Author's note:
A big thanks to Evelyn CMB and Mist Walker for helping me beta my work. I reference Evelyn's work only with her permission.
I make no money off this. I don't own the characters, so please don't sue me.
Chapter 4—Descents and Discoveries
Skeletor focused on the image he had just seen in Lyn's wand. He had already sent spells of protection and shielding down so that no "welcoming party" would be there to greet his group as they materialized in the small clearing.
Skeletor pulled his magic within strengthening and focusing it until it burned inside him. He sent tendrils of power to connect with Micah, Lyn, and Neara, who was fretting in Lyn's arms. Once he secured the magical binding between them, he released his power in a blinding explosion that took everyone down 400 feet into the forest.
"Wow," breathed Micah awestruck. "The tree trunks are as big as Horde tanks."
Skeletor leaned heavily on his staff. In the past, he would go from transporting all of his minions to his throne room at Snake Mountain, to knocking over chairs and blasting the room apart. Today, however, without the adrenaline that came from his disappointed rages, he felt drained.
"Micah, keep Neara in the clearing," Lyn said, putting down her squirming charge to seek a safe direction to begin their journey.
"Food is in the pack," said Skeletor passing the bag to Micah.
Micah reached in the pack and began to withdraw the remains of the last night's fish
"Here," Micah said offering Skeletor a piece of fish.
"You eat it. I'm not hungry,"
"Okay," he said then called to his sister, "Breakfast time, Neara." Micah settled down against the cliff side.
Satisfied that the children would be occupied for a little while, Skeletor walked over to Lyn.
"Have you seen any of those creatures Micah warned us about?"
"See for yourself," Lyn said, showing the glowing globe to her partner.
Images of nightmarish creatures flashed before them as she moved her focus from one section of forest to another.
First, creatures with large sections of bony armor were feasting on huge black furred spiders the size of a Horde trooper's head.
Creatures that looked to Skeletor like deep gray horses with two grooved black horns from their heads reared up and gave a chilling sound, more scream than neigh. Scraps from their last feast hung from their razor-sharp fangs.
Mounds as tall as Greyskull's jawbridge overflowed with 12 legged insects, each as large as his arm, with furred orange antenna and dangerous-looking stingers curled on their backs.
Great white cats prowled in loose groups sending creatures running for cover at their echoing roars.
Four-legged reptilian creatures fought over a huge fur-covered mass of blood and flesh that no longer resembled a living creature. Their own green and brown mottled scales were dripping with red splatters from their frenzied feast.
"See, you had nothing to worry about," Lyn said dryly.
"Going to be a regular walk on the beach," agreed Skeletor shaking his head. "So do you see any place that isn't populated by candidates for Beastman's petting zoo?"
"This way. But I can't be sure. There's so much vegetation over in this section," she said, shifting the image a bit to the right, "that it would be the perfect spot-"
"For an ambush," Skeletor finished for her.
Lyn nodded. "I never thought I would miss old fur face."
"At least we don't have to put up with the smell."
"Good point."
"Do you still have the location stone you made to get us here in the first place?" Skeletor asked, looking toward the "safe" direction.
Lyn fished it out of the pouch at her waist. She placed it in the center of her hand.
"Finally," Lyn said, "some good luck for a change." The rock was pointing into the only clear path she located.
"How are we going to keep the little 'bard' quiet?" Lyn said, jerking her head toward the kids eating just out of earshot.
"He wants to learn magic. I will teach him the meditations necessary to condition his power centers to draw on this world's magic."
"And if he has no magical talent?"
"I won't tell him until we get to the resistance. Those meditations ought to keep him busy until we get there."
"Is it right to let him get his hopes up like that?"
"It's better than his singing getting us all killed because he's bored," Skeletor retorted. He didn't care for the child, but the thought of the boy being disappointed needled him. "I'll let him down gently," Skeletor promised reluctantly, more to himself than anyone else.
"No 'ood, Keltor," Neara whined as she jerked on the hood Skeletor had finally fixed on her head with a spell after replacing it for what seemed the hundredth time.
"Yes hood. You need to blend in with the jungle, so we aren't seen, and my—name—is—Skeletor," he said through clenched teeth."
Neara began to cry and hit Skeletor's chest.
"If you don't get her quiet, we won't have to worry about something seeing us," Lyn hissed as Neara's wails got louder.
