CHAPTER 8 - GONE

When Zack woke up, his head was pounding. He was sprawled out on the grass. It was early morning, just before dawn. The sun hadn't yet crept above the treetops in the distance. There was a breeze in the air that stung Zack's face. It didn't do much to help his pounding headache. He grunted as he pressed his palms against his eyes in an attempt to wake up quicker. He jammed his hands in the cloak's pockets to save them from the chill. The gold pieces Maxine had given him the night before were still in his pockets. He could feel the cold metal brush up against his fingers. Where was Maxine? If she had brought him outside, she'd passed up a golden opportunity to rob him for the second time.

He rose to his feet, and shook each leg individually. His knees felt like gelatin, and he wanted to get as much feeling back to his extremities as he could. He hadn't done any exploring of the town, so he wasn't sure where he was. He'd been in such a daze when he'd left Cody the night before. He scanned all the buildings in his immediate area. Each building was made of similar bricks, and packed close together. Zack figured that it was early, and he'd bump into Cody or Maxine eventually.

He started walking along the deserted streets. He assumed at this time of the morning, the residents of Denmall were fast asleep in their beds. A breeze blew a strange smell into Zack's nostrils. It caused him to stop walking. It filled him with worry. This wasn't a positive smell. He smelled something burning. His eyes darted along the different intersecting streets. He couldn't find the source of the smell, but it was strong, and foul. It couldn't be too far away. He tried to follow his nose, and felt the horrible stench growing in intensity. As he moved toward the source of the smell, something landed in front of him. It stopped him dead in his tracks.

He was shocked to see a javelin had embedded in the ground right in front of him. Zack backed off a few steps. Thirty paces from where he stood was someone else. Zack couldn't make out many of their features. The sun still hadn't risen high enough.

"Did you throw that?" Zack asked.

"What gave that away?" the person responded. The voice was muffled. Zack couldn't make out any distinguishing characteristics to place it. They walked forward and Zack held up his fists in a defensive stance.

"I'm not looking to fight," he said. "I'm just looking for my friends."

"What a coincidence," the person chuckled. "I may be able to help with that!"

"What does that mean?" Zack asked cautiously.

"I'm patrolling this town for stragglers to capture."

"Capture? Why?"

"Who cares? I'm not in charge?" the person shrugged. They had finally stepped into enough light for Zack to make out some of their features. They were wearing a dark orange garment that covered them from head to toe, and concealed their face. The suit had various red shapes along the arms and legs. A golden letter T was emblazoned in cursive on their stomach. Stitched on their head were pointed ears that bent in a jagged pattern. Covering their face was a white mask with two Xs drawn in red as a crude facsimile for eyes. The person was certainly strange.

"Who are you?" Zack asked slowly. The strange attire of the person made it difficult for him to formulate a sentence. The jester wrapped their hands around the javelin in the ground and easily removed it. They gave it a twirl and gave a slight bow.

"I am called Trick! One of the demon lord's favorite jesters. He loves me for my frequent participation in raids!" Trick pointed their javelin at Zack. "I recommend you hand over your gold, or end up in the carts with the others!"

"I'm not getting robbed again," Zack said defiantly. He placed his hand over his heart and felt the warming sensation overtake him. He felt like he could fight in the most frigid of temperatures.

"A magic user," Trick seemed concerned now. Their goofy demeanor had worn off. Trick's voice had an airy tone that was now gone. "You don't belong here," they threatened. Trick lunged for Zack and thrust the javelin forward. Zack kept his eye on the point of the javelin and managed to jump backwards from the hit. He knew that his cloak gave him extra protection, but a misjudgement would mean taking the business end of Trick's javelin. Zack was struggling to think of a plan to defeat Trick. The jester was quick, nimble, and athletic. They were easily contorting their body which made their swings harder to read and dodge. A strong swing to Zack's side managed to clip his arm. Zack yelped as the javelin found its mark. Sensing an opening Trick swung horizontally, expecting to slice Zack open at the waist.

As the javelin sped toward him, Zack only had a moment to make a decision. He realized that there was only one part of the javelin that would cause him significant damage. His spell was still providing him with a power boost. If he could get within range, he'd take a hit from the far less painful staff of the weapon. It was worth a shot. He leapt towards Trick, who had put full power behind their swing. The jester hadn't been expecting this move as Zack caught the javelin mid swing. He easily ripped it from Trick's hand. The jester, upon being disarmed backed off.

"You don't know how to use that," Trick taunted.

"I know you don't want to get touched by this part," Zack said pointing to the tip of the javelin. "I think I'll figure the rest out." Zack held the Javelin out. Trick was slithering side to side watching the point of the javelin as Zack moved it along with them. "We don't need to fight. I just want to find who I'm looking for. Take me to them." Trick grabbed at their stomach and fell onto their back. They kicked their legs as they giggled loudly.

"You mustn't be too smart," they chided through their laughter. Trick leapt to their feet. "I told you I was part of a raiding party. Your friends have already been captured. If I take you to them, you'll be captured too!" They pointed to their temple. "Makes sense, eh?" Zack contemplated what Trick was saying. He wasn't sure how much he could trust. He didn't have time to ponder because Trick darted right toward him. Zack had to react quickly. Trick was a blur as they closed the distance. With deft reflexes, Zack managed to turn the javelin around. He gave it a sharp, short thrust. Trick's momentum mixed with the speed of Zack's thrust, aided by the remaining power in his spell created a powerful blow. All of the air in Trick's lungs was expelled as the end of the javelin made contact with their stomach. Zack could hear their muffled gags from behind the mask. The jester was stopped dead in their tracks. They were doubled over clutching at their stomach still gasping for air.

