Quest of the Demon

By

M L SAWYER

Published by Michelle Sawyer at Smashwords

All characters and situations in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental, unless stated otherwise. The author assumes all responsibility for the content herein.

Quest of the Demon by M L Sawyer.

All original content copyright © 2010 M L Sawyer. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author, the copyright owners and Equilibrium Books.

Original cover image provided by Robin Taylor - http://robbstar.daportfolio.com Map by M L Sawyer.

To Mrs Hall, my high school librarian, who introduced me to my first fantasy novel at the age of 13.

To my parents for their unconditional support, my brother for his honesty, and my fiancé Rob, for putting up with my late nights in front of the computer, and my incessant ramblings.

Prologue

The mighty dragon heaved a great sigh as he used his mind’s eye to observe the world. Not the world as mortals see, but the world as a balance. Often, this is generalised and simplified for the less worldly as the balance between chaos and order, or good verses evil.

Darkness was coming. He could sense it in his weary, aching bones, as he had many times before. It was a burden that dragonkind had born since the dawn of awareness. He knew that other worlds existed, some void of life, while others were overrun with a myriad of strange and unusual species. Many beings on various stars considered themselves alone and all-knowing in the universe. The dragon’s teeth flashed in a grin. It was a vain assumption at best. No one truly knows what exists inside their own world let alone what possibilities exist outside of it, including him. The universe is infinite, and despite his considerable powers, even he could not see it all.

The classic, good versus evil is often simply a point of view from the victorious. Fortunately for him, he had always considered himself to be good. What he felt coming though was most certainly evil. When two worlds collide the beliefs and understandings of both can be hard to reconcile. To progress two different ways of life, cultures must change, live in harmony or be forgotten. The events to come, however, would not simply be an exchange in culture.

Evil was coming, and it threatened not only his way of life, but the life of all who inhabited his world. The wheels had been set in motion and the quest of the demon had begun.

Part One

Chapter 1

In a two-court basketball stadium in a small country town called Seymour, a pair of young, avid basketball players intently watched each other, trying to figure out who would do what next. The taller girl was trying to defend the other, constantly flicking her hand towards the ball, attempting to dislodge it. This did not faze the ball carrier, for she knew her opponent well; she was not as able to defend on the left hand. With speed that came of skill, she faked right with a twitch before driving the designated lane. Her face held a grin of satisfaction as she took the final step towards the goal. Just as the ball was about to leave the tips of her fingers, a powerful force hit it from behind to knock it soundly from its course towards the basket. The young girl’s overconfidence proved to be her undoing as she was rejected from behind.

“Got you!” yelled Kellie triumphantly. She hardly ever got the chance to reject her friend and she was planning to savour this moment.

“Ah, cow!” puffed Darci. Despite her slight humiliation, she gave her friend a sly smile.

Darci and Kellie were in the same basketball team, and they were both enjoying a friendly game after training ahead of the weekend basketball tournament in Bendigo. Normal training had already finished for that night; nevertheless, they had still managed to find the extra energy to continue their eternal game of one-on-one.

Both girls were sixteen, although that was where their similarities ended. Darci’s blue eyes were distinctive, as was her thick, light-brown hair, giving contrast to her friend’s deep, brown eyes and thin black hair. Darci was average height with an athletic build that attested to the fact that she took her sport somewhat seriously. Kellie on the other hand, was half a head taller than Darci with a slighter build, which often allowed the physically stronger Darci to push her out of the way.

“Only two more points to go,” Darci told her companion. It was almost time for them to head on home, not to mention the fact her stomach was grumbling, distracting her from the game.

“You’re not going to win because it’s about time I kicked your butt,” Kellie grinned, brushing a strand of wayward black hair out of her eyes so that she would not miss any tricks from her sometimes devious friend.

Sweat formed on their brows as Darci and Kellie played hard for a couple more minutes, shoes squeaking on the floor as they dodged left and right in an attempt to get to the basket; no quarter asked or given. At last Darci hooked the ball in her hand, spinning swiftly around to float the ball up towards the basket. Kellie was defeated.

After placing the ball that they had borrowed back on the rack, they both grabbed their drink bottles before walking out the stadium back door towards Darci’s house. She lived only a block from the Seymour stadium so, because it was easier, Kellie’s parents always picked her up from there. A brisk five-minute walk to warm down after their exertion took them through a small town alley, into the street where Darci lived and down the concrete driveway.

Before they even reached the fence, it shuddered with force from behind. “What’s up puppy dog?” Darci asked as she opened the gate. The family Labrador’s tail wagged enthusiastically, as if it had a mind of its own yet felt no pain as it hit Kellie in the legs while sniffing Darci’s shoes.

Darci, though happy to see her dog, frowned at his spirited reception because this meant that her parents were either not yet home, or that

they were out for the night. Like most Labradors, if Indiana was left unplayed with for more than a few hours, his enthusiasm knew no bounds.

Once inside, with Kellie close on her heels, the young girl checked the answering machine to find that her parents were doing the later of her thoughts, not to be back until some time past midnight.

A knock at the door that was followed by a belated woof and Kellie left with her parents, leaving Darci alone in the house. Quietly she went about doing her various chores before sitting down to eat her favourite easy meal: toasted spaghetti and cheese sandwiches. Time passed swiftly and she soon found herself in bed, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

A noise… something on the edge of her hearing. It seemed like only moments after she had fallen asleep when Darci’s slumber was disturbed. Was it her parents’ arrival home that caused her to wake? She rolled sleepily out of her bed to go see how their business function had gone. It was not until she had pulled on her slippers and had her hand on her door handle that she realised that something was wrong. She could not hear her mother’s voice saying something to her father, the dog or to herself. Also, none of the lights had been turned on, which meant that her parents had not yet returned home, but something had woken her.

With a small trickle of fear down her spine accompanied by a rush of adrenaline in her chest, Darci became wide-awake. Her eyes peered into the darkness to find that her once familiar room had turned dark, with the shadows seemingly stretching off the walls to reach their sinister fingers towards her.

Gathering up her courage she quietly snuck around her room to arm herself with an old hockey stick that was collecting dust in her cupboard. I’ll be buggered if I’m going to let someone sneak into my house at night, she thought.

A cold silence, interrupted only by her breathing, surrounded her as she crept around the house, cautiously looking at any dark corner that could conceal anything. Anxiety had crept into her heart but she forced herself not to think about what could lie in wait for her in the large house that, hopefully, only she occupied. Darci had to quickly squash her imagination as it began to flick through all the horror movies she had seen. An axe murderer hiding behind the next door; Freddy Kruger creeping up behind her; an alien hiding in the roof, all of them ready to get her… She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.

From room to room she nervously opened cupboards and poked curtains. Suddenly she saw something in the corner of her eye. She jumped around, hockey stick knocking down her assailant!

The tense teenager gave a nervous laugh as she realised she had assaulted her mother’s hat stand. Gently placing it back where it belonged, she gave the hat stand a quick look-over, relieved to find that she had done no damage, yet something was still not right.

Like a frozen hand gently brushing down the back of her neck, Darci again felt fear as she turned around to face the rest of the house. She switched on the light for each room to look for the expected monster lying in wait, feeling a mixture of relief and anti-climax, and yet finding nothing to justify her apprehension.

In the last room, her parents’ bedroom, she again found nothing. Indiana had not barked a warning, and she was confused that she did not find anything to explain her awakening. She switched off the lights; the light peach curtains covering the window in the room were still illuminated with a soft glowing light. A barely audible swishing sound tickled her ears, a result of the curtains moving, as if there were a light breeze.

Darci audibly swallowed the new fear that began to rise up within her. She knew that all the windows were shut. Who, or what, could have moved the curtains? Quickly trying to rationalise what she saw, she knew that the light was not coming from outside. The streetlights in Seymour were not green.

“Come out from behind the curtains or I’ll call the cops!” she said in a quietly threatening voice, even managing a humourless smile. She sounded a lot braver than she felt.

When there was no answer, she squared her shoulders and then, with a karate like “Ha!” she lunged forward, swinging the hockey stick through the curtains, making sure of her length so that she did not accidentally break the window. She jumped back out of the way, in case of any counterattack, but she had hit nothing.

Confused, yet satisfied that there was no one there, she cautiously opened the curtains with the tip of the stick. Her mouth fell open. There was nothing… not even the window remained. Her eyes widened. She could not believe what she thought she saw. Where the window was supposed to be there was an eerie, green tinted light radiating from a centralised green sphere. Then, the small circle of soft glow that had caught her attention seemed to grow.

A small hole began to appear in the middle of the sphere of light causing the illusion of a tunnel. As she looked closer, the hole appeared to get bigger. Darci gazed around, falling over without actually landing on anything. Her parents’ bedroom was no longer behind her, in fact, the bedroom had disappeared altogether. Her feet touched nothing as she floated in limbo. Looking forward again as best she could, the light that surrounded her began to dissipate while the hole ahead was slowly becoming the same size as her.

In one bright flash, the light disappeared and Darci found herself standing on soft grass in her pyjamas with the hockey stick hanging lifelessly at her side. Abnormally large trees hid most of the bright blue sky from view, leaving only a circle of light shining on the small hill of a clearing that she was now standing in. One thing was for sure; she was no longer in her parents’ bedroom. In fact, Darci was no longer in Seymour.

Chapter 2

Darci was dumbfounded. Multiple questions kept flying around her head, slowing down enough for her to catch a glimpse; what had happened? Where was she? Was this just a dream? That was it; she had to be in a dream.

Suddenly, a twig snapped behind her. Quick as a flash she turned around, hockey stick held at the ready so that she could face whatever threat lay behind her.

“Calm down, I do not wish to hurt you,” said a tall, young man.

At the sight of the peculiar yet threatening stick he raised his hands to show the strange girl that he meant no harm. Combined with his smooth, sensitive-looking face and his gentle brown eyes, the frightened girl began to relax, if only slightly, as he allowed himself to be scrutinised.

Darci’s eyes began at the youth’s simple boots as she looked him over. A crude and cracked leather belt was holding up simple brown britches that barely covered his ankles. His dark green shirt not only revealed a lanky physique but also telltale patches of sweat that showed that he had been working hard. He may have looked relatively truthful and harmless but Darci was not convinced.

“Where am I? Who are you? And how did I get here?” she fired at him in quick succession, scanning her surroundings while keeping the youth in her peripheral vision, but nothing looked familiar.

“You speak Nahaba.” His hands fell to his sides as he breathed a sigh of relief.

“I speak Na-what-ba?” Darci had no idea what he was talking about. Also, why was he talking? It was impossible to really hear sound in your dreams unless there was noise actually being made… wasn’t it?

“You speak Nahaba,” he said again. “It is the native tongue in this land.” The youth waved one of his arms, encompassing the area, just in case the stranger did not know what he was talking about. His brow creased and his expression became perplexed.

“So I am in… Nahaba? Who are you? And how did I get here?” Darci asked again, exasperated. The strangely dressed guy was talking to her as if she were a few kangaroos short in the top paddock.

“I am Taslessian, and I am the wizard Belderon’s apprentice.” Taslessian’s shoulders moved slightly back as his chest puffed up, however the name and the position were lost on Darci. Perhaps, he thought to himself, she is a few branches short of a tree.

“My name is Darci and I’m confused.” Darci noticed Taslessian’s shoulders move as he silently snickered. “Just five minutes ago, I was asleep in my bed and now…”

“Yes, well…” Taslessian’s gaze lowered to the ground. “You are in the Jungle Dragon, which is part of the land Nahaba and, unfortunately, your current situation has been bought about by my bunglings in magic.”

Either not understanding, or still too shocked to answer, Darci made no response aside from a muffled “Huh?” She continued to stare at the wizard’s apprentice.

“Er,” he continued, “for lack of better terminology, I accidentally zapped you here from whatever land you came from. Sorry.” He placed both his hands together as if in prayer and inclined his head in apology.

“Accidentally zapped me?” The explanations offered to her were beginning to pierce the fog of confusion that clouded her mind. She was having one strange dream but she was willing to play along. “Well, I think that you’d better zap me back before my parents get home, otherwise there’s going to be hell to pay.”

Darci stood squarely facing the apprentice wizard, placing one hand on her hip and digging the butt of her hockey stick into the ground to lean on while she waited.

“Ahhh...” Taslessian’s eyes continued to look at the ground as he found a stone with which to occupy his foot. “I’m not exactly sure if I can. I mean, I’m afraid that I don’t even know how I got you here.”

Darci’s knees folded as she plonked herself onto the ground. The action jolted through her body and bruised her knees with more shock than pain. How could she be dreaming when everything seemed, felt and even smelt so real? Her eyes rose from looking at the ground to see that Taslessian was still standing a couple of metres away from her, playing with that annoying stone.

“I did not mean to zap you here,” he said in way of further apology. “I could try to send you back but I’m not making any promises…”

“No!” Darci, not in the mood for forgiveness, cut his mumbling short. “I don’t think so. You probably think that you are a pretty good apprentice, but looking at this mistake, I’m not having a lot of faith here.”

Taslessian did not deny this as he still avoided Darci’s attempted eye contact. Neither spoke. The breeze blew the grass against Darci’s bare legs, tickling her skin. Soon, the uncomfortable silence was broken. Taslessian was distracted from his stone as Darci began to laugh.

“I thought that you would not find your situation funny,” he said, somewhat haughtily. He looked at the young girl he had magically brought to his world. This time it was his turn to be confused.

“Huh?” Darci looked up wiping a mirthful tear from her eye. “I just realised that I was in my pyjamas, with a hockey stick, sitting in a strange land, talking to a wizard – what’s there not to laugh about?” Small bubbles of laughter continued to shake her shoulders as one of her favourite thoughts in relation to difficult situations came to mind: if you don’t laugh, you cry.

“I am an apprentice wizard and I find your humour… lacking.” Snarling at his stone, Taslessian kicked it away before he caught upon what Darci had said, and curiosity began to break through his defensive reaction. “What are pyjamas?” He had never heard of this foreign word.

“Pyjamas are my nightclothes,” she explained as she pinched her shirt, pulling it away from the skin. Quickly she placed it firmly back on her chest as she realised how low cut her summer pyjamas actually were. She had no idea about the morals her new associate possessed, figuring that it would be better to play it safe. Cross-cultural communications she could deal with, interplanetary however…

“Are colourful sticks also part of your sleeping attire?” Taslessian asked.

Darci took one look at the hockey stick still in her hand, before being overtaken by a small, slightly hysterical, laughing fit, which caused the young wizard’s brow to furrow. By way of explanation, she eventually managed to tell him about going to bed and being woken up by something, thinking it was an intruder, grabbing the hockey stick and then going through the window into this world.

Taslessian held up his hand once she had finished. “We should go to my master’s cabin. There we could get you some clothes and some food.”

Darci’s stomach made an untimely grumble, causing her to blush slightly. Why she was hungry when she had only eaten dinner mere hours ago, she could not fathom, though once fed and rested, both of them would have time to compose themselves as well as figure out what they were going to do about the situation.

She rose from her position on the grass. Looking around, for the first time she really began to take in her surroundings. Soft shafts of sunlight pierced the giant canopy, revealing the wondrous world of flora and fauna beneath. A myriad of greens appeared to adorn every space with plants ranging from the familiar fern to the more exotic existence of unfamiliar species that could be compared to nothing from Earth – the closest being a tall plant climbing up the trunks of trees like a creeper, but it appeared to be living in harmony instead of killing its host. Her hair blew back from her shoulder as a gentle breeze passed by, bringing with it the fragrance of flowers from somewhere beyond her sight. She turned the way of the breeze to try and catch a glimpse of what caused such a sweet smell, but Taslessian had already turned around to face a small animal track that Darci had previously not noticed. Without further conversation, he began to lead the way back into the forest to his master’s cabin.

* * *

Under every leaf and around every corner, fantastic varieties of life seemed to clear from their path. From a bug bright red in colour, scurrying out of their way, to a small bird, green with blue underwing to match its surroundings, that chased it. Sounds in every tree, shrub and burrow assailed Darci’s hearing, far greater a natural composition of sight and sound than any she had witnessed in the now seemingly plain rainforests on Earth.

A large gust of wind bought her out of her trance as she looked towards the sky. Through the cracks in the far-off canopy, flashes of scaly orange quickly flew over, making her stammer an awe inspired question to Taslessian. “W… was that a… a dragon?” It was the closest description that she could bring to mind.

“Yes,” was his simple reply. Taslessian had not even bothered to look up at the sound of the large animal.

Looking around to see if she could catch a glimpse of any other wondrous creatures, Darci nearly ran into the back of the apprentice wizard as they had reached their destination.

The cabin that now stood before them looked to be made completely of wood. It was three storeys high with a lookout poking out of its roof. For a moment, Darci thought that the lookout was pointless because it did not even reach half way up the forest of trees surrounding it. The young girl shrugged her shoulders. She was bound to come across stranger things than that.

The young wizard opened the roughly made door with a creak, motioning for Darci to enter. “Watch your step,” he said as he pointed to the stair from the ground to the wooden floor.

“What an… interesting place,” she commented, not wanting to offend her new acquaintance.

Ahead of her lay a dimly lit room cluttered with many things. Open books and pieces of paper lay strewn about the wooden table in the centre of the room. Next to it lay even more books in disorganised piles, topped with plates of half finished food. At least with the furry growth sprouting from the lumps on the plates, that’s what she assumed it to be. All the furniture on the ground floor had obvious imperfections in the woods cut and symmetry but they appeared to be sturdy enough. Aside from the table, there were four, slightly uneven wooden chairs, a bench with various glass vials on it, and two tall stools.

“It’s not that much, but it’s home,” the wizard replied modestly, as he quickly went around, picking up dirty plates, bits of paper and the like, trying to make the place look a touch more respectable. Darci smiled as she remembered doing the same thing to her bedroom when someone dropped by unexpectedly, though her clean up was limited to cleaner clothes and study material.

That’s strange, she thought, as she looked closer at the containers on the table. At first glance, she had thought of the bench as part of a kitchen, yet, none of the bizarre things on the bench looked edible. Noticing her glance, Taslessian actually smiled as he explained that all things in this kitchen were used for magic.

“For example,” he said, taking one of the jars from a shelf. He took the lid off and shoved it under Darci’s nose. She took a quick step back almost tripping on a stool as she recoiled from the open container. It was emitting a stench that smelt similar to a mix of dogs’ breath and her basketball shoes. “This is only the toe of a dead Afrit, of course, but, if it is mixed with a couple of the other things around here, we could turn it into a cure for warts.” To this the young girl screwed up her nose. If it was a simple cure for warts, then why did witches always seem to have them?

Taslessian then led Darci to the next floor, which, when they got there, looked like a hurricane had hit it. Definitely the bedroom, Darci thought as she noticed the clothes strewn all over the floor. The young wizard explained that he usually kept this room clean but since his mentor, Belderon, was away visiting a friend, he had not bothered to tidy it up recently, but it was on his list of things to do.

“What’s up on the next floor?” Darci asked, giving way to her curiosity. Wizards and apprentices, surely there would be more interesting places than a teenager’s room.

“Ah, that’s the best place of all. When my master is home, he often goes up to the lookout.” The young man paused, looking up to the roof as if he could see right through it.

“To see what, the birds in the trees?” she asked. Thinking about it, this was not such a bizarre thing, as Darci’s dad often enjoyed bird watching as a hobby.

“Oh!” He smiled. “It goes much higher than the canopy. Though I have to admit that I have not yet mastered the skill, but the tower is magic. It simply takes a bit of spell conjuring to elevate the tower to the height required. Though he hasn’t been home in a while…” Taslessian paused for a moment longer before returning to his cleaning task. It was obvious that despite the formality, he missed his master.

Darci knew how he felt. A sinking feeling began to form in the pit of her stomach. At home she kept her bedroom in a state like this when her mother was away. Home… Unless she was dreaming, she was in some strange guy’s bedroom far away from there.

“Pinch me,” Darci told Taslessian.

The young man shoved a pile of clothes behind the door turning around to look at her blankly.

“Pinch me, now.” She held out her bare arm in front of him. Not sure what strange thing his new acquaintance was up to, Taslessian lightly squeezed her skin between his fingers causing her to pull her arm away.

“Crap,” she said as she absently looked for somewhere to sit down. This was not a dream as there was no way that she could have slept through that. Darci was out of luck because there were no stools in sight, unless they had been devoured by one of the piles of clothes. Eventually she slumped down on Taslessian’s bed.

“What is… crap?” Taslessian paused mid clean up to look at the young girl, but Darci did not even hear his question. She was too busy trying to get her head around the fact that she had been brought into a completely different world and so far, her only hope of getting home was an apprentice wizard who did not even know how he had brought her here in the first place. She bit her lower lip as her eyes began to fill with water. She took a shuddering deep breath as she tried to hold her tears at bay.

Taslessian dumped his latest pile of clothes on the floor where he then kicked them under the bed so that he could sit down next to Darci. He felt confused because he did not know what he should do. Since the age of ten, when he had been chosen to become an apprentice, he had not seen any members of the opposite sex, as he did not include the old crones who visited his master. “How does one comfort another who is of different sex and from a different world?” he wondered to himself.

After a few moments of indecision, the young wizard decided to try to do something he could remember his mother doing to him as a child when he was frightened. Tentatively, he placed his arm around Darci’s shoulders. To his slight satisfaction, she let herself melt into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he told her. “I may not be able to send you back home, but my master will be back soon, and I’m sure that he will be able to.”

As if on cue, a door slammed shut on the ground floor, followed by thunderous, angry steps on the wooden stairs that seemed to shake the entire building. The door to the bedroom burst open, bouncing back slightly as it hit the pile of clothes behind it.

In the doorway stood a red-faced, grey-bearded little man. He wore a tall pointy hat of faded green that sat just above his thick, bushy eyebrows. Underneath, his eyes looked as if they were on fire. Darci thought that she could almost see green electricity, seeping out the corners of his eyes, rising up to the sky before disappearing into the atmosphere. The expensive-looking, intricately designed cloaks that he wore were alive, green and then red, flowing around his feet, despite the absence of wind, giving him the presence of a powerful entity despite his diminutive size.

“What have you done?” he boomed at Taslessian. His voice made the very walls shake as he glared at his apprentice. “Your little trick could be heard from miles around. You know that any competent mystic can feel magic!” Belderon glared down at the ashen-faced teen. All the colour had drained from his face. Seated, he could look Belderon directly in the eye, yet in his master’s presence, he seemed half the size.

“I am sorry…” Taslessian tried to explain, but he was abruptly cut off.

“Can’t you feel them watching? Anything from another world is greatly sort after. Everyone who is anyone will be on their way here to take a look at or simply take whatever you brought here!”

Darci felt a slight rush of fear run up her spine. Was this wizard guy talking about her? What kind of world was this?

Belderon was now calling Taslessian every name he could think of. Most of the insults Darci could not even understand because they were in foreign languages of some sort. Waving her hand slightly she tried to get their attention, but to no avail. Taslessian had begun to tidy his room again, head bowed as the livid man continued to rant at him, punctuating his sentences with a flick of his hand that sent small blue shocks from his very fingertips to Taslessian’s behind.

“Hello…” she said quietly, yet Belderon continued his tongue- lashing. She tried once more without success until she could take no more. “HEY!” Darci shouted.

Both of them turned their attention to her, the enraged wizard’s expression changing momentarily from anger to shock, looking at her as if he had never seen a human girl before. “I know how to solve this problem; why don’t you just send me home?”

Belderon placed his hands on his hips as he looked at this new addition to his apprentice’s room, taking a moment’s pause to consider the outspoken girl.

“You look like a bar girl from one of the Chinta whorehouses,” he said finally. His gaze continued to regard her, but the shade of his face began to change from angered crimson back to a normal human colour.

Darci’s face began to burn, but as her eyes narrowed, her reply to his insult was cool. “I am in my pyja… the clothes I sleep in. When bought here, I am afraid I had no time to dress in my Sunday best.” She stared the wizard in the eye as she awaited a response.

“Go and find some suitable cloths for her,” the wizard ordered. Taslessian instantly began to sort through all the clothes on the floor, his shoulders hunching as he shrank into himself, hoping to remain unnoticed, not wishing to incur any more of his master’s wrath.

Switching his attention back to Darci, Belderon’s face began to lose some of its harshness. “How old are you?” he asked. The lines on his face held no humour, and though his eyes had lost their anger, sadness remained; or was it pity?

“Sixteen,” she answered quietly. Unable to answer the look in Belderon’s eyes with the confidence that she felt slipping away, the trepidation of her situation beginning to return.

“I apologise for Taslessian’s actions. If I had not told him to practice while I was gone I am sure that he wouldn’t have brought you here.” The wizard’s eyes drifted to Taslessian but the young man was still busying himself looking for some clothes.

Darci nodded her head to acknowledge the apology. “It’s okay I guess. I mean, you can send me home and all will be forgotten.” Belderon’s face softened to something that remotely resembled compassion, which caused Darci to swallow audibly. The sinking feeling in her stomach had returned as she guessed her situation.

“The problem is,” Belderon said, “I can’t send you back home. I do not know how, and even if I did, I doubt that I would have enough power. I even find it hard to believe that you’re actually here…” He sighed in fatigue, stroking his beard.

“To get you home, we must travel to a wizard greater than I. Now, if I can get you safely to one of the great, wise dragons, I am sure that they will be able to send you back to where you came from.” Belderon’s final statement did not sound totally confident, leaving Darci with an uneasy feeling in her stomach. The old wizard had begun to pack things in a small bag. The conversation was over.

Taslessian came up from scrounging around on the floor, handing, Darci some of the clothes that he had found. He apologised for the size but they were the smallest clothes that he could find that were not threadbare. He then pulled a screen out so that she could dress without being observed.

Darci’s brain was numb. I am in another world… I am in… another world… another world, she thought. No matter how many times she repeated it to herself, she simply could not make herself believe. She had read fantasy books since she could remember, even retraced some of the stories in her mind, but never had she actually thought that she would be part of one.

Mechanically, she began to dress herself in the clothes that she had been given. Keeping her pyjamas on for underwear she lifted one foot, then the other. Once finished, she looked at herself in a small mirror sitting on a bedside stool. She was wearing a dark green shirt that looked as if it had been made for a monkey, the way the sleaves almost reached her knees. The pants were so long that she had trouble finding her feet, and to do that, she had to pull the pants up until they were around the middle of her ribs.

Despite the much more modest looks that Taslessian’s clothes offered, Darci still felt uncomfortable. This problem was easily fixed, however, as she tied a knot in her pyjama top, offering support for her uneasiness. It was the best that she could do, considering.

She walked out from behind the screen, trying her best not to trip on the pants. Belderon took one look at her and then suddenly, all the cloths seemed to fit comfortably. He gave her a wink and then her pyjama top also seemed to change. Taking an indignant look down her shirt, Darci did not see her pyjama top like she expected, but a black sports bra, similar to those she wore during basketball training. She was about to ask the Master how he knew, but he had already started to go about his business. Taslessian handed her some boots. As she put them on they also shrank to fit. This time she looked up to see Taslessian smiling, but the moment passed in an instant, and he had already returned to packing.

“Why are we in such a hurry?” Darci asked him. “I mean, sure, I want to get home quick – Mum will be pitching a fit.” Pangs of anxiety began to assail her already emotion filled senses as she thought of her mother arriving home to find her gone; the police would be called and the entire neighbourhood woken; how would she explain this?

“My master thinks… the sooner we get there the better.” Despite only knowing him for an hour, Darci detected a hint of nervousness in his voice.

The young girl was becoming more and more confused. She had no idea who these people were, yet they were going on a journey together?

Belderon shoved his small, sack like bag into Darci’s hand, motioning for her to follow him as he headed downstairs towards the door, where they left without pause.

They had not taken more than five steps outside before Belderon stopped suddenly. Curious, Darci took a step to the side, thinking to go around, when Taslessian placed a firm hand on her shoulder. A few steps ahead of them, floating above the small path just before the entrance of the forest, a mysterious dark shadow had appeared, an anomaly in the plain, day-lit courtyard. Its dark presence defied the bright rays of sunshine. Like a drop of mud on a glass window it appeared to be floating ahead of them, disembodied in the air.

“What do you want, Domati?” asked Belderon in a threatening tone. The cautious wizard’s knuckles had whitened as he tightened his grip on his staff.

The shadow answered, pulsing with a voice that was not quite human. “I wish to… speak with the human from another world.”

Darci’s eyes began to droop, her hand coming to her mouth, automatically stifling a yawn, as she tried to take another step forward. She did not think. All she wanted to do was take a few more steps. The pressure on her shoulder increased. It was the only thing preventing her from continuing onwards.

“You cannot have this child, Domati. I will not allow her knowledge to fall into the wrong hands and I will not allow you to abuse anything she can bring into this world.” Belderon widened his stance, holding his ground.

Darci’s head began to clear. She blinked a couple of times before she realised that she was looking straight into Taslessian’s dark green eyes. As if straining to hear someone else calling from far off in the distance, she began to hear what he was trying to say to her. But his lips were not moving. Taslessian was inside her mind.

“Darci… Darci… listen to me. He’s trying to get you to go to him; he is trying to control you. You have to resist, otherwise he will learn things about you that we do not want him to know.” Taslessian squeezed her shoulder a little harder than he needed to, but his firm grip bought her back to reality.

Now that she thought about it, there was something happening to her mind. There was something strange and foreign there. It was like a mental block that she could not quite see, as if in her peripheral vision. Concentrating, she pushed and it began to give. So, mentally, she began to push harder at the thing that was trying to look into her thoughts and control her.

Darci physically jumped back, gasping for air. For a fleeting moment she had seen into the thing inside her mind, somehow connected with the twisted presence of Domati. What she had seen terrified her. Eyes open and head cleared, she looked at the shadow and shivered. What would something so evil and twisted want with her?

“You know that I am more powerful than you, wizard,” the shadow growled. “If you don’t get out of my way I will simply destroy you and take what I want anyway.” Tension filled the air as silence fell. Even the birds in the trees and the wind in the air appeared to pause, awaiting Belderon’s next move.

“You may be more powerful than me, warlock,” Belderon responded, “yet I shall not yield. There will be others more powerful than I who’ll prevent you from reaching your evil goal.” A sudden wind began to swirl around Belderon, moving his long beard as if it had a mind of its own. His eyes filled with malevolent green, as his entire body appeared to grow larger and more intimidating. “You will not get the child.” His voice unnaturally loud, he gave his final benediction.

“Have it your way then, wizard.”

Belderon did not hear the Domati’s final words, for his eyes had closed and he was beginning to chant softly. He began to wiggle his fingers in a complicated dance to the ancient tune he was playing whilst the shadow appeared to be waiting for whatever was about to happen.

The wind began to increase, swirling around Belderon, tousling his capes, his hair and then beard. With a blinding flash of white light, both shadow and Belderon disappeared, leaving Taslessian and Darci rubbing their eyes.

The courtyard was empty, sun shining where once darkness and Belderon had stood. In an instant, everything had changed. Taslessian took the shocked girl by the hand as he started to lead her away from his home. He sighed deeply as he took one last look at the wooden shack. In his heart he knew now that it would be a long time before he could return, if he could return at all.

* * *

Though the temperature was cool, Darci was beginning to work up a sweat as they walked non-stop along a well-worn animal track. As before, animals of all shapes and sizes ran wild across their path, unafraid of the intruders, until they realised that their footsteps could prove harmful. Although there was light enough to see, it was rare that the sun shone directly through the thick canopy above, creating a feeling akin to being in a large room instead of actually being outside amongst nature.

After a while of blindly following Taslessian, Darci finally found voice enough to ask a question. “What actually happened back there?”

The apprentice wizard stopped suddenly, turned to face her and then sighed. He did not really wish to talk right now, but he had to say something. Who knew what kind of uncertain thoughts were floating around in Darci’s head, especially considering what she had already been through?

“You deserve to know the truth,” he eventually responded, “but I must warn you, I am going to be very blunt about this.”

She nodded as he pointed to a fallen tree close to their path that they could both sit upon.

“That shadow was an evil wizard called Domati. I’m afraid that he is renowned for collecting things from other worlds and for using them for his own twisted desires. To protect you, Belderon challenged him to a duel that had to be fought on a magical plane so as not to destroy the balance in this world,” Taslessian explained in a dull monotone so as to hide the pain he was feeling.

“Belderon will not survive,” he concluded, matter-of-factly, before turning his eyes away from Darci and taking a deep breath to try to clear his mind and control his emotions.

“Oh,” was all Darci could manage to say in reply. She had been in this world for less than a day and someone had already been prepared to give their life to keep her from the clutches of an evil warlock. She looked at the ground to see a small possum-like animal peering up at them from under a giant leaf. Although it was obviously watching them to see if it could run away, its eyes appeared to be full of knowing sorrow.

“Come on,” urged Taslessian standing up. “We need to get out of here. The further away we get from Domati the harder it will be for him to find us. If he does find us, there is nothing to stop him from taking you.” Darci kept staring at the small creature, so Taslessian continued.

“The Master won’t stop Domati, he will only be able to delay him, and once Domati is victorious, he will come straight for you. He will probably kill me, and after he’s got all the information he needs, he will probably kill you also… or turn you into his slave.”

Slowly the gravity of the situation began to sink through Darci’s thoughts. The absurdity of her situation no longer seemed important. No matter how impossible she felt it was that she was in another world, she was here and it was real. They had to get moving. She did not want anyone else to die. Most of all she, did not like the idea of some evil and twisted warlock getting things out of her head and then killing her… or worse.

The small, understanding animal seemed to nod twice in agreement to Taslessian’s urgency before scurrying off into the undergrowth to get away from the now standing humans. So, with the sun beginning to hide behind the trees of the great forest, showing only glimpses of the orangy red colours of evening, the two travellers set off once more.

* * *

Not until well after darkness had fallen and the eerie symphony of the night had begun did Taslessian call a stop to their weary steps. He had decided to camp in an area that was too small to be called a clearing. It was simply space on the ground for the both of them and a diminutive fire under a few stunted trees growing in a cluster. Exhausted, but in need of the warm comfort of firelight, Darci began to gather twigs and small branches.

“I’m sorry about your master,” Darci finally said as she placed her first pile of twigs in the middle of their camp. She was feeling awful about how he sacrificed himself so that they could get away. Throwing her assorted kindling in a heap next to the ones gathered by Taslessian, she slumped down on the dusty undergrowth.

“He should have just given me to that guy.” Her voice quietened as she picked up a twig to begin unconsciously drawing in the dirt. “Then you and him could have continued life as normal. I mean, he didn’t even know me and yet he died because of me when it would have been much easier to just turn his back,” she sighed. “I’m really confused.”

“I have lived with Belderon for seven and a half years. He is… was like a father to me. Sure, he may have been tough on me at times, but then I deserved it.”

With his eyes moist with unshed tears, Darci knew that Taslessian was trying to be strong. She had known him for less than a day, but she felt it the right thing to do, so she decided to reverse the roles from earlier and shuffled over on the ground to sit next to him, placing her arms around him to give him a hug. For a while they sat in silence.

It was not long, however, before Darci yawned, breaking Taslessian out of his mourning. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

“Now we should try to get some sleep, so we’d best make ourselves comfortable on the ground,” he said with an unsteady voice. Darci shuffled back to the space that she was going to sleep in. She picked up the small bag that Belderon had given her, only to realise that it was empty. The young girl heaved another sigh. She was not relishing the prospect of sleeping with nothing but a small, empty bag to keep her warm.

Taslessian managed a wan smile as he looked over at his new friend. “We bought all the blankets that we need to make ourselves comfortable; they’re in the bags.” Darci looked at him as if he was daft. To show her, the young wizard pulled a sizeable blanket out of his small material bag.

Darci gave her bag a bit of a jiggle, but it still seemed to be empty. She turned it upside-down and inside out, but she still found nothing, and looked to Taslessian for an explanation. His mouth twitched to a half grin while he watched her. He then took the bag from her and brought something out of it that looked like two loaves of bread.

“That wasn’t there before,” she said, thinking that Taslessian was somehow playing a trick on her. He was, after all, an apprentice in the art of magic, and perhaps they had a strange sense of humour in this land.

Taslessian handed her a loaf while he explained that it was a wizard’s bag, something very hard to create and something that only wizards could use. You had to organise what you wanted to get in a place where the objects would not be disturbed. All you had to do to bring the object to you was to imagine opening the fabric at the bottom of the bag, bypassing space, to one of the places the spell had previously been set. Going back to his other bag, he pulled out another blanket, handing it to his comrade.

Darci took the blanket before brushing away the twigs that sat on the ground behind her. She then piled some leaves in her small bag to use as a pillow before leaning back in an attempt to make herself comfortable. “How long do you think that it will take to get to this dragon’s place?” she asked as she curled up on the ground.

“Around five days, if we are not delayed,” he replied, placing a few more sticks on the fire. The small flames danced light over the apprentice wizard’s tired face. From the apologetic youth from earlier in the day his face now held bags under his eyes and lines of worry in his brow; in hours he seemed to have aged years.

Darci lay down under her blanket, squirming around until she found a position that was not painfully uncomfortable. Her effort was then ruined as she moved so that she could look at Taslessian. After setting out his blankets, the young wizard had began to half walk, half crawl around the limited area of their campsite, drawing dust marks in the ground at different points. When all four of the marks were complete, he mumbled a few indiscernible syllables. With a flash, bright golden light flared up along the invisible lines between the marks.

Before Darci could even raise a single eyebrow in question, Taslessian explained that this was called The Diamond of Protection. It was an Elven spell that was part of their ability to seemingly appear out of nowhere in the forests to the South East. Elves may have been the best warriors amongst the trees, he clarified, yet it was not due to all the hard training and discipline of their order as they would have you believe, as they too were magic.

“In the end, this spell will slow Domati’s detection of us because it hides us from prying eyes, magical or otherwise.” With an exhausted yawn, the apprentice wizard lay down in his blankets and closed his eyes.

Darci rolled over once more, too tired now to even care about the stone digging into her back. She had no idea of the time at the present moment let alone what time it was back home. For all she knew it could have been morning there, meaning that she had not really slept for at least twenty-four hours. The unfamiliar noises of the night animals accompanied by the occasional crackle of the fire made her eyes half open with every pop, each time reminding her where she was, making it difficult for her to relax.

When the troubled young girl finally did get to sleep, it was filled with nightmares about a shadow constantly behind her with a myriad of unfamiliar faces surrounding her. She was tossing and turning; it felt as if something was trying to strangle her. It was wrapped around her arms and legs and it was almost covering her face. Then something else grabbed her on the shoulder…

* * *

Darci woke up in a cold sweat, trying to fight off her dream assailant. All the fuss however turned out to be caused by her blankets. Somehow, throughout the night, she had managed to twist herself into a cocoon.

Taslessian had grabbed her on the shoulder to wake her from her nightmare. There was no one trying to smother her, instead, simply waking her from her tormented dreams. She took a deep breath as her pulse began to slow.

Through the dense growth of trees above, she could just make out the light blue colour of the predawn sky. The usual smell of the forest drifted away to be replaced by the scent of something cooking. Taslessian had left her to finish waking up, and was now shaking a pot over the small fire. “Morning,” he said. “I take it that you didn’t sleep well either?” He stuck his finger in his mouth after sticking the pot too far into the small fire.

“Not particularly,” Darci responded with a yawn. “A lot of nightmares that I can’t seem to remember.” She rolled back with a moan, placing the blankets over her head. “I’m so tired,” she mumbled, “this must be what jet lag feels like.”

“Is this ‘Jet Lag’ serious? Can I help?” Taslessian’s face was so full of concern that Darci had to smile. Over breakfast, she explained how that if you go to another place and the time is different your body has to adjust. The concept of time zones however seemed to be lost on the young man, as it seemed that there was no method of travel on this planet that would jump time zones. If one walked or even rode a horse, time would just be time, and there was no way to contact someone in a different zone to talk to them at your day to their night. Darci was beginning to realise that there was going to be a lot of explaining to be done on both sides in the days to come.

When handed a steaming cup, she ate what Taslessian had made for breakfast. The lukewarm, bland broth-like soup was a far cry from cereal or porridge, yet food was food, and her stomach grumbled gratefully at the sustenance. After drinking their breakfast, they rolled up their blankets to shove them back into the magical sacks. The fire was put out by Taslessian’s boot as they set off once more.

“So, where are we going again?” Darci asked Taslessian. She could not find what he had told her through the blur of images that was her recollection of the previous night. Again she found herself stumbling behind him on a small animal trail that they had been following in between tall trees and luscious undergrowth.

“We are travelling to the Dragon Caves that lay in the mountains. There we should find Grisham the Great. He is one of the oldest and wisest dragons still alive and if anyone knows how to get you home, it will be him.”

* * *

The quiet echo of their feet on the hardened ground began to disappear as grass replaced the beaten path that they walked. Young trees and shrubs were becoming few and far between as a breeze picked up, bringing with it the promise of cold. Constant walking was only made bearable due to the variety of animals hiding everywhere; from underfoot to the very top of the trees, making the walk one of discovery for Darci’s wide eyes.

Most of the morning went without mishap. There was no sign of Domati, and Taslessian was not too worried about the evil wizard catching up to them just yet. The battle between the two wizards would have weakened him severely, ensuring that his power for tracking would be limited. Taslessian hoped that by the time Domati recuperated they would be long gone.

Exotic birdcalls echoed around the forest. Darci’s eyes wandered from tree to tree as she tried to catch a glimpse of which bird was making what noise. With a particularly cold breeze, the hairs on the back of her neck began to rise. She folded her arms over her chest, yet despite the extra warmth, the hairs still refused to go down, causing a peculiar sensation.

It felt as if someone or something was watching them. Looking around the seemingly innocent forest surroundings, she tried to peer into the hearts of the trees with a different motive other than sightseeing, but they would not divulge their secrets. She voiced her feelings to Taslessian, and after a moments pause he agreed. He handed Darci a sturdy wooden branch that had fallen nearby, arming himself with a short sword.

A rustle in the trees caused them both to jump and face the offending plant. A moment passed before something flew out from a bush, pausing to flutter in front of them before flying off ahead. Darci almost laughed out loud. The thing that had buzzed past them looked like a very small, out of proportion, lizard man with wings. It was one of the funniest animals Darci had ever seen; the best version of a miniature sixties movie monster she had seen yet. Taslessian did not share her humour, however.

“I think that we just let a spy get away.” The young wizard’s sword was still held in the air as he looked slowly around them, taking in every detail.

“But it was only a bug man thing…” Darci could not see why something so small was going to affect them. But then again, what did she know? She did not even have a description for the animal that they had just seen.

“That wasn’t any bug, it was a Frary.” Another look of bewilderment prompted Taslessian to explain. Frary’s were devious but dense little dragons that could speak with limited human tongue. They would do anything for anyone upon the promise of a hard-boiled sugar sweet. Since they had discovered this particular treat from humans they had found nothing else more important to live for.

“Who would be spying on us?” asked Darci as she looked around at the now devious forest that could conceal any number of dangers. Taslessian reassured her that it was not Domati. The evil wizard Domati did not think that he needed any other assistance but his own. As to who had found them now, he did not know. Inwardly, Taslessian could only hope that they were not evil.

They continued on through the forest of giant trees with their weapons held at the ready, legs energised and heartbeats racing, ready for flight, keeping their eyes out for any more spies; hoping that if they walked fast enough, the Frary would not be able to find them again.

For now at least, no trees moved and the birds continued to talk to one another as usual, with the forest keeping its secrets. Suddenly, as a total contradiction to their situation, the Frary that had flown away reappeared without announcement, flying directly towards them along the animal track. Darci gave an indignant snort, feeling cheated of all her careful vigilance. After fluttering in close enough to turn her cross- eyed, the troublesome Frary landed right on Taslessian’s shoulders.

“Me Gorak. I been sent to warn you,” the strange creature puffed. “Warn us about what?” Darci tried to coax the information out of the small creature but the Frary turned away from her persistent eyes, seeming reluctant to answer. Taslessian took something out of his bag, leaving the Frary to gobble up the sweet with only a large gulping sound to show its passing.

“I warn you ’bout bad man. He get you if you stay. Must go to hide cave.” The Frary stood up, bouncing from foot to webbed foot on Taslessians shoulder.

“Is this bad man Domati?’ Darci queried, wondering if Taslessian had any more sweets with him, but before she could get her answer, Gorak took off to fly ahead. “Wait!” she cried, but the Frary did not pause, forcing both of them to jog to keep him in sight. As they followed the tiny dragon creature off the animal trail, the trees appeared to grow closer together making their progress slow, the surrounding environment eventually turning into a jungle-like forest with vine-like plants dangling from the trees blocking their vision of not only what lay ahead, but also what lay behind. Gorak finally stopped at what appeared to be a wall of shrubs and vines that could not even be broken by the light. Small, dead trees strangled by a plague of creeping vines lay before them. To their surprise, at the touch of a cautions hand, the wall of brush gave way, revealing a cave opening.

A damp and decomposing smell greeted Taslessian and Darci as they forced their way through the creepers. Blinking, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the darkness, Darci could barely make out the form of Taslessian standing just ahead of her. The young wizard had picked up a dead branch on the way in, and with a flick of his hand he set it alight so that they could all see. The flaming light leapt up the enclosed walls to reveal dark green moss covering most of the grey stone. On an outcropping rock, decorated with blue and green mottled mushrooms, perched Gorak. Both of them turned to the Frary, who regarded them patiently with his large bug eyes.

“Who is the bad man?” Taslessian repeated.

Gorak averted his vision, looking around the cave, avoiding the apprentice’s gaze until he received another sweet. “Is no bad man,” he answered. “Sweet man said tell you come here. Sweet man wants to talk to you. Sweet man mean no harm. Sweet man… Sweet…” Gorak fluttered around the cave as his small tittering giggle tickled their ears. It was as if he felt uncomfortable because of the deception he had just revealed. Either that or too may sweets caused hyperactivity in Frarys. His wings moved so fast that they were a blur of orange and green as he zipped from one side of the cave to the other.

“I think we should leave.” Taslessian looked worried as his eyes flicked around the cave. Darci quickly agreed because neither her nor Taslessian wished to be trapped in a cave with an unknown enemy. She wondered how they could be so stupid as to fall into such a trap, for both felt exposed despite the encompassing walls of the cave.

They made their way back over the slick floor towards the entrance, but before they got there, two hands pierced the dense foliage, separating it like curtains. There was someone in their way.

“Let us pass,” demanded Taslessian in a voice deeper and more threatening than Darci thought possible. He held his short-sword at the ready, almost looking as if he could use it.

“You can leave if you want to for I cannot stop you.” The stranger stepped to one side of the cave entrance to show his passive intent.

With the light now shining past the new arrival, his face was visible. The strange man was almost a head shorter than Darci. He had a pointy nose and small beady eyes with hair that was a brown ring around his otherwise bald cranium. He was clothed in a simple brown robe with a hood, complete with a plated, white rope belt. He did not look like he could hurt anything, and Darci was more curious than afraid of this man, as he actually looked like a religious and peaceful monk from her world. Mentally she shook herself as she realised that she could not compare her world to this, as stereotyping could be deadly.

“Who are you?” she asked without preamble. Her nerves were on edge.

“I am the faithful servant of Grisham, one of the great wise dragons.” He bowed his head in greeting before continuing on to explain why he had been sent to meet them. Grisham’s servant was to direct them to the cave of the great dragon. He then pulled his hands out of his pockets, clasping something within his fists.

“I have a gift for you.” Opening his hands, he revealed two amulets attached to golden chains. He gave the first one to Darci and the other to Taslessian. In the centre of each was a red gem, and if you looked close enough you could see a picture within. Taslessian’s was of a young wizard with a blazing staff, whereas Darci’s blue gem contained a portrait of a female in armour with a blazing sword.

“What’s the catch?” she asked. She did not trust the weird man, no matter how harmless he looked. How did she know wether or not he was telling the truth? It was hard for her not to fall for his innocent appearance, which in itself made her all the more wary.

Both the stranger and Taslessian looked confused, each looking at her with questions in their eyes. They obviously did not know what Darci meant by her abrupt distrust, so she chose to rephrase her question.

“Why are you giving us these valuable medallions? And what do you want from us in return?” she said, surprised at both the difference between their languages and the similarities, and that after all her conversations with Taslessian she was not yet used to talking simply.

The man sighed. “My master, the great dragon Grisham, wishes for you to have these. Why? He did not think it necessary for me to know. I do not want anything in return. I am merely doing my master’s bidding.” The monk man turned to leave the cave. “Now, we should start walking if we wish to avoid the wizard Domati. He seeks the different one, and if we do not start now he will catch up to us, and then there will be no way for us to stop him from getting what he wants.” He looked Darci up and down with a blank expression, perhaps unsure as to why she of all creatures was so valuable. Personally, Darci did not see it either, but she was not planing on waiting for Domati to find out.

Without another word, the man walked out of the cave, not even bothering to hold the wall of plants at bay. Taslessian put the amulet in his pocket and followed him without hesitation, but Darci was more reluctant. She did not trust this man but she had no choice. If she did not follow Taslessian, Domati would capture her, and if she did follow him, who knew what dangers lay ahead? So she forced her way through the foliage, taking out her fear and frustration on the unsuspecting plants. She had no choice but to put her talisman around her neck as she jogged off after them.

The strange metal gave her a tingly feeling wherever it touched her as she placed it under her shirt. It began to burn against her bare skin but for some unknown reason she did not remove it. The burning spread throughout her body, halting her jog mid step. Inside, her emotions changed, bringing with them a strange sense of comfort. The talisman appeared to give her a new sense of bravery and relief from the stress she had been feeling. It took her breath away, but as quickly as the feeling had come, it left again, as if it had never been.

Darci was going to ask Taslessian about this but she decided against it. He appeared to be too innocent, simply taking this guy for his word. She had not picked him to be a person to follow someone without question considering the apparent dangers of this world, but who else did she have? She had no one else to turn to. Never had she felt more alone.

Chapter 3

The sun had sunk towards the western horizon, leaving only a light blue sky to show amongst the orange clouds above them. Birds were beginning to roost as their calls were gradually replaced by the chirping of crickets, eager to get the night underway. It was not until their shadows had begun to meld with that of others that Grisham’s servant finally decided to call a stop to their travels.

After a moment’s discussion, Darci left the camp again, purposely crushing an offending daisy on her way. She had to collect wood for the campfire. If we don’t have a fire, what we eat will be cold, she thought sarcastically. Taslessian and Grisham’s servant, whom Darci had decided to privately call the Monk Man, had stopped walking to make camp. “Great,” she had said to herself, “a rest!” But she had been mistaken. As soon as she had sat down, Taslessian and the Monk Man both looked at her and started to make hints about a campfire and how that they needed to talk about what was going to happen. In other words, they wanted Darci to get the wood so they could talk about her.

So, somewhat annoyed, she tramped around the forest, kicking a small rock around as she looked through the underbrush for firewood. It was not long, however, before Darci began to take a greater interest in her surroundings. They were still in the forest of giant trees but as they neared the mountain range, the trees had thinned, and patches of grass could be seen here and there with the greater absence of undergrowth. As it had been ever since coming to this world, life here was abundant. The sound of the crickets’ dusk symphony was a comforting and familiar background noise. Off in the distance, however, animal calls of no kind that Darci recognised could be heard. As she looked around to try to locate some of the local wildlife, her eyes came to rest on a particularly large tree.

“This is amazing,” she said. The remarkable tree looked as if it had been purposely grown so that someone her size could climb it. It reminded her of the Far Away Tree, a favourite story of hers back home by Enid Blyton. Stars had started to shine through the darkening blue of night. It was almost dark at the top of the tree, but even so, she thought that she would be able to see for miles once she was up there. Perhaps even the silhouette of the mountains they were supposed to reach soon.

Back in Darci’s world, her and Kellie used to walk around town looking for large trees to climb when they had nothing else to do. Darci held back a sigh of sadness. She missed her best friend. Usually they were inseparable, but she would be home soon. What a story this would make for the telling, even if no one would actually believe her.

Nimbly she climbed up the lower branches, easily winding her body up and around the tree trunk. As she was balancing on a particularly thick branch, a noise suddenly distracted her. She crouched down to cling to the branch that she was on. She had seen something move out of the corner of her eye. Inching closer to a small hollow in the tree, she could see some kind of nest with a small, blue dragon sitting on a large, smooth stone. The tiny dragon looked straight into her eyes, showing no fear or even any acknowledgment of her presence. It was an amazing instance that Darci knew she would remember forever. Slowly she reached out her hand towards it to see what it would do, wary, just in case it was vicious. Just before she reached it, the little dragon let out a high-pitched call causing the unsuspecting teen to fall backwards.

This time Darci could not grab the branch she was on to stop herself. An instant passed where time seemed to stand still, her arms wobbling as she tried to regain her balance, all to no avail. As she continued to fall, she closed her eyes, fearing the worst. With a jerk her eyes suddenly opened again. The seat of her pants had caught on a branch and she found herself hanging upside-down in the large tree. The little dragon was still yelling and her pants were trying their best to come off. Slowly she reached up, but as she moved, the material tore slightly causing her to freeze, her only movement caused by the breeze blowing her hair gently out of her eyes. Darci let out the breath she had been holding while she looked around, wondering how she would get out of this mess without breaking something.

The dragon’s call echoed around the trees while little animals scurried under leaves and birds were startled out of the surrounding trees, fleeing the dreaded cacophony. A moment’s silence ensued whilst the little beast paused for breath, only to continue its outcry again, eventually disturbing the conversation between Taslessian and the Monk Man.

“That’s a baby splice dragon,” said the Monk Man in a dull tone, “and it sounds upset. Whatever disturbed it had best watch out because when the mother gets back, she’s going to be mad.”

Taslessian looked at him with dreaded knowledge showing on his face. Springing up from where he was sitting, he began to run towards the sound. He knew that if there were trouble that Darci would be in the thick of it. Only an offworlder would be stupid enough to approach such a beast. Long gangly legs easily leapt over uneven ground as he made his way unerringly towards his new friend. Cool air ran its fingers through his hair, the wail of the dragon covering the sound of his laboured breath, but not the thundering beat of his heart. If Darci had disturbed the dragon she could be in danger without ever knowing it. Splice dragons usually left their young alone in some small, seemingly safe nest whilst they hunted. However, food was never far. The adults were usually harmless, but like any animal, they could be deadly if they thought that their offspring were in jeopardy. The razor sharp tail was a deadly weapon and had been known to slice a man clear in half.

The sound of the dragon became louder and louder until Taslessian could no longer tell which direction it came from. He looked frantically for his friend, waiting until the dragon again paused for breath.

“Darci!” he yelled when silence broke the call. “Up here!” came the unsteady reply.

Taslessian looked up and was startled to see Darci, dangling upside- down from the tree. “I’m hanging from my pants and they’re about to rip!”

He was up the tree like a monkey; placing one foot atop the highest root before springing up to grab a hold of the branch just below his friend. He braced himself against another limb so that he would be able to lift her out of the tree, but he was too late. With an indignant squawk and a rush of air, the adult splice dragon returned. Without further warning, its tail slashed downwards at the possible threat to her child. Splinters of wood forced Taslessian to close his eyes as the tail bit into the trunk of the tree where his head had just been. He struggled to keep his balance as his hands grabbed thin air, and to his horror, he fell backwards, taking only seconds to hit the ground. The air rushed out of his lungs with a rush.

The sound of material tearing made him look up again, only he wished that he hadn’t. Darci’s arms flailed wildly, as, with both eyes shut, she quickly followed the fate of her friend. But instead of hitting the ground with the bone snapping noise that she expected, her fall was met with a groan.

