it.
“How are we going to get past him?” Tessla asked.
“We need to figure out a way to trap him,” Nejik said.
“Nejik and I will fight him and drag him off along the coastline, while you get into the cave and find Ada,” Illadari said. Tessla looked panicked for a moment until Illadari placed his hand on her shoulder. “Everything is going to work out love,” he said with a smile. “I promise Kessler will be safe.” Tessla smiled and kissed his cheek.
“I know ,love,” Tessla said glancing over at the troll’s head. “I have faith that it will.”
“Come on Nejik,” Illadari said standing up. Joining his side, Nejik pulled his bow out from his back and loosed an arrow from his quiver. Tessla stood up with them, and Illadari looked at her with his head cocked to one side, curious to what she was doing.
“Let me play a few songs to buff you,” she said looking at the both of them. Her eagerness to help warmed Illadari’s heart as she retrieved her mandolin, and proceeded to play the Song of Might and the Song of Mana Regeneration.
“Wow…” Nejik said looking at his arms bulging with muscles. “I feel as if I can take the troll on myself!” Glancing over at the troll in the water he continued, “We have this.”
Journeying around the side of the rocky hill, Illadari and Nejik made their way out to the beach. As they set foot into the sand, Illadari looked back to see Tessla hiding as she peered over the hill’s ridge. He smiled and turned to see the troll stand up from the shore. Gallons of water poured off the troll as he arose to his feet. In hand, the troll wielded a rather large tree that appeared to be used as his club.
“Orken Shel Frowe!” The troll shouted down at Nejik and Illadari.
“That didn’t sound like a hello,” Nejik laughed nervously as he looked over at Illadari.
Illadari snickered as he got into position and circled his hands in motion to cast smite at the Troll. Nejik ran to the other side of the troll, opposite of Illadari, shooting arrows as he strafed. The troll raised his club into the air high above his head and with a quick motion downward, he swung the club along the shore grazing the sand and directly towards Illadari. Rolling out of the way, his cast was interrupted. The troll was much slower in getting the club back up off the shore than it was to come down, and allowed Illadari enough time to cast his smite. A white light zipped from Illadari’s hands and struck the troll’s leg causing a little black burn mark on the troll’s leg. It appeared to do little damage to the troll.
This can’t be good, Illadari thought to himself as he peered up at the troll and then back at Tessla. Looking at the troll again, Illadari searched the giant troll’s body for a weakness they would be able to exploit. Unable to find one, he saw the troll raise his club again.
“Run down the shoreline to the north!” Illadari shouted at Nejik as he began sprinting through the sand. Quickly, Nejik rushed out from the water as he put his bow onto his back. Running, Nejik was able to catch up with Illadari.
“I hope you have a plan,” Nejik said with a laugh as he ran along side Illadari.
“I do,” Illadari said with a smile looking over at Nejik.
Chapter 17
Tessla watched as her love and brother ran down the shoreline and thus leading the troll away from the cave’s entrance. Standing up, she hurried down from the rocky hillside and around to the cave. As she entered, the darkness of the cavern stole away the sunlight causing her to rely on nothing but her touch for guidance.
Each step Tessla took deeper into the cavern tunnel caused her to become increasingly worried. I hope this leads to Ada, she thought to herself. The smell of moist dirt and sea water filled the cavern’s air so strongly that she could taste it on her lips. After a few minutes of walking in the darkness, she saw a light down the way. Finally, she thought to herself as she picked up her pace getting closer to the light.
Coming to the light, Tessla came to a room. It was wide and open, and over in one of the corners, just beyond the light, she spotted Ada. Glancing up as she rushed to Ada’s side, she was able to see the sky through the opening in the cavern’s ceiling.
“Ada!” Tessla exclaimed as she lifted Ada’s chin up to make eye contact with her. Ada’s eyes were heavy and she appeared to be exhausted beyond the ability to speak. “I’m going to get you out of here!” Tessla said as she grabbed for the cuffs on Ada’s wrist. They were white hot to Tessla’s touch, causing her to jump back as they had burnt her.
Ada coughed and spoke delicately, “They are bound with magic. You won’t be able to loosen them easily…”
“How can I get them off?” Tessla asked. Ada’s strength appeared to be depleted from speaking, and she was unable to continue talking. “I have an idea,” Tessla said as she reached into her pouch and grabbed her mandolin.
Standing back from Ada, Tessla targeted the part in the chains that connected into the cavern wall. She began to play the Song of Fire, and dark red notes traveled through the air with the sounds of the music. As the notes landed on the chain, little fires erupted. It must be working, she thought to herself as the last note played. The gold infused red note landed and a small explosion followed. The smoke cleared and the fires died down to reveal the chain was still fully intact.
“That didn’t work,” Tessla said with a sigh. Reaching into her bag, Tessla searched for a black diamond, but was saddene
d when she had realized she was out. She began to ponder what she could do as her eyes combed over Ada and the restraints that bound her to the wall.
With nothing coming to mind, Tessla was about to give up all hope when Ada suddenly was able to speak again. “All magic that exists in the world must have a weakness…” Ada said.
“What’s the weakness for your chains?” Tessla asked.
“I don’t know…” Ada said with a cough. “But the chains are restricting me from using magic.”
Tessla heard something from the tunnel’s direction she had come through. Standing up, she turned and approached the darkness. “Is that you love?” She called out. Only the sound of her voice echoing down the tunnel could be heard.