by Clayton Wood
Finally, Kalibar stirred.
“I hated her for that,” he confessed. “For leaving me. And I hated myself for hating her. I...shut down. At first I thought about joining my wife and son, but I...couldn't. I blamed myself for my son's death. I vowed to learn everything I could about magic, so that I would never feel that helpless again.”
“I threw myself into studying magic, and returned to the Secula Magna to start my specialization as a Battle-Weaver. I graduated first in my class there, too. Then I joined the military. I fought in the wars against the tribes...fought like a wild man, taking chances no one else would.” He paused, then smiled bitterly.
“Of course, everyone else thought I was something quite extraordinary,” he continued. “I won accolades and awards, got promoted, and eventually my superiors felt I was too valuable to waste on impossible missions anymore. They promoted me, and promoted me some more, and eventually I got promoted right out of the military. I was nominated for the Council, and won. Then I ran for Grand Weaver, and won that, too.”
Kalibar paused, running a hand through his short white hair.
“I threw myself into that job, as before,” he continued. “And most believed that I was the best of men, that I was the greatest leader in the history of the new Secula Magna. Even Erasmus fed into that deceit...and still does.” He paused, then withdrew his hand from Ariana's.
“But I knew better,” he continued. “Any time I felt my ego getting the better of me, I only had to remember my wife's words to me. Humility was always just a memory away. When my term was over, I decided to retire to Bellingham, to enjoy a quieter, simpler life in the countryside. I'd spent most of my life filling my days with work...when I finally had free time, I ended up spending it in my own head. I wondered where the last forty years had gone...how they'd gone by so fast. I often wondered what life would have been like had things...turned out differently so long ago.”
He paused, then sighed.
“I never did get to have the family I'd always wanted,” he said, not without a trace of bitterness. “I never remarried, never had children. I'd always wanted a son...” He paused, then chuckled. “I've been trying to figure out why I'm so fond of you, Kyle, and I think I know now,” he added. “When you came around, lost and alone, so far from your family, I think that I felt I'd gotten a second chance...a chance to raise the son I'd never had. To...protect him, no matter what.” He sighed, and Ariana grabbed his hand again. This time, he let her do so without a fuss.
“I know you feel responsible for what the Dead Man did to me,” Kalibar continued, speaking to Kyle. “But for me, I felt like I finally had the chance to do what I wish I could have done for my son.” He smiled warmly. “And if I had to do it again, I would.”
Kyle nodded silently. Despite Kalibar’s words, he couldn’t help but feel a familiar guilt come over him.
“What I'm trying to say is,” the old man continued, “well, neither you or Ariana have a home anymore, and I haven't had a family since my wife passed away. It would...” he paused, taking a deep breath in and letting it out slowly. “...it would be my honor to have you in my house, both of you, with me as your guardian. I know I'll never be your real father, but I'd like to try to be the next best thing.”
Kyle's jaw dropped, and he glanced over at Ariana. She too looked stunned. Then a big smile lit up her face, and she gave a very surprised Kalibar a big hug.
“Thank you,” she said tearfully, squeezing the old man so hard his face turned red. He laughed, then turned to Kyle.
“And you Kyle?” he asked tentatively. Kyle grinned.
“Yes,” he answered. Then a horrible thought came to him. “Wait,” he blurted out. Ariana and Kalibar frowned at him quizzically. “I mean, this won't, uh...” he stammered, blushing fiercely.
“Won't what?” Kalibar asked.
“This won't make us brother and sister, will it?” he asked, his cheeks burning terribly. If they became brother and sister, it would ruin any chances of...stuff. Darius, of course, rolled his eyes at them both. Kalibar smiled kindly, and shook his head.
“No, it won't,” he answered. Kyle breathed a sigh of relief. That matter settled, all eyes – or rather, eye sockets – turned to Darius. The dour bodyguard frowned at the sudden attention.
“What?” he asked, his tone wary.
“So what's your story, Darius?” Kalibar asked. Darius stood up.
“Too long for tonight,” he replied, walking over to one end of the camp, and laying down on the ground. With that, he fell fast asleep...or at least he seemed to. Ariana and Kyle exchanged befuddled glances.
