Flash Fiction #714 --A Second Tale of the First Alliance/12

 

Kono said nothing.  Her cousins fell silent as well, the three of them moving quietly down what seemed to be endless stairs. She only looked back once and could no longer see the opening.  Kono wasn't certain if they were too far away to see it or if it had closed.

She didn't ask.

They rested twice before the opening below them looked any closer.  They even slept in turns. Kono thought days had passed, but there was no good way to measure time.  The opening below showed no day-and-night cycle.  The well held a monotonous pattern of colorless stairs and dark walls. It didn't help when the walls' surface became damp and slick.  She heard Ryson make small sounds of protest and fear, but he never slowed. His breathing steadied, even after the walls turned slimy.  Kono thought she heard strange, distant laughter.  She said nothing.

"How far is it across to the other side of the well?" Ryson suddenly asked.

Kono had kept that question buried in her own thoughts.  Of course, Ryson had attacked it straight on.

"Miles," Callum replied. It was the kind of answer she had expected.  Even Ryson only sighed. "We don't have much farther to go," he added.  "I suggest we stop and rest, and then hurry to whatever waits there."

"That has the sound of someone who just wants this over," Ryson added.

"The magic is changing," Callum said. He sounded distant. Kono wanted to grab hold of him, but she dared not move.  "It is not just that we are close to the end of the well ... I feel as if our arrival has triggered a change that we cannot control. I don't think the change has a purpose -- it does not feel good or bad.  It just exists.  We will have to learn to deal with it.  Let's get down to the ground. I would rather fight on the ground rather than here, if it comes to it."

Kono agreed and started with what was probably a precipitous descent toward that green land somewhere below them. Neither Callum nor Ryson argued with her about it, which she did not take as a good sign. Kono thought she could hear the scrabbling of feet somewhere on the wall above them. 

None of them made any comments about it. They hurried a bit more than they had lately. For Kono, it was just the hope that they would soon be done with something. She couldn't tell how far they had traveled, although she was nowhere that they'd gone through different realms. Would she ever return to our snow castle?  Callum and Ryson would do their best to get her home, and it had nothing to do with duty -- or with the idea that they might want to be back where they belonged, too.

Then, between one stair and the next, she fell towards that green, which did not now appear to be grass.   Moss. Water.

Sinking.

Before Kono could flail, Ryson grabbed her by the arm and dragged her upward. She almost fought him, trying frantically to find Callum in the murky water. Other things moved there, but she could not see them clearly.  Some were too small to be Callum; others were too large.

They broke through the mossy surface, Kono frantic, only to find Callum in front of them, sitting on the moss and water.

"There you are," Callum said with a nod.  "Good. We need to get out of the lake before something tries to eat us."

Ryson started to say something and then shook his head.  "I can't argue with his logic."

Kono thought she might argue just to make things more normal.  Fortunately, this journey had tired her so much that she couldn't bring herself to do something so useless. Kono wanted to get out of the water and rest for a while.  Maybe even for a long while.

Callum took them both by the hand and pulled them out of the moss and muck.  They were instantly moving with such speed that she had to close her eyes against the wind.  She tried to blink things into focus and thought there might be a distant ridge of hills and clouds moving there.

She could neither see nor feel anything out of the ordinary here, so she stopped fighting to keep her eyes open.  She trusted Callum to keep them safe and just hoped that Ryson kept calm now that they were out of the well.

Kono finally looked up at the sky, not at all surprised to find that dark opening gone.  Trapped here? She would not allow it.  Besides, she trusted that if magic brought them here, it could get them out again.

It seemed odd to depend so much on Callum, though. He had always been her quiet cousin.  Except for his exceptional wardrobe and jewels, he might have gone unnoticed.

And Ryson?  He had magic of his own – oh yes, she had known that for a while.  Not Callum's type of magic, but nothing dark she could tell.  It seemed linked to the chaotic magic of life itself.

And she had powers of her own.  Those came with the throne, but they were alive in her blood and came down to her through many generations of rulers. Maybe it was time to revisit that ancient legend of how her family came to rule.