“Are you okay?” she asked, being careful not to press further on Taslessian as she scrambled to her feet.

“The ground broke my fall,” he replied sarcastically.

Darci held out her hand to help him up, and without thinking, she pulled him up too fast, causing him to bump into her. There was a moment of dead silence as he looked deep into her eyes.

Darci’s heart leapt as he continued to gaze at her. Suddenly she began to notice how good looking he was, his strong jaw line still smooth with youth, his dark brown eyes…

Taslessian was the first to break eye contact with an uncomfortable cough. He turned away, but he was not quick enough to hide the blush that had risen to his cheeks. As he turned back to face her, he started to laugh. Now it was Darci’s turn to blush, as she realised that she had a gaping rip not only in her pants, but her pyjama shorts as well. She quickly took off her shirt and tied it around her waist. The young man hastily turned around so as not to see more than he already had.

“What?” she asked with a sly grin. She knew full well that if her pyjamas were considered immodest, that a sports bra certainly was not common ware either.

Taslessian cleared his throat. “You took your shirt off!” The back of his neck had begun to flush red at his discomfort.

Darci uttered a soft laugh. “People wear a lot less than this back home. Besides, I’m sure that we will be able to find a shirt in one of your sacks, or you could at least fix my pants perhaps.”

Taking a moment to compose himself, Taslessian then began to walk back to the campfire, head down, trying both to hide the hurt his body felt from the fall and the embarrassment caused by the crossing of cultures. Darci picked up the wood that she had put into a pile near the tree, and followed her embarrassed friend back to camp. The splice dragon huffed out a breath through its nose before returning to its nest, satisfied that the intruders would not return.

Trudging back over the uneven ground was difficult in the diminishing light. Clouds flew over the stars making the path that they followed almost treacherous. Helping Darci through a particularly dark area, Taslessian stole a quick glance at her bare stomach, fascinated by the jewellery in her belly button, but he could not bring himself to look at her again. He had never seen so much skin before, and even thinking about it made him blush.

Awkwardly, Darci trumped back into camp where she dumped the firewood in the middle of their small clearing. Monk Man’s eyebrows lifted when he saw her, but that was his only reaction. Taslessian however went straight to his sack where he pulled out one of their blankets, handing it to her so that she would be able to change without showing more of her flesh.

“I could use magic to fix your pants,” Taslessian offered.

Darci looked at him and then the Monk Man. With a half smile she threw the blanket over her head, hiding under it. With a lot of squirming around she eventually got her pants off, throwing them towards Taslessian. He gave her another funny look. He wondered why she could take off her shirt wearing only a small tight piece of cloth, but not take off her pants… unless she was not wearing any more cloth. He blushed at his thoughts before busying his mind to the one simple fixing spell that had all of a sudden become very difficult to remember.

* * *

The sky finally held nothing but the stars and the darkness of space. Crickets chirped and unknown animals cried their eerie calls, while the braver creatures came close enough to the small fire to investigate the intruders but not to be seen; the barest rustling of leaves and a glint of firelight in wild eyes the only sign of their passing.

Before going to sleep that night, Taslessian again inscribed the ground with the four magical marks causing the bright golden lines to reappear. They had seen no other sign of Domati, but he was taking no chances. He was sure that the evil warlock would be following them in his physical presence, but where his body had been when he had confronted them in his shadow form, no one knew.

Darci’s sleep was again restless. Her dreams were filled with dark shadowy faces chasing her. One of the shadows this time however looked remarkably like the Monk Man. With a force of will she woke herself to find that she was in a cold sweat. Despite her nightmare, both Taslessian and the Monk Man were still sleeping, so she got up to put another piece of wood on the fire. Her pants sat near her on a rock, showing no sign of her misadventure, so she put them on. A rustling noise not of her making caused her to look over to Taslessian.

He was squirming in his sleep, mumbling incoherently, yet Darci caught one of his words. Domati. She gently shook his shoulder to try to wake him from his nightmare. A sudden jerk and Taslessian sat bolt upright.

“We have to get moving,” he said with a start, now instantly awake. “Domati is coming… and he’s not alone.” The Monk Man awoke before Taslessian had the chance to touch him. Quickly, the three of them packed up their camp, hastily kicking dirt on the small fire before stepping off into the darkness.

The chirping of birds signalled the soon to be rising sun as they continued, one foot tentatively in front of the other, until the shadows over their small animal path cleared enough to see the ground before them. The soft breeze in the trees above mingled with the sound of their hurried footsteps. Shadows finally began to lift as the sun began to rise above the canopy allowing them to pick up their pace.

After an hour of light jogging, Darci could not hold her questions back any longer. “What do you mean, Domati’s not alone this time?” She paused, hand against a tree to try to catch her breath.

The Monk Man answered. “Domati is now accompanied by his pet beast, Trolog.” Darci lifted one eyebrow to show that she wanted more of an explanation. So as they jogged, he told a tale about a young boy who went wondering too far from his home. He had gotten lost and then Domati found him. Domati, being the twisted, evil man that he is, experimented with the boy, turning him into a mindless, mutant slave without a will, and without fear. Trolog, as he had been named, obeyed Domati’s every command. If the wizard wanted someone dead or tortured, he sent Trolog, who remained undefeated.

Darci decided that she did not wish to hear any more about the evil man who was after them. If he could do something like that to an innocent little boy, what would Domati do to her? Yet, much to her dismay, her morbid curiosity could not be contained.

“What exactly is Domati?” she finally asked. She wanted to know exactly what they were up against. Even the thought of the twisted mind that she had made contact with made her shiver, but the more she knew about the danger, the better chance she would have, at least she hoped she would.

The Monk Man pushed Taslessian forward, encouraging them to move faster as he fielded the question. Domati was an ex-Master. Masters were wizards trained by one of the great dragons called Valiant so that they could keep the magical balance within the world. If any wizard even began to show signs of turning against a great dragon, it usually roasted them before they could use their knowledge to do harm. Domati was the only wizard in history to learn from Valiant, escaping a fiery death by disappearing before the great dragon had found out that Domati was truly evil.

Darci stopped listening to the Monk Man. She had had enough. The emissary of Grisham the Great seemed to have no compassion. He was telling Darci all these frightful stories, with an unwavering pompous tone. It was as if he did not care about the poor child now mutant, or about the fact that someone so horrible was after them. She needed to know the truth, but was a little compassion too much to ask for?

During their discussion, the surrounding forest abruptly came to an end. They stepped out of the shade, leaving a line of giant trees behind them, with the comforting flora and fauna that went with it. The barely worn track that they had been walking simply disappeared, leaving no trace of their passing. Now a harsh grey rock lay under foot. The only plants in sight were the trees that lay behind them; ahead, there was only gloomy, greyness that surrounded their rocky path, and the mountains in the distance. First there was a slight slope for them to climb, but gradually, as they walked, Darci’s pulse began to rise with the difficulty of their trek, keeping conversation to a minimum.

Every passing rock and every passing hill looked the same to her once the forest was out of sight, but the Monk Man never seemed to hesitate in choosing a path through the base of the mountains.

“Which mountain are we climbing?” she asked Taslessian. No one had spoken since they had left the forest. Her attempt to break the monotony however, was unsuccessful, as Taslessian did not seem to hear her. Whatever had passed between them last night was gone, and Darci felt slightly offended. The Monk Man pointed to the mountain that lay directly in front of them, not too far off into the distance. It looked unremarkable, having exactly the same features as the peaks surrounding it. In her mind she had been expecting something grand and awe-inspiring, different to the common grey mountains that surrounded them now.

She stole a glance at Taslessian. A moment of indecision appeared to crease his brow, but as quickly as it had come, it disappeared again. She was beginning to wonder what was going on. She had not known him for more than three days, yet he seemed different now, and instead of trying to help, comfort or even speak to her, all he was doing was following the Monk Man without question. The confused girl sighed as she realised that she would probably never understand men, no matter where they came from!

A sound broke into her thoughts; a gurgling noise coming from somewhere ahead. She looked around their dull path of rocks with new vigilance. They were surrounded by the same grey rocky monotony, however, much to Darci’s delight and surprise, one ordinary turn of a corner in the path and everything changed. Some small fern-like plants had broken out of the ground, suddenly assaulting their eyes with the brightness of life and colour. The grey rocks were covered with luscious green moss, which made the area smell like a rainforest. The waterway itself sprouted from a small crack in the rocks, making a little waterfall into a pond, which in the end, returned to the mountains through another small crevice.

Looking closer at the pool of water, Darci could see something fluttering out of the corner of her eye, but every time she turned her head, whatever it was just darted away again. She was so absorbed with trying to see what the little bug-like creature was, that she did not notice that the Monk Man was talking to one of them. He was also giving it many little sweets. It was then that she realised that the creatures flying around like a swarm of grasshoppers were the same as Gorak, the Monk Man’s messenger. After losing all his sweets, he came back to report.

“The Frary says that we can stay near their pond for lunch.” Without another word he turned to sit on a soft moss-covered rock near the creek. With slow deliberate motions he began to unpack dried meat strips from a pouch hanging around his rope belt. Turning to look at Taslessian, Darci saw that he was doing exactly the same thing.

She was too interested in the Frary colony to pay the strange behaviour any more heed. She did not even pay any attention to what she was eating for lunch, chewing and swallowing what she was given automatically; the scene before her was much more appetising. Around the pond and in the ferns, she could see small, hut-like buildings hanging like coconuts from the foliage. The miniature dragon insects flew in and out of their homes, looking at her curiously and hovering in the air before flittering off again.

Now that the group of humans had been accepted as non-threatening by the Frary population, most of them came closer to look at the newcomers. Each Frary was different in colour, but they were all the same height and build; around three and a half inches tall, with dragon- like wings and a mouth that took up most of their head. The bravest of the Frarys inched closer and closer, until finally one landed on Darci’s shoulder. It whispered into her ear, making her giggle.

“Sweets?” it asked. Its small wings brushed lightly against her ears sending a pleasant sensation down her spine.

“Hang on a minute,” she said. Darci asked Taslessian if he had any sweets left for her to give out. Without paying any real attention to her, he pulled out a small bag from underneath his shirt.

“Thanks,” she said almost sarcastically, as he threw the bag to her. Not noticing, or not caring, he did not even react to her smart tone. Poking out her tongue to his unknowing back, Darci pulled out one of the sweets from the bag. Carefully, she moved her hand to her shoulder. The Frary gently lifted off from her shoulder, snatching it out of her fingers before she realised what had happened.

After that, practically the whole Frary population was either standing on Darci or swarming around her. Many more found perches upon her shoulder whilst those that were not quick enough for that were attempting to cling to her hair. Within seconds, the bag of sweets was empty. With the last candy, the Frarys flew away and went back about their business, making Darci feel somewhat used, but happy that she had been able to interact with such amazing creatures.

Taslessian and the Monk Man were packing up what was left of their lunch. Leftover pieces of dried meat went back into their pouches, and water skins were retrieved from bags to be filled from the fresh water pond. Then, without so much as a word, Taslessian and the Monk Man set off again.

Darci quickly said goodbye to the Frarys as she trotted off after her travelling companions, following them through the dangling leafs of the fern trees. The Frarys quickly retreated to their homes and disappeared. Over more of the mossy rocks, through a shadowy underpass they walked, until suddenly, the scenery changed again, just as quickly as it had turning the corner into the Frary City. It was back to the dull, grey rocky incline into the mountains. Looking behind her, all Darci could see was the entrance to the underpass. It was as if the Frary City had never existed. If she had not felt so refreshed and lighthearted, she would have thought it all one, wondrous imagining.

* * *

Shades of grey – nothing but grey rocks, grey mountains and even grey, cloudy skies above. Footsteps echoed around the monotony, giving a steady beat to the otherwise silence. The group of three walked almost non-stop from the Frary City, continuously climbing up the mountain track. On rare occasions, small pebbles would fall from above, crashing on the ground behind them, causing Darci to look up in fright for whatever caused the disturbance. Yet she saw nothing and no one. The mountain peaks remained constant, never revealing anything.

The steep incline was relentless. Higher and higher into the mountains they trekked. Now looking behind her, Darci could see the Jungle Dragon far off in the distance. She was surprised at how far they had come in such a short time, and also at how high they were, although when she thought about the soreness of her calf muscles, her amazement was thoroughly lessened.

“When are we going to get to Grisham’s cave?” she asked the Monk Man in a tone that reminded her of a nagging child. She was sick of being left to follow them without any kind of interaction. Surely there was something that they could talk about? Anything would help the time pass.

“Some time tonight,” he replied in his now familiar monotone.

Darci looked at Taslessian. Had he not said that it would take them around five days to get there, and that was if they were not delayed. Tonight would be too early. Even for the fastest of walkers, it was impossible to travel five days within three. She grabbed onto Taslessian’s sleeve and pulled him to a stop, waiting for the Monk Man to walk ahead out of earshot.

“I thought that it would take longer to get to Grisham’s cave,” she whispered cautiously into his ear. She looked into his eyes for his reaction, yet Taslessian’s expression did not change.

“The servant is to be trusted and obeyed.” His tone of voice was so impersonal and uncaring that Darci was physically taken aback. He had spoken to her as if she were a blaspheming child. Her hand fell from his sleeve as he turned back to the path that they were walking. Folding her arms with an ignored dark look and hurt feelings, Darci said nothing else. She began following them again nonetheless, her head down, looking at the ground in front of her. She had to follow the Monk Man because, besides Taslessian, there was no one else on this world who she knew. Taslessian appeared to trust him fully and she was not about to run into the arms of Domati.

They kept walking until the sun could no longer be seen on the horizon behind them, leaving a trail of orange sky and pinkish clouds in its wake. Darci was wondering if they were going to stop for tea. Her stomach was grumbling, her feet were sore and she was becoming so tired that all she could do to keep herself from falling over was to concentrate on placing one foot in front of the other. As if the Monk Man had heard her mental fatigue, he answered her unasked question without pausing his pace.

“The Master’s cave is just around this bend. We will stop there.” His monotone voice echoed around the mountains that loomed above them.

Looking up, Darci could indeed see a bend in their path.

They turned the corner one at a time. In front of them loomed a gaping hole in the mountainside. Swallowed in shadows, the foreboding that Darci felt as soon as she looked up, gripped her like a vice. Every part of her body was screaming at her not to go any further.

There was nothing ominous about the cave itself; it looked like any other hole in the mountains. However, Darci’s instincts were on overdrive. Her apprehension was so powerful that she stopped dead in her tracks.

“I’m not going in there,” she announced, struggling to keep her voice under control. Taslessian kept on walking into the cave as if he had not heard her at all. The Monk Man, however, turned around to glare at her. He was obviously not a patient man. His lips turned down into a tight lined frown as his brow furrowed in irritation. His eyes seemed to light up with fire as his malevolent stare held her motionless.

An icy finger of fear traced a line down her spine as Darci’s heart began to race. Something was wrong, and she was scared. The hackles on her neck began to rise as her eyes quickly darted around, looking for the danger that she felt in every bone. The Monk Man began to advance on her. The sound of his determined footsteps matched the racing beat of her heart. His eyes now held an evil yellow glow that locked onto hers. Surely, this was not normal? She tried to back away, but he lurched forward, taking her roughly by the wrist.

“The Master is inside.” His eyes flashed to punctuate his words before he began to drag her towards the entrance of the cave. He was inhumanly strong for his size. All she could do to resist was wriggle around like a fish on a hook.

“Taslessian, help!” Darci cried in vain. But he could not hear her. He had already walked into the cave ahead and could no longer be seen. She redoubled her efforts to break free. This time it looked like she was going to have to save herself.

Gathering up her strength, she punched the Monk Man directly on the nose. Recoiling in pain from her effort, her attack appeared to do nothing aside from hurting her hand. The Monk Man did not even seem to notice the blow despite the small trail of blood making its way down his face.

In a moment of insight, Darci relaxed all her muscles in an effort to make herself more difficult to drag. The Monk Man stopped for a moment, and then with supernatural strength, quickly picked her limp form from the ground and put her over his shoulder. His sinew-like body bulged under his robe, with his shoulder digging painfully into her stomach. His arm bore down on her back, holding her tight. Her lungs compressed in his grip and breathing became difficult, her panicked thrashing and kicking achieving little more than her own fatigue.

The Monk Man followed Taslessian into the dark mouth of the cave. The further his steps went, the warmer the cave became. Sweat began to form on the struggling young girl’s brow despite the fact that she had given up on her physical defiance. Facing backwards, Darci could not see where she was being taken. The walls around her had become dark and indistinguishable with the dim light of dusk far behind them. Desperately trying to think of a way out, she did not notice the soft red glow that eventually began to illuminate the way.

Suddenly, he dropped Darci unceremoniously onto the floor. The ground beneath her fingers was warm and covered in black dust that clung to whatever touched it. Raising her eyes to peer through her tousled hair she not only saw, but felt a long river of molten lava flowing below the cliff only metres away from her feet. It seemed to flow on as far as the eye could see, illuminating the edges of the cavernous walls that survived its touch.

Blowing her fringe out of her face, she slowly looked around. Taslessian and the Monk Man were staring straight ahead at the lava with blank, non-blinking expressions, so Darci drew her feet underneath her ready to get up. Neither Taslessian nor the Monk Man seemed to be paying any attention to her, but as soon as she moved an inch back the way they had come, the evil little man took two quick steps and placed his hand on her shoulder, pushing her forcefully back to the ground.

Above, the barest glimpse of moisture could be seen dripping off the stalactites. As her eyes lay upon the molten red river, she noticed a ripple off in the distance. To Darci’s horror, the ripple came closer and closer to where she was sitting.

Something was alive in the lava! With a roar, a monster’s head burst through the molten rock making her crawl backwards in fear, running straight into the legs of the Monk Man. The giant head of the snake-like beast was crimson red, pierced violently with sharp black horns. Two familiar, evil yellow glowing eyes were set under a defined eyebrow line that led to massive horns pointing to the sky. Never had she seen such a magnificent animal that inspired so much awe and fear. Darci assumed that the creature was a dragon.

“So,” it said in a deep rumbling voice that shook the very rock that Darci was sitting upon, “you are the being from another world.” Its sinister serpentine body followed its head as it moved closer to examine her.

“You don’t look any different from the other morsels in this land.” The beast’s great body pulsed slowly with its every breath, causing slight ripples that lapped against the bottom of the cliff, which separated them from the deadly heat.

“What do you want with me?” Darci finally managed to ask

“I want us to be… friends,” it replied in a crooning tone. “Anyone who is the friend of Fritrence’s receives great power.” Its eyes bore into her own, but she resisted the urge to look away. Seated on the dusty ground with a black smudge mark across her temple, it was the only display of defiance that she could muster.

“You,” he yelled at the Monk Man. His voice had risen to a god-like thunder. “Why is my mind control spell not working?”

The Monk Man did not falter in the face of the dragon, and it finally made sense to Darci. He and Taslessian were both somehow under its control. “I do not know, master Fritrence.”

It said that it wanted to be her friend, but Darci seriously doubted that. Very slowly, she again tried to inch her way back up to the surface whilst the dragon’s attention was diverted. She only made three backwards steps before it noticed. Fritrence stared a silent command at Taslessian who snapped out of his trance to move to her side, reaching down to grab the back of her shirt and dragging her to her feet to face the dragon.

“Why is it that I can’t control your mind?” it said more to itself than to anyone else. “I am the almighty Fritrence. I have been able to control mere mortals since the dawn of time,” it mumbled, the snake-like body weaving from side to side.

Darci was beginning to think that the massive beast was mightily insane. Never one to give up however, she tried to pull free of Taslessian’s grip, but it was no use. He would not let go of her shirt, and he had inadvertently grabbed her bra as well. Then she had an idea.

Domati had tried to control her mind and she had been able to resist it with help from Taslessian. If she tried hard enough she might be able to help him to break free of Fritrence’s influence, but she could not look into his eyes like he had done for her. His grip was unfaltering, so she dug her fingernails into his hand, hoping that she could reach him just by thinking, and perhaps the added pain would help snap him out of his trance.

She shut her eyes tight, focused her thoughts and called his name. All she got was some kind of emptiness. Was it her imagination, or was she insane to try this? But she had no choice; it had to work, otherwise they were both doomed. With her fists clenched tight enough to draw blood, she pushed with all her mental might, deciding to focus on the picture of Belderon, hoping that the pain of loss would get through.

Taslessian? she thought. Suddenly, whatever was in her way gave in, flooding her mind with pictures and thoughts from Taslessian’s past.

Darci? His reply was weak, and though she did not know how, she actually felt his confusion. It was disconcerting talking to someone with your mind. You knew how the other person was feeling even though they were not really talking.

His hands fell from her shirt as he looked down at the bloody fingernail marks on his hands. Pressing on the small wounds he looked up in question. The young wizard jumped as he realised that they were not where they were supposed to be. He did not know how they had come to this strange situation, or how Darci had spoken to him via the mind, but what he did know was that they were in grave danger.

Hang on; I’m going to call for help. He took a deep breath to focus all of his powers. Still holding on to one of his hands, Darci was almost knocked over by the energy that exploded through his body.

Fritrence’s spell was broken. How dare a mere apprentice wizard and a young girl defy him. Bringing his own power to bear, he resolved to make them suffer for their impudence. “Would you know the answer to my grievance wizard?” He spat out the question using the word wizard with contempt. Taslessian did not answer. His mind was still reeling from the situation and the energy that he had just spent sending a magical request for help.

“I heard your pitiful call for help. It will do you no good. Even if someone did hear it, they would also be doomed should they enter my domain.” Fritrence laughed then; a bloodcurdling unnatural sound that made Darci’s blood feel like ice, despite the hot temperature inside the cave.

“Well? Do you know why I cannot control her mind?” The dragon was becoming impatient. Taslessian shrugged his shoulders in response. Darci could not tell if he was being defiant or if he truly did not know.

“No matter,” the dragon said, talking to itself again. “I can just as simply rip the information from your mind.” Fritrence locked Taslessian in a deadly stare. The apprentice began to grit his teeth as he was driven to his knees by an unseen force. With an agonised cry, Taslessian fell to the cave floor unconscious.

Darci dropped to the ground next to her inert friend trying to place him on his side, which was the only thing she could remember to do when someone was hurt. “What did you do to him?” she demanded.

Fritrence laughed again. “When he wouldn’t give me the information I asked for freely, I tore it from the depths of his mind. The pain was too great for him to withstand, and he fainted.” The dragon snorted a plume of smoke in contempt.

Darci then noticed the Monk Man advancing on her again. She knew what was protecting her from the dragon’s mind. It was the talisman she had been given. It had to be, and that was why the Monk Man was advancing. He was going to try and take it away.

She rose up from the ground and began to back away again, getting a bitter sensation of déjà vu and watching out for a sudden grab for her wrist. She took another step back but her foot only met with air. For a terrifying second she knew that she was going to fall backwards into the river of lava. Of all the ways to die, burning to death was one of her greatest fears. She let out a terrified yell knowing that she was falling to her doom.

Fritrence moved like lightning and grabbed Darci gently between his teeth only moments before she hit the river of fire. Slowly he lifted her out of danger placing her gently on the ground. A puff of his breath caused her to cough, the stench of brimstone and smoke catching in her lungs.

“You idiot,” he growled at her. “I don’t want you dead, and I don’t want to kill you.” Darci distinctly heard him mumble “yet” after his sentence.

The Monk Man was now standing above her. She tried to stop him, but the result was the same as before. She could not do anything to save herself. He unceremoniously reached his hand down Darci’s shirt and seized the amulet. She grabbed onto his arm, holding on for dear life as he lifted her off the ground.

The Monk Man’s mouth opened but nothing could be heard above the thundering roar that came from Fritrence. Darci had the wind knocked out of her as both she and the Monk Man hit the floor, knocking him unconscious. Fritrence fell into the lava, spraying beads of it everywhere, sizzling holes into the ground before turning into smouldering droplets of black rock. It was only by sheer luck that Darci was not burnt.

The Monk Man lay in front of her. Cautiously she crept towards him, kicking him gently with her foot and then jumping back just in case he was still under some kind of spell. But it seemed that both the dragon and his puppet the Monk Man were incapacitated, so Darci decided that she would make another escape attempt. She ran over to Taslessian who was still lying in the same position as before. If she could not wake him up, she had no hope of carrying him out of the cave. She tried calling to him, and when that did not work, she slapped him. She was about to despair when she remembered that he also had a talisman. She looked in his pockets and when she found it she placed it around his neck. With an incomprehensible murmur he began to stir.

“We need to get out of here and I can’t carry you,” Darci almost pleaded. With a slight slip of the foot, Taslessian managed to get off the ground with her help. He was very unsteady on his feet and needed to lean heavily on Darci for each torturous step, but together they began to make their way slowly out of the cave. Taslessian was no help in telling Darci which way to go because he was still suffering the after effects of Fritrence’s attack.

Looking around, all she could see was stalagmites, barely glowing with the reflection of the now distant river of lava. They turned a corner into almost total darkness. Pausing to allow their eyes to adjust they soon realised that there was a very faint light source up ahead – the welcome rays of early morning.

Chapter 4

Taslessian sat down near the mouth of the cave, shoulders sagging with the weight of exhaustion. The soft touch of the morning breeze gently caressed their sweat-covered skin, a sensation akin to waking from a dream. Off to the east and down the treacherous path of last night, a soft orange glow heralding the rising sun gently touched the few clouds of the almost clear sky. They had been in the cave most of the night.

“Let’s go Taslessian,” said Darci. “I don’t know how long Fritrence will be unconscious, and I don’t want to wait around to find out.” Looking back down the throat of the cavern, she shivered, thinking of the monster that had almost taken them. She wanted to get as far away from it as possible.

Taslessian put a hand in the air signalling for her to be patient. He was too mentally drained from the mind attack to be bothered explaining the situation to his frightened friend. But once he had gathered his thoughts, he began to tell Darci the story behind the evil dragon.

This particular dragon was a well-known evil in the land of Nahaba. It was general knowledge that he could control the mind of any mere mortal by using the ways of dark magic. Usually he preyed on the greedy, planting a notion in their heads that his cave was full of wondrous treasure, luring them down to their fiery doom. “I have never heard of him to be interested in anything or anyone other than those foolhardy enough to satisfy his appetite,” he finished.

“There’s always a first time,” Darci said half to herself. She had calmed down slightly, but she was still afraid. Mental pictures of the snake-like Fritrence sliding up the mouth of the cave breathing fire hot enough to melt the very walls around him, assaulted her mind. Once he woke up from whatever magic that had knocked him out, he was not going to be happy. “When he wakes up, won’t he come after us?”

“No,” Taslessian replied. “He may be able to swim swiftly through the burning river, but he cannot get very far on the land. It would be like a fish out of water.” The young wizard’s head lay buried in his hands as he tried to regain his strength.

Darci stood above her friend, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she nervously looked around for any sign danger. She wanted them to be on their way, which would hopefully lead them far from where they were now. As if to punctuate her fear, a howl of rage echoed up from the bowels of the cave, shaking the very ground beneath their feet. Fritrence had awoken to discover that his precious pray had eluded him.

“Let’s go already!” Darci held her hand out to help her friend from the rock that he sat on. Even if the dragon could not come after them, what if the Monk Man was not dead? His possessed, yellow eyes would haunt her sleep for many days to come. However, despite her obvious discomfort, Taslessian made no move to get up.

What was wrong with him? Darci ran a dirty hand through her dishevelled hair in frustration, exhaling noisily. She began to wonder if there were after-effects from Fritrence’s mind control.

Looking up into the concerned blue eyes of his friend, Taslessian answered her unspoken question. “I am not stupid, and there is nothing wrong with me. I want to get away from here too, but I called for help back there and it would be wrong not to wait for it.” Irritation caused by stress and fatigue showed through his exasperated tone as he folded his arms across his chest.

After what seemed like forever, but in reality had only moved the sun a hand span across the sky, a large shadow skimmed over the pair, making them both jump up. Darci looked up squinting her eyes against the morning sun. She was half expecting something terrible to happen, but what she saw was the largest bird she could have ever imagined. With an astounded gasp, she realised that it was not a bird but another dragon. Gliding gracefully around in circles above them, it stayed in its effortless holding pattern on the uplifting winds, seemingly waiting for something. Unlike Fritrence, this particular dragon was a mixture of soft colours; light blue and purple scales covered most of its body, occasionally shining a bright green in the reflected light.

Something brushed lightly across Darci’s mind; a greeting from the dragon, but there was a difference to this mind speech. Taslessian and Darci used words when they communicated as if they were talking normally. But when the dragon spoke inside her mind, she knew what it was trying to say, even though it did not actually use any words.

Feelings of concern touched her mind. It wanted to know why help was needed. Her father, Grisham, had sent her to assist the two humans who were destined to meet with him.

Taslessian told her in the bizarre dragon language all that had happened, from when they met the great dragon’s servant, to when he and Darci had escaped from the cave. After Taslessian had finished, Darci filled in the gaps. Concentrating as hard as she could, she tried to picture in her mind a movie-like scenario of how they had almost been taken. In trying to communicate with the dragon she heard what she thought was mirth, and the dragon explained to her that she did not need to shout. Darci blushed at her ineptitude, yet she was comforted in the fact that she was able to communicate with the dragon, even if not as adeptly as Taslessian.

The dragon introduced herself as Afradities. Taslessian stifled a gasp. He quickly explained to Darci that they had been very fortunate. Anyone who even glimpsed this dragon was truly blessed. In some cultures around Nahaba, Afradities was seen as a messenger from the gods sent down to the mortal world by deities who were jealous of her beauty. He would have illustrated Afradities’ whole life story if the dragon had not politely interrupted. She told them that her father, Grisham, wanted both the offworlder and the apprentice wizard to see him as soon as possible. To comply with her father’s wishes, she was going to carry them in her claws to his cave.

Taslessian swallowed hard before getting up from where he was sitting. He told Darci that on such a narrow pathway it would be too difficult for Afradities to land and take off again. They would have to stand in the middle of the path so that she could pick them up in mid- flight before diving through the gap between the mountains into open sky. Darci looked at the valley trying to imagine the skill that the dragon would need to pull off such a feat, astounded that Afradities took such a task so casually.

The dragon circled above them one last time before beginning her dive. Quickly standing where Taslessian had directed, Darci clenched all of her muscles in anticipation. With a rush of air Afradities plucked the two mortals gently but firmly from the ground.

Darci felt a swift rush of air from behind followed immediately by a swerve to the side, as Afradities expertly manoeuvred her way between the mountains, and they were off. There was no jolt like Darci had expected, only the rush of quick, weightless movement. Her stomach lurched, but she was not sick. She realised that it was similar to the feeling you get when in a car and it goes quickly down a small ditch in the road. Eventually, she plucked up the courage to open her eyes, letting out a cry of fright. They were headed straight for the peak of a mountain.

Affridities laughed out loud as she began to ascend past the face of the mountain. The ground rushed by in a blur of dull colours, so close that Darci could have almost touched it. Her cry of fright quickly turned into a whoop of joy at the exhilaration of the experience.

She could see for miles around. The forest was a dark sea of green behind them with the wind causing a ripple effect in the canopy much like a wave in an ocean. The only thing stopping them from falling was Afradities’ delicate grip – knowledge that only added to her adrenalin rush. The dragon’s large talons were gently wrapped around Darci’s waist and most of her legs, holding her firmly.

Darci again heard the dragon laugh out loud along with the sensation of mirth in her mind, but this time the dragon was not laughing at her. She turned her vision to the side to see that Taslessian had his eyes screwed tightly shut with his knuckles white. When Darci yelled at him to ask what was wrong his reply was barely audible. “I’m afraid of heights!”

Darci joined in the dragon’s merriment. “You don’t know what you’re missing,” she shouted back. Her words raced with the wind, but she knew that he had heard her because he seemed to bury himself further into Afradities’ grasp.

Much to Darci’s disappointment, Afradities soon began to slow down. Up ahead amongst white, fluffy clouds was the tallest peak around. The mountains near the cave of lava were mere hills compared to the monolith that now loomed before them.

As they got closer, Darci could see another cave surrounded by a small plateau barely the length of their newfound ally, and she wondered how they were going to land. Afradities sensed her unease, and swung her head around to look at her two passengers with her deep green eyes, speaking to them both with the mind and out loud as well, so that they would not misunderstand her. “I am afraid that I am going to have to drop you.” Her soft voice carried easily over the wind, seemingly trying to sooth the danger of the situation. “But don’t worry,” she said with a toothy dragon smile, “I haven’t lost anyone yet.”

Darci prepared herself to roll onto the ground. She had experienced enough jarring falls to find this the least painful way of landing. Her experience in the tree with the splice dragons had not been the most comfortable, and it was an experience that she did not wish to repeat. Although Taslessian was worried about being dropped, he was not afraid. He would prefer to be bruised and on the ground than not on the ground at all.

Afradities slowed down as much as she could just before she reached the narrow ledge in front of the cave. She released the two humans at the edge of the plateau and for a terrifying instant Darci thought that they were going to crash into the side of the mountain, but Afradities had timed it perfectly. Running through the air as if in slow motion, both Taslessian and Darci rolled and tumbled when they hit the ground. They were finally at Grishams’ cave.

Chapter 5

Darci brushed the dust off her worn pants as the after-effects of Afradities’ flight tugged at her hair. Struggling to come to terms with the amazing journey, she looked up at the cave entrance. It was nowhere as near as foreboding as the lair of Fritrence. Instead of teeth-like stalactites and stalagmites, the grey stone seemed to be worn smooth, as if the constant comings and goings of dragons had taught the very walls to shrink back from their awesome presence. Up above the cave the mountain continued reaching skywards, covered by only a whisper of cloud, looking as if it could go on forever. A strong wind suddenly whipped across the plateau, causing Darci and Taslessian to drop close to the ground, lest they be blown away.

A warning from Afradities interrupted Darci’s observations. They were going to have to stand next to the wall inside the cave because she was about to land.

Taslessian got up from where he was sprawled on the plateau, his eyes fixed determinedly on the ground in front of him, concentrating on placing one foot in front of the other towards the solid security of the cave. Darci stole a glimpse of the view before going inside. What she saw took her breath away. Beneath them, other mountain peaks had broken through the soft cloud cover, looking like giant stepping-stones in a mist-covered pond. Off into the distance where the cloud cover cleared, there was a small shade of green. She assumed that it was the Jungle Dragon that had been so close only moments before. Off in the other direction, were more peaks leading a broken trail to a rounded, blue horizon.

Afradities landed inside the large cave with a grace that belied her size. Wriggling her wings much like a bird, she folded them in close to her body so that she could move around without knocking anyone over.

“Well then,” she sighed, “I believe that it is time for you to meet my father; follow me into his lair.” With a flick of her tail the great dragon waddled past the two young travellers, not looking back to see if they were following.

They both quickened their pace to chase after the disappearing snake-like tail, and without further word, followed her inside the mountain peak.

As they left the light of the entrance and the violent winds of the sky, a strange musky smell began to permeate the air. Looking around, Darci realised that despite the absence of sunlight, she could still see. She also found the source of the bizarre smell. On the walls grew glowing, yellow fungi that magically lit their way, filling the air with a bizarre yet comforting scent. She reached out to touch one of the plants. As her finger touched one, it made an indignant yelping noise making her jump almost a foot off the ground. She then quickly ran after the others.

As Darci caught up to her friends, the passageway ended, opening into a large, well-lit cavern. The worn path that they had been following continued along the smoothed rock floor leading to the end of the cavern, where the most wonderful beast that Darci could have ever imagined rested quietly. On the far side of this cavern lay a dragon on a bedding of not just pine but whole pine trees. His scales were a multitude of colours yet it gave the overall appearance of being orange. Some type of inner illumination united them all under a mystery umbrella of ginger. Lying upon his bed of trees there was a slight movement, revealing the tip of his tail that seemed to curl in and around itself making it impossible to follow. As he craned his neck to face the group, the dragon’s green and intelligent eyes bore into the newcomers. It was as if he could look into the depth of their very minds.

“Welcome,” he said in a deep, resounding voice. “I am Grisham. One of the last Great Dragons.”

Taslessian solemnly stepped forward. “We are honoured, Great Dragon. I am Taslessian, the apprentice wizard, and this is my ward, Darci, the offworlder.”

“Well met,” laughed another voice. It was then that Darci noticed that there were other people in the room. Standing near Grisham was a young, broad shouldered man who stood what seemed to be near seven- feet tall. He had a large sword belted around his waist that stuck to his belt as if it was an extra appendage. His outfit looked like that of a medieval hero, as he was wearing a chain mail byrnie over a pair of worn leather fighting pants, ready for action.

Next to him stood a blond Amazon-like woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties, with her athletic physique covered by armour of a different kind. Under her cloak, her shins and arms were protected with contoured pieces of what appeared to be light metal. Her gaze met the newcomers without hesitation, facial expression stoic, giving no hint of any opinion or emotion.

The young man continued. “I am Maledorian, sir knight and protector. This is Defyance, the bearer of daggers.” The lady inclined her head at the introduction. “Now that you are here,” continued Maledorian. “We will find out why we have all been summoned here.” The knight gave a solemn mock bow as he stepped back next to his friend.

Taslessian and Darci exchanged a confused look. They had not been summoned; they were here to ask for Grisham’s help. Darci was about to mention this when Afradities stopped her with a no nonsense tone of voice. “I am afraid that nothing is going to be explained until the two youngsters have rested.” The dragon gave a pointed look at Maledorian, waiting for him to protest with the only acknowledgement being an exaggerated roll of his eyes.

Thinking about it, Darci was surprised to find out how hungry and tired she was. They had not eaten since they had stopped for lunch at the Frary City, and they had not had any sleep for at least twenty-four hours. Since she had been on this bizarre planet, all she had experienced so far was danger, excitement and fatigue.

A man who resembled the Monk Man motioned for them to follow. Darci hesitated, not enjoying her experience with the first of Grisham’s servants, but her nerves were eased by an overwhelming sense of protectiveness from Afradities. Darci looked at the dragon, who flashed her teeth in a smile before taking a step to gently push the young girl with her head to encourage her.

The servant led them down a previously unnoticed tunnel to a room furnished only with makeshift beds. On the beds lay fresh clothes that looked as if they would fit each of them perfectly. The entire experience since entering the cave was like a foggy dream to the two weary travellers, lit only by the glow from the living fungus on the walls.

With a sigh of relief, both glad to be rid of their travel-worn clothes, they eagerly changed into the fresh outfits. Taslessian made a minimal effort not to look at the almost naked form of Darci, but both of them were too tired to care. The servant seeing that they were fine together, left to get them some food, but by the time he had returned, both teenagers had fallen asleep. He sat the food down beside their inert forms before tiptoeing quietly away.

* * *

Warmth and comfort surrounded their tired bodies until a gentle hand touched both figures on the shoulders. They were awoken some time that evening, and even though they had only had around five hours sleep, both Taslessian and Darci felt wonderfully refreshed. Rubbing their eyes and yawning collectively, they were told by the servant that they were required in the centre room where everyone had assembled. Grisham the Great was going to explain all over a great feast.

Darci wondered who else had come to this dream-like gathering. She was also anxious to find out when this Grisham was going to send her home. She did not want her parents to think that she was missing without a trace, never to be found.

In the middle of the great cavern now stood a large wooden table. Placed on top were a wide variety of exotic foods that Darci did not recognise; yet the tantalising smells of the unknown cuisine made her mouth water nonetheless. Grisham’s head took up the end of the table with his massive body still curled up on its bed of trees. The others sat on the sides of the table, drinking and chatting among themselves. Everyone fell silent as they entered. Aside from Maledorian and Defyance, there was another unknown person seated across from the knight who they had not seen previously. He was a slightly built man with long blond hair and pointy ears. His soft, childlike features seemed to possess an enchanting beauty, yet his eyes were surprisingly wide. He rose from his seat to introduce himself.

“I am Lief, the elf wanderer.” He bowed slightly as he introduced himself. Taslessian again introduced Darci and himself in the same formal way, an action that bought another big smile to Maledorian’s face.

“Come friends,” said the boisterous knight, cutting off any further conversation. “Eat your fill before I finish everything off. Be merry whilst Grisham tells us why we are all here.”

This reminded Darci that she needed to ask Grisham if he could send her home. She was afraid for her parents and what they would think of her. What could she tell them when she returned? She cleared her throat with an uncomfortable cough. “I, Darci, the Offworlder, wish to ask a favour of the great Grisham.” She paused to swallow in an attempt to remove the dryness from her throat. When no one did or said anything she continued. “Would you be able to send me home back to my world please, for I do not belong here.”

Maledorian, who had been trying to control his mirth, began to laugh uproariously, making Darci turn red. She wondered what she had said that was so wrong.

“You have picked up these unnecessary formalities wonderfully,” he explained, smiling as he offered her a drink. “Only being a knight for a few moons, I personally still haven’t got the hang of it.” One smell of the pungent ale told Darci that it was a strong harsh alcohol that she would be best to stay away from. She declined the beverage politely, looking around to see if there was anything else that she could drink.

“Could you please all sit down,” asked Grisham in a friendly tone, “then I shall explain everything.”

Darci sat next to Taslessian, across from Maledorian. He was still smiling at her, something that was beginning to tell her how light- hearted his personality really was, yet she was not in the mood to share in his good humour.

Ignoring the antics of his guests, Grisham heaved a great sigh, causing all to place their drinks down in anticipation as he began his explanation. “Recently, there has been a disturbance within the magical balance on this world, and in that of every dimension.” The dragon’s voice had the attention of all in the room, including the wide-eyed, mouth slightly opened concentration of Maledorian.

The dragon continued. “Something evil has been brought into this world from another realm, and although it is of no threat at the moment, it draws evil to it and it is growing.”

Darci shifted uncomfortably in her chair while the others began to eat the great feast, its splendour going unnoticed. This dragon was not talking about her was he? Grisham interrupted her thoughts.

“I apologise,” he said, “for I am not talking about you dear child. I am talking about a demon by the name of Demolish. The magic for raising such monsters was thought forgotten, yet I, among many other noted beings, was mistaken. An uprising Ork Necrolite has stumbled across such knowledge and like all of his brethren, he desired power. He raised one of the hated hell-spawn. He was going to use it to conquer, but the demon he summoned was one of the masters of its dimension and it was too powerful for him. After breaking the spells that the Necrolite cast, it devoured its supposed master’s soul.

“Now there is going to be a great battle between the north and the south of this world. Demolish is quickly gaining control over most of the southern races. The land of Nahaba, hearing about the gathering of Orks, Trolls, Gremlins and the Dashagi, saw it as an act that is leading up to war, so they are preparing armies also.

“The evil is essentially alone; it may have many pawns to do its dirty work however, but in the end it will have no one. The good has five agents of light. To balance the fact that the evil is not something from this world, someone good had to be brought in from another world.”

Grisham looked at Darci and she realised in her heart what he was going to tell her. “I am not able to send you home, offworlder, for that magic is unknown. It seems that your life has been chosen for a greater purpose. You and the other agents of the light will need to stand together to defeat Demolish. I shall not lie to you; your quest will be thwart with danger and not everyone will return alive. If you prevail, things will be as they were, however, if you fail, dark and evil shall reign in all dimensions and life, as we know it, will be doomed.”

After a short silent pause, Maledorian was the first to speak. “You mean that we’re going on a quest to save life as we know it?” His voice held an awe inspired tone, almost as if going on a quest was his life’s ambition.

The dragon nodded and Maledorian continued. “We’re going to have to fight our way to where this demon is so that we can destroy it?” The young knight’s hand went reflexively to the large sword that remained at his side.

“I was getting to that,” replied Grisham taking another deep breath, this one longer and more laboured than the first. He seemed to be tiring. “On your dangerous quest you will need to travel north and across the ocean to the cave of Sahat. There you will each receive your prophesied weapon of choice. After that, you will need to travel south to Antara. There, if you have survived, you shall find Demolish. It is then that the true battle shall be won or lost.” He took another deep breath with his eyes almost closed, ready for sleep. It was as if, in telling this story, he had used up all of his strength. His voice was more like a whisper now and Darci had to strain to hear his words.

“You all shall rest here tonight, and the night after that. Tomorrow we shall prepare you for your journey as best we can, and then the following day we shall see you on your way.” Without another word, Grisham promptly fell asleep.

Darci was bewildered. She had to check that her jaw was not wide open with shock. If this entire story were true, what would she be able to do against an army and a demon? Why would some bizarre force choose her of all people from her world when there would have been many others who would have been more suited to the task? She was, after all, only a basketball-playing schoolgirl.

Taslessian put his hand on her shoulder. If he felt dazed at the story that Grisham had told them, how would his new friend feel? “I know it’s a bit of a shock,” he said, finally speaking his thoughts. Lost for any other words, he looked to Darci with what he hoped was an assuring smile. He felt for her, yet he knew that there was nothing that he could do to soften her obvious shock. Hopefully though, he could at least try to make it easier to bear. “We should sleep on it,” he decided. “We’re still tired from our ordeal with Fritrence.”

He looked at the others seated at the table. Maledorian was staring into the space before him, a wide grin on his face, while Defyance and Lief were looking at them both with sympathy in their eyes. At least, that is what he hoped Defyance was feeling, with the rest of her expression set in a stoic, indecipherable look, he was not sure.

Darci was too confused to argue. Eating only a small amount of what she had put on her plate she could not make herself take any more. With the others smart enough to have already eaten their fill they began to make their way towards their makeshift beds. It turned out that the five of them were sleeping in the same room; three other makeshift beds previously unnoticed. It was Lief who first approached them.

“Are you okay?” he asked Darci with his melodious voice, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I know that I cannot comprehend what you are feeling, but I just know that we will be okay. Now, if you have any problems, I want you to know that I’m here for you.”

Darci smiled half-heartedly while Taslessian took a step towards his bed. The young wizard found that he needed to stifle a small spark of jealousy as he told himself that Lief was only trying to help. Anyway, he did not even know this girl he had accidentally brought into this world.

Finally, they all tucked themselves under their blankets. Wriggling around in her bed, Darci was too concerned to close her eyes. She tossed and turned until finally her question-filled mind relented, allowing her to succumb to a deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

Still with many questions to ask, Darci woke up feeling tired and confused. Looking over at her newfound company she was too distraught to smile. Lief and Defyance slept fitfully, curled up in the blankets, while Taslessian snored with his mouth open. Maledorian was the only one active in his sleep, tossing and turning with the occasional “ha” and “have at thee” mumbled into his pillow or blanket.

As no one else was awake for her to talk to, Darci decided to wander around the cave, hoping that she could find some answers. If she found Grisham awake maybe he could tell her more. She walked into the centre room where Grisham was snoring softly on his bed of small trees. Staring in awe at the hulking figure of the great dragon, she jumped a mile high when he spoke to her.

“I sense that you are confused, my child.” His great head lifted from its rested position as he exhaled a wondrous and magical scent.

“Sorry if I woke you,” she mumbled. Now that she was here in his presence, she did not actually know what to ask.

Grisham lips turned up, revealing his magnificent array of teeth in what Darci assumed to be a smile. Perhaps her visit was expected? “I don’t understand. I’m just a teenage girl from a world where there isn’t even any magic, so why should I be chosen?”

Grisham heaved a great sigh, blowing her hair askew. “First and foremost, there is magic on every world and inside everyone. Secondly, we are all chosen by fate,” he explained. “You were chosen because there is something that only you can do and no one else. As to what that is, you’ll know when the time is right.”

Darci was still confused. What could she do that no one else could? Grisham’s eyes closed and his breathing slowed as he returned to the rhythmic throws of sleep, obviously still tired from the previous night which made her wonder how old he was. But how could one tell?

A large hand on her shoulder startled her. It was the young knight, Maledorian, dressed still in his long johns with his broadsword hanging from a mismatched belt, his hair in such a state that it reflected the dream battle that Darci had witnessed. He had another smile on his face, except this time he did not seem to be laughing at anyone. “Do not worry, Lady Darci,” he said quietly. This time it was Darci’s turn to be amused. No one had ever called her a lady before. Maledorian appeared oblivious to her reaction. “I will make sure that you are not harmed, for I am the winner of many tournaments of courage and strength. Do not be worried about me being a knight with no quests to his name because as of yet I am undefeated.”

He knelt before her, looking to the ground with one arm across his knee. “My future has been foretold to hold many great deeds, and as you are obviously very important to this quest, I pledge my sword to you until this crusade is over.”

Darci stared at him whilst Maledorian eagerly awaited her approval, not knowing what to say. She was afraid that if she refused his proposal, he would be offended. On the other hand, she did not want anyone to pledge their services to her. So she did not answer at all, quickly changing the subject instead.

“Why is it that you were so amused by Taslessian’s and then my attempt at being polite?”

Maledorian stood up with an uncomfortable cough, not sure how to take his new friend’s reaction. His brow creased for just a moment before he smiled again, deciding to explain how he had neither the patience nor the skill for such formalities, an opinion that had gotten him many extra chores as a page. He preferred the business end of being a knight and the honour that came with it. Whether Darci liked it or not, he would be there to honour his pledge.

It was not long before everybody else had awoken and they all began to congregate in the large hall. More servants made sure that breakfast was taken care of before they began to pack rucksacks full of newly gifted items. Eventually, they began organising themselves for their quest to find and destroy the foretold evil that had come to this world – the demon Demolish.

Part Two

Chapter 1

Darci awoke with a satisfying yawn. Comfort and warmth surrounded her stiff muscles, allowing the pain of such rigorous travel from the past to melt away. Rolling onto her back she stretched her arms above her head looking up at the glowing ceiling above. The strange fungus almost covered the cave roof, basking her surroundings in a soft glow. She had not slept so well since being on this strange world, and she was trying to savour the moment, for she knew that it would not last. Today they were to leave on their quest.

A hot breakfast was served for all except the great dragon, who was content to simply watch his guests. All quickly ate the steamingbuns that were bought to them, Darci noticing for the first time the fantastic amount of sustenance that Maledorian could shovel into his mouth at speed. Once they had finished what felt like their last meal, Grisham gave them a quick farewell speech wishing them the best of fortunes. The great dragon’s faithful servants presented each with a pack of supplies. With only a quick glance at their gifts, the group of five was pleasantly surprised to find new travel bedding, water skins, cooking equipment and more.

Darci almost buckled under the weight of her load, but she said nothing, knowing that she was bearing the smallest amount of their inventory. With the help and guidance of one of Grisham’s servants they were led down into the depths of the mountain. The twisting and turning through the softly lit halls soon straightened out, and before long, glimpses of sunlight could be seen through the small cracks left by long gone plant life. Without warning, the tunnel ended, the dim, rock walls giving way to bright, early morning sunshine and a small soft clearing of grass surrounded by a cosy, secluded cove of trees. Much like the Frary village, this wondrously green area was alive with foliage transforming back into the dull grey mountains just around the corner.

Down in the small valley created by Grisham’s grand mountain and its smaller neighbour, horses had been tethered to an ancient pole, patiently awaiting their riders. Darci was presented with the first horse, a tall, brown mare that was munching contentedly at the carpet of grass underfoot. Taslessian’s horse was an even taller, grey stallion that seemed to be equally as gentle as Darci’s. Lief’s mount was a smaller, black stallion that pricked its ears before looking up at the group of two- legers, whinnying its greeting with its lips curled back.

Unlike the others, Defyance and Maledorian did not need to be supplied with a mount; they had their own horses. The knight’s horse was an ugly, ill-tempered charger that snorted in impatience at the sight of its master. The largest of all the horses, its muscled physique was perfect for the rigours of war. Defyance’s steed, on the other hand, was different from any animal that Darci had ever seen. He was a chestnut- coloured animal with an equine body, green eyes, two pointed blue ears and a single green horn in the middle of its head. It reminded her of a unicorn.

Defyance noticed Darci looking at her horse with a curious expression on her face. “His name is Sahik.” She had not heard Defyance speak before, let alone to her, so she did not know what to say to the self-possessed warrior woman whose personality did not seem to invite friendship.

With a smile, Darci gave her horse a scratch behind the ear. She loved horse riding; wind blowing through your hair as beast and rider travelled as one over whatever terrain lay ahead. There was only one problem. She had not really had much experience at riding because she was allergic to horses. The night after she had ridden for the first time, she had broken out in a body-covering rash and her asthma had flared up, trying to suffocate her from the inside.

Looking around to make sure that no one else would hear, she pulled Taslessian to the side so that she could speak to him. “I don’t have a problem with horse riding, the only thing is, I’m allergic to them…”

The apprentice wizard screwed up his brow in thought as he looked at his friend. He had never heard of such a thing, yet maybe it was her terminology. After all, she did come from an entirely different planet; it would be too much to ask if every part of their language was the same.

Taslessian smiled at his new friend. “You must feel most…fortunate,” he said eventually. Quickly, he set himself to the task of attending to his mount, leaving Darci bewildered.

Watching the others she attempted to tie the harnesses on her horse the same way, but for some reason the saddle refused to sit correctly. Every time she tugged on a strap, the saddle would slide towards her, and when she tried to tighten the ties, she found that she could not.

Unnoticed, the quiet young elf smiled at Darci’s obvious difficulty with horses. Perhaps there were no horses where she came from? He would have to ask her some time. With a soft cough and a shy smile, Lief caught the young girl’s attention, motioning for her to step aside. Without a word, he elbowed her horse in the ribs, causing it to exhale. In one swift motion the elf pulled the straps tight and then her horse was saddled. Darci mumbled her thanks, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Without further delay, they were off, packs and riders alike bouncing up and down to the steady trot of their mounts; the wind in their hair and the countryside passing beneath them. Again greyness surrounded them, yet their mood was upbeat as they were travelling with a great purpose. The constant clip-clop of the horses’ hooves on the harsh rocky mountainside echoed around them. It would take the whole day to travel between the mountains back to the southwestern reaches of the Jungle Dragon. After that, it would take them approximately two days of good riding to get to the city of Chinta. Once there, they would figure out their next move. However, only an hour after they had started, Darci began to have trouble breathing. Lief was the first to notice.

“Are you tired, Darci?” he asked. His sensitive ears had picked up the slight wheeze in her breath, and one look at her reddened cheeks told him that something was not right.

Darci hesitated for a moment. If people on this world couldn’t understand allergies how could they understand asthma? She searched her mind to find the simplest way to explain it, but she found it difficult to even think, as if some great weight was slowly pressing down on her chest, squeezing the breath out of her.

All except Defyance crowded their horses around Darci as they trotted along the broad path in the shadows of the mountain peaks. Maledorian’s steed snapped once at the tail of Darci’s mount, but with a rough tug on the reigns the warhorse begrudgingly behaved. Many deep, short breaths later, the young girl managed to convey the basic concept of her difficulties to everyone in the group.

A frown interrupted Maledorian’s constant grin for an instant before he resigned, letting his horse fall back so that those in the group more skilled in medicines could handle the situation. Gaping wounds caused by a sword and broken bones from brawling were all he had experience with, so this was one thing that his knight protector title did not really cover.

Still riding, Lief began to rummage around in the little herb pouches that lay around his waist, going through the various plants until he found what he was looking for. Taking a small bowl out of his pack, he placed three small dry leaves inside, adding some water from his flask. When he had finished mixing it he handed the thick liquid to his newfound friend.

“Here, this might help,” he said as he handed the concoction to her. Darci sniffed the brew cautiously. It smelt much like minty coffee, something that she knew she would not like, but if her new friend thought it would help… The medicine tasted hot as it slid down her throat. The dry yet still spicy plant had simply melted into the lukewarm water, yet the aftertaste was cool and soothing.

