Delilah gave Caleb a brief smile when he looked back at her. She was focused, keeping an eye out. And who knew how easy or difficult it was to maintain her three Summons? Caleb didn’t know enough about Summoning Magic, but he’d avoided it partly because it seemed like a discipline meant for multi-taskers. Caleb couldn’t focus on multiple tasks at a time. His mind was constantly moving unbidden from one thing to the next, and if he was going to focus, it needed to be on a singular objective.
Following along as their path took them on a rightward bend, Caleb listened carefully. The jungle seemed quiet at first, with just the sounds of their footsteps and breathing. But as he listened more, he realized that what he’d first thought was just a small undercurrent of a singular noise was in fact a whole host of sounds coming from all directions. Birds chirped, bugs buzzed, leaves swayed, branches creaked, the wind whistled, water dripped. Occasionally there were even sounds that made Caleb prep himself for a fight — low growls, snarls, distant roars, the padding of paws on the jungle floor.
Nothing came for them yet. But there was clearly a vast array of life beyond the leafy barricades. Caleb wondered how much sound they were making to the strange, unknown “real” Hollows out there. How loud were they? Were their scents clear and easy to follow, or did they blend in?
Caleb’s nose wasn’t particularly sharp, but even he picked out strange aromas here and there. There must be many flowers, though Caleb didn’t see any, as strong smells wafted to him now and then, sweet and aromatic. He was occasionally tempted to stray off the path to find them, but it was a fleeting feeling. Still, the very thought of it worried him. It felt like the jungle itself was reaching out, attempting to snare unwary visitors.
This wasn’t a place for humanity. Even with clear paths to follow, they were narrow, claustrophobic, and occasionally the travelers had to duck under thick branches that took up too much vertical space, jutting across the path almost like a “KEEP OUT” sign. Sometimes they were forced to sidle along sideways, squeezing through trees that had grown up along the path, nearly completely covering it. Idle thoughts in Caleb’s mind wondered why they couldn’t just cut through branches, or take a short detour around such obstructive tree trunks, but Isabelle made it clear with how she led them:
Disturb the jungle as little as possible.
The way that leaves blended into vines, and vines into branches and trunks gave Caleb the feeling that the jungle was completely connected. He could rarely tell where one plant ended and another began, as if all of the foliage was one massive organism.
The path suddenly widened, opening up into a circular clearing. Three possible paths branched out from it. Flowers bloomed here, large blossoms that were deep purples and reds.
“Give me a second,” Isabelle said softly, standing in the middle of the clearing. “I’m not sure which path we need to take.”
There was a brief rustle in the foliage, and then a green shape leapt down from the dense canopy above. It was Delilah’s Feline archer, Redmond.
“There are a lot of Hollows,” Delilah said, listening to some wordless report from Redmond. Caleb didn’t know exactly how Summoners and their Summons communicated with each other, but he knew it was similar to telepathy. “Some have noticed we’re here, but they don’t look like they’re going to attack. It’s like they’re trying to decide whether we’re worthwhile prey or not. And… he thinks he caught a glimpse of the woman, the one who was using the Piper’s Flute. But it was brief, so it might not have been her.”
“If she’s on this island with us, I’d actually take that as a good sign,” Chelsea said. “Better than her wreaking havoc back in Grimoire.”
“Did he see her within the jungle itself?” Caleb asked. Delilah nodded in response. “If it’s true, I wonder how she’s surviving out there. Seems like it’s thick with Hollows, right?”
“Very,” Delilah said. “There’s no end to them. And they look kind of like some of the Hollows back home, but worse. There are giant wolves like Howlers, and spiders like Weavers. But they’re bigger and meaner. And there are others… I haven’t seen anything like them in Grimoire before. But there’s good news. Redmond also climbed up to the top of the trees, to see out above the canopy. We’re making good time. If we can keep this pace up, we’ll reach the mountain at the island’s center in a few hours.”
“That’s awfully fast,” Chelsea said, casting a look around the clearing. “Let’s hope we can do that much.”
“This is the way,” Isabelle announced, pointing towards the farthest path. “I remember the flowers. It’s been overgrown a bit since the last time I was here, but this is it.”
“Let’s —” Caleb started to say, but he stopped as all his senses went on high alert.
There was a crashing in the trees beyond. Multiple creatures of some kind were making a lot of noise, growling and hissing and running as fast as they could, not caring what they destroyed in their rush. And it sounded like they were coming straight towards Caleb and the others.
“We need to run,” Isabelle urged, pointing to the path. “Come on!”
“Right,” Chelsea said, clearly frustrated at the idea. “No fighting. Lorelei —”
“I’m on point,” Lorelei said with a quick nod. “Got it. Come on, Isabelle.” She led the way, Isabelle close behind.
