by Megg Jensen
"I wouldn't appreciate it if someone sat on my throne," the queen said. "Where are the orc king and queen?"
Brax sensed her unease. Finally, she realized something was wrong with all of this.
"The king left his throne to whoever could take it." The elf laughed. "I assume he meant another orc, but I stepped in before any of them could take action."
The queen folded her arms across her chest. "Really? Why?"
It was a good question, one Brax wanted an answer to as well.
Kazrack's eyes fell. "There is a great danger at our doorstep that affects all of us. I need the cooperation of the humans and the orcs to fight it."
"What is it?" Queen Lissa asked.
"The orc god, Drothu, is awakening underground. He will destroy us all. At this moment, I am keeping the orcs calm and complacent, but I will need their cooperation when their god strikes."
The room fell silent. Brax felt a churning deep in his stomach. He knew very little about the god of the orcs, but enough to feel a twinge of fear. It was said the orcs worshiped death, that their god devoured all light in the world.
The queen threw back her head, laughing. "Do tell me another story, Kazrack." Her laughter stopped as quickly as it had begun. "I am here to exact vengeance on the orcs for my father's death. Not to parley with elves who rely on magic to subdue another race. I will tear this city apart. Whether you give them the ability to fight back matters little. I will pluck their heads from their bodies as if they were flowers in a meadow. Nothing you can do or say will stop me."
The queen turned on one heel and glided away from Kazrack toward the doors.
"No!" Kazrack jumped from the throne.
Brax stood between them, his sword drawn. "Don't."
Kazrack's shoulders fell. "You must listen to me. Please. This is your war, too. None of us are safe. I have an elven army on its way now. We will fight together. You must believe me. All of the signs and portents are there."
Brax hesitated. The elf's eyes told Brax he believed his own words. If there was a grain of truth to them, perhaps they should listen to the elf some more.
Brax turned to his queen, his mouth open, when a rumbling rose from beneath their feet. The marble floor shook, and a great crack ripped through the floor.
The queen screamed as it opened underneath her, swallowing her before Brax could jump to her rescue.
Brax leaped across the growing crack. He landed on his stomach, reaching down with one arm. She couldn't have fallen far. But Brax couldn't find her, nor could he see the bottom of the chasm. Her shrieks receded into the maw until they eventually faded away.
Brax looked up, finding Kazrack standing in disbelief on the other side of the gaping hole.
"There may be something to your story," Brax admitted.
Kazrack snapped his fingers three times. "The orcs have been lifted from their spell. They can fight with us now."
"Why did you hold them hostage if you need their help?" Brax asked, shocked at everything he'd seen.
"If I hadn't, they would have killed me. This way, I kept myself safe until their god made his presence known," Kazrack said.
"If I were them, I would never forgive you," Brax answered.
"We will deal with that when this war is over." Kazrack waved his hands in the air, then floated lightly over the crack, landing next to Brax. He reached down with one slender hand. "Join me."
Brax grabbed the elf's forearm as he returned to his unsteady feet. "My army will fight alongside yours."
The ground ceased its shaking. A foul smell emanated from the fissure, and Brax could have sworn he heard a chuckle rise from its depths.
Chapter 44
Nemia clung to Ademar's back atop the arkai they shared. Despite the blanket wrapped around the two of them, her teeth chattered. The Frozen Wastelands was a cold, desolate place with towering mountains. Nemia had heard stories, seen drawings others had made, but she never fathomed the bone-chilling bite of the cold.
For the first time, she wondered if she'd made a mistake by urging Tace toward her destiny. If they froze to death, all would be lost. Still, moving forward was the only thing keeping the horrible visions away.
Now, all she had were fitful dreams, barely remembered in the morning, but leaving her with a great deal of unease.
She wished she could tell Tace exactly where to go and what to do, but all Nemia could do was point in a general direction. Tace's willingness to try meant the world to Nemia. No one had ever listened to her before. They'd treated her as a pariah. A freak.