“Well,” Kalibar stated, raising his eyebrows. “I guess that's that. Good night, everyone.”
“Good night,” Kyle and Ariana said in unison. Ariana got up, grabbing levitating sleeping bags for them all, and setting them next to each other. Kalibar laid down in the middle, with Kyle and Ariana snuggling up to him on either side. The former Grand Weaver tensed up at first, clearly not expecting nor being accustomed to such affection, but then relaxed, a contented smile on his lips.
Kyle lay there next to his new guardian, feeling a sense of peace for the first time since the attack on Crescent Lake. He glanced at Kalibar, already asleep in his sleeping bag, and thought back to what Erasmus had said days ago. The former Grand Runic had been right all along; Kyle and Kalibar both had something the other needed. And now they had Ariana.
And so, with bellies full of food and hearts filled with happiness, they all fell asleep.
Chapter 21
Ampir passes through the illusory cliff wall, carrying Vera into the cave beyond. The illusion blocks all light from getting into the cave, leaving it pitch black. He hears Junior whimper, feels the boy's arms tighten around his neck.
“It's okay,” Ampir reassures. With a thought, his armor begins to glow, white light illuminating some of the runes on his chest and back. He finds himself in a small cave. Opposite the cave entrance is a large door.
“Stand here,” he orders, kneeling down to let Junior slide off of his back. The boy does so, looking up at his father with wide eyes, his small face terribly pale. Ampir turns, leaning over to kiss the boy's forehead. Then he turns to Vera. “Can you stand?” he asks.
“I think so,” she answers. He sets her down beside Junior, then turns to the door at the far end of the cave, walking up to it. Sealed by incredibly sophisticated magic that recognized an individual's unique magical radiation, it can only be opened by the Grand Runic and Grand Weaver, or a member of the Council.
Ampir peels off one gauntlet, placing his bare palm on the door, and waits.
The door clicks, then swings outward.
Ampir turns around...just in time to see Vera stumble to the side. She slumps against the cave wall, sliding down to her butt on the floor.
“Mommy!” Junior cries, rushing to her side. Vera's eyes roll back, and she tips to the side.
“Vera!” Ampir shouts, sprinting to her and grabbing before she hits her head on the stone floor. “Vera,” he repeats, gently slapping her cheek. “Come on Vera, stay with me.”
Vera's eyes flutter open, and she stares at Ampir blankly for a moment.
“You okay?” he asks.
“What happened?”
“You passed out,” he answers. He scoops her up in his arms, lifting her off of the floor and holding her close. “Get on my back, Junior,” he orders, kneeling down again. Junior climbs on his back wordlessly. So quiet now, his son. So unlike his usual jubilant self. The poor boy had seen Grandpa – his best friend – murdered in cold blood. Had seen his home destroyed. Ampir wondered if Junior was old enough to remember these things...and hoped that he wasn't.
“I'm cold,” Vera mumbles, shivering now.
“It's the cave,” he replies. But he sees her sweat-slicked forehead, the terrible paleness of her lips. Fear grips him.
Stay with me baby, he prays, pulling his gauntlet back on and stepping through the doorway, Junior clinging to h
is back. We're almost there.
* * *
“Good morning, Kyle,” Kalibar stated jovially from where he sat cross-legged by the burnt-out campfire. Kyle yawned, stretching his arms over his head, then rolling out of his sleeping bag. Despite his exhaustion last night, he hadn't slept well at all. He'd woken up over and over again, plagued by his dreams.
“Morning,” Kyle replied. Then he frowned. “How'd you know it was me?”
“Everyone else is awake,” Kalibar answered. And it was true; Ariana was sitting at the edge of her sleeping bag, sipping on a cup of hot soup, while Darius sat on the ground, sharpening his sword with a whetstone.
“Good morning,” Kyle, nodding at Ariana. She turned to him, flashing him a smile, then hopped down from her sleeping bag, grabbing a cup of soup and a wrapped up piece of bread that were lying on the ground there. She handed both to Kyle. “Thanks,” he mumbled. He ate in silence then, watching Darius hone his blade.
