Author's Note:
Hello, hello! I hope you're not too angry that I gave Jack some extra skills. He always felt kind of useless in battle, so I'm changing it up. I know the last few chapters have been a lot of dialogue, but this one should have a good bit of action. As always, thanks for reading!
-Tangent
Elkian had been right, Ean realized as the party moved down the forest path. The Shivendale Woods were some of the most inhospitable he had ever seen. Ever since Serendipity had been taken, the forest had been overrun by monsters, stripped of its magical protection. To his left, Iya held her staff close to her chest, surveying the surrounding trees. The sky was cloudy, and there seemed to be a strange aura surrounding the woods.
"Can you sense anything?" Rye muttered to him, but he shook his head. It was eerily quiet, even with his enhanced abilities. Of course, it didn't stay that way for long, as a branch caught Gavin's shoulder and snapped. They kept walking, forcing their way through the plants that had overtaken the path.
A few minutes later, Ean stopped, gazing at the fork in the road. The path widened out considerably, as well as split off to the north and south. A faded sign at the fork indicated that the jewel mines were to the north, and the elf turned to the others.
"Any ideas?"
"Go south." Ava said. "We don't know where Serendipity is, so it's better to clear the forest first before the mines."
"I agree." Gavin said quietly, and Nicholas raised an eyebrow.
"First sensible thing you've said."
"Not the time." Emma cut in, glaring at Nicholas. "I think it's better as well."
"South it is, then." Ean said, and they proceeded down the path. They had not gone thirty yard when all of Ean's senses flared, and he flung out a hand. Everybody stopped, and he turned, scanning the forest for the disturbance. Everything seemed normal, but…
"Move!" Iya shouted, and pushed him to one side as something white-hot flew past his shoulder. She retaliated with a blast of light that solidified into a dagger as it flew. Ean rolled to his feet to see a shimmering red figure floating in the air. It had wings that were a shade lighter than its crimson body, and two slanted eyes that glowed a dark red. It raised a small fist, and another fireball hurtled towards them. Iya blocked it with a spell of her own, and Ean lunged, slashing at the creature, but it merely fluttered out of his reach.
"More behind us!" came Emma's warning, and he turned to see four more of the creatures emerging from the trees, accompanied by a larger, purple fairy. Rye and Ava turned to face them, and Ean turned his attention back to the original fairy, which had now multiplied to three of them.
"Get them!" He shouted, and lunged for the nearest fairy. Predictably, it moved out of the way, but it was not out of Iya's reach. She blasted it with a powerful gust of ice, sending it flying back into a nearby tree with a crunch. The second one buzzed angrily and turned to her, but Jack had already thrown a knife, which nicked the fairy as it passed, embedding itself in the wood behind it. Ean slashed it from the air without a second thought, and the last one turned to face him instead. The eyes glowed brightly, and the creature waved its small arms furiously.
Suddenly, a massive burst of fire shot outwards from the fairy in a wave, threatening to engulf Ean. He leapt backwards just as Iya shouted, thrusting her arms outward to create a blast of water that collided with the flame. Steam broiled upwards as the water quenched the flames, and the elf shifted as he ran forward once again. The mixture of wolf and bear leapt through the mist and snapped down on the fairy's wings, severing them. A swipe of his claws ended the creature's life, and Ean shifted back to his human form.
Behind them, Ava and Emma had dispatched two of the fairies, while Gavin was flinging spells at the purple one, battering down its defenses. Rye was firing arrows when he saw an opening, and the four fighters slowly pushed the fairies back before dispatching them. The last buzzed away from Rye's arrow, and directly into Jack's thrown dagger, which sent it falling to the dirt floor of the forest, dead.
"Everyone good?" Rye said, breathing hard. Everybody was short of breath, but there were no injuries to attend to. The bodies of the fairies slowly vanished, replaced by the usual spoils, and Jack set about picking them off the ground.
"Think so." Ean said. "Those things are no joke."
"Indeed. That was powerful fire magic." Gavin said, brushing dirt off of his cloak. "Hopefully they don't come in waves like that."
"What did the purple one do?" Emma asked. "I didn't see."
"Healer." Gavin muttered. "Stupid things are getting smarter. Those were good throws, though, Jack." He nodded to the boy, who had just pulled his knife from the trunk of a nearby tree. He flushed, but did not say anything.
