by Billy Wong
Giorg shrugged. "It's hard to define an 'average' warrior. But those were credible threats individually to members of my patrol, who were skilled enough to fight three or four lesser anjeli warriors at once."
As they treated their minor wounds, Sam felt better and better about their chances of saving Eli. They had finally gotten through a fight, against powerful opponents at that, without anyone being badly hurt! Weakness crept up her arm from the cut on it, but she and Drugamor willed it back. With such a strong group, they couldn't catch up to the Paladins soon enough. Their numbers were still worrisome, but Giorg's magic should be a useful surprise for them, and Cordy was just so amazingly good. They could do this, and bring Eli home.
#
Eli walked with his hands tied in front of him, Leland holding the long attached rope, the other nine Paladins who had survived until now forming a ring around him as they sought the towering dark gray mountains in the distance. He looked around nervously for daimons, the memory of the recent attack fresh in his mind. While they might have kidnapped him and kept him frightfully in the dark with regard to their intentions, he still didn't enjoy seeing other human beings torn open and killed as three of them had been before they drove off the pack of mouth-faced daimons. That, and if all the Paladins lost their lives, Eli wouldn't be far behind.
"You really think this kid is worth it, Captain?" one of the helmed warriors asked. "He seems like a right pansy to me."
Leland glanced back towards Eli, smirked to see his terrified features. "It is odd. We lost good men for this. But the Lord Paladin has his reasons."
"What is it that you want with me, would it really hurt you to tell? It doesn't seem likely"—Eli gulped—"that you'll let me go, so what purpose does it serve to keep me in the dark?" He did think now they probably wanted him to help them in some way. But the notion of helping people who ruthlessly abducted and killed others held no appeal to him. And what assistance could he give them anyway? He didn't have any notable skills and wasn't anybody special. Just a hapless young actor, lost in a situation where he didn't belong.
"What purpose would it serve to tell you? The world is not full of easy answers, you should hardly expect your life to be."
Under better circumstances, Eli might have admitted that to be a fair line. As it was, he averted his gaze and resumed moping while they continued towards the peaks.
Chapter 7
As they departed the site of their battle, Vincent asked Giorg, "Were your comrades killed near here? If they were and you want, maybe we could take a moment to bury-"
Cordy interrupted, "There's no need. When anjeli died, their bodies disperse, so they have no tradition of treatment for remains. Besides, even if they did leave behind corpses, it would probably take too long to bury them on this kind of terrain when our goal is to find Eli. Now a quick cremation, that might be fine."
"She is right," Giorg said. "The living must take priority over the dead."
Late the next day, they saw a tall pile of rocks that looked to have been recently raised. The carcasses of seven daimons, like the first smaller ones they had encountered with Drea, lay scattered around it. Sam stared. "Is that a cairn? If so and neither daimons nor anjeli bury their dead, does that mean..."
Cordy examined the Paladins' tracks. "Their trail leads right through here, and past the cairn their number walking is three less. Your assumption is correct. They've lost men."
Though she felt slightly guilty to be glad to hear of human deaths, Sam couldn't help doing so. Fewer Paladins would mean less opposition to taking back Eli, and less people they had to kill if it came to that. Then a scary thought hit her. "Wait, what if Eli is among the dead?"
The knight flashed her a reassuring smile. "He isn't. The lightest set of tracks, of a smaller person not wearing heavy armor, still go on. Your friend lives."
She sighed with relief. "Your skills are impressive. I can guess how you got so good at fighting"—good training, lots of experience and a heap of natural talent considering her strength and resilience—"but where did you learn to track like that?"
"You learn a lot of things in war. Besides, I wasn't just any old soldier. I fought with the best."
"From your attitude, I would have expected more for you to say you were the best."
Cordy giggled. "I'm pretty great, but there's better out there. By the way, it looks like we might catch up to them soon."
"It does? That's good." Sam took a deep breath. The impending battle worried her, but she allowed herself to feel hope. At last an end to their quest was in sight... or at least to this stage of it. She remembered they might have to do more to keep the Paladins from coming after Eli again.
