by Unknown
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Epilogue
Prologue
Hoofbeats sounded like thunder as the army approached, and Joy couldn’t keep her mouth from hanging open, staring at the sight in wonder. Hundreds of horses were approaching, half of them bearing armored riders; the pennants fluttered in the wind, the midday sun making them shine even more brightly, just as their armor shone. While Joy was confident that any hive could defend itself from them, the five hundred knights and their warhorses were intimidating, as were the adventurers that accompanied them. In particular, she could see several familiar figures among those approaching, most important of which was Guildmaster Silverhoof.
“You seem impressed,” Cora said, her voice just barely audible over the rumble, though she wasn’t talking too loudly. Most of the local adventurers were watching from Bearton’s walls, and Joy was happy she’d come out as well. Duke Dorma’s army was impressive, and Joy was delighted to see them, even if she wished they’d arrived the previous day.
“I am! I’ve seen horses before, but never that many of them!” Joy replied in excitement, bouncing in place as she asked, “Why do the knights all have two horses?”
“One’s a warhorse, and the other is a riding horse. Warhorses are powerful, but tire quickly, so knights tend to have two or more,” Brianna interjected, leaning on the battlements as she watched the army, pausing for several seconds before admitting, “The Duke has some good horses, I have to admit. My father probably would give his right arm for some of those.”
“What? They wouldn’t take an arm for a horse, would they?” Joy demanded in horror, blanching at the idea of someone doing so. It was just icky.
“No, of course not!” Brianna said, doing a double take as she looked at Joy in chagrin. “It’s just an expression, Joy, saying that someone would give almost anything for something.”
“Oh, good,” Joy said, a rush of relief flooding her. “I never know if you’re serious or not!”
“It’s good you ask, then,” Stella said, looking at the army as it approached slowly. “Still, that’s a lot of soldiers… I wonder why they didn’t send any of them back, once they heard that we’d retaken the town?”
“Simple ’nuff,” another adventurer standing nearby said, chewing on a piece of jerky, which made Joy even more grateful she was upwind of him. If she remembered right, the man’s name was Carl, and he’d talked about taking back his retirement the previous day. “The Guildmaster said that she got a messenger from ’im last night, and he’s got a plan to deal with the army ants quick. Don’t know what he’s got planned, but I’d love to kick the horrors out of our neck of the woods.”
“Oh, that’s good!” Joy said, perking up and grinning. “I know the hive would be happy, too!”
“I think it’d make everyone happy, Joy. Except maybe the ants, but fortunately they aren’t terribly intelligent,” Stella told her, shaking her head slowly.
Joy nodded vigorously, grinning. “True! But did you see? James, Jean, Eda, Helen, and Marilyn are with them! I wonder why they’re here?”
“Really?” Cora asked, standing up straighter and looking at the approaching army. “Where?”
“Right there!” Joy said, pointing unerringly at the distant adventurers, who were all in a group.
“Huh, you’re right,” Brianna said, shading her eyes. “I didn’t know they’d teamed up.”
“They’re probably here to help Silverhoof,” Cora said, tilting her head slightly. “Still, if they’re all together… I’m guessing that James lured them in. Poor girls.”
“Mother preserve them,” Stella agreed, prompting a soft giggle from Joy.
She knew why they were saying that, though. They’d mentioned that would-be heroes like James were dangerous for those around them. Still, she looked forward to seeing them again, since they’d been nice to her.
“Hello, Fayliss.”
The casual comment stopped Fayliss in her tracks as the goddess stiffened, then looked at the corner of the gardens in surprise. A pale-skinned elven goddess with blood-red hair stood there, swirling a glass of glowing blue liquid slowly as she looked out over the landscape in front of her. The goddess’s eyes were glowing blue, the same color as her drink, while she wore a flowing black dress, which matched her black lips. She was beautiful, in a forbidding sort of way, and the sight of her sent a surge of mixed feelings through Fayliss.
“Avelin,” Fayliss replied shortly, folding her arms as she asked, “What are you doing here?”
“What, do I not even deserve to be called sister anymore?” Avelin asked, looking away from the vista and at Fayliss, smiling slightly. “I didn’t realize I had lost that much of your esteem.”
“You called me by name first, so I thought it right to return the favor,” Fayliss replied, not moving any closer, nor looking away from her sister.
“Ah, true. I didn’t even think of that,” Avelin murmured, tilting her head as she considered, then laughed. “My apologies, sister. I didn’t mean to deepen the distance between us. As to what I’m doing here… aren’t the Gardens of Reflection open to all deities?”
“Yes… though you and the other gods of darkness don’t exactly visit often. It makes me wonder what your motive is, this time around,” Fayliss said, relaxing ever so slightly at Avelin’s response, and unfolded her arms as she slowly approached.
