by Shawnna Lea
"It would appear we are not alone."
Chapter 20
Whisper shivered, knowing what was ahead. He hoped Sylvia could succeed, of course, but inside, his fear grew. Back in the city when he had spied on Traz's thoughts, he knew they had to do something, for the man's intentions were complete dominion. So as soon as Lord Braddock and his party got back to the city, he had worked out his plan with Angel. Unfortunately, Traz had decided last night to find the other power source as well. Whisper knew he couldn't push them any faster. He just hoped Sylvia had what it would take.
But Traz had gotten here first. He was already over there. Whisper glanced at his two companions. There was no time to make a plan. He'd have to wing it.
"Sylvia." If he were to make it through this Sylvia had to do what was needed. He lowered his voice to barely anything as she turned to him. "I'm afraid. I don't want to be captured again."
That was a complete truth. She gave a compassionate smile, taking his hand.
"I won't let that happen. I promise." That was all he needed. It never hurt to add a little more motivation. He patted Avic on the back and started across the raised trail. The smooth surface was just wide enough for them to walk alongside each other. The light in the tunnel beyond beckoned him, and he moved them along faster till his two little companions were practically running beside him. He paused at the tunnel entrance flattening himself against the wall, Avic and Sylvia breathing hard beside him. That would never do. He signaled for them to keep quiet and picked them both up.
The short tunnel was inclined, and now he could see Traz's shadow. Whisper trembled with energy as he peered around the corner. The small cavern was identical to the one in which the Dark Star had been. But this time he felt no horror at the power beyond, which he found odd. He hated magic, it always left him feeling tired and slimy. The light had a core too bright to look directly at, and tendrils of light moved as though in a breeze. Sylvia gasped beside him, and Avic was hitting his leg. In annoyance, he tossed Avic behind him. Traz was reaching toward that light, slowly moving forward. Without a second thought, he ran forward. Traz turned in surprise, then reached forward quickly to take the light.
He threw her. Sylvia soared through the air, beating Traz's outstretched fingers to the light. A roar of sound and heat hit Whisper, pinning him to the wall behind him. He lost sight of Traz who had fallen backward, and Sylvia was beyond the light. Then, it was dark. Whisper's eyes adjusted, using the glow from the large cavern where they had left their lantern. Traz was rubbing his head, and Whisper had the insane urge to attack him again. Fear held him back, however, and he moved quickly around the pedestal, looking for Sylvia. Her small form was there, rocking back and forth, her hands over her ears.
He reached out to touch her but stopped, his hand inches away. What if she was upset with him for that and... Her eyes opened, fastening on him. There was no emotion visible, she seemed completely normal. In fact, she FELT normal as well, like nothing had changed. So where had the power source gone? She slowly removed her hands from her ears, looking from side to side.
"What happened?" Her voice was too loud in the small cavern, and he covered her mouth quickly. The loud clap above them made him jump, looking up. And there was an infuriated Traz staring down at them, his hands gripping the top of the pedestal. Whisper couldn't help the hiss that escaped his mouth.
"I'll tell you what happened! You've interfered AGAIN! The only redeeming part for you is that you brought Whisper along." Terror raced through him briefly, and he found himself unable to move away from Traz as he came around the pedestal. Then a small hand was in his own, and the terror melted away.
Sylvia stood, getting between them.
"You'll leave him alone. AND you're going to stop this mindless destruction." Her little voice held an element of new confidence, and Whisper's stomach dropped. Did she think she had the power that had disappeared? He flattened himself behind her, moving as quietly as he could. He had to get out while she distracted Traz.
"Mindless? Not mindless, my dear. I just want the respect I deserve. If others refuse to acknowledge me, then consequences must occur."
Sylvia stomped a foot.
"One who hurts and destroys does not deserve respect."
"But respect I will have. Even from you, Whisper, though I may have to force it." Whisper darted for the opening. That's when the room tipped. The pebbles and debris on the floor slid under his feet, and he slipped backward all the way to the wall, rocks and gems joining him in a pile. Before he could get out of them, the pile solidified, the rocks and gems sticking together around him. Whisper struggled to break loose, but try as he did, none of the rocks would budge. Traz chuckled, moving around the pedestal as the room righted itself.
