“I wanted to see you.” His bare head glowed white in the moonlight, his skin translucent.
Kalika’s eyes narrowed. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I know, but my village isn’t that far away. It was an easy swim across the river.” He ran a hand over his bald head and dropped his gaze, nervous, but determined.
“It doesn’t matter,” Kalika said, re-sheathing her knife. “If your leaders found out…”
Urd offered a cocky smile. “Something big is happening. I heard it in a council.” His large pearly teeth glowed, taking up most of his mouth.
He was being boastful, but she was used to his quirky personality. “Since when were you included in on a council?”
“Since never. I listened in. I took an invisibility elixir. I’m learning potions, you know. I’m going to be a sorcerer!”
Kalika patted Urd’s shoulder. “My, my, but aren’t you growing up—right before my eyes.” She remembered the first time she’d met Urd. He’d been a child of five years and had fallen into the river. Being young herself, she’d struggled to rescue him, but had managed to pull the ogre child from the dangerous waters. From that time on, he’d been her shadow.
“I came because I don’t want to live in my village anymore. I don’t know how I would have survived this long if it weren’t for you, Kalika. You’re my best friend.” He watched her with adoration, his young face aglow with something she refused to acknowledge.
“Oh, come now. You have friends.”
He turned away to stare out over the river. “Not like you.” The sun was beginning to peak over the mountains, and the sky turned a rosy pink.
Kalika placed a kind hand on his shoulder. “Urd, you’re only thirteen. Things will be better when you’re older.”
He scooted in closer, his pale, white skin reflecting the rising sun’s glow. “You’re only six years older. That’s not much.”
Kalika pulled back. “My friend, go home. It’s not safe for you here, and I have things to do.”
Urd threw his arms around her. Even though she was older, he stood a head taller. He clung to Kalika until she managed to pull away.
“You must not entertain thoughts of our being together. We’re of different races. It would not be allowed even if we wanted it.” Which she didn’t.
“We could run away. No one would know!”
“And where would we go? To Guild land? No. It can’t happen, and I don’t have time for romance, especially the forbidden kind. Someday we’ll meet on the battlefield and fight together. That’s something to look forward to, right?” She smiled and squeezed Urd’s arms in farewell. Then without a backward glance, she raced into the forest, leaving Urd alone to stare after her.
The night passed uneventfully, and the morning dawned cold. I hadn’t slept well, and felt ornery about the damp blanket I’d had to cuddle with. I glanced at Zach, who seemed perfectly happy and content, as he stuffed his dry blanket into his pack. I gave him a nice long scowl, just for old time’s sake.
It was an important day, and Zach had obviously forgotten about it. What a surprise.
“No fire, friends,” Kirth announced in a cheerful voice. “Eat as you run.”
I threw my blanket on the ground in fury. I hadn’t meant to get that mad, and maybe I was just being hormonal, but I could tell already it was going to be a bad day, and lashing out at the pixie who’d said exactly the wrong thing was the easiest route to take. I needed time to deal with my feelings, to wake up, to feel better, and to eat. I needed coffee… not that I was a coffee drinker, but it would have helped on this morning.
Kirth smiled at me, and didn’t seem at all irked by my bad attitude. He continued to pack his things.
Zach glared, trying to get me to look at him, but I wouldn’t. He knew my temper well, and he was already wearing that mortified look he got when he thought I’d gone too far and embarrassed him. Like I said, I used to be a snob. Old habits die hard.
“Lauren!” he whispered furiously as he hurried over to me. “Are you trying to ruin everything? Do you want them to think you’re a spoiled brat? Didn’t you learn anything from the priestess trainer?”
“You know what, Zach?” I growled quietly. “I don’t care what these people—who aren’t real—think. This place is pretend! I should be home today, shopping with Mom! I should be celebrating with my friends!” I kept my voice low, but my eyes flashed lightning, and I wanted Zach to get a clear signal.
“What are you talking about?”
“Never mind,” I spat, shoving my blanket into my new pack.
“Fine,” he said, his voice grating and sarcastic. “Sulk like a baby. Ruin this for me. Make everyone think you’re a brat.”