“So suspicious! For good reason, at least regarding the other dark gods,” Avelin replied, laughing brightly, her dark beauty even more vibrant as she grinned. “You know as well as I do that the only reason I’m a goddess of darkness is that it’s necessary. You don’t bless them, you can’t bless them, so someone had to do it.”
“Oh? Then why haven’t I seen you in centuries?” Fayliss asked, reaching the fence and leaning on it. “Ever since the dark elves were created, you’ve been keeping your distance, and it’s only grown worse over the passing years.”
“I know. I just… it’s hard to talk to you without giving things away,” Avelin said, pausing as the goddess’s eyes darkened a little, shaking her head. “I felt guilty about what happened to the dark elves. The destruction they caused… I had no hand in it, but it grieved me. I didn’t want to see the look in your eyes, and once I stopped meeting with you, it was easier to stay away.”
“Ah,” Fayliss said, her mood darkening as she thought back to the schism between the elves. It’d been a bloody affair, and one which had caused her to weep for a long time. It was only made worse by Avelin’s absence, but… she didn’t want to say tha
t. There was no need to make Avelin feel even worse.
For a minute they stood there in companionable silence. The wind brushed their hair, and the birds filled the air with their songs. It was serene, just as it’d been designed to be. The sounds from the arena couldn’t reach here, to Fayliss’s relief.
“I’m concerned,” Avelin said at last, then took a sip from her glass.
“Oh?” Fayliss asked, looking at her sister again, surprised by the troubled look she saw on her face.
“Yes. The balance between our factions… it’s difficult. Yes, it is almost impossible for one side to win, but that’s merely almost. According to the accord, it’ll be another generation before a Dark Lord or Hero is born,” Avelin said, looking back at Fayliss.
“That’s right,” Fayliss confirmed, wondering where the other goddess was going with the discussion. The gods had deliberately worked out most of the rules to keep the conflict in the mortal world as balanced as they could, at least once they’d realized that once one side won, the universe would end. None of them wanted that.
“The problem is that some of it isn’t in our control. Take Alethus, for instance,” Avelin said, flicking a finger and bringing up an image of a handsome incubus in black armor riding through a mountain pass as an army moved behind him. “He’s ambitious, and what he has planned… if he succeeds at his venture, you know that he’ll usurp the mantle of the Dark Lord. He’ll have a full generation to prepare for the Hero, and that could be catastrophic.”
“True,” Fayliss agreed, wincing at the thought as she straightened again, considering Alethus sourly. “He’s also the type to try seducing heroes to his side at every opportunity, which is frustrating at times. I’ve lost a paladin and priestess to him already. The problem is that we can’t interfere too directly. There are rules that not even Yonra is willing to break.”
“He likes existing. Still… why don’t you seem that worried?” Avelin asked, looking at Fayliss speculatively.
“Because things like this have a tendency to work out for the best, most of the time. Especially when things have started falling into place,” Fayliss said, banishing the image of Alethus as she smiled. “Destiny is a funny thing, and I’m wondering if the apis’s creation was really as unexpected as we thought.”
“What? Why would the apis matter?” Avelin asked, looking at her in confusion. “They’re interesting, yes, but they don’t seem like they’d have much impact on things.”
Fayliss blinked, then a smile slowly grew on her face as she chuckled. After a moment she spoke gently. “Oh, sister… I think you need to take a closer look at things. Care to join me for some research?”
Avelin looked at her suspiciously, but then the goddess slowly nodded.
Chapter 1
“Hi!” Joy exclaimed, and the apis waved at her, her gaze not wavering from the flower she was collecting nectar from. It was a large blossom for the jungle, nearly a full foot across, but Joy felt a little pity for the apis who lived in the Teeming Jungle, as the flowers were nothing compared to those in the Flower Forest. She couldn’t imagine how many flowers they had to harvest from to fill their inventories.
“Hello, Joy! Just a second, I’ve almost got all the nectar…” the apis said, biting her lower lip as her wings buzzed behind her, keeping her stable in midair.
“Oh, don’t worry! I just need to talk to you, and maybe send a message,” Joy replied, her wings beating rapidly as she waited patiently. She suspected that the others weren’t nearly as patient as her, but they were on the ground nearly fifty feet below them.
“Ah! Well, I just… there it goes!” the apis said triumphantly, extracting a handful of gleaming nectar which she poured into her belt pouch, then turned. “Okay, done!”
“Right, so, help showed up from Duke… drat, I forgot his name! The duke of the nation near here, the one who’s like a queen,” Joy said, waving her hand to the north. “They have a bunch of people, and they want to fight the ants.”
“Oh, that’s really nice of them!” the worker said, smiling broadly. “The ants haven’t been quite as aggressive today, but that’s because they’re swarming the spot you cleared yesterday.”