Darci took a test breath. As she inhaled, her eyes opened wide in surprise, the tightness in her chest had eased and her wheezing ceased. With every breath her breathing became easier until it was back to normal. “Thank you, Lief,” she said. ‘That’s truly amazing!” It had worked better than her asthma pump from home. Lief had a warm smile on his face as he accepted back his bowl, glad that he could be of assistance.

Off to the side, slowly falling behind the rest of the group, Taslessian could not help but give the elf a dirty look. He also had the power to heal such ailments, so why had he let the elf show off?

As the group talked together, Darci found out many interesting facts about her new friends. Lief was very young for an elf – only one hundred and forty-three – whereas most elves lived to be around six hundred years old. Elves did not seem to be affected by time the same as humans. In comparable human years, Lief was around twenty years old.

Maledorian was a young knight from The Keep in the area known as Ngaire, which was situated around a four-day horse ride trip southeast from where they were. It was a kingdom renowned for its knights, ladies and onerous formalities.

At a young age, Taslessian had been picked from many ten-year-old boys in his small forest town to become an apprentice wizard. Because he had been called to such a rare trade, since his summoning, he had not left the area around Belderon’s house, until the day he had somehow transported Darci into his world.

Maledorian, Lief and Taslessian seemed quite happy to talk about their lives, whereas Defyance seemed quite content to listen. The only thing that Darci knew about her was that her horse, Sahik, really was part unicorn, according to Maledorian. Defyance smiled to herself, neither denying nor confirming the knight’s statement. When Darci started to speak about her life, Defyance gave her a stern caution. Things in Darci’s world were to remain unknown to Nahaba. The knowledge that she had may seem harmless enough to her, but the wrong information in the wrong hands could have devastating effects, Defyance warned.

Quietly, the chastened young girl sat and listened while the others continued on about their lives, leaving her feeling sad and forlorn, wondering if she would ever return home.

* * *

The sun had begun to shine through the space between the clouds as a distant rumble reached their ears. Looking around for the cause of the noise, all eyes focused on the rosy cheeks of Maledorian. After many hours in the saddle they finally stopped for lunch. A sparse covering of weeds amused the horses whilst the saddle-weary travellers sat on a collection of boulders at the side of the path. Quietly they ate their dried meat, washing it down with some ale. Darci had requested water instead of ale, because she knew from the smell that she would not like the taste of the harsh liquid. It reminded her of nail-polish remover, and the mere smell of it made her feel queasy. Maledorian, as usual, had offered his assistance, telling her that he would take the heavy burden of drinking her share for her, just so that they could lighten their load.

* * *

The weather was pleasant throughout their uneventful afternoon. The horses trotted along as they talked about nothing in particular. The sun was beginning to sink over the horizon as the clip-clop hooves on stone finally ended. Soft grass now lay underfoot as the harsh greyness of the mountains transformed into the lush greens of the forest. Not far into the Jungle Dragon, they found a small creek surrounded by a soft bed of grass to camp upon.

Darci, much like Taslessian, was glad to get out of the saddle; both of them stiff and sore. Maledorian wandered off to scout the area, setting small animal traps as he went. They had more than enough supplies to last them to Chinta, yet he strongly felt that a man as young and virile as himself needed fresh meat and not dried scraps, which he considered a snack. At this, Defyance rolled her eyes, while the rest of them thought hungrily about the idea of fresh food for breakfast.

Firewood was collected and a small fire lit for Lief to cook everyone some broth. With his Elven ways and variety of herbs he could make the simple dry meat given to them for their journey taste magical. All gratefully accepted a bowl of his cuisine, holding all conversation until their meals were at least half over.

Before Darci went to sleep she heard her companions talking about posting a watch. They did not think that they were in any danger yet, but Taslessian was still nervous about Domati and Trolog. There was no sign of the warlock and they had not felt his presence for days, but that did not mean that Domati had given up.

Darci was told that she would take the last watch, which meant that she would need to cook breakfast. Her eyes began to droop as she replied with a barely audible grunt before drifting off into the sweet confines of sleep.

* * *

Darci’s sleep was filled with nightmares. Disturbed birds flew off squawking into the night. Animals scurried out of the way to leave an eerie silence. Something was lurking just out of the firelight. The horses were scared, panicky as they managed to break their tethers and run. Then something grabbed her by the arm. Taslessian was digging his fingers into her wrist, wide-eyed as he yelled something. Then she realised that it was not a dream. He was trying to wake her up.

Behind him Maledorian was brandishing his long sword, single- handedly trying to fend off a large, hairy beast that remained half hidden in the shadows. A threatening, non-human growling could be heard as a flash of sharp metal in the firelight caught her eye. In an instant, Darci threw off her blanket and stood up.

“It’s Trolog,” Taslessian yelled. Seeing that she was awake he returned his gaze to the beast. The dim firelight cast a pale glow on his alarmed face, making him appear like a startled boy.

Maledorian was standing in his woollen long johns, and with his deft sword strokes he alone held the hulking beast at bay. Lief was moving around in a nearby tree with a small bow and a quiver full of arrows while Defyance held some daggers in her hand, placing herself between Darci and the beast, ready for action. Taslessian was standing next to her, both of them staring in horror at the beast that threatened them.

Glimpses of the monster could only be caught with the unpredictable dancing of the firelight. Trolog’s blank, black eyes never left the fiery glint of Maledorian’s sword. He stood an immense eight-feet tall and was at least three-feet wide. There was no trace of the human that the beast had once been. His head looked more goat than any animal that Darci could name. It had giant hooves for feet and its muscle-toned body was covered in short, dark fur. The monster was brandishing a dangerous-looking hook knife as he again growled a warning at the knight.

Lief let loose one of his Elven arrows. It found its mark, burying itself deeply into Trolog’s sword arm. Defyance attempted to throw one of her daggers at the beast, but it rattled unsuccessfully off chain mail that was so dark it could not be seen. The next dagger grazed Trolog’s ear but the beast hardly seemed to notice. It ignored the arrow in its arm as it lunged at Maledorian who deflected the curved blade with ease, snapping back with an attack of his own.

Darci felt helpless. Even Taslessian could do something to help her friends by using his magic, but she had nothing. Then her eyes fell upon some fist-sized rocks near her feet. She picked them up, letting fly at the beast that would kill her friends for its master.

Darci’s first two rocks narrowly missed the monster. Her third found its mark, hitting Trolog directly on the sensitive goat-like nose. This minor distraction was enough to give Maledorian the upper hand. His blade deftly swung in a manoeuvre that would hamstring almost any foe. Trolog’s knee buckled, but he quickly recovered. One hand holding the wound, the beast began to hobble back. Then a voice could be heard; it was coming from Trolog’s mouth and yet it sounded disembodied, as if not belonging to him. It was the sickeningly familiar voice of Domati.

“You all shall pay dearly for your insolence!” he threatened. “The offworlder will be mine and you won’t be able to stop me,” Trolog sneered. “Not even a powerful wizard was able to stop me!”

Darci placed her hand on Taslessian’s shoulder. For a moment any sign of fear left the apprentice. His fists clenched in rage as he took a step forward. It looked as if he was going to try to attack Trolog with his bare hands, which is exactly what Domati wanted. Yet, with the reassuring presence of his friends, he finally thought better of it. Instead he retorted, “Your mother was a goat and your father was a horny drunk!” Despite his brave words, tears of rage and frustration began to form in the young man’s eyes as he faced the beast of a man who had so recently destroyed his master.

Trolog took a last glance at his prey before he half ran, half hobbled into the darkness, giving room for Darci to heave a great sigh of relief. She did not realise that she had been shaking, now exhausted from the energy sapping fear that had held her. Taslessian kicked viciously at a stick on the ground. When he had lost his temper, whatever magic he had been planning had been lost. In this battle he had again been useless. Maledorian stepped back into the firelight, gathering an old rag out of his baggage to clean the blood off his sword. A small smile had formed on his face; for him, the quest had begun, and so far he had handled himself well. Defyance had already snuck off into the forest, knowing that her horse would be hiding with the others nearby.

A nimble Lief climbed down from his tree, jumping the last couple of metres to land silently. He suggested that they try to get some sleep because they were going to need it for the following day. It was his turn to take watch and he would be able to wake everyone if anything was remotely near. After his shift he would wake Darci.

Darci thought sleep impossible after such an attack. Yet, like the others, her eyes closed and her breathing slowed as soon as her head hit the makeshift pillow.

* * *

The first rays of light were creeping over the horizon when Lief woke Darci with a gentle hand on her shoulder. Birds had started to sing their welcome to the dawn as a light breeze rustled the leaves above.

“I thought that my watch was earlier than this,” she mumbled as she slowly got up from under her blanket. The scary events of the previous night seemed like a bad nightmare. Darci was surprised that she had been able to fall asleep so easily after the attack, but fear had taken its toll on her already saddle-tired and abused body.

She let out a slightly laboured moan as multiple joints clicked and crunched in protest at the effort of standing. Her movements were slightly jerky as she walked over to the dwindling woodpile; her legs still bent as if she were sitting on the barrel belly of her horse, causing Lief to smile. When she noticed, they both laughed, Darci making a conscious effort to stand straight despite the soreness in her legs and back. The young girl’s muscles complained loudly.

Lief smiled at her obvious physical state as he sat down, back against a tree. “Elves don’t seem to tire as easily as humans. Anyway, I decided that you needed the sleep more than I,” he replied in his musically soft voice.

Darci thanked the elf before putting another tree branch on the fire, but he made no move to go back to bed. Instead, he picked up his quiver of arrows, inspecting them one by one to make sure that they could cope with the accuracy of his shooting. From his pack he pulled out a knife and some wooden sticks. He had not used many arrows the previous night yet he figured that he might as well replenish his stock while he had the time.

“What do you think I should cook for breakfast?” she asked him, not having much of an idea of what she was supposed to do. He smiled again as he brushed a stray lock of soft blonde hair out of his face, and then leaned over to pull some oats out of a pouch in his backpack. Getting up he, grabbed a charred old pot from Maledorian’s pile of things. They then made breakfast together, sharing general conversation about some of the amazing things that the young elf had witnessed on his travels, which made Darci think about how much she had wanted to travel after she had finished her schooling. A snide thought entered her mind as she realised that inter-world travel had not been part of her plan.

Soon everyone awoke with the promise of food wafting past their twitching noses. Taslessian saw that Lief and Darci had been up together. He was not quite sure why he was jealous of the young elf. He had only known Darci for a short amount of time and yet he felt something for her, or so he thought. These new feelings had him confused because he had not ever felt like this before about anyone. He wanted to protect her, to tell her that everything was going to be okay, and that he could solve all her problems that he seemed to be the cause of. The fact that this was pre-ordained did little to comfort his guilt. The young wizard sighed, as he did not think that he could even convince himself of these things. He surrendered his line of thought as he too ate his breakfast with the rest of them. On the journey ahead he was sure to have plenty of time to contemplate such things.

Through the giant trees of the Jungle Dragon they rode. The sun shone through the canopy above with small shafts highlighting the greenery that surrounded them. The fresh smell of living flora and fauna reaching out for the rising sun relaxed their nerves. Flowers that had opened for the day spread their pollen on the breeze while the occasional animal was sighted, freezing in fear before running away to hide.

That morning, Taslessian travelled next to or behind Darci, depending upon how thick the forest was at the time. He noticed that she seemed relatively unaffected by their midnight adventure, happy to talk about how amazing dragons were, along with other things she had seen. Her genuine enthusiasm for the topic ignited his passion to talk at great length about the mystical world that through his knowledge of magic he was privy to.

Lief made casual conversation between the two before riding off to the front of the group with Maledorian, who had taken the lead. Defyance rode mainly back, just out of sight, to make sure that they were not being followed too closely. Yet all knew that no matter what they did, Domati could still find them while they remained on the move. With a pause in conversation for Taslessian to take a drink, Darci attempted to engage with the only other female in their group. She wanted to know more about the quiet warrior woman, however, Darci always seemed to end up telling Defyance about the non-dangerous parts about her life and world, the sports that were played and the common pets that people owned. Defyance was able to not only avoid Darci’s questions, at the same time managing to get Darci to talk about herself.

Eventually the young girl gave up by telling Defyance that she would be a good politician. She gladly left the warrior woman with a creased brow that suggested she had no idea what she was talking about.

* * *

Shortly after lunch, the forest began to thin out slightly, eventually giving way to a well-worn dirt road between the Jungle Dragon and the forest of Nadrak. The constant background noise of birds and the smell of spring were replaced by less shade and the occasional dust cloud kicked up by their steeds on the dry dirt underneath. Turning to head southwest, they passed the odd traveller, going about their business. None stopped to question them or even make conversation with the group of five. Darci had a quiet notion that this had something to do with the burly Knight Protector who rode in the lead, ready to take on any forthcoming challenges. No danger seemingly present, the Knight Protector, the Dagger Bearer, the Elf Wanderer, the Apprentice Wizard and the offworlder made their way towards the city of Chinta.

Chapter 2

The next day came without any hindrances. They had found a cosy camping spot just off the road where the group had set watches for the night, but there was no sign of Domati or his wounded beast, Trolog. Their sleep had not been interrupted and all had managed to eat a hearty breakfast, bolstered with fresh meat from a rabbit-like animal with a long tail from Maledorian’s trap. In the end they had all left with the minimum of fuss. Whenever Darci tried to buckle the saddle on her horse it sucked in air so that the saddle would no longer fit, but she was too embarrassed to ask Lief to do it for her again, leaving her to wobble precariously as they rode.

Early that morning they came to the edge of the Jungle Dragon. The jungle appeared to leave the road, giving way to grass and only a thin scattering of trees. Now there were a few fields that lay between the road and the forest, with freely grazing cattle accompanying their path. Signs of civilisation began to appear. Small farmhouses were sporadically placed along the sides of the road, built solely from what the forest provided. The sound of children playing amongst the trees carried on the wind, causing Darci to envy their carefree attitudes.

But something seemed to be wrong with the farmhouses; something that itched at the back of Darci’s mind. No men were outside working on the crops or working with the animals. In a world like this, Darci expected the men to be working all the time. The only people she did see were women labouring – some ploughing the fields, others herding their cattle. She did not know why, but to her, such a thing felt wrong. She was all for equal rights, but that did not change the fact that most males were simply physically better prepared for some tasks compared to females.

“Where are all the male farmers?” she asked Taslessian who had not really left her side since they had started riding. It had taken all the previous day and that morning, but the apprentice wizard had finally tired of talking about dragons, content to simply enjoy the quiet scenery.

“I guess that all of the men are in Chinta. Grisham did tell us that the North and South were preparing for war.” He stretched his arms towards the heavens as he wriggled around in his saddle, unaccustomed to so much riding. Aside from Darci, he had fared worse than the others, feeling as if his behind would forever be out of shape.

Maledorian, who had overheard their conversation, decided to join in. “I agree, if the South is preparing for war, all the farmers and the farmer sons will be training with the local garrison. Personally, I am excited by the challenge of war, but I know that for those who must leave their families, war is not as glorious as it seems.” The young knight scratched his stomach, smiling sheepishly as it rumbled loudly enough for all to hear.

Up ahead, the forest again came closer to the road. Cresting a hill, they looked down to see there was a farmhouse placed just off the side of their path, which was bigger than all the others they had passed. It lay at the bottom of a slight valley surrounded by soft green grass. Behind the homestead it was as if the Jungle Dragon had stretched out to encompass the land, both protecting it, yet hiding what wished to remain unknown in its peaceful but secretive depths.

The group stopped just outside the house, dismounting at Maledorian’s instruction, horses snorting impatiently as they waited to be tended to. A lady rushed out of the front door to greet them. Hair held at bay by a faded grey bandanna, her eyes full of the surprise at her unexpected guests, she wiped her hands hastily on her plain, full-length dress. Despite her somewhat well-worn clothes there was a mysterious beauty about her sharp features. Inclining her head to Maledorian, she politely asked him what he required. He respectfully requested that their horses be attended to, and if she had enough to spare so that they could have lunch at her house. She nodded, calling out someone’s name, she then sighed, shaking her head as she called for someone else. A teenage girl who looked around Darci’s age promptly came running out from behind the house to tend to the horses. After the guests had unpacked their baggage, she took their mounts by the lead having no problems, not even with Maledorian’s charger, as she led them off towards the barn that lay discreetly up another small hill nearer the Jungle.

Darci looked at the face of the woman, for an instant it looked as if she was about to cry, and yet the expression was gone as soon as it appeared. The lady ran her fingers through a loose strand of hair. Snapping her attention back to her guests, she bid them into the house and introduced herself as Lisette, telling the group that her daughter, Tallen, was tending to their horses.

Lisette led the weary travellers into a large room furnished with a large wooden table and six matching chairs. Just past the dining table lay a neat assortment of larger wooden chairs and cushions, hugging the large open fire that doubled both as a heater and an oven. Well-made wooden doors were shut on the other side of the eating area, keeping private the rest of their residence. Their gracious host swiftly gathered up some mugs, making sure that they were clean before filling them with some ale. She placed one in front of each before busying herself about her kitchen to make them lunch.

“I’ll take that.” Maledorian swooped up Darci’s mug with a wink before downing it with barely a couple of gulps. The young girl simply shrugged in response, wondering if her knight friend ever stopped being thirsty, also amazed that he managed to stay in the tight fitting confines of his armour with such a habit.

Darci looked around the spacious dining and kitchen area while her friends drank, waiting for their meal. Everything around the home seemed to be placed in a neat, ordered fashion. Sturdy shelves that lined the walls held all manner of things, from little wooden carvings to a set of well-used pots and pans. Near the main door an almost empty weapons rack held only a small bow and quiver along with a short sword, despite the fact that there appeared to be room for many much larger weapons. Much to Darci’s delight, on a large rug near the fire lay an almost giant white dog. It was sleeping peacefully, ignoring the presence of the strangers.

Lisette began to serve everyone lunch, making sure that Maledorian was well looked after before tending to the rest. Finally handing Darci her meal, she noticed her admiring their dog.

“Do you like dogs young one?” Lisette stood with one hand on her hip, washing towel dangling from her spare hand. When Darci nodded, their hostess continued. “She is called Jaylene and she is a pure mountain dog. Normally she would not be inside, but my husband is not here and she is not far from giving birth.” It was then that Darci noticed the abnormal bulge in the dog’s belly.

Without further talk everyone dug into their meals. Lisette had served them cold meat with some heated potatoes and other assorted garden vegetables. Darci ate hers in thoughtful silence. She wondered what had made Lisette upset before. No one else had seemed to notice, and what ever it was, there was no sign of it now.

Smiles shone around the room as everybody leaned back in their chairs, taking time to eat their meal. Even Defyance had let down her guard, laughing at some comment or other from Lisette as she passed by. The food tasted good and they were glad to be out of the saddle, even if only for a short time.

Maledorian was talking to Lisette about something with a big silly grin on his face. It was unlikely that such a woman in such a place did not have a husband, but he just seemed to be having some harmless fun. The hungry knight soon handed their host an empty plate, only to receive it back again topped with the same. Having satisfied his ravenous hunger by inhaling his first helping, he now started to take time to enjoy the meal, even chewing it before swallowing. On the other end of the large table, Defyance and Taslessian were talking quietly about more serious matters. Lief was switching from conversation to conversation depending on which interested him at the time.

Darci had finished her meal before everyone else; not receiving as great a portion, and glad for it. With conversations all around, none including her, she decided to make her way up to the barn so that she could talk to Tallen.

Lief began having an animated conversation with their host, talking as if they were old friends. Darci raised an eyebrow as she noticed that Lisette shared many of the same features as the elf. Though she could not be sure in her assumption, as the tops of Lisette’s ears were covered with a bandanna. She quietly excused herself from the table as she slid down from her chair. When no one objected to her leaving, she tiptoed over the wooden floor before slipping out the door, closing it gently behind her.

Darci walked with a spring in her step as she travelled the short way to the barn, a pungent scent of hay and horses causing her to wrinkle her nose. Hopefully, whatever Lief had done for her the other day also covered her for hay fever. Looking in through the open double doors of the barn, she could see the five mounts amongst another two horses, tethered to a rope-scarred wooden pole. A soft layer of hay covered the floor.

Tallen was brushing Taslessian’s stallion as she whispered comfort to the horse. So involved in her task she had not noticed Darci’s presence. The young girl was around the same height as Darci with a slightly slimmer build. Long brown hair ran free down her back, some of it covering a young and innocent face that matched the bizarrely Elven features of her mother.

“Hi,” Darci said tentatively as she took a step inside the door.

Tallen turned around and smiled, but she did not return the greeting and continued brushing the horse until she was satisfied with the result. With a soft pat on the rump, she moved to Sahik.

“Can I help?” Darci asked, grabbing another brush off the wall. The young girl stopped brushing for a moment to take a second look at this stranger. She was obviously of some station to be travelling with a knight, yet she looked just like any other girl, not even wearing the fine materials of those not for common life.

“Why would you want to help me?” Her soft voice was non- threatening, simply curious. Darci explained to her that she was not any kind of spoiled brat, getting someone else to do any work that she was not prepared to do herself. Not to mention the fact that she would be glad to get to know the horses since she had only ridden on one.

Darci and Tallen soon began talking as if they were old friends. When questions were asked, Darci employed the same tactics as Defyance, managing to get Tallen to reveal things about herself instead. The offworlder found out that Tallen was the youngest in a family of five. Her two brothers and their father had gone to Chinta to join the army of the North, possibly explaining Lisette’s earlier sadness. Considering no battle had begun, her father had taken up station as Sergeant of the Guard within the city itself. If war was imminent, it was most likely that not all of them would return.

When Darci could no longer avoid talking about her life she told Tallen a story of how she was Taslessian’s sister and that they were on an important journey. She knew that it was a lame story, but she had never really thought about a cover, and it was the best that she could do on such short notice. Aside from that, the truth could be dangerous, not only to their group, but to Tallen herself.

The young girl’s eyes lit up at the mention of a possible adventure. Her practiced hand brushing down Maledorian’s stallion paused for a moment, as with a dreamy look on her face, she confided in Darci that she had always wanted to do all the things that boys were allowed to do. Tallen wanted to be able to train as a warrior, and when her brothers were around she was able to play with them, picking up reasonable sword skills, but her father disapproved of anything other than self- defence, wanting her to act more like the lady that she would one day be. She did not want to marry some rich merchant because he paid her parents enough money. She wanted more than what a life of bearing the children of some stranger would bring.

“Where I come from,” Darci said as she brushed down Lief’s horse, “women can do and be whatever they want.” Darci smiled softly as she realised that she too had to hide her sadness. Half of Tallen’s family was away for what could be a long time, and she was a long time away from her own family.

Tallen was about to say something else, but quickly stopped when she realised that someone was coming. Something in her face changed as the young girl let the horse brush fall to the ground with a dull thud, her eyes open wide as she took a step towards the door. The look in Tallen’s eyes caused a lump of fear to form in Darci’s stomach. She turned to the barn door hoping to see Taslessian or Lief. She was shocked when neither of them came in. Instead, the second half of the door swung open, banging against the wall to reveal a strange man standing in the doorway. Both girls gasped as they saw the dagger that he held in his hand.

* * *

The stranger blocked their exit from the barn His hair was unwashed and knotted, and his face was covered in uneven stubble. He had obviously not bathed for a couple of days, as the smell of old sweat reached their nostrils with a vengeance. His mouth was slightly open, showing that what teeth he did have were dark yellow and jagged. His dull brown eyes glazed over, and Darci’s heart sank when she heard him speak.

“So we meet again, offworlder. Only this time your pitiful friends are not here to save you.” The man’s face broke into a malicious grin.

“Why is it that you never come in person, Domati?” Darci asked with a tremble in her voice. “Can’t you handle a defenceless teenage girl by yourself?” If she could direct his attention to her, maybe Tallen could sneak out behind him, escaping so that she could go and get help.

“I would easily be able to handle you, mortal. The problem is, I am not as impatient as Fritrence. If I attempted to take that talisman from around your neck by hand, it would cause me great pain. Even if I used another body to take the medallion, that vessel would die. However, when I release my hold of this mortal, I am sure that he will gladly relieve you of such a heavy burden… and other things too, I’m sure; alone in a secluded barn with two young women. Don’t worry though, I won’t let him… kill you.”

The man turned his head to face Tallen who had been edging her way around the wall to get behind him and out of the door. He made a move to grab her but she jumped out of his reach, running back to Darci. Laughing, the possessed man shut the doors, barring them with a heavy length of wood before slowly turning around.

The offworlder took a step forward to stand protectively in front of the startled girl, frantically trying to think of what she could do. If it had not been for her, Tallen would have never have been in this situation. Looking around quickly for something, anything, Darci noticed a piece of wood the size of a baseball bat.

With a small flash, the man’s body suddenly shuddered and his eyes lost their glaze. He stepped back to lean against the closed barn door, hand raised to his head to scratch while he looked around as if for the first time. His eyes fell on the two young girls, frozen still, staring at him. “I don’t know how I got here, but that’s no excuse not to have a little fun.” The derelict man scratched his crotch suggestively as he twirled the knife around his fingers.

Darci dived off to the side to grab the piece of wood, returning to her protective stance, weapon raised ready to strike. The man laughed at the seemingly futile gesture.

“Help!” Darci shouted. She knew that they were too far from the house, but she could think of nothing else.

The man paused to listen, unsure if anyone could hear the young girl. Silence reigned. There were no urgent footsteps, no shouted response, not even the wind could be heard from outside. So when no one came bursting through the great wooden doorway, he advanced towards the girls, cornering them in the back of the barn.

Sahik, Defyance’s horse, was becoming more and more agitated, pulling on its tether, snorting in frustration. It was as if the horse knew there was danger. As the man walked past the agitated animal, it kicked out at him. One hoof missed him all together, but the other hit his wrist, making him drop his knife. The horse tried to buck, causing the pole to shudder, but it held.

Darci threw the piece of wood at the man as she dived desperately for the knife that lay only two steps away. The man was shocked at the horse’s outburst, but he quickly recovered to duck the incoming missile. With a vicious step he lunged forward to stomp down on her wrist with his booted foot just as her fingertips touched the knife handle. He smiled as his victim refused to cry out while he ground his boot down on her arm. Darci tried to get away but he reached down to grab her, wrenching the dagger painfully from her grasp. He waved it slowly in front of her eyes before sheathing it.

“I won’t need a knife for what I plan to do to you,” he said with an evil glint in his eye. His other hand grabbed her by the throat, forcing Darci to hold onto his wrist for fear of choking as she struggled to draw breath.

Tallen had begun to slowly creep around behind Darci and their attacker. Her back was flat against the wall as she silently inched along, almost out of reach.

“No you don’t,” the man said. He took one step towards the girl, dragging Darci with him, and then grabbed Tallen her by the shirt with his free hand. Looking from one victim to the other, he smiled at his good fortune.

With an almighty effort, Darci manage to gain scant control of her fear, kicking the attacker in the shin. He laughed in response to her feeble attack. “I guess I choose you first, my little hell cat.”

The thug pulled Tallen close to his face. “I’ll be with you in a minute.” He kissed her on the forehead before throwing her back against the wall with great force. Her body hit the wood like a rag doll before she fell to the ground unconscious.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Darci kneed the man as hard as she could. He doubled over in pain, but his grip on her throat was not relinquished, instead, squeezing harder to cope with the pain. Her eyes widened in panic as she struggled to breathe, lungs burning until his grip lessened, allowing the air to rush back into her body.

The man slowly stood up, chest expanding while his grin was momentarily replaced by a dirty look. He slapped her across the face, leaving a bright red mark that stung painfully.

“Bitch, that’s going to cost you,” he half wheezed the words at her. He pressed his body against hers, pushing her against the wall, pinning her so that she could not attack him again.

“Clean your teeth!” Darci told him. “Well, what teeth you have left.” She was not going to give in to this man. No matter what he did to her, she was not going to give him the satisfaction. Terror began to clutch at her stomach as she tried to claw her fingernails into his arm. He grimaced slightly as she began to draw blood. Slowly he tightened his grip around her throat until she could barely swallow, forcing her to let go or be strangled.

He held her steadfastly against the wall and managed to grab both of her hands, pinning them above her head. Her arm muscles burned as she tried to bring her arms down again. Strength born of fear coursed through her body but there was nothing she could do.

The man slid a filthy hand down the side of Darci’s neck, leaving a slimy trail. With a violent jerk he began to rip at the top of her shirt, tearing it enough to reveal the pendant resting between her breasts. He picked up the medallion, fingers lingering on her chest as he lifted it closer to his eyes.

“Well, well, well,” he said. “I think that I might keep this as a memento. Darci began to struggle with a renewed vigour, stomping on his feet, but to no avail. He pressed his dirty body harder against hers, grinding his hips into her and making his intentions clear. She was helpless to stop him. He was going to take the talisman from her and then Domati would have her.

A resounding “thock” and the pressure against her body suddenly ceased as her attacker collapsed unconscious to the floor. Standing behind him as he fell was an angry-faced Tallen. The young girl had woken up and retrieved Darci’s previous weapon, using it to strike the back of his head.

Darci quickly grabbed the man’s blade before helping Tallen unlock the doors. Despite wanting to run back to the protection of her friends, she was not prepared to let this criminal get away with what he had planned to do. She walked back over to Sahik and gave give him a pat. “Can you guard him?” she felt silly talking to a horse in this way, but Sahik was very different from any animal Darci had known or heard of. The creature snorted, stomping on the ground as he nodded his head. Once untied, the horse moved to stand over the man, hooves again pounding the ground as if daring the captive to try to escape.

“Are you okay?” Darci asked Tallen. The anger in her eyes seemed to melt away, and in reply, the young girl gave her a grateful grin. Darci motioned the girl to bend down so that she could inspect her head wound, but to her relief, there was only an angry bump under the tousled hair. Tallen shrugged before heading towards the door, Darci hot on her heals.

“I am so glad that I hadn’t been alone when that man came. I hate to think what would have happened if you hadn’t been there with me.” Tallen looked at the ground in thought as they jogged back to the house. The pale expression on her face spoke volumes of how close they had been to such an undesirable fate.

“Don’t be silly, you were marvellous! If you hadn’t been there I’m not sure what that guy would have done to me,” replied Darci. “Are you sure that you are okay though? I thought that he had knocked you out and that I was done for.” Darci was pleasantly surprised with how Tallen had acted. From all accounts from Maledorian, warriors such as Defyance were extremely rare. A girl her age would never be expected to do anything but what her family told her to do, yet she had possessed a spark somewhere inside that had given her the strength to fight back.

Tallen smiled. “It looked like I was out didn’t it.” Darci nodded. “I thought that if the man suspected I was unconscious he wouldn’t bother looking at me.” Tallen was a very crafty girl it seemed.

The two of them finally reached the house, bursting through the door forcing everyone to stop what they were doing to look at them. The wide-eyed expressions on everyone’s faces showed shock at their dishevelled appearance.

“What happened?” asked Lief, his look of concern mirroring those of the others present.

Quickly, Darci and Tallen told them what had happened, motioning for them to go back to the barn straight away to deal with the criminal. Darci managed to exclude all references to Domati and thankfully, Tallen did not seem to remember. She did not know if her friends would appreciate her telling Lisette anything about their impending quest.

Lisette hugged her daughter tightly. “Are you okay?” she asked. She had tears in her eyes again, this time not bothering to hide them. Taslessian and Lief walked over to Darci so that they could comfort her. The apprentice wizard tentatively gave her a hug, surprised at how tightly his friend returned his embrace, while Lief ran his fingers through her dishevelled hair.

In that moment, Darci noticed again how handsome her young friend was. She looked into his deep green eyes, loving the feeling of his arms around her, holding her now as if they would never let go. But the moment was abruptly broken by Tallen shaking out of her mother’s embrace.

“I’m okay, Mother, but the man is still up there.” Tallen flashed a quick smile at Darci. It was most likely that the man was still on the floor with a headache.

A slow, deliberate scrape of wood on floor turned all eyes towards Maledorian, who had risen from his seat, his face a hard mask of rage. His knuckles had turned white as his nostrils flared. He was the Knight Protector on his first quest. In defeating Trolog he had felt equal to the task set before him, yet only a few days into the quest he had almost allowed the unthinkable to happen. Inside, his blood seemed to boil, not only at the man who had threatened the life of his charge, but at the man who had allowed it to happen. Himself.

“Was I being silly in telling Sahik to guard the man?” Darci asked Defyance. Taslessian had stopped hugging her now but still had his hand awkwardly on her shoulder. Maledorian made a move to leave, his wicked-looking dirk drawn and ready, but he was stopped by Defyance’s firm hand on his shoulder.

“Let us finish our lunch first,” she said. “Sahik will be able to handle such a person.” Maledorian gave her a questioning look that was stifled by the murderous glint in the warrior woman’s eyes. Her words and tone of voice were light, but her facial expression this time left no doubt as to her opinion of what had occurred.

Lisette ushered Darci and Tallen into another room. There, Tallen got changed into some fresh clothes whilst her mother looked for something that would fit Darci. It would not do to go outside with a shirt that was now little more than a revealing rag.

“What did that man want from you?” Lisette asked. Everyone knew what a man like that usually wanted to take from a girl, yet Lisette was very perceptive, not quite believing that a city degenerate could be found in their barn.

Darci was not quite sure what to tell her. The way the woman had looked after her, it was hard to lie to her face, especially when she was not sure that her lie would even be believed.

“He wanted this I guess.” Darci pulled out her medallion.

Lisette looked at it with surprise, wondering how such an ordinary looking girl could come across such a valuable and obviously magic talisman. “It must be worth a great deal,” she said finally. “Where did you get such a valuable charm?” In the fleeting moment that she had touched the medallion, the older woman had glimpsed something of great import, yet she could not figure out what.

Darci paused thoughtfully before answering that it had been an inheritance from a distant relative.

Lisette took one last look at it before handing Darci some of her son’s old clothes. She thought the hasty explanation over in her head, not believing Darci’s story at all, but deciding to let it be if the girl did not want the truth to be known.

Once the girls had changed, Darci, Lisette and Tallen returned to the dining room. Everybody had finished their lunch and they were all ready to go face the girls’ attacker.

Nearing the barn, a loud commotion could be heard. Someone was yelling hysterically, and through the short pauses for breath, it sounded like a horse was snorting. Defyance pushed past Maledorian so that she could enter the barn first. It was an interesting sight to see such an intimidating man being pushed around by the slender form of a woman, no matter how many daggers she bore.

Light shone through the open doors showing the dust that had been kicked up inside. The irate horse was standing over a cowering heap of rags. The man had curled up into a ball, whimpering like a beaten child. A rank smell wafted through the air, making the warrior woman’s nose twitch. At the sound of intruders, the man looked up with hope in his eyes. Then he noticed Defyance.

“Please let me out! Don’t let this horse kill me! I wasn’t really going to do anything to the girls.” He lifted his hands heavenward, as if praying for forgiveness; his once threatening demeanour replaced by the cowardly man that he truly was.

Defyance calmly tethered Sahik, producing a carrot to give him as she stroked him behind the ears. She shook her leg as the degenerate pulled on her armour. Maledorian entered with dirk drawn. It was a nasty weapon that looked so sharp that it almost shined. This sent the man into another burst of hysteric whimpering.

“I don’t see why I shouldn’t let him kill you,” Defyance said, kicking away the man’s hands. Despite the tough treatment he continued to grab at her clothes, pleading and begging to be spared from the knight, but she was not listening.

The man began to cry then, burying his face in his hands. She had called off the demon horse; maybe she could save him from the knight, who had cut his thumb testing the sharpness of his blade.

Defyance placed a hand on the man’s shoulders, who squealed in pain as she dug her fingers into his flesh. Drawing back her fist, she fired it at his head, punching him solidly. Blood streamed down his terrified face from his now broken nose. He then coughed and spluttered, spitting something on the hay-covered ground. It was one of his teeth.

“Go now,” Defyance said coldly. “If I ever see your face again, I’ll kill you.” She grabbed him by the hair, lifting his face close to hers to make sure that there was no room for misinterpretation. The man’s eyes widened in fear; the pain in his broken face suddenly forgotten.

“If I ever hear of someone of your description hurting or attempting to hurt anyone else, I’ll hunt you down like the animal you are and kill you, slowly.” There was such steel in Defyance’s voice that Maledorian had to do a double take. He had never heard or seen a woman such as her.

The man took one look at Maledorian. When it was clear that the knight was not going to stop him, he quickly fled barn, pushing through the rest of the group that was gathered around the door. Someone conveniently left their foot out as he rushed by, causing the outlaw to fall face first onto the ground, crushing his nose again. He did not stop though. Looking back over his shoulder as he scrambled away, he saw Defyance walking out of the barn. He then doubled his pace, leaving only a trail of blood as a reminder of his presence.

* * *

It was time for the group to move on to the city of Chinta. Tallen and Darci saddled the horses together in silence while the others went to get their baggage from the homestead. Lief had gone for a quick wander in the jungle to make sure that they were safe from any foe. He also made sure that the man had truly gone, knowing that as a country woman, Lisette would be able to fight off a single attacker, but he wanted to spare her the trouble.

Giving the horses one last brush down, Tallen started talking to Sahik. “If it wasn’t for this stupid war, things like this would never happen.” She looked up at Darci with sad eyes. “I don’t know how far away you come from or if you know anything about this, but another war is starting,” Tallen threw down the horse brush. “Most families don’t even know why they fight.”

The conversation paused as they began to walk the horses back to the house. “What is your father’s name?” Darci quietly asked Tallen as they came up to the building. She was beginning to have an idea. If she had the chance, she would find Tallen’s father and siblings. She would tell them what had happened and they would forget about fighting in the war so they could come home to where they were needed. It was the least she could do after Tallen had saved her. Thinking about the ominous words of Grisham, the simple acts of this young girl had probably saved more than she would ever know.

Tallen divulged that her father was called Chalier and that he was easy to recognise. He had a scar that ran down the side of his face. Falling out of a tree at a young age, part of his head had caught on a broken branch, causing a serious wound that had almost cost him an eye. As for her two brothers, they would be somewhere near their father. Their names were Patet and Beral.

As the group mounted their horses, Lisette thanked them for saving her daughter, and possibly herself as well, from the unsavoury man. Her face then reverted from the grateful woman to the sad mother. If only her husband or her sons had been home.

With impatient hoofs thumping on the dry road they thanked Lisette and Tallen for their hospitality, Darci quietly promising Tallen that she would try to find the rest of her family. Maledorian placed a handful of coins in Lisette’s hands. Darci did not know anything about the currency in Nahaba, but as she tightened the reigns on her horse she glimpsed the overly grateful look on Lisette’s face; Maledorian had paid her more than enough. With some more goodbyes and thankyous, the group of refreshed travellers left for the city of Chinta.

Chapter 3

The sun was just behind the horizon ahead of them, outlining the silhouette of small buildings clustered together next to the road. They had finally reached the outskirts of Chinta. The clip clop of hooves echoed off the wooden houses that began to line the streets. Flickering lights shone from the windows as people began to light their lamps and candles. Even though it was getting dark, it looked as if the city was just waking up. People were busy going from one place to another, conversing about the day’s events, many groups stopping at the larger buildings, which Darci assumed were pubs of some description.

Maledorian rode up next to her. “The City of Chinta is not always this busy,” he said, but she hardly heard him. She was looking at all the different kinds of people as they walked within reach of the street lanterns. There were normal men and women walking around; short, bearded persons who resembled dwarves; tall, scantly clothed people with dark tanned skin, and there were even some races that did not resemble people at all, who were covered in short grey fur with pointy ears and wings.

Taslessian noticed Darci’s astounded expression, leaning forward on his saddle. “They are Afrits,” he told her, explaining that they were winged people who lived on an island not far off the west coast of Nahaba.

Of all the varieties or people, Darci realised she had not seen any elves. “Why aren’t there any elves?” she asked, turning to Lief, who had donned a cloak and hood that neatly hid his features in the shadows of darkness.

Taslessian again answered his friend’s question. “Elves are not very welcome in this human city. In time of war they will fight for Nahaba, but they won’t fight with the humans from this area. The north will have two separate armies. There will be one army coming from Chinta and the surrounding area and there will be another coming from the assorted Elven cities around the land.”

Darci was confused about this, if they fought for the same thing, why didn’t they fight together? As if in answer to her thoughts, Taslessian then launched into a brief lesson on the history of Nahaba.

* * *

Many years ago – too many to be remembered – there had been a very remarkable child who lived in the city of Chinta. No one knew where the child had come from, or who the child had belonged to, but it had been prophesied that the child would some day end a war. The child became renowned around the land of Nahaba for his appearance as well as for the prophecy. He was loved by many of the city’s citizens, and it was said that this child’s beauty even surpassed that of the Elven queen who ruled the elves so many years ago.

Elves were not known for being jealous or spiteful, however, the queen at the time had suffered many battles of magic that had left her drained and slightly deranged. Despite the protests of her advisors she decided that a child that possessed such looks did not deserve to live. The citizens of Chinta heard of the Elven queen’s plans to have the child killed. This was seen to be such an unjust act that the people rallied, beginning the War of the Child. It was a long and bloody battle that cost many Elven and human lives.

As the prophecy had foretold, the child donned personally made armour and took an entourage of warriors to end the war, but the two armies were too evenly matched. All the child saw was many good men and elves loosing their lives needlessly. So, to prevent the war from continuing, the child fell on his own sword, his dying wish being that the armies return to their homes to continue their lives.

As prophesied, the child had indeed ended the war, yet most did not realise that if the child had not existed, none of if would have happened. Sadly, a rivalry brewed between the Elven Lake City and Chinta after that.

* * *

Saddened by the tragedy of the tale, Darci looked around her surroundings to try to find something to lighten her mood. The sun was no longer lighting the horizon, leaving the flickering street lamps as the only source of illumination in the city. The shadows began to play tricks on her eyes as the buildings became more dilapidated. Windows were boarded up, and more often than not, trash lay in the gutters. People walked in the shadows, giving the town an almost sinister look. Darci was glad that she was not alone.

Riding closer to Taslessian, she noticed a man walking on the other side of the street. She could not tell exactly what it was that made him stand out, but there was definitely something different about him. He suddenly paused under a streetlight, staring back at her. He looked as if he was just out of his teens with intelligent, dark eyes that held her transfixed. He smiled at her, and the young girl could not help but smile shyly back. His boyish good looks and misshapen dark hair suited him, and Darci almost blushed when he saw her staring at him. Then with a wink the intriguing stranger disappeared into the shadows.

Suddenly her horse stopped, breaking her out of her thoughts. Maledorian had dismounted his steed outside a not so friendly looking inn. As he walked inside, he had to push through a group of drunken soldiers. One of them turned to face the brazen young knight, squaring his shoulders as he lifted his chin. However, his eyes only reached the neck of the forthright stranger. He then noticed that Maledorian carried a very intimidating sword, at which point he became very quiet. Such a sword could only belong to a knight, or someone who had appropriated it from one.

From inside the inn could be heard drunken voices singing unfamiliar songs to an exotic instrument. It sounded as if everybody had decided to choose this night for a party. Darci caught sight of a sign hanging lopsided from a pole sticking out above the door. Straining to read the faded letters she found that the inn was called the Blazing Unicorn, and looking at the variety of patrons coming and going or laying on the ground inert, it appeared to have the make of a pub that catered for all but the weakest of livers.

Maledorian soon came out of the Blazing Unicorn with a young boy at his side. “There are suitable rooms for us here,” he said out loud, and with a whisper he continued. “We shall eat, rest and then tomorrow we shall look for a boat that will take us to our next destination.” Following the lead of the knight, Darci gave her horse’s reigns to the boy and then followed the rest of the group into the rowdy inn.

Once through the door, she was bombarded with the smell of cigar smoke, strong ale and the pungent odour that you get when there are too many people in a small place. People were crowded around tables telling tall tales, while others were against the bar drinking and laughing. At the end of the room, the more devious looking were throwing knives at a target painted on the old and scarred back wall. There were serving ladies who took drinks to each paying customer, though Darci did not think that they deserved the term lady by the way they were dressed. The more modest of those present wore long dresses with cuts along the side up to the thigh, while the tops of their dresses were so low cut that the stunned young girl was surprised that their attributes had not fallen out for all to see.

The whole hullabaloo suddenly fell silent as everybody paused, turning to look at the group of newcomers. By their dress and manner, the group of five were obviously not locals to be accepted straight away. Darci felt like hiding behind Maledorian’s muscled bulk to get away from the unwanted attention. The eyes that slid over the group were not friendly, yet most did not feel hostile. Maledorian took one step forward, hand on sword, eyes meeting any brave enough to look at him openly, physically announcing that he was the one that needed to be reckoned with. Acting as if everything was pre-planned, he placed his hand on his sword, and as if on cue, everything returned to normal. Conversations continued, another drunken song started up and people began to yell for their momentarily delayed drinks.

Darci kept close to her friends, because even though the crowded room appeared to be back to normal, she could still feel the eyes of many strangers looking her up and down. Yet she was not the only one being covertly ogled. She noticed that a lot of men were stealing glances at Defyance as they began to step through the crowd. One overly drunken man became overconfident in thinking that Defyance was easy to handle. He rocked around on his chair to hit the warrior woman soundly on the bottom, grinning stupidly for all to see. Immediately, Defyance reacted, punching him solidly in the side of the head. The drunk was hit hard enough to knock him straight off his little wooden chair, falling on the dirt and sawdust-covered floor at the feet of some of his mates.

Darci got ready to run. Surely this was going to be the beginning of a fight, but to her surprise the whole room burst into laughter. Defyance along with Taslessian and Maledorian were also smiling.

“Well done,” said a tall, bearded man as he handed Defyance a mug topped to the brim with ale. Defyance took it from his hand and looked at him for a moment with a single eyebrow raised. With a defiant snort she downed the lot in one go, grabbing the shirt of the man in front of her to delicately wipe her mouth on. This bought another wave of laughter through the Blazing Unicorn. There were even some whistles and catcalls, with the tall, bearded man slapping her heartily on the back.

Darci kept so close to the Knight Protector that she was almost stepping on him, keeping an eye out for any straying hands. She made him bend down slightly so that his head was level with hers. Even so, she had to shout at him so that she could be heard over the noise. “Is there somewhere quiet that I can go?”

“What, you want to hire a hoe?”

Before Darci could shout again she saw rather than heard the laugh on his face. He motioned for one of the serving ladies to come over.

“We have paid for two rooms. I want you to take my friends up to them.” Maledorian pointed to Darci and Lief. “Then could you get them something to eat and drink? By the way, the girl doesn’t drink ale.” With hand signals and a little more shouting he eventually got his meaning across. As the woman turned to lead them upstairs, Maledorian grabbed her firmly on the bottom. Her reaction was completely different to that of Defyance, and instead of hitting him, she smiled, winking invitingly. As she walked away, her hips seemed to wiggle even more than they had just a moment ago.

Upstairs, above the bar, there was a narrow hallway that led past many closed doors. The wooden floor felt as if it was creaking beneath every step, yet through the cracks, the noise from below seeped through to mask their footsteps. The only lighting came from a single candle that the serving lady held, flickering over the wooden walls. Finally they reached their rooms at the end of the hall. Opening the doors, both Lief and Darci were glad to see the small straw beds adorning the almost empty floor. They were not much, but they were first class compared to the hard ground that they had stayed on the previous night. The only other furniture in the rooms included a small wooden table and a small wooden chair.

“The two ladies will be sleeping in here,” the serving lady informed them as she motioned at the two beds. Then she pointed behind her, through the open door directly across the hallway. “The lads will be in that room. I’ll go downstairs now so that I can get you the dinner that the knight paid for.” With that, Darci and Lief were left alone.

“So what do you think of Chinta?” Lief asked her from under his hood. Not knowing exactly when the lady would return, he had decided not to take off his cloak until she had been and gone with their meal. He lifted his arm to direct Darci into the room, closing the door behind himself as he followed her in.

“It’s a lot different from the cities in my world,” she said after a slight hesitation. “For one thing, the people are very different. Defyance acted as if she was expecting someone to hit her on the arse. If someone had done that to me I don’t know what I would have done, as such things in my world can be considered an offence by law. Not that it’s acceptable on my world… not at all really.” She sat down on one of the beds, her feet glad for the rest despite the fact that they had been riding, not walking. The straw made the room smell like a barn, but the soft feel of it underneath and the thought of sleeping on it made the smell almost comforting.

“It’s very different from the way elves live also,” Lief said as he sat down next to her. She noticed that he sat a bit closer to her than was necessary, but perhaps it was simply his way.

“We’re almost in the same tree, as my people would say, both being in a city that we’ve never been in before.” He took a deep breath as his hand searched for Darci’s, caressing it once with his soft Elven fingers before enveloping her hands in his. He looked deep into her eyes. “You know, I’m here for you if you need me… for anything.”

Darci withdrew her hand and coughed uncomfortably. She was not sure if the elf was coming on to her or not, and it was not that she did not like Lief, but just not in that way; she hardly knew him really. Yet, the land of Nahaba was very strange, perhaps their customs concerning love and relationships were different and he was just being polite.

Brushing a lock of blonde hair out of his face Lief began to move his head closer to hers. There was no mistaking his intentions this time. He was going to try to kiss her. Just as she felt his hot breath on her face she turned to look down at the floor, avoiding his gaze. Realising that he had been turned down, he sighed, pausing for a second while he compiled his thoughts.

“What is wrong?” he asked with concern in his voice. He did not know why, but he felt a strange attraction to this human, unlike any he had felt before. He had not known her for long, yet he knew his heart, despite any hesitation he felt, that he would gladly give his life to her. He slid his hand under her chin to bring her eyes back up to his, searching them for an answer.

“It’s not that I don’t like you, Lief,” she replied eventually. Her face had gone bright red but she forced herself to continue. “It’s just that I am so confused. I’ve been thrown into this world without any kind of warning, being told that I have a prophesied destiny…”

The young elf placed a finger on her lips to stop her from talking. He liked to think that he understood her situation better than anyone. Even if their circumstances had been different, he too had been thrown out of his home into a world that he barely knew.

“I understand… and I’ll wait,” he said. But instead of being saddened by the news, the elf seemed surprisingly happy, reaching his arms around her to give her a friendly hug. He brushed some loose hair back under his hood as he whispered. “I understand better than you know. Perhaps one day I’ll tell you about it.” He squeezed her tight just before letting her go, touching his soft lips on her forehead before standing up to look down at her fondly.

Suddenly the door was pushed open, hitting the wall. Taslessian was standing in the doorway with the serving lady who was struggling to carry three plates of food stacked up on one arm and three mugs of drink in the other hand. He stood for a moment, looking at the reddened cheeks on Darci’s face. The young wizard’s broad smile lessened, but if he was overly upset, he hid it well.

Carefully, he took one of the plates off the serving lady, handing Darci a dish full of meat and vegetables covered in some kind of sauce. He smiled again as he carefully chose the mug filled with water, spilling a couple of drips on the dusty wooden floor as he wobbled it towards his friend.

Taslessian had the smell of ale on him – something that explained his unsteady behaviour – stumbling slightly as he handed Lief his plate of food, upending the saucy contents all over the front of the unsuspecting elf’s shirt.

“Oh, I am sorry,” he slurred slightly. “I’ll help you clean it up.” Taslessian’s clumsy efforts at cleaning up the spilt food only resulted in making the mess worse.

Lief sighed with resignation. “Thank you,” he said, without even a hint of annoyance in his voice. “I’ll go into our room so that I can clean it up whilst the lady here gets me another meal.” He turned to Darci. “I shall see you in the morning; sleep well,” Lief pushed past Taslessian, smiling under his hood as he shut the door behind him.

Before leaving to get Lief’s new meal, the lady produced a bottle from the belt behind her back. She gave it to Taslessian with a wink. He burst into a fit of giggles when she left, closing the door behind her with a smile. Darci had to admit that although Lief’s situation was not humorous, Taslessian’s giggling was contagious. Soon they were both rolling around the floor, clutching their aching stomachs.

Darci was the first to recover. Sitting up with a few pieces of straw stuck to her now slightly tangled hair, she began to brush herself down. She was getting hungry and she did not want her meal to get too cold. Taslessian got his giggles under control and joined her, talking about all that had happened since Darci had come into this world a week ago. Darci ended up telling him about how the man in the barn had been controlled by Domati. This was almost the first time she had been alone with anyone in the group since the incident.

A pained look on his face interrupted the alcohol-induced merriment as he told her that somehow, he already knew. He could tell that some magic had been used in that area, but he had not put his intuition and the attack on Darci together. He was ashamed that he had not picked it up earlier, before she had been put in danger.

The conversation soon turned to Darci’s life back on earth, making her mood soon change from mildly happy to depressed. If she were back in her world, she would be in Bendigo playing basketball with Kellie. Not only did she miss her home, but she also missed her friends. What really upset her, however, was how her parents must feel. Their only daughter had disappeared without a trace for over a week. The thought made her feel physically ill. With a deep sigh she put down her almost empty plate of food, looking aimlessly at the bite marks that she had left in her meat.

“Don’t be sad,” said Taslessian. Waiting for her to look up, he stuck out his bottom lip, giving Darci the sad puppy look. This made her smile slightly, eventually finding it hard not to laugh at his self-debasing methods of trying to cheer her.

“I have a present for us.” He picked up the bottle that the lady had left behind, giving it a slight shake to show that it was full of liquid.

“It’s not ale,” he told her as he eagerly poured some liquid into Darci’s empty mug. She looked at it dubiously not sure whether to try it or not. When he drank his with a smile, she decided to give it a go. Putting it up to her lips to take the smallest of sips, Darci was pleasantly surprised. The liquid tasted kind of like a dessert wine, except that it was both sweet and tangy at the same time. After a few more taste tests, she drained her mug in no time at all, happy when Taslessian did the same, before quickly refilling both mugs. Soon both of them were talking and giggling about nothing.

Darci was not entirely drunk – at least that’s what she thought, considering she had never been drunk before. She was just happy, yet she needed to get away from her present situation, so she had fallen into the intoxicating mood with ease. On the other hand, Taslessian was almost slaughtered by the ale. Even though he was sitting down, he could not seem to stop himself from swaying from side to side, jolting upright on the odd occasion as if he had inadvertently fallen asleep. His eyes had gone all red, and every time he spoke his words came out slurred, his drunken gibberish becoming harder and harder to understand. He had obviously consumed one almighty mug of ale before coming upstairs.

As he half fell, half leaned back on the rolled up blanket he used as a pillow, Taslessian began to tell Darci his life story. Through the tumble of words she could make out that he had a little sister called Tess, an older sister called Gabe, and his mother’s name was Ita. His father had died when he was very young so his mother had remarried within the small village that they had lived in – life being very hard in that area without a man to support the family. The man Ita had married was two- faced and mean. When his mother was around, the man fawned on her children as if they were his own, but when Ita was away, Taslessian and his sisters were forced to make themselves scarce. Yoman, the stepfather, was very abusive and he had beaten Taslessian for the slightest of upsets. Yoman never seemed to touch the girls, which was why Taslessian was glad to be taken away to become an apprentice wizard.

This news swung Darci back to feeling sad. Noticing the frown on her face, Taslessian smiled. “It’s okay,” he said. “I heard that soon after I was taken away, Yoman was accidentally killed by one of the villagers. The villager had seen Yoman chasing after Tess like a mad man with my little sister crying terrified. When he tried to calm Yoman down, the villager was set upon for interfering, in the end being forced to kill Yoman in self defence.” Taslessian nodded his head in satisfaction of something that needed to be done, yet he could not stop his face from changing back to the sad and mopey one of only moments before.