"See I learned from our last encounter, Whisper. I wasted no time trying useless snares on you. Magic may not touch you, but everything around you is fair game." He patted Whisper's head like he might a small animal, much to Whisper's annoyance. There had to be a way out of this. He struggled some more to Traz's delight. "Perhaps I should give you what you gave me?" Whisper froze, eyeing the knife Traz stroked.
"I said leave him alone." Traz rounded on Sylvia, making a sharp movement with his hand. She gasped as a bubble formed around her. For a moment, she looked like she might panic then she closed her eyes, calming herself as Traz turned back to Whisper with a smirk.
"I'd have thought you'd bring better help."
"He did." All eyes turned toward the cavern entrance where a soaked and shivering Avic stood holding the lantern. Traz burst out laughing.
"Oooooh Avic! I'm so impressed! What are you going to do, call for your daddy?" He laughed some more, but Avic didn't look affected. The smile on his lips confused Whisper. They had nothing. Sylvia was trapped, he was trapped, Avic had no magic. Traz stopped laughing, rubbing his watering eyes. Avic didn't move.
"If you're through, I'll show you why you should rethink your plan." Avic turned on his heal into the tunnel. Traz hesitated, but his curiosity seemed to get the better of him. He stepped around the corner next to Avic to look toward the cavern.
"Well, what is it? Brought an army? I can flatten them, you know."
"No, no army, Traz." Without another word Avic threw himself into Traz's back. Caught off guard, Traz fell head over heals down the tunnel, rolling and sliding on the loose pebbles, his momentum carrying him all the way into the cavern. A satisfying splash greeted Avic's ears, and he ran back into the little room. As he had expected, Traz had lost concentration on his spells. Sylvia was already helping Whisper dig out of the rocks. He grabbed her shoulders to stare her straight in the eye.
"You can do this, Sylvia. Don't underestimate yourself. We chose you because we knew you could succeed. But the time for talk is up." Whisper shook himself clear of the dust and pebbles ready to agree but Traz beat him to it. Dripping and blue with the cold he thundered into the room.
"The time for talk IS up!" As his hands came up, Whisper threw himself into his companions, rolling with them out of the way of the fiery streak exploding from Traz's outstretched hands. He kicked them behind the pedestal as another hot streak slammed into the ground where they had been. Pain shot up Whisper's leg, but he ignored it, flinging himself in a zigzag pattern toward Traz. He dropped at the last moment as a wave of fire billowed out from his target. The heat around him made it hard to breathe as he waited for it to end.
Then, it was hard to breath for another reason. He coughed and spluttered in the downpour that put out the fire. He shook his head, water dripping in his eyes and gave Sylvia a glare. Traz's laughter filled the little cavern.
"Never underestimate the stupidity of some people. I haven't time for this. Give me that light!" As Traz stomped his foot down, the floor exploded forward. Whisper rolled out of way, covering his head from the flying rocks as the wave of debris hit the pedestal. A deep rumble began, and Whisper wondered what Traz was doing till he saw the look on the man's face. That's when he remembered they w
ere in a cave. Underground. FAR underground.
It began with a few cracks that extended from the damage Traz had done. The little fissures extended out to the walls where they began to climb. Whisper franticly looked for Sylvia, finding her behind the crumbled pedestal trying to drag Avic out of a mess of rocks. A shiver went up his spine, and he spun, knowing he was too late as a hand clamped down on his neck. He struggled for only a moment before the horrible sensation of paralysis hit him. He couldn't fight against Traz anymore and let himself be directed. He hardly noticed his surroundings as the greedy wizard's magic encased him. The pain hit him seconds later.