Joy nodded vigorously, enthusiastic since she’d heard just enough from Silverhoof to know that the man had something planned to deal with the army ants. She didn’t know what it was, but she’d been asked to arrange a meeting with the Shadebough Hive, so that’s what she was doing.
“I’m glad they aren’t attacking much! Anyway, the leaders of the people want to meet with someone from the hive and ask some questions, maybe ask for help getting rid of them. They asked me to tell you,” Joy explained. “Could you let an attendant know that there’s going to be a group of us coming?”
“Sure!” the apis said, grinning broadly. “I was supposed to get some more nectar and pollen, but if it gets rid of the ants, that’s lots more important! See you!”
The apis darted off through the trees as Joy waved goodbye, then Joy descended toward the others, making sure not to approach too quickly. The others had horses, and the last time she’d approached too quickly, Cora had nearly been thrown as her mount panicked.
This time the horse merely snorted, its hooves clopping in the dirt a couple of times, but Cora kept the sable horse under control, patting the side of its neck as she spoke. “There, there, she’s not going to hurt you. Just stay calm.”
Brianna snickered, but looked at Joy curiously. “So, what’d she say?”
“The ants have been swarming where we fought, so they haven’t been attacked too much. Oh, and she’s going to let an attendant know that we’re coming,” Joy said, smiling broadly.
“Good! That means our part is about done. Not completely, but just about,” Brianna said, glancing at the others. “Think we should go back to the edge of the woods to guide them?”
“Probably. Based on what we’ve seen, I don’t think taking horses into the jungle is a good idea,” Stella said, looking around warily. “Maybe warhorses would be alright, but those leopards… I don’t want to lose them, since they loaned them to us.”
“Well, we’d best go, then! I smell something furry off that way,” Joy said, pointing to their left as she took another sniff, tilting her head as she considered the musk, then added, “Probably a leopard. Maybe.”
“In which case we’d best go. I might not be scared of fighting them when they don’t ambush us, but I’d rather not waste the time or energy on them when we don’t have to,” Cora said, looking in the direction distrustfully. Brianna nodded, turning her horse around, and Joy giggled, nodding firmly.
“Sure! I’ll keep watch from above. Assuming one doesn’t pounce out of a tree. I heard the workers say they can climb,” Joy said, glancing at the trees warily. The idea of the cats jumping out of trees didn’t make her happy.
“I’ve heard something like that before, but I’ve never seen it myself,” Brianna replied with a nod. “Still, once we’re with the others, I’m pretty sure the monsters will leave us alone. Most of them aren’t willing to attack large groups.”
Joy nodded and moved a little higher in the air while they started back the way they’d come. She kept a hand on her sword hilt, watching the shadows around them warily. The Teeming Jungle wasn’t the sort of forest she’d ever get used to, she decided, even if the Shadebough Hive liked it. It was just as well, as she didn’t want to live there.
For a minute the walk was peaceful enough, the horses occasionally snorting or making other, presumably horse-like noises. Joy had to assume that, since the others didn’t look at them oddly. Then she caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye.
“Kitty!” Joy exclaimed, drawing her sword almost instinctively.
A growl from behind her prompted Joy to swallow, briefly hesitating as she debated what to do. Then she saw Brianna and Cora spin to face the leopard behind her as the leopard pounced, only to get a faceful of Stella’s shield as the horses screamed.
“Joy,
kill it!” Stella called out, pulling her mace out and hitting the leopard in the side as she dodged a swipe of its claws.
“Right!” Joy replied, darting downward, and behind her she saw an orb of lightning flash at the other leopard, just as Brianna swung her sword at the feline. It wasn’t going to last long, she suspected.
Her target recoiled, growling, but it looked up just a bit too late as Joy came down on its back, punching her sword through its back, which made its rear half go limp. Still, the cat let out a loud yowl, trying to turn toward her. At least until Stella brought her mace down on its head, silencing the cat forever.
“Yuck, that’s icky,” Joy said, her nose wrinkling at the smell, and she drew her rapier out of the body, relaxing a little as she saw that Brianna and Cora had dealt with their leopard as well. “You alright?”
Brianna grinned in return, wiping her sword off on the leopard as she spoke. “Not a scratch! It was so busy dodging lightning that it didn’t have time to dodge. You two?”
“My shield got dented, but that’s about it,” Stella replied, then paused and grimaced as she looked down. “Nevermind, it also tore my tunic. I guess I’m doing more mending tonight.”
“Ooh, can I help? That looks like fun!” Joy asked, her eyes lighting up, prompting a chuckle from Stella.
“Sure, if you really want to,” Stella replied with a slight grin.
“Let’s get going, before any more monsters show up,” Cora suggested, and Joy nodded.