Skeletor's clamped down on the rage building in him. He had to distract her somehow. If he weren't so exhausted, he would put a sleep spell on Neara and be done with it. He wished he had done that instead of fixing the hood to her head, now that he thought about it. As it was, between securing the landing sight, the teleportation, and lack of sleep and food he couldn't muster much more than a puff of smoke now. He definitely wasn't going to ask Lyn to set one on the kid. She'd made her position on working with the children crystal clear. She could help whenever she liked, but it would snow in Eternia's Fire Desert before he would ask her for help with either one of them.
Out of the corner of his vision, Skeletor saw a flowering vine. Approaching it carefully, he moved his amulet toward it. There was no tingle of warning, so he plucked one of the golden blossoms. "Here, Neara, look at the disgustingly pretty flower," Skeletor said.
Neara sniffled and looked at the flower Skeletor offered to her.
"Pet-ty," she said and took the bloom from, Skeletor. She brought the petals close to her face giggling.
Skeletor sighed in relief. At least her laugh was somewhat bearable.
Skeletor froze as he heard something shift in the brush beside him.
"Micah, take your sister, and stay behind me."
"What—" Micah began.
"Quiet."
Lyn moved on the other side of the children and created a shield around Skeletor and the others.
"Rippers," gasped Micah as a dozen four-legged reptilian creatures burst through the undergrowth and circled around Lyn and Skeletor. They began to emit a sound that was part howl and part squeal. Their heavily muscled bodies tensed as they closed in on their newest prey. The largest one opened her massive jaws revealing a mouth filled completely with huge fangs, the smallest as long at Skeletor's hand. Without warning, several rippers jumped at the same time aiming for the children in between Lyn and Skeletor. They hit Lyn's shielding with a sickening thud and landed motionless on the ground.
Smelling the blood seeping from the mouth of a fallen pack mate, the rest of the hunters attacked the unconscious rippers and began feasting on them. The pain of being torn apart woke one ripper, but it was too late. It wailed in pain as its own pack feasted on its legs.
"Stop it!" Micah sobbed. "Stop it!"
Neara began to scream and pulled lose from Micah. "Want Keltor!" she bawled as Micah grabbed her back.
Taking advantage of the fact that all of the predators were now distracted, Lyn allowed a hole in her shield just big enough to send a ball of flame from her crystal wand. She sent the flame around the rippers and shouted, "Blaze high and hot till all within this ring live do not!"
Lyn lowered her shielding as Skeletor bent to pick up the wailing Neara.
The smell of charred flesh rose from the smoking corpses.
Crying, Micah stumbled over to the blue-skinned mage, and buried his face in Skeletor's cape.
"The smell of those remains are going to bring creatures from miles around," said Lyn looking within her wand's crystal. "Do you think you could teleport us to a safe place if I could find one?"
An ear-splitting roar echoed in the forest not far to Skeletor's right causing the children to scream.
"I'll have to. Micah," he said trying to remove the hysterical child's vice-like grip on his arm, "let me go you simpering simpleton, so I can get us out of here."
Lyn helped pry Micah from Skeletor's side. He forced himself to pull the planet's magic through his body's weary power centers. He used the desperation and fear he felt from the children to keep him alert and focused in spite of his exhaustion. When he thought he could contain no more power, Skeletor cast the spell bringing them to the safety of a small stream bank.
Skeletor sank to the ground barely able to hold Neara. He lay down too drained to move. Neara cried softly never loosening her grip around his neck.
"He's hurt!" shouted Micah.
Lyn knelt beside Skeletor.
"Not hurt," Skeletor said weakly, still holding Neara.. "Just tired. Set up defenses…" he said as he slipped out of consciousness."
"You must train yourself to pull magic into your core. From there you will be able to shape it and use it in any way you choose, but if you don't focus on the meditations necessary to help you strengthen and condition the power conduits within you, you will never be able to accomplish more magic than that pathetic excuse for a slave over there," lectured the tutor for what seemed like the hundredth time. In anger, he threw his book at the young nobleman's servant, knowing that hurting their manservant, Keldor, was as close as he could come to disciplining these spoiled boys.
"He can't use magic anyway," complained Senset, as Keldor limped back to the tutor to return the book that had just created the dark purple bruise on his left shin. "He wears a collar, just like every other servant."