Kono thought it might be part of what was going on now, and she didn't trust that feeling.  Despite everything, she didn't really trust magic.

Flash Fiction #713 -- A Second Tale of the First Alliance/11

 

Ryson could see the opening above them fast growing smaller -- but not because it was shrinking.  They were falling, and he held tight to Kono's arm even though he didn't think he could save her.  The shock of the sudden fall kept him from panicking just long enough for Callum to save them.

"There!" Callum shouted. With a sickening jolt, they moved as much to the right as downward.   "Sit down and grab hold of the stone!"

Ryson asked nothing before his right knee found the promised stone. He grabbed at the wall -- but it wasn't where he expected it to be.  Ryson was still falling. He hit his elbow -- ledge!

Ryson's body moved faster than he could gather his thoughts. He held tighter to Kono and swung her around and upward. She hit with a yip of pain, but grabbed hold of something.

"Sorry," Ryson gasped and tried to make his hand hold tighter, although it felt as if his entire arm and hand had gone numb.  "Careful. I don't think I could catch you again."

"Let go.  I am safe. I think we are on some stairs."

"Stairs," Callum confirmed.  He seemed to be somewhere close below them.  "Sit down, Ryson.  It will be easier to do magic to protect us if we are close together."

Ryson thought that made sense, but he still couldn't make himself let go of Kono.  She finally grabbed hold of his arm and tried to pull him upward.  He panicked, realizing that she had let go of any handhold.  He threw himself against the wall and found the stairs.  Kono finally let go when he sat with his back against her legs.  For a moment, Ryson still couldn't breathe. Then a soft, calm blue light filled the small area where they sat crowded together on three stairs.  He could only see the distant spots above and below them, but they were still.

"And now what?" Kono asked as if they had a clue.

"Climb up the stairs or walk down them." Callum waved his hand, and a little spread of blue light showed a dozen steps in each direction. "We know we left a battle behind us, but I suspect it will long be over before we can get back.  I have no idea what is below us, except for considerable magic."

"Downward," Kono said, but made no attempt to move.  "Let's not make the walk worse."

Callum didn't argue, and Ryson was ready to do whatever they said.

"Downward," Callum finally said aloud.  Ryson echoed him.  Kono stood, frightening Ryson into a surge to his feet.  Callum and Kono both grabbed him, which did not help.  Ryson feared he would pull them all down.

"Calm!" Callum ordered.  Ryson froze, but Kono still pulled him upward and into her embrace.  It had been a long time since she had held him.  Callum came close behind and put a hand on Ryson's shoulder.  It had been a long time since the three of them had stood so close.  He thought that might have been his fault.  Despite all his best intentions, he had let the berserkers change him after all.

"Down," Ryson said, his voice shaky.  "Please, let's go down now."

Maybe his two companions finally realized the precariousness of their position.  Callum carefully turned, a hand going to Ryson's arm to help steady him.  Ryson took Kono's hand, and her fingers curled around his with surprising force.

"This was not the best time for me to have an existential crisis," he admitted, and felt better for having said those words.  "My apologies."

"We were all part of it," Kono replied.  "And it was better to face that trouble now rather than later."

Ryson knew she was right, but hated the inevitable show of weakness that had been hanging over him like a cloud since he walked away from Lord Bear.  Ran away, to be honest with himself. 

"Where are we?" he finally dared to ask.

"As far as I can tell, this is the well between worlds," Callum replied.  He didn't slow.  "It is an ancient passage that links two realms and was created by the fae so long ago that the magic has mostly faded."

"So you know where we are going," Kono replied and sounded more assured, though her fingers still held tight to Ryson.

"It is not that easy," Callum answered.

"It never is," Ryson mumbled.

"The well forms its own links between realms and goes where it wants to go. It is interesting, though, that it opened beneath our feet."

"Is it interested in what we are doing?" Kono asked.

"I suspect so.  And given that they have some control over the well --"

"Fae," Ryson said, and without even a hint of surprise.  "Of course, there will be fae."