We began our run early, stopping only to use the privacy of a tree when one appeared, and let me tell you how fun that was. The one time I had to squat behind a tree was when there were no trees to be found. Dardanos did offer to walk with me to the middle of nowhere to do my thing, but I flatly refused, preferring to feel miserable for the next hour. I would have gone with Flitwicket, but she never seemed to need a tree. Ever. It was like all the fluid in her body magically disappeared on its own. I would have loved to train for that talent.
Lunchtime came and went, and still we didn’t stop. Only the landscape changed, going from barren, cold deserts to rugged, rocky forests. We neared a jagged mountain range, and ran along the base of its towering slope for what seemed like hours. Finally, I turned to Flitwicket who ran just behind me. “When do we go over these mountains?”
“We don’t,” she answered with a radiant smile. “We go through them. There’s a tunnel up ahead, but it’s dangerous. Chupacabras live there. Nasty little creatures.”
“Chupacabras? Never heard of ‘em.”
Zach leaned over, and even though he was still mad at me, whispered, “I don’t remember this cave or the chupacabras from the game, and the longer we’re here, the more differences I’m noticing between the game and reality. Not everything is exactly the same, so I won’t always know what to expect.”
“Great,” I mumbled. “Nice to know.”
“Chupacabras are about the size of a small bear, with no hair, dark skin, and spines down their back. They have sharp teeth and kill to suck the blood of their victims,” Flitwicket explained like it was no big deal.
I grimaced, and a shiver prickled down my spine. “Perfect. Vampires.”
Flitwicket laughed, her teeth glowing white in the twilight. “No, they aren’t vampires. They’re animals, but deadly. We’ll have to pass through their den to enter the tunnel that runs through the mountain.”
“Isn’t there another way?” I asked. “I mean, won’t there be too many Chupa-whatevers? I don’t want to be attacked by any more strange animals. I’ve had my fill.”
“Possibly. But many people pass this way. It keeps the Chupacabras thinned down.”
Kirth stopped, holding his hand up in a fist. Eerie silence echoed off the hills. “The cave is ahead. I see no movement, but that doesn’t mean anything. The Chupacabras are nocturnal. If we’re lucky, they’ll be asleep. Ready your weapons.”
I tried not to panic. Flitwicket had her wand, Kirth his bow, Dardanos his swords, and Zach had his two short blades. I had my dagger and a wand. How much protection did a dang paring knife give you? So, I leaned in close to Flitwicket and whispered, “Do I have any magic to fight with?”
She answered just as softly. “You have your shield. Be sure to touch your forehead with your right index finger and think, “Shield,” as soon as we get close. You were trained for inner focus and intellect too. You’ll know what to do when the time is right.”
“Don’t worry, Lauren,” Zach said, trying to reassure me. “Everything will be all right.”
The dark opening grew, like gaping jaws, as we made our way to the cave entrance. We only had an hour of daylight left with the sun making its descent, not that it would matter inside a dark cave.
Kirth commanded
his spider, Trilly, to scout ahead, its spiny legs wiggling as it ran forward. He notched his bow, and we crept forward. The cave mouth loomed. We saw no animals, but I sensed something lurking in the shadows, like a phantom wraith, zooming in for the kill.
The farther we penetrated into the dank cave, the dimmer the light became. Dardanos and Kirth pulled two cylindrical objects from their packs, cone-shaped and hollow. Dardanos flicked a small knife along the edge, creating a spark. Instantly, the cones glowed like flaming torches.
“Wow!” Zach whispered, clearly awed.
Kirth smiled, indulgent. “These are bolii. They’re a gift from a sorcerer.”
“That is so cool!”
Forgetting how much the warrior didn’t like me, I leaned toward Dardanos. “I can carry that for you if you want,” I said to him, pointing to the torch. “Then you can carry both your swords.” Honestly, I wasn’t trying to be noble or anything. I just wanted him able to protect me… with both hands.