“We should get going soon,” Kalibar stated, standing up. “If we move quickly, we'll reach Stridon by mid-afternoon.”
“What's the plan?” Darius asked.
“Well, if Orik finds out we're coming, we're dead men,” Kalibar answered. “He has to assume that we've learned the truth about him, after all. And since he has a lot of friends on the Council, we can't go to them for help.”
“So?”
“We need to go straight to the top,” Kalibar replied. “The Grand Weaver and Grand Runic are friends of mine...and more importantly, they're not fans of Orik.”
“What about Erasmus?” Kyle piped in.
“I can't risk going to him first,” Kalibar answered. “His office is in the middle of the Tower...I'd be spotted going in. But I can get to the Grand Weaver's suite without attracting attention.”
“How?”
“There's a series of tunnels that run under the city,” Kalibar answered. “...that connect to the Tower. They were built as escape tunnels in case of an attack on the Ancient Secula Magna. Most of them are still functional.” He smiled. “And they lead directly to the top floor of the Great Tower...where the Grand Weaver and Grand Runic live.”
“Ohhh,” Kyle breathed.
“There's an entrance to the tunnels just outside of Stridon,” Kalibar continued. “We'll follow the main road until we reach the outskirts of the city, then take the tunnels to the Tower. Once we alert the authorities, we can meet up with Erasmus and get Kyle's ring back.”
“Alright,” Darius stated. “Let's clean up.” Kyle and Ariana gathered the cups, rinsing them out with magical streams of water and placing them back in the pack. Then Darius lifted the pack up over his shoulder, carrying the considerable weight as if it were as light as a feather. They made their way back into the bordergrass, walking a dozen feet from the road to avoid being spotted. Ariana fell into step beside Kyle, walking so close that their hands brushed occasionally as they walked.
“Hey,” Ariana almost whispered, glancing at Kyle.
“Yeah?”
“What's with Darius?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Why'd they call him a traitor?” Ariana pressed. Kyle hesitated, glancing forward. Darius and Kalibar were too far ahead to overhear their conversation...he hoped.
“The soldiers that attacked us before we were kidnapped seemed to know him,” Kyle answered. “They said he was a traitor.”
“That doesn't make sense,” Ariana whispered. “Why would he kill them and run if he was a traitor? And then help us escape?”
“I know.”
“He saved all of us from the Dire Lurker,” Ariana continued. “And the Dead Man.”
Kyle nodded. There was no doubt that the bodyguard was on their side now...regardless of whether he had been before.
“What do you think?” Ariana asked.
“I don't know,” Kyle admitted, his eyes on Darius's golden back. “I don't think I've ever fully trusted him.”
“Well, we have to trust him now,” Ariana replied.
“Why's that?”
“We don't have any other choice.”
* * *
Hours passed, the sun rising up from behind them until it peaked over their heads, the full force of the noon sun shining on their scalps and shoulders as they walked. Suddenly, Ariana tapped Kyle on the shoulder.
“Look!” she gasped. He glanced up, realizing that the ground had begun to slope downward...revealing a view that made his jaw drop.
There, miles away in the distance, a vast river flowed. And beyond it stood a huge, sprawling city, hundreds of buildings forming a magnificent skyline reflected in the river's silvery waters. Standing head and shoulders above the other buildings was a lone, majestic tower, its pyramidal top glittering in the sunlight like an enormous jewel.
Kyle's heart soared, and he clapped his hands, laughing joyously. Ariana grabbed his hand, and he squeezed it tight.
“We made it!” Kyle blurted out. “Look!”
Kalibar paused, then grinned, leaning on Darius's shoulder.
“You see the city?” he asked.
“Yeah!” Kyle exclaimed.
They all stood facing the panorama in front of them for a few moments. That is, until Darius starting walking back the way they'd come.
“Hey, where are you going?” Kyle asked. Darius didn't even turn around.
“Remember the plan,” he grumbled. “Which way?” he asked Kalibar.
“We're facing the great River, to the right of the road?” Kalibar asked.
“Yup.”
“Then we turn right. The entrance to the tunnels is through a cave. We'll have to hike through the forest to get there.”
“Wait,” Kyle interjected. “The tunnels go under the river into the city?”