Nemia had never imagined she'd find such amazing friends in Tace and Ademar.
The arkai reared. Nemia tightened her grip around Ademar as he pulled the reins. After another harrowing moment, when Nemia feared falling off and landing underneath a hoof, it calmed down.
Ademar untangled Nemia from his torso and slid off the arkai. He reached up, helping Nemia down to the snowy ground. She stomped, warming up, until she realized how quickly the bottom of her dress was becoming wet.
"Onyx doesn't want to go further," Ademar called out to Tace. She, too, slipped off her arkai.
"Neither does Levi. I've spent more time digging my heels into its sides, urging it on. I'm sore." She squatted a few times, stretching out her muscles. "I think we're on our own from here. The terrain is too rocky. I’d hate for the arkai to get injured.”
Nemia bit her lip. She knew they'd look to her for guidance. "I'm not sure..."
"It's okay." Tace patted Nemia's shoulder. "We don't expect you to know everything. It's about time Ademar and I take some initiative."
"What do you suggest?" His expression told them both he had no idea what to do.
"I say we keep walking. Something about this place feels familiar." Tace shrugged. "I can't say why. It's just a feeling. Follow me." She grabbed her pack off the arkai, tossing it over her shoulder. Then she took off into the snow, her form quickly blurring in the sideways precipitation.
Ademar reached out to Nemia. She grabbed his hand, knowing she was safer holding on. Not only was she small for her age, but she didn’t know how to fight whatever dangers hid in the foothills and mountains ahead.
They trudged through the snow as flakes pelted their faces. Nemia tried to hide in her hood, but then she couldn't see. It was a constant tug-of-war between keeping an eye on what lie ahead and protecting her face from the elements.
A whoop from Tace drew Nemia's face out once more. She squinted against the onslaught of snow, throwing her arm above her brow.
Tace jumped up and down in the snow, waving her arms wildly at them. Ademar tugged on Nemia's hand, urging her on. Despite her exhaustion, Nemia forced her feet to move faster, every muscle burning with the effort.
Ademar yanked her once more, and she realized she was in the shelter of a cave.
"I thought this would be a good place to stop and gather ourselves before moving on," Tace said, a smile on her face.
Nemia was miserable. How could Tace smile?
"I hate to say this," Ademar started slowly, "but where are we headed? We can't see anything out there. For all we know, we're walking in circles."
"We're not," Tace insisted. "I don't know how to describe it, but something inside me is pushing me forward. If only I could explain it." Her hands rested on her chest, as if she carried a precious secret inside. "But I know we're headed the right direction. I promise."
Nemia would trust her new friend, just as she was trusted. "I believe you."
Tace grabbed Nemia's hand. "Thank you."
"I'll follow you anywhere. You already know that." Ademar rested a hand on Tace's cheek.
For a moment, Nemia could have sworn Tace's blue skin turned a light pink. She blinked, sure it was the low light of the cave.
"Let's start a fire. Get warmed up and nap." Tace rustled around the cave, picking up dried sticks.
Ademar cleared away space for the fire and arranged the sticks Tace brought him. Raseri crawled out from inside Tace
's cloak, setting fire to the sticks. She then lay on her back, belly soaking up the heat.
Nemia giggled at the dragon as she sat cross-legged in front of the flames, warming her palms. She moved her face closer until the sting of the heat was too much to bear. "This feels amazing."
"Why don't you lie down for a bit?" Tace suggested to Nemia. "It would be good for you to get some rest. Ademar and I will keep watch."
Nemia rested her head on her arm, pulling her coat around her body as tightly as she could manage. The heat from the fire quickly lulled her into a stupor. Her mind wandered, thinking about all of the things that had happened since leaving Agitar. She could barely believe where she was and who she was with.
One day she had been a princess turned servant, the next she was on an adventure with an orc and a human, heading into the Frozen Wastelands to find...something. She still wished she knew exactly what it was they were seeking.
