B006T5JMRC EBOK (11 page)