Someone laughed not far away.

Flash Fiction #712 -- A Second Tale of the First Alliance/10

 

Callum couldn't decide which he mistrusted more: the gryphon and dragon, or his own place in this mess. Yes, an extraordinary mage had trained him.  Callum even admitted to himself that he had used magic well on this journey. 

This trouble, however, would affect more than just him and a handful of friends.  He hadn't practiced enough to take on any real trouble.  Deal with dragons? No matter what his teachers had told him, he was not ready for that responsibility.   Even watching their young dragon companion sent a chill through him, and it had nothing to do with the falling temperature as they climbed higher.  He was, after all, one of the snow-born. He could not imagine his mother leaving to wander the woods for over twenty days until he was born far out in the wilderness. The actions were supposed to have made him braver --

"You are thinking too hard, Callum," Ryson accused.  His cousin startled him, since he hadn't been walking with Callum a moment before.  "What is bothering you?"

Callum stopped and stared at Ryson.  "You have to be insane if nothing is bothering you."

"I have my own worries," Ryson admitted.  "I assume you do as well."

"Magic," Callum answered.  Ryson nodded.  His cousin understood at least the basics of the problem.  "I know some magic, but until this journey, I haven't used it for anything but practice.  We need someone with experience."

"Do you think one is going to be waiting along the path for us?"

"I could hope so."

"The way things have been going, it might happen.  But supposing someone with better qualifications -- and one we are going to trust -- is not going to drop from the sky and save us.  The gryphon and dragon have accepted you in this capacity because you are what we need.  Should I trust another mage of your ability?  Could Kono and I work with anyone else?"

"I don't know what I am doing."

"None of us do."

"That is not reassuring." 

"It is not my job to lie to you."

Callum found that one amusing, even if it was more truth than he had wanted to hear.  Maybe it called for a truth in return.

"I don't know how to protect Kono," he admitted with a quick glance around to make certain she was not too close.  "Too many distractions --"

"Protecting Kono is my job.  You need to focus on the dragons."

"Can we trade?"

Ryson gave him a look of disbelief, his humor hardly hidden behind that mask.  "You really think protecting Kono is easier? I don't even dare stand near her for too long, or she accuses me of not trusting her."

He was right, of course.  She had always hated it when they tried to protect her.  "That is why you are teaching her your fighting skills," Callum replied.

Ryson didn't answer.  He had turned to look toward the right, where enormous boulders reached to the edge of the trail.  One guard moved there and disappeared again.

"Get ready for trouble," Ryson warned.  He put a hand on Callum's arm.  "Keep hold of her. I will stay with the two of you as best I can."

"Ryson?" Kono said, but moved closer to Callum.

"The guard didn't give the signal.  He must be a berserker, or else we have even more humans involved.  Be ready for trouble."

"As if we aren't already expecting it," Kono mumbled.

Ryson turned and took three steps away before shouts started among their desert allies.  The battle came only moments later as drums pounded and many of the enemy scrambled over the stony terrain. 

They should have been prepared for such a problem, Callum thought.  He found himself uncommonly calm as he stepped forward and engaged the first enemy.  The adrenaline just wasn't there this time.

He kept focused, though.  Callum took his place beside Kono while Ryson rushed back to join them.  They didn't have time to talk.  There were not as many berserkers as he had feared, but they seemed to have better control.

They still wanted Ryson, which made no sense to him.  They had wanted his cousin to get to the Queen, and yet here she was, not drawing any extra attention.  In fact, when it looked as though she was tired, two of the enemy backed away.

Callum slid over to stand beside her.  Nothing changed until Ryson neared. Then the ground trembled violently.  Kono took hold of Callum just as Ryson leaped forward and grabbed them both by their arms.

And then they were falling.

Downward.







 

Flash Fiction # 711 -- A Second Tale of the First Alliance/9

 

Ryson watched as Callum sent a line of fire against the trolls.