Her breath steadied as she drifted in and out of sleep. A gasp awoke her briefly, followed by a low giggle. She had heard those sounds before in her false family's home underground. She knew what love between two adults sounded like. Nemia huddled deeper into her coat, giving them more privacy.
So Tace and Ademar had found their way into each other's arms. An orc and a human. It was anathema, but she had learned to see the value in Ademar. He was as strong as any orc, mentally and physically. He would make a good mate for Tace, though perhaps not a traditional one. Still, it was Tace's choice to make. Nemia would never speak against the two.
She drifted off into a fitful sleep, dreams playing in her mind, alternating between the mundane and the frightening, until a voice blasted through the chaos.
Seek me deeper inside the cave.
Nemia sprang up, wide awake, her heart pounding. "We must go deeper into the cave. Now!"
A grunt came from the darkness on the other side of the cave. In her panic, she'd forgotten about the tryst between Ademar and Tace. She gave them a moment to dress and emerge from the shadows.
Tace laced up her top, pulling it tight until her breasts bulged under the pressure. Nemia noticed Ademar's eyes as he attempted to pull them away from Tace's body.
"What is it?" Tace asked, seemingly unconcerned about what Nemia may, or may not, have noticed. She pulled her cloak over her shoulders, tying it at the throat.
"I had a dream. A vision. Someone spoke to me, telling me we need to go deeper into the cave." Nemia smiled. "Tace, whatever led you to this cave sent you in the right direction."
"I'm glad to know." Tace tossed Ademar's cloak to him. He caught it awkwardly in one hand. "I was beginning to think I was insane."
Nemia frowned. Insane. Freak. Outsider. She'd been called all of those her whole life. She looked down at her boots, ashamed.
"Now don't act like that." Tace tapped underneath Nemia's chin.
Nemia looked up, a wry smile on her face.
"You know what I meant. Besides, if visions are insanity, it's a damn good thing you're getting them and I'm feeling them. We have a destiny to chase. Let's do it." Tace patted Nemia's shoulder. "Now, come on. Let's go deeper into the cave and find out what's waiting for us!"
Tace gathered her pack, while Nemia shouldered hers. Ademar was still standing off to the side, looking just as awkward as he had since Nemia interrupted their private moment.
"Ademar?" Tace asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are you coming?"
"Coming?" he asked.
"With us? Deeper into the cave?" Tace said, teasingly.
"Yeah. Sorry." Ademar turned his back on them, adjusting his clothing and gathering his things. He turned around, a more composed look on his face.
"Good, then let's go. Are you ready, little one?" Tace asked Nemia.
She nodded, glad they were out of the snow and pleased that maybe her visions were about to make a lot more sense. Maybe she would finally help them find what they'd been searching for.
Chapter 45
Ademar followed Tace deeper into the dark cave. He carried a torch he'd cobbled together from a few sticks and a scrap of fabric. The flame flickered in the darkness, illuminating Tace and Nemia as they moved ahead, each with a torch in her hand.
They were excited about what they might find. Ademar was only growing wearier. He'd promised to follow Tace. He had nowhere else to go but forward. Nothing waited for him at his old home in Soleth. All he had right now was Tace and her quest.
He needed a purpose, too. Something to propel him. It used to be his studies with Hugh. Every day he'd awoken ready to learn. Someday, he hoped to share what he'd learned with others.
All he knew now was that his own faith was terribly flawed. Hugh hadn't been promoting their faith to orcs. He'd spent all of his time learning about the orc faith.
And now Ademar followed a female orc, one he knew intimately, into the recesses of a dank cave searching for something from a young orc's vision. It was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever done.
It was also the most exhilarating.
"It's close. I can feel it!" Tace called out.
Ademar wanted to know what she was feeling. His whole life he'd searched for a connection to the divine, something he could actually feel, whether in his heart or his gut. It never materialized the way he'd hoped. Part of him was actually jealous of Tace and what she'd experienced since touching the stone.
Ademar caught up with Nemia, who was on Tace's heels. "What do you see?"