"Yes, Canidor, even if he weren't a pale, washed-out half-breed," drawled Reneil lazily as he stuck his foot out quickly causing Keldor to stumble to the floor, "he's unbearably stupid."
Keldor lay on the plush carpet of his "master's" study seething. He'd learned long ago, however, to keep any show of anger deep within him or suffer pain beyond belief from his "masters" and their father, his "overlord." He got up slowly, and pretended to be hurt much worse than he was, knowing that only a show of pain would satisfy Reneil.
"First thing, young lord Reneil, you will address me as tutor. I care not that you are your father's eldest and will one day inherit his vast holding in these caverns. I am the best instructor in the magical arts and can find many great houses clamoring for my services. Secondly, I doubt not that even this wretch could do more magic than you could, if he weren't wearing that collar. He, at least, understands how to work."
"How dare you—" sputtered Senset.
"Calm yourself, little brother," Reneil said with a chuckle. "Come here, your highness," Reneil ordered Keldor, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "We will show our venerated instructor, the all-knowing Canidor, that you are nothing more than a dullard and a drudge." Keldor approached, his fists clenched in a white-knuckled rage behind his back. He had been using the meditations tutor had taught the lordlings, not to prepare to draw on Eternia's magic, but to calm himself. These exercises worked so well in helping him remain calm that he had been beaten three less times just this week, and even his "overlord" commented about how this once proud slave had learned his place under his masterful training last night as Keldor served his young "masters" dinner.
Keldor stood before Lord Reneil with his eyes lowered in what he hoped was a subservient expression, rather than an attempt to hide the hatred burning in his eyes.
Reneil jerked the jagged metal and leather collar from Keldor's neck leaving a scratch that bled freely. Keldor fought the urge to stop the bleeding, knowing it would only provoke him further.
"Come here, boy," Tutor Canidor instructed. "I won't have these layabouts weakening your performance with injuries."
Keldor dropped his head lower to hide the bitter smirk on his face. Canidor seem to have forgotten that the limp he had right now was due to his rage, not his "masters."
Canidor placed his hand on Keldor's shoulder and Keldor felt the spell that sped his body's natural healing process. Keldor heard the tutor mutter the incantation out loud and paid close attention to this. The relief that was going through his body now was something he wanted to repeat whenever he needed to since his "masters" delighted in his pain.
"Now boy, I want you to listen as I teach you the meditations," the tutor said slowly and clearly.
Keldor nodded. He tried to look docile and dimwitted as he intentionally stumbled over the meditations for the tutor.
"Good enough," he said, obviously convinced that Keldor could do no better.
"I expect that is the best we can expect from a slave who claimed to be the child of a king for months after he was captured."
Keldor wanted to hit the vile excuse for a person in front of him, but he threw himself deeper into his meditations, not because he wanted to do well for this fiend, but because he knew he must remain calm.
"Now, boy—draw the power from all of the pathways within you to your center."
Keldor gasped. He felt the magic flowing through him. It was incredible.
"Good!" said the tutor focusing on the boys, "See how he draws power through him. This from one who has just learned the proper incantations."
Keldor groaned internally; he would pay for this later. Still, though, the power was truly incredible.
"Now, boy, feel the power within you and imagine a fire coming from your hands. I doubt you'll be able to muster much more than a small flame, but try to send a line of fire out the window."
Keldor thought of the warmth of fire by his mother's hearth and the way the flames danced and jumped on the logs. He remembered, too, the bite of the flames in his flesh when Reneil pushed him in the cook's fire. He thought of all of the indignities he'd suffered from the day his "overlord" captured him in the Vine Jungle, and he could feel the magic within him burst into a blazing firestorm. He raised his head proudly and lifted his hands to the patio that overlooked the Council Cavern's main plaza and sent forth a blaze that incinerated the curtains in an instant as it shot out six feet in the air.
"What?" yelped Reniel, ducking for cover.
Keldor ran from the blaze, turning what would have been a whoop of triumph into a yelp of fear. He crouched trembling in a corner pretending to be afraid of what just happened. He shook violently, hoping to convince them that what had just occurred scared the dimwitted servant. He did not want to be seen as a threat.
Though shocked, Canidor tried to look nonchalant. "You see," he said after a few moments of silence. "If this dull slave can do this beginner's spell, you should be well past this level."