Sylvia watched in horror as Whisper froze. Traz's magic changed sources to flare around Whisper, and he flashed her a triumphant smile as they vanished. The room began to crumble, bits of the ceiling smashing down beside her. She tugged at Avic, but he still didn't move. Finally, her mind kicked in and she dropped him, using magic to pick him up. She raced from the room, Avic floating beside her. The small cavern crashed down behind them. She slipped on the loose pebbles and fell, loosing concentration on holding Avic. They both slid toward the large cavern, and she grabbed him, adding her scream to the noise as the tunnel entrance collapsed.
Chapter 21
Lord Braddock tied his horse beside the other two animals, noting their brands. It had taken a while to figure out where his son had gone. The King was furious, condemning both fugitives. After a thorough investigation it had come down to a forged note at the gate signed by the king himself. It had been a perfect signature, the royal seal exact. No one knew how they had gotten hold of it. Except Lord Braddock. He was sure that somehow that cursed cat had gotten there and whisked them off on some idiotic idea. And now their amnesty was gone.
And then the horses had been found missing. Captain Ternber denied any knowledge of it, and the stable hands knew nothing. It didn't seem right to Lord Braddock, and after everyone had drifted off he had given the stable master a sizable bribe. The man still hadn't budged in his story until Lord Braddock gave his word he would tell no one anything concerning what the man MIGHT know. That had led him to a pleasure house in midtown where he had had to convince a beautiful young woman he had no intention of harming any of them. Including Whisper. In fact, the woman was more adamant--and accusatory--about that than anything else.
So here he was looking into a dark hole in the ground after riding all night. He dug out the lantern he had brought and squished through the dilapidated entrance. His head brushed the ceiling and dust floated down around him as he followed the tunnel. There were footprints in the settled dust, two small sets and one larger set. He imagined to himself all the things he would say to his wayward son and his companions. That occupied him all the way to the end of the tunnel. There was only a small opening to get past this point and he knew he'd never fit. He began digging rocks out of his way enlarging the way forward till his shoulders fit. Stuffing the lamp before him, he didn't realize the path dropped off directly beyond the crumbled entrance. He tried to catch himself but slid forward out of the hole. All that was below him was water, and he scrambled to catch himself.
His hand caught a rock just above the water, and he sighed in relief as he found other holds. He looked around for the best route. Even though his lantern was now in the depths of the water below, the cave still glowed. The walls sparkled here and there, but it looked like there had been great destruction recently. The little light lent him came from the opposite side of the water, just a small light possibly from a lantern. He shifted his weight maneuvering onto a ledge to sit. Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket he dabbed at his forehead studying the cavern. He was able to pick out what could have been a path extending through the lake to the other side. Much of it was missing ,though, great boulders and pieces of the ceiling stuck up from the water in its place. Other parts were just gone. At the other end of the trail it looked like the ceiling had come down. He leaned back closing his eyes. This might have been for nothing. The destruction looked recent and complete.
In the quiet all he could hear was his own breathing. And then something else. He sat up, listening intently. It came again, a muffled noise that drew his attention to the collapse on the other side of the water. It was the only logical place for a survivor. If there was someone left alive, they were obviously in trouble. Well, more trouble than they already had been. He picked his way, carefully climbing down to the beginnings of the trail. It shifted and crumbled on the edges as he walked and he tried not to think of the potentially deadly water below. He was making good progress till the trail abruptly ended, disappearing into the dark water. The gap was about ten feet, and he knew he'd never be able to jump that far. To his left was a rock sticking out of the water only about five feet from him.
"That I can do." His voice seemed a bit too loud in the stillness as he prepared to jump. There were a few others just above the surface. They made a stepping stone path right to the other side of the trail. He swung his arms a few times, judging the distance and then sprang forward. His feet landed firmly on the rock. With more than a little relief, he stepped forward to jump to the next when the rock shifted. His balance was thrown, and with horror, he waved his arms, trying to regain balance. The world tilted, and he fell backward.