“Delilah, take the middle guard position,” Caleb said. “Use your Summons the best way you can, but try not to get caught in a fight. Chelsea and I’ll take the rear.”
“Nekoma can follow behind you,” Delilah said as they started following Lorelei and Isabelle. “She’s a perfect rear guard.” The purple Feline knight took up the rearmost spot in their train, keeping a wary eye out.
“Works for me,” Chelsea said.
“Hey Chelsea,” Caleb said as they ran. “In places like these, do you ever wish you weren’t a Fire Mage?”
Chelsea shot a glare at him over her shoulder, and Caleb laughed. “It’s inconvenient,” she said curtly. “But I can handle it. Maybe, in times like these, you should keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth closed.”
“I’ll take it under consideration,” Caleb said. Sounds were growing louder and more numerous. Their group’s flight was attracting more and more attention it seemed. And they couldn’t see anything beyond the walls of foliage just inches away from their sides. A giant monster could come crashing through and they wouldn’t know until it was right on top of them.
“Redmond’s delaying them,” Delilah explained from ahead of Caleb and Chelsea. “It’ll be really bad if they catch us from the sides. He’s doing his best to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“You know,” Caleb said, “having one of your Summons be an archer was a brilliant idea. I’ve never seen anyone else try that.”
“Thanks,” came the soft reply from ahead. Caleb smiled.
My sister is so freaking cool.
“Fork ahead!” Lorelei called back from the front. “We’re going left!”
Their group had gotten more spread out as they’d run, so communication was important.
Of course, that communication was probably making their location more obvious to the Hollows around them. If they tracked by sound, being quiet would be smart.
But they also tracked by scent. By this point, they’d probably figured out what Caleb and the others smelled like. Quieting down now wouldn’t do them much good. But…
“If it does come to a fight,” Caleb called out, “fight as quietly as you can. The less they can hear us, the more of an advantage we have.”
“They’re stronger on our left,” Delilah said. “If an attack does come, it’ll probably come from there. They’re more towards the rear, as well. Redmond will try and spread them out.”
When did she get so mature? We could be attacked by giant, vicious, killer monsters any second, but she’s still got a level head on her shoulders. It took me longer than I care to admit to get a handle on my nerves in battles. And she’s only fourteen?
“I could give us a fire shield,” Chelsea suggested. “Strategic burning here and there could block off groups of Howlers.”
“Don’t burn the trees!” Isabelle called back frantically. “You can’t! It’ll only make things worse!”
“Great,” Chelsea muttered.
“It’ll be all right,” Caleb said. “You’ve got great reflexes and great aim. Just blast them in the face if they show up, and they won’t ever want to mess with you again.”
“There you go, being a sweetheart again. I wish you’d do that more often.”
Caleb chuckled. “I’ll work on it.”
“From the left!” Delilah shouted. “Coming in fast!”
Nekoma moved to intercept, as a massive beast tore its way through the leafy veil. Caleb only got a brief look at it before the Feline knight blocked its attack and pushed it back into the jungle, but it was enough to set his heart racing even faster.
Real Hollows. That’s what Isabelle called them. Now I get it.
Howlers were about the size of a fully-grown Saint Bernard — though not nearly as cute, of course. They were pretty big dogs, or so Caleb had thought.
What had attacked Nekoma was easily twice the size. Bigger than Nekoma, who, with her armor, was over a foot taller than Caleb and much broader in the shoulders. This Howler’s head alone was bigger than Caleb’s entire torso.
And those eyes. Howlers had black, empty pits where their eyes should be. This beast was much the same, but the blackness within was like a living thing, roiling and churning and pulsing with red energy.
There was raw, primal rage in these Hollows.
“That’s not the only one!” Delilah said. “Redmond can’t hold them all back!”
Crashing through the growth between Caleb and Chelsea was another of the massive “real” Howlers. It was shockingly agile, turning on a dime within the narrow jungle path, leveling its gaze on Caleb, who was struggling to come to a stop.
Time Magic, don’t fail me now!
Caleb slowed down time, gripping his pocket watch hard enough that its metal rim dug into his fingers. As he did so, the world around him seemed to ripple and blur. Caleb’s mind felt fuzzy, his entire body heavy.
What’s… happening?
Pushing outward towards the snarling beast, now nearly frozen in time, Caleb’s arms wouldn’t move the way he wanted them to. His chest tightened, he struggled to breathe, and it was all he could do to sidestep away from the beast as he released his hold on time.
Except he couldn’t. He exhaled, letting go mentally and physically like he usually did to stop manipulating time.
But time stayed nearly frozen.
Frantic, the edge of his vision darkening, Caleb unhooked his watch from his belt and dropped it. Even though he was no longer holding his Talisman, time stayed slowed. Caleb felt like he was being crushed, a massive pressure bearing down on him.