"We should keep moving." Ava said, and Ean nodded. The party continued down the forest road, eyes scanning the forest for more monsters, but none came. The path curved to the right, and the elf saw a clearing up ahead. It appeared to be empty, but the ground looked odd. When they emerged into the open, his eyes widened.
They were standing at what appeared to be a farm. A small wooden shack, decayed with age, sat at the far end of the overgrown field, while the middle was filled with what appeared to be tilled ground.
"Somebody was planting here." Rye said, touching the ground. "I can't tell what it is, though."
"I can." Iya said, pointing to a sign that read: Magic Mushroom Farm. Jack made a face.
"Mushrooms?" Ean shrugged.
"It's probably from a long time ago, before the monsters came in. Elkian might know something about it."
"We'll ask later." Iya said, turning to look around. "But this appears to be the end of the path, and I sense nothing."
"Let's head back the other way, then." Ean said. "Perhaps you'll be able to feel something if we get close enough." With no other options available, the rest of the group acquiesced, and they began walking back down the shaded road.
They were roughly halfway back to the entrance to the woods when Ean felt Amari's presence in the back of his mind. He held up a hand, indicating that they should stop, and closed his eyes.
"What is it?"
"Can't you feel it?" Edward said tightly. He sent Ean several senses, including hate, fear, and all the other emotions he had come to associate with the transfigured beasts. This time, however, there was another scent woven into the mix, one that was unfamiliar to the elf.
"I cannot feel it on my own." Ean said nervously. "But there is another of your brethren here?"
"Yes." Amari said from her place next to Edward. "It is near, so perhaps that is why we can feel it when we could not before."
"Can you tell who it is? Or what it is?" The cyclops shook his head.
"Too much pain. It is unclear." Ean turned around, gazing into the blackness.
"Be on your guard, then." All of the creatures nodded, and Ean opened his eyes.
"Are you okay?" Was the first thing Iya said when he opened his eyes.
"Yeah, just… be careful. There's another monster around here." Ean said, blinking a few times.
"Speaking of that…" Rye said from a few feet away. "I think I may have found something." He was standing next to a clump of bushes, studying the muddy ground. He pointed to a series of long ruts carved into the earth. "Something came through there, maybe dragging something else."
"What manner of creature has claws like that?" Nicholas muttered.
"A big one." Emma put in, and Jack nodded.
"It looks like there's a path back here." Rye added. "Should I check it out?"
"I'm coming with you." His green-haired companion put in, and Ean nodded.
"Both of you should go." With a wry grin, Rye vanished into the bushes, followed by Emma. There was crunching, and then silence as they moved out of range. Ean flexed his claws nervously, unsure as to why he felt the way he did. After all, they had already defeated three of the beasts, and without anybody dying.
So why do I feel like we should all run away?
Rye and Emma returned after a few minutes, their faces grim.
"You should see this."
It was definitely a trap, Ean realized as he gazed upon the nest of whatever creature now inhabited the woods. They had half-walked, half-crawled through the bushes until they had emerged in a clearing that lay at the bottom of a hill that climbed upwards. They had hiked up it, only to find that the top was perfectly flat, and covered with an array of white pillars. The stone monoliths jutted upwards at seemingly random intervals, giving the place the look of a large graveyard. The wind howled across the top of the hill, the stones causing it to screech and echo across the clearing.
"Everybody stick together." Rye said, holding his bow at the ready. "If its here, it's not going to be happy about us coming here."
"It's like a nest." Jack muttered, seeing a few bones lying haphazardly in the grass nearby. They had picked clean of everything except their white shell, which now lay mutely upon the ground.
The party moved quietly through between the stones, glancing around to make sure that they truly were alone. As they approached the edge of the hill, they saw it was a sheer drop on all sides, and backed away immediately.
"I don't see it." Emma said, and Ean gestured to a spot they had not checked yet, an area with three pillars next to each other. They formed a sort of cove, and he could see a dark shape through the cracks. He mouthed his plan to the others, and Rye nodded. They crept closer, weapons at the ready.
Attack on three. Ean mouthed to Rye, who nodded. Hopefully, they could catch the creature off guard and kill it quickly, before it could strike back. The shape shifted slightly as they neared, but did not move otherwise. Ean moved stealthily to the right side of the pillar, and Rye took the left. Ean raised three fingers.
Three. Behind him, Iya clutched her staff tightly, and Jack palmed a knife.
Two. Rye raised his bow, pulling the string back to his shoulder.
One! Ean leapt forward and slashed downward with his claws, drawing blood at the same time that Rye fired his arrow directly into the skull of the monster.