That only enraged them. Callum drew his sword and hacked at the relentless limbs, foregoing magic. One caught hold of his cousin's arm and tried to jerk it out of its socket.  Callum went down, the wood troll dragging him toward a knot of ten or more companions.  Ryson yelled and leaped into the mass, hacking at any piece of wood within range.  Rimal soon joined him, and even Kono.  He wanted her to escape -- but she couldn't.  The wood trolls were everywhere --

Some were flying, though it was plainly not their plan.  Ryson glimpsed the gryphon tearing at them from above.  Good.  Get Callum free!  The wood trolls had almost lost interest in him and seemed to work at untangling their branches as they cried in panic.

Ryson tripped over Callum and landed on his cousin, who gave a woof of surprise.

"Not helping, Ryson," Callum mumbled, and then caught Ryson's arm.  "Thank you."

The trolls tried to escape, but the gryphon didn't let up in his attack, and another followed him in, sweeping down --

Not a gryphon.

"Dragon," Ryson said.  He felt no surprise.  "A gryphon took a dragon egg."

The creature swept forward, scattering the wood trolls, while the gryphon charged at the trolls that were still attacking the humans.  Tsak and his son directed their people and held back a large section of the trolls. Ryson had trouble focusing on the trouble because he kept watching the dragon.  It glittered like jade and silver as the light caught a claw here and a triangle-shaped scale next. It was no larger than a villager's cottage, but Ryson thought that was a sign of being young.

"At least they are on our side," Kono offered, although she didn't sound entirely certain. The wood trolls retreated down the hillside and disappeared into the woods.  That was not reassuring, since they would look like any other tree.

Everyone had suffered injuries, and no one looked inclined to move.  Ryson bandaged some of the worst wounds, and Kono helped by passing around some bread and cheese.  People nibbled, but mostly they watched where the gryphon and dragon sat.

Callum forced himself to his feet and took slow, limping steps toward the two.  Ryson hurried over and helped him stay on his feet.  This was not the time to fall.

"I was young," the gryphon said before anyone else spoke.  "No one listened to me and my grand ideas.  They had sensed that an egg would soon hatch, the first in hundreds of years.  I took the egg and disappeared into the forest.  I realized my stupidity and was about to take her back when the egg hatched.  After that, it was hard enough to keep her alive and out of danger."

"You are going back now," Ryson said, still holding Callum to his feet.  "Why?"

"My friend can hear the others waking.  They have specifically called her.  I am here to make certain she gets back to her own family."

"She doesn't speak, but you understand her," Kono added. Ryson stopped her from taking another step forward.  She looked annoyed, but he met her glare without flinching.  Kono didn't try to move forward again.

"We worked out how to communicate. The Sprites helped.  River and I sent them on to you for both your protection and ours.  The signs showed that if you were not warned of trouble, you would not have escaped in time.  Your castle is under siege by the berserkers. If you hadn't realized the treachery of your council, you would have been there instead of here."

"Shouldn't I be there with the people I have sworn to protect?"

The dragon dropped down on its belly with a sigh of frustration.  Ryson felt an odd tingle in the air and thought the dragon and gryphon must be communicating.

The gryphon finally sat down and gave a nod to his odd companion. 

"This is the pattern of what happened," the gryphon said. The battle had moved away, and Ryson was ready to hear how this worked.  Callum and Kono appeared to agree, although the Queen looked anxious to get back to the trouble.

"The sprites came to you in good faith about the alliance.  You know that much because you would have sensed something false. They were already aware of the trouble with your council and their followers --"

"How?" she demanded.

"You live in the snowlands.  Ice Sprites have no trouble spying in such a climate."

"Oh.  Of course."

Ryson wondered how long it would be before the spies worked for her, although maybe they already did.

"The sprites live in the mountains behind the craggy peaks where the dragons form their core.  They noted the intrusion of humans and at first thought they came from your lands, as had happened in the far past. Then they realized they were the guards and had broken their oath."

"Berserkers," Ryson said, his voice cold with anger.