“Thank you,” Dardanos said, handing me the bolii, his eyes softened as he glanced at me. As I took the torch, our fingers touched… accidentally. I can’t really describe what happened next, because even for me, it felt like a dream… or a phantasy. Time slowed, and suddenly it was just Dardanos and me in that dark cave. I gazed into his eyes, confused, because the feeling that shot through my hand, up my arm, and into my chest, was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. That amazing energy wrapped its velvety fingers around my heart, and then stayed there, like the warm hum of life beginning, yet it also raged like a roaring fire, the force so strong that I couldn’t hear anything else. At the same time, it quietly hugged me like the softest fur blanket. All these feelings filled me at once, and I could see—like a perfect reflection in Dardanos’ eyes—that he felt the very same thing.
And then he yanked his hand away with an astonished expression.
“What was that?” I stammered, the spell broken.
“Nothing,” Dardanos said, stumbling over his next words. “There are… are… more important things to concentrate on.”
“I don’t think so,” I whispered after he’d turned away.
Zach stared at me in stunned silence. I could tell he’d witnessed what happened, and if he knew me at all, he could read my expression, which I wasn’t hiding well. Not wanting to dwell on it, I pushed the experience to the back of my mind, which was harder than it sounded.
We walked on, the dark walls of the cave narrowing until we had to walk single file, staying close together, advancing as one.
“We have company,” Dardanos announced. He was last in line.
“How many?” Kirth asked.
“A few. They follow in the darkness, just out of sight. Probably five or six.”
After a few paces, Zach flew forward as Dardanos shoved him and spun around, and he accidentally smacked me with the hilt of his sword. I fell into Flitwicket, and the two of us landed in a heap.
The little monsters came into view, their sharp, jagged teeth glowing in the bolii’s radiance. They growled, pacing. Dardanos stood, his feet spread, his hands gripping the hilt of his long broadsword. I held the bolii high so all could see. A large chupacabra slunk forward, sniffing the air from side to side. Sharp claws extended from its feet and clacked on the stone floor as it moved. Another hissed from behind.
In one quick movement, the lead chupacabra crouched, then propelled itself up and over Dardanos’s sword, sinking its claws deep into his shoulder. I reacted without thinking, my heart already racing, my pulse pounding in my ears.
I quickly jammed the tip of the bolii into the creature’s face, making it howl and let go. It slid with a screech down Dardanos’s armor, and landed on the ground where he hacked it in two with his sword.
The other chupacabras followed, launching themselves at the warrior, only to be skewered and left on the ground. They didn’t fear his blades, but lapped each other’s blood as it spilled.
“Run!” Dardanos yelled.
We didn’t have to be told twice. The light from the torches flickered as our feet pounded the packed earth in the narrow tunnel. The deeper we penetrated into the gloomy cave, the worse the air began to smell, filling the passageway with the odor of rotting fruit and bloated, dead bodies. I gagged continuously as I ran, which made Zach heave too. He’d always been a sympathetic puker. Did the smell come from the chupacabras or from what they’d last eaten?
Dardanos soon caught up to us. “They’re feeding on each other, but will soon be in pursuit. We need to move faster!”
I didn’t need the running commentary. All my dark dreams came flooding back as we hurried through the cold corridor. I waited to be pounced on by the blood-sucking monsters. Never had I felt such terror, such helplessness. I imagined dying here in the dark, screaming into the cold cavern while chupacabras gnawed on my bones. My parents would never know what happened.
A dim light glowed up ahead. “We’ve made it to the Cavern of Cadavers!” Kirth called.
This sounded worse than the chupacabras. The only thing more terrifying than live, vicious animals would be dead, decaying corpses clawing their way toward me. The cavern we entered had high, vast ceilings, with fresh air pouring in from somewhere above. The walls glittered and swirled with rainbow iridescence.
I stopped, mesmerized by the cavern’s amazingness. Dardanos ran smack into me, since I had stopped abruptly. “It’s wonderful,” I breathed, Dardanos’s hands on my arms to steady us. I hadn’t even realized they were there until the heat of his touch seared through my robes and into my skin. “And it smells like flowers,” I said, totally distracted by his touch.
My mouth hung open in astonishment. Every experience I had in this world was more incredible than the last. It was impossible to process.