Darci placed her hand on his shoulder to try to comfort the now depressed young man. With the dramatic way that Taslessian’s mood had changed it was clear that these memories still hurt him deeply. His eyes had filled with water making him look as if he was about to cry, which made her want to cry also.

“You’re not going cry are you?” she asked. “I’m not any good when one of my friends cries, because it makes me cry too, and I don’t want to cry…” Now it was her turn to use the puppy face.

Taslessian looked into her deep blue eyes and he smiled. “I’m not going to cry, because now I have you.”

Darci had a distinct feeling of déjà vu as Taslessian moved his head closer to hers. This time, she did not have the reflexes to back away. Instead, when their lips finally met, she paused for a moment before eagerly returning his kiss. His touch sent pleasant tingles up and down her spine, the sensation making her body warm with excitement. It was uncomfortable to kiss someone sitting down and twisted, but she hardly noticed. Taslessian stood up then, unsteady on his feet, as he helped her to stand also so that he could embrace her properly; arms wrapped tightly around her waist, pulling her close to his warm presence.

Darci had her eyes closed as she fell into the soft tranquillity that his arms provided. She had to tilt her head upwards so that she could reach his mouth with hers, pulling him down slightly with her arms around his neck. He tasted like the sweet tangy wine that they had been drinking and he smelt much like the hay they had been sitting on.

What seemed an eternity later, the door swung open again, banging into the wall, breaking them apart. Defyance stood in the doorway, halting momentarily as she realised what had been happening, but if Darci being in Taslessian’s arms surprised her, she did not show it, or seem to care about it in the least. She stood tall though without the usual threatening presence of hands on hips and serious eyes. A slight smile on her face was the only indication that she also had been enjoying the Blazing Unicorn’s wares.

“You’d better get off to bed, Tas,” she said, quickly putting a hand out to steady the youth as he stumbled, trying to lean against the wall. “Okay, here we go.” The warrior woman put her arm around his waist, the youth automatically placing his arm around her shoulder. His feet dragged along the floor as the strength of the warrior woman almost carried him to bed.

In no time Defyance was back with Darci, shaking her head with rare amusement. “Poor lad just can’t handle his drink,” she said, taking off her armour, placing it beside her bed and pushing her dagger carefully under her pillow. It was a ritual she undertook every night.

Darci took off her pants and rubbed her legs. It had been a week since she had shaven, and the hair on her legs had been able to grow unchecked. “What do you do about this?” she asked before hopping into her straw bed. The warrior woman reached out from under her bed with a mumble, placing yet another one of her daggers on the floor between the two beds.

“Oh… that’s okay,” Darci said, knowing the sharpness of the warrior’s blades would do more than shave her legs. How she missed a hot bath and soft soap. After wriggling around to get comfortable, Darci had one thing left on her mind.

“Defyance?” she called.

The warrior woman answered with a grunt, not even bothering to move. She had found a comfortable position on the meagre offering of straw and was not going to upset it.

“Would you be able to teach me how to handle myself the way you did downstairs?”

“Sure,” she answered sleepily. “Later…”

With the muffled sounds of a continuing party seeping through the floorboards, both women settled down to sleep, Darci blowing out the candle sitting on the small chair.

Chapter 4

Someone was again shaking Darci’s shoulder. When she rolled over to see who it was, the brown eyes of Defyance met her sleepy gaze. The young girl’s head felt fuzzy as her muscles struggled lethargically to do as they were bid. Her mouth was dry and her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth as she tried to gather her thoughts. Finally she struggled to roll over, her joints clicking and groaning as she wriggled underneath her warm if somewhat musty blanket. A disjointed thought passed by, wondering when, if ever, she would get used to the strenuous exercise of horse riding.

“You sleep much too heavily,” complained Defyance, standing above the Darci with her hands planted firmly on her hips. Already dressed for the morning, the warrior woman heaved a sigh of frustration. A stray strand of blond hair fell in front of her eyes, only to be blown back by an impatient huff. “If you wish to handle yourself like me, your first lesson is to try to sleep lightly. There is no easier a way to get killed if you’re not expecting it. Now, get up so that we can go through some exercises that you will have to do every morning from now on.” She turned her back on her sleepy young comrade to sit on the stool while she brought out a small flat stone to sharpen one of the many daggers that she possessed.

Darci got out of her comfy bed begrudgingly. Back home, she used to get out of bed early so that she could work on strengthening some of her muscles for basketball. This was one part of her world that she did not miss. With a resigning sigh, she dressed herself in plain brown pants and a dark green shirt, and without a word of complaint, followed Defyance out the door and down some narrow stairs at the end of the hallway. Her feet thumped statically on the slightly uneven woodwork, her stiff muscles not assisting in the descent. At the bottom, a dilapidated door creaked open to reveal the blinding first rays of sunlight. Blinking, Darci cleared her eyes of the brightness to see before her a disappointingly dingy little backyard that doubled as the Inn’s stable area.

She could see their horses tethered inside a rundown, ramshackle stable. It looked as if it had been well made once upon a time, but the elements had had their way, tilting the wooden roof to the left, looking as if it could fall over at any moment. Maledorian’s charger was half sticking out from under the roof, stomping its foot as usual, protesting at anything – which was usually everything – that it found unsatisfactory.

Defyance passed her evaluating glare over the area as she stood in the middle of the cobble-paved courtyard. Shrugging her shoulders, she turned to face Darci, who was busy stifling a yawn. “I want you to hit me,” she said, waiting for her command to be obeyed.

Darci lifted one eyebrow to question this, but there was no hint of humour in the woman’s eyes, so the offworlder did as she was told. Balling her hand up into a fist, Darci launched her hand at the middle of Defyance’s ribs. She knew that if she hit the right spot, she would at least wind her rather confident friend. But then again, she realised that it would not matter; she knew that Defyance would have something up her armoured sleave.

Just when Darci thought that she might actually connect with the punch, Defyance turned sideways, grabbing Darci’s wrist with one hand to pull her off balance, and swiftly drawing a dagger with the other. Before the young girl new it, she was being held firmly by her mentor with her own arm wrapped around her chest and neck, a knife held at her throat.

“Well, at least you seemed to be aiming for one of the right places to hit,” the warrior woman said, more to herself than anyone in particular. “That gives me something to work with!” With a swift motion the dagger was placed back in its sheath and Defyance released her vice-like grip.

Motioning for Darci to go back to their starting positions, Defyance began to re-enact what she had done, slow enough for her pupil to see, and so continued their morning. When they had finally finished the lesson, Darci felt only slightly more confident in the taproom than she had before; still not willing to do what Defyance had done the previous night, but satisfied that she was at least trying to do something about it. The warrior woman had shown her a few simple effective things to do in case of an emergency, though her main strategy was to always distract and run, a tactic that Darci was very comfortable with. Feeling tired all over again, both from lack of sleep and the morning exercise, she retreated upstairs back to bed.

* * *

It seemed like she was only asleep a couple of minutes before being awoken again. This time it was Maledorian reaching down to shake her shoulder. His smile was bright and his eyes were clear, making her wonder if the knight had actually joined the others last night.

“I don’t want to get up,” Darci mumbled as she turned her back to him. She pulled the blanket over her head only to uncover her bare feet at the other end. Despite her now chilling feet she was comfortable, a sensation that had been difficult to achieve.

“You and Taslessian both,” he replied. Taslessian appeared in the doorway opposite with his head hung in an attempt to hide the dark bags under his eyes. His feet dragged on the floor as he stumbled to lean against the doorframe. The knight walked around her bed so that he could face her again. Kneeling, he reached down, with one hand, smiling as he started to poke and prod Darci in the ribs with a large calloused finger until he found the right spot. He smiled in satisfaction as he won an involuntary squeak for his efforts. “All right, all right, I give up!”

Maledorian’s grin widened at the victory, stepping back as the young girl struggled to get to her feet. Barefooted, she followed the knight out into the hallway. His gangly arms reached over her head behind her to shut the door. He pulled on it hard, closing it with an overly loud bang. His grin turned to mischievous as Taslessian bought his hand to his head with a groan.

The three of them met the seated Lief in his hood, and a stoic Defyance in the now empty taproom. The smell of the previous night had only lessoned slightly, leaving the scent of sawdust and spilt ale in place of the ripe body odours of the regular patrons. The silence of the morning was in direct contrast to the rowdy melodies of the night before, yet Darci could still imagine the bawdy tunes playing in the back of her mind.

One of the serving ladies had placed some meals on the round table where their comrades already sat. Lief stood up and pulled a chair out for Darci so that she could sit down next to him. He lifted his head so that she could see his kind smile from under his hood, reminding the young girl about what he had said the previous night. Before she could feel uncomfortable at his interest, however, he turned his attention to Maledorian, leaving her to think that perhaps he really was quite content to wait. Defyance kicked a chair out for Maledorian to sit on, tilting her head in acknowledgment as he gave her a mock bow before sitting down, hand already grabbing at the food.

Darci looked around at her strange group of friends. Maledorian was taking up the most space across from her, smiling as he began to dig in to his breakfast. The tall brawny man made the chair that he occupied look like a child’s, sitting legs wide apart, and leaning back as he took a large, vicious bite out of a bread roll. His plate was piled up with almost three times the amount on Darci’s. Defyance, as always, was brooding over something as she sat quietly next to the young knight. She cut her bread into edible portions with her own dinner knife, delicately using it to stab the cut portions onto the end of her blade so that she could place them in her mouth. Lief was again hiding under his cloak, sitting in the shadow of the stairs next to Darci, while on her other side, Taslessian held his head in both of his hands hunched over his part of the table. He had pushed his plate away without even touching his food. A flick of his finger gave leave for Maledorian to drag it towards his side of the table.

Darci was surprised to find out that it was only time for a midmorning break, making her wonder what time she and Defyance had been out in the backyard. She would have thought it a dream if it were not for the red marks around her wrists and the fatigue coursing through her body. Going over the evasive moves she had had been taught in her mind, her thoughts were interrupted by Maledorian.

“First, you lot will go through the markets. There, you can pick up anything that we might need on the voyage. Whilst you’re all doing that, I’ll go look for a decent ship and crew to take us on our trip.” Maledorian established the day’s plans with the rest of the group as he gulped down his morning milk.

Taslessian moved his head closer to Darci’s. “How are you feeling?” he asked her with a gravely voice.

Darci wrinkled her nose. His breath showed that he had not eaten, drunk or done anything since the previous night. “I’m fine,” she replied smiling, as she sat back in her chair. “It hasn’t given me any trouble.” The young wizard rolled his eyes in disgust. “How about you?” Darci enquired, even though she knew the answer.

Taslessian told his friend that he was never going to drink so much ale again. However, he was still prepared to drink a bottle of wine with her any time, despite any consequences that he may face the next day. He smiled as he remembered what had happened the night before. Darci was the first person that he had ever kissed, and he had found in a flood of warming sensations that he really cared for her. When he considered their quest, his stomach clenched tight with fear, not for himself, but for his friend. His master had told him stories about the demons of old, who had done unspeakable things. He snapped out of his melancholy thoughts with a shudder as he realised that Darci was trying to speak to him. He shook his head to clear it.

“I said, what do you think we’ll buy in the market?” Darci had at first thought that Taslessian’s laps in concentration was due to his hangover, but the strange, concerned look he had not quite managed to hide caused her to wonder.

“Well, we’ll probably get some new, warm clothes, maybe some new weapons as well,” the young wizard replied, glad for the distraction, “None of us have been on an actual quest before, so who knows what we need, aside from the fact that Menarik is cold.”

Still not in the mood to talk about such things as world-changing quests, she changed the subject, wanting to know what type of place Menarik was. Taslessian thought for a moment as he bought to mind everything he knew about the place that they were headed to as best as he could, considering that he had also never been there.

“Menarik is a place where people sometimes live in icehouses,” he began. “All the ground is covered in snow, though I think that there are forests closer to the coast and the people wear animal fur so that they can keep warm…”

* * *

After they had finished their belated breakfast, put on their shoes, and in Darci’s case at least, tried their best to tidy their hair, they gathered outside the inn to be greeted by the late morning sunshine. Passers-by stole glances at the strangers without malice before continuing with their business.

Maledorian made sure that all knew what to do before heading off towards the docks to find a suitable ship. He wore a modified version of a suit of armour with only a chest plate, shoulder braces and thigh guards over a short-sleeved shirt that showed off his sizable muscles. No matter what he did or where he went he would never forgo certain aspects of his knightly ways to the practicalities of discretion. However, to better fit in with the dockside culture he covered his obviously knightly possessions with a great cloak, and left only his boots and the tip of his broadsword showing. With swift steps he soon disappeared out of sight of the Blazing Unicorn.

The rest of the group had no such troubles with blending into the local culture. Lief with his hood would have stood out in a hoodless crowd if it were not for his bizarre skills of staying unnoticed. Under her simple pants and shirt, Defyance still wore her armour, yet with it covered, she looked like a much larger woman. She too knew the advantages of blending in, so instead of walking around as if she owned the place, she lowered her face to the ground, allowing her usually well- kept blond hair to creep over her eyes, hiding the irremovable look of boldness. Taslessian and Darci were the most unremarkable of the group, dressed in the simple clothes of a commoner with no large weapons or distinguishable clothing to hide. Without a word, they all trundled off down the road towards the market.

The push of the crowd, strange smells and the noise of many, assaulted the senses. Darci’s eyes were again wide with wonder as she stared at all the different stalls in the bazaar. She felt as if she had been transported to an Arabian street market with medieval architecture. People were selling exotic silks, pottery or magical charms; others were selling all sorts of weapons, or anything that they could lay their hands on. On occasion, mouth-watering smells wafted past on the wind, hinting at stalls still out of sight.

Above the general incomprehensible din, the traders were enthusiastically spruiking their products, each one trying to be louder than the next, some even trying to shove their products into potential customers’ faces. The atmosphere was charged as people haggled for the price they wanted. The storeowners were acting as if they were being robbed, all seeming to have starving children, whereas their customers were all feigning poverty as they bartered.

The stores themselves were simple wooden tables, some with homemade wood signs, some crudely painted, others skillfully carved. With many goods within reach as she walked by, Darci was beginning to wonder how the store managers stopped their products from being stolen. Shoplifting was a common enough occurrence back home, and she wondered whether or not this was the case in Nahaba. Unified steps of many began to reach their ears through the noise of the bazaar as a group of foot soldiers marched down the street. People made way for the fierce, uniformed men, some crying out as if in fear of being trampled, others giving a slight nod in greeting. Darci rightly assumed that they were the ones who dealt with any thieves.

Unseen behind the stalls lay the ordinary wooden buildings – homes for the vast majority of merchants. These buildings parted frequently to allow for small alleyways through which people entered and departed, all going about their day-to-day lives. It was into one of these alleys that Defyance, Taslessian, Darci and the hooded Lief stopped to talk.

Defyance placed her arms around Taslessian and Darci, pulling them close so that she did not have to shout. “We’re going to split up. Tas, you and Darci are to look for ropes, boots, some shoulder packs and a food seller who can deliver to the ship. Lief and I will go for the warmer clothes, some ale to keep us warm, and anything else we find that we think we need.” The warrior woman locked her eyes with her two youngest comrades, nodding her head when she knew that they had understood. Before they left, Defyance placed a firm hand on Taslessian’s shoulder.

“Make sure to be careful. Nothing should happen in the middle of the city in broad daylight… but never let your guard down. At the moment, I’m expecting more trouble if someone finds out about Lief. Going with Darci you must be sure to look after her, and vice versa.” The two teens nodded solemnly, a spring in their step, as they were quickly swallowed by the Chinta crowds.

Darci and Taslessian spent an interesting two hours haggling about the cost of everything. Darci paid close attention to the price of things. Nahaban currency consisted of chips, flats and rounds. Ten chips made one flat and ten flats made one round. The cost of products varied greatly from stall to stall. Taslessian managed to by two, thirty-yard ropes for two rounds and three flats. They also purchased a pair of sturdy boots for everybody in the group; the total cost was five rounds, two flats and six chips. With the boots the storeowner threw in a couple of large hessian potato bags for only three chips, which would help them carry it all. The cost of the food would be determined once the store owner knew the name of the ship, not willing to deliver goods to the seedier ships without great financial incentive.

Needing to head back, they were confronted with a major issue. The street was even more congested than it was before. With the sun just past its zenith, the entire town was awake looking for their lunch. Darci and Taslessian had to struggle to gain a few steps back through the constantly moving sea of people. Everyone seemed to be going in the opposite direction, making their progress hopelessly slow, and none too gentle, as they were jostled around in the mass. Finally, Taslessian dragged Darci into one of the side streets so they could have a rest.

“I don’t think that I can take this much longer,” Darci said almost breathlessly, her face red as she placed her bags on the ground for a moment. “There’s just too many people and we’re getting nowhere. If one more person bumps into me I’m just going to have to kick them in the shin, or step on their foot, or something!”

“I agree,” puffed Taslessian, who was also a little red in the face. Volunteering to carry all of the heavy boots he had begun to feel like a much-abused pack animal, regretting his earlier bravado of offering to take the heavier load. The young wizard looked up and down the street before coming to a decision. “I think that if we go up this way, it will take us to the Blazing Unicorn. We just need to take a left and a right…” Darci was a little dubious, and she did not think that Taslessian had been to Chinta before, so how would he know which way to go unless he had traveled it before?

“Come on. It will be a shortcut,” Taslessian encouraged, but Darci rolled her eyes. In most cases, whenever she had been told they were taking a shortcut, it normally meant that they were going to take the scenic route. However, she trusted Taslessian so she did not argue with his decision. Besides, he probably knew something that she did not, with his skills as an apprentice wizard showing the way.

His path lead down one street and then into another that looked exactly the same. Two-storey houses with barred doors and battened windows walled the cobbled road. The few people that they saw in this part of town had their heads down, making their way hurriedly back towards the market. Walking on the cobbled street, without the comforting noise of the market, their footsteps seemed to echo off the rows of lifeless houses. When they turned down another street, and then another, Darci was soon lost; the final turn taking them to a dead end.

“Huh?” Taslessian mumbled

When they turned around to retrace their steps, the alleyway was blocked by a small group of people. Darci jumped slightly, startled because she had not heard any of them approaching, only her own footfalls.

“Hail friends,” said Taslessian with diplomatic flare. “Could you please tell us how to get from here to the Blazing Unicorn? We seem to have become lost.” One of the men stepped forward. He was wearing a torn green shirt with light brown pants. He stood out from the others as being the largest of them all, with shoulders almost as broad as Maledorian’s, but with a face covered by mangy red beard.

“Certainly, my unfortunate lad,” the man replied. Darci thought that she caught the slightest tone of mockery in his voice. “First, you get out of this alley, go back the way you came, and then you will be able to find your way.”

One of the other men began to fidget with his hands. He was looking down at the ground, shifting his feet from side to side. Eventually he spoke what was obviously on his mind. “Aw, come on Red, don’t play with ’em. Get it over and done with. They’re only kids for cryen on ya grave, n’ you know how I don’t like to make Kuffs mad.”

Chapter 5

“Shut up, Fiel,” the man called Red snarled. His face contorted into a mask of anger as he chastened his wayward comrade. How dare such a lowlife pickpocket even make a suggestion to him, one of the most feared thugs in Chinta, soon to be the greatest, even if he was considered a little heavy handed. He smiled to himself at the thought before turning back to the pitiful young man before him, not even looking at Darci; treating her like she did not even exist. “Look lad, we’ve been ordered to take this girl to this man. Now we’re going to do it and hopefully no one has to get hurt. Let us have what we want and out of the goodness of my heart…”

“What heart?” one of the men interrupted with a laugh that was echoed amongst the group with various sniggers and nods.

“…I will let you go free,” the bearded man finished. “If you resist however…” he pulled out a small dagger, testing its sharpness on his thumb.

Darci’s heart raced. Trapped. Houses on both sides, no life in the windows above and no doors within reach to try to escape through. She looked around for something to defend herself but found nothing but garbage. Turning back to their tormentors she steadied her feet and clenched her fists. There was no way that she was going to be taken without a struggle. She tried to catch a glimpse of Taslessian out of the corner of her eye, but what Taslessian said then shattered her completely.

“Fine.” Taslessian shrugged, stepping back out of the way to lean against one of the buildings. “You can have her; I don’t want any trouble.”

Darci’s jaw dropped. Taslessian was betraying her. He might have been able to frighten the men off with his magic, to put on some bravado or perhaps kick and punch along side her, but instead, he was giving in. She had no chance against the group of perhaps eight men.

Red began to walk towards her, swaggering a little as he came, confident she would give herself up into his waiting hands.

Darci turned side on, placing her weight on her toes so that she could move quicker, trying to find anything that might help. Still nothing. The walls of the building were solid its single door barred piles of rubbish. Her only hope was that she would be able to catch him off guard. She looked in vain at her supposed friend. Taslessian was not even looking at her. In fact, he was looking at the ground, doing nothing at all.

Red sauntered past the young wizard, ready to take the young girl over his shoulder when he heard a strange noise. “What are you doing boy?” he said as he pounded his hand into the wall behind Taslessian’s head. “You’re not crying are you? Oh, poor baby.” Hearing this, the other men snickered but the young wizard completely ignored them.

A small breeze had picked up which was beginning to blow Taslessian’s clothes. He lifted his head and Red stopped in his tracks. Taslessian’s eyes no longer had pupils, turning instead into malevolent pools of glowing green. The apprentice clapped his hands together in front of his torso. With a bright flash of light, a small, green sphere appeared between his hands, rotating within his grasp, flickering with small wisps of blue electricity.

A thunderous command escaped the wizard’s mouth, sending the ball hurtling towards his adversary. It struck Red in the chest, lifting him off the ground with such force that it threw him against the opposite side of the alley. Seeing their leader lying lifeless on a small pile of rubbish, the others quickly backed away.

Taslessian smiled triumph of his first ever magical attack, before falling back against the wall. The effort of creating the ball of power had drained him more than he would have thought. Darci took three quick steps to steady him, afraid that he would also fall lifeless to the ground.

The group of bandits were milling around, shocked and confused. Some looked prepared to run whilst two of the braver ones had their weapons drawn. How could a mere boy knock down the leader of their group? How could he call upon magic? Was he to be feared, or was it all a trick to catch them unawares?

The man on the ground groaned; he was not going to come around any time soon.

“When Red wakes up there’s going to be hell to pay,” said Fiel to the other men. A murmur of agreement washed through them, yet none of them were willing to approach the girl and her young wizard friend.

Darci was hoping that they would be frightened enough by Taslessian’s magic to let them go. To her disappointment, this was not to be. The one called Fiel mustered three of the braver men to try again. She noticed that the rat-like little man made no effort to approach them himself. They kept their eyes and daggers trained on Taslessian, ready to run. Taslessian was awake but his eyes were shut, and almost all of his weight was on Darci, making it impossible for her to move.

With a gulp, she lowered her friend to the ground and faced her foes. “If you come any closer, I will call up a ball of fire that will swallow your bodies and consume your souls,” she said in a voice as loud and intimidating as she could muster.

The group of three stopped looked to Fiel for direction.

“She’s only a girl!” he yelled back at them. “If she was a dirty wizard too, don’t you think that she would have already zapped you? Now get her! Get her! Now, while her filthy wizard friend can’t do nothin’!”

A new confidence filled the attacking men; most of the women they had possessed looked tougher than this young girl. Knocking her out and taking her to their employer would be an easy task.

They had called Darci’s bluff, so she backed against the wall with nowhere to go and no one to help her. The first man to reach her snapped out his hand, trying to take her by the wrist. Swiftly dodging his grasp, she landed straight into the open arms of a short, bear-like man; an odorous balding thug, his thick arms covered with greasy sweat. He pinned her arms to her side as he lifted her easily off the ground. Darci tried to scream, but found she was breathless. Kicking her legs, she managed to collect one of his shins, which did nothing other than make him laugh.

“You’re mine, young one, so don’t bother strugglin’.” His tongue flicked over the outside of her ear before he bit down on it, stopping just before he drew blood.

Darci saw another man approach with a stick in his hand. His intention was obvious; he was going to knock her out. Blind panic rose from within, causing her to choke on her own desperation.

As he was about to hit her across the head he paused, as they all heard the echoes of approaching footsteps. Boots rang loudly on the cobbled streets as a loud voice could be heard barking a muffled order. One of the bandits jogged to the end of the street to peer around the corner. When he saw who was coming, he almost fell over himself as he tried to flee, quickly sprinting out of sight. Soon after, two men in uniform flew past the entrance to the alleyway in hot pursuit. More soldiers followed their friends, turning into the alley with organised precision. Lines of battle-drilled men stood shoulder to shoulder, blocking the entire street in their half body armour, their swords drawn. A single clear single command rang out and all hell broke loose.

The bear man dropped Darci roughly on the ground in his panic to escape. Sucking in a large breath of air, she quickly crawled back into the corner to avoid getting trampled. A melee erupted as Darci’s assailants hopelessly tried to punch, dodge, wriggle and stab their way out of the alley, completely outnumbered.

One of the soldiers approached Darci. “Are you all right lass?” She nodded with a cough, barely acknowledging the question before rushing over to Taslessian. He had his arm draped around the neck of a young, smooth faced soldier, who looked to be around the same age as the exhausted wizard.

“Did those sons of whores hurt either of you?” The senior soldier asked, placing his hand Darci’s shoulder. This time she turned to look at him. He was around six-foot tall, a little shorter than Maledorian, his soft brown eyes full of concern, shining intelligently from his leathery skin. An old, weathered scar ran down the side of his face. It seemed familiar somehow, although she could not remember why.

“I’m fine. Taslessian is like that because he’s exhausted from using magic.” Darci’s heart sank, fearing she may have revealed too much. She had not asked anyone if magic and wizardry was something to keep secret. But the senior soldier did not flinch at the mention of magic.

“That’s what saved you two. We saw a big flash from the market and we thought that we’d better check it out.” He walked over to where Red lay inert, kicking him in the bottom of the foot to see if there was any response. When there was none he ordered two of the other thugs to carry their leader.

“Thankyou for saving us,” Darci eventually managed to say. The sergeant opened his mouth, only to pause, eventually deciding better of whatever he was going to say. He wondered to himself why so many men were needed to attack two teenagers, when the only gear they had was boots and rope, but he decided to bide his time. He would find out from one of their prisoners if the girl did not wish to tell him, already he had seen her shut down at the mention of magic. He studied the young girl silently, trying to gauge her personality. Her clothes suggested that she was just like any other girl, yet there was something slightly different about her that he could not quite put his finger on.

Feeling uncomfortable under his intense stare, Darci had to break the silence. “Would you be able to help me and Taslessian back to our inn? That’s why we were trapped here, we’re new in town and we got lost on our way back from the market.”

The soldier agreed with a slight incline of the head. He introduced himself as a sergeant of the guard as he ordered two of his men to pick up the goods they had dropped. The rest of his men, except for the soldier helping Taslessian, were to take the prisoners to the stocks before returning to their duties.

* * *

Whilst Darci, Taslessian and their new escort made their way back to their accommodations, Maledorian was deep in conversation with the first mate of the ship called Elspeth. He had sauntered into one of the more respectable looking taprooms near the docks, hand on sword, forcing people with his bulk to move out of his way as he ordered a drink, finally choosing an unaccompanied sailor to talk to. The pub was called the Drunken Bore, and it lived up to its name. Newly landed sailors of all shapes and sizes were squandering their earnings on all the alcohol that they could afford. To them it did not matter what time of day it was, for when on land, any time of day was good for a drink.

“Are all of your men to be trusted?” he asked. “We have a woman and a girl onboard, and they are not to be bothered.” The knight wanted to be sure about this point. The sailor he was talking to was of average build. Unkempt stubble covered his long face, hiding his sharp features. Maledorian knew that this man looked questionable, and yet he was still one of the more respectable-looking sailors around.

The sailor did not like the idea of women being aboard his ship. He shook his head in an effort to clear the alcohol-induced fog that seemed to surround his mind. For the amount of money this knight was going to pay him, he would gladly dance naked on a table in the market during crush time. The only problem would be convincing his captain, but the first mate smiled as he thought of the different ways he could deal with that problem.

“Sure, no problem,” he eventually slurred, “I’ll check them all out personally before you get there tomorrow. I’ll deal wit’ em.” He gave the knight a reassuring grin.

“Good,” Maledorian replied. He picked up the bag of money that was tied to his waist. The sailor eagerly held out his callused hand, but Maledorian only half emptied his bag. “You get half now and the other half when we reach Menarik.”

Begrudgingly, the first mate, Argon, spat on his other hand and shook with Maledorian, as was the custom when sealing a deal.

With his newfound wealth, Argon strolled out of the Drunken Bore to deal with the former captain of the Elspeth, while Maledorian finished his mug of ale before heading back to the Blazing Unicorn to tell the others.

* * *

Darci leapt up the uneven wooden stairs two at a time so she could open the door to the boys’ room and have Taslessian taken inside. Physically, nothing seemed to be wrong with him, aside from extreme exhaustion. His eyes flickered when he was spoken to, but he responded in nothing but mumbles. She brushed the fringe out of his eyes before putting the blanket over his inert form. Then she set about searching for his purse, thinking that she should thank the soldiers properly, and took what she hoped was enough money. When she proposed a free drink to the sergeant of the guard, he smiled warmly, telling her that soldiers never refused a free drink.

The taproom at the Blazing Unicorn already had a few customers, starting early in preparation for the night’s celebration. But there was still plenty of room for Darci, the sergeant and two other soldiers to pick where they wanted to sit.

“Can you please get a mug of ale for each of these three soldiers?” Darci asked one of the serving maids, handing her a flat. The waitress’s eyes bulged and the coin quickly disappeared from sight. The drinks were bought promptly with a few winks and smiles from the waitress. The sergeant of the guard was staring at Darci thoughtfully. Most women would be sobbing and crying or screaming hysterically at the hands of an attacker, yet this young girl managed to struggle as best she could in relative silence. Normally, attacks like this did not happen in broad daylight. So what had they wanted with the lanky boy and the strange girl? he wondered.

Darci could see the sergeant regarding her. She was caught between the obvious need for secrecy and the feeling that she could trust this man. It had something to do with the way that he looked. The scar that ran down the side of his face… Yes! That was it! Had not Tallen told her that her father had a scar down the side of his face? Yes, but what was his name?

“Hey Sergeant, is your name Chalier?”

He stared at her with renewed curiosity. “Yes… but how would you know that?” he asked.

Taking a deep breath, Darci quietly told him what had happened at the farmhouse, where Tallen had told her to find her father if she could.

The older man’s eyes were full of pain. What would have happened to his beloved wife and daughter if this young girl and her friends had not been there? He closed his eyes with his hand on his forehead, knowing that he had a duty to protect his family. Yet, what good was protecting his family if the land they lived in was overrun? He had to stay at his post.

“I cannot go back unless the guard no longer needs me. I will not desert my post and I will not dishonour my family.” Chalier’s pride was clear on his face as he made his decision, knowing that despite the dangers, this was the right choice. He was duty bound to uphold his good name by serving his country like his father, uncles and their fathers before him.

Darci could feel herself becoming annoyed. What if the man who attacked her and Tallen came back with some friends? No one would be there to protect her and her mother. Her heart burned with a feeling of guilt, knowing that Domati had brought the man to the barn to attack her, powerless under a trance. But free of Domati’s control he had still attacked them, and she knew that that kind of person would have a lust for revenge.

“Can’t you just explain to your boss what happened? Surely he would understand?”

Chalier’s face was set; his brow furrowed and his jaw clenched. Then his features softened as he tried to explain to Darci that this was yet another consequence of war. Another scar. Wives and daughters would be left to fend for themselves as their sons and husbands went off to fight.

She looked away from him, not knowing what else to say.

Defyance and Lief came through the door then, weighed down with all the items that they had bought. The warrior woman had obviously decided that she no longer needed to keep a low profile, as her head was held high with a smile on her face. Their trip had been successful it seemed.

Each held large and bulging hessian bags, and Defyance also carried a staff in one hand, thumping it on the floor as she paused in the doorway to look around. Lief waited until she was through the doorway before sliding in behind her, almost unnoticed, except by those who knew him.

The warrior woman gave all her luggage to a young serving boy, who almost fell over with the sudden weight. Accompanied by Lief, the boy began to labour up the stairs to their room. Defyance walked over to Darci’s table, hands on hips, waiting impatiently for an explanation. She obviously knew who Chalier was, or at least, what position he held.

“What happened?” she asked when neither Darci nor Chalier spoke. The broad shouldered sergeant finally stood as he introduced himself, whilst one of the quick-witted young soldiers pulled a chair over for Defyance. Darci explained about the attack, carefully omitting any facts that could reveal anything about their mission. She would tell Defyance and the others everything else later.

Chalier then told his version. After hearing the tale, Defyance nodded once, her expression unchanged, although her eyes betrayed her annoyance.

“I must thank you my friend, for I am afraid of might have happened had you and your soldiers had not intervened. Allow me to buy you all a drink.”

This bought an instant smile to Chalier’s face; his earlier concerns forgotten for the time being. “A good soldier never refuses a free drink,” he said, smiling.

* * *

Smoke escaped from a crack in the single wick lamp that rested on the small wooden stool that doubled for a bedside table. The dim light of the cloud-covered night sky was outmatched, albeit barely, by the flickering flame that illuminated the boys’ room. Bellies full of food and wine, the group of five lounged around on the straw beds that Maledorian, Lief and Taslessian had to sleep on. With the muffled noises of the taproom seeping up through the wooden floor, all were using this rare moment of peace to relax while Maledorian relayed his plans for the next day.

As of yet, no further mention of the day’s adventure had been divulged. Darci had been going to bring it up now that they were all alone, but as she opened her mouth, Defyance had placed her hand on her shoulder with a slight, almost imperceptible shake of her head.

“Tomorrow, at around lunch time, you will board a ship by the name of Elspeth. While that is happening, I will find a suitable abode for our horses and then go to the market to make the final arrangements for our food supply. From there it will take two to three weeks to get to Menarik, provided we have good weather. Any questions?”

Maledorian was sprawled out as best he could on his small bed as he explained the situation. He reached into a wrinkled paper bag to pull out some dried meat to munch on, washing down each mouthful with a swig from his giant mug.

The items they had purchased took up whatever space was left in the small room. Darci now had a new set of clothes, as did everyone. They looked rather bulky on her relatively slim form when she tried them on, but Defyance assured the young girl that they were necessary to keep in the warmth. Where they were going it was destined to be freezing.

Lief had purchased a new chest belt of pouches filled with various healing herbs that he thought would come in useful, and Defyance had found a supplier of well-made weapons, including daggers and swords. She had acquired several different weapons for everyone – some new arrows for Lief, new throwing daggers for herself, a short sword each for Maledorian and Taslessian, and a small dagger and staff for Darci, who looked around at the quiet expressions of all of her friends.

She could not think of any questions to ask about the trip, but her mind was full of the questions that no one had been able to answer. What was she supposed to do? How could she help this world and all the others avoid a disaster? In one swift motion she gulped down the rest of her wine. She shuddered as the raw taste burnt her throat. She would figure out what to do. She had to.

* * *

Somewhere in a dark alley later that night, the muffled noises of a scuffle could be heard. Quick steps and a small exclamation of recognition soon turned sour. A glint of steel in the moonlight, a stifled scream, and then silence, as a solitary figure crept out of the alley rubbing his stubbled face.

Chapter 6

Darci’s chest puffed up as she sucked in the fresh smell of the sea air; ending in a coughing fit as she almost choked on the stench of sun dried fish guts, as a grubby-looking sailor beside them poured the remainder of his catch over the wharf and into the sea. The docks of Chinta lay before them; a wide wooden peer stretched out in both directions, breaking off to reach its wooden arms out into the depths of the natural port. Sturdy, weatherworn wooden planks were covered in an ocean of people, creaking underneath their every step. Taslessian, Lief, Darci and Defyance were on their way to the ship that was going to take them to Menarik.

Sailors of all sizes and description swept past the group, some carrying their wares, others making deals, but most traveling to and from the local pubs. Different from the rest of the city, there seemed to be hardly any women present in this male-dominated area. The occasional females that Darci did see looked like men in any case, with their bulging muscles, short hair, dark tans, feral expressions and numerous tattoos.

The distinctive noise of the sea lapping against the wood echoed underfoot. All around, vessels of different shapes and sizes rocked to the rhythmic beat of the waves. Walking further down the pier, the ships began to grow in size and grandeur. Darci had never seen such ships up close, only the drawn pictures in history books back on Earth. They looked like the old ships that Captain Cook or Christopher Columbus once sailed on. Large wooden tubs with at least one giant mast holding up the material sails. The shadows of the immense crafts engulfed them, and they were forced to crane their neck upwards to try to take it all in. They found the figureheads most interesting. Most were intricate carvings of naked ladies or unknown heroes, an assortment of monsters or family emblems. Defyance suddenly came to an abrupt stop as her eyes fells upon Elspeth. Compared to the other ships, it was not much to look at. The carving of a naked lady on the ship’s bow had half its face and one breast missing. Yellowing sails flapped aimlessly in the gentle breeze, and the ship appeared to be empty. Next to the two magnificent vessels either side of it the Elspeth looked small and insignificant.

A scruffy-looking sailor with a sabre in his belt walked down the gangplank. “You must be Maledorian’s friends; welcome to the Elspeth! She may not look like much but she’s one of the fastest and well-known vessels in the water! My name is Argon and I’m the… captain of this ship.” Whilst freshly shaven, his face was a mess, suggesting that he did not own a mirror. His dark hair was unkempt and the clothes that he wore were newish but they did not appear to fit, sitting loose on his shoulders as if belonging to another man. His boots were the only part of his attire that looked authentic, being scuffed and well worn.

Defyance introduced everybody to the captain, but the sailor’s attention was elsewhere. Argon’s feet thundered on the gangplank as he marched on deck. “Attention on deck, you sons of dwarves. If I hear any complaints, that dog will spend the next twelve hours in the crow’s nest. Line up!” he shouted, glaring at his crew, waiting for a chance to make his threat a reality.

Grumbling under their breath, the sailors lined up to be inspected by Defyance. None of them seemed too interested in stopping work or loading the cargo, just to please their new captain. Some scratched their nether regions, others coughed and one even belched, which brought an angry stare from Argon.

Defyance followed the weathered captain onto the deck. She knew what sailors were like and she wanted to make sure that this crew was not going to give her any trouble. All eyes onboard followed the warrior woman on deck, ignoring the others in her party.

Darci looked up at the first sailor, surprised to find another man as tall as Maledorian. His thick, bald head was set on muscle bound shoulders that stuck out through his sleeveless black shirt. His brown eyes bored down into her so intensely that she was surprised that she had not noticed the tattoos on his face. Intricate patterns of black dots trailed down his nose and around his cheeks back up to his forehead until his whole face was covered. Finally she had to break eye contact because the group had moved on, leaving her behind.

She counted at least twenty sailors. With their unshaven chins, dark tans and mismatched clothing, they all looked like they had spent many hard years at sea. One young sailor stood out from all the others because of his resemblance to Lief. He was small framed and had long, dark coloured hair with ears that were not as pointed as an elf’s but not as rounded as a human’s.

Satisfied that none of the sailors had tried to stare her down, Defyance nodded.

“Back to work,” Argon commanded and then motioned for his guests to follow him. He took them through one of few doors on deck, down a narrow ladder-like staircase into a dank, dark hallway to show them to their room. He grabbed a lantern hooked behind the door, holding it in front of him to illuminate the way. Seeing that the vessel was not very large, he hoped that they would be satisfied with sharing a room, pushing the door open with his shoulder.

Darci commented on the aroma of fresh wood chips, and Argon explained that they used wood chips to pack some of their more precious wares in.

“More like some of their illegal wares,” whispered Lief, which was followed by an almost imperceptible nod from Defyance.

Under the flicker of the single flame all could see that the room was approximately twenty feet wide tapering off towards the hull. It was scantily furnished with five piles of wood chips mixed with hay; they had the luxury of creating their own beds. An old wooden crate had been placed between the piles of bedding, held down by rusted nails, some only half embedded in the floor. With barely any room left to stow their belongings, Darci was glad that they were leaving the horses in Chinta, for there was simply no room left on such a vessel.

“You can place all your belongings in here,” Argon said. He was going to continue, but he was interrupted by a muffled shout on deck. Everybody rushed through the narrow hall and up the stairs to see what was going on. A tense atmosphere greeted them as the sailors crowded around an impending fight. Shoulders squared and chins lifted, Chalier’s head could just be seen over a break in the crowd. He was trying to get to the door that led below deck, but the unmoving form of the tattooed bosun barred his way. Chalier was a big man, yet his head only reached the first mate’s nose.

“Stop!” Darci shouted as she saw the sergeant shoved by an unseen hand from the crowd, but no one paid any attention to her. It looked as if a brawl was going to break out right there on the deck in front of them.

With a sniff, Defyance decided that she did not feel like putting up with a brawl. She pushed the two closest sailors with some effort, making them stumble out of her way so she could get through the ring of onlooking sailors. Without too much effort she ended up standing stand between the two men. Men could be so stupid and thoughtless, and she was not in the mood at all for testosterone-fuelled bravado. Seeing Defyance, the atmosphere cooled as some of the sailors returned work.

“What is the meaning of this?” Argon yelled, trying to take control. He was livid with the fact that he had not been called the instant a stranger had stepped aboard his ship. In the back of his mind he was afraid that his newly acquired crew would think of him as a coward. Such untruthful lies would set a path towards mutiny.

“I need to speak with the young girl, Darci. I believe that she is one of your passengers.” Chalier’s face was red with the exertion of running all the way to the docks, only to be stopped by a monster of a man backed by a dubious-looking crew. With the information he had uncovered, he could not afford any delay.

Defyance took Argon a step away from the dispersing crush of bodies so that she could speak to him in relative privacy. When they had finished, Argon’s face had cooled somewhat, and seeing there was nothing else could do, he left them to it. Leading Chalier downstairs, only then did she ask him what he wanted.

The older man took a deep breath, his face momentarily clouded by indecision. Shrugging his shoulders before squaring them again he seemed to come to a decision. Finally he spoke. “I came to warn you.” He paused not looking at Defyance, but at Darci.

This abrupt statement was met by silence. No one was willing to look Chalier in the eye, not even the usually unshakable Defyance. From under his hood all Lief could do was manage an uncomfortable cough.

“Wh… what are you talking about?” asked Taslessian, the first to find his tongue and break the uncomfortable silence. Darci steeled herself, not ready to look at Chalier, lest her look give her away while she prepared herself to go on with the charade. When she finally stood, ready to look confused at the impending accusation, Defyance placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Tell us what you know, Captain of the Guard.” Her other hand was on her short sword, yet the rest of her body gave off the pretence of trust. If for one instant she thought that this man would betray them, she would not hesitate to end his life, no matter who he was. Such was the price of secrecy and the importance of their mission. Away from such deep thoughts everyone else waited eagerly for him to continue.

“I was curious as to why all those men attacked you, so I interrogated their leader, Red. At first he was more scared of his employer than he was of me, but I soon fixed that. Red had been employed to find and abduct a girl following your description. His employer told him only that you were very important to him.

“Being the suspicious character that he is, he eavesdropped on his employer and found out that you were a being not from this planet and that you would hold the key to the future. At least that is what he heard; he didn’t actually believe it though. That was all I could get.” Chalier paused before revealing his conclusion. “Someone wanted you out of the way, and at the same time, they wanted your knowledge as well.”

Lief placed his hand on Darci’s back to comfort her, noticing that her hands had clenched tight at the news.

“All I know now is that you are hunted by a very wealthy and well connected employer. I do not know who he is yet but I do know that he is not going to stop until you have been brought to him. You are all in great danger.” With that said, Chalier fell silent, enduring the thoughtful looks from the strange group he had met only the day before. The magically-inclined boy, the headstrong warrior woman, and the mysterious man under the hood. He smiled to himself; he knew that one’s secret at least. And finally, there was the young girl who did not deny being from another planet. Running his hand though his short hair he sighed to himself. He still did not know if he believed the strange tale, but how could he not?

Everybody remained silent because no one had anything to say. They all knew the danger of their quest, and yet Chalier’s information was, nonetheless, very useful, because they now knew that there was another person in the chase.

Darci again realised how grateful she was for the presence of her friends. Who knew where she would be without them. As for those who wished to do her harm, Domati always revealed himself when attacking, and although he was scary, the thought of someone unknown scared her even more.

At that moment Maledorian arrived. On his back he hefted a giant sack full of assorted long-lasting foods from the market. With the ship’s reputation not being the best, the knight had been forced to deliver his own goods, but at least he had been able to save some coin. Upon seeing their guest, he looked from Defyance, to Chalier and back again.

Defyance quickly and quietly informed him what Chalier had said. He stiffened at the news of the attack; in all the excitement of planning the next stage of their quest and the fact that they had had hardly any time alone, no one had mentioned it to him yet. He did not seem impressed, but Defyance told him to worry about it later and to deal with the matter at hand. After a moment of thought he turned to the sergeant, locking him with merciless eyes. “Know that if I thought that you were any threat whatsoever you would already be dead. However, considering your invaluable help yesterday, I’m going to tell you only what I think is necessary for you to know, and I trust that you will appreciate my need for secrecy.”

Chalier bristled at the threat, but looking at the warrior woman and then back to the knight, he relaxed. Deciding to let it go, he turned his full attention to Maledorian.

The knight told him how there was a great evil in the southern lands. An evil from another world, which had adapted quickly; rallying the southern races for a war to quench its blood thirst. To counter its presence, Darci had been bought in from another world. That was all that Maledorian was prepared to say. He had decided that it was best for nobody to know exactly where they were going, or how, for as long as possible.

“Chalier, I know that you are Tallen’s father,” Defyance added. “And I also know that the man who attacked your daughter could return at any time. Your wife and daughter seem quite capable, but still, you should go back home to protect them. Either that or send your sons home so that they are not alone. Your pride should not be affected because there will be no war. We will see to that when we destroy the demon.”

Chalier’s eyes lowered to the floor. “I have thought about what you said, offworlder.” He looked at Darci before returning his gaze to Defyance. “But I cannot go home.”

Defyance’s mouth curved into a frown while Darci’s face changed to a look of disappointment and fear for her friend Tallen, not knowing what would happen to the young girl and her mother.

“However, I have sent my two sons, Patet and Beral, home already. I know what you said about this bandit returning is true, and though I cannot leave my post, I also cannot bear the thought of anything happening to my wife or daughter.” Defyance patted him on the back.

A polite knock on the door rattled the walls, interrupting the sudden silence. It was Argon and he wanted to inform them all that the tide was right and that they were going to have to leave now, and unless they were prepared to pay an extra fare, Chalier had to get off the ship.

Chalier pulled something out from under his shirt, stepping over to place it around Darci’s neck. “This was given to me from an old Elven friend. I know that the people of Chinta do not like elves, but I am not from this town, and I find their company quiet enjoyable.” He winked at Lief who was only going to remove his hood once they had left the port. Maledorian had made sure that this crew was not from Chinta, and as such, there should be no Elven prejudice onboard, and should there still be a sailor who harboured any distaste towards Lief, then Maledorian was sure that he would soon be able to change their minds.

“There are mystical runes engraved on it supposed to bring piece of mind and sensibility. I give it to you to wish you luck on your perilous journey.” Chalier then followed Argon up the stairs with everyone else in tow. Farewells were uttered and Chalier walked down the gangplank and onto the jetty. The gangplank was still vibrating from his stride as two crewmembers heaved it aboard the deck. The shabby-looking crew transformed into experienced sailors then, bustling around the ship doing their jobs with the bosun loudly directing their every action.

Two dockhands threw heavy ropes from the pier onto the deck while four more sailors put all their strength into raising the anchor. The more nimble members of the crew climbed up the rigging on a network of ropes that were the lifelines of any seafaring vessel. The sailors high above released one of the smaller sails. It crackled loudly, filling with wind as soon as it was open. The ship groaned in protest as it slowly began to move away from its moorings. Argon, standing with his hand on the wheel, deftly directed his small vessel between all the other ships surrounding them as his sailors obeyed his relayed commands.

Darci looked around at her friends. Both Lief and Taslessian had turned pale the instant the ship had started moving. Despite her friend’s discomfort, her spirits were rather buoyant because they were finally on their way to Menarik.

Chapter 7

Darci opened one eye tentatively, not wanting to wake up, but knowing that she could not sleep any longer. Through watery eyes she could see the melted stump of the candle holding the barest flicker of flame. She had not slept well all night. The constant rocking backward and forward motion gave her a headache that seemed to pulse in time with the lurching pitch of the very floor that she had slept upon. The offworlder smiled despite her discomfort – at least she was not feeling as bad as Lief and Taslessian, both of whom had needed to leave their beds during the nights to relieve their stomachs over the side of the boat. This amused the sailors no end, but surprisingly they were well mannered enough to only laugh amongst themselves.

Maledorian watched Darci climb out of the tangled blanket that was her bed. Through his own, sleep-encrusted eyes he took a moment to see the teen for who she was; a normal everyday girl. What she could do to save them was unknown, yet for some strange reason, he had faith in her. As for himself, being an untested knight on his first real quest, was another matter entirely.

He rolled over in his bed to prop his head up on his hand. With his little finger he scratched the inner part of his eye, flicking the sleep off his fingernail. Darci turned at the noise of movement, smiling when she saw that she was not the only one awake.

“The attack on you and Taslessian. If it wasn’t for that Sergeant of the Guard, who knows where you would be now?” The usually jovial knight had a strangely serious look on his face. “I take the blame for your near kidnapping, for if I had been with you, it would not have happened.” For once he could not look his young ward in the eye, choosing instead to follow the path of a small bug that had escaped the warmth of his bedding.

Maledorian sighed as he moved his hand towards the insect. Absentmindedly he flicked it towards the slumbering form of Defyance. Bouncing off the warrior woman’s back, he was not surprised when her hand came crashing down to squash the beetle, moving her hand to wipe it on his boots before rolling over and going back to sleep. Not caring if the warrior woman heard his confession, Maledorian heaved a great sigh before finally telling his young charge what was on his mind.

“I know that sometimes I seem a bit… I don’t know… a bit of a joke maybe. I know that this is my first quest and that I get drunk at the pubs, and I play with the women… but it doesn’t stop me from being the best fighter. I… I just don’t want you to loose faith in me, that’s all.”

Darci was surprised at the knight’s revelation. It was true that she had wondered about him some times, yet she had never doubted his ability, only his sense of humour. Thinking about how he handled the late night encounter with Trolog, standing in nothing but his nightclothes, taking on a beast that looked twice his size just to protect her. He was a true hero; he just had to believe it.

“The way you have treated me since meeting you and the way that you have protected me… I could never lose faith in you… It’s friends like you who keep me sane,” Darci told him. She stepped over the unmoving form of Defyance before crouching down next to the knight. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms as far as she could around his broad shoulders to give him a giant hug.

Coughing uncomfortably, he placed his free arm around her back, giving her a tight squeeze before letting her stand again. He nodded his acknowledgement of her faith and approval before she turned to leave the room.

As soon as the door had shut, Defyance rolled over to face her slightly younger counterpart. Knowing his troubles and the doubts of most warriors she finally spoke. “You shall be a fine warrior one day, Maledorian.” The knight did not to smile but at least his expression softened.

“I hope so,” he replied.

“Oh,” she continued, rolling back over.” If you ever flick bugs at me again, I’ll see you eat it.”

Opening the door to the deck, Darci took a deep breath of the fresh, salty breeze. Stepping out, her face was instantly covered in the soft mist of sea spray. Slowly, she made her way to the railing, turning towards the east where the sky was getting lighter. It was quite breathtaking. Seeing no land in sight made her feel a little isolated, but with her friends nearby she did not mind. As the sun rose higher, brilliant colours began to reflect off the many small waves. Darci was so absorbed in the wondrous sight that she did not notice that the bosun had come to stand beside her.

“It’s a beauty ain’t it?” said the mysterious man. Darci nodded. “I see it almost every mornin’ but still I enjoy watching its splendour.” The soft and friendly way that the bosun spoke to Darci completely contradicted his appearance. At first she had thought he would be a merciless, hot-tempered and violent man. With his many tattoos, intimidating glare and the way that he challenged Chalier when he boarded the ship, left Darci thinking that he was always looking for a fight. The quick thumping of footsteps heading their way interrupted her thoughts. Taslessian rushed to the side of the boat, ruining the moment and the beauty of the sunrise with his painful moans and groans splattering into the seawater below.

The bosun let out a somewhat hearty laugh as he patted the sorry wizard on the back. “Don’t worry, lad, you’ll soon get used to it,” he said, chuckling to himself as he walked away.

“Are you all right?” Darci asked as she also placed a hand on his back. With one final shuddering heave he finished retching, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He smiled wanly at his friend, putting on whatever bravado he could muster, until the ship lurched again. His hand grasped for the side rail as he barely managed to steady himself.

“I think I’ll live.” His voice was hoarse as he tried to swallow. Darci placed her arm fully around him, giving him a slight squeeze, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“At least you’re not alone,” she told him, “Lief is suffering probably even more so than you.” She pointed to the usually jovial elf who was seated on a small box, his head between his knees covered by his mass of long blonde hair, that for once, was unkempt and straggly. Taslessian’s smile widened.

“Food!” one of the sailors yelled as he started to dish out a porridge- like stew into a pile of food encrusted bowls. With a rumble that soon turned into a thunder of footsteps, sailors burst out from below deck. Good-naturedly, they pushed and shoved each other out of the way. All knew the rules: first in best served. Yet, before the first sailor could grab his bowl he was pushed out of the way by a slim blur of blonde. Lief rushed passed the surprised man to the side of the ship, joining Taslessian and sharing his misery.

Darci stared at the sailors, her nose twitching as the men eagerly scooped up the lumpy broth and shoveled it into their mouths, leaving her thankful that they had brought their own food with them. She turned to see the young knight stepping cautiously towards her. In his arms he had managed to carry four bowls of food, while his decanter of ale was stuffed under his arm. His previous mood of self-doubt seemed to have disappeared as he stumbled from side to side, overdoing the walk of a sailor in rough seas, testing his carrying skills.

Without spilling a drop, he handed the first bowl to Darci, before making his way over to Taslessian and Lief. Carefully, he passed a bowl of food under their noses, managing to move it out of the way before they leaned over the side again.

“I take it that you’re leaving the leftovers for me,” he laughed without malice. “How kind of you.” All who heard smiled at the knight’s words.

* * *

After a week at sea, routine had become almost normal. The crew had decided to accept their passengers as soon as Maledorian had offered the bosun a large bottle of harsh liquid. From that morning on, the knight had continued to drink ale, play cards and swap bawdy stories with the crew. Taslessian and Lief eventually overcame their seasickness, though both of them made themselves scarce when the sailors’ meals were served. Darci and Defyance continued their training long after sunrise, leaving the warrior woman to then spend her afternoons in generally silent contemplation or sleep.

When Darci was not dodging blows from Defyance, she was spending time with Taslessian, learning all about the mysterious places and beings of the different lands of his world. From the island of Jolimon that belonged to a race of human/elf hybrids, to the island of Afrit, which was only a rock mountain, its winged people surviving off whatever the ocean provided.