The deer slumped to one side, dead, and Ean's eyes widened.
I knew it was a trap. He tried to shout, to warn the others, but he was hit from the side by a tremendous force that flung him backwards. He heard the others shouting as he hit the ground and rolled to his feet, summoning his powers. But instead of filling him with strength, the red light merely turned into chains that wrapped around his torso and arms, binding him to the ground. He tried to struggle, tried to look around, but he was no longer on top of the distant hill.
Iya blinked as she opened her eyes. Why was she lying on the ground? She heard shouting, and somebody grabbed her shoulder.
"Iya!" It was Jack, and she rolled to one side. Where was her staff? Her fingers found it, and she remembered what had happened in a rush. The creature had tricked them into revealing themselves, and struck when they were distracted. "Are you okay?"
"Yes." She groaned, getting to her feet. "Where did-" She froze, gazing up at the massive creature that was perched on top of the pillar in front of her. It looked like a bird, except that it was much too large and ugly. It had razor-sharp claws for feet, and the head of a bird, but the body was that of a large-yellow beast Rye had told them about. It had large wings, which were folded in, and a tail that extended several feet behind it.
"Is that a lion?" Jack said in horror.
"Ean!" Rye shouted from nearby, and she turned to see the elf kneeling on the ground, his face contorted in agony. Red light was wrapped around his arms, binding him to the ground. Gavin was next to them, his face pale.
"What do we do?" Emma asked, stepping up to stand next to Emma, her sword drawn and her shield out. She too was pale, but she stood firm against the threat in front of them. Ava joined them, as did Nicholas, and she was grateful to see that nobody had died yet.
"Nicholas, go help Ean if you can." Iya said, and she was surprised to her that her voice was full of calm steel. "The rest of us will distract it." As if hearing her, the griffin screeched loudly and pounced from the pillar.
"Go!" Ava shouted as she ducked behind a pillar. Iya ran to one side, accompanied by Jack as the monster descended upon them, shaking the hill with another cry. It flattened the grass as it landed, and its beak snapped out at Emma, who was the closest. She took the impact on her shield, and it sent her staggering backwards.
Jack cursed and flung a dagger at the creature's head, but it dodged with an uncanny dip of its head. Iya flung of blast of fire at the griffin, but it merely leapt upward and soared into the sky, making an arc around the hill.
"Watch out!" Emma shouted. "It's going to-" The warrior did not get a chance to finish as the griffin soared downwards and opened its wings. With a mighty flap, a blast of wind shot towards the ground, destroying the pillar Ava had moved behind. The pirate moved just inside, barely avoiding a chunk of rock the size of her head. With an angry screech, the griffin soared away, coming back for another pass at the party below. As it came, Iya began flinging fireballs at it, each one soaring towards the griffin's wings. It dodged easily, but the fireballs were an annoyance that it could not tolerate.
"Jack, go get Gavin!" Iya said, pushing the boy away from her as she summoned more fire, her storm orb glowing in her palm.
"What about you?"
"I'll be fine!" Iya said as she flung another blast of heat at the griffin, which forced it to dive towards the ground. "Just go!" Jack ran as the griffin met her eyes, and she smiled.
I'm not scared of you. The red eyes seemed to shine brighter, and the griffin swept down upon her once more.
From his position nearby, Gavin could see Iya holding off the griffin with magic, although he could tell that she was tiring rapidly. Next to him, Ean was still struggling with the chains, his face contorted with agony.
"Gavin!" Jack came sprinting towards him, followed by Nicholas. "Iya needs help!" Nicholas tossed his bag to the ground and began rummaging through it.
"You better protect him!" Gavin snapped as he stood up, clutching his staff. Rye had already began running toward the place where Iya was standing, shooting arrows as he went. The griffin roared loudly, and the warlock seized his staff.
I suppose it's time to test this spell out. Nicholas was muttering under his breath as white light emanated from his palms, and Jack was looking at Ean with a worried expression. With one last look at the struggling elf, Gavin began running across the grass, analyzing the creature now swooping downward and slashing at Iya and Rye.
It's mobility is its strength. If we can find some way to cripple the wings, it'll be easy to take it down. One of Rye's arrows grazed the griffin, and it veered aside with another cry. Gavin joined Iya and Rye, who both looked thoroughly out of breath.
"What's wrong with Ean?" Iya asked, but Gavin did not have an answer.