Their quarry's trail wound into a narrow canyon between two large plateaus. They had scarcely turned into the pass when Sam's spirits fell. "You can't be serious," she muttered at the sight of the piled up rocks that blocked the path.
"Do you think the Paladins know we're following them and caused that rockslide on purpose?" Vincent asked.
"It's doubtful they knew we were following," Cordy said. "If anything, it's more likely they did it to discourage other daimons who found their fellows' bodies from coming after them."
Sam hung her head. Just when she had thought they were almost there, their bad luck struck again. "So now what?"
"The south plateau looked smaller than the north. We'll have to go around it and hope to pick up the trail again."
"It may look smaller, but it's still huge. How long will it take us to go around?"
Cordy bit her lip. "Honestly? I don't know. And I can't even be sure there is a way around. We could bump into an impassable river or something."
"You're that rich," Vincent griped, "and you can't even bring along a map?"
"Because nobody comes around here, there are no maps of this area—or so it's commonly thought. If anyone has a reliable map of it, it would be the Paladins who seem to be traveling with a purpose."
Sam gazed up the wall of the canyon. "Why do we have to go around the plateau? Why can't we just climb up it and back down on the other side of the rockslide?"
"I might be able to," Cordy said after a brief pause. "But you, and especially Vincent? We're not equipped for that. You'll hardly be saving your friend if you fall to your deaths."
"What about climbing over the pile?" Vincent suggested. "It's shorter than the plateaus."
"No, that's even more dangerous. We have no idea how stable it is. One moment you could be scaling it, the next the whole thing comes down and you're crushed under tons of rock."
Giorg frowned. "If my wings were functional, I could fly you over it one by one. But..."
"Yeah, it isn't much help to tease the kids with possibilities under better circumstances. As things are, we'll have to walk."
They backed out of the pass and traveled along the base of the southern plateau. Because it was so wide, they didn't even get past one side on the first day. After making camp, Sam chewed halfheartedly at the tough meat of a hare caught by Cordy with a thrown knife. "Sorry about the delay," the knight said. "I know you were looking forward to finally finding Eli."
There was also the matter of her diminishing supply of nuts. She wasn't that close to running out, but if there turned out to be no way around this plateau and they had to try the other one... Without Lord Drugamor's blessing she would be nothing again, just a neophyte "warrior" if she could be called that, who could barely fight better than Vincent if at all. Drugamor why must you leave me without these nuts... I will pledge myself to you if need be... Drugamor bless.
"You all right?" Cordy asked. "Did you hear me?"
Sam snapped out of it. "It's not your fault that we ran into a rockslide, Paladin caused or otherwise. But I am wondering something else. What's the plan after we rescue Eli? The Paladins probably won't decide to leave him alone just because they were thwarted one time."
"I've been thinking about that too, and have some ideas. We could let Eli stay with Daddy, in hopes they
won't act openly against him. Then some of us will have to go to the capital, to take this matter up with the Lord Paladin or the Council if needed. Hopefully, Daddy's power along with the questionableness of their actions will be enough to make them back off and start a real investigation into their practices."
"That's a lot of hopes."
Cordy voiced a high pitched chuckle. "Yeah. But it's the best I've got."
For the next few days, they circled around the plateau. The more time passed, the more Sam felt the end of her illusions closing in. They weren't going to save Eli. By now the Paladins probably had him secured in a formidable stronghold, and who knew what they'd already done to him? Even Drugamor's power flowing through her didn't assuage her growing despair, for she knew her time with it was limited.
They finally passed the far side of the plateau, only to behold the impasse they had feared. It wasn't a river but a titanic crevasse instead, like a wound in the stony earth with a bottom that could not be seen, which stretched far in all directions. "So now what do we..." Sam couldn't even finish, her throat had gone so dry. She found herself blinking back tears, perhaps irrationally, but she couldn't stop herself. Her hopes felt finished.
"It's possible we can go around this hole," Cordy said, "but I can't guess how long it'll take or if we won't run into another obstacle. On the other hand we've already come so far, to turn around and try the other way..."