Lief was kept well occupied, finding a kindred spirit amongst the crew. Elonan was the name of the sailor who reminded Darci of Lief. To her eyes at least, Elonan definitely had elvish qualities, but if he was part elf, no one had mentioned it so she kept it to herself. Lief had explained that Elonan was from an Eastern town of Nahaba, not far from the Elven Lake City, though Elonan did not know it as the relationship between humans and elves had deteriorated over the years, the elves generally keeping to themselves and the location of their city becoming lost in memory and time.

* * *

One morning, amidst a particularly beautiful sunrise, punctuated by the bright colours of soft wispy clouds, Darci stood staring out to sea with the bosun. “When are we going to reach Menaric?” she asked. Both of them were heavily rugged up now wearing large, furry jackets. This morning had been the first time the young girl had awoken to see her breath turn to mist. Rubbing her hands together, Darci assumed that they must have been nearing their snow-covered destination, believing that it could not get much colder than it already was.

Scratching the back of his head, the bosun looked down at the young girl he had taken a liking to. Much like himself, she seemed to appreciate the moment of piece for those who got up just before the morning light. “We should be there soon, lass, and then ye’ll be able to get your legs on the land again.” He took a deep breath, savoring the chill in his lungs. “You know,” he said with a pause, “I like you, lass; you remind me of my niece. Now, if you ever ’ave any trouble with some of the lads onboard this ’ere ship, you come to old Gemal and ’e’ll teach them a lesson or two.”

Darci smiled. It had been the most conversation she had had with the man the entire time she had been onboard. Thankfully, the crew had largely ignored her, believing that girls were unlucky aboard seafaring vessels, such was their superstition. The bosun appeared to be the only one who did not take it seriously. For all his harsh looks, Gemal was really an old softy at heart.

Taslessian walked up next to them, his step now accustomed to the rolling of the ship. Gemal discreetly made his exit, walking away without a sound.

“We have to talk; I’m telling everybody to meet in our cabin.” Taslessian’s voice held a note of urgency in it that she had never heard before. Confused, Darci made her way down to their room as she turned her thoughts back to the night when she and Taslessian had been drunk. Whatever passion they had shared on that one occasion, the young wizard had not seemed to remember. Whether it was selective or alcohol-induced memory loss, or due to the fact that they were never alone onboard, Darci did not know. But she was not disappointed as they had spent much time together, telling him about school, her friends and the sports that she played. Taslessian had told her about the things that he had learnt during his apprenticeship and the many strange people who had visited his mentor.

Looking at him now as the others patiently awaited his explanation, Darci realised that he had changed in the time she had known him. At first, he had seemed like a shy teenage boy, but now, he seemed more self-confident with a more courageous outlook. The trials of the their travels had made him stronger somehow. Stressful situations could do that to a person, she guessed, and she wondered how he would react in the times to come – how they would all react to the quest that lay before them? She cleared her mind of such daunting thoughts as she turned to him, listening intently to his words as he began to tell everyone what had alarmed him so.

“As a wielder of the arcane arts, I have come to posses some powerful instincts. It’s hard to explain but… when you feel that something is wrong or dangerous, it’s because your instincts tell you so. We are not far off the island of Hajan, and it is from that direction that I sense something evil. I do not know what it is, but I can feel its malice.” He sighed. “I need to warn you all that even though we are in a boat in the middle of the ocean, there are many unseen dangers waiting for us to let down our guards.” Taslessian ran his fingers through his growing hair. Since the death of his master he had not bothered to cut it, allowing the light brown strands to reach his shoulders.

Darci looked around the room. Both Defyance and Maledorian were considering what Taslessian had said with silent and thoughtful looks. Lief, however, did not seem interested at all. The fair-haired elf sighed audibly as he wrinkled up his nose. Looking at Darci, he shrugged his shoulders with a smile before turning back to the young wizard, feigning concern. When it was obvious that no further explanation was forthcoming, he decided to discretely voice his thoughts.

“So, is there anything else that we should know?” Pausing to see if there were any objections, the cheeky elf stood up, dusting the straw off his pants. As he headed towards the portal he favored Darci with a wink before closing the door behind him.

* * *

The Elspeth moved at steady pace as the sun sank towards the southern waters. A strong wind had been with them for the past two days, keeping the sails full and leaving rippled waves in their wake. That evening, Darci, Taslessian and Gemal were on the deck watching the sunset. The large burly figure of the bosun had bent down to rest his elbows on the ship’s well-worn wooden railing, occasionally turning his head to the sky above. Darci mimicked his posture, both of them staring thoughtfully towards the cloud-specked horizon. Next to the two motionless figures, Taslessian paced back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back.

The daily sky watching had become an evening ritual that the three of them usually enjoyed. However, on this evening there was an unease that the offworlder felt in both of her friends. Taslessian was still pondering his feelings of danger, while Gemal seemed to be worried about the weather. Darci caught him mumbling to himself at times, saying something about how it was not right for this time of the year. Something about the clouds caused her to pause for a moment. She looked heavenward until her eyes began to water, but try as she might, she was not able to shake the weird feeling that had started to grow in the pit of her stomach.

She wiped away a tear, blinking until her vision cleared, when she saw a flicker of movement within the dark vapor that now covered the sky. It happened so fast, she was not sure if it was real or imagined. Something slightly lighter in colour than the clouds had revealed itself, but when she looked again, it was gone.

She grabbed Gemal’s shirt to get his attention, but there was no need. A blood-curdling screech filled the air, drawing all eyes onboard towards the sky, as a swarm of winged creatures exploded through the clouds, diving straight towards the Elspeth.

The lookout in the crow’s nest violently hammered a metal plate in warning, as the first of many beasts swooped towards the vessel. It had a small, skinny torso with long and stringy legs that folded until its knees touched its chest. Its bat-like feet revealed long dark claws that shredded the wooden mast as it tried to land. Below its shoulders, two long wings had folded neatly into the side of its body.

Darci watched in fascinated horror as the thing easily evaded the hapless sailor’s sword. With waddling sidesteps it maneuvered itself around the crow’s nest with surprising speed, grabbing the sailor’s head so tightly that he dropped his sword, which crashed to the deck below. Triumphant, the terrifying beast stared at Darci, its mouth agape, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth, before turning back to the quivering sailor, whispering something in his ear before ripping his throat out in a spray of crimson blood.

More of the creatures had reached the ship and were already seeking victims, who barely had time to draw their swords in defense. Chaos reigned as the crew and passengers of the Elspeth fought for their lives.

Maledorian was beside Darci in an instant, pushing her towards a stack of water barrels on the deck as he drew his broadsword. “Stay there!” he shouted. One of the beasts landed on the side rail next to them, bloodied drool dribbling from its mouth as its eyes focused on the offworlder. Maledorian swung and both the beast and its severed head sailed backwards into the water.

Darci stumbled towards the barrels, her feet slipping on the bloodied deck as she crashed to her knees, scrambling for safety as the gory battle unfolded around her. Maledorian was slicing his way through the swarm with sweeping arks of his broadsword as they landed on the deck, moving as if in a trance. With five beasts successfully repelled, the young knight was forced to take the battle to their attackers, as no others dared to challenge his protective bloodlust.

Defyance had her back to the ladder leading up to the helm. Both hands held daggers by their blades. With a swift flick of the wrist she let one loose. Her target blinked, looking down at the dagger buried in its chest.

Elonan and Lief had managed to climb up the rigging, the ropes and sails keeping the winged monsters at bay, allowing them to loose their deadly arrows. The elf wanderer looked frantically for Darci, worried that she would not be able to defend herself on the gore-covered deck below.

A sudden bright flash caught a startled beast as it attempted to land on the deck, its body suddenly shriveling in an unseen inferno, before crashing lifeless into the waves below. Taslessian wiped the sweat from his brow as he absorbed what energy he could from the beast he had felled, steadying himself for another attack.

Darci’s panicked eyes reflected the gruesome battle before her. Totally engrossed, she didn’t hear the creature that landed behind her. Effortlessly, it extended a bleeding arm towards its prey.

Darci screamed in agony as its claws punctured her shoulder and dragged her backwards. “We have you now,” it hissed, blood and saliva spraying the side of her face. She convulsed, dry retching as she gagged at the smell of its fetid breath. She did not fear death, closing her eyes as she awaited the pain of execution. Why did everything in this strange land want her dead? And why was she letting this creature take her?

“No,” she said to herself, “not like this!” There was still hope. “Let me go, you overgrown, flying rat!” Darci fought then against its grip, wriggling and kicking as the creature tightened its hold. In an instant her hopes faded and her stomach lurched, as, with a gust of wind and a flap of wings, the creature took to the sky with its prize.

“Help me!” she managed to scream as she looked down at the others fighting for their lives, all of them outnumbered at least two to one. Maledorian was surrounded by five of the vicious beasts, so focused on staying alive that he had not noticed his ward had been abducted.

Darci’s captor swooped down over the ship, exhaling with a guttural screech that ripped through her ears and rattled her spine. Immediately, the surviving beasts broke away from the battle to join their leader in the untouchable sky. There was a shout from the deck as someone finally noticed Darci struggling in the creature’s grip.

“Come down here and fight me like a man, you dishonorable spawn of a demon whore.” The knight began to swear uncontrollably at the beast, demanding that he be faced, one-on-one.

Gemal was the only person who seemed able to react. Pulling a spear from a fallen beast, he heaved it skyward, hoping it wouldn’t hit Darci. The creature scoffed at the seemingly futile attack, but it had waited too long and the spear tore through its wing like a knife through paper. Screeching in shock and pain, it lost its grip, and she plummeted towards the icy darkness below.

Her chest felt like it was going to explode as freezing air burned her skin. Unable to slow her fall, she crashed heavily into the frigid ocean as darkness engulfed her consciousness. The wounded creature suffered the same fate only seconds later.

Gemal dived into the water, ignoring the cold that stabbed at him like needles. Blood and gore washed from the deck polluted the water around him as he began swimming furiously towards the area where both beast and girl had landed. He knew that Darci would more than likely be unconscious after such a fall. If he did not reach her soon, she would surely drown.

The fallen creature’s minions were circling the spot where Darci and their leader had fallen, though none of them dared get too close. Maledorian had gathered the remaining spears, heaving them with all his might into the swarm of beasts, managing to reach the distance with a strength born of fury. The sun had set now, leaving the knight only silhouettes for targets. His third missile found its mark and another beast splashed into the darkening waters.

Darci came to with a jolt. Darkness surrounded her as she realised she was still falling downwards, metres below the surface. Panic coursed through her body as she steadied herself and starting swimming upward, ignoring the pain in her wounded shoulder. Her lungs burnt as if on fire. What if she couldn’t make it to the surface? A lifetime of agony later, her head finally broke through the surface, and she quickly refilled her lungs, coughing as a wave washed into her mouth and she slipped below the surface, her heavy clothes dragging her down again.

Pumping her arms and legs frantically, once again she swallowed water, but very little air. In a moment of exhausted calm she again pondered her death. At least drowning was more appealing than having a monster rip out her throat. She smiled at the thought as darkness once again clouded her eyes. So close…

As her body sank beneath the waves, a beefy hand grabbed her torn shirt. Kicking his mighty legs and using his one free arm, Gemal thrust madly towards the surface. Bursting out of the tempestuous ocean, he held the limp form to his chest and started swimming towards the ship. By now the crew knew what to do. Ropes splashed in the surrounding waters, one hitting Gemal’s flailing arm, giving him the opportunity to grab it, but his frozen fingers would not close tight enough and it quickly slipped out of reach. A second rope found its mark and he quickly twisted himself around it and shouted for the crew to heave.

Blood-covered hands grabbed at them both as Gemal dangled in the space between deck and water. Defiance put her boots to good use, clearing a space on the deck between the gore. The unconscious girl was gently placed on her side while Gemal collapsed into a sitting position.

The bosun’s chest heaved as he kept his stinging eyes on his crew, hoping that he had saved her.

Lief hunched over Darci, covering her with a blanket. Maledorian looked down in horror at the girl he was supposed to protect, his fists clenching as he waited. The young elf waved a plant under Darci’s nose, jumping back as her eyelids flickered and she convulsed violently before a torrent of water escaped her mouth. Vomiting again, Darci finally opened her eyes, almost gagging on the stench of bile.

Her head throbbed with every beat of her heart, explosions of pain coursing through her body. Her shoulder was still bleeding slightly, salt water stinging the open wound.

With a nod from Lief, Maledorian crouched down to lift Darci off the deck and take her to Gemal’s small cabin, which was closest. Defyance followed, getting her out of her soaked clothes and into something warm and dry before allowing Lief to continue. Concern showed clearly on the elf’s face, yet he went about his business with quiet efficiency. His nimble hands deftly mixing herbs together into a poultice that he packed onto Darci’s shoulder.

“You really should not scare me like that,” he eventually said. He flinched as Darci reacted to his touch. As gentle as he was, he could not stop the painful reaction between the wound and the healing potion that he had concocted.

Darci tried to smile but all she managed was a pained grin. “Th… thankyou,” she stuttered, as her body shivered; a sign that Lief had told her was good. Her hand moved slowly for the elf’s; Lief holding it as she fell asleep.

“You’re welcome,” he said, knowing that she probably wouldn’t hear him. He continued to talk to her, venting his feelings as he bandaged her shoulder. “As of yet, I don’t know what I feel for you, but what I do know, is that you mean a great deal to me. You could be my sister, my daughter… or my lover… it does not matter which. I will not bother you until you are ready. There we are,” he said as he finished off his handiwork. With a gentle smile he brushed away her damp fringe and left her to sleep. There were still other sailors who needed his help.

* * *

The lapping of the waves against the hull of the stricken Elspeth echoed out of the darkness. Flaming torches began to burn away the oppressive night, their smoke stinging the eyes of those who stood tall. With a bandage hastily tied around his dangling arm, the young cabin boy managed to light the remaining torches. The occasional hollow footstep was interrupted by the agonised cries of the wounded. Those still able- bodied helped those who had fallen, bandaging the worst of their wounds, or holding the hand of a man as his life flowed out of him and onto the deck. No matter who did what, eyes always flicked back to the tattooed face of the man in charge. None of these looks held any form of malice, simply unspoken respect. Despite his heroism, there was no reason for merriment and no feeling of victory. The winged monsters had fled but the Elspeth had not won the battle. The casualties were too great for such a conflict to be called a victory. More than half the crew had been slaughtered, the deck still littered with the blood and gore of battle.

Many of the beasts had been killed cleanly with an arrow or slicing sword, while the sailor’s wounds were much more horrific, many of them fatal. Bodies disemboweled with razor-sharp claws; the soft flesh of bellies no match for their power.

Those who could, cleared the desks of fallen creatures and severed limbs, and it was this the cabin boy witnessed in the flickering torch light when he wearily climbed the stairs to the highest point on the deck. Sitting atop a large barrel, he looked up at the pitch-black sky, his mind no longer able to handle the horrors on the deck below.

Wearing nothing but a blanket to cover his wet clothes, Gemal went about his business, organising what needed to be done. No more barked orders now, Gemal simply asked the remaining crew to do what they could. He could expect no more of them. He knew that they looked at him differently now. Unspoken expressions told him that he could be captain if he wished. Thoughtfully he considered the idea. A scowl began to shadow his face. During the battle he had seen their current captain’s actions. He had been knocked senseless, not by any of the attackers, but by the simple wood of his own ship whilst fleeing to his cabin, forgetting to duck his cowardly head in his haste.

Gemal shook his head. To be captain of a smuggling vessel meant always watching your back for others looking for a quick promotion. Bosun he had been many a year now. Perhaps it was time to retire. None of his original sailor mates still lived. Would he be able to withdraw before he met the same fate?

A sudden, heart-wrenching cry of pain interrupted his deliberation; there was nothing he could do other than allow the use of whatever ale was left. A quick look around assured him that all was being done to clear the deck of the bloody vestiges of battle. Knowing that all hands were needed he decided to offer his assistance to the amazing warrior woman who had taken control of the wounded. He watched her for a moment before approaching. Her strong and capable hands were covered in the blood of a man she was trying to save. His stomach had been torn by one of the beasts, yet it had not been deep enough to kill him straight away. With quick movements she wrapped a seawater- washed blanket around his waist and tied it tightly at the side. As long as the blood flow stopped, the man had a chance.

Standing, she wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand and looked up at Gemal. He opened his mouth to ask her what to do but he was silenced by her look of hopelessness. With a flick of her head she pointed him towards those she knew she could not help. With a heavy heart, he crouched down to talk to the nearest of his dying men. Unable to speak, the sailor bit his lip and nodded, tears flooding his face. Swiftly, Gemal drew his short, heavy sword and knocked the man unconscious.

* * *

The sun was beginning to rise by the time the deck had been cleaned and the wounded tended to. The somewhat wan morning light made all movements appear stiff and disjointed. All were exhausted, yet Gemal somehow managed to keep the ship sailing towards their destination. A slight breeze caught in the lackluster sail giving the Elspeth little speed, but it was enough, leading them away from the island of Hajan where the beasts must have come from.

The able-bodied onboard had dwindled so low that Lief and Maledorian had to help with the manning of the ship. With instructions from Elonan, Lief scrambled up the mast to unfurl the secondary sails while Maledorian lent his strength to tightening the ropes. Defyance spent her time tirelessly with the seriously wounded, whereas Taslessian spent most of that day in bed. He had dangerously exhausted himself by using magic against their winged assailants. The only reason that he was able to stay in the battle for the duration was because every time that he felled one of the beasts, he stole some of its life energy so that he could continue to fight on. For a wizard in a battle, that was a common attack, yet it turned the victim into a dried up husk of its former self, and the moral-laden young man deplored it.

Every chance he got, Lief stepped into Gemal’s room to see how Darci was fairing. Most times he entered to see the defenceless young girl tangled up in her blankets, tossing and turning to some internal fight. Taking his handkerchief he would use his scented water to cool down her face. His gentle touch did much to quieter her down so that he could check on her wounds. Deep guilt assaulted his soul as he replayed the battle over and over in his mind. If he had kept just one more arrow, he would have been able to save her as soon as she had been taken from the ship. Instead, his lack of fighting ability had let him down – let his friend down. Again he left her side, knowing that there were things that needed to be done.

* * *

Pain. A dull throbbing in the head. Movement equaled pain. Dreams equaled movement that led again to pain. A soft touch, a friend nearby, safety, then again the pain returned.

Darci’s eyes fluttered open; an act in itself that was difficult given the encrusted sleep on her eyelids. Her head pounded and her mouth was dry. Moving slightly, she found that her shoulder was a mass of agony. Suddenly her mind flashed back to the battle. Winged beasts, death and torture, her abduction, falling, falling and then nothing. The echo of fear in her mind snapped her out of her fatigue as she blocked out the memory of almost drowning. Finally, she decided to get out of bed.

With slow, stiff movements, Darci put on the torn remains of her clothes. The shoulder in her shirt and jacket was shamefully revealing, forcing her to take the simple blanket off the bed to use as a cloak. With that uncomplicated task completed, she again sat down on the bed. As the ship rocked from side to side she stared at nothing but the scratched wooden wall opposite.

Although she was up, she was not quite awake. In some detached kind of way, Darci knew that she was suffering from shock. The consequences of the battle were just beginning to sink in. She had never seen anybody die, let alone witness multiple brutal murders. None of those murders would have been committed if it were not for her presence. The price that innocent people were paying was indescribable. How could anything or anyone be worth the cost?

After a while, with her arms wrapped around her knees, she started rocking back and forth. She could no longer stand to be alone. Stumbling off the bed she made her way back on deck. Now was neither the time for self-pity nor selfishness. She should not be the only able- bodied person onboard not helping in some way, so she stepped towards the door. Head lowered to the deck, she walked towards to the exhausted Defyance, quietly asking her what she could do to help.

Chapter 8

Two days had passed since the attack. The weather had been kind and the wind behind them, although blustery at times, had managed to keep the ship sailing in the right direction. Time was spent tending to the wounded and adjusting the sails to the unpredictable winds. Watch changed on the even hour, leaving only two hours for sleep, but their relentless will to continue was not without reward. With a particularly strong gust of wind behind them that echoed a sigh of relief, the sailor in the crow’s nest finally spotted land.

Before the Elspeth had even been tied to the dock, Elonan had jumped onto the pier, running towards the sleepy-looking town. Moments later, people began heading towards the ship. Glove covered hands were raised in front of eyes to block the blinding rays of the morning sun. Young and old dressed in thick furs quickly made their way towards the stricken vessel. The ice that covered the timber muffled the noise of footsteps on the wooden pier. Without a single order, the townspeople banded together to help carry the injured off the ship and take them to their local healer. Those not strong enough to help the wounded led the rest of the sailors to the inns of the town. The nightmare voyage was finally over.

Darci almost rolled down the gangplank as she stumbled off the ship. Her feet dragged along the ground as she took each torturous stride one step at a time. Her blurry eyes only focused on the feet in front of her. She did not know to whom they belonged, not did she care. The short journey from the ship to the nearest inn passed by in a blur. Dream images of an icy cobbled path, a door and the warmth of a fire floated by. Silence greeted their entrance; perhaps the patrons were shocked to see them all in their disheveled appearance, or perhaps there was simply no one there. Finally, the young girl could only remember welcome softness of the bed that she was placed on.

* * *

The next day Darci was finally awoken by the warmth of the winter sun shining through a thick window covering a small square of her blankets. After blinking her heavy eyes to clear them, she was pleasantly surprised to find herself under many blankets and on top of a real bed. Soft breathing to her left caused her to turn her head just enough to see Defyance sleeping peacefully in the bed next to her. Wriggling around to get more comfortable caused a cold wisp of air to blow under her cover, making her grasp it tightly to draw it around her body. As she exhaled, a small white cloud formed, proving just how frigid the air was. The warmth that the sun provided was little more than a farce.

Finally gathering the courage to move, Darci dressed as quickly as she could with only one hand. She paused, grabbing a large piece of polished glass to look at her shoulder. The four deep cuts into the muscles of her shoulder were still angry, open wounds, but they were mending well thanks to Lief’s vast knowledge in healing. With a sigh, she put on the rest of her clothes. She knew that the wound was going to scar terribly, giving her a permanent reminder of the bloody battle at sea.

She placed a hand on the wall as she closed her eyes, trying to block out the terror on the faces of the sailors who had died, the bloodthirsty grins of the evil beasts, and that petrifying fall into the deadly depths of the ocean. Finally, she shook her head to clear her mind, a stray strand of light-brown hair falling over her deeply concerned blue eyes. She had to go find someone to talk to about something, anything, just to keep her sane.

Wandering downstairs, she instantly noticed a major difference from where they had stayed in Chinta. For one, the atmosphere was not the same. There may have been quite a few people already drinking, but none even seemed capable of the boisterous behavior that she had witnessed in the Blazing Unicorn. The room was lit mainly by a large fire in a stone hearth; the few glass windows on this side of the building were edged with ice and condensation. The few men who were present sat talking amongst themselves, ignoring her as she looked everyone over.

Amongst the well-kept furniture of the average sized room, the young girl spied a few of the sailors from the Elspeth, including Gemal. The burly sailor was sitting apart from the rest of his comrades at his own little table. His tattoo-covered face was locked in a look of contemplation. Tapping his fingers on the table he eventually gave up his train of thought, and as soon as he saw Darci he motioned for her to join him.

Darci weaved her way through the tables to stand in front of Gemal. “I’m surprised that ye’re awake, lass after such ’n ordeal.” He used his heavy booted foot to kick out the chair just across from himself, motioning for Darci to sit.

“I may be up, Gemal, but that doesn’t mean that I’m awake.” The bosun smiled at her remark. “The only reason that I’m up and about at all is because I’m rather hungry.” Her hand fell to her stomach, which felt smaller and tighter than it ever had.

Gemal gestured to a young boy who was sitting behind the bar. His eyes widened as he noticed that he was to bring food to Darci. News travels fast, she thought as he hurried over towards them.

“My dad said that I was to give you anything that you wanted, Ma’am, mainly cos of your scary knight friend though. Is it true that you survived a fall fifty meters into the freezing water after being attacked and lifted off the deck of the Elspeth by a huge vampire monster?” The words tumbled out of the wide-eyed boy, as he stood, barely able to keep still, in front of Darci. It was obviously a rare occurrence for anything of interest to occur in this quiet, cold and out of the way town.

Darci smiled at the look on the boy’s face, despite the over exaggeration. His eyebrows were raised so high that they were almost hidden by his short fringe and his eyes were almost as wide open as his mouth; feet moving from side to side as he impatiently awaited a reply.

“’Tis,” said Gemal as he gave the boy a hearty slap on the back, almost knocking him over. He then pulled the boy closer. “And I was the sailor who felled the beast with a spear pulled from one of its slain brethren.”

Darci did not think that it was possible, but the boy’s mouth opened further as he gasped in awe at Gemal’s revelation. A small squeak escaped the boy’s mouth and with an ardent laugh, Gemal sent him on his way, turning back only to see that his high spirits were not shared. His young friend looked as if it had been her fault the beasts had attacked.

With another sigh, the Bosun tried to gather his thoughts, eventually finding the best words that he could put together. “I know that the whole thing might have been terrifying for one as young as you, but I find that ’tis better to look at scary things like that in a somewhat… good point of view, if you get what I mean.” Gemal seemed to have a problem explaining what he wanted to get across to Darci, yet he began to see the slight glimmer of understanding in the depths of her innocent blue eyes. “What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger?” Darci ventured.

Gemal rubbed his chin before nodding in agreement.

Quick little footsteps announced their meal. With the same look of awe still plastered on his face, the serving boy set a plate of hot bread and butter on the table, also giving her a warm cup of milk. Standing behind her for a moment he quickly whipped out his hand to touch her on the head before dodging around the tables back to the relative safety of the kitchen. Darci followed the boy’s retreat only to be distracted by the smell of warm food enticing her to forget the incident. While unseen to most, another young boy paid up the prized round slingshot stones for the successful dare.

“Now, I know that you’ll be want’n to eat yer fill, so I guess that I’ll do the talken to keep your mind offa things.” With that, Gemal gratefully launched into a story about one of his crewmates. He knew that most young girls would baulk at such colourful use of language, but he was hoping that such outrageous behavior would take Darci’s mind off her recent shock, if only for a small while.

Darci marveled at Gemal’s mood. Half of the crew had been murdered in a battle that they did not have any idea about. She would have thought that he would have been drowning his sorrows in a cup of the strongest stuff that this place supplied. Yet the usually quiet bosun appeared to have fared well from the battle, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. At least he was doing his best to get over such an horrific experience, whereas she could not even start coming to terms with the event.

Pausing for effect after a particularly audacious part of his story, Gemal noticed that Darci’s eyes were unfocused, as if looking far away. It was then he realised that his story had fallen on deaf ears. Scratching the back of his head he began to explain further, starting with yet another great sigh, “Many a man has died on the sea by the hand of the mother ocean or by battling whilst sailing her. Me point of view on death is much like that of scary things. Yer have to look on them in a… happy light. Fer me, I’m not sad when a friend dies, but I’m happy cos they no longer ’ave to stay in this world to put up with my company fer one thing.” An awkward grin broke the usually stony face.

Gemal was going to explain his mood in greater depth when Darci noticed Maledorian coming down the stairs. Her lips curved upwards slightly as she took a sip of her milk. Knowing the knight’s habit with whatever drinks were available, it did not take her long to figure out what he had been doing since they had arrived. His eyes were underlined with dark bags and uneven patches of hair covered his usually youthful chin. His usual chirpiness was gone, and given their lack of sleep lately, he did not look to be in a pleasant mood.

Timidly, one of the serving boys approached the knight to ask him if he felt like anything to eat. Maledorian stopped still, turning his head to look at the boy, glaring at him in a way that made Darci wonder if it truly was the man she knew. Stammering his apologies, the boy backed away a few steps before turning and running away.

“Get him the same as what the lass has, just more of it, lad,” Gemal said. The boy again bolted out of the room to the kitchen, glad to have something useful to do after such an encounter.

“Mornin’ mate,” Gemal greeted the knight. Maledorian acknowledged the greeting with a curled lip snarl, adding a barely audible grunt. Under the table, Gemal nudged Darci with his arm, whispering to her a comment about not being in the best of moods. Darci, with a mouth full of bread, raised a single eyebrow at the remark, returning her concerned gaze to the knight.

* * *

As the sun moved across the cold blue sky, everyone seemed to find something to occupy themselves with. Taslessian used the time to pore over a book that he had manage to appropriate from one of the inn keeper’s many and varied goods, while Lief spent most of his time aiding the local healer with the wounded from the ship. After eating, Darci returned to her quarters, tired from too much sleep. She lay in bed to simply stare into nothingness while Defyance kept her silent company, tending to her armour and daggers to make sure that they were all in top order.

For the ill-tempered knight however, the day held more important things. Maledorian spent the cool but sunny afternoon looking for a guide with sleighs who could take them to Sahat’s cave. The first couple of more reputable guides ended any talks of dealings at the first mention of the mighty dragon. One was even brazen enough to slam a door in Maledorian’s face. Fortunately for that man, the less than pleasant young knight had better things to do than take out his temper on the hasty man’s hide. It wasn’t until Maledorian reached the more dilapidated part of town when he finally found what he was looking for.

A sharp knock on an old wooden door bought out a short man dressed in thick furs. Maledorian stood with his hands in his pockets, moving from side to side to keep his body warm, ignoring the eager look on the man’s face. “I need a guide and provisions to take me and four others to the cave of Sahat.” Not wishing to waste his cold, foggy breath any more than he had to, the knight shut his mouth.

The man lowered his eyes to the ground for a moment while he considered the offer. The sound of a baby crying reached his ears from inside the house, followed by the comforting noises of a woman. A small sigh escaped his lips before he looked back at the stranger in front of him. Maledorian allowed himself to be scrutinised. He was wearing fine enough clothes and the long sword at his belt spoke of someone with power. Adjacent to the sword was a tightly secured pouch that looked to be full of coin; whether it was chips or flats, who knew? But a customer was a customer and they were rare at this time of year. The man stuck out his hand to shake that of the knight’s.

Maledorian allowed himself to smile. For the first time that day, something had gone right. Gladly, he delved into his coin pouch to give the man who would be his guide more than was required for the entire trip and supplies. The man smiled gratefully, knowing that he was in the knight’s debt. Yet the weight of a new family lay heavily on his shoulders, and as reluctant as he was to upset this new and generous customer, he could not chance leaving his wife and newborn alone in this life.

“I am glad for your generosity, sir, however, I can only take you to a place where you can see your destination. From there I am afraid I shall have to leave you and your group to return to my wife and son.” For a moment the man regretted his words. What if the customer found his family loyalty to be cowardice?

Thinking for a moment, Maledorian nodded. From what he could gather, most of the people in Menarik knew exactly where he wanted to go, but this was the first man who had not balked at the mention of the mighty dragon. The knight had no one he could truly call family, yet he knew how he felt about failing in his duty, and being a provider for a family was one of the most sacred duties of all. He had heard the villager’s tail known by even the youngest villager that scared most people away from the alluring treasures that Sahat was supposed to possess. It was said that any of the riches were free for the taking if and only if Sahat felt you worthy. If you were unworthy, like the fabled friend of a friend, you faced a grim death at the hands of Sahat himself. For that, apparently to be eaten was considered a kind death.

“Done,” the knight replied to the great relief of the guide. “I shall return here with my comrades on the morrow’s dawn ready for departure.”

* * *

The sun was newly risen yet there was no warmth in its rays as fog plumbed from the mouths of those outside, their boots crunching in the fresh coating of snow. None except the most hardy were out looking to their business whilst the majority of the town slept through the dawn. Lined up on one of the snow-covered streets of Menarik were three sleighs loaded down with rugs and supplies. A group of five waited outside in the less prosperous part of town while their guide readied his animals and gathered the last of his belongings.

Maledorian and Defyance secured the last of their things whilst the others stood around in the snow, shuffling their feet around trying to stay warm and awake. Not wanting to get in the way, Darci walked around the already packed sleighs; as much from curiosity as trying to keep herself from freezing. She was marveling at the similarities between sleighs on Earth to the ones that now stood before her. They looked just like the racing sleds in Northern America, only slightly larger, but strangest of all, there were no dogs to be seen or heard. A metal frame that linked to two long skis at the bottom held a thin but strong wooden base. At the back, the skis hung out just enough for the person steering to stand on them comfortably, hanging onto the handles provided.

Darci’s inspection of the sleighs was interrupted by the sound of crunching snow behind her. Turning, she had to do a double take when she saw the animals the guide was leading. He did not have horses or even Husky dogs, but animals that looked like neither. They were fast- looking beasts with slim, muscle-toned bodies. Their shape somewhat resembled an overgrown and very lanky furless cheetah with a long neck and a smooth, flat disk-like head. Dahnaga, as they were called, surprisingly had no fur like most animals that lived in the snow; instead, they were covered in a thick grey leathery type skin. They possessed feet that seemed unusually wide and flat with their forepaws each finished with a large dragon-like claw. As they walked over the frozen, cobbled road their claws dug into the ice without a single slip, their wide feet then going onto the fresh snow without making a footprint. Both of these traits were useful in the snow with the feet preventing them from falling into snowdrifts and the claws digging mercilessly into any ice that they came across.

Lief yawned wearily into his glove-covered hands as he watched his friends help with the harnessing of the Dahnaga. Maledorian had woken everybody early and without sympathy so that they could leave as soon as the morning light permitted. Thinking to himself, the elf wondered at the black mood he sensed coming from his knight companion. Since the attack on the Elspeth the young knight had not been his usual jovial self. Maledorian’s hung-over mood of the previous day had not left, causing discomfort to everyone. Even stranger still, he had gone to bed sober and had barely lifted an eyebrow at the lady behind the bar. Yet whatever was bothering the knight, he chose to keep it to himself, forcing Lief to simply wait with his elflike patience. Maledorian would confide in someone only when and if he was ready.

With the animals finally hitched to the sleighs, Darci moved to the one at the end, hoping that Taslessian would follow her. On the Elspeth they had spent much time exchanging stories but they had never been alone. In fact, she had not spent much time alone with him since their stay in Chinta and she hoped that they might be able to do so on the way to Sahat’s cave. She waved for him to come with her, but as he walked over, he was overtaken by Maledorian, who instructed him to sit with Defyance.

Any forthcoming objections were silenced by the deadly glare of the knight. Knowing that he would not win the argument, the young wizard shrugged. The book that he had bought was a fascinating journal of a pioneer traveler in the snow dunes of Mengah. He turned to walk back to the middle sleigh, leaving a sullen Darci to sit on hers. Giving the briefest of smiles, the melancholy knight took his position at the driver’s place. He was not going to be far from Darci in case there was any danger. Darci herself could not figure out what could be so dangerous about a sleigh ride, but then again, she had once had the same thought about a sailing ship.

The guide ran to the door of his house to give the woman standing there wrapped in a blanket a quick goodbye kiss. He also bent down to kiss something within her arms before turning back to the lead sleigh. In a single bound he was standing at the reigns and with a “hup, hup” they were off.

The Dahnaga pulled the sleighs swiftly through the sleeping city of Menarik. All the window shutters were closed but there was still smoke puffing out of each chimney. The thick snow covering on the cobbled streets made for easy passage; the wind soon freezing their faces causing their eyes to tear as they began to pick up speed.

The Dahnaga were keeping up a good pace through the city streets, yet as the houses thinned out, the roads began to disappear under the thickening layers of snow. Muscles began to pump as the Dahnaga began to use their natural talent for distance running. The sensation of speed was invigorating.

Soon they were traveling through the forest that surrounded Menaric. The fresh scent of pine lifted the spirits of all who had not enjoyed their sea voyage. Yet, all too soon the edge of the forest lay before them, leading out into the white nothingness that was the snow dunes of Mengah. With a loud “woah” the guide signaled the others to a halt. The Dahnaga would do well to rest before going onto the dunes, while the guide announced that it was time to eat. Surprisingly, the sun shone directly above them, signaling that it was already lunchtime; something Darci’s now grumbling stomach was grateful of.

Sitting atop her sleigh wrapped in a thick brown blanket, she turned her eyes to their guide as the short, thickly dressed man began to unpack some of the food supplies, noticing now how much he reminded her of an Eskimo with his furry attire.

“We need not only to eat, but to collect wood for the rest of our journey,” the guide announced. “Such a rare thing will be hard to come by in the snow dunes of Mengah where Sahat’s cave can be found. Though why you want to go there is beyond me.” The last comment was made quietly but not quietly enough to be missed. As if he had overstepped his bounds, the young man hurriedly went about his business of tending his beasts.

“I’ll go,” Darci piped up, for once volunteering for the duty so that she could get out of the sled to stretch her legs. She almost fell off it in her exuberance, getting tangled up in her blanket as she tried to stand. For the first part of their journey she had sat precariously on top of their belongings. Every bump they went over she found a new lump digging into her behind, forcing her to change her position constantly whilst hanging on tightly so as not to fall off into the snow. After being away from the horses for a while, her rear end had again become accustomed to the comforts of soft wooden chairs or even the smelly, stale hay of a makeshift bed, not the hard, constant moving and rubbing of a saddle or now the inconsistent seating of a sleigh.

The Menaric forest was very different compared to the Jungle Dragon. Pine trees dominated the snow-covered region with their fresh, exhilarating scent permeating even Maledorian’s seemingly indifferent exterior, causing him to inhale with a slight smile. Fresh snow crunched under their oiled leather boots as they walked between the trees, and though the air was cold, the sun radiated from behind the thinnest of cloud covers.

After taking a few steps into the forest Darci looked up into the youthful face of her knight protector. Her eyes widened, as for the first time, she realised that he was, at most, only five years older than herself. The sound of his footsteps crunching in the snow followed her own as she tried to think of something to say. The only other person in their group that she knew nothing about was Defyance, and after her first attempt at gleaning information from her, she had only succeeded in telling the warrior woman anything and everything of insignificance in her own life.

“So, tell me more about how you became a knight, Maledorian,” she half shouted so that he could hear her through the icy cold wind that ripped past them, threatening to steel her words.

The young man smiled through the ice that had formed around the soft and almost unseen facial hair around his lips. “I’ve always wanted to be a knight. My father was a knight so it was expected that the oldest son in our family would become one as well.”

For a moment Darci thought that she caught a frown on Maledorian’s face.

“Unfortunately, I was the youngest in a large family with two sons and four girls. We were not wealthy so my father spent all of his time training my brother Malek, while the rest of the family worked. Being younger, only on the rarest of occasions would my father let us train together. I relished the chance to take part in this activity, yet all my father taught Malek was how to beat down someone smaller.” The young knight clenched his fist for a moment as if he could strike at his brother even now.

“I took the blood noses, the bruises and even a broken arm, but I would not give up. Before my chores I would wake up every day to train for an hour before anyone in my house woke. I built my strength and I used a metal rod as a sword. Any chance I got I watched the tournaments, and I was even able to sneak off and help the squires with their own chores in return for any kind of training. I often neglected my work at home to the displeasure of my father but I stood firm and I endured.”

Darci bent down to pick up a piece of wood, never taking her eyes of her friend. She knew that he enjoyed being a knight yet she had not realised the extent of his devotion.

With a sigh Maledorian continued. He knew that the story of his family was nothing to be proud of, yet throughout his entire life, he had always tried to act with honor. He did not feel the shame that his family had created, yet he still felt the need to try harder. “The years passed and soon my brother was to be knighted. I never shared much love for Malek but my father was proud. Not long after he received the honor of his shield and title he was found guilty of murder… among other things… My father was broken and when Malek was executed, he turned to the drink, his only hope at his meager legend being surpassed had been crushed. When I approached him to say that I was to be a squire I don’t think he even heard me – too drunk. So I spent my four years as a squire gladly spending twice the effort of the other boys at my work. When I was knighted, I saw tears in my mother’s eyes but my father did not even turn up. I returned home to tell him that I had finally made it but there was only hatred left in the shell that he once was. He told me that I did not deserve to be a knight. That I was not half the man my brother was and that if that whore hadn’t destroyed Malek’s life…” Maledorian’s eyes focused onto his young friend as he had the good grace to blush. “I apologise for my harsh words…”

Darci shrugged; she had heard worse. She allowed Maledorian to continue as he too bent down to pick up some wood.

“Since then I entered many tournaments, winning most of them. I have become quite well known in the tournament rounds, and not long after I was given a strange message from a man dressed in a homely brown robe… It was the command for the quest that I had always dreamed of.

“Perhaps now my father will believe in me.” The sadness in his eyes lingered but a moment as they searched the pine needle-speckled ground for an answer, eventually coming to rest on another piece of wood. Shrugging he bent down to pick it up, adding it to the large pile in his arms. For now, both of them were lost in their thoughts.

After they had dropped off the first load of wood they realised that wood gathering in this surprisingly barren place was becoming more difficult. Dry, dead sticks and branches, which were usually in abundance in any forest, were hard to come by considering that it had snowed recently. The only sticks that Darci had come across happened to find her boot. Hidden under the snow they caused her to stumble as she walked along. Through trial and error and a mistimed step that caused the young girl to fall, the pair of wood collectors soon discovered that the only dry places were near the centre of the trees amongst a carpet of needles that had fallen from their thick and sappy branches.

Darci was able to creep under the brushwood with the greatest of ease, sweeping the lower pine needles out of her hair as she went. When she turned to look at her protector, he was having great difficulty in getting his large, well built body under the irritating grasp of the pine limbs. It was not long before they figured that it would be easier to work together. Darci dragged the firewood from under the trees where she could pass it out to Maledorian who put it into an easy to carry pile. In no time at all they had enough for the both of them to carry. They then went back to their picnic area where Lief was already cooking lunch.

On their last firewood gathering expedition, Darci was passing some wood out to Maledorian when she heard a growling noise emanating from the under tree darkness. She quickly looked around in the gloom that surrounded the undergrowth and saw the unmistakable glint of eyes. This unexpected sight froze her to the spot. Fear, like an icy hand, grabbed her mercilessly around her stomach, and despite her many layers of clothing, with dread trickling like chilly water down her spine, she shivered. There was a predator hiding in the depths of this forest and she was its prey. What was worse was that Darci could not see what it was. A slight movement caught her eye; a reflection of teeth in what little light reached the depths of this strange and cramped little world.

It was silly for her to feel such a paralysing fear of anything after her ordeal with the monsters on the Elspeth, yet fear was an unfeeling and unreasonable adversary. She could not move. She could not speak. Her mouth moved emitting no sound even while her mind was screaming. Whatever it was seemed to sense her fear.

“Darci, come out slowly,” instructed Maledorian who, upon hearing the last of the creature’s snarls, had looked under the thick foliage to see what the danger was. “It is a wild Dahnaga.” With one large arm, he lifted the branches of the pine tree to create an exit.

With her fear somewhat abated in Maledorian’s presence, Darci slowly backed away from the wild beast. With a stray branch pulling at her hair, she took another step. She was almost out in the open when there was a scratch on wood followed by a whoosh of air. Suddenly her body was jerked sideways by powerful hands, escaping the deadly claws of the Dahnaga by a hair’s breadth. The beast spun agilely around in the air the moment it realised that its prey had evaded it. It landed softly like a cat, lowering its head to flex its shoulder muscles so that it was ready for the next attack. It now stood just three meters away and it was eyeing off both Darci and Maledorian.

This Dahnaga appeared younger than the ones that pulled their sleighs. Softer grey skin stretched taughtly over a frail-looking frame to reveal ribs that protruded painfully, with tight muscles that covered the body. Its eyes flicked nervously from one human to the other as its head twitched slightly, sniffing out the danger. Finding only the two prey, its mouth opened revealing its vast array of razor-sharp teeth. A tendril of drool hung from its lip, refusing to break while it stood their, deciding its next move.

With a quiet grating sound, Maledorian unsheathed his broadsword. Much to Darci’s surprise, he did not raise his sword to simply dispatch the beast with a deft swing. Instead, he passed the heavy blade to her, planning to fight the Dahnaga with his bare hands.

“Maledorian, what are you doing?” she demanded nervously.

“You can use my sword if there are any more around. This I must do with no assistance.” He tensed as he stepped slowly between the beast and his ward, raising his hands in front of him, ready for whatever the beast was going to do.

Behind him, Darci barely lifted the broadsword to a position where she could drop it on something coming towards her; eyes glued on the impending battle between man and beast.

Maledorian was in a low crouch, waiting for the creature to charge. The Dahnaga was now totally focused on this possible threat. Its flat head moved, snakelike, from side to side before finally springing into the air. Front claws brandished for Maledorian’s head, pushing off powerful hind legs with teeth bared.

It looked as if it was going to land on top of the knight, but at the last moment, Maledorian ducked forward under the attack. His shoulder knocked its hind legs mid air, sending the Dahnaga sprawling in the snow not far away. As a flowing motion from the step forward, Maledorian spun around and dived for the confused creature. He grabbed it by the sides of its flat head trying to twist it so that the claws on its feet could not reach him. Writhing in the knight’s grip, the beast managed to drag one claw wickedly along his shoulder, ripping through the thick clothing and biting deeply into the flesh.

Maledorian showed not a flicker of pain on his blank face. He now had the beast in a formidable grip. The Dahnaga screeched in protest as the knight planted his boot in the middle of the beast’s back to keep it in place while he slowly pulled back the struggling creature’s head. Once he had it back as far as it would go, Maledorian jerked with a great amount of effort, and then with a sickening crunch, the creature drew its last breath.

Maledorian’s heart raced and his muscles ached but it was good to be alive. Running a hand through his tousled hair he stepped over to his ward to retrieve his broadsword, wincing at the pain of his wound. Darci pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket so that she could try to stop the bleeding. With minimum fuss she managed to tie a tourniquet that would keep the wound safe until Lief could tend to it.

“You shouldn’t have done that, Maledorian,” she said.

The knight finally smiled. She had not seen him in any mood other than foul since the attack on the Elspeth, but somehow, the battle with the Dahnaga had broken through his feelings of remorse, lifting a burden off his shoulders. He could protect his ward, with bare hands if need be. No longer would he ever be caught off guard. He was going to be a great knight and he deserved to finally be given a quest of great importance.

* * *

Time passed slowly for everybody after leaving the forest. Behind them was only the brightness of sun reflecting off snow. Ahead, each snow dune looked the same as the next. Off in the distance, it was difficult to tell where the ground ended and the sky began, causing Darci to marvel at the skills of their guide.

When nighttime finally came, it was a tame affair. A small fire was used to defrost some snow to combine with the dry food that they had brought with them. That was its only purpose though; there was not enough firewood to keep a constant fire unless there was an emergency. To keep warm during the long dark night, everybody slept in the same tent, because not even the hardiest of persons could survive the cold alone.

The next two days and the nights were the same. The same snow, the same sights and the same bone chilling cold. During the day they only stopped for lunch. The Dahnaga could pull the sleighs for hours on end, not needing any form of rest.

* * *

Half way through the third day, the guide pulled them over at the top of an unusually large snow dune. Snow jumped out of the sleighs path as he expertly skidded his to a sideways halt. Behind them and to the side there was nothing to see but their own tracks off into the distance. With steam rising from his face he pointed his finger forward. It was the view before them that had captured the guide’s attention.

Facing them lay a deep valley made entirely of ice. A long gentle slope of snow led down to the centre of the valley to be stopped by an unrelenting cliff of frozen water that formed the other side of the ravine. Centuries of harsh weather and icy winds had smoothed the face of the ice to make a flat, mirror-like surface. The midday sunlight as if on cue peeked out from behind its cloud covering to shine on the cliff before them, reflecting a bright rainbow of colours on the surrounding area. Yellow, red, light purple, blue and soft green glittered along the ice as Darci held her breath to watch the brilliance of the rainbow as it danced around the valley to nature’s forgotten tune. Tiring of its game, the sun returned behind its covering of clouds again, turning the valley back to its ordinary cold greyness.

For some reason, this sight unsettled the guide. He became fidgety, making sure that all his supplies were secure and that his Dahnaga were fastened correctly; turning back to the sleigh yet again to make sure his supplies were secure. He had a quick word with Maledorian, pointing to one of the larger caves in the ice cliff, and then without so much as a farewell, he was off; pushing with his own feet to gather speed. Wanting as much to get away from Sahat’s cave as the travelers wanted to get there, the guide urged his Dahnaga back the way they had come. The group of five had to fend for themselves now if they were to go any further.

By previous agreement with their guide, two of the sleds were to travel with their group. If they managed to return to Menarik, he would give back the deposit on the sleighs that Maledorian had been kind enough to pay.

Maledorian led the way, and Darci was forced to cling for dear life as the sleigh began to slide down the snowy slope of its own accord. Enjoying the speed, the Dahnaga did not even have to pull, only having to run fast enough to avoid being run over by the sleighs behind. Darci’s woolen hood flew back, sending her hair flying behind her. Tears streamed down her face as the cold stung her eyes, yet the speed sent a thrilling spike into her heart.

Defyance let out a warrior like whoop as she urged her own sleigh onwards. To try to catch up to her friends the warrior woman ran, pushing her sleigh until she could keep up with it no longer. With her knees bent she crouched down to cause less wind resistance. Taslessian did the same, caught up in the race, while Lief ran alongside at a startling pace. Yet soon not even the elf could match the speed of the two sleighs. In no time, they reached the bottom of the valley, coming to a halt near the entrance of the largest cave.

The entrance to Sahat’s cave looked exactly the way that Darci expected an ice cave to look like. Pointy ice teeth gave the entrance the look of an open-mouthed, salivating beast frozen forever in a constant but silent roar. This time, Darci did not feel any evil premonitions; there was no prominent danger here, aside from freezing to death in the icy winds.

Chapter 9

Darci exhaled a silent breath of fog as they took their first tentative steps inside the entrance of the cave. Everyone paused for a moment, ears straining at a distant sound The outside light seemed locked away behind them, out of reach from this new world. Smooth icy walls surrounded them, grotesque reflections staring back at those who had entered this new world.

Taking a deep breath, lifting his head and squaring his shoulders, Maledorian made a move to go deeper into the darkness, giving his rope an experimental tug to make sure that the Dahnaga were following. There was a peculiar tingle in the air that caused their hair to stand on end. The animals began to make small grunting sounds, pulling gently on their harnesses as the big claws on their forepaws scratched the frozen floor.

All of a sudden there was a whoosh of air as torches that nobody had noticed, lit up along both sides of the cave. Everyone jumped, Maledorian reaching for his sword and Lief ready to string his bow. Yet nothing else happened. The torches simply illuminated their immediate area but whatever remained in front still lay in the darkness.

“It’s because the spell has cast itself,” Taslessian explained to everyone with a quiet sigh of relief. All turned to his direction, Darci with one eyebrow raised. “The tingle… It’s a precast spell set to activate when someone or something is present. We could sense the magic in the air, but I for one couldn’t figure out what it was.” Standing next to Darci he gave her hand a slight squeeze of reassurance, letting it linger there for just a moment more than was necessary before stepping ahead.

Confident that nothing was attacking them, they continued downwards into the depths of the cave. The natural light behind disappeared. All were comforted by the company of the fire, somewhat unsettled by the foreign magic, Maledorian’s hand on his sword with Defyance carefully watching their backs. Deeper and deeper into the frozen earth they walked, following the torches until the passageway finally opened up into a large cavern.

All the torches behind them suddenly flickered out, leaving them in total darkness momentarily before a brilliant light began to illuminate the cavern. It appeared to come from everywhere and yet nowhere at the same time. From soft white light to blinding brilliance, everybody had to shield their eyes from its growing brightness. Maledorian and Lief were forced to tighten their hold on the Dahnaga as they bucked and jumped in alarm, trying to get away from the unknown. When everyone finally opened their eyes again, the light had refocussed itself from them to the centre of the chamber.

Even Defyance, a person who was not easily impressed, had to gasp in awe as they beheld the vast mountain of riches that lay before them. There were bags of coins in all shapes and sizes and overflowing chests of precious stones and metal. Where there was no more room, the treasures simply lay on the ground. Buried among the fortune, various other valuables could be seen: golden cutlery fit for royalty, jewel- encrusted helmets, various weapons, and lavish material in the form of clothes, rugs and cloaks.

Suddenly, the whole cavern began to shake around them. Coins jingled and fell to the ground before a shattering crash caused Maledorian to jump in front of Darci, lest she be hit by one of the deadly icicles hanging from the ceiling above. Then, with a deafening roar that almost knocked the group over, an unbelievably large dragon leapt onto the mountain of gold to hold purchase at the very peak of its riches.

This icy being was larger than the great dragon Grisham, his head alone the height of Maledorian and twice as wide. Light blue horns protruded viciously from the top of his head accompanied by smaller tusks on the side of his face. Spikes like an echidna’s stuck out of his back from his neck down to the tip of his tale, that swished around like an agitated serpent. Covered in dark, ice-like scales, he would not have been noticed had he not wished it so.

Lifting his forepaw to reveal his harsh and sharpened talons, the dragon before them appeared to pose for effect. His grey wings spread wide, looking as if he was ready for flight.

“Who dares enter the cave of Sahat!” he bellowed, his great voice reverberating around the cave and through to the very spines of all those present.

Defyance placed a hand on Maledorian’s shoulder to push him aside as she stepped forward to the front of the group. She was not in the mood for the protocol that prophesy-fulfilling usually required. The warrior woman had not been able to bathe since they had arrived in the city of Menarik; she also did not like the cold, and the last few nights she had not slept well because Maledorian snored and Taslessian fidgeted in his sleep. Her clothes smelled, her hair was oily and these new boots for cold weather rubbed her frozen feet raw. Woe betide the first thing to really piss her off.

“Oh leave off, Sahat!” she yelled so that he could hear her clearly. “You know who we are and you know why we’re here. I am dirty, I need a bath and I want some sleep. If you wish to continue with these stuffy formalities, so be it, but you can do it without me.” She put her hands on her hips glaring a challenge at the great dragon to defy her.

All thoughts of fear and trepidation left the group as Darci stifled a laugh at her friend’s straightforward manner. It was so bizarre seeing someone so small talk like that to a being so much larger. If he had so chosen, Sahat could have swallowed the irate woman with one bite – armour, daggers and all. Looking at Sahat however, the dragon’s demeanour had changed. Instead of being the huge gruff and intimidating beast that had leapt out at them, Sahat had shrunk back into himself, folding his wings around his body as he exhaled, contemplating what to do about this outspoken mortal.

Finally, the dragon leapt from the top of his treasure to land gracefully in front of them. With movement that somewhat resembled a curious child, the dragon swung his head down so that he could look almost eye-to-eye with the warrior woman. His nostrils flared as icy- cold breath hit the ground, causing an eerie mist to roll around their feet. He inhaled again, ruffling the warrior woman’s hair and clothes, yet Defyance held her ground.

“I think that I like you,” he said after a lengthy pause. His face changed then, showing his teeth in a dragon’s smile. “Do forgive me if I get a little carried away. You see, my cave of treasures is always a part of somebody’s quest, and when that somebody gets here, they’re always, ‘Oh, great dragon, please have mercy on my soul…’ or ‘Aid me if I am worthy, wondrous being…’” Darci did laugh now. Sahat did a great impersonation of someone fawning before his greatness, yet the great dragon’s complaints did not end there. The massive beast sat down on his haunches to be more comfortable.

“Whinge, whinge, whinge! They may have all been brave and worthy at some stage in their sad little lives, but none of them really had any… balls,” the cave filled with a rippling merriment as Sahat laughed at a private joke.

He continued the explanation of his unprecedented behaviour. “But of course, you don’t have any balls, you’re a woman. Ah, what a breath of fresh air your attitude is.” Sahat lifted his forepaw to scratch under his chin.