"It might be tied to the spirits." Rye said, firing again and missing. The griffin was being more cautious now, keeping its distance from Iya and Rye. "But we've got no time to worry about that right now. All we can do is bring that thing down."
"Great idea, but how?" Ava had appeared, her purple hair messy. She had a couple scratches on her cheek, but appeared to be in good health overall. Emma was behind her, still clutching her weapons. Her arm was bleeding, but her face was set with determination.
"I… might have something." Gavin confessed. "If we can get it low enough, I can hit it."
"We've got to provoke it, then." Emma said. "Make it a whole lot madder than it is right now."
"I'm already doing that." Rye said through clenched teeth as he aimed another arrow. He fired, but the griffin had clearly had enough. It swooped down, wings raised, and Gavin dove behind a pillar as a gust of wind shook the hill. The others did the same, and Gavin jumped to his feet as the griffin landed nearby, still roaring. It snapped at Ava, who dodged to one side and brought her blade down upon its beak. The strike did no significant damage, but it served to enrage the creature, which whirled on Emma as she slashed down its flank, drawing a little bit of blood. Rye fired an arrow into its other side, which stuck, and the griffin turned towards him. It mouth opened, and another gust of wind, sustained by the lungs of creature, shot towards him.
"Look out!" Iya cried, countering the gale with her own blast of air. Gavin flung a curse at the creature, but it jumped back just in time, only to be hit by Emma. Rye followed up with two rapidly-fired arrows before he ducked behind a pillar.
The griffin was furious now, if the blasts of wind that followed were anything to judge by. Every pillar nearby was flattened by the blast, and nearly everybody was knocked over. The griffin leapt into the air, ready to swoop down, but Gavin was waiting for it. Drawing on his full magical power, the warlock raised his staff as the griffin turned, looking for the source of energy. With a roar, he slammed it down, and the world turned white-hot as a bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, squarely onto the griffin's back. Every inch of it was roasted as electricity coursed through its body, and it screamed in pain as it fell to the earth, blackened and burnt. Silence fell.
"Did you… get it?" Rye coughed from next to him, waving away the smoke that was billowing from the ground Gavin had burnt.
"I don't know." The warlock confessed. The griffin did not move, and he looked at Iya. "Can we kill it, or does it have to be Ean?"
"I'm not sure." Iya said, her legs trembling from the magical effort she had exerted. "I think so." Ava approached the griffin, her blade ready to strike.
"Better safe than sorry." She raised her sword, and the creature moved.
It was pretending to be hurt. Gavin realized with horror as the creature knocked Ava and Emma backwards. It stood and turned, not towards them, but towards the figure still trapped within a web of red light.
"Don't you-" Rye began, but the griffin launched itself forward, wings hanging limply at its sides. Although it was half-dead, it knew it no longer had a chance of winning, and its cunning mind sent it towards the weakest of them, a man in a white robe.
"Stop!" Gavin shouted, and raced after it, Rye on his heels. Nicholas looked up and saw the creature approaching, and he paled.
He has no weapons. Jack jumped in front of the healer, daggers ready. His first one struck the griffin in the chest, barely slowing it down, while his second sliced through one of the claws on the front legs, causing the monster to stumble. His last, thrown at the eye, merely glanced off the beak of the griffin, which glared at him with utter malice. He stumbled back as it drew closer, and Nicholas closed his eyes. With a sudden motion, the healer thrust his hands out, and the creature was knocked back by a barrier of shimmering white light that formed a wall in front of Jack, Ean, and himself.
The griffin clawed at the barrier, each strike creating small cracks in the shield, and Nicholas clenched his teeth. The barrier shook more and more with each slash, and the crack grew larger and larger. And now, desperation was the only thing written on Nicholas's face, as Jack tried to drag Ean away from the monsters. Arrows embedded themselves in the griffin's flank, but it was too close to be stopped, and it let out a triumphant cry.
He was a few feet away when the barrier fell with a crash, and Nicholas was knocked backwards with a shout. The monster raised a claw, victory gleaming in its eyes, and Gavin threw himself in front of the griffin. He heard a faint cry from Iya, and the claw fell.
"Let me go!" Ean shouted, struggling against the chains that bound him to the inky blackness of wherever he had been taken.
"Oh, Ean…" A voice said from behind him, and he froze. He had heard that voice once before, and he knew who it belonged to. A shadowy figure strode into view, looking at him with undisguised glee. "I can't do that." The elf glared at him.
"Who are you?" The figure chuckled, and raised his hand.