"This is such bullshit!" Sam cried. "Whenever it looks like we're getting close, our hopes are dashed—what, are the very gods against us?" I am with you, Drugamor said. It didn't help. "If so, why don't you show yourselves instead of toying us from afar? Come on, do it! I challenge you, I defy you!"
Vincent squeezed her shoulders. "Sam, calm down. I know you're upset about Eli, but I am too. Railing against the gods isn't going to help. We need to hold onto our resolve and keep moving forward, no matter how long it takes."
Her body deflated, and she stood there slouched and panting. "I know that's the way, if there is a way. But it's hard... why can't we get some hope, some sign? Just killing some daimons isn't enough. I want to feel like we can save Eli."
Cordy placed a hand over her heart. "The 'can' is in here. When I got skewered through my vitals with a giant spear, they told me I would die, even asked me to say my last words so they could be passed on to Daddy since I wouldn't make it back to tell him. But I refused, you know why? Because I believed I wouldn't die, that I would make it back to him and no last words were needed. So you have to believe you can save Eli, and never give up on him until the bitter end. That's all."
"You are a remarkable person," Giorg said.
Sam didn't much appreciate Cordy stealing the spotlight. "Yeah, but you refusing to die from an injury to your body was something you had at least a measure of influence over. We can't even touch Eli, how is our will or determination supposed to do anything to help him? He's so far away, we can't... I can't..." She sat down on a flat rock, weeping.
Giorg gazed at her solemnly. "She really loves him."
"We all love each other after all these years together," Vincent said, folding his arms around her. "I didn't know she would take it this hard, though. It's not like we know he's dead or anything."
Cordy exhaled. "She's tired. It happens more easily to the young, but I don't blame her. Give her a little while to cool down. Still, we'll have to decide what to do next and resume moving soon."
"How are you so strong?" Sam asked Vincent, looking up with her tear-streaked face. "I'm the city guard's daughter, and you're just an actor..."
"I'm not that strong. You're the one who beat that huge bully, who would still hand me my behind."
"I didn't mean physical strength, although I wouldn't bet on me being outright stronger than you. I mean that here I am whining like a baby, and you're solid as a rock. Is it because you're a man?"
He smiled warmly. "I doubt it. D—the Lady Cordy here was probably more solid when she was my age. People react differently to things, no shame in that. You shouldn't think you're weak. You wouldn't even be out here if you were."
"But I'm-" Reliant on the providence of a dark god. "I'm too soft."
"If you don't want to be that way," Giorg said, "stand up and walk on the path of your choosing."
Sam wiped her eyes. "I guess that's all there is to it, huh? No way around it." She stood. "Then I will walk. Even if Eli is already dead, I'll refuse to accept it unless I see the body. Until then I'll believe that we can save him, and no daimon, Paladin, or hole in the ground will change my mind."
"Direction?" Cordy asked happily.
"I have no idea whether we should try to go around the abyss or turn back. So I'll let you older people decide."
"I don't have any idea either. Hmm, my intuition says-"
"Brethren!" Giorg shouted. Sam glanced at him, saw him looking up and followed his gaze. Half a dozen feathery-winged figures flew overhead. "Brethren, I request your assistance!"
Hearing him, the anjeli glided down to land before them. Four were males, two bare-breasted females. One male had ivory skin, one female dark skin, and the others all varying shades of brown. One male had red hair and slanted eyes, the brown female blonde hair with a very wide nose. The anjeli didn't seem picky in terms of choosing partners based on appearance, which Sam figured might reduce the chances of inbreeding despite them lacking a strong sense of parentage. "Brother, you tread the earth with humans," said the blonde female. "Unusual behavior of a winged one."
"One of my wings was injured by daimons that slew my comrades, and I cannot fly at present. But more importantly, these earthbound folk saved my life and I aim to repay that debt."
"Daimons that killed anjeli?" the ivory-skinned male asked with narrowed eyes. "Where, are they near?"
"You need not concern yourselves with the daimons. I and my current companions have already dealt with them."