Out of the corner of her eye, Darci caught a flicker of movement. Turning her head to get a better look, she saw the strangest sight. Five little snowmen, whose height barely reached her shoulder, were making their silent way towards them. Not snowmen as in a carrot nose with coal for eyes, but mini big-foots or yetis. They wore no clothes for there was no need, and except for their hands and faces, their entire bodies were covered with soft, clean, white fur. Their facial features were akin to the faces of a monkey; brown leathery skin wrinkled around innocent eyes with a squashed little nose almost hidden by the size of the mouth.

Turning his head to acknowledge the strange little men, Sahat introduced his little friends. “These are the native people of the snow dunes. Unfortunately, there are not many of their kind left on this world and the people who once covered the entire expanse of the dunes now live only in this vast network of caves. As payment for my hospitality, they willingly attend to any guests that drop by. That’s you. Now if you will each follow one of them, you will be taken to a room where you can bathe to your hearts’ content.” Sahat nodded in defeat to Defyance, inclining his head in a mock bow. She acknowledged him with an insolent flick of her head that sent her blonde hair behind her ear. She folded her arms as she began to tap her foot on the solid ice floor. After a snowman had motioned for her to follow, she turned her back on everyone else. She was not in the best of moods and the delay was beginning to get on her nerves. She wanted her bath ten minutes ago.

Following her attendant, Darci soon found that the snowmen did not talk as humans did; instead, they conveyed their feelings or intentions with hand motions and a form of humming. It was like someone trying to talk to you with a mouth full of toffee. After a few patient attempts, Darci’s snowman finally made it clear to her that his name was “Hmm- mm.”

Turning into another icy hallway and then into one carved from both stone and ice, followed by the mysterious magical torches, before she knew it, Darci found herself standing at the mouth of a cave that opened up into a large bedroom. Standing in the doorway she marvelled at the human comforts so unlikely found in such a non-human dwelling. The large, comfortable-looking bed was the centrepiece of the room. It was made entirely of large, soft and squishy pillows of all colours and sizes, and like the roast on Christmas day, everything else revolved around it, unnoticed.

Hmm-mm walked into an adjoining room where Darci soon followed, heaving a sigh of disappointment in having to leave the presence of the bed. To her profound delight however, she found her host filling up a huge bath with steaming hot water. Amazingly, the bath had been carved out of a rock wall. Whoever had done the job must have taken the utmost care because the entire bath was as smooth as any old ceramic bath back on Earth, without a single imperfection.

Darci’s coat hit the floor in an instant. She was fiddling with the tie on her bulky pants when she realised Hmm-mm was still behind her, fidgeting around with some scented rocks, putting them in the steamy water with delightful little plops. She gave a small cough to get his attention. Looking at the inviting bath, his leathery face crinkled up into a smile. He hummed something at her as he promptly left the room; drawing closed a previously unnoticed curtain behind him.

It was pure heaven to slide down into the depths of the sweetly scented water. As the liquid and its bubbles surrounded her body, all of the accumulated dirt and sweat from their snow-filled journey melted away. Even the feelings of fear and doubt seemed to disappear, leaving her thoughts of quiet safe nothingness. Fatigue overcame her as she slipped gratefully into the realms of sleep.

* * *

Someone else was in the room with her. Darci awoke; sitting up with a start she covered her top half with her arms in an attempt to hide her nakedness. Water splashed as she scrambled into a sitting position. She looked frantically around to see who it was. Much to her relief though, it was only Hmm-mm. He had his comically large hand covering his eyes whilst he was blindly trying to hand her a large fluffy towel, almost twice his size. She gingerly stepped out of the bath taking the towel to wrap around her body, not noticing that Hmm-mm had one eye peeking through his hand. Quickly, the young girl dried herself, but before she could ask Hmm-mm about what was going to happen, he had gone again.

Darci hopped from foot to foot making her way towards her room and the now crackling fireplace. The uncovered parts of the stone floor were sapping away the warmth of her hot bath. Jumping directly onto one of the pillows, she looked around the room for where she had thrown her clothes, but they were not where she thought that she had left them. Instead on, the bed of pillows, she found that they had been replaced with some lighter, more elegant clothing. Ignoring them for the moment, she threw another pillow next to the fireplace. Hopping towards it, she basked in the flame’s raw heat until she was prepared to remove the towel.

Looking back towards her bead she jumped in surprise as she saw her naked reflection in the smooth ice wall before her. What lay before her was not the girl she had once been. Her body had hardened through the rigours of travel. What little fat she once had was gone, leaving only muscle in its wake. Slowly she ran her hand over her shoulder, bumping over the still angry wounds.

The cold returned, and she quickly remembered the new clothes on the bed. Throughout her entire life, Darci had been used to wearing pants or shorts. Dresses and skirts always appeared to get in the way, and they were never practical for sport. However, the dress lying in front of her was the only clothing in sight and she was not about to go out in front of her friends wearing one of the blankets or a pillowcase. She had no choice but to put it on.

Unlike any other piece of clothing that she had ever worn, this dress felt strangely fuzzy as she rubbed it between her fingers. The felt-like material gently caressed her naked form as she pulled, somewhat awkwardly, over her head. It was a dark blue dress with a light green fire pattern seemingly burning around the bottom with every slight movement. Although the dress design was simple – V-cut neckline with three-quarter length sleeves – Darci had to admit that it did not look too bad, as far as dresses went.

“Mmmm.”

She turned around to see Hmm-mm looking her up and down. His fur-covered feet had made no noise on the stone floor. She then looked down at the bottom of her dress, hands brushing down the material until she was as comfortable as she could be.

“Do you think it looks okay? I know that it fits, but… I don’t look good in dresses.” Hmm-mm nodded his head and then pointed to the bed for her to sit down as he pulled out a hairbrush. Darci could not even remember the last time she had given her hair a good comb. Back on Earth she usually kept it shoulder length so that it did not get in her way, but now it had grown into a loosely tied unruly mass, three inches longer than usual, with her fringe getting in her eyes unless tucked or brushed behind her ears.

With a strong hand, but gentle movements, Hmm-mm eventually struggled through the mess to soon put Darci’s hair up in an intricate warrior’s braid, discarding the old and overstretched hair tie and replacing it with a new one.

Once done, he picked up a pair of slipper-like shoes that he helped her to put on before taking the young girl by the hand, leading her to their next destination.

In the large cave with the mountain of treasure now in the background, everybody was waiting for Darci. When she arrived, all stopped their conversations to look at their friend. Darci even caught the corners of Defyance’s face move into something resembling a smile; the warrior woman seeming pleased that she too had been able to bath away the rigours of travel. Darci was not what you called beautiful and she never had the patience for make-up, yet the way she was dressed, along with the way she smiled shyly, bought out more beauty than anything artificial ever could.

“You even smell good,” Lief said as she stepped up to her friends. Even though she tried not to, Darci could not help but blush. She looked to the clear icy floor as she waited for the hot red feeling to fade from her face. Taslessian murmured his agreement. He was also slightly blushing because he had never realised that his accidental friend could look like she did now.

Everybody was well dressed. All of the males in the group were clothed in well fitting outfits with jackets that looked fit for royalty, leaving Maledorian looking decidedly uncomfortable. Defyance was the only one not wearing something for the occasion. Instead, she had on her formal warrior’s attire made from leather. Darci smiled at the thought of trying to get her warrior friend to give up her usual gear for a dress that did not allow for hidden weaponry.

Sahat entered the room from yet another cave behind them. “We eat first and then I will choose weapons for each of you.” He nodded his head towards a large round table that lay ahead of them. It was full of all sorts of delicious smelling foods. Before they got to fill their grumbling stomachs, however, the voice of Defyance halted them in their tracks.

“I thought that we got to choose which weapon we wanted.” She craned her neck to look Sahat straight in the eye. “The prophecy does say ‘weapons of choice.’” Unlike earlier, the warrior woman’s voice no longer carried her annoyance while her eyes held a hint of mischief.

Sahat laughed at her again. “You are right O righteous one who knows all. It does say weapons of choice in the prophecy. But where in the prophecy does it say that the choice is to be yours?” The dragon faced Defyance’s brazen stare head on, knowing that he had beaten her in this short battle of words. When the woman had no answer to his challenge, the great dragon turned his massive form away to lumber towards the table.

Foods of all colours and description covered the grand stone table, steam floating upwards indicating that it was freshly cooked. At its centre lay the biggest chicken-like bird that Darci had ever seen. When it was living it must have been the size of an Emu, but without the long neck or legs. Vegetables of some kind decoratively surrounded the meat, looking like the pumpkins and potatoes at a roast dinner. For all the other platters of delicious-smelling foods there was no comparison that she could bring to mind. Almost everything looked completely different from any food that she knew of, yet it smelled so inviting that she wanted to try it all.

Everyone was carefully seated upon stone chairs that were made from the same slate-like stone as the table. Silk-covered pillows adorned each of them to add comfort for the human visitors.

“Now, shall we begin?” Sahat gripped a large pitcher of wine delicately between the tips of two claws as he began to serve his guests. For some absurd reason, Darci was reminded of Alice in Wonderland at the mad hatter’s tea party.

“This is a great honour,” whispered Lief who was seated next to her. Like a breath of fresh country air, Darci inhaled whatever aftershave her elf companion was wearing. The aroma was hard to catch, yet, when it managed to reach her senses, it filled her nostrils with a pleasant, masculine smell.

“For one such as Sahat to serve us mere mortals is the greatest sign of respect that a dragon can give.” For some reason, Darci could not quite catch what Lief was saying because he just smelt so good.

Once all the cups were full, all raised their drinks in a silent toast, Darci slightly behind the rest, before commencing the meal. Thinking back on how Sahat had commented on the formality of other questers, Darci would hate to think about how she would cope with all the unknown ceremonies that she would have had to undertake had their mission been known to those of power on this world, though when she considered it further, she was sure it would be relatively easy compared to meeting politicians back home.

Finishing a mouthful of meat that he had torn out of the drumstick of the bird, Maledorian asked a question that seemed to relate to one of his favourite topics. “Are you not dining with us tonight, Sahat?” Since pouring drinks for his guests, the great dragon had been content to sit near the table with his head resting on a spare chair, listening to the talk and banter of his guests.

“What I eat and the way I eat may be slightly disconcerting for any mortal to witness,” he replied as he smiled, again showing off his impressive set of teeth. “The beasts that you call Dahnaga I generally call dinner.” Defyance looked momentarily at Sahat before shrugging her shoulders. She again tore into her meal with vigour, not caring about the images of gore and viciousness that the dragon hinted at. This reaction again bought a rumbling chuckle from their host.

The rest of the meal passed by as a blur of cheer and merriment. It was hard to believe that these five people were the same group that had witnessed unspeakable horrors only days before. All too soon however, the meal had ended with everyone full enough to burst. Eyes drooped and conversations lessened, but there was no rest for them yet as they were all ushered away to Sahat’s awesome mountain of treasure.

“Now is the time for part of your quest to be completed,” Sahat announced, as he unfurled his wings in an impressive display of his size. His formal tone seemed a departure from his previous attitude towards formality. Looking around, however, Darci saw Hmm-mm with the rest of his people standing off to the side. When she caught his eye, he winked; Sahat was putting on a show.

“It has come to pass that the never-ending battle between good and evil should be fought on our once peaceful planet. One from another world hath come here to destroy and rule, as it has done to countless other worlds. To combat this evil, one other has been bought forth from yet another world alike. So shall a great battle be fought. The winner, as yet undetermined, the final outcome shrouded in mystery.” Sahat’s voice lowered dramatically.

“The dark one shall always have obstacles to place in your way. Be it an army or a single man, evil cares for nothing. The light, opposing everything that evil stands for, shall always have assistance. Here be only one of the places where assistance can be found. Here is where the five of the light receive their weapons of choice.”

Carefully, five of the little snowmen walked ceremoniously out from behind the mountain of treasure. Each held in front of them, a royal red pillow with an object placed reverently on top. The first one walked up to Maledorian. Kneeling in front of the knight he held up his cushion in offering.

“Maledorian, the Knight Protector, shall be given the Mace of Naga. With it so shall he strike fear into the hearts of the enemy.” He picked up the weapon by its smooth wooden handle, being careful that the deadly spiked ball did not come crashing down into the wrong place. He bowed slightly to Sahat before stepping back. The young knight’s face was for once plastered with awe. He was truly on his first quest and this is one formality that he respected.

The next snowman walked to Defyance. “To Defyance, the Dagger Bearer, is given the dagger of Boutief, with it shall she carve her name in legend.” The warrior woman inclined her head in acknowledgement of such an honour, the most gracious act that she had yet shown the dragon. She managed to take the sheathed dagger without sardonic comment, now too interested in inspecting her valuable gift.

Lief stood next in line. “For Lief, the Elf Wanderer, is given the mystic bow of Shanian. With it shall he strike down countless foes.” The Elf received his weapon with pride standing clear on his soft Elven features. It had been a long time since any elf had ventured far from home to receive a quest of such importance. The fact that so far, their adventures were somewhat secret did not bother him as long as he carried out whatever duties lay ahead.

“Taslessian, the Apprentice Wizard, is an apprentice no longer. He is given his master’s staff. Having been recovered from the Jungle Dragon and infused with Grisham’s magical essence, shall he use his power wisely.” Taslessian’s face was filled with a mixture of pride and pain as he received the staff of his fallen master. He held it before him to hide the single tear of remorse. Unseen by all except Sahat, Taslessian stood transfixed. His eyes could no longer see the icy floor underneath. For an instant that lasted an eternity, sights, sounds, smells and feelings flew through his mind. Inside he screamed for it to stop, but the knowledge continued to pour in, filling his mind with uncounted spells and lore. Then, as abruptly as it had begun, the process ceased. In a blink of an eye the boy had transformed into a man.

Sahat nodded his head in approval, knowing with relief that Taslessian had survived his unusual and dangerous ascension. The great dragon then turned his head to face the last of the group of light. “To Darci, the Offworlder, is given the Gauntlet of Elron. With it shall she decide the fate of the lives of many.”

With half of their quest fulfilled, their thoughts now turned to what lay ahead.

Part Three

Chapter 1

Darci sat on her bed in a daze. With a sigh of contentment she lay back, melting into the cushions. From the cave of treasures everybody had gone straight to bed, as much for needed rest as to get a chance to study their weapons. Taslessian had mentioned to all that he felt magical energies in each of the gifts they had been given. Everyone had wanted to discover what fate had in store for them. She lifted her hand over her head so that she could see the golden Gauntlet of Elron.

From the moment that the snowman had placed it on her hand, Darci had felt an unusual power pulsing through her. It was strange. When she thought about it she did not feel stronger, smarter, more skilful, or anything in particular, simply different. With a crackle from the flames in her fireplace the golden gauntlet on her hand shimmered; unnoticed, the flames roared as if only now they had decided to acknowledge the weapon’s power and presence. The glint was hypnotic, mesmerising the young girl momentarily as the flames danced around on the smooth and well-polished golden surface.

Darci’s thoughts began to wonder. Why was it called the Gauntlet of Elron, or even a gauntlet at all? She screwed up her nose as she wiggled her exoskeleton-covered fingers. It looked nothing like any gauntlet she had ever seen. It did not even look like a glove, more like a skeleton of another hand to the elbow, forged in gold. A padded golden band gently but securely fitted around her wrist, surprising Darci because she had unusually skinny wrists compared to the rest of her body. The five golden bony fingers attached to the wrist slid onto her fingers with soft material rings holding them to each digit. Smooth thimble-like caps at the very end gave her complete control of the gauntlet as it secured itself to the tips of her fingers.

She looked at her hand, somehow feeling stronger as she imagined actually hitting someone. At this simple movement she was given to wonder at the magical joints between the different bones. There were no apparent hinges that she could see. She bought it closer to her eyes, yet try as she might, she could not see anything. Each bone barely touched, with nothing else connecting them, yet when she tested their strength, they would not budge. Nothing that she had ever known or had even imagined could rival the craftsmanship of such an artefact of legend.

Hmm-mm entered the room with a friendly smile. This time he announced himself with a slight hum that caused Darci to turn her head in his direction. His deep green eyes held a certain quality that showed that he somehow seemed to understand her euphoria. With soft but persistent fingers he managed to remove the gauntlet and placed it on a separate pillow next to her bed. Darci put up no resistance. Her eyes were surprisingly heavy and her body finally relaxed. No sooner than it was done, she took off the dress that she had worn and carelessly flung it on the floor. She would pick it up later; now all she wanted to do was sleep. In nothing but her underwear, Darci allowed Hmm-mm to help her snuggle into her overly large bed. Curling up into a little ball, her even breathing could be heard before Hmm-mm had left the room.

* * *

Running, fear, not away from, but towards. Darkness and danger, everywhere. Blood stench, burnt flesh, death. Someone dead. Who? Movement to one side, the other, look but cannot see; what is it? Near the end, some great beast, taunting, threatening, more fear. It is coming to the end. Where is everyone? Alone. Ending. How?

* * *

Darci woke up from her confusing nightmare in a cold sweat. Her wild eyes flicked around the dimly lit room coming to rest on a single pillow that had landed on the other side of the room, a sign that she had been struggling. She rolled over in an attempt to untangle herself from her blankets and looked straight into the face of Hmm-mm, his eyes wide and full of concern. His large hand reached out to touch her gently on the face, closing her eyes before brushing her tousled hair off of her sticky forehead. The fur that covered the outside of his hand tickled Darci’s nose, making her almost sneeze.

Hmm-mm stepped away from the bed as he motioned towards some other clothes that were neatly folded on the floor. The neglected dress of the night before had been taken away and forgotten about. Groggily, the young girl managed to roll out of bed, the cold and icy floor waking her up almost instantaneously as it touched her bare toes and hands. Half jumping half stumbling she jumped onto one of the cushions to save her poor neglected feet from the chill.

“I know that I wasn’t having the best of dreams, Hmm-mm, but why do I have to get out of bed?” She turned her half open eyes towards the little snowman as she hugged herself, trying to keep warm in just her underwear, but his only response was to shrug. Insistently, he stepped towards her, holding up the first item of clothing from the pile he had bought into the room. The young girl slowly dressed with the assistance of the friendly snowman. Stifling a yawn, she wondered how much sleep she had gotten during the night – or morning; she did not even know what time of day or night it was. That was the problem of living in a cave. “I mustn’t have gotten much sleep,” she mused to herself as she finally wrapped herself in a large warm jacket.

In no time at all, she was hustled out to the great cave that appeared to be the centre of everything. Darci thought that she was always pretty quick at getting ready in the morning, yet everyone was again waiting for her. The sleds had already been packed with the Dahnaga harnessed and waiting; scratching the icy floor with their claws, nervous at the scent of such a large predator: Sahat. Maledorian was pulling on the ropes that tied down their belongings while Lief and Defyance stood next to the other sleigh talking quietly to one of the other snowmen. Aside from the drab grey blankets there were now other parcels tied down, wrapped in richer blue materials. To end their conversation the single snowman handed over another blue parcel; all gifts from the friendly snow people, yet as to what they were, Darci could not tell. Taslessian was the only person not immediately present. After a look around she finally located him. He stood apart from the rest, seen only in the flickering of firelight. His head was nodding on occasion to Sahat’s icy whispers. Curious, Darci turned to Lief for an explanation.

“Somehow, Grisham the great has informed Sahat that we need to be on our way. Apparently, the evil one has brought all the southern races together and they are preparing for war quicker than we anticipated.” The young elf’s youthful features were still smooth and childlike, yet his eyes carried the heavy glint of concern. Lief still had traces of whatever he was wearing the night before, however, the fragrance was not quite potent enough to distract the sleepy offworlder.

“We have to get a move on because the people of Nahaba have heard of the gathering of the South, and if we do not stop the evil one soon, war will break out and many lives, both North and South, will be needlessly lost.” Lief shook his head at the situation. At his adolescent age he had not yet been part of a war. His knowledge of such matters revolved around the fireside tales from village elders and then later, yarns from drunken soldiers at the pubs that he had visited while on his travels. He sighed, missing his earlier days of the now untouchable Elven village of his past.

Darci’s face mirrored her friend’s. Her eyes were full of concern as she looked down to the floor for a moment, trying to contemplate the shadow of war. Men dying, families becoming destitute with no one to support them, children starving, then forced to fight at such a young age…

Rubbing her head, already the Gauntlet of Elron had become a part of her; feeling comfortable to the point of being unnoticed. She looked up at the rest of her group, noticing that everyone else was carrying their weapons of choice. Lief, who was now standing silently beside her, had his bow attached to his back by a belt across his chest. It was golden, like Darci’s gauntlet, yet somehow it was as flexible as a sapling. The pouch he normally carried his bowstrings in was no longer present however, and that confused her.

Maledorian was now standing patiently next to one of the sleighs, petting one of the Dahnagas absent-mindedly. His dangerous-looking mace looked rather out of place hanging from his belt instead of his broadsword. Along with the weapon came a strange cover that attached it to his belt – easy to access yet not dangling in the way. Not far from hand however, was his favoured broadsword sheathed on the side of his sleigh. When it came to being prepared for battle, there were none better ready out of their group than the young knight.

Defyance was not too far away from Maledorian, which was often the case. Darci wondered if anything was going on between those two besides warrior comradeship. For a moment the young girl was distracted by the bizarre thought. Quiet often both happened to be missing at the same time. When everyone was on deck and awake on the Elspeth, both had remained below deck, while when everyone was ready to sleep, both were the last to tuck themselves in at night. Yet throughout the day they almost ignored each other. Darci shrugged her shoulders unnoticed. Whatever was going on it did not concern her anyway.

Defyance was sitting on the second sled with her weapon of choice in hand. Darci watched in awe as her slightly obsessed friend began to twirl the blade around her fingers, going faster and faster until the weapon was a gold/silver blur flicking from hand to hand. Looking harder, she realised that the dagger’s sheath was occupied with yet another blade that looked exactly the same. Darci thought that she had been given only one dagger. She shrugged again.

Her thoughts were broken by the sound of footsteps followed by giant claws scratching on the ice. Taslessian walked over with Sahat following behind with his strange dragon gait. “As you all know the situation, you also know what has to be done.” The humour from the previous day seemed to have drained from the dragon’s face. Where last night his eyes were bright and clear, now, they were almost unfocused and dim. “I was hoping to instruct you each on how your weapons can be used, but there is no time…” Sahat allowed his sentence to trail off, shaking his head.

Defyance quickly sheathed her dagger before looking up at him. Squaring her shoulders she walked over to her sleigh. When no one else moved she sighed in frustration. “If we have so little time, why are we still here?”

Sahat looked at her with the briefest flicker of a smile before continuing. “We can waste no time, therefore I must send you on your way. Now, some of you may not enjoy this, but you are going to Menarik.” Sahat took two steps towards the smooth ice wall of his home. “Taslessian has been given the staff of his master, which has been infused with the power of Grisham the great. With that comes immense ability and great knowledge – power and knowledge enough to send you straight from here to Menarik. I must warn you though, this is hardly a safe way to travel and I do not advise doing it without a dragon’s assistance.” With his warning he glared at Defyance then Maledorian in turn making sure that no matter what happened, they would not try this particular way of travel again.

Sahat had nothing left to say, so with a nod of his great head, Taslessian walked determinedly through the group to stand in front of the ice wall of the cave. With a face of great concentration, he began to mutter words that nobody but Sahat could understand. He held his staff into the air as his chanting rose and fell to the rhythm of a dragon’s breath. A loud crack resounded through the cave to be met by silence. No one dared make a peep. With a ringing in their ears, the sound that silence brought was more deafening than Sahat’s mighty roar. Everyone looked to the unchanged wall with anticipation and without looking back to see if he was being followed, the newly ascended wizard walked straight through the ice to whatever lay beyond.

The last flicker of Taslessian’s cape had soon disappeared, and so had the sleighs, guided by Defyance and Maledorian. The Dahnaga followed as if in a trance, responding to the instructed handling of the two prominent warriors; a sign of more magic at work. Lief was about to step through when he turned back to look at Darci. She stood looking at the once solid ice that now moved like a lake being violated by a small pebble.

The elf smiled reassuringly, taking her by the hand. Both of them waved a friendly goodbye to Sahat and his snowmen. “Thankyou, for everything…”

“Go,” Sahat interrupted in a strained voice. “It takes a great deal of effort to keep the gateway open.” The great dragon’s back knees faltered, thudding to the ground with a resounding crack of ice. His front legs were shaking as they tried to cope with his immense weight.

Without further delay, Darci and Lief jumped through the liquid ice together, landing instantly on a cobbled road, stumbling to keep their footing. Sahat and Taslessian had reduced a three-day journey to a split second, landing them on the quiet street between the evergreens that lead towards Menarik.

Chapter 2

To the north, just over the tops of the pine trees, the tip of the morning sun could be seen peaking out of the clouds. The sky was awash with the light colours of daybreak, starting with the light blue to the east, ending with the vibrant oranges and reds to the west as the sun lit the clouds. A pleasant, but slightly chilly breeze was blowing through the woods, bringing again the relaxing fresh scent of pine to the outskirts of Menarik.

Taslessian’s form was slumped over the top of one of the sleighs. His chest rose and fell to the soft rhythmic sound of his breathing, but he was as limp as the dead. Such a magical feat would drain any wizard of energy, not to mention one so new to such power. Already, Defyance was driving the first sleigh into Menarik while Maledorian stood waiting until Darci had come through before he jogged off after his ride.

If luck was with them, they would be able to obtain passage to Chinta that day, but their chances were slim; vessels did not often visit this cold corner of the land, and their only chance would be if the Elspeth was still in port. If they had no more encounters with monsters on the return trip, they could have their horses and be on their way down to Chinta some time during the third week.

“Come on, Darci,” Lief encouraged. “We can’t let them beat us.” With a single foot thrust on the snow he urged the Dahnaga forward. Sensing familiar lands, the animals took off with a jerk, flying through the forest then careening through the sleepy streets of the small city once again. The houses flew by with wind pulling at their hair and soon they were level with their friends.

It had taken them three days to get to Sahat’s cave but only stayed at the great dragon’s abode for a single rotation of the sun, so their guide would not have yet returned. So, instead of causing trouble by returning their sleighs to his family, they decided to sell the sleighs and the Dahnaga. Money was no problem, considering one of the parting gifts had included coin, but time, however, was their enemy.

By necessity, they returned to the same inn. Out of all the places in Menarik, this would hold the most influential sailors. They only paused outside long enough to unload their belongings to the deserted stable. Maledorian, Darci and Taslessian kept their things, and then, without a word, Lief and Defyance were off to find a buyer for their sleighs.

Arriving at their inn with at least some rest behind her, Darci marvelled at its quaint appearance, which had gone unnoticed previously. Built entirely out of grey stone, the charming two-storey building gave off a friendly and inviting look despite the windows being fogged up from the inside. Smoke still wafted out of the inn’s chimneys.

Walking through the sturdy wooden door first, the Knight Protector was relieved that the taproom was empty, except for a single serving boy and one of the previous night’s customers. The chairs had all been neatly arranged and all evidence of the previous night’s activities cleared away to make way for the next ship to come in. Any sailors still staying at the inn would be sleeping off whatever they had drunk the night before. Darci and Taslessian stood behind the knight, the young girl unsure what to do with herself, while the young wizard was too tired to even care where he stood.

“Boy, tell me, is the sailor Gemal still staying here?” Maledorian pulled his burly hand out of his pocket to flick a coin around his fingers, throwing it into the air in front of the boy’s eager eyes. However, before the boy could reach out and grab it, the knight swallowed it within his grasp.

“Yes sar. Gemal the sailor is still ’ere, ’e’s up in the room last to yer left sar… true.” Maledorian flicked the coin to the boy before making his way up the stairs with Darci in tow. Taslessian was sitting in a chair now, head slowly dropping towards his chest. Unlike most inns, this was a place safe enough to leave all your belongings to be guarded by one whose eyes were closed.

Quickly up the wooden stairs to the last door on the left strode Maledorian, Darci jogging behind to keep up. The knight knocked sharply on the door three times, and when no response was forthcoming, he, turned the unlocked handle and let himself in. Despite the intrusion, the sailor wrapped up in bed sheets did not even stir. Gemal lay fast asleep on his bed, and it was not an elegant sight. One bare foot hung over the side of the straw covered table doubling as a bed, the hair on his toes providing the foot’s only warmth. The sailor’s face was mushed against the pillow, his mouth wide open next to a small puddle of drool, snoring loudly.

Darci stifled a giggle as Maledorian tapped the man on the shoulder. Gemal grunted and rolled over but did not wake. Maledorian was going to shake him then, but Darci reached up to put a hand on his shoulder. Instead of using the knight’s abrupt approach, she crept up to her unlikely hero, gently squeezing his nose with her finger and thumb.

“Wha… Wha… Huh?” Gemal got up on one elbow to look at who was playing with his nose, hoping that it was the bar lady he had been dreaming about. After a couple of blinks to focus he finally recognised his assailant. “Oh… Well now, I had a feeling that I’d see yer again despite the fact that you lot left without a word the other morn. How’s it goen, lass?”

Maledorian was in no mood to chat, so before Darci could reply, he got straight to the point. “Gemal, we need to get back to Chinta as soon as possible. How long will it take you to get your crew together so that we can sail?” The knight’s eyes, though commanding, held a hint of youthful exuberance.

“Well now, I’m glad you didn’t want to beat about the bush…” Gemal yawned loudly, stretching his arms over his head. “But before we talk, kin I get dressed?” The sleepy sailor looked pointedly at Darci, an action that was punctuated by an embarrassed cough. Her presence was no longer needed. She mumbled some excuse about checking on Taslessian before fleeing out the door.

It was not too long before the heavy footsteps of the Knight Protector and the sleepy sailor could be heard thumping on the well built wooden stairs of the inn. Darci looked up from her seat at the largest wooden table in the taproom. Taslessian was still asleep, his head rested on his folded arms, slumped on the table. A soft, sometimes interrupted snoring emanated from somewhere in the depths of his crumpled form. She was sitting quietly next to him, yawning loudly as her friends sat down. Before the presence of the knight and bosun the young girl’s chin had fallen to her chest, only for her head to be lifted a moment later. As she looked at them, her eyes were bleary and half open. Taslessian was not the only one who was tired, and if Maledorian and Gemal had taken much longer, she would have joined Taslessian in his much needed slumber.

Gemal instructed the serving boy to have some breakfast prepared for them all. With another gold coin, the boy quickly scurried into the kitchen, inconspicuously leaving the door open behind him so that his friend could again look upon the heroic and mysterious strangers. Despite the fact that nothing interesting seemed to happen, extra bits of information always came in handy.

“As I said before, Gemal, we need passage to Chinta as soon as possible. It is most important.” The knight sat down next to Taslessian, but instead of leaning back into the chair like the rest of them, he leaned forward to place one arm on the table. The entire time he had been upstairs with Gemal the question of ship and crew had been avoided. Instead, the bosun had rambled on about some of the things that had happened in their absence.

“There might be a problem with that.” Gemal ran his hand over his baldhead, scratching it at the back. “Ye see, our captain, Argon, is convinced that the ship would not have been attacked if the lass ere, weren’t onboard. He and the remaining crew are convinced you’re all bad luck. There be only a few of us that know ’im for the coward that he is! Bunch of superstitious sissy sailor sacks of…” Gemal slapped his hand down on the table in frustration, amazed that anyone could believe such tripe.

“I can help that.” Taslessian lifted his head to look at the sailor. His voice was soft and unsteady yet strong enough to be heard. “All I need is the boat. Once the sails are up I can get us to Chinta.”

Gemal was going to question the young wizard, but before he could open his mouth, Taslessian had allowed his head to drop back to the comfort of his arms. Looking at his other two acquaintances he thought better of asking how, what or why, gladly leaving the mystical to the unknown.

* * *

The moon hid its bright face behind wispy clouds, obscuring the six dark figures creeping quietly around the Menarik waterfront. All were glad to be rugged up in dark clothes that night, as the wind blew in from the sea, making everything that it touched feel the breath of ice.

Maledorian had explained almost everything to Gemal, and the sailor had agreed to hijack his own ship, reasoning that he did not like Captain Argon anyway. When they got to Chinta, he could sell the ship to get the money he was owed.

Maledorian, Lief, Defyance, Taslessian, Darci and Gemal walked up the gangplank of the Elspeth in silence. There were only two sailors on watch that night, and in such a sleepy town, they were not being particularly watchful. Both were crouched, rolling a set of dice under a single lamp. Gemal knew that Argon’s displeasure was no match for their own lives.

Darci’s body shook with excitement as she watched the two sailors on guard trip over themselves to get away as soon as Maledorian raised his mace. With the echoes of their retreating footsteps all heads turned to Gemal, crowding around him so that his cautious whispers could be heard.

“We don’t have time to stuff around I’m afraid,” he said as he directed them to separate parts of the ship. Through a relay of whispered instructions, Lief and Maledorian unfurled the mainsail with an all too loud crack that called for a moment’s pause before continuing. Darci and Defyance wrestled with any loose ropes, clumsily tying them in barely sufficient knots to whatever their bosun pointed to. Gemal stood on the quarterdeck, his barely distinguishable silhouette blending into the fixtures of the ship, wind tugging at his clothes.

Lief sprang from the deck of the ship to untie the mooring ropes. With the breeze finally filling the sails he began to steer the vessel slowly out of the tiny harbour. Steering it as close to the pier as he dared, Gemal watched in wonder as Lief ran along side, finally leaping onto a stack of creates before making one almighty jump to land on the side of the ship, hands comfortably hanging onto the side rail a moment before he swung himself back on deck to await further instructions.

Slowly the ship began to move, threading its way through the dark ripples of the night. The water lapped at the side of the ship with increasing loudness, yet no call of alarm sounded and the Elspeth slipped away unnoticed.

* * *

At first, darkness reigned supreme, but with time, their eyes adjusted and the moon and stars began to shine through the clouds. As soon as they were out of the harbour, Darci wandered up to the quarterdeck. Gemal stood tall, holding the ship’s wheel with a single sturdy hand while he looked up at the sky using the stars as his guide. Eventually he let his gaze fall to the young girl who stood next to him, waiting for her to say what she was going to say.

“Why were you never the captain, Gemal?” To her it seemed like a reasonable progression.

“I never wanted to be a captain, lass,” Gemal replied as he turned his eyes back to the sky. “Being a captain requires so much and there’s always the first mate there, wantin’ yer job, so bein’ the bosun is much easier and you tend to have a longer life span.” Both sailor and young girl remained silent for a while. Darci looked ahead to see only the infrequent reflection of the moon dancing on the horizon. With a sigh that echoed on the wind they sailed towards the city of Chinta.

When only ocean filled the horizons Taslessian climbed up to crow’s nest. At first unheard, he began chanting in the language of the ancients, with his staff in the air. All on deck soon began to hear his rising voice and with a blinding flash from the tip of his staff, silence once again filled the air. Like the touch of a gentle finger, a breeze began to blow past those on deck, building gently until it filled the sails, moving the ship faster than ever before. With his master’s staff, some brief private instruction from Sahat and practice, the young wizard was becoming stronger with every spell. The more magic he used, the energy he expended grew less and the greater the distance between his old self and now became.

He would stay in the crow’s nest for hours on end, resting only momentarily to try to recoup his energy, eating copious amounts of highly sweetened meat.

The rest of the makeshift crew simply did as they were instructed by Gemal. Maledorian’s muscles bunched up, knotting and cramping as he lifted his own body weight up and down the railing, tending to the needs of the sails that filled and emptied to the whims of Taslessian’s magic. Darci’s hands soon became red raw from pulling on the ropes, arms constantly straining. With an almighty gust of wind from Taslessian, one of the ropes began to drag the tired girl along the deck, her shoes squeaking on the salty wood. With a silent smile, Defyance picked up the end of the rope, both women working together to tie it down.

When Gemal was too tired to keep his eyes open, Maledorian would take over the helm, making sure they stayed on course. Sleep was rare given the scarcity of crew, and Darci found herself almost sleeping against the ship railing on more than one occasion.

Finally, on the dawn of the third morning, the sun rose to reveal land on the distant horizon. Their voyage was almost over.

* * *

The sounds of a city already hard at work carried clearly over the water. Maledorian finally coaxed Taslessian down from the crow’s nest. What wind remained would carry them safely to dock. Ready to collapse, the young wizard was taken straight to the captain’s cabin to sleep for whatever time it took them to come in.

Ahead of them they could see that the preparations for war were well underway. Large ships of war had been moored just off the crowded pier with a string of longboats ferrying in supplies from shore to ship. Reluctant horses were being loaded one at a time onto the ships by their riders, the sound of their hooves on the wood vibrating through the water.

“We should be able to get passage on one of the warships.” Maledorian was conversing with Gemal about the next step in their journey. Gemal stood as if he was the captain; tall and proud, with his hands resting on the quarterdeck’s railing. The two men had kept at one another, making sure that the other was alert, swapping stories of adventures, dreams and conquests. The knight slapped the bosun soundly on the back, congratulating him for a job well done.

* * *

It had taken over an hour for the harbour master to direct the undermanned vessel through the crowded waters. Once secured to the dock, the constant rock of the water lulled the fatigued into a well- earned sleep, and it was not until the warmth had gone out of the sun and the breeze had turned cool that Maledorian finally stirred.

Stretching his arms above his head he looked out over docks; many warships had left on the outgoing tide. All activity on shore had quietened with no sign of the thriving trade they had witnessed last time. The profits to be gained from war were tenfold from honest work.

With a loud yawn the knight crept passed the others quietly, looking forward to the non-moving comfort of a room at the Blazing Unicorn.

“Time to get off this stinking tub,” he mumbled to no one in particular. Though their journey had been short, without sleep or decent meals it had seemed like an eternity. Below deck, the others also began to stir.

Lief donned the hooded cape that he had been using as a blanket, walking over to the sacks on deck that held their belongings. Lifting his head as if to listen, the young elf’s usually serious face broke out into a smile, catching the knight’s attention, he nodded silently in the direction of Taslessian, who was still snoring softly, over a couple of water barrels. With a grin that boarded on the maniacal, the tall knight put a finger to his lips. With over exaggerated tiptoe movements, Maledorian stepped closer to his unsuspecting victim.

“Aaaahhhh-yaaa, have at thee!” he yelled as he leapt upon the startled youth before tickling him mercilessly. Taslessian was helpless in his grip, squirming and laughing uncontrollably. Coughing before straightening himself Maledorian calmed himself down to become a little more serious. “It is time to awaken for we need to leave this boat. As soon as you are ready we shall make our way back to the Blazing Unicorn.” With that, he crept up to the door of Gemal’s room. Turning the handle with care he entered, shutting the door behind him. A muffled “have at thee” could be heard through the wooden walls.

“What was that all about?” the red-faced wizard asked his elf companion.

“Just a bit of fun. He’s not that much older than you, you know,” Lief replied. He had seen Maledorian’s turmoil at the thought that he was not worthy; the bitter disappointment and self-resentment when he thought that he had failed, and then the regained pride with an unknown incident in the forest of Menarik, and finally the completion of the first part of their quest.

“This whole quest idea has been pent up inside of him ever since his childhood.” Lief pulled his hood over his head to make sure that when he returned to the streets of Chinta he would not cause any trouble. “I don’t believe he felt quite up to the task, especially since the incident on the trip to Menarik. But now, for the first time, I think he knows that we’re finally on the way to completing the task set before us. For once, he seems more confident… I’m not sure how to put it…” He sighed. “I guess he’s just accepted his fate and is now better off for it. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s still young and exuberant!”

Taslessian for once nodded in agreement. He too had seen the change in the knight; from the overconfident boy to the assured young man struggling through his own turmoil to show glimpses of the hero that he was destined to become.

* * *

As they carried their belongings down the gangplank of the Elspeth and through the quiet streets of Chinta, all could see that the preparations for war had touched every corner of the usually buoyant community. The last reaches of the sun lit the assorted wood and stone buildings to show that all the houses had fitted shutters on their windows and boarded up unnecessary doors. The entire town was in lock-down against whatever was to come. The streets leading to the market place now seemed deserted. No more friendly merchants pushing their wares, no more customers complaining about the price, and no more pick pockets helping themselves.

Gemal left his friends to go about their business, reassuring them all that he would spend the night at the Blazing Unicorn despite the fact that its classiness could possibly hurt his reputation. He had to sell the Elspeth before some degenerate realised that it lay unguarded. He smiled to himself as he wondered what society was coming to when a ship was not safe alone. Not being a greedy man, he would not dwell long in the darker parts of town.

Maledorian made sure that everyone was safely at the Blazing Unicorn before taking a trip to the local garrison. Fatigued but not ready for bed, the knight strode confidently through the darkening streets. From the soldiers he would be able to find passage to the oncoming war. Despite the hate between real soldiers and hired mercenaries, brigands were never turned away, as they could not only be given the more distasteful tasks, but they were often the difference between life and death.

* * *

Sounds of a crackling fire echoed around the familiar smelling taproom of the Blazing unicorn. Flickering light from lanterns illuminated the tired but content faces. The two warriors, an elf, a wizard, a young girl and a sailor had hunkered down under the staircase around a small wooden table as they conversed about the evening’s events while eating dinner. The same buxom barmaids had brought their meals to them but other than that, they had been left alone. Hot roasted meet with bland vegetables remained half eaten on plates, none too interested in food with the importance of what they were discussing.

“In two days, the warship Allenday will leave to do battle down west. We were able to convince the sergeant to grant us passage. Apparently there has already been some deserters and they’re looking for some mercenaries to fill their place.” The scowl on the knights face told all what he thought about those who would desert their duty and forfeit their honour.

Maledorian’s face bounced back to its usual good-natured self as he paused to shovel some more food into his mouth, continuing with only half of it swallowed. “We ’ave a slight problem though: we’ll be travelling with over one hundred soldiers. So it might be best if we can somehow disguise the fact that you two are ladies.” Gemal snorted at Maledorian’s last word, receiving a blistering glare from Defyance and an indignant kick under the table from Darci.

Taslessian coughed as his fork chased a small potato around his plate, too deep in thought to be hungry. His eyes looked down at his meal yet they were glazed over, not seeing. His mind was too busy sorting through his newfound knowledge. When given his weapon of choice it had been as if all of his master’s knowledge had been implanted into his mind. Combined with the unfathomable powers of the great dragon he was not sure if he would be able to cope with such awesome powers let alone be truly able to help. And then, unannounced in his mind, Taslessian had an idea.

“Perhaps we could wear hoods and bulky clothes,” Defyance thought out loud. “If anyone gets too close, I’ll be able to make them forget everything.” None doubted the warrior woman’s bold words, but it was too risky. They had survived the attack at sea with the odds four to one. If they were attacked on a war ship the five of them would have to fend off over one hundred soldiers. Defyance quietened down, tearing a bite out of her bread as she turned her thoughts towards the problem.

Everyone looked at each other for a moment, none knowing what to say as they thought the solution through. Disguises would be uncomfortable, and it could go badly for them if they were discovered, but they could not see any rational alternatives. Taslessian finally skewered his potato on the end of his fork, lifting it up to point it at Defyance to get her attention.

“The Gauntlet of Elron,” said the young wizard.

All turned to look at Taslessian, for he had barely spoken all day. He had become somewhat of a loner, preferring to spend time alone with the staff, ignoring the presence of anyone else while he came to terms with his new self. Aside from a disheartened young girl, Lief was the only one to notice this disturbing new behaviour.

“I’m pretty sure that we won’t need hoods or disguises for Darci and Defyance,” he continued. “With the Gauntlet of Elron, we should be able to alter their facial features, or at least cast an illusion.” He popped the potato into his mouth, still waving the empty fork in the air while he chewed quickly. With a loud swallow, he turned to look Darci in the face. Both of her eyebrows were raised and her cup of milk was held stationary, half way to her mouth. Taslessian sighed in exasperation. “The gauntlet that you have is a very powerful instrument. It is not used solely as a weapon for it has many other… attributes. Actually, I’m pretty sure that the powers of Elron are only limited by your imagination.”

Darci had no idea what the Gauntlet of Elron was actually capable of. In fact, much to her surprise, she had not really thought about it. She unconsciously flexed her hand, feeling the cold reassurance of its now familiar presence. She had never considered how she could use it as a weapon against someone; she simply wore it because the others had their weapons of choice close at hand. It also gave her the feeling that she might be able to do something the next time they were attacked.

Lief coughed uncomfortably as a particularly noisy drunk stumbled and fell towards their table. Their conversation stopped as they all turned to look at the disturbance. A few sniggers could be heard from those still drinking. Unlike the first time they had stayed at the inn, the taproom was not full of the usually boisterous crowd. Instead, only four tables were taken up by those wishing to drown their sorrows, while a solitary figure had sat at the bar, until stumbling towards them. He was of average height, wearing the usual hessian shirt and pants and well- worn leather shoes.

Noticing the uncomfortable silence as he dusted himself off, he looked up and smiled sheepishly. “Uhh… a little too much to drink perhaps?” he finally said. Defyance nodded in agreement.

“I think that it’s time for you to go home my friend,” she told him gently, with the slightest hint of authority behind it. She stared at his eyes, forcing him to be the first to look away.

“Just one more for the road,” he said to anyone listening as he headed back to the bar. “Just one more?” He clumsily pulled some coins out of his pocket, placing them on the bar in return for a large decanter of wine. Taking what appeared to be a large swig of the drink he stumbled towards the exit, waving at the group before falling out the door with a loud thump as he landed on the street.

In hushed tones, their conversation began again in earnest. Taslessian was trying to explain how she could wield such a powerful artefact. “As I was saying, from what I know of the Gauntlet of Elron, its powers are only limited by the wielder’s imagination. For example, if you want it to change your facial features, all you should have to do is pass it over your face, thinking confidently that it will do what you want it to.

“I’m not quite sure how it will work, or if it will work at all, but I don’t see any other options.” Taslessian smiled as he looked at all the blank faces at the table. They were not used to him being so vocal in their plans, but he was no longer the gangly apprentice wizard who ran errands for his master. Now he was a fully-fledged wielder of the arcane arts, and they were just going to have to deal with it!

Defyance was the first to speak. “Well, we’ll finish eating and then we can go upstairs and find out if what you say is true.” She attacked her meal with renewed vigor, her curiosity for such an amazing feat obvious.

* * *

Upstairs, in one of the same rooms that they had rented on their last visit, Darci sat down on the straw bed next to Taslessian. She nervously clenched and unclenched her hand looking absent-mindedly at the golden artefact. The Gauntlet of Elron was reflecting the room’s candlelight and the air around them seemed to shimmer with mystical tension as the young girl focused on her hand, awaiting instruction.

“Okay, picture in your mind, the face of one of the serving boys downstairs.” Taslessian’s voice was cool, calm and calculated. They were going to go through this one step at a time with the young wizard explaining things as they went. “Once you can see him clearly, concentrate on the gauntlet and then pass it over your face. Do not doubt that it can change your face, because this kind of magic will only work if you believe in it.”

Darci began to do as she was instructed. As soon as she began to imagine her face changing into the boy’s, her hand began to tingle. When it made contact with her forehead a surge of energy flowed from her arm and into her face, making her swoon with its gentle force. A strange sensation coursed through her veins, making every muscle feel alive and full of power that she never knew existed. Then something extraordinary began to happen.

Her face began to distort, her hair receding and her skull feeling like putty as it rearranged itself into the shape of the boy’s head; not painful, but a supremely disconcerting feeling. Blue eyes were now clouding into brown as they moved closer together to accommodate the boy’s narrow looks. A moan of relief escaped her lips as the uncomfortable sensation stopped. Everyone held their breath as Darci moved her hand away.

A gasp of shock mixed with horror escaped Gemal’s lips as he saw the change that had happened to the young lass. He had been a sailor all of his life putting stock in himself only, knowing that there was something more but never really trusting it. Looking around the room he saw that none of the others in this strange entourage had blinked at such a feat. In fact, he saw that both Maledorian and Lief were smiling, obviously relieved that one problem had been solved, while Taslessian stuck out his chin with pride. Gemal did not know the entire story of why these five strangers were together, but what he did know was that during his short time with them, he had been part of something momentous.

“Well…” Darci jolted as she heard the boy’s voice escape her lips. Her outward features were not the only things that had been changed.

Taslessian had a big grin on his face. He had solved the problem, and everyone seemed pleased, all except Defyance. Her usually unperturbed appearance had changed; she unfolded her legs and then changed her position again, uncomfortable no matter how she sat, knowing that she would have to go through the same experience.

At Taslessian’s request, Darci changed her face back to her own. Again she concentrated on her hand, the tingly sensation passing through her hand to force her face to move in reverse until she looked like herself again. All of a sudden her mind began to feel fuzzy as black dots clouded her vision. She took deep breaths until her vision returned to normal, amazed at the draining effects her own magic had had on her.

An abrupt kick at the door startled all making Maledorian reach for his weapon. Lief scurried behind the door, for once caught off guard without his hood while the others stood tensed and at the ready. Much to their relief the door opened to reveal the serving boy that Darci had looked like only moments before. He stood in the doorway with his eyes trained on the stack of glasses that he had balanced in one hand. Under his other arm he barely managed to hold a small corked barrel. “I have a gift to you from one of the soldiers.” He took a step forward, lifting his hip to present the barrel to Maledorian. There was a small note folded neatly to the side. It had been signed by Chalier.

“I heard that you were back in town. Sorry that I couldn’t come and say hi. Enjoy the wine,” read Maledorian. Without the weight of the barrel the young boy almost overbalanced, being forced to take a step backwards as his hand raced to the top of the glass tower to stop its downfall. He looked greatly relieved when Gemal reached out to take them from him, passing them around to all. Leaving everything in charge of the knight and the sailor, the boy gratefully left the crowded and now stuffy room.

“That was nice of him.” Gemal smiled as he held out his cup to be filled first. Of this Chalier fellow he had only known that he was the captain of the guard. What he had been doing with his recent companions on their day of departure he did not know or care. But if the man was kind enough to present them with fine wine, he surely could not be all that bad.

Darci would have stayed up with them to drink the night away, but her first experience with her own magic had left her feeling drained. Her simple straw bed across the hall was a welcome sight as she wandered in; her shoulders slumped as if carrying some unseen weight. She smiled as she heard Maledorian’s gregarious laugh from the other room. The ideas of magic and the power she possessed scared her, but with friends like those, she knew that they could face it together. The offworlder did not even bother to put on her nightgown, only taking off her shirt to sleep in pants and undershirt. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow with thoughts of her friends filling her mind, and the Gauntlet of Elron remaining unnoticed upon her hand.

* * *

Fear, evil, sweat, run away… It was happening again; the nightmare that Darci had gone through on Menaric. Except this time there was a subtle difference. For once she was able to get a hold on her fear as the whole dream came into sharper focus. She seemed to be floating in limbo in an area of light that followed her every which way she walked. Beyond that, wherever she looked was a dark, purplish mist blocking her view of what lay beyond.

“Well met, offworlder,” said a hauntingly familiar voice. Darci swung with a startled cry, an icy touch of fear running down her spine before her thoughts could even register. It was Domati.

“You have a right to be afraid, little one. I am a very feared person.” The evil wizard grinned at her, stroking his short beard, leaning down slightly so that he could look her in the eye.

Darci stepped back yet she did not look away. She would show him that she was not afraid. If he was going to start something, she promised herself that she would finish it. Only now had she begun to realise what was at stake, and it was nothing less than life for all in this world. This man had been haunting her from the beginning and she had had enough. No more nightmares, no more fear and no more hiding behind her friends.

As he regarded her, Darci realised that he did not look all that different from his shadow form, only now his features were more distinguished. His cloudy, bloodshot eyes gave him the look of a madman. As he looked her up and down she could feel his penetrating stare, so she imagined her mind as a fortress, and in an instant, she had slammed the entrance shut, leaving her mind secure.

Domati’s nose sat crookedly upon his face, and his thin dark lips were set in a permanent leer, mocking the world, perhaps blaming it for what he had become.

The evil wizard’s clothing was the strangest that Darci had seen on this world yet. On his head, like a helmet, was the tough shell of a crab. His belt buckle was also a crab, small red and well polished, as was his ornamental sword handle. He wore a ring on his finger shaped like jewelled crustacean, and on his cape was, another, holding two of the corners together around his neck. The rest of his outfit was black, trimmed with gold.

“What is your problem?” Darci asked her tormentor. She felt that she had to say something brave lest what little courage she had leave her. The hero always has something good to say in the movies, she thought.

“Problem? Problem? I have no problem, only needs. I want information about your world. Knowledge is power, and if you have enough power, you can do anything,” He walked around the ethereal void as if giving a lecture to a promising student. His tone, somewhat reverential, changed abruptly into something more sinister as he turned his insane glare on her. “But now I don’t need you. I have made a new friend, and I believe you know him. This demon from another world, he knows all about you… you little thorn in my side. Anyway, Demolish the evil one can give me the power that I want, and all I have to do to get it is destroy you. What could be simpler?”

Domati’s hand flashed out from his side, throwing a malevolent ball of flaming light at her head. Instinctively, Darci raised her hand to try to defend herself, but the impact never came. In the offworlder’s hand lay the pent up ball of magic that had been meant to destroy her. The Gauntlet of Elron had acted like a glove, catching the ball for her without any conscious effort required. The sphere was rotating in her hand, slowly changing its colour from flaming red to a passive shade of green.

Domati glared at her, visibly stunned. A magical attack like that could consume an entire man. It was something that he had done numerous times before. Killing someone in the apparent safety of their dreams was one of his favourite forms of revenge. That much power should have obliterated a mere child.

A curious thought entered Darci’s mind as she watched the ball of magic rotate slowly in her hand. If he could throw a ball of light at her and she had caught it, she should be able to return the favour. She raised her eyes from the ball to her tormentor. Now was the time take her destiny into her own hands. She lifted her chin in silent challenge. Bringing her arm back she heaved the orb of energy forward, sending with it all her pent up anger and fury, from the attack in the street to the beasts at sea. This time she would shine.

The evil wizard raised his hands in front of his face, unprepared for such a turn of events, but still quick enough to react. Before the ball struck him, he vanished into the void, the sphere of light disappearing into the mist he left behind.

“I will destroy you, offworlder,” his disembodied voice echoed around her as her surroundings began to fade.

Darci woke up from her dream, struggling against something that was trying to tie her down. Her hands gripped into the soft furriness of her assailant. In the darkness she paused, blinking, trying to focus as she caught her breath. To her relief, she finally realised that she had only been tangled up in her twisted, sweat-filled blankets.

In the corner of the small room, Defyance was fast asleep and snoring loudly, Darci wondered what time it was, silently cursing this world’s lack of clocks. But with no sound coming from downstairs and only the slightest sliver of moonlight to fight back the darkness, it was obviously very late at night, or more likely, very early in the morning.

The tired teenager was about to go back to sleep when a creaking floorboard in the hallway caught her attention. Her ears began to listen for any other sounds. Something was wrong, but she could not put her finger on it. Was someone standing outside the door?

“Defyance.” Darci crawled over to her sleeping friend to whisper into her ear, but the warrior woman did not even stir. She gripped her friend’s shoulder and shook her, but still she slept. The Dagger Bearer would know how to handle anyone breaking in, but it looked as if she would get no help from her unconscious friend. She gave one more desperate shake before the door finally squeaked open behind her.

The hairs on the back of her neck prickled as she realised that someone stood behind, looking down at her.

“She won’t wake up until well into the morning, girl. She had a little too much to drink last night,” a gravel-like voice spoke from the darkness. Startled, Darci turned around and saw a bulky shape filling the doorway. Behind him, she could see the shadows of at least two other men. It was too dark to tell if they were armed.