"I suppose you've earned that." With a snap of his fingers, the figure was illuminated, as though he was standing in a spotlight.
The man, if he could be called that, was stark white, including his hair. The face was noble, almost handsome, except for the two red eyes that gleamed brightly in the darkness. He wore a set of black clothes that were lined with red and silver, and flowed smoothly into the cape that hung behind him. He was not quite standing, Ean realized, but floating an inch or two off the ground. He smiled, and his teeth were razor-sharp.
"What manner of creature are you?" Ean demanded. "What do you want with me?"
"I thought that would be obvious, elf. You've been taking my spirits away from me, and I simply cannot abide thieves."
"Your spirits?"
"They were mine long before you claimed that figurine in the woods, Ean. I'm just taking them back from you. But first…" The man snapped his fingers again, and an image appeared to his left. It was Iya, firing spells at a monstrous creature that was flying around her. "I do need to get rid of your friends, so please stand by." Ean tried again to rip his chains from the ground, but they did not move. Instead, he was forced to watch as the rest of the party battled the griffin, and the elf felt a surge of pride as the beast was blasted from the sky by Gavin.
"Not as tough as it looks, huh?" He said, smiling sarcastically at the man in front of him.
"No matter." The man said, unfazed. "A change of targets is all I need." Ean's eyes widened as the beast rose and bounded towards Jack, who hurled several knives before being force to retreat.
"Stop!" He shouted as the griffin slammed into the barrier that Nicholas had erected. "Please, stop!" He thought that, even as the chains bound him down further, he could feel the blows echoing through his physical body.
"I really can't." The man said. "I need them out of my way, so I can deal with you personally."
"I think not." A voice said from behind him, and everything stopped. The images, the man, and even Ean, who was rooted to the spot. Another figure had appeared, but it was not a monster. Instead, a woman Ean had never seen stepped out of the darkness. She was tall and proud, endowed with white hair that fell to her shoulders, and she looked at the man with hatred burning in her red eyes. Her robes, simple and elegant at the same time, moved slightly as though blown by the wind.
"Cigne." The man sighed, breaking free of whatever magic was holding him still. "What are you doing?"
"We do not accept you as our leader." The woman said, and the words seemed to weaken the chains that held Ean to the floor. "We reject you and your power." And now, the man seemed truly surprised at the words, and his eyes narrowed.
"Really, now? I don't recall giving you a choice. And besides, you cannot harm me here. You know that." Ean felt his chains loosen even further, and he knew what was happening.
"Of course I know." Cigne said with a chuckle. "But he can." The man whirled around, but he was too late. With a roar, Ean ripped his chains free from the ground, leaping forward even as the man turned. He struck the man squarely in the chest, and he was flung bodily away from the elf, landing on the ground. Ean stood there, feeling magical energy course through him once again.
"You're making a mistake." The man said, turning back to him. "You need me to defeat your enemy."
"Get out of my head." Ean said. "And leave us alone." The man merely laughed and gestured to the images, which had begun moving once again. Ean's heart stopped as he saw the griffin looming over Nicholas, claws raised. And then, Gavin was there, pushing Nicholas aside as he leapt directly into the path of the claws.
"No!" The man cackled again, and was gone. The claws descended, and Ean screamed in desperation. With as much force as he could muster, he ripped himself from the shadow world, back into his own body.
The sharp points had just touched Gavin's face when the griffin was flung bodily from him, accompanied by a roar of pure anger. He hit the ground hard and rolled over, staring as the cyclops hit the griffin again, so hard that it was flung into a pillar limply. Ean bellowed with fury as he pummeled the griffin, over and over until it moved no longer. The cyclops halted, staring down at the body below it, and Gavin got to his feet.
"Ean?" Iya had appeared next to him, and he did not know how. The cyclops looked at her for a moment, and then it began to shrink downwards, back into the familiar form of an elf. Ean's knees hit the ground, and everything went still. And then, Iya leapt at him, flinging her arms around him so fiercely that he almost fell over.
"I'm fine…" He said, patting her back. "Really, I am." Ava whacked Gavin on the head from behind, and he winced.
"What was that for?"
"For being stupid." Next to them, Nicholas was still sitting on the ground, eyes wide. Everything had happened so fast.
"You okay?" Gavin asked, and the man nodded wordlessly before turning to Ean, who let him inspect him. When he was finished, the healer turned to the rest of the group.