The cold water whooshed over him as he went under. His skin tingled and he kicked to the surface. He gasped in the freezing water. It was hard to breathe and he kicked as fast as he could toward the opposite shore. He had to pull himself up three times as the trail crumbled beneath him, dunking him beneath the ice water again and again. When finally he was out of the water his body shook uncontrollably and he smacked his tingly legs heading toward the little lantern light. It wouldn't be much heat but maybe it would defrost his fingers. The chill in the air didn't help. He slid around the large boulder, hoping his son would be there so they could get out of the cursed cold. His heart sank as he saw the tumbled lantern amid the rocks.
He picked up the lantern and inspected the collapse nearby. And there it was again. A muffled call for help. It was too high pitched even for that wretched cat, so it had to be Sylvia or Avic. The work warmed him a little as he dug rocks away, moving boulders from his path. His efforts must have been heard as the calls were replaced with shifting rocks beyond. His hands became sore, but he kept going. The chill stayed with him as he worked until, finally, moving a large rock, an opening was revealed and a very ragged looking Avic grinned at him. Relief surged through him as he pulled his son close.
Chapter 22
"I still think this is foolhardy."
Avic tried to tune his father and Sylvia out as Lord Braddock began the same argument for the thousandth time. They were almost back to the capital where Sylvia swore Traz was. And Whisper. Avic tried not to worry about him. Sylvia said Whisper could do nothing against Traz anymore, would have to help him even. Which meant Traz was even MORE powerful than ever. Whisper would have willingly handed over the last third of the Dark Star’s power to avoid the pain Traz would inflict on him and Traz would use the katrin's special ability to amplify that power. Or Whisper himself, who could be just as deadly. All in all, Lord Braddock was correct. They were riding to their deaths.
As they crested the hill Sylvia gasped. Avic nudged his horse around hers and his heart sped up. The capital city was dark at midday, black clouds swirling above, flashes of green lightning breaking the darkness here and there.
"What was the plan again?" Lord Braddock sounded bored as though the sight hadn't affected him in the least. Avic glanced at Sylvia whose expression was determined. "Are you SURE you want to do this?" Sylvia turned in her saddle glaring at Lord Braddock.
"Yes. We are doing this." Her tone allowed for no argument and Lord Braddock sighed. Avic chewed his lip nervously.
"Our chances aren't very good, Sylvia. Maybe we should stop and plan a little more." Her glare moved to him.
"I promised Whisper I wouldn't let Traz get hold of him. I failed in that, but I'm not about to let him stay i
n that torment any longer than necessary." She kicked her horse which bounded toward the city.
"I doubt Whisper believed you really could anyway." Sylvia either didn't hear or pretended not to.
They rode behind her silently, tension rising as they neared the swelling darkness. As they moved beneath the clouds it was as though night had suddenly fallen. The sky glittered with stars in the blackness, broken by silent sheets of green lightning. There were no guards at the gate which only increased the fear rising in Avic. The city was silent, not a soul stirring. The quiet was unnerving, so Avic started whistling. The sound died on his lips as they rounded the corner.
There were people here. Unmoving people. The statues stood in every stance imaginable from shouting indignance to trembling fear. Soldiers frozen in stride with weapons held ready. Men and women in their market stalls. Some people looked as though they had no idea what was happening, frozen in everyday life, while others saw it coming. All had an eerie green sheen to their appearance, almost glowing. Like the lightning above.
"This can't be good."
Sylvia ignored him, guiding her horse through the still crowds. She set her course toward the castle at the top of the cliffs, not bothering to see if they were following. The bridge was almost too full to maneuver over. Avic expected it to get worse the closer to the castle they got but was surprised as the streets cleared, very few of the frozen people in the upper town. The castle courtyard loomed solid and empty. They slid off their mounts nervously.
"I'll go in ahead, and you follow carefully." Sylvia was about to object to Lord Braddock, but he cut her off. "You two are small enough you might be able to get in close while they're distracted with me." Not waiting for a response, he spun on his heal and marched up the castle steps. Avic scrambled after Sylvia, pressing themselves to the sides of the doorway as Lord Braddock pushed the front doors open. Soldiers stood at attention but they too were unmoving. They entered carefully into the hall.