She took an audible deep breath; Gemal and the others were only across the hall. They, and anyone else around, would be able to hear her if she screamed loud enough.

“I wouldn’t bother; they’ve all had the same drink. You know, the one from Chalier.” There was a snigger from one of the others hiding in the darkness. There was nowhere for Darci to go; the man in the doorway blocked that exit, and there was no other way out. She was trapped. She felt a tingle on her right hand and realised she was still wearing the gauntlet. The time of running and hiding behind her friends had passed. She was not going to just sit there and let this new threat play itself out. If they thought she was going to go quietly, they were wrong.

She backed away, slumping her shoulders with a scared look on her face. trying to look as defenceless as possible.

“Now don’t break down and cry.” The man in the doorway took a step towards her. “I hate it when girls cry unless it’s because of what I’m doing to them.” Another snigger erupted from the darkness. “Just make this easy and I’ll make sure that nothing happens to you this night.” The voice sounded oddly familiar now. The drunken man who had stumbled near their table earlier in the night.

The man loomed nearer, and yet she could not step back any further, nor escape his outstretched hand. She remembered what Taslessian had said about the gauntlet. Its power was only limited by her imagination.

One thought came to mind: ice. With a speed that surprised her, Darci flicked out her gauntlet, trying to knock the attacker’s hand away. It struck his wrist with a sizzling sound that made him recoil violently.

“You little bitch!” he shouted.

The gauntlet had been cold enough to burn. Wary to approach her again, the man stepped to the side to let his hidden comrades try. Darci could see that both of them were armed, but not with conventional weapons. The man now in the doorway was shorter than her first attacker with the features of a rat, his dark, shifty little eyes watching her with glee. He was hanging onto a large, thick blanket, wielding it as if it were a net. The other man, only slightly taller but with a figure like a beanstalk, held a long, blunt stick.

Darci was trapped. One man she could handle, but three was too much. The sinking feeling of failure was the last thing she experienced before a painful explosion at the back of her head turned everything into darkness.

Chapter 3

“I told you that she was not to be harmed!” A distant voice pierced the pain-filled fog inside Darci’s head. As she tried to open her eyes her vision swam, causing her to close them again. Slowly she began to check her senses. Her mouth was dry, like cotton. Her nose twitched, catching the scent of old smoke, alcohol and perhaps the metallic smell of blood. Her fingers twitched and then grasped something… a blanket. Her feet were cold, and she realised then that she was laying on a bed somewhere with a small, rough blanket covering most of her body leaving her only sock-covered feet exposed to the cold.

In a moment of clarity Darci remembered that she had been abducted from the inn and nobody had been able to help her because they had all consumed the tainted wine.

With an involuntary groan, she sat up and opened her eyes. This time her vision held steady. In front of her there was a fuzzy greyness that soon solidified into a wall. The wall was connected to another; no blemishes, no windows, marks or even pictures of any kind. She was in a small, torch-lit room with no windows and only one door. As for where that room was, she could remember nothing. She swallowed awkwardly as she tried to fight down the panic that was welling up inside of her. She could be anywhere.

Movement in her peripheral vision caused her to turn her head. Her eyes focused on the two men standing on the far side of the room. One stood tall wearing the average clothes of a common man from Chinta. His eyes looked at the wall away from Darci, his hand clutching his newly bandaged arm with white knuckled fingers. The other man stood not as tall, yet his chiselled chin was held high as he stared down the first stranger.

“Get out of my sight while I apologise to my guest.” The man who attacked Darci left the room, his head hanging from tensed shoulders until the first man looked away. His shoulders then squared, head held high as he closed the door behind him. She wondered who could control such power as to be able to command such a large and intimidating person.

“How’s your head?” he asked as the door closed shut. His voice seemed to carry genuine concern that was mirrored in his eyes.

Before she could stop herself, Darci answered his seemingly good- natured question. “A bit sore… Who are you?” She was finding it hard to focus. Her ears were ringing and her head throbbed distractingly with every unsteady breath.

“I am Kuffs, the current King of Thieves. I displaced the previous monarch about a month ago.” The man gave a bit of a chuckle, smiling as he continued. “Anyway, I do apologise for the… misunderstanding. I asked my man to invite you to my humble abode, not to attack you.

Darci was staring at the young man in front of her. He looked like he was just out of his teens, too young to be any sort of king, she thought. But he did not look like a thief, with his dark hair, boyish good looks and infectious smile. She smiled back, but even that caused her pain enough to remind her of the danger she could be in. Her hand instinctively went to the back of her head. There was a nasty lump and her hair was slightly wet, but not with blood. Someone had taken the time to clean her wound before she had regained consciousness.

“Here, drink this.” Kuffs crouched down beside the bed so that he could hand her a cup of something steamy. Even though she hesitated to take it, he held it in front of her as if knowing her doubts, nodding his head in encouragement as she reached out her hand.

As she held the hot cup in her hands a warm sensation began to travel through her cold fingers and up her arms. Its smell was like an outstretched finger, enticing her to take a drink. However, though the King of Thieves appeared nice enough, drinking something from him had put all her friends to sleep. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the drink, then to her host and then back to the drink. What other tricks did this man have up his sleave?

Kuffs ran his fingers through his hair before leaning forward to stick his finger in her drink. With a cheeky smile he put his finger in his mouth to suck off the liquid he had collected. “Don’t worry, my finger is clean.” He held his hands up for her inspection much in the way a young boy would do to a disapproving mother. “Anyway, I wouldn’t poison you. We only put your friends to sleep because we didn’t want anyone to get hurt…”

“Well I got hurt, and so did my first attacker!” Darci reminded him. When he shrugged his shoulders indifferently she took a tentative sip of the broth, swirling it around in her mouth before swallowing it, finding that to all appearances, it was only a good tasting meal. Her eyes wandered around the room for a moment, looking around for something to keep her warm. Being taken in the middle of the night wearing only pants and undershirt was a chilling experience.

Smiling again, the thief handed her a half cape from his shoulders. “That was an accident in your case, which received a well deserved punishment. Aside from that, the drugged wine was just a precaution.” His eyes wandered to her hand as she raised the cup to her lips. She flexed unconsciously, causing a slight metallic sound that was music to her hears. They had not taken the Gauntlet of Elron. She clenched her fist as her mind wandered to what she could do if they tried.

Kuffs gave a merry laugh as he realised something funny about this young girl. To him she seemed naive and innocent, yet canny and slightly distrustful – a bizarre mix. “I’m not going to take your gauntlet, Darci. In fact, I’m not even going to ask you about it.”

What his young guest did not know was that he had already tried to take the gauntlet to see what it could do for him, but he had been unable to take it off. It had burnt anyone who tried to touch it. The King of Thieves sighed inwardly; what she did not know would not hurt her. He bounced up from his crouched position to pull a chair out from the corner of the room so that he could sit down in front of his guest.

Darci took another swig of the soup that she had been given. It tasted wonderful, much like tomato soup, but it did nothing to abate the pain in her head. She held the cup firmly on the bed as she raised her other hand to her head. She gingerly touched her hand to her wound, concentrating on the gauntlet. The strange rush of power through her veins was a comforting feeling. Beginning from her chest to flow up her arm and then into her head the pain began to slowly disappear, leaving only a small, unnoticeable lump under her slightly tangled hair. With a rush, she was relieved both of pain and cloudiness of mind, yet slightly fatigued by her efforts.

“Why am I here?” she asked. Her now clear eyes glared at Kuffs as she sat straighter, squaring her shoulders. “And where is here?” She looked around the room again, realising that the walls were made of some kind of mortar, not bricks or wood, with only the door to break the monotony. With nothing else of interest in the room her only hope was the very man who had kidnapped her.

“Well, to answer your first question, you’re here to satisfy my curiosity. I’ve never seen a being from another world. Personally, I don’t know what all the fuss is about.” The confident young man paused for a moment so that he could study his guest.

If Kuffs was going to play it cool, Darci was resolute in doing the same. She did not know exactly what she was dealing with, and she found that, most times, it was best to play stupid.

Kuffs shrugged; perhaps this girl was not as simple to crack as he thought. Without further hesitation he continued. “To answer your second question, you are in one of my secret lairs.” His lips curled into a childish grin. “To tell you more could put your very life in danger.”

So what’s new? thought Darci. She could not tell whether Kuffs was being serious or not. His relaxed posture and contagious grin at least led her to believe that he was no serous threat. “Out of curiosity, I’m not your prisoner am I? I can go if I want to, can’t I? After all, you did say guest.” Darci was hoping that this was true because she knew that once Maledorian woke up, he would rip the town apart looking for her, with the rest of her friends right behind him. When he finally did find her, and somehow she knew that he eventually would, the knight would kill the King of Thieves without a second thought, having her safe before the young man’s head fell to the floor. For some reason this thought did not bring her as much satisfaction as she expected. He had a rather cute head after all.

“Heavens no. I’m a thief who does a bit of cutthroating and thuggery on the side. I’ve never tried my hand in kidnapping. Anyway, like I said, I do apologise for the misunderstanding. I can also see how my first attempt at becoming your acquaintance could be misleading. But don’t worry, the leader of the group that attacked you and your lad friend is no longer part of my entourage.” He bowed his head in mock remembrance of a remorseful deed to hide a smile at the way the useless man had been run out of town with literally nothing but a pair of boots.

“What first attempt?” Darci looked at him questioningly. She took another sip of her drink as she awaited an answer.

“I first saw you when you entered the city. Who knows why, but I’ve always had a knack for seeing people. Some call it magic, I just call it talent, but I knew that you were not normal.” Like the dawning of a new day, what the King of thieves was saying slowly began to pierce through the fog of her confusion. All of a sudden his features seemed familiar, and she could remember seeing his boyish good looks from the saddle of her horse. It had been an interesting, yet instantly forgettable encounter on her first day in Chinta.

“Before you disappeared overseas on the Elspeth, I wanted to get to know you, so I sent one of my men, Red, to go see if he could fetch you. Hard to go find good help these days…” The thief shook his head in a way that almost made Darci nod in agreement.

Red. That had been the name of the thug who had led the attack on her and Taslessian.

“You know, if Maledorian wakes up and I’m not there, he’ll find me, and no matter what your reason for kidnapping me, he’ll kill you and anyone else who stands in his way.”

The young man leaned back in his chair so that he could look up at Darci with his enticing brown eyes. “Kidnapping is such a harsh word. I prefer invited. Anyway, I told you that I’m not into the abduction thing. Don’t worry; I’ll have you back at that inn before they wake up. From what I’ve heard of your knightly friend, your threats are quite valid. Not to mention Defyance – what a woman! She may be hot but I wouldn’t want to mess with her. Anyway, before I escort you back, I do have a few questions to ask, and hopefully you’ll be able to answer them.” His grin disappeared then, as his face became serious, almost pleading.

He could probably get anything with that look, she thought. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. Then she realised, if she was not careful, she might fall for his handsome, easy going demeanour and let something slip. She smiled innocently at him, thinking, I’m on to your cute looks; you’re not going to trap me. Then another thought occurred to Darci. Most kings were used to getting their way, rarely hearing the word no to their requests. He was in a pleasant disposition now, yet she wondered what he would be like if she tried to push his buttons. In an attempt not to seem totally compliant with his wishes, she shrugged her shoulders and sat back down on the bed.

“What do you eat?” he asked as soon as she looked up. He leaned forward again, this time with his elbows on his knees and head in his hands. Much like a child listening to a good story, he awaited the answer.

“Huh?” Darci did not quite understand; she ate food of course! Why was he asking such a stupid question?

“Where you come from, I mean; what types of food do you eat?” Kuffs persisted.

Darci quickly thought it over. It could not hurt to explain something like junk food or Deep Fried Chicken, she thought with a smile. Taking pains to avoid subjects that she deemed dangerous, like technology, she more than kept Kuff’s interest by talking about school, sport, and finally, her friends and family.

“It must be hard,” Kuffs commented when she took time to pause. Her tone of voice still carried the pain that she felt about her situation and leaving her family. For the moment she seemed to have satisfied his insatiable curiosity.

“Yeah, I guess,” she replied. “To tell the truth, I still haven’t really come to terms with things. The way that it has all happened, it’s just so… unbelievable…” Darci caught herself before saying anything else. With a slight amount of effort she managed to control her expression into one of an innocent youth, yet her eyes held a different story. At this, Kuffs’ only reaction was the slightest twitch of his eyebrow. Darci knew that he realised there was more to her tale. For an instant, her mind went blank, trapping her in a moment of awkward silence with her host.

A man that she had never seen before suddenly appeared in the doorway, a simple commoner by the way he was dressed. From his stiff body language, Darci could tell that the man did not particularly like the present King of Thieves, yet there was something in his eyes, something that vaguely resembled respect… or fear.

“Alas, but our time is almost up,” Kuffs said with a comic flourish of his hand when the other man had left. “It’s almost morning and I have to whisk you back to your friends.” Darci took his outstretched hand as he helped her off the bed, following the King of Thieves through the door.

* * *

If anyone wondered why Darci slept until lunchtime that day, they did not say so. For some reason, everybody felt a bit under the weather. When Darci finally awoke the noise from the street could be heard from below and the smell of bread wafted up from the kitchen. Wriggling around until she lay flat on her back, she remembered all that had happened the night before.

She had been forced to don a blindfold as she walked through the lair of the city thieves. An assortment of smells and sounds had reached her senses; the strong scent of alcohol, muttered conversations, a muffled grunt behind half closed doors and the pungent odour of sweat. Despite the obvious crush of people in such a small place, Kuffs had led her without mishap, over and under so many streets and alleyways that his secret lair was definitely going to remain a secret. Darci would not have been able to find her way back even if she wanted to.

Once at their destination, he had thanked her for satisfying at least some of his curiosity, and with a blown kiss, he had disappeared around the corner. Too tired to do anything else, Darci had gone up to her bed and back to sleep just as the sun was beginning to rise.

She wondered what she was going to tell her friends. She could simply tell the truth about the weird encounter with Domati, and with so much at stake she had little choice. However, if she did not lie about her abduction, Maledorian was sure to take such an act badly. So, after some thought, she decided to improvise.

* * *

“Domati actually attacked you in your dreams?” Lief was shocked at the idea of Darci having to face that twisted man by herself. He had heard many stories of the evil wizard during his travels, and none of them were admirable.

“Yeah… I’d been having nightmares, but I didn’t realise that it was him trying to get at me. With the gauntlet still on in my sleep, it somehow made it easier for me to… see I guess.” The young girl was at a loss to explain what had happened. She remembered everything, but that did not help her put the mystical experience into words.

Darci had finally decided to make her way downstairs to satisfy her grumbling stomach. It was there that she had found the rest of her friends eating their first meal for the day. As usual, the taproom was not full at this hour, hosting only those few people that could afford to eat their meal in such a place.

“The main thing is that you are safe,” Defyance said. In the mystical realm she had not had much experience. The survival of her youngest companion in such a dire situation giving her some respect. As the warrior woman chewed on a semi-fresh loaf of bread she had to smile. She found it quite humorous the way her young friend described catching the ball of fire and simply throwing it back. “At least now we know where our main enemies lie.” With that last comment the warrior woman looked away, silently contemplating the dangers to come.

Next came a barrage of questions from her other friends. Everybody was very interested to know what had happened in the confrontation, seeing that Darci was still very much alive. At least now they knew where he was, because if he was with the demon, then he was down South where the war was about to begin. They no longer had to worry about him being behind them with his slave Trolog. They were also very relieved that there were going to be no more attacks by ruffians. Now they could look forward to meeting any challenges in the rigours of known battle when they reached their destination.

With as much disinterest as she could muster, Darci mentioned that she had gone downstairs for a drink that night after her nightmare. Everyone had been asleep and there had been no one downstairs. Or so she had thought. She told them how she had run into a young man who had introduced himself as Kuffs, the King of Thieves in the city of Chinta. Not knowing whether he was a dangerous man or simply deluded she had felt it safest to simply nod as if she knew what he was babbling about. Very soon the conversation had demanded her full attention. Without banter or small talk he had apologised profusely about the attack on her and Taslessian, saying that it had been a misunderstanding. He had only wanted to meet the offworlder, not to cause any trouble.

Darci grinned as she remembered his dark alluring smile and the comical way that he had held out his hand to help her up. Her cheeks held the slightest hint of red as she finished off her tale with the young man disappearing into the night. How he had known that she was not of this world was a mystery, yet he had not deemed it necessary to share that particular secret.

Lief placed his hand on his young friend’s shoulder as they finished their simple meal. His long yet somewhat dainty fingers squeezed for an instant, the single motion conveying without words the concern that he felt for Darci. Yet she was here, sitting next to him safe and sound, leaving nothing for them to worry about. Out of them all, Defyance was the only one to raise an eyebrow as she quietly studied the young girl. With an imperceptible shrug, the warrior woman was content to let the past be past, whatever the real story was.

* * *

For the rest of the uneventful day, all prepared for the trip down south – everyone except Gemal. The surly sailor was planing on travelling to another city down on the coast somewhere. As soon as word reached the city of Chinta of how the Elspeth was hijacked, someone would try to hunt him down. There were those on his former crew who would gladly relieve him of whatever profit he had made from screwing them over.

During his time spent with his newfound comrades, Gemal had eventually confided his future plans to them over a nice mug of ale. He had always wanted to become a blacksmith. When in dock he had had a limited experience with the fixing of weapons as well as assorted bits and pieces onboard the Elspeth. The use of fire and his bare hands to create things from unshaped metal appealed to him, and now that he had the money from the sale of the ship, he had the means to make a life that would hopefully be safer than his seafaring days. He told everyone that it was time for him to settle down anyway.

As there were only the two ladies in one of the rooms, all of the group’s belongings had been stored in and around their two beds of hay. Amongst piles of clothes, bedrolls, horse equipment, weapons and the like, Lief and Darci sat on a bed each as they sorted through the less than organised mess. Their conversation drifted in and out of the mundane to eventually broach the subject of Lief’s ears. Considering most of the sailors and men of the army were from the City of Chinta there may be some problems once they were out to sea.

With a mischievous glint in her eye, Darci reached over with her gauntlet-covered hand in an action that brushed back a stray lock of blonde hair. At the same time, she concentrated, taking a deep breath to steady herself. In her mind she thought of ears. Ears of a human. The tingle of magical energy ran through her veins as she felt with the very tips of her fingers the points in Lief’s ear shrinking them back into a gentle curve.

After a moment of silence the elf looked up from under his golden hair with his deep blue eyes. The magic had left a tingle in his ears, and his soft lips curved slightly upward as he smiled at the girl that somehow, he knew he loved.

Darci noticed the way that Lief was looking at her. All of a sudden, she leant back to sit arm’s length away. She knew how Lief felt. For a moment she began to feel guilty, thinking that she had done something to lead her friend on. Time stopped as they looked into each other’s eyes; Darci the first to look away, a slight redness forming on her cheeks. With a smile on both their faces they went back to the task at hand.

Maledorian and Defyance spent their time catching up on some rest, choosing not to be disturbed in the room that the boys had been sleeping in. At least that is what Maledorian had used as an excuse. Taslessian on the other hand had secreted himself at a table wedged behind the stairs near the Blazing Unicorn’s kitchen so that he could read one of his books in relative quiet. It was usually used for the staff to eat at when they were able to take a short break. But now that war seemed imminent, all those who could hold a sword were either training with the army, hiring themselves as mercenaries or simply travelling far away so as not to be dragged into the war.

With a sigh, Darci tied her last rope around the last bag. She did not know when but at some stage Lief had lit a lantern that was now beginning to drive back the lengthening shadows of the afternoon. Maledorian and Defyance entered the room without a knock, causing both elf and girl to look up. To all appearances, neither of them looked more refreshed. Yet both of them had smiles on their faces, with Maledorian slightly red-faced and for once, seemingly lost for words.

Before eyebrows could be raised, Taslessian stood behind them with the innkeeper. The stockpiling of goods had obviously suggested that they would be leaving soon. A profitable innkeeper was always one who managed to get paid before his customers left. Maledorian nodded to the stern-faced man and followed him back downstairs to pay their dues to the keeper of the inn, who shrewdly bit down on each coin to attest to their worth before finally nodding his approval. On his way out, the smiling knight threw an extra coin to the barmaids. His generosity earned him promised favours next time he was in town. With a smile on his face he headed outside to the stable to meet with Lief and Taslessian to load their mounts.

With no use for their winter garbs they left them in their now empty rooms knowing full well that the serving boy would most likely treasure such a find.

The horses had been well looked after in their absence. The straw in their stalls was fresh, with even Maledorian’s charger allowing himself to be tended to; his bed of straw no longer covering the small backyard. With bags shouldered ready to depart, gifts of carrots were offered to their animal companions.

“They weren’t too bad, sir,” said a scrawny boy walking out from behind the stable. His hair was unkempt with the odd piece of straw sticking to his clothing. He wiped his nose on his sleeve revealing a hole at the elbow.

He threw a coin in the air for the lad to catch, noticing a few telltale horse bites on his arm.

With the rest of the group holding the horses, all too soon Darci had to change her face again. The experience was quicker this time, leaving her not quite as drained, but then too came the task of changing Defyance’s face. For lack of a suitable model, she decided that the memory of her father’s face would suffice.

Sitting together in their temporary bedroom, Darci’s hand gently touched the warrior’s face, her fingers caressing tightly closed eyes. Breathing out slowly, she removed her hand to look at her friend. Receding light hair barely reached the thoughtful furrows in the warrior woman’s new brow. As Darci looked into Defyance’s now faded blue eyes, regarding the familiar but too large nose and stern mouth, she had to get a hold of her feelings. She had not truly thought about home for a while now, but the memories still hurt, causing an impossibly large lump to form in her throat, making it difficult to swallow.

Defyance saw the pained look on her young friend’s face, and she guessed whose face she had borrowed. The warrior woman placed her hand on Darci’s shoulder to offer a word of comfort. But hearing her father’s voice was too much. Defyance held the vulnerable, sobbing young girl in her arms, seeing her as such for the first time.

* * *

Sounds of drill sergeants putting their soldiers through their final paces drifted on the wind as they set off again towards the docks. The clip- clop hooves echoed off the empty streets as they rode. The sun had almost disappeared beyond the horizon, creating long and foreboding shadows across their path, leaving the sky stuck in the darkening blue of transition between day and night.

Lief looked strange without his hood. Darci had changed some of his more distinguished elf features. His long pointy ears were now the same as any other persons, and sometime that morning, his soft, boyish looks had been replaced with the raggedness of two days stubble, which caused him to scratch occasionally.

The atmosphere of the docks was different this time around. Everything was serious, the grave sense of impending war hanging heavily upon everyone’s shoulders. Lines of men passed heavy crates of food and weapons to each other, filling the ships with a practiced efficiency.

At the very end of the pier lay the deepest water at high tide, and this was where their ship was moored. A tall scrawny man in an immaculate soldier’s uniform held a board with a piece of chalk, ticking off things as he regarded them. As soon as he laid eyes on the approaching group he ordered for two soldiers standing behind him to tend to their horses. With no nonsense, he quickly pointed them to the end of a slowly moving line of gathering soldiers. With mumbled complaints, those in line were not forced to wait for long, as one by one they were shuffled onboard. The bosun of the ship looked each man in the eye, giving them a look that all knew. This was his ship.

This broad shouldered, intimidating man reminded Darci of Gemal in the way that he took control of the situation. He seemed to command respect in much the same way as her sailor friend, yet there was something that set the two men apart. This bosun wore a uniform. It was a simple, plain white shirt that held markings on the sleaves, and plain blue pants. The way he stood, tall, shoulders back, assertive, commanded a more regimented outlook.

For the moment, the deck was full of sailors, mercenaries and crates that were steadfastly being cleared below deck. The soldiers were standing at attention, waiting to be assigned sleeping quarters while the mercenaries slouched around on whatever space was left. As they stood around, waiting to be told where to put their gear, they eyed everyone onboard. Those who knew each other were talking boisterously, while those singled out looked for potential drinking buddies, threats or marks.

Standing in their small group attempting to look inconspicuous, Darci noticed a few furtive glances were sent their way. The recognition was for Maledorian, though he was dressed down in only chain mail armour he had decided to still carry his broadsword, marking him as a knight. It sat comfortably on his back with his mace still close to hand in his belt. The young teen marvelled at his reputation and how far it had spread in the short time of his knighthood. He really is the winner of many tournaments, Darci mused, thinking of something he had told her previously.

They were soon told to pack what they owned and did not need in the hold that would not be accessed ’til they reached their destination. A ship as large as this could carry a great many things, however, by the time they had stowed their spare belongings, the storage space was almost full; contesting to the amount of people heading off to war. After that, they were given no particular directions, save for one simple order directly from the bosun of the ship: keep out of the way so that the sailors and soldiers could do what they were paid to do.

Once the humans were all seen to, the horses were then led onboard. There were a few charges belonging to various knights, as well as their own steeds. Hoods had been placed over their heads so as not to frighten the animals in the close and unfamiliar confines of a ship. Generally without hassle, they were led underneath to a particularly large storage space. Maledorian’s charger even behaved, perhaps sensing the strict hand of a soldier at his reigns.

The human quarters were much the same as the horses; small and enclosed, with tiny hammocks that swung an alarming amount with the motions of the ocean. After scrambling up the makeshift handholds on the wall, Darci finally managed to squirm into the top hammock; so small that even her small form found it cramped. Each rack catered for three people, in Darci’s case, her, Lief and Defyance. Maledorian and Taslessian were forced to bunk with one of the crew. The entire room reeked of body odour, the sheets provided almost stiff from the unwashed sweat of others, yet to Darci’s surprise, no one complained or even mentioned the conditions, so she followed suit, keeping her thoughts to herself lest she stand out.

Back out on deck the five of them stood watching the sailors masterfully handle the large vessel. Movements were becoming ghostly as the flickering torches slowly became the sole source of light. Being a warship, there were three large masts with men barely seen crawling high above them, awaiting the commands to set sail. With a shout from the bosun that carried above the noise of so many, all thee main sails were let loose and the ship lurched into the wind and headed out to sea.

* * *

Two days out and things were starting to settle into a routine. The ships crew would go about their business, whilst in the morning the soldiers and mercenaries gambled. When the sun was at its zenith causing all onboard bad tempers and overly confident greedy thoughts, a brawl would surely break out when the first person was caught cheating. After the offended had been satisfied with the retribution of fists, the mercenaries generally spent the rest of the day getting drunk on homemade liquor.

The soldiers, however, had no such luxury due to their heavy-handed commander confiscating all contraband as soon as the voyage was underway, telling his men with a smile that the officers would gladly look after it while the soldiers needed to keep their wits about them. Instead of joining in the merriment, they simply watched whatever dramas unfolded whilst absently tending to armour and weapons, moving only when a fight threatened to disturb them. While the sun took its evening bath in the western sea, the soldiers not on watch were asleep in their barracks, while the mercenaries slept where they had fallen, to awaken again the next morning eager to take the chance of winning back what they had lost the previous day.

With no women around, manners quickly fell to the wayside. Most of the time, words were not needed. A simple grunt at a certain tone could speak volumes. Various personal habits began to shine through that would have been considered offensive if it were not for the fact they were all, at least supposed to be, men. Many revolutionary methods of cleaning out the nasal passages were utilised, and when enough people became bored, using the instrument of one’s armpit, they played many and varied tunes. Seeing that they were all males, toilets had become somewhat redundant. The distance one could reach from the railing of the ship soon became something of a competition.

Darci and her two seasick friends watched these events from the other end of the ship. Both had thought that they were over such misery, but the galleon lurched differently to the much smaller Elspeth, and this time, there was no magical wind to force the ship swiftly through the waves. No matter how powerful a wizard he had become, Taslessian was no match for the constant rocking of the waves, while Lief, who was knowledgeable in herb law, still could not find a cure to ease their discomfort. At first this was a small source of amusement to all of those onboard the ship, but as soon as the card games began they were quickly ignored.

Being a young and unremarkable boy now, Darci found that she was also ignored more often than not, allowing her to be privy to some revelations that she would have preferred to remain blissfully ignorant of. On the other hand, Defyance and Maledorian gladly joined in with the seemingly ritual events, both jumping into the melees with huge grins on their faces, generally winning their arguments yet sporting multiple bruises at the end of each day.

* * *

On their fifth day at sea, all were greeted by the eerie sounds of silence, interrupted only by the creaking of the ship and the echoing footsteps of the man on watch. The morning sun did not wake the mercenaries, who were slouched all over the deck in whatever position they had passed out in. Instead, the ship had been surrounded by thick white fog, leaving only a vague illuminated area of the sky giving the barest hint that it was actually morning. Those looking up from the deck found it hard to see the sails, knowing from the uncanny stillness that there was no wind behind them. The sailor up in the crow’s nest was now alone in a world of his own.

The blanket of mist sent a ripple of fear through each sailor as whispers of misfortune ran rampant through the crew. The captain steering the ship could not see from one end of his vessel to the other, forcing him to set double watches, as the sailors, mercenaries and soldiers began their games again, this time, under a shroud of muttered curses and only quiet threats. Everyone kept looking over their shoulders to try and pierce the all encompassing cloud, trying to see whatever was there instead of watching for the expected underhanded tricks of their opponents.

Taslessian and Lief were able to momentarily forget about their upset stomaches with the constant rocking of the ship now barely noticeable. They stood on the bow of the ship, talking to each other whilst Darci listened intently to their conversation.

“This fog has magic behind it,” stated the young wizard in hushed tones. Though no one was near enough to hear his whispers, the fog often played tricks on the unwary. Like the rest of those onboard, Taslessian looked over his shoulders before continuing. “Though at the moment, I cannot feel any animosity behind it.” he stood leaning on his staff looking thoughtfully at the fog clouding their path. His eyes lifted occasionally to the sky, his view northward thwarted by the unnatural mist.

“I agree,” replied the human-looking elf; his constant afternoon shadow taking away his boyish good looks. “Though I somehow know that it means us no harm. I can sense a strange… familiarity coming from it – I just can’t figure out what it is.” Lief placed both hands on the railing, willing his eyes to see what was there.

Darci sat down on top of a barrel with her legs crossed, listening quietly to her friends. Aside from their hushed conversation all she could hear was the echo of the ship going through the water and the eerie whispers hinting at others present but unseen on deck, the ocean quietly lapping against the wooden hull.

“There’s so many wizards that could do this, not to mention dragons and other beasts…” no longer paying attention to his friends the young wizard began talking to himself, lost in the world of the knowledge that would take a life time to sort through.

“I can remember reading stories as a child when I was still considered part of the Elven family,” the elf sighed. “My ancestors used to use fog to aid them in any their battles fought without the comfort of the forest. When the odds had seemed unsurmountable, they would sneak up on their enemy with the rolling mist.

Taslessian stood straight with a jerk, causing his cloak to flick back, startling his two friends. “That’s it! That’s why it feels familiar to you. This is the work of an Elven mage!” He grabbed the young elf by the shoulders, shaking him slightly in the excitement of discovery. Lief could only manage a half smile, faced with the sudden onslaught of Taslessian’s exuberance. When he found that there was no one sharing in his excitement, Taslessian finally remembered who and where he was. Suddenly feeling sheepish, the wizard looked around to see if any were close enough to hear his slight outburst, yet when no reaction was forthcoming from those nearest he breathed a sigh of relief.

With this understanding dawning on the gathered three, the fog before them appeared to clear somewhat, allowing them to see a large shadow beside the ship.

“Look,” Darci pointed in awe. Right beside their ship, less than a small stone’s throw away sailed a vessel much the same size as their own, but of a different design. It appeared to be a wider ship than their own with blue writing on its side just above the waterline. The broad white sails, filled with some unseen wind, were covered in lines and the same blue words, broken in the centre with an almost glowing picture of a yellow bow and arrow displayed in the centre.

“It is the lead ship of the elves,” Lief announced. The watchmen on that side of the ship were staring straight at it, yet their eyes were still veiled by magic, oblivious of the Elven vessel.

“They cannot see what they don’t want to look at,” explained Taslessian. After the initial shock of his discovery he had managed to gain control of himself, turning back into the serious young wizard that he saw himself to be.

For the three of them, the fog surrounding the ship had all but cleared, so much so that they were able to make out figures on the deck. A group of three elves stood at the bow of their ship, one with his foot on a box. All three were dressed in fine golden armour that the Elven races were famous for. From the perfect curve of their golden shoulder braces down to the rune engraved sword handles. One among the three stood a few clear inches above his comrades. His long black hair was tied firmly at the back, yet a stray wisp blew into his face causing him to tuck it behind his pointed ear.

The strange elf lifted his head as if hearing an unusual noise, turning to look directly at them. It was as if, even over the distance, he was memorising the details of the three regarding him, his sharp Elven eyes looking into their very souls. His youthful, yet serious face broke into a small smile as he waved to Taslessian and Lief. He then inclined his head to Darci as a way of acknowledging her.

Darci and Lief both waved back in response as the ship began to overtake their vessel. Other elves could now be seen and near the stern, an Elven mage stood much the way Taslessian had on the Elspeth; hands in the air, muttering an unheard enchantment.

“What are ya wavin’ at?” Maledorian asked as he slapped Lief in the back, almost knocking him overboard. The slightly inebriated young knight had somehow managed to sneak up on them while their attention had been elsewhere. Not being under the command of the military, the knight was able to drink as much as he wanted, as long as the alcohol was his, fair and square.

“Nothing,” Darci sighed as the ship slowly sailed from view. Of all of her experiences on this world, this had been the most mysterious if not the most fleeting, reminiscent of a dream.

“Hick,” the knight turned his attention to his young friend. “But why would you be waving at nothing when you could be doing something… like drinking.” He gave his friends a wide grin that changed when he looked down at his empty cup. “I think that I’m going to go refill my cup.”

Turning around, Maledorian began to stagger away, bumping into a soldier who had seen enough of the knight’s brawling to be smart enough not to protest his maltreatment.

“Why did they want to sneak past us?” Darci asked her two friends. To her it seemed like a wasted effort considering they were all on the same side.

“I guess it just makes things easier that way.” Lief shrugged his shoulders as he turned his head back out towards the sea. He knew that his past was a mystery to his companions, but he also knew his story would be told in time. The elf who had acknowledged their presence had been the Elven prince himself, the one who had banished him from the kingdom. With a warm feeling in his heart, he knew that he was no longer outcast. How they had known what he had become a part of he could not figure out, but he knew in his heart that he could finally return one day.

It was not long before the mystical fog lifted, buoying the spirits of all those onboard. The early morning sun peeked out from behind the white-clouded horizon promising another good weathered day on the sea. The crew were becoming restless and there was an occasional scuffle, but it would not be long before they reached their destination. The soldiers were also becoming agitated. Being cramped up on a large boat was not what they were trained for, and they also knew what was to come. Some of those onboard were eager for the sounds of battle while others were only going to war to protect their families and freedom.

Unknown to most, however, there were five others on a quest to save them all.

Chapter 4

The sun sat half way across the sky when their ship weighed anchor just off a large sandy beach. A cool breeze carried sounds over the water as they stood in the longboat that was ferrying them to shore. With every heave of the oars dragging through the water their little craft lurched forward, forcing those crowded together to lean back, all struggling to keep their footing. It was not long before the experienced sailors caught a wave into shore, coming to a violent stop as their boat run aground. After a short wait for the horses that had to be swum to shore, they joined the procession making its way over a grass- covered dune.

Darci’s legs were beginning to burn as they finally reached the top of the sand dune. As one, her group of five paused for a moment to take in the sight before them. The military camp lay sprawled on flat grasslands that seemed to stretch for as far as the eye could see. It looked just how Darci had imagined it: rows after row of plain white tents, and everything in perfect order. Soldiers could be seen scurrying around like ants going about their business while others sat around in little groups, doing whatever it was that soldiers did in their spare time.

Enjoying the wide, open space after being cramped on the ship for a week, Maledorian, Defyance, Taslessian, Lief and Darci walked down the hill to the camp with a spring in their step. When they finally reached the encampment they walked through the guard unchallenged. Two soldiers, one leaning on his spear, barely looked at them as they entered the camp. The enemy had not yet been engaged and the addition of mercenaries was expected.

A young infantryman in a clean blue uniform ran past them as they walked through the ranks, leading their horses, not taking a second look at the newcomers as he carried on his important task. Off in the distance marching drills could be heard; sergeants barking their orders.

Taking a slight detour from the beaten path they went directly to the area set aside for the cavalry. Horses grazed happily on the thick grasslands, all tethered on long leads anchored on makeshift ropes pegged into the ground. With a quick word to the nearest officer the horses were quietly led away by stable boys. A small bag of coins exchanged hands so that their mounts could be looked after. On their way back, Maledorian managed to grab one of the stable boys seen with their steeds. With him he made another deal – the boy’s life for the horses. It was a simple and effective way of ensuring that they would be safe.

They arrived at the provisions tent next to the drill grounds where they were directed to join a line of disgruntled mercenaries, just in time to hear a booming voice. “Right, you take your tent and then you take yourself over to the mercenary camp where you will stay until you’re told otherwise,” a well-built soldier commanded. “Any troublemakers will be dealt with severely.” He placed his hands on his hips as he stared at the mercenaries, daring anyone to challenge him before motioning the line to move forward.

Hearing a mumbled curse, he turned on the offender, grabbing him by the shirt and in the same movement placing a short dagger to the man’s throat.

“What was that?” he asked through clenched teeth. He put his face so close that their noses touched as he stared down the offender. “I didn’t quite hear you.” The soldier pressed the blade mercilessly to the skin causing a drop of blood to trickle like sweat down his neck.

Eyes wide open with his hands grabbing helplessly at the arm clinging to his shirt, the cowardly thug struggled to answer. “I… I… uhhh… nothin’, sir, nothin’”

“That’s what I thought,” the soldier replied with a malicious grin, letting the man go with a shove.

Darci was the only one to raise an eyebrow at such an exhibition. The rest of her group stood patiently, still waiting in line. It was not long until they were given tents and told again not to cause any problems. With their arms full of supplies they were then handed a small pouch of coins. Darci was at first surprised. No one had mentioned money, but then she realised that there were few in any world who would do anything free of charge.

They were quickly shuffled off towards their designated area, following the other mercenaries who had travelled with them until the soldier camp was well behind them. Ahead lay something much less appealing.

The mercenary camp was different to that of the soldiers. Dirty- looking tents were pitched haphazardly, the best awarded to those with the largest swords and strongest wills. The clatter of weapons on weapons could be heard, whether for training or otherwise, no one could be sure. Groups of thugs lounged around on appropriated seats, sneering at anyone who looked at them the wrong way, most with their hands on swords. The prospect of a war and bloodshed always bought the undesirables who flocked like vultures to a rotting carcass.

They walked as a group, Maledorian and Defyance in the lead, actively pushing those in front of them out of the way. The first man brave enough to protest was knocked silly with Defyance’s fist planted swiftly on his nose. Any other protests were quickly quietened with Maledorian standing up to his full height. His well-built figure combined with Defyance’s proven ability to bash in heads deterred any hasty actions.

Finally, they ended up setting camp on the edge of the mercenary grounds with the provided tents, hopefully far enough away from any trouble.

* * *

Darci sat just outside their tent, picking at her broth with her wooden spoon. Meals were provided separately for all, but for both groups, it was first in best dressed. Usually the stronger or meaner men got their food first, leaving the less appetising morsels for the smaller folk. Maledorian with Defyance, looking as she did, were easily able to get all of them a substantial meal, although Darci had no idea what went into the broth that they ate, and it looked none too appealing.

Sitting down next to her, Lief was shovelling down the suspicious substance, not looking as if he enjoyed the meal, but more as if he wanted to get it over and done with. Seeing Darci’s reluctance, he finished chewing his last mouthful. “I do share your opinion of the things that they call dinner, but I believe that it is a mind over matter situation. I also found that holding your nose can dull some of the taste.” The elf wanderer smiled at her as he wiped a drip of soup from the side of his mouth. Stray whiskers, as short as they were, were something he would never get used to.

“Well, I’ll give it a go, but I’m not promising anything,” Darci replied. “What do we do now?” she asked the others before sticking a spoonful of broth into her mouth, holding her nose at the same time.

“I had a quick look around,” answered Defyance in hushed tones. Darci had gotten used to looking at her father’s face, but listening to his voice still sent pangs of pain to her heart. Thankfully, for the moment at least, the dreadful taste of the food was forgotten.

“From what I hear, there have only been a few skirmishes. Scouting parties running into a few Dashagi patrols… The outcomes have been pretty even. We’ve won some, taken prisoners, and they’ve done the same. Also, there are some rumours going around that once a few more shiploads arrive, this camp’ll be moving out west for a few days. The word is that’s where the bulk of the Dashagi will be met.” Defyance sat back, digging into her meal with vigour.

“That’s what they’re doing,” interjected Maledorian as he took a quick look around to make sure that what he had to say went unheard, “and that’s where the first major battle of this war will be fought… if we fail. From what Grisham the Great has told me, the foul demon Demolish has his fortress about three day’s ride down east from here, unknown to all but us.” The young knight took another look around; his senses on overdrive as he made sure that those walking around did not come to close.

“But how are we going to get away from here?” Lief queried. “I thought that deserters were caught and then treated just like the enemy, if not worse.” The elf wanderer did not seem to be afraid, only concerned. By himself he could run circles around almost any human in the dark without being noticed. He smiled as his eyes wandered to Darci. The screwed up look on her face told of her distaste for their food. Dragging his attention back to the present, he was confident that they could leave the camp. In fact, he was so confident that he had no doubt that they would reach their final destination. It was there that his belief failed him. For only the second time in his short life, Lief felt doubt, and he worried about Darci. He knew that she was stronger than she seemed, and she had to be if she was going to save the world.

Maledorian patted his purse. A little extra money would always help a soldier forget.

* * *

They planned to leave the day after next. A full day of rest would do them the world of good. Maledorian and Defyance would organise their discrete departure by finding out who was on duty that night. Once they had done that, they would relax while Taslessian and Lief sneakily collected supplies.

Maledorian did not say it, but Darci knew what her job would be. She was to stay in their tents so that nothing could happen to her. She may have looked nothing like herself, but they did not know how foolproof their disguises really were. Besides that, if she remotely looked like she had something of value, a young boy would be fair game for even the most pleasant of mercenaries.

With Maledorian in the lead, his stomach grumbling, they managed to get one last meal before the sunset. The click of tinder and the whoosh of fire announced the lighting of the assorted torches around camp. Laidback lookouts stood around the edges of camp; relaxed, yet alert enough.

With no formal control of those in the mercenary encampment, the situation at night was less regimented than the peaceful sleeping camp across the drilling ground, and drunken celebrations reigned supreme. Set apart from most of the merriment, Defyance sat outside the tent cleaning her fingernails with the tip of her dagger. Inside, her mind struggled to come to terms with feelings that she was not used to. She had felt the bond between warriors before, and after the heat of battle she had tumbled with a few of them. But never before had she done so with one such as Maledorian.

Her self-imposed solitude would give her time to think and allow the others to a good night’s sleep. So, to the sound of bawdy singing, occasional brawls and Maledorian’s snoring, the group of weary travellers laid down their heads.

* * *

The next day, Darci was sitting just outside her tent, enjoying some relaxing time under the sun. The weather this far south was warmer than that of Chinta, yet being on such a flat land left them open to the constant breeze of the Tundra. A soft rhythmic breathing could be heard coming from behind the closed flap of their temporary home. Defyance was having an afternoon nap. Sitting outside on the relative comfort of the long grass, Darci realised that her friend was quite remarkable. It was amazing how she could rest when and where she wanted to, always ready wake up the moment someone came near. Suddenly plagued by thoughts of home, the young girl smiled, thinking how much the warrior woman reminded her of one of her best friends. He was a tall and lanky teenager called Simon who could sleep anywhere at any time for countless hours on end. Defyance, with her foul temper and her like for drink acted the part of a teenage boy perfectly.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Maledorian scrubbing his suit of armour. The Knight Protector was preparing himself for whatever was to come, sitting beside her on a cushion that he had appropriated from a mercenary after an arm wrestle. Maledorian’s arms had developed into pure muscle from years of practice with his massive broadsword, leaving the young challenger not a hope in hell of keeping his cushion.

Their departure was now firmly scheduled for tomorrow night so that they could escape under the cover of darkness. They would try to sleep throughout the day so that in what brief time they had, they could prepare themselves for the night travel that lay ahead. Closing her eyes, Darci leaned back, allowing the warmth of the sun to lull her to sleep.

Distant shouts announced the return of the latest scouting party. Defyance stood in the doorway of their tent, and then silently, all three of them set off to join the gathering crowd. What they found was not what they expected. Gone was the boisterous banter that usually accompanied soldiers returning home. Instead, they were confronted group of unkempt soldiers staggering under the weight of the mauled and bloodied comrades they had found.

Maledorian, who was the tallest of their group, managed to shoulder his way through the onlookers. Cries of agony echoed around the camp as unspeakable injuries were assessed. The stench of blood and death burned his nose. This scouting party had come across the first group of Ogres, and they had not fared well.

Darci stood between Defyance and Maledorian, standing on her tiptoes to try and see what was going on. Unfortunately, she was too short and too small to muscle her way to any kind of vantage point. It was not until someone good-naturedly lifted her onto his that she saw the unfolding horror.

Hollow men with missing limbs hobbled like zombies, blood still dripping from undressed wounds staining the ground beneath their ravage bodies. None were unscathed; many lay dying.

“What do you see?” asked the man who belonged to the shoulders supporting Darci. Despite his height and strength he had not been able to get through the crowd of onlookers.

“Most of them are dead, and the others…” Her voice broke off as she gagged at the sight of the gore before her eyes. Gently, the stranger lowered her to the ground.

“There you go, lad.” The man gave her a decent pat on the back and she stumbled into Defyance, but the warrior woman seemed not to notice. Darci looked up at the man who had helped her. His sombre face spoke volumes. War was no joke, no joke at all.

* * *

“They all died?” Lief asked Maledorian as he lifted up the tent flap to see his friends.

“Not all of them, but they may as well have,” the knight replied. “Ogres look upon us as food, just like they do any other moving thing…” Maledorian scratched the back of his head as he thought about what he would do if faced with an Ogre. The beasts were at least half his height again with a monstrous reach. Fortunately for him, with either his broadsword or mace, he could still get within striking distance of such a foe.

“Except the Dashagi and other evil races on the side of the Demon,” interrupted Defyance with disgust. “I have never heard of Ogres acting in groups.” There was certainly the stench of evil magic in the air.

Maledorian continued. “And if that is not bad enough, they eat you raw, sometimes while you’re still alive.” Lief’s face paled noticeably as he looked down at the meal that had been offered to him. He pushed it away, no longer hungry.

Taslessian noticed the elf’s discomfort. Sneering at him, he took the bowl that was offered, eating it with the enthusiasm born of a hungry young man. “There are many things in the world that could happen to you. Being eaten by an Ogre is by far not the worst possible fate.” He shovelled another spoonful of food into his mouth forcing him to pause before continuing any further.

Taslessian was aware of Darci’s eyes watching him, making him think about his harsh words, if not regret them. He knew that he had been constantly unfriendly towards Lief and generally unpleasant to everyone else in the past few days, yet they always seemed to interrupt him just when he was thinking about something important. The only reason he had agreed to search for supplies that day was because he had felt sick at the thought of being couped up in the small confines of their tent. During the ocean voyage he had secluded himself, keeping away from the others so that he time to focus on his new powers, testing them secretly, realising what he had become.

He felt trepidation as he thought of the times ahead, coming to terms with the fact that he was no longer an apprentice but a wizard in his own right.

Maledorian pressed on. “We have to be doubly careful when we leave tomorrow night because we don’t want to run into any Ogres or Dashagi. If we do…” The young knight left his sentence unfinished, knowing full well their chances of survival if they were discovered. With a sigh he put his thoughts aside, knowing that there was no point in pondering what fate had in store for them.

Listening to Maledorian, Darci wondered about the Dashagi. The only thing that she had picked up so far was that they rode horses. She asked Maledorian to explain, but Taslessian awkwardly swallowed his latest mouthful of food so that he could jump in first.

“The Dashagi are a race of nomadic herders. They don’t live in any set place because they follow their herds. They are very fierce warriors and superb riders, making them the most feared light cavalry in this land.”

Darci caught Lief rolling his eyes at the pompous tone Taslessian was using. Realising that he had been caught, he winked at her, making her smile. Unnoticed, Lief looked away, unable to smile in return. Darci waited until the wizard had finished his next mouthful, but he had apparently finished with the topic of Dashagi, posing a question to Maledorian instead.

“What exactly is our plan for destroying the demon?”

The Knight Protector took a deep breath as he began to describe in detail what they were going to do. Starting off by reminding everyone that battles rarely went to plan…

* * *

Mercenaries came and left, none getting too close to the small camp guarded by the burly knight. Conversation was scant, each left to ponder the events to come. With enough supplies already collected there was nothing to do but wait.

Maledorian added the finishing touches to his armour while Defyance sat close by, watching the young knight while she played with her dagger. Taslessian appeared to meditate, sitting straight with his eyes closed, breathing evenly, but somehow still aware of his surroundings, looking up only when Darci and Lief decided to go for a walk to ease their boredom.

They chatted with each other about simple things, as their feet carried them around the camp towards the training grounds. The barking orders of the drill sergeants and the regimented responses of the soldiers drifted over the soft breeze. Lief’s eyes wandered from the field to his friend and back again. He swallowed uncomfortably as the secret sitting on his chest threatened to rise up and choke him. Finally, when there was no one close by, he decided that he had to voice at least some of his feelings.

“Darci,” he said somewhat hesitantly. She turned to face her Elven friend. At that moment, the breeze picked up, blowing a lock of hair from behind her ear to frame the side of her face. Lief almost gasped as he realised how beautiful she truly was; the inner beauty that lay beneath her disguise. She smiled as she waited for her friend to continue.

“I have something to tell you about my past,” he said. “Something that I have never told anyone before; something that you must know if I am to ever have genuine feelings for you, or you for me, if that could ever be possible.”

Darci did not know what she felt for Lief. Certainly, a great friendship, even the comradeship of warriors perhaps, but love? Her stomach filled with butterflies. It was possible, but something she could not afford to even consider until their quest had been decided. Grisham the Great had not said that he was going to return her so she still had no idea what would happen to her.

“When I was born,” Lief continued, “I had a twin brother, which is rare for us. Children are few and far between for the long lived, and when twins are born it is looked upon as a miracle. Anyway, my brother and I grew up like most siblings – occasional fights, mischief and fun. But when we grew out of our single years, my brother began to change, and I could see that something was very different in him.” Lief’s eyes looked up into the sky, his face clouded with doubt and perhaps even fear. He was reliving his childhood as if he were there.

“When we fought he would say things; horrible and nasty things that an elf should not even know about unless he had been outside the Lake City. We looked exactly the same but he held some kind of power over me. Something that wouldn’t let me fight back.” The young elf’s eyes began to fill with water, but he refused to blink lest he lose sight of the past he was revisiting. Darci scooted closer to her friend so that she could place her hand over his. The contact went unnoticed, but it appeared to give him the strength to continue.

“As we grew older, still no one else noticed. We were always the miracle twin brothers.” Lief’s voice tightened with sarcasm. “Around our eighteenth year he had taken to wandering alone in the forest close to the human villages, so in one rare moment of courage, I followed him.

“What I discovered I will not tell you, suffice to say that my brother was an abomination. The women, the girls… so young, some of them…” Tears flooded his face. “And that’s how I found him that day, with the body of a young girl. We argued, we fought. He turned his bloodied dagger on me and as we scuffled, I grabbed his knife and killed him with it.

“I wish that I could say that it was an accident, but I wanted to kill him when I knew what he had become.” His heart was filled with the shame of murder. “I carried his body back to our home to receive the judgement of the elders. I was banished from the Elven city, forced to wander the world without ever knowing a true home or family.”

Darci squeezed Lief’s hand but when he did not continue, she looked into her heart to try to find the right words to say, knowing that if she said the wrong thing, Lief would never forgive himself. “You had no choice…” she said softly. “You are not like your brother. You are kind and true, someone who I care a great deal about.”

With a shuddering breath he regained control of his emotions, finally able to look up at her. “Thank you…” A huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Accident or not, he had accepted his punishment, but he would not have been able to go on if he had not at least told Darci of his past. To be forgiven for his crimes was more than he could ever hope for.

“The elf onboard the ship that we saw was the one who banished me. But something has happened. Perhaps they know of what we must do because with that one look that he gave me, I know in my heart that I can return home now… and… I hope that you will come with me.” The words finally spoken, Lief held his breath.

“If we survive this, Lief, I promise that I shall travel to your home no matter what happens.” Inside, however, Darci felt sadness. Had he forgotten that she had a home of her own to return to?

With no further words spoken, they lay on the grass together, holding hands beneath the sky, waiting for the night that was to come.

* * *

Crickets chirped in the distance over the crackle of a small fire. Tents still stood, and though the fire still burned, there would be no one to put it out this night. Everything was ready; sacks were packed and hidden in their tents, ready to be placed on saddles. Blankets had been collected to act as beds as well as cover. For the sake of speed and the ruse of their camp, they were not afforded the luxury of a tent.

The group of five blended into the shadows as they walked along the outskirts of the camp unnoticed. The horses barely made a snicker as they were saddled in the dark, Lief forced to help Darci, who had never been good at such a task at the best of times. The boy Maledorian had charged with the safety of their mounts brought the only challenge to their presence. But he breathed a sigh of relief when he realised who they were, leaving them to whatever they were up to with one less problem to worry about. In a camp such as this no one would miss five horses.

Dark clouds conveniently covered the three-quarter moon as the soldier on watch left in search of a cup of broth. He kept his eyes to the ground, lest he see something to cause alarm. Mercenaries deserted all the time but if he was caught as the man on watch who let them pass, his back would be flayed in front of the camp to encourage greater alertness. The chance of punishment however was better than the alternatives given to him by the ruthless man bearing daggers.

Unseen in the shadows, the party of five slipped away to the south.

* * *

After a quick flight across the grassy tundra, sweat covered bodies and lathered horses found the beginnings of a forest. Dense bush and tall dark trees surrounded them. The natural noise of the forest disturbed only to the practiced ear by the gentle stepping of horses in their unnatural surroundings. The moon peaked through the foliage every chance that it could, trying to find the unwanted intruders with its fingers of light penetrating the canopy.

“Get down off your horses,” whispered Lief who had taken the lead. He was the only one who could see well in the dark, at home in the forest, even one so far away from his home. Stepping from tree root to tree root he deftly avoided every dried leaf and stray twig. Silently he took the group forward at a pace not as fast as he would have liked, but one that his comrades barely kept up with. It was he who first noticed the camp of the Dashagi. With a prearranged birdcall they all stopped in their tracks. Like a ghost, Lief was beside Maledorian, whispering, before disappearing back into the darkness.

There were no fires amongst the sleeping Dashagi. Their horses grazed peacefully in a small clearing whilst their masters slept peacefully or guarded poorly, confident that their mounts could detect any encroachment on their camp before they did. Staring off into the darkness, Darci could not see the figure of her Elven friend but knew that he was there, somewhere.

After a few tense moments, hoping that their horses would not give them away, Lief returned to report. “This is just a scouting party,” he informed them in a barely audible whisper that seemed to float away with the wind. “There are around forty horses, which means just as many men. To detour around them will take another hour, and being so close to our camp, they’re bound to have people on watch somewhere.” Lief’s ears pricked and for a moment he froze, but whatever it was that had prickled his senses caused no further alarm.