"Nothing." Tace shook her head. "It's what I feel in my gut. Something's close." Then she tripped.
Ademar reached out, grabbing her arm with his free hand before she fell. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." Tace pointed her torch toward the ground. "I must have tripped on a rock."
"I noticed the ground was changing," Nemia said, kicking a few small rocks out of their way. "We should move slower."
"You're right," Tace said. "I don't want anyone getting hurt. We don't know what we're headed toward."
They continued more slowly, using their torches to illuminate the ground, which grew rockier with every step.
"The air feels different here," Nemia said. "Thinner, somehow."
Ademar had noticed his breath was more shallow than it had been. He'd assumed it was exhaustion setting in, but perhaps Nemia was right. He took a deep breath, noticing the stale air more now that he was concentrating on it.
"It's because we're at the end." Tace held out her torch. A wall stood in front of them. It was the end of the cave. "I can't believe I dragged the two of you all the way here because of a gut feeling. How could I be so stupid?"
Ademar knew how Tace felt. He'd often accompanied Hugh on his outings, expecting to find something amazing at the end, some sort of religious rebirth. Instead, Hugh seemed to be the only one who experienced something from the beyond.
"It's okay." Ademar wrapped an arm around Tace's shoulder, which she promptly shrugged off.
"Don't." She glared at him.
"Sorry."
Tace's shoulders fell as she looked down at Nemia. "Is there any chance your visions told you anything else?"
Nemia sniffled, choking back tears. The kid was too young for this. Whatever deity decided to burden her with the gift of foresight had made a grave mistake. She was collapsing under the pressure.
"It's okay, Nemia. Really." Tace looked up at Ademar. "We should go back. We can spend the night by the fire, then go back out for our arkai in the morning."
Ademar wanted to ask where they would go next. Instead, he wandered to the back of the cave, resting his hand on the wall. Cold under his touch, the wall was strangely smooth. "Take a look at this."
Tace made her way over to him. "What is it?"
"The wall is too smooth to be natural," he said.
"It probably used to have water flowing over it. That can wear down the rough surface of rock over time."
"Then why isn't the rest of the cave like this wall? I don't see evidence of water anywhere. Look around." Ademar paced the cave, holding his
torch as still as he could. Though the light flickered, he could see the difference between the two rough walls and the smooth wall. Hope jumped in his throat. Maybe Nemia's visions and Tace's gut feeling had been right.
Tace thrust her torch at Ademar's free hand. He grabbed it just as she dropped it. Tace ran both hands over the wall. "Come closer. I need more light."
Ademar and Nemia crowded her on both sides, illuminating the wall to the best of their ability.
After a few moments, Tace gasped, her hands coming to rest in the center of the wall. "Is this what I think it is?" She traced something with her fingers.
Ademar leaned over her shoulder, straining to see in the low light. "It's one of those symbols from the stone, isn't it?"
"The first symbol," Tace said. "The staff in the mound."
"This means something! It has to! It can't be a coincidence." Nemia's excitement spread quickly.
"Push on it," Ademar said.
Tace pushed over and over again, but nothing happened. She traced it again, this time slowly and deliberately. Still, nothing changed.
"Maybe we were only meant to see it," Nemia suggested. "It's telling us we're on the right path. Maybe we need to continue on. Go farther north."
"If we have to keep going north every time we find a symbol, and there are five of them, we'll die of exposure before we get to the end of the trail." Ademar hated stating the truth. He wanted nothing more than to discover the secrets behind everything they'd seen. But if Nemia was right, they wouldn't succeed.
"No, there has to be more to this. What did the voice say to you?" Tace asked Nemia.
"Seek me deeper in the cave," she said.
"Then there must be something more here. This symbol isn't enough." Tace continued to explore the rune.
Ademar stood back, wondering if he could see things differently from further away. Perhaps there were more symbols, or something else to explain what they needed to do. If only he could help in some significant way, he'd finally feel like his presence wasn't completely useless.
"Ow! Hey!" Tace jumped away from the wall.