For a moment Zack felt bad seeing them struggle to breathe, but he'd learned that this world was dangerous, and if Cody had been captured, he couldn't let Trick stand in his way. He tightened his grip on the javelin and swung it again. The end of the javelin hit Trick in the chin. The jester was small in comparison to Zack. They were thinner, and shorter. The force of the blow took them off their feet, and launched them high into the air. They landed with a sickening thud on the unforgiving ground. Trick didn't move. Zack went to their side and placed his ear near the jester's mouth. He could hear slight breathing. Trick was alive but knocked out.

"Sorry about this," he said quietly. "I'm borrowing this javelin." Zack left the jester and made his way toward the stench, which was still overpowering. It caused Zack's eyes to water the closer he got. He wheezed as he made his way toward the Shoal River.

A commotion reached his ears that slowed his pace. He blocked his nose. The intense burning smell mixed with other odors he couldn't place. He placed his back against one of the buildings and slowly peered around the corner. His eyes widened at what he saw.

Three huge carriages with cages were filled with people. Dozens of them were stuffed into each cage. Arms and legs were flailing outside the bars, in a vain attempt to escape. Occasionally one of their captors would poke at them with a spear to add to their torment. Among the spear welding raiders were humans, goblins, and reptilian creatures.

Zack hid behind the building. He needed a plan. This wouldn't be a safe spot for long. If more people like Trick were looking for stragglers, it wouldn't be long before he was found. He peered back around the corner. A man on horseback was at the head of the caravan. Green plate armor covered his torso. He wore silver greaves and shin guards. They were chipped and charred from numerous battles. Sitting on his shoulder, was a dark blue bird. It's beak looked as sharp as the sword the man had at his hip.

Zack saw some hedges nearby. He needed to get out of the open. He looked at the raiders. They were focused on their captives. Zack had a brief window to make a dash for the hedges. They were a good fifty yards from his position. His fight with Trick had tired him. He placed his hand over his heart, but didn't feel the power increase. Had he used it too much? He'd have to use whatever energy he had left to make it. He took several deep breaths and took a final look at the raiders. It was now or never. He took off. He pumped his arms as the hedges got closer. He didn't look to the raiders. He felt that singular focus would help him run faster. He felt the burning in his chest as his heart raced. When he made it to the hedges, he quickly slid between the branches. They poked at his face and any exposed skin. It wasn't comfortable but at least he was out of sight. Zack tried to control his breathing so he'd be quieter. He adjusted his head so he had a clear view to the cages. His eyes scanned for his brother. He finally came across a mop of blonde hair that could only belong to Cody.

Cody sat in the cage. A cacophony of screaming and crying filled his ears, but he ignored it. He simply sat and watched everything around him. He'd offered no resistance when the raiders came. It had been another sleepless night for him. This time under the bridge crossing the Shoal River. His fight with Zack occupied his mind all night. When he finally closed his eyes he was being jostled awake by two lizard creatures. Spears were inches from his nose. He knew he wouldn't be able to fight, so he decided to follow them. He was shoved into the cage and he quietly sat, expecting Zack to be shoved in any of the other cages. As the morning progressed, he never saw his twin.

The man on horseback was casually circling the caravan, his pet bird occasionally nipping at his ear. When it did, the man would reach into a pouch at his hip. He'd pull out a strip of meat and feed it to the bird. Cody heard the other raiders refer to him as Enza.

"Citizens of Denmall!" Enza shouted. His voice cut through all the noise. Even the crying children were silenced by his powerful voice. Enza was right outside Cody's cage. He could see the malice in his cold, dark eyes. "I understand your confusion, anger, and fear. You are right to feel this way because there was nothing you did to cause this. It is just your new reality. It isn't going to be pleasant, but if you want to stay alive, you'll have to adapt." Enza's lip curled upward. "You will be taken to Bosstown as Lord Mozara decides what to do with this town." Enza raised his sword into the air. "Our journey will take two days. You will do as you're told or you'll be left to the Lizardmen. They aren't as friendly as I am."

Cody watched one of the lizard creatures snap it's jaws at the cage. Drool was hanging off its mouth. Enza had made his way to the front of the caravan. The bird took off from his shoulder to scout ahead. The cart lurched forward and the journey began. Cody looked forlornly at the buildings as the caravan was paraded through the town. He thought he saw a flash of blonde in the corner of his eye. He couldn't move in the cage as it was too packed with people, but it was unmistakable. He saw Zack. Cody leaned forward for a better look. Zack was watching the caravan with a javelin in his hands. For a second, Cody felt their eyes lock. He felt a twinge of hope. Zack was going to figure out how to save them.

"Come on, Zack." Cody whispered. Then Zack did something strange. Cody could see the wide eyed fear on his brother's face. He started to back away. "No, no, no!" Cody's heart sank. His brother ran away. Cody felt the strength in his muscles deplete. It was a feeling of defeat. He closed his eyes, hoping that when he opened them, Zack would be there. He opened his eyes, but Zack was gone. All hope was gone.