After a quick conference, Defyance and Maledorian agreed to follow the elf around the camp, trusting in his judgment. A one-hour detour was better than the chance of a possibly costly battle. Lief scouted a few steps ahead, silently leading the way. Humans are so noisy, he thought. To his sensitive ears, they sounded as if they were stepping on every available twig or dried leaf. But at least they’re better than dwarfs, he conceded, shuddering at the thought of the bearded little men.

Suddenly, his ears twitched; an extra set of footsteps stumbled in the darkness and silence of the forest behind them. No forest was ever truly silent unless something was wrong. Were they being followed? By the time he turned around, it was already too late. He leapt swiftly to the side behind the slim but ample trunk of a tree. His horse whinnied at the sudden movement, but did not follow Lief, content to stay with the other horses while its Elven rider barely avoided being seen, melting into his surroundings.

Darci felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck; someone was watching them. Her fear was confirmed when a harsh voice yelled out from the darkness behind.

“Stop! I have all four of you in my crossbow sight, so don’t even reach for your weapons.” In the darkness a flint was struck and a torch was lit. An eerie glow immediately illuminated their dire situation.

Two men stood behind them. One was hanging onto the torch with a sabre in his other hand, and the other stood with a crossbow, aiming it straight at Defyance. Sneering bald heads, with a singular plait down the back, were covered with the intricate patterns of tribal tattoos. Both faces were scarred from old wounds that documented the fighting experience of these Dashagi. Eyes as cold as ice looked over each of them, deciding whether or not their prisoners were capable of resistance. Shoulders were tensed, waiting for whatever happened next.

Maledorian slowly stepped towards Darci to try to place himself between her and their assailants. That way, if the situation got out of hand, they would have to go through him first. He doubted he had the ability to take a bolt at this range and survive, but even so, a grim smile formed on his lips as his chest lifted. He was ready.

The man with the crossbow again looked each in turn up and down, pausing as his eyes fell on Darci. He gave her a malicious grin that made her shiver. She then realised that she looked just like any other young male and not a helpless girl, a fact that scared her even more.

“We have to interrogate our prisoners before we decide their fate.” The Dashagi soldier’s mouth was open, ready to continue, but a flash of light off to the side distracted him, and then he could talk no more. A bolt of radiance, shaped mysteriously like an arrow, protruded from his chest before dissipating towards the heavens in a golden mist, leaving a gaping wound in its place. Lief had used his weapon of choice.

Maledorian wasted no time drawing his broadsword and charged the man with the torch, who had no time to react. His severed head hit the ground the same time as the flaming end of his torch, unspoken words frozen on dead lips.

Lief ran into the middle of the group. “Stealth won’t help us now,” he said as he jumped up onto his horse. “The Dashagi camp is stirring and it will not be long before they are upon us. We have to try to outrun them.”

Darci had not heard what he said. She was staring at the twitching bodies of the two dead men. She wondered at the fact that she had witnessed so much violence in this world, and yet she still was not used to it. Her only clear thought was that it was something that she never wanted to get used to.

In an instant, she was back on her horse with a helping hand from her protector, riding at breakneck speed through the forest. The horse lurched forward as Darci clung on with her knees.

The sound of pursuit could be heard behind them, but flashes of light accompanied by a strange sizzling twang signalled that the young elf was doing his best to contain them. Thankfully, the Dashagi were used to riding on open plains, so their bigger, more powerful horses were not used to the confined spaces of a forest, allowing the group of five to escape.

* * *

It was about an hour before dawn when they finally neared the edge of the forest and their horses slowed, spent from the rapid gallop. All of them dismounting, Maledorian lead the fatigued travellers along the path that he somehow knew to take. Constantly on the lookout for a place to rest, luck was finally with them as he almost stumbled into an unusually thick patch of forest. About the size of a house, the area was a mixture of thick large bushes and a fallen tree. After a closer inspection by Lief, he agreed that this would be their camp for the day.

All were glad to finally rest; both man and beast exhausted. Everyone had to duck as they led their reluctant horses through the thick foliage. Maledorian literally had to drag his charger into the trees, encouraging it with threats and foul language, while Darci’s mount had developed an obvious limp.

Darci was left to brush down their horses; pouring what little water they had into a bucket so that they could drink. The beasts grazed silently, only her horse suffering any lameness.

Lief and Defyance had taken it upon themselves to cover their tracks, making it impossible for them to be followed, breaking branches in the opposite direction as they laid a false trail. This gave time for Taslessian to draw the four corners to protect them from magical prying eyes. They knew nothing about how powerful the Dashagi group were in the arcane arts, let alone what Domati had in store for them.

Finally, as the sky began to lighten in the distance, blankets were spread on the ground, Defyance volunteering for watch as the rest of them collapsed onto their makeshift beds.

* * *

“Wake up,” Defyance whispered. She held her hand over the young girl’s mouth to stop her from yelling out. With her other hand, she gave a bit of a shake.

“What?” Darci mumbled opening one of her eyes just a crack, realising that she was not at home. She gave Defyance a sheepish smile that turned into a look of concern as she saw the dire expression on her friend’s face, etched into her father’s features.

“We have to get ready to leave. There’s some ogres around, and although they don’t seem to be looking for us, we don’t want to be asleep if they are.” Quietly, the warrior woman crept over to the trembling horses. They smelt danger and were terrified. Maledorian’s steed was pawing the ground, eager to use its battle-trained hooves to fight off whatever was to come. With a comforting hand Defyance whispered to Sahik, who in turn whinnied comfortingly to calm the other beasts.

Darci’s eyes were heavy and her muscles ached in protest, but all of that was forgotten at the sound of heavy footsteps. She snuck under one of the bushes next to Lief to see the creatures that had caused such fear. In an instant, the young girl could see how easily those in the injured scouting party could have been utterly destroyed.

Ogres were large ape-like beasts with musclebound arms dragging knuckles along the dusty ground. Nearly twice the size of Maledorian, they stood at least nine feet tall. None of them wore any clothes, there was no need. Except for an occasional leather strap on their back or across their chest, the rest of their bodies were covered in shaggy, orange hair. The smell of death and decay assaulted their senses as the creatures passed.

Darci turned to see one’s face. Yellow teeth protruded from a gaping mouth, much like the malevolent rocks at the entrance to a cave. A squashed, pig-like nose adorned its face, as it took a bite out of what appeared to be a rotting, human limb. Tearing a huge chunk of flesh from the bone, a string of drool dangled from its mouth as it chewed.

“Now I know why those men were better off dead,” whispered Lief, who had also never seen an ogre before. “A beast such as that does not seem capable of mercy.”

For a terrifying moment, one of the beasts stopped to sniff the air. With a grunt somewhat resembling a challenge, it signaled to the others to stop. All began to sniff the air then, looking for what they could not see.

A frightened whinny caused them to take a step towards their hiding place, standing ready for whatever laid before them. In an instant Lief was up, crawling back towards the now hysterical horses. Untying Darci’s mount he took of its reins. Grabbing a handful of dirt mixed with herbs from his kit he rubbed its lathered body down. Making sure his friends had cleared out of the way, the quick-thinking elf slapped the beast on the rump, forcing it to lurch forward out of cover. With another terrified cry it ran, away from the startled ogres and into the forest.

Without hesitation the beasts were off, crashing through the forest after the live prey. Despite their hulking size their travelled swiftly, and bellows of victory were soon heard as the doomed horse fell silent.

By this time, Defyance had already saddled the four remaining horses. “They’ll be back as soon as they’re finished. Hopefully they won’t bother to chase us if they know we’re already far away. It’s not completely dark yet but we’ll have to risk it. We can rest again all day tomorrow, because tomorrow night, we will travel the last stretch to the fortress. Tomorrow night, we will end this…one way or another.”

Lief and Darci doubled up, bouncing uncomfortably as the horse lurched into a gallop away from their attackers

Chapter 5

The night was cloudless as the star-filled sky lit the grassy path before them, forest to one side, grassy tundra to the other. They continued along the edge of the forest, not daring to risk the more direct, yet venerable grasslands where the eyes of the night could catch them unawares. A cool breeze whispered through the trees bringing nought but an eerie silence as Defyance rode ahead, trusting her mystical steed’s instincts for assessing the safety of their passageway.

The last step of their journey was at hand. After travelling so far and experiencing so much, the end was nigh. Peaking through the forest, a silhouette of a mountain began to loom. An occasional distant flicker of flame through the treetops suggested that soon they would not be alone. Ogres that never appeared to tire were dragging themselves slowly but surely towards the direction of the impending battle.

At times the group of five were forced to loop back onto the forest so that they could give their foes a wide birth, at other times they were forced to simply hunker down in the scarce protection of the trees and the night darkness until the danger passed. Yet all this only slowed their inevitable arrival while danger passed them by.

Soon the forest began to thin again, browned grass crackling under their feet as their footprints were left in the underlying dust, unknown and unnoticed in the dark. Either side of them, less than a ten-minute ride away, were the camps of their enemy, as if a path had been left for them to the heart of evil.

Before the arrival of the morning sun, Defyance found a burnt out farm that had almost been reclaimed by the forest, which would be their camp for the day. It was an inconspicuous location because anything of value had already been taken or melted by a fire long extinguished. Blackened walls that threatened to collapse at any time hid any evidence of their occupancy. The roof had long since disappeared, leaving them open to the sky above.

By the time the sun had risen, everybody was ready to rest. Riding the horses all night was taking its toll on both person and steed. Yet, someone had to stay awake to keep guard. To Darci’s relief, Maledorian volunteered for the first watch. Being so close to the enemy, he wanted to make sure that everything was as it should be. After the knight, Taslessian would stand watch, then in turn, Defyance, Lief, and finally, Darci.

* * *

Fear… everywhere, nowhere, gone. Back again, all around, behind… no to the side, in front, not again…

Darci was having the same nightmare again. Only this time it was different. Her heartbeat echoed all around her, as she tried to get her ragged breaths under control. It was stronger, more terrifying… closer. Even with the experience of her last dream it took some effort to bring her concentration to bear upon the thing that was tormenting her. Again, the darkness cleared as she was bought into the mystical world surrounded by the rolling purple mist. In an instant, she stood face to face with the evil presence of Domati.

Without preamble the smaller but proud figure of Darci glared at her deadly challenger. The very air began to crackle as she concentrated her feelings of fear and defiance. Lifting her chin, she was the first to speak. “Enough with these stupid games, Domati! They’re not going to work anymore. Her heartbeat was a forgotten echo, as for the first time she began to feel in control.

“On the contrary, offworlder, this is no game I’m afraid.” The wizard scratched his well-trimmed goatee. “I know how close you and your group of friends are, one of the light. The master Demolish and I are eagerly awaiting your arrival. Your friends will make great experiments for some subhuman spells that I have recently come across, but you, however, will not live long enough to witness my genius.” Domati hissed his last words as he threw a fireball at Darci; this time it was bigger, large enough to engulf her entirely.

“Why do you even bother?” she asked the evil wizard as she put her hand out in front of her to catch the fire again, but she never got the chance. A new presence had entered void. To her surprise, Taslessian walked out of the mist and stood before her.

The boy wizard looked impressive, and despite the lack of wind, his cloak and robe flapped in the sheer force of his power as he focused his eyes on the ball of fire.

“Ah, I see you got your master’s little stick,” Domati scoffed. If he had been surprised by Taslessian’s appearance, he did not show it. “I don’t see what it’s going to do for you though. After all, it didn’t help your master much.” The evil wizard turned to face the young man, hands on his hips as he stared down in challenge.

Taslessian was never going to get over the pain of loosing someone so close. Helpless to save Belderon at the time of his demise, he had only been able to do as his master had wished, saving the girl who now stood beside him.

“It may not have done much for my master, but I am not he, and nor is his staff what it once was. Very soon you will witness its power and your head shall be its decoration.” With some intricate finger movements accompanied with soft chanting, Taslessian sent a small blue sphere of light towards Domati.

The evil wizard regarded the orb with contempt. “Your juvenile tricks are not match for my magic, boy, and your little stick will never touch me.” Full of bravado, Domati moved to close his hand around the little blue orb, only realising his mistake when it was too late. In an instant rhe ball changed shape, engulfing his hand. Like living water it wrapped itself around the evil wizard as his mouth twisted and his body writhed in agony and faded into nothingness.

“Is he dead?” Darci asked, somewhat bewildered.

“No, unfortunately. All I did was send him back to reality. The longer he fought it the more pain he would have endured. We should get back as well, we have a big night ahead of us.” With those last words, Taslessian’s presence faded from view.

* * *

Darci woke up with a start. Looking around to find Taslessian, she saw that he was fast asleep in his makeshift bed. Now on watch, Defyance gave her young friend the slightest of smiles, unseen in the dull moonlight, as Darci returned to more pleasant dreams.

* * *

From the soft pastel colours of a mild day to the cloudy darkness of night, the last day of their quest passed. Staring sleepily up at the sky, Darci’s mind was blank. She knew that she should be thinking of strategies or miraculously coming up with the magic that she bought into the mix, being the prophesied offworlder, but nothing came to mind.

“Good morning… or goodnight, as the case may be,” said Lief smiling, glad to have someone to talk to. He was sitting against one of the more stable walls, polishing a short sword with a golden handle.

“What happened?” Darci broke from her reverie, pausing to rub some sleep out of her eyes. “I mean, what happened to my watch. Weren’t you supposed to tell me a while ago? I was already awake.” She sighed, already knowing the answer. Her Elven friend was once again being his kind and caring self.

Lief smiled again sending a warm feeling down the back of her spine. “I was going to, but you looked so peaceful. Anyway, with whatever you have to do tonight, I didn’t have the heart to disturb you.”

Darci wondered how she could have looked peaceful considering what had happened, and then her thoughts focused on the other part of her friend’s comment. Tonight was the night; the decision would be made that countless lives depended on. Who would be victorious? Good or evil? She snorted as she thought of the old cliché that she had seen and read about so many times back on Earth, when, at the last moment, the hero saves the day. Would she be the hero tonight? Again, doubts rained down upon her mind like a monsoon. What could she do? What was she supposed to do? How could she, an average teenage girl, possibly defeat such an evil monster such as Demolish, a demon that she knew nothing about? Could she be the hero they so badly needed?

Lief stood up to sheathe his sword before walking over to her, unnoticed as he placed a hand comfortingly on her back. She jumped out of her thoughts at his touch, before her heartbeat began to slow again.

“Do not worry, we will defeat this demon and then everything will be fine.” He gave her a quick hug, squeezing her tight against his body with his chin on her head. “Just think of what we can do after we return victorious. Perhaps you can take a holiday before being sent home. I could take you to see the wonders of the Elven Lake City…” he trailed off has he thought about the wondrous world that had banished him.

“Thanks, I could do with a holiday.” Darci’s emotions could not decide between relief or sadness. Relief that Lief had not forgotten that she was not from this place, or sadness at the thought that she may not be able to go home. “It’s just that I keep thinking, what am I supposed to do?” She snuggled back into his embrace, finding momentary comfort in his arms.

The young elf paused for a moment as he considered how best to phrase his words. “You’ll know when we get to it, and whatever happens, happens; there’s no point worrying about it.” He moved some hair out of her fringe as he again rested his chin on her head, giving her what comfort he could.

“Yeah,” Defyance was now also awake. She rolled over to look at the two, propping her head up on her elbow. “Like he said, we’ll burn that bridge when we get to it. Now, what’s for breakfast?”

* * *

Sounds of nightlife seeped through the charcoal walls of the former farmhouse; the hoot of an owl, the occasional squeak of a bat hunting in the night sky and the sigh of the now familiar breeze running over the grassy tundra that surrounded them.

Within the relevant safety of their camp the air was thick with the tension and agitation that was often bought on by fatigue. Nobody knew what they were supposed to do so they were preparing themselves as best they could. Maledorian was oiling his body armour to make sure that it was in perfect condition. Defyance had pulled out an arsenal of blades and daggers, checking each their sharpness in the glint of the moonlight before placing them all over her body in hidden sheathes, showing everybody why she was called the Dagger Bearer.

Taslessian was dressing himself in multiple layers of silk-like material that had been with him ever since their meeting with Sahat, waiting for the right time to accept his status as a fully-fledged wizard. His face bore a solemn expression as in his mind he tried to review all the spells that might come in handy. He had learnt so much and his mind swam.

Lief was putting on some light, golden chain mail while Darci was packing up what was left of their camp with unusual dexterity; each occupying their own mind so that they did not have to consider the night to come.

“Okay everyone,” Taslessian said to get their attention. “I’m going to scout out where we are going.” Everyone looked at the young man as he sat down on his makeshift bed. The telltale wind of magic began to swirl around his body, picking up the farmhouse’s carpet of coal in a spectacular mini whirlwind.

Concentrating, the young wizard began to feel the world around him; the four people sitting close, the disjointed thoughts of the horses, the nose twitch of a mouse whose home they had temporarily invaded. Transcending the confines of his body, Taslessian’s consciousness began to float in the air unseen to those present. Swiftly he drifted over the short distance between their camp and their destination. The grass blew swiftly underneath his unseen presence as a wild dog stopped to sniff the air; heckles rising on the back of its neck. The animal’s howls were but an echo as Taslessian reached the bottom of the mountain.

Before him lay the ugliest mountain he had ever seen. Using his unconscious sight, he could see everything that lay before him. The mountain that was their destination looked as if it had just erupted out of the earth, spewing newborn rocks around the countryside to announce its presence. A small jagged path led a steep trail up to an unseen building just beyond. Following it up, he saw a flat wall with a door, guarded by what appeared to be Dashagi warriors. He stretched forward as the realisation dawned. The mountain itself was the demon’s fortress. As he was about to enter the building he sensed another presence, something evil, powerful, unknown. He had the briefest sense of Domati mixed in with the massive power that assailed him before being rushed back into his body.

As if struck by an invisible blow the young wizard was knocked back against the burnt-out wall of the farm. Ash fell down around him yet it appeared to simply slide off his fine cloaks leaving nary a mark. Lief was first to reach the young man with a helping hand. But much to everyone’s relief, Taslessian had only been winded. The impact caused by the attack had been so immense it had caused his spell to end abruptly. The whirlwind that had surrounded him had stopped mid cycle, falling to cover a perfect circle of dust around where he had been. He shook his head to clear it from the power resonating through his life force to witness an argument in process.

Both warrior woman and knight had been uninterested in watching his magical display, instead busying themselves with their own preparations. It had been their differing views that had caused a slight difference of opinion.

“You can’t wear your armour, Maledorian,” Defyance stated flatly. She stood with her hands on her hips in front of the knight. “If we’re going to sneak in, it will be too loud and it will get us caught. The world we know will die because of your armour, and it will be all your fault!” Defyance waved one of her hands in the air to emphasise her point before using it to tuck away some stray hair.

“I never go into serious battle without my armour,” Maledorian replied with steel in his voice. He continued fitting himself into his large metal suit, not bothering to look up at the woman who stood resolutely in front of him.

“Now, now, children.” Taslessian rose off the ground so that he could step in to become the mediator, a role that was not usually needed. “Normally, the armour would be a hindrance, that’s true.” This comment drew a scowl from Maledorian. “But luckily for you, I can fix the sound problem with a spell so that we can all be relatively silent.” With this news, Defyance turned away in a huff, kicking up some black dust as she went to pet her horse. The young wizard may have solved the problem but it still made her feel as if she had lost the argument.

Finally, when the sun had set, they sat down to go over their plan. Maledorian in his now silent armour drew diagrams in the ashes with his finger, illuminated by a small ball of light, courtesy of Taslessian. “So far, from what Taslessian has been able to see, it would appear that the mountain fortress is surrounded by harsh rocky outcrops, which means that we’ll have to leave the horses here.” Defyance patted the nose of her mysterious horse, whispering in its ear before loosening the other horses’ ties. If they did not make it out before morning, at least the horses would be able to escape.

“These rocks may be an advantage,” the knight continued. “They will help us stay hidden so that we can approach undetected, but it could also hide whatever the enemy uses as guards. Once we reach the castle we are going to try to sneak in, however, we are not counting on that. Expect to be hard pressed as soon as we get close, because from all indications, they already know we’re here.” Taslessian nodded in confirmation. “With luck, we’ll break through their defences, do what we have come here to do, and be back here in time for breakfast.”

If only I could be that confident, Darci thought as she looked absentmindedly at the rough schematic. A small square showed where they were and a simple line to a large circle showed the way to the mountain. Other, assorted circles and squares showed the possible deployment of enemy camps, with trails of Maledorian’s finger showing which way to take back should they become separated. She closed her eyes tight as she rubbed them with the back of her hand. For some reason she could not hold the image in her head. She shrugged it off, knowing that they would get there regardless. It’s what happened when they did that was the problem, anything after that would be a gift.

Maledorian stood up from his crouched position on the floor, brushing off his blackened finger. This was it, the moment he had been training for his whole life. He knew now that no matter what happened, he had lived his life with an honour that his ancestors could be proud of. Defyance walked over from where she had been standing to slap her knightly comrade soundly on the back. “One more thing,” she said as they all stood. “If I’m going to go into the battle of the century, I’m going to go in looking like my wonderful self.”

Darci had grown accustomed to Defyance looking like her father, so much so that she had completely forgotten that both of them were not wearing their own faces. Lief and Maledorian headed carefully outside to check that their path was clear. They had witnessed this disjointed form of magic before, no longer marvelling at its uniqueness. When it was over, the oddly unfamiliar features of their own faces once again adorned their heads.

The warrior woman gave Darci a wink as they followed Taslessian out of the deserted farmhouse, heading off towards their destiny.

* * *

Uneven terrain underfoot made it difficult for the silent group of five as they carefully climbed up the hilly pass towards the hidden fortress. Large rocks, as big as an Ogre and larger were strewn haphazardly in their way, as if caused by an almighty avalanche, but there was nothing natural about their surroundings. The rocks that lay around them on the steepening upward slope were all part of the unnatural birth of this fortress and the evil that lay within. The terrain was covered with dust that barely held the newly struggling undergrowth to the ground as the wind blew a moving carpet of sand, only known by touch in the darkness. Eerie shadows seemed to close in on them. Off to the far south, occasional flashes of light could be seen but whether it was a battle or a party, not even Lief’s eyes could tell.

Being the knight that he was, Maledorian reasoned that all had gone to the battlefield, not expecting anything to happen in their own territory. A fact that relied upon the battle having almost begun and not that their enemy was simply lying in wait.

When they finally reached the base of the mountain, they became even more cautious. Occasionally, Lief would signal them to stop, straining his ears for any kind of sound, all of them obeying him instantly as they jumped behind their rocky coverage to wait for what was to come. Bodies were crouched in readiness, hands on weapons and minds set to kill. But nothing happened. Whatever it was that had spooked the elf proved to be nothing but the wind, as he again signalled them to continue.

Closer and closer they came, sweat dripping from their furrowed brows as they continued the upward climb. Thanks to Taslessian’s spell, the only noise that they could hear was the beating of their own hearts. It was a strange feeling stepping on a twig or knocking a rock with a foot without hearing the sound that usually accompanied the action. But the unnatural feeling was dispelled with the relief they would not be discovered by a simple sound from a careless foot or hand.

Lief motioned for them to stop again while his eyes searched the rocky outcrops. Maledorian boosted him to the top of a nearby boulder with minimal effort, and as soon as his feet hit the ground the nimble elf was off, jumping from rock to rock, pausing only long enough to allow his eyes to pierce the darkness.

With the mountain stretching up on ether side of them the only way to go was forward, a path that was not without possible dangers. Waiting again, tense in the darkness, there was finally evidence of the enemy. A silent flash from Lief’s bow signalled the first encounter.

* * *

When the elf returned he was met with a barrage of whispered questions from both Maledorian and Defyance, eager to know what enemy they faced

“They look human… sort of,” replied Lief. After a moment’s pause to listen to the wind, he continued. “At a glance, I’d say that they’re Dashagi, but they seem too big and hairy, as if they were a cross between an ogre and a human.” The elf shrugged. It mattered little who or what they were, as long as they could be defeated.

Taslessian stood straight and still while his eyes scanned the rocky path ahead. His wizard vision left him sure that there was no one approaching. Darci attempted to do the same, straining her eyes for any hint of movement from behind. With next to nothing to see, she had an idea. While waiting in the darkness she passed her gauntlet over her closed eyes. When she opened them again, she was amazed at how the world had changed. It was not like day, but she could see everything clearly; the outlines of the rocks, the details of the leaves on the stunted plants, even a bug crawling across their path up ahead. The thought of Elven vision had worked better than she could have hoped. As the wind blew whispers past her ears, Darci was confident that there was nothing lying in their path.

Soon the elf was off into the night again. This time when he returned, he told them that they were almost there. Two more guards blocked their path and just behind them lay what appeared to be a wall much like the one Taslessian had described, but he could not be sure as he dared to go no further. The strange manbeasts stood tall and at attention, so they would both have to be taken out together lest one raise the alarm.

When Lief left this time he was accompanied by the almost as agile Defyance. He had to slow his usual pace only slightly so that she could keep up. With another silent flash, this time accompanied by the flicker of a thrown dagger in the moonlight, the door was guarded no longer. Quickly, they dragged the bodies into some nearby bushes, scant covering, but all they had to work with.

In single file with weapons drawn they half jogged, half dodged around the remaining jagged rocks, following a small path towards a wall that appeared to grow more daunting with every step they took. The path began to descend as the rocks around them grew. With the moon peaking out from behind the mountain summit, the smooth face of a building was revealed, marred by a single wooden door. Once there, an experimental tug on the metal ring handle told them what they already knew, that the door was locked.

Defyance and Maledorian scanned their surroundings, looking for any signs of danger in the darkness while Lief fiddled with two thin bits of metal. Mixtures of relief and impending danger assailed them all as they heard the resounding click, signalling that his lock picking skills had been successful.

Slowly, Maledorian opened the door, its well-used hinges creaking barely, but the noise feeling like fingernails down a chalkboard, setting everyone on edge. His sword drawn, he stepped forward into the darkness, waiting for his eyes to adjust, but tensed and ready to fight blind. With no immediate reaction to his presence he pressed on. Lief came next, drawing his magical bow. In the resounding silence the magical arrow hummed with power. All had to blink to adjust to the sudden light, yet still no alarm was raised. Nothing lay ahead of them except an empty hallway, impeccably carved out of the hard rock of the mountain. Near the edge of their sight the hallway turned into the darkness, hiding whatever lay beyond.

Darci inched forward, the fear of discovery and the anticipation of what was to come almost too much to think about. Truth be told, in the back of her mind she still could not believe that she was even here in an evil fortress in an attempt to save a foreign world. Yet every step carried her towards her fate. All she could do was followed the rest, praying to whoever would listen that she could do something when the time came.

“Lookout!” Taslessian suddenly yelled in warning, but no one needed to be told. The entire hallway instantly lit up as bright as day, causing all to shield their eyes with their arms. As they eyes adjusted they realised that their path was blocked by a group of Dashagi soldiers.

Three rows containing four men each stood like a human wall blocking their path at the end of the hallway. The first two rows crouched down on one knee to stare down the intruders. All had a single hand on the hilt of their weapon, yet none had their weapons drawn. Standing behind them however was another row of Dashagi. Unlike their comrades they held crossbows in their steady hands and each and every weapon was trained on Darci.

Suddenly, without warning, the back row of Dashagi soldiers opened fire. Darci closed her eyes, her hands gripped into fists, as she awaited certain death. Like a swarm of deadly bees, the bolts flew towards her. Maledorian jumped in front of her with his head held high. Perhaps the others would be able to flee, but without him he knew they could not defeat such a force. An instant passed before he realised he had not been hit, metal bolts pausing in midair before falling harmlessly to the ground before him.

All in the hallway snapped their attention towards Taslessian. The young wizard stood with his hand stretched out in front of his body as if he had simply caught the bolts. His blank eyes appeared to leak mystical green tears that fell upwards the heavens. His staff gripped tightly in the other hand, was also encompassed in the same eerie green, floating like an electric mist around his body. With a deep breath that echoed like the wind through the hallway, Taslessian let his hand drop.

Realising that their crossbows were useless, the Dashagi warriors drew their sabres as one with a sickening, metallic scrape. Before the first weapons touched, three of the Dashagi were dead, Lief and Defyance wielding their weapons with deadly efficiency. Another flash of magic and a fourth fell to his knees with a golden arrow protruding from his chest. Others fell to the blade of a well-thrown dagger, yet they still came like an ocean eager to reclaim its sand. Maledorian stepped forward with a wild battle cry to meet them single-handedly, shield and now mace at the ready. His entire body tensed as he gladly answered the onslaught. “This is what I was born for,” was the last thought that passed through his mind before the calm of a trained warrior overtook him, standing ready to face his fate.

The next two Dashagi rushed in with their swords at the ready. It may have been brave, but it was also foolish. With one great swing of his mace, Maledorian swung with all his considerable might. A normal mace would have broken the ribs and it might have bitten into the flesh. But to the young knight’s macabre delight, his weapon tore through the first enemy with sickening crunch as his chest exploded with gore. Barely pausing for breath, he moved onto the next.

With a deft flick, Maledorian removed his mace from the gory mess, ready to face his next challenger. Standing three abreast, the Dashagi warriors had to bustle through their own men to reach the fight, unaware that they were rushing towards their demise.

There seemed to be no end to their attackers, and one by one they fell at the knight’s feet. With a grunt of effort he dispatched yet another enemy, almost decapitating the man. Sweat was beginning to run down his face underneath his helm as he took a powerful hit to his shield, jarring his shoulder into numbness. No matter how skilfully he dogged and weaved, the enemy were beginning to score hits. He was not being injured severely, but the clang of swords meeting armour was clearly audible, the advancing Dashagi now using their dead as shields.

Darci had to think fast. She knew that Maledorian could not continue like this indefinitely, as it was, the pile of bodies was beginning to force them back. Lief also his hands full as even more Dashagi burst forward.

Amongst the sound of metal against metal and with the stench of blood beginning to fill her nostrils, Darci suddenly remembered her dreams: a ball of magic that was supposed to mean her early demise. In her dream she had thrown a ball of magic back to Domati… her gauntlet only limited by her imagination… She was supposed to be the hero, and now was the last chance she was ever going to have to live up to this expectation.

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and blocked out the sounds of battle, focusing her thoughts on her gauntlet, as she pictured it holding a ball of green flame. Thinking of nought but that ball, she willed it into being, starting as a speck of light, which gradually grew larger in the palm of her hand. Finally the familiar surge of power began to course through her veins.

Maledorian dispatched yet another Dashagi with a skull-crushing blow. His movements were becoming more blunt than skilful, no longer bothering to waste effort dodging and parrying the oncoming attacks, instead opting to crush the enemy under his magic mace. Yet it seemed that he was trying to swat away a swarm of bees, often getting stung by those that he managed to kill, while being pressed sorely by the others.

With a lurching movement, one of the knight’s feet appeared to slip to the side. Only barely managing to stay upright, Maledorian kicked off the hand that had almost caused a fall that would have meant certain death.

Darci readied her arm for the throw with no time to think. The Dashagi had spotted their adversaries’ weakness. Maledorian, dispatching another by crushing his collarbone with an overhead swing of his mace, was at the same time having his legs attacked. If the Dashagi could trip him over and restrain him with shear numbers all would be lost. With no time to lose, she let loose her ball of fire.

The sight of the flying flame made everyone on both sides of the battle pause. So far, the only visible magic had come from Taslessian. Floating past Maledorian, as if it had been thrown in slow motion, the ball of magic reached the first of the enemy. By the time the Dashagi had realised that this ball of fire could be harmful, it was too late. The green orb of fire exploded around its intended target with a brightness that forced all to close their eyes.

For an instant, Darci felt her power, immense energy pushing against the power of another. Agonising screams of death filled the hallway and Darci almost gagged as the rancid stench of burnt flesh filled the air. Her stomach sinking, she knew that she had done something horrific. Blinking to regain her focus, she could only stare in horror at the carnage she had caused.

Twisted and charred bodies littered the ground around them. Maledorian kicked one of them with the tip of his steel boot, glad for the moments rest. “That’s one way to stop them, Taslessian,” he said. Even the battle hardy knight seemed to be slightly taken aback by the ferocity of the attack.

“It was not me,” the young wizard replied in plain tones. “It was Darci.”

All four of them looked at the young teenage girl, but Darci did not notice their wide-eyed stares. She was still starring at slaughtered bodies, eyes wide and unmoving.

Lief placed his hands on her shoulders and she collapsed into his embrace with a tearless sob, but there was no time for regrets. The Dashagi soldiers obviously knew that they were here and it would not be long before more were sent against them.

“Can you clear a path for us?” Maledorian quietly asked Taslessian. The knight did not particularly wish to climb over the pile of burnt bodies and he was pretty sure that he would not have been able to make Darci do it either, short of carrying her, something that he did not have time for. The sheer look of horror on her face told him that. Even he had felt troubled when dealing with his first kill, and that had been in a fair, one-on-one contest. Darci’s first encounter with death at her own hands had not been a single life but a massacre.

The young wizard nodded. His eyes were filled with compassion for what Darci was going through, his expression momentarily showing true sorrow before snapping himself back to the task at hand. With some quickly chanted words and a moment of complete concentration, combined with a swift, commanding motion with his staff, Taslessian forced the bodies up against the walls, clearing an ash-filled path for the group to walk through.

Lief held Darci’s hand as they jogged past the smouldering gore that clung unnaturally to the walls. She had set her face in a hard mask of concentration as she attempted to mentally block out what she had done. The only feeling that she allowed herself was the sensation of Lief’s hand holding tightly to hers as she struggled not to shake. She was in shock and she knew it, yet there was nothing she could do. Her onlyhope was that this strange and detached sensation would last long enough for her to complete the task.

One deserted hallway twisted and changed into another. As if in a dream they appeared to be going nowhere, the smoke in their eyes and the beating of their hearts the only sense of reality. Darci was soon lost in the confusion. All she could do was follow the metallic back of Maledorian and continue to clutch Lief’s hand.

Slightly puffed, the group of five turned around their last corner to be confronted with two large, closed doors blocking their way. Maledorian, not being one for subtlety, did not break his stride. He simply put his shoulder down, bursting through the obstruction with a loud, resounding bang as the wood splintered against the inside wall.

An immense room greeted them with an eerie silence. Signs of a hasty retreat were evident – half-eaten meals, overturned tables and deserted weapons – but whatever it was that had been controlling the Dashagi’s mindless onslaught had loosened its hold. Perhaps Darci’s magical attack had succeeded on more than one level, or perhaps another trap was being set.

Beyond the upturned tables stood two figures. Robed in black stood the solid form of the wizard Domati, his hands on his hips, regarding their entrance with an evil glare. Next to him, almost blocking the door on the other side with its sheer size, crouched Trolog. The massive, goat-like monstrosity was wearing a shiny black chest plate and metal thigh protectors, waving his modified scythe menacingly as he too set his sights on his prey.

“You,” the word slid like gravel out of Taslessian’s lips. His eyes, full of hatred, had turned from mystical green to a malevolent red. They locked on Domati as if this alone could destroy the diminutive yet powerful wizard. Adrenalin boiled in Taslessian’s veins, allowing his emotions to rise to the surface almost unhindered by common sense. The pain and guilt suffered after the murder of his master seemed to burn like an eternal fire in his heart, fuelled by the need for revenge.

“Yes, me,” replied Domati, his voice echoing unnaturally across the room. “That was a neat little trick that you pulled on me, boy. I must admit that I underestimated you. But believe me… I will not make the same mistake again.”

Taslessian inhaled deeply stretching to his full height as he struggled to keep himself under control. With a voice no longer his, he challenged Domati. “You have no comprehension of what I have become, wizard. Your sick abuse of magic ends here and now! I shall taste the sweetness of revenge.” The young wizard raised his hand, appearing to crush whatever he held as he made a fist. His entire body glowed with a barely visible light.

“Really?” Domati took a few paces forward and with a clap of his hands a circle of soft red mist encircled him with such force it cracked the stone floor beneath feet. “Allow us to depart to one of the magical planes, where I shall utterly destroy you, leaving your friends to amuse my pet.”

Domati began to chant, and out of the corner of her eyes, Darci could see that Taslessian was doing the same. Yet her friend no longer looked like the young man she had once known. Somewhere along the way he had changed; evolving into something greater, beyond anything remotely human. Suddenly, with a blinding flash of lightning, both wizards disappeared leaving only two smouldering circles on the floor.

Darci was confident that with his newfound powers and self- confidence, Taslessian could handle himself against the evil wizard, but their problems were far from over. With a blood-curling growl, Trolog called them to battle.

Lief was the first to react by firing an energy arrow directly at Trolog’s chest. When the arrow hit, to everyone’s astonished disbelief, Trolog did not even flinch. The magical arrow bounced off his armour, shooting into the far wall with a bright flash.

Trolog beat his fist loudly on his chest. “You not only ones with magic,” he said. “I gunna hurt all you and then I eat you while you watch.”

As an act of intimidation, Trolog grabbed the sharp blade of his strangely curved sword, squeezing his hand until a small trickle of blood began to drip down the handle. Smiling, he lifted the bloodied sword to his mouth, licking one side of it clean.

Maledorian began making his way towards his foe, throwing chairs out of his way until a single table stood between them. He stood battle ready with both hands on his mace. Somewhere along the way his shield had been discarded, too damaged to be of any use. With a final splintering crash, the battle began.

“You two get moving!” Defyance said to Lief and Darci. “Go and find the demon,” she ordered. “Maledorian and I can handle this thing.” She pushed Lief aside as a large piece of wood whistled past his ear. Turning, the warrior woman drew her weapon of choice. She now held two daggers. Stepping to the side she let go with both, one bouncing harmlessly of the magical armour, the other barely nicking Trolog’s uncovered arm. As the daggers hit the ground, they faded away into nothingness.

Lief did not need to be told twice. He tugged on Darci’s hand, taking her the long way around the impending battle towards the door at the far end of the hall. The last thing that she saw before they raced off into the hallway was Maledorian swinging his mace overhead with a trail of green magic chasing after every swing.

She dragged her attention away from her friends, placing her gauntleted hand out before her. For an instant, Darci took the lead as Lief hesitated for just a moment, his senses working overtime as the hairs rose on the back of his neck. He swallowed the unusual lump of fear that was forming in his throat as both he and Darci sprinted away.

Both girl and elf rammed the door at the same instant; a jarring blow that resonated through every bone as they surged forward. The large door splintered off its hinges as they burst into a new part of the fortress.

Firelight roared its greeting as the torches on the wall nearest them flamed up towards the ceiling. Blinking, they both tried to focus their eyes, each raising an arm to shield themselves from the singeing heat that threatened to set their clothes alight.

Smooth, white marble walls entwined with veins of red reached up towards the darkness above. Intricate patterns like twisted and dark peacock feathers covered the floor, broken only by a black tiled path outlined in red. At the end of the path before them, waiting on his massive throne, was the demon, Demolish.

Veins ran like rivers through dry red skin, stretched tight over musclebound shoulders, broken only by scars that told of many battles. Horns protruded menacingly from the top of its head, guarding hairless eyebrows and flaming yellow eyes that now studied the two intruders.

“What kept you?” the demon asked, standing up, his voice seeping out a fang-filled mouth like poisonous honey. His eyes settled upon Darci, flicked to Lief and then back to her.

For once Lief was unable to react. The massive beast that stood before emanated the very essence of all that was evil and wrong. Bile rose up in the back of his throat as he tried to control his heightened senses. For the first time, he was glad that Darci was not trained in the ways of magic. For if she was, the simple sight of this fifteen-foot beast would have sent her incoherent with fear to the borders of insanity. For a moment he wondered what lay in the mind of his young friend for her to even be able to face such a beast.

“A young girl and an elf who looks like a girl have come to destroy me, or so I am told.”

Darci found and squeezed her friend’s hand for an instant before letting it go. The simple touch bought him out of his fear-induced stupor. The young elf stepped forward to meet his final challenge.

“Whomever told you that spoke the truth.” The great demon laughed then, his voice exploding like thunder around the room.

“I am Darci, the offworlder, bought to this place to destroy you. You have already wasted the lives of many with your futile war, but it ends now.” Much to her relief, Darci’s voice remained steady, revealing none of the fear she felt inside.

With his friend standing next to him, Lief again drew his weapon of choice to fire another bolt from his bow, directly at the heart of the monster that lay before him. In his heart he knew that it was a futile gesture, but he had to try.

Demolish raised a giant hand to take the blow. The electric arrow hit with a sizzle, leaving a black mark. He turned it towards himself, casually blowing at the smoke that had arisen from the minor burn. In his eyes he seemed more amused at the sensation of pain than anything else.

Without so much as a challenge, the demon drew back his arms and let loose an unseen weapon, aiming straight at them.

I can deal with this, Darci thought as she braced herself. She set one foot behind the other, sticking out her hands with the gauntlet foremost, ready to catch the projectile and throw it back, but Lief was too quick for her. The young elf took a single leap to place his body between her and the oncoming wave of darkness.

“Noooo!” Darci shouted, trying to pull her friend from harm’s way. The bolt struck, sending a violent jolt through both of their bodies. Darci stumbled backwards to land on her knees, just in time to catch the falling form of her friend.

“Lief,” was all she could say, but he did not respond, his eyes full of pain, unseeing. His mouth opened once, twice, trying to say one final thing or perhaps a silent scream, but the light in his eyes began to dim. His life was gone; the final breath had been taken. In an instant that would haunt her for the rest of her days, Lief, the Elf Wanderer died in her arms.

Tears flooded down Darci’s cheeks as she held her friend’s lifeless body. Wisps of smoke rose from the charred hole in the centre of his chest where the bolt had struck. Taking hold of her rage and confusion, drawing it into herself and focusing it into the gauntlet, she tried to imagine Lief coming back to life, but nothing was happening. She hit her fist on the ground in frustration leaving cracks in the marble floor. Taslessian had said that there were no limits.

“Well, I did feel like roast human, but I suppose charred elf will suffice.” Demolish sat back down on his chair. His fang-filled mouth grimaced into something akin to a smile. Perhaps he would play with this one for a while, just for something to do, as he awaited his unworthy enemy’s next move.

* * *

Taslessian ducked as another dart of magic flew over his head and another, unnoticed, hit him in the shoulder. Violent pain coursed through his body, but he was quick to counteract the pain with a spell, putting it out of his mind as blue lines of electricity ran over his shoulder and down his arm.

Both Taslessian and Domati had teleported themselves onto one of the magical planes used for great battles of magic. Very similar to the dream world visited by both Darci and Taslessian, this particular magical plane appeared somewhat like a desert, both ground and sky glowing an unearthly shade of orange.

In retaliation, Taslessian stretched his magic forth, taking hold of the very fibres of the ground. Twisting and turning, the desert floor reached up to swallow his foe, closing over Domati’s head to form a seemingly inescapable prison. However, this only gave the young wizard a moment’s respite before the cocoon of earth shattered, freeing Domati.

The evil wizard’s brow was covered in perspiration as his breathing became more laboured. He had not counted on a fledgling hack of a wizard to cause him such difficulty. With a grin he prepared his next attack, teleporting himself a few metres away, and at the same time, sending a blue electrical whip towards the young wizard.

* * *

Maledorian leapt backwards to avoid Trolog’s deadly sword. Not being quite quick enough, the sword scratched his chest plate with a sound akin to a death scream. It hurt; the sheer force of the blow nearly knocking the air from his lungs. The young knight set his face into a mask of concentration as he waited for the right moment to counter.

Defyance yet again threw a dagger at their foe. Amazingly, as she threw one dagger, so another appeared. Finally, after countless attacks, she met with success, finding a chink in Trolog’s armour, biting deeply into the side of his leg.

Trolog barely got to glance at this surprise wound before he had to dodge Maledorian’s mace. It had already hit him once, shattering his hand, causing him immense and strangely surreal pain.

* * *

Darci gently closed Lief’s eyes. She did not want him to see what she was about to do. Again she gathered her concentration, this time focusing her power on Demolish, bringing all her will to bear on her enemy. As she turned her eyes to the beast that sat before her, her mind filled with throughs of pure hatred. She raised her hand in the air, directing her malice at Demolish, while in her mind she saw images of Lief, rolling his eyes at Taslessian’s pompous tone, holding her hand, his smile… and now he was gone. Her stomach clenched with rage as her body shivered with an energy she had not yet experienced.

Demolish turned to face the small human girl. She had more power than he would have given her credit for. He could feel it growing, an unseen force that was now beginning to push him back into his chair. He dug his claws into the two skulls that adorned the end of the throne’s armrests, cracking them as his claws dug deeper. As he bought his own considerable will to bear he found that he could resist the mortal’s power, but he could not crush her. No matter, he was going to deal with her in a way that she would not possibly be able to defend.

Darci watched as the demon managed to stand up again, reaching behind his horrid throne to draw a sword larger then she. “Your will is stronger than I gave you credit for, girl,” he said, almost respectfully, as if unconcerned by her resistance. “But I tire of this. Let us test your skill with a weapon.” He twisted the sword slowly, showing her how sharp the slightly curved blade truly was.

In her mind she ran through all the possibilities she could come up with to defend herself, and with a humourless smile she chose. With her power fuelled by the raw emotions that boiled inside her veins she began to change, growing in size as the demon watched on in surprise. As her body grew, imagined armour covered every vulnerable inch whilst in her hand a weapon formed.

Once finished, the offworlder looked an intimidating sight, a towering, armour-plated warrior wielding a massive sword, equal to the task. Fearlessly she approached Demolish as her sword exploded with flaming green light.

* * *

Taslessian let loose the lightning that he had been holding within him. This time, Domati was not quick enough. With a pain-filled scream, the evil wizard held his hands to the heavens as electricity coursed around and throughout his body. The ground beneath him blackened with heat yet he remained. With a ragged breath he fell to his knees, preparing for one final assault.

* * *

Defyance looked down at her blood-covered hands. She had jumped in front of Maledorian after he had been knocked down. Miscalculating Trolog’s reach, it had caught her in the stomach with its sword. Gritting her teeth, the dagger bearer held one arm tightly to her wound as she staggered to her feet to face the beast.

Maledorian was standing and ready for battle again. His entire right side was numb from the blow that had knocked him over, forcing him to carry his mace in left hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he had seen Defyance take a deathly blow, yet she still stood. But he could not worry about her now. Trolog had knocked him down once, but he was not going to let it happen again. The great beast was bleeding from the numerous wounds inflicted by Defyance. He could see his enemy beginning to weaken. It would not be long before this battle would be over, one way or the other.

* * *

Demolish charged at Darci, full of confidence that he could defeat this overdressed young girl. He swung his black sword in an overhead blow, sure to split any mortal in two. With a magic clash that was felt through multiple dimensions, Darci caught his blow only inches from her face with her shield. In a clash of wills as much as strength they stood in deadlock. Demolish using all his strength to try to force her to her knees, Darci using all her power to keep the monster at bay.

The Demon stepped back so that he could swing again. This time however, Darci caught his sword with her own. So great was the titanic blow between the two offworlders that an explosion between their swords knocked them both off their feet, sending them to opposite ends of the hall, leaving behind a glimmering tear in reality.

Barely glancing at the anomaly, Demolish was again on his feet, striding towards the stunned and fallen girl. His hooves echoed like thunder on the marble floor, yet he took his time. The pathetic mortal that lay before him was barely conscious. Changing his grip he held his sword in both hand, ready to strike.

Darci had not fallen well, the blow against the wall winding her. In her peripheral vision she saw movement. A swirling purple void filled the centre of the room, and then Demolish was upon her, his massive sword falling to the marble floor where seconds earlier her head had rested. Rolling to the side, she noticed that the sword had caught her hair.

“Where are you off to, little girl?” the demon asked turning his head to leer at her.

Darci scrambled to her feet just in time to deflect another swinging blow. Her heart sank into her stomach as she realised that Demolish was playing some kind of sick game with her. He could have killed her already. She was helpless.

“You know, I don’t have to kill you. You could always accommodate my wishes, as it were, and then your friends could live.” Darci’s eyes rose to see a malicious grin on the grotesque face of the demon. Images flew through her mind as she tried to conceive what he meant: slavery, torture, an appetiser, or worse.

“I will have to kill you eventually though. I cannot be the ultimate victor without your lifeblood… so, tell me child, do you want to play some more?” His eye’s traced every curve on her armoured body as a serpent-like tongue lick leathery lips.

All hope was lost, she realised. She could never defeat him like this Her shield dropped and faded into nothingness before it even hit the floor.

The demon laughed in triumph as he placed his sword back in his belt.

Despairing in her thoughts, the shimmer of the magical rift caught Darci’s eye, giving her one last, desperate idea. Throwing her sword at the demon she ran towards the tear in reality, the only choice she had.

Demolish avoided the missile easily, but it gave Darci all the time that she needed. It took him but an instant to figure out what she was going to do, but it was too late. By the time he had caught up to his foe all that remained was her hand. As he tried to pull her back, both were sucked into the rift.

* * *

Taslessian paused. Something had happened back in reality. With the wind swirling around his slightly burnt robes, he began to chant. Raising his hands at the same time as the wind reached its zenith, the young wizard fired an all-consuming fireball at the fallen form of Domati before blinking out of sight, back to reality.

* * *

Maledorian gritted his teeth and closed his eyes as he waited for the final, fatal blow. Defyance was lying unconscious in a small pool of her own blood. They had been defeated. Despite the impossible amount of injuries inflicted on their enemy, it refused to fall. The ground shook then and the knight dared open one eye. Where Trolog had once stood a small boy lay on the floor, covered in numerous cuts and bruises, cradling an unrecognisable hand. The knight nodded in satisfaction as he realised that Taslessian had won. It was a pleasing thought as darkness overcame him.

The Last Chapter

Falling, light, colours, something behind me, falling… falling, darkness.

With a start, Darci woke up from her nightmare. She could not quite remember what she had been dreaming about, yet she was filled with an overwhelming sadness and hopelessness. Then the realisation dawned on her: something had woken her up. There were no lights on, so that meant that her parents were not yet home.

Quietly she wriggled out from under her covers before sneaking around her room to arm herself with an old hockey stick that had been collecting dust in her cupboard. I’ll be buggered if I’m going to let someone sneak into my house, she thought.

A cold silence, interrupted only by her breathing surrounded her as she crept around the house, cautiously looking at any dark corner that could conceal anything. Unnoticed to her, the young girl kept flexing her hand. Upon it lay a golden gauntlet.

Anxiety had crept into her heart but she forced herself not to think about what could lie in wait for her in the large house that, hopefully, only she occupied. Darci had to quickly squash her imagination as it began to flick through all the horror movies she had seen. An axe murderer hiding behind the next door; Freddy Kruger creeping up behind her; an alien hiding in the roof, all of them ready to get her… She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.

From room to room she nervously opened cupboards and poked curtains. Suddenly she saw something in the corner of her eye. She jumped around, hockey stick knocking down her assailant!

The tense teenager gave a nervous laugh as she realised she had assaulted her mother’s hat stand. Gently placing it back where it belonged, she gave the hat stand a quick look-over, relieved to find that she had done no damage.

Like a frozen hand gently brushing down the back of her neck, Darci again felt fear as she turned around to face the rest of the house. She turned on the light for each room to look for the expected monster lying in wait, feeling a mixture of relief and anti-climax, and yet finding nothing to justify her apprehension.

In the last room, her parents’ bedroom, she again found nothing. Indiana had not barked a warning, and she was confused that she did not find anything to explain her awakening. She switched off the lights; the light peach curtains covering the window in the room were still illuminated with a soft glowing light. A barely audible swishing sound tickled her ears, a result of the curtains moving, as if there were a light breeze.

Darci audibly swallowed the new fear that began to rise up within her. She knew that all the windows were shut. Who, or what, could have moved the curtains? Quickly trying to rationalise what she saw, she knew that the light was not coming from outside. The streetlights in Seymour were not green.

“Come out from behind the curtains or I’ll call the cops!” she said in a quietly threatening voice, even managing a humourless smile. She sounded a lot braver than she felt. Nobody answered her, for that reason, she swallowed once before pulling back the curtain. There was nothing there, not even the window that was supposed to occupy that space. She turned to look back at her parents’ room with a strange sense of déjà vu, no longer afraid.

She closed her eyes to try to clear her head. When she opened them again, she found herself sitting on the grass in a forest with abnormally large trees.

“You look exactly like you did the first time.” From somewhere behind her an old rasping voice addressed her.

She turned around to see a middle-aged man with long white hair and an even longer beard. He was wearing many layers of expensive- looking clothes that gave him an impressive appearance, and in his hand he held a wooden staff.

“Who are you?” Darci asked the stranger. She was confused; there was something at the back of her mind, a forgotten memory trying to break free.

“Have you forgotten me already? I am Taslessian, of course.”

With that name came the key to unlock her mind. Memories flooded into her mind, faces of dragons and people. Grisham the Great, Sahat, Afradities, Maledorian, Defyance… Lief… She raised her hand to her face as she began to catch the tears that fell. For her, her friend’s death had only been moments ago.

“What happened?” she asked as she tried to control her raw emotions of loss. She had to know if her plan had worked.

“We did not win,” answered the man without preamble. A lot of time had obviously passed since that fateful battle. “But neither did Demolish, and so another battle must be fought. As of yet, he has not returned, and we are not sure that he will, but something is coming, which is why I have summoned you again…”

Epilogue

Scale-covered eyelids closed with fatigue and the weight of knowledge from eons of existence. Grisham the Great forced his mind’s eye to look back into the world around him, into the past.

He could not see what had occurred on that fateful day between offworlder and demon, yet so much had happened in such a short time, he was finding it difficult to keep his time lines together. How much time had passed between that battle and the return of the offworlder? He could not tell.

Searching the balance he knew that she had not won the battle, yet she had not lost the war; not yet. Events were in motion, some having already occurred with their outcomes still unknown. What he did know, however, was that this time was different. Others had been summoned to battle; their fates changed forever, their actions crucial but their destinies unknown.

Tallen –Quest of the Demon

Aftermath 1

Growing up not far from the road to Chinta on the edge of the Jungle Dragon, Tallen is excited to have her two brothers home. Recent times have been hard, Tallen herself barely surviving an attack by a derelict stranger in their very own barn. The war that never was has relieved them of their duty at Chinta, so much so, that her father, the Sergeant of the Guard, is able to return for a visit, bringing news of a possible suitor for Tallen, given that she is almost of that age.

Tallen is not sure what she wants, but the man her father brings home is not what anyone expected. But at least she knows that her family has her best interests at heart when the pompous, self-interested merchant’s son is sent back to Chinta.

The outcome for the Quest of the Demon remains unknown, but the forces of good are being summoned again. Such a trivial meeting develops into a journey that throws Tallen’s life into turmoil and sets her on a path from which there is no return.

TALLEN – COMING SOON!

About The Author

Born in Bendigo, Victoria, M L Sawyer moved to the country town of Seymour where she spent all of her primary and secondary years before moving to Melbourne to complete a Bachelor of Tourism Management at RMIT. She then moved into the Student Accommodation Sector, working with international students.

She has been writing ever since she can remember, and was a national finalist in the Aus Con Sci-Fi Writing competition in 1999. Quest of the Demon began in 1996 when a short story took on a life of its own to become the genesis of an epic fantasy saga.

From the Author

Thankyou for taking the time to read my novel. Please, if you have any suggestions or feedback, feel free to contact me via my website. I will respond.

www.mlsawyer.com.au