"Yes.  They plan to destroy the dragons so that they cannot trap them back in their ancient oath.  Lord Bear has sworn they will never be slaves again.  It is not just the dragons that are a threat to him.  Callum has magic powers, and Ryson escaped from his hold when they were trying to bind him to the old oath.  Queen Kono has her special role to play.  She can sense the sincerity of any pledge made with her and stop bad oaths before they take hold.   It is time you become the Queen again.  We need that power."



 

Flash Fiction #710 --A Second Tale of the First Alliance/8

 

 

Kono wondered what the Council was doing in her absence. Nothing good, she was sure.  Their attempt to hire Tsak had failed, and they might already have word of his betrayal_.  They would not be any wiser for it.  Nothing had made them wiser.

 

She was tired of walking.

 

"I rule a small land," she suddenly said.  Tsak gave her an odd look, but Callum and Ryson nodded.  "Why have we been pulled into this trouble?  Or am I only here because I was with my cousins?"

 

"You think we are more important than you?" Ryson replied with a shake of his head.

 

"Your land is the linchpin for the borderlands," the Gryphon said, ignoring their byplay. "You sit between the human lands and the magic domain, and you accept both.  You are the portal through which we connect."

 

Kono felt an odd surge of understanding.  She had never looked at the situation in terms of both sides.  Everyone was equal to her, but it had not always been that way with earlier rulers.  The council kept trying to draw them back to an older time where humans thought they ruled everything they saw.  How could they be so blind and so damned egotistical?

 

Were they ever going to reach somewhere? Then what would they do?  Let Callum talk to the dragons?  Why not?

 

"You need the Dradeni -- the humans as part of your alliance," Tsak suddenly said.  "You cannot keep the peace if all you hold is magical allies.  I believe we have come to an agreement on the terms.  Who can write it out?"

 

"Callum."  Kono waved in his direction.  "He has had my permission to create such documents as an ambassador.  He hasn't disappointed me with the results."

 

They spent the next several miles talking through the points. They rested about midday, and Callum produced paper and ink from a pack he had still been carrying.  He took his work seriously.  He found a flat stone and wrote out the document.

 

Kono napped.

 

She awoke with enough time to read and sign the treaty, Tsak doing the same. By then they were ready to move on.

 

"Ryson, I would like you to keep the treaty," Kono said.  Tsak nodded.  "I trust you to keep it safe if we encounter trouble."

 

Ryson gave a short laugh.  "We are not merely going to encounter trouble -- we are running headfirst into it."

 

No one argued.  Ryson took possession of the Queen's copy of the treaty and put it inside his jacket.

 

The Gryphon left to scout the area. The others bunched together and kept silent.  There was a feel of danger nearby, and Kono feared she heard drums echoing through the forest behind them.

 

Snow fell that afternoon.  The Dradeni muttered, but they didn't slow.  They spread out around the main group, though sometimes Ryson joined them as a guard.  The terrain became rockier, and the trees thinned. 

 

Kono wanted them to reach their destination and be done with this trouble. She didn't want the Dragon Core to fully wake, but had the feeling they would deal with dragons, anyway.

 

The wind blew harder, shaking the few trees around them.  She almost cursed when ice hit her face.  Kono reminded herself that this wasn't any different from a walk on the battlements at home.  Maybe it wasn't so much the wind and cold as it was the sound of the trees moving.

 

Moving.

 

One glance back confirmed her fears.  "Wood Trolls!"

 

They instantly prepared for battle.  It was no use trying to run on this rocky terrain.  Wood trolls with their multiple limbs had the advantage in movement.  Most of them were larger than humans, too.  Watching them gallop toward the attack stilled her with blade in hand.

 

Callum and Ryson took their usual positions at her side.  That gave her more confidence.  The three of them had faced other troubles together.  Wood trolls were dangerous, but so were the three of them.

 

A flurry of limbs snapped out at them, but they were thin, new growth, and easy to slash apart.  From what she had heard about wood trolls, this was a feint to wear the enemy down.  It would have worked if there had been fewer people fighting with Kono.

 

The drums were coming closer. Enemies everywhere.