“Correct,” Kalibar confirmed. “The forest should be about two miles from here.”
“Let's go,” Darius grumbled. He led them rightward, until they were moving parallel to the shore of the Great River, still far in the distance. They pushed through the tall bordergrass, emerging into a shallow valley beyond. Ahead, Kyle could see the tree line of the forest Kalibar had described.
“When we reach the forest,” Kalibar told Darius, “...we should keep to the left. There's a cliff wall that rises up thirty feet or so a mile into the forest. The cave is there.”
Darius nodded, and they continued forward in silence, until the first trees of the forest stood before them. The trees looked strikingly different than the ones Kyle had become accustomed to. They were tall, with thick, knobby trunks and innumerable twisted branches that extended outward, tangling with the branches of the trees surrounding them. These branches grew so densely that they blocked out most of the sun, leaving the forest floor dark and gloomy. Some had what looked like huge, dull gray spider webs on them, extending from branch to branch...and even from tree to tree.
“What are those?” Kyle asked, pointing to a particularly large web.
“Dreamweaver webs,” Darius answered. Kalibar frowned at this.
“There are dreamweaver spiders here?” he asked. “We should be cautious.”
“Why?” Kyle asked. “Are they dangerous?”
“Oh yes,” Kalibar replied. “The fully grown ones especially. But even hatchlings can be lethal in large enough numbers.”
“How big do they get?” Kyle pressed, his hackles rising. He glanced at a nearby tree, spotting a small web there, and gave it wide berth.
“Big enough,” Kalibar answered. “Their silk is sticky, and has magic that makes prey sleepy...hence their name. Their venom has the same magic, but much more potent. One bite from a grown spider will put a man in a coma for days.”
“Great,” Kyle muttered. Kalibar smirked.
“Fully grown spiders are rare,” he informed. “Most hatchlings die before reaching full size.”
Kyle nodded absently, glancing from tree to tree, spotting more silvery webs. Suddenly he didn't feel so bad about hating spiders. In fact, he vowed to stomp on th
e next reasonably-sized one that he saw.
The four pressed onward carefully, avoiding the wispy silk as they passed. Some of the webs were truly enormous, spanning over twenty feet high, and even longer across. Looking carefully, Kyle noticed a few dozen dark shapes lying on the surface of one particularly large web. He couldn't make out what the shapes were, but he could tell that some were still breathing.
“We use dreamweaver silk to make pillows and beds,” Kalibar explained. “A small amount of silk makes people tired, but won't make them sleep forever. My own pillow has dreamweaver silk in it.”
“How do people get the silk without falling asleep?” Kyle asked.
“Dreamweaver silk harvesters must never harvest alone, and one person must carry small amounts of silk while another observes them,” Kalibar explained. “The process is very slow, and exceedingly dangerous. That's why dreamweaver silk products are so expensive.”
“Careful,” Kyle heard Ariana say, and he turned to her. She pointed at his left shoulder. He saw a few wispy strands of silk sticking to his shirt there, and flinched.
“Jesus!” he swore, brushing off the webbing hastily. It fell lazily to the forest floor. He glanced up at Ariana. “Thanks.”
“You're welcome,” she replied with a pretty smile.
He felt a sudden, sharp pain in the back of his neck.
“Ow!” he exclaimed, reaching back and swatting at his neck. He felt something soft and prickly strike his hand. “What was...”
“Kyle!” Ariana shouted, pointing down. Kyle followed her hand, spotting something black climbing up the side of his leg. A furry spider with long, thin legs, nearly as big as a tarantula.
“Whoa!” Kyle shouted, jumping back. He kicked his leg, but the spider clung to his pants, climbing up his thigh and onto his belly. He swatted it away, sending it flying through the air.
“What's wrong?” Kalibar demanded.
“There were spiders on me,” Kyle replied. He rubbed his neck, glancing nervously around himself. “I think I got bit.”
“Watch out,” Ariana cried, pointing straight up. Kyle jerked his gaze upward, spotting several more spiders descending through the air toward them, hanging by silver lines of webbing from the tree branches above. One of them dropped from their web, landing on Ariana's shoulder. She yelped, brushing it off.