"Let's see the worst of it." As he set about healing cuts and bruises, Rye moved over to the hole where the griffin had laid only moments before. Instead, there was only a wooden statue lying in the hole, which he picked up. It was a perfect representation of the griffin, complete with realistic wooden feathers and eyes. Walking over to Ean, he handed it to him.
"Thanks." Ean said, and took the small carving. Immediately, his eyes glowed slightly red, and he blinked once or twice before tucking it into his pack.
"Was it that thing again?" Gavin asked from where he was standing, and Ean nodded. He was still trying to process what the man had said himself, but one thing stood out:
"…He said I needed him to defeat the Snow Queen."
"What?" Rye said. "Why?"
"I'm not sure, but I definitely know one thing: He's the one controlling the spirits, before we freed them." Ean described the pale man to them, and Gavin turned almost as white as the person Ean had encountered.
"I think I know what that is, but you're not going to like it." He rummaged through his own bag for a moment, searching for something. After a few seconds, he pulled a worn book from his bag. The cover read: Mythological Creatures in the Land of Man. "This book has a lot about monsters that died out a long time ago. I didn't realize it until now, but all the spirits we've faced have taken a form of some ancient creature." The warlock flipped through the pages, eyes scanning the words as he went. "And… there it is." He turned the book around, revealing a tall, pale creature that looked somewhat like the man Ean had seen.
"I see the resemblance…" Iya said. "A vampire, then?"
"The most powerful of all mythical creatures." Gavin said solemnly. "Enhanced abilities, an unnatural ability to track their prey, magic, and the ability to corrupt other living beings." Emma whistled lowly.
"That's a lot of power."
"So, you think this vampire is what created the beasts?" Jack asked, but Iya shook her head.
"No, it was the witch, remember?"
"Oh, yeah."
"So, the vampire takes control of them later, then?" Ava asked. "Is it possible to do that?"
"No idea." Ean said with a shrug. "But he seems quite fixed on killing us, so we'll probably have to contend with him at some point."
"It is strange, though." Emma pointed out. "Why doesn't he come get us himself?"
"Maybe he can't." Rye said. "That's why he places the spirits in our path."
"I'm of the same mind as Rye." Ean said. "But regardless, I think the best course of action is to keep freeing the spirits. I'm pretty sure doing so will weaken him." He rose, and the others did so as well.
"We still need to find Serendipity." Iya said, glancing at the horizon, where the sun was beginning to get low. "But we might need to postpone that until tomorrow." They had been in the forest for roughly four hours at this point.
"I agree." Jack said. "I'd rather not see what happens in here at night." The others murmured assent, and the tired party moved off down the hill without a second glance backwards.
After forcing their way back through the bushes, the group trudged slowly back through the woods. At one point, a fire fairy leapt from the trees at them, but was immediately skewered by an arrow from Rye and a knife from Jack.
"Stupid thing." Jack muttered as he picked his knife up.
When they returned to Verashema, thoroughly beaten and battered, even Elkian had to raise an eyebrow.
"Rough day?"
"You could say that." Ean replied with a solemn face. "I'm afraid we didn't find what we were looking for yet."
"You are welcome to stay as long as you wish, of course." Elkian said. "I will leave you to your rest, as I'm sure you want me to."
"Until tomorrow, then." Ean said, nodding to him, and the pink-haired elf strode back towards the entrance to the town. They entered the inn, where the innkeeper informed them that the baths were at the end of the hallway. He added that the women had a separate room before h vanished behind the counter.
"What gave it away?" Gavin muttered, and Rye smirked.
"I suppose we do look a bit dirty." All of them were covered in dust, a result of the griffin's hurricanes. They bathed quickly, and the warlock returned to the main room to find Ava opening the door.
"Going somewhere?"
"The ship." She said simply, and he understood.
"May I accompany you?" Her eyes narrowed, but she nodded slightly, opening the door to let both of them out. Their feet crunched on the dirt as he followed her across the empty marketplace and down the stairs that led to the entrance of the town. The sun was out of sight, but the sky was glowing with the brilliant pink and orange of a sunset.
"Quite a day." Gavin muttered. "I think I'm bruised all over." Ava's mouth tilted upwards slightly, but she did not speak. "You too, huh?"
"Probably." She admitted as they passed Gulliver's house, which was still empty. "You were more useful than I was today." The words seemed hard to say, but Gavin felt his own lips move upwards slightly.
"It's not really your fault that your sword can't reach flying enemies."