Zach glared at us, and I could tell he wanted to yank the warrior’s hands away from me. I had no idea what his problem was, but I didn’t care. Dardanos was touching me. No, holding me. And then suddenly, he wasn’t. I’d been released, and I felt an unexpected chill where his hands had rested on my arms.
Dardanos walked over to the far wall and dropped his pack, sitting down next to Kirth’s creepy black spider. “The Chupacabras never enter this room.”
“Why not?” Zach asked, hurrying over to sit by him, taking the only space available. I knew what he was doing. He wanted to keep Dardanos and me apart. But why? What did he care?
“Because of the shifting light,” Kirth answered. “They don’t like it, so we’ll camp here for the night.”
“Hallelujah,” I gasped, finding a space along the wall and sitting down on my backpack. “That was terrible.”
Dardanos looked at me, stood, and then strode over to crouch before me, his hands on his knees. “Don’t worry,” he said, his face rigid and serious. “I would never let anything happen to you.”
I stared in surprise at his gentle tone. And so did everyone else. I was, for once, speechless. Slowly, I gave him a half smile.
He smiled back.
This was bad.
Tonight, we’ll have fire!” Kirth piled kindling he’d found in a circle. “And I have a treat!” He pulled a package wrapped in burlap from his bag, and cut it open. Out rolled a bloody, uncooked roast.
It was not what I expected, but two hours later, I gazed into the small campfire, my belly full. The roast had turned out perfectly, and now I lay quiet, just watching everyone else. Zach held his last bite of meat in his fingers, the juices dripping down his hand.
“Scoot over,” I said in disgust, pushing him away. “You’re dripping on me.” Okay, I was still being grouchy, I admit it, but in my defense it had been an exhausting day, and in some ways, extraordinarily disappointing.
“So-rry.” He moved over an inch, and then turned to study my face.
He’d be blind not to notice something was wrong. My shoulders drooped, and my head hung as I gazed at nothing—my mouth in a frown. I couldn’t help it though. My special day had been overlooked.
<
br /> “You’re quiet tonight,” he said. “What’s wrong?” He’d been watching me all evening, trying to be discreet, but I’d noticed.
“What’s today, Zach?” I folded my arms over my chest and stared at him, my mouth tight, daring him to really have forgotten.
“Today? Why?”
I didn’t answer.
“Well, let’s see,” he began. “We fought in my room on Saturday, and then came here. We’ve had three nights, I think. Maybe four. I lose track.”
I shook my head, turning to face the other way, so he wouldn’t see the tears that were slowly welling in my eyes. “So, what day is it?”
“I guess that would make it about… May fifteenth? Hey, May fifteenth! It’s your birthday,” he breathed in dismay, but he quickly recovered by shouting out the news to everyone. “Hey, you guys, it’s Lauren’s sixteenth birthday!” He jumped up and pointed at me with a big smile. Murmurs of surprise erupted around the room, and they all approached to give their congratulations.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Flitwicket asked, placing an arm around my shoulders. “Happy birthday!”
“Thanks. I didn’t want to make a big deal.”
“Liar,” Zach whispered to me, smiling. “You always want your birthday to be a big deal.”
Yeah. Especially my sixteenth. My mother had a huge surprise party planned. I’d known about it for weeks. Everyone was going to come. I was going to get my driver’s license, and be able to date. It would have been my coming-of-age party. My entrance into the world of adulthood. I was just sick about missing it.
“We’ll have a party!” Kirth said, running to his bag. He pulled out five small pink balls and handed one to each person.
“What’s this?” Zach rolled his in the palm of his hand.
“It’s puffersweet. A treat from my home. I always carry a few.”
I placed the puffersweet gingerly on my tongue, my mouth tingling as the candy sizzled and grew like a bubble in my mouth. The flavor was tangy-sweet and tasty. I ran my tongue around the gooey, dissolving candy until it was gone. “That was wonderful, Kirth. Thank you,” I said after finishing.
“You’re welcome, and happy birthday.”
“I have something, too.” Dardanos unfolded his immense body and stood up. He rummaged through his pack, pulling out a dagger with a six-inch glimmering steel blade. The polished bone handle seemed alive with carvings of trees and forest animals. I’d never seen anything so exquisite.