Keldor saw his slave collar near him and grabbed it quickly. Using what he just learned, he burned two runes on it just badly enough that the spells would not restrain his magic. 'If I'm careful, I can learn enough magic to get out of here and find my father,' he thought hopefully. 'I'll make them pay,' he promised still pretending to be frightened witless. 'I'll escape, and when I'm prince of Eternia, I'll bring an army and punish them all.'
"Please, master," Keldor said scrambling to Senset, hoping he would not look at the collar too closely. "Put this collar on me, so I don't burn again," he begged tears flowing down his cheeks."
Reneil laughed aloud. "Senset put the collar on the little fool. I suppose you think you've proven your point, Canidor," scoffed Reneil, trying to hide his irritation at being shown up by this soulless slave. "But all you've done is to ensure that I never have to listen to your useless lectures again. Teaching magic to slaves is illegal, and as my father is one of the justices, I may feel a civic duty to report your treasonous act to my father if you continue to bore me with this useless meditation nonsense. I want to be taught real magic, not some boring chants."
"As you wish my lord, Reneil," said Canidor with a low bow. He had been stupid. Now the brat was right. He would have no choice, but to bow to their wishes or come before the tribunal. He looked at Keldor. He was sitting meekly in the corner of the room, but something was off. "Bring me my books, servant, I will be going for the day. That is," he said turning toward the young lords, "if you have no objection to my going."
"It's about time," muttered Senset.
"Boy bring my pack down with me." He said, looking closely at the boy.
Keldor, followed the tutor. Without warning, the tutor shoved him into an alcove.
"I know you disabled your collar, boy."
Keldor was about to deny it when he felt tutor's hand over his mouth.
"Don't lie to me, boy. I saw it. I will keep your secret, under one condition. Your overlord, the honorable justice Melaen, found me in a…well…" the tutor looked for the right words, "compromising situation. As a result, I waste my time and talents on those two brats for no pay and lose time with hard-working paying customers. I can't do anything to any of your masters, but if you pay attention at my lessons, I'll teach you every thing you need to know to defeat them and free yourself." Canidor removed his hand from Keldor's mouth. "So do we have a deal?"
Keldor looked the tutor in the eyes, standing as a prince not a servant, "Yes."
"Make them pay," Skeletor muttered. "I'll make them all pay."
"Make who pay?" asked Micah
"Huh?" asked Skeletor groggily. He tried to sit up but found Neara still wrapped around his neck sleeping.
"I'll get her," Lyn offered.
"No," he said getting up carefully. "The last thing we need is for her to wake up and start crying again."
"Okay," she said slowly, her eyebrows raised. 'Well," she thought, 'For someone who doesn't want to wake up a child, you sure are holding her tightly. If I didn't know better, I'd call that a hug.'
"How long have I been sleeping?" asked Skeletor absently rubbing Neara's back.
Lyn shook herself briefly before answering. "About three hours," she replied. "We could travel for a few more hours today if you feel up to it."
"Let's go," he said getting carefully to his feet. "Do you have a safe direction?"
Lyn stood and extended her hand and saw the locator stone turn to everyone's left.
"This way," she said after looking through her wand for a few moments. "But before we go, I need to cast a spell." She began to mutter and her wand began to pulse with a strange blue light
"We won't be able to travel as far, but after this morning, I think it will be worth it."
"What's that?" asked Micah.
"It's a spell to make anything that comes near us fearful. Hopefully, it will keep away predators."
"Good work, Lyn," Skeletor said mid yawn, too tired to even be disgusted at his compliment.
"Are you sure you feel up to this, Skeletor?"
"Yes," he snapped.
"Lyn, could I have some food from the pack?" Micah asked.
Lyn passed the pack to Micah.
Micah reached in and broke a loaf of bread in half. Here, Skeletor."
"I'm not hungry," Skeletor said following Lyn as she led the way. "But you can feed your sister." He said passing the stirring child to her brother."
Lyn looked back at Skeletor. That was the fourth time this week he'd turned down food. She couldn't be sure, but he looked like he was losing weight. There was a slump to his shoulder that wasn't there even a week ago. 'Something isn't right. He's not sleeping much at all. And as much as he tries to hide it, I know he's still having nightmares. I'm going to find out what this is all about before he collapses and leaves me stuck in this jungle with these kids.'