There was a voice, somewhere. Caleb could hear it calling out to him, even as his eyes went dark, even as all feeling faded. He was falling, falling, falling. Still there was the voice. What was it saying? Why was it so hard to understand?
Caleb grasped feebly, but the words slipped through his fingers. Falling, falling, falling he was, down and down and down.
And at the bottom, there was nothing.
Chapter 16: Emerald Inferno
— G —
For Chelsea, all the chaos of the battle had come to a standstill.
How many Hollows were around her? How desperate was the fight?
Chelsea didn’t know. For her, all she saw, and all she knew, was one thing:
Caleb had fallen.
It was worse than just falling. Caleb’s entire body was translucent. She could see straight through him.
It took her several moments to realize she was screaming his name.
One of the monstrous Howlers was looming over Caleb’s unconscious form, fangs dripping with saliva. Slowly, so slowly, it began to lower its vicious maw towards his body.
NO!
One word, sounding like a cannon blast in Chelsea’s mind. She held up her twin lighters and let loose. An emerald inferno burst to life, surging over the monster’s form in a ferocious blaze.
Chelsea would hold nothing back. Isabelle had urged her not to burn the trees, and the girl probably had her reasons, but…
Too bad. Nothing hurts Caleb.
Fire Magic was wild and dangerous. Just like how Caleb had been heavily warned not to practice Time Magic, Chelsea had had dozens of mentors, teachers, and family members urge her not to pursue the power of the flames.
“Magical fire is a living thing.”
“Nearly all of your focus will be on learning to tame it.”
“You won’t be able to learn any other magic.”
“You won’t be able to control it.”
“You can’t let it burn freely.”
“It’s impractical.”
“It’s useless.”
“Don’t do it.”
She’d shut out all the cries, all the warnings. All because of her grandmother, who’d raised her after Chelsea’s parents had died.
“Fire Magic is a powerful and dangerous thing,” her grandmother had said when Chelsea asked her about all the people telling her not to study it. “It is indeed a living thing, and not like a Summon. Fire is wild, willful, and demands to be free.”
“So I shouldn’t learn it?” Chelsea had asked.
Her grandmother had smiled at her, ruffled her hair, and said words that Chelsea would never forget.
“Fire Magic is just like you, my dear. So be free. And when you need it most, let your flames be free, too.”
Here, in her desperate moment of need, Chelsea let the flames run free.
Everything turned to green. Chelsea called out to the magical inferno, singled out Delilah, Lorelei, and Isabelle.
And she singled out Caleb most of all.
Nothing touches them, she said to the flames. Everything else, you burn.
A rush, a high, filled Chelsea’s entire being. She felt alive, weightless, euphoric, the emotions of the fire — her fire — melding with her own, sharing with her their utter joy at being free.
Hollows turned to ash instantly. Trees, grass, flowers, birds, bugs, everything was ash. Nothing was spared beyond Chelsea and her friends. Her eyes went to Caleb, still unconscious on the jungle floor, still translucent and so terribly pale.
You will not die. You will not. I won’t allow it. I can’t… because you…
You are everything.
Suffocating heat and smoke threatened to choke off Chelsea’s own breath, but it only added to her rush of emotions. Joy, terror, anguish, and — drowning out the rest — rage.
No one harms Caleb. I will…
“Chelsea!”
The cry was faint. A whisper on the wind. Was it real?
“Chelsea!”
Louder this time. Was that…
Lorelei?
“You have to stop this!”
Stop? Why would I stop? Can’t you see Caleb? Can’t you see he’s in danger? Can’t you see…
“You’ll… you’ll burn us, too!”
No. I told the flames not to touch you. They listen to me. Nothing will touch you. Nothing will harm you. I’ll make sure of it.
Pained, choking coughing rose to Chelsea’s ears. “Please!” Lorelei called out, her voice weaker now. “Make it stop!”
I don’t… I don’t want to. This rush. This exhilaration. Everything burns. Isn’t it amazing? This is what I can do. This is power — my power. My power to protect those I love, and to destroy all else.
“Please…”
It was barely a whisper. Chelsea blinked. She pulled her gaze away from Caleb’s body, away from the blaze spreading so brilliantly and beautifully around her.
Lorelei was kneeling at Chelsea’s feet. Coughing, gasping, she was barely conscious.
Beyond her was Delilah. The girl had already collapsed. She lay spread out,
and her hand, even in unconsciousness, was reaching out for the form of her older brother.
And Isabelle…
Isabelle was fine.
She stood between Lorelei and Delilah, watching the fire and smoke roar and rage, consuming everything.
Physically, she was fine, but…
She was crying.
Chelsea had never seen such anguish, such pain.
No, wait.
She had. More than once.
Greysons of Grimoire Page 17