The dark female looked them over. "Humans not only daring to challenge daimons, but victorious in the endeavor? That is somewhat impressive."
"Yes, and that is part of why they are worthy of our help. A comrade of theirs was captured, and the rockslide that has clogged the nearby pass bars their path to him. I, Giorg of the Cloud Knights, would ask that you carry us over it."
"The gap between the plateaus? That is a ways off." Naturally, since Sam and company had traveled several days from it. "But it would not be a great difficulty for us to fly you over this plateau to where you can reach the other side of the canyon on foot. Is this acceptable?"
Sam thought maybe they should negotiate to be dropped off closer to the pass, but before she could say anything Giorg replied, "Yes. I am grateful to you, and will remember this." She figured he knew better than her and that anjeli weren't the most generous about granting free favors, and kept her mouth shut.
Anjeli gripped them from behind, two each for Giorg and the armored Cordy, and rose into the air. As they ascended, the features of the ground shrinking below them, the heaviness that had weighed down Sam's heart fell away. She shouldn't have lost faith so soon. Even when the world seemed to take away hope, maybe it was only testing them, and would provide again. I work in mysterious ways, Drugamor said in her head. Or that.
At Giorg's request, they rose far above the plateau. The air smelled so clean up here. At this height they could see for many miles, trees, boulders, streams and hills alike looking tiny below. She had been silly before—the distances they had already journeyed suddenly didn't seem like so much, and comparable ones wouldn't be either. The world wasn't that big, when one got some perspective. Its breadth wouldn't daunt them, if they didn't let their spirits falter. "Isn't this great?" she yelled to Vincent over the wind rushing around her ears. "We can fly, and success is within our grasp!"
When he didn't reply right away, she looked over. He hugged himself trembling in an anjeli's embrace. "I t-think the anjeli are the ones flying, and I'm more concerned about grasping my bowels than s-success!"
"You're scared of
heights? Never knew that before."
"I'm not scared of heights. B-but these are insane heights!"
Sam scanned the landscape. She found the blocked canyon from before, gazed beyond it in search of clues as to where the Paladins had gone. Past more rugged land, she spotted a conical structure nestled before the foot of a mountain. It must still be many miles off, given how small it looked, but it was within reach. "Look, is that a tower of some sort? Maybe it's where they've taken Eli!"
Cordy's eyes brightened as she took in the object. "That definitely seems man-made. It's the most likely place, by my estimation. So we'll storm in and smash the Paladins who get in our way before making our escape!"
"That may be a little reckless?"
"I'm half joking, of course. We'll do what we can in terms of being prudent. But if that only gets us so far, then we'll smash our enemies the rest of the way!"
Cordy must feel energized seeing the place which would almost certainly mark a turning point, and so did Sam. "Sounds about right."
The anjeli carried them over the vast plateau, taking almost a full day despite being in flight. Sam marveled that they didn't stop to rest. She knew they weren't immortal, as Giorg had been in clear danger of dying, but they must be tireless creatures or nearly so. She wondered if Giorg felt impatient making camp with them, when he could probably carry on with much less rest. Heck, Cordy likely found her and Vincent ponderous burdens too. But speed and competence weren't the only things that mattered. She and Vincent gave their party direction, and for that she wouldn't undervalue herself. They were all important parts of the wagon, clunking on towards the goal.
And I, Lord Drugamor said, he who opens the door to destruction.
Yeah, yeah, simmer down. You'll get your chance to destroy soon enough. The Paladins were due for a reckoning, and the time was nigh for that.
#
The anjeli dropped them off on the other side of the plateau. They gave their thanks, watched the winged ones fly impassively away and continued their long walk. Reaching the far end of the canyon, they picked up the Paladins' faint trail and resumed following it. Several days of trudging over bumpy terrain later, it was afternoon when the smooth, conical stone tower they had spied from above came into view. They moved as close as they could behind rocky cover. At this distance it appeared too small to be called a tower, barely larger than a house. Sam wondered how all those people fit inside it. An expanse of flat ground lay in front of the structure, before which three Paladins stood guard.