"True." She said. "What was that spell you used?" He knew she was referring to the lightning he had summoned, and the warlock paused.
It's kind of a secret, but I can probably trust her.
"Well, it was left to me by… a colleague, I suppose. It's a unique piece of dark magic. I guess you could call it a thunder spell, but I've improved on what he left me." Ava's brow's contracted when he mentioned his particular brand of magic, and he rushed to cover up his slip. "I-I mean, it is magical, but I suppose Nicholas and Iya might be able to use it. I've never tried it." The pirate looked at him for a moment, then shrugged.
"Well, it did save us, so I've got no complaints for the time being." They had arrived at the ship, and Gavin clambered up the side using a rope handed down to him by one of the crew. He leaned against the rail as Ava vanished into the cabin, searching for the first mate.
A lot of things changed today. Unseen by anybody else in the dying light, the warlock smiled to himself.
Ean opened his eyes, gazing on the same place where he had been held captive just hours before. Amari, Edward, and Vincent were all there, but his gaze was drawn to the newest member of the area within his mind. The griffin was lying upon the ground, studying the elf intently.
"So, the prodigy returns." Ean shivered at the sound of her voice. He recognized it from before, when he had been imprisoned by the vampire.
"Cigne?" He said simply, and the griffin's head lowered slightly.
"Indeed, young elf. I am pleased to meet you, properly."
"What do you mean?" Vincent said. "Ean, what has happened?"
"I will show you the memories later." Ean assured the other three spirits, who shifted uncomfortably. "Right now, we need to greet our newest guest." Kneeling down, Ean sat upon the same dark ground that the monsters rested upon. "Cigne, do you know where you are?"
"Not really." The griffin spoke calmly, swiveling to look around. "The last thing I recall is seeing that man, and you in chains. I'm unsure as to why, but I felt as though I was pulled to you."
"Pulled to me?"
"That's not entirely accurate, I suppose." Cigne admitted. "The vampire tried to compel me as well, but your aura overshadowed his."
"I see." Ean murmured. "So, he was right." He glanced up at the griffin. "I suppose I owe you some answers." He told her about the monsters he had come across in his journey, and how he had to defeat each one to gain the power held within. When he got to their encounter with her monstrous form, the griffin looked a bit ashamed.
"I did that? I do apologize."
"It is not your fault. The vampire is the one who was controlling you." Ean assured her, and the half-bird, half-lion seemed to relax. "But you are the fourth to be freed. Do you remember anything about your past life?" He had told her about what he had learned concerning her creation, something that seemed to trouble the griffin immensely.
"Not yet." She admitted. "I see random images and flashes of light, but nothing cohesive."
"That is as it should be." Amari assured her. "The memories should return, for all of us. After all, we know that you are from the same village as us." Ean had explained this to her as well, based on Horace's memories that he had seen. Cigne nodded, and the other female continued. "It is nice to have another person to talk to, especially another woman."
"Perhaps I will enjoy this as well." Cigne admitted. "I will speak with you soon, Ean."
"Of course." The elf said, bowing slightly. "Everyone, if you could please provide any information she asks for, that would be wonderful." Edward inclined his large head silently, and Ean returned to his own body in a flash of red light.
When he opened his eyes, he was sitting in the same place that he had been before: on a flat rock near the edge of the village. Iya was sitting across from him, staring up at the night sky. She turned to look at him as he unfolded his legs, stretching. Even if he couldn't fell it, his body got numb after staying still for so long.
"Well?"
"Her name is Cigne." Ean said, giving her a smile. "She's disoriented, but her memories are already returning to her. I think she was the healer in their village, so maybe her magic will help speed things along." Iya nodded, turning back to gaze up at the stars.
"I heard the voice again. Serendipity, I mean." The elf's head whipped around to look at his companion, and he frowned.
"What did she say?"
"She told me to hurry." Iya said.
"We will check the mines tomorrow." Ean promised her, but to his surprise, Iya shook her head.
"No, she isn't there."
"How do you know?"
"I just have a feeling." Iya said, shrugging her hair back over her shoulders.. "I know it sounds foolish, but I think I can feel her out there, somewhere." Ean stared at her for a moment.
My… lover? No, definitely not that! He was glad the darkness hid his had often heard elves in the Vale refer to the partnership before marriage as mating, and he decided that the term was appropriate for Iya. My mate, then.
"I believe you." Ean said, and found that he really did. "You're the only one who can feel their presence, so we can try it your way first." Iya smiled at him, and he reached out to take her hand. It was a bit smaller than his, but her palm was warm. "Both of us know a little bit about having strange presences in our heads, don't we?"
"That we do." Iya agreed. "It makes for an interesting story." And then, the idea popped into Ean's head with a bang. It was so simple, so why had he not thought of it before?
"Iya, can I try something with you?" He asked, and she nodded instantly. Taking her other hand, he moved closer to her and closed his eyes. He could feel the spirits, just out of reach, but he could feel the female elf next to him as well. Her presence was… distracting. Focusing on finding the presences that resided in the space at the back of the mind, Ean tried to visit the area, but also to bring Iya's presence with him. The elf broke through the barrier separating them, and he felt Iya inhale rapidly.
"Can you feel them?"
"Yes." Her response was light, as though she was short of breath. Ean felt, rather than saw, words pass between Iya and some of the creatures, and joy radiated from her.
"They're beautiful." He agreed, and sat there for a moment, feeling emotions jumping from the spirits to Iya, and vice versa. A minute passed, and Iya opened her eyes.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but her eyes were sparkling in such way that his heart stopped for a few moments.
"That was…" She was nearly speechless, and he smiled at her reaction. "There's so many of them. I knew there would be, but seeing it was…"
"They spoke to you, didn't they?"
"Oh, yes! The woman, Amari, I think, was very kind. There was another woman, and then two men that were rather quiet." Ean chuckled at the thought, but he also wondered what exactly they had told her.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Amari teased him. "Don't worry, I didn't spill all your secrets." The elf blinked, focusing on his mate again.
"I'm glad they treated you with respect." He said.
"Like we'd do otherwise."
"It was incredible." Iya said. "How did you know that would work?"
"I just thought of it now, honestly." Ean replied. "I figured that if you could feel the presence of the nymphs, you might be able to talk to them too. Obviously, I don't think they can lend you power, and you have to be in contact with me for it to work, but maybe we extend the range on it or something."
"I think I would like to speak to them again sometime." Iya admitted, and Ean nodded.
"It would be my pleasure." He stood up, offering her a hand. "Now, we should probably go inside before it gets much colder." Indeed, there was a noticeable chill in the air. Accepting his hand, Iya pulled Ean across the ground and back towards the inn.
Nicholas was leaning against one of the walls of the inn when Gavin and Ava walked in.
"About time." He muttered, standing up and moving over to the pair of them. For the life of him, he still didn't know why he was doing this, but the prince felt as though there was an invisible force compelling him to walk towards the pair.
Ever since he had almost died that afternoon, he had felt… uneasy. Again, Nicholas relived the moment where he had stared death in the eyes, accepting that it really was the end. But then, the warlock had jumped in front of him, and the prince had not died.
Why? He realized that Gavin had stopped, and that he was standing in front of the warlock, blocking his path to the stairs.
"Can I help you, Nicholas?" Gavin asked cautiously, and the prince started.
"I would like to speak to you." He said, surprised to find that his teeth were not clenched like usual. Gavin raised an eyebrow, evidently surprised. "Please." He spat out, embarrassed. Rye and Emma were sitting nearby, and had turned to watch. For a moment, he though Gavin would refuse, as he watched emotions flit across the man's face, but then he nodded.
"Shall we step outside?" Nicholas nodded stiffly, and moved towards the door.
"Behave, both of you." Ava said warningly as the two mages exited the building. It was rather cold now, but neither of them flinched. They moved a couple of feet away before Gavin turned to him and spoke.
"Well?" Nicholas frowned, his thoughts racing. When it came down to it, he found that he did not know actually what to say. Black magic faced the white, and the prince spoke:
"You jumped in front of the griffin. Why?" It came out sharper than he'd intended, and he winced internally. Gavin looked almost astonished, and his face did not hold any disdain.
"You were in trouble."
"You think I'm not capable of holding my own?" Nicholas said testily, and to his surprise, Gavin shook his head.
"No, that's not it. To be honest, I don't know why I did it." The prince waited for a moment, and then: "I guess even after everything, I didn't want you to die." And that was it: the sentence that changed everything. Nicholas opened his mouth, but he was speechless. "And if you've got a problem with it, then you'll just have to deal with it yourself." The warlock turned and walked back towards the inn, leaving the prince standing alone in the darkness.
He did not move for a few minutes, even after Gavin had gone back inside.
I didn't want you to die.
Who knew so few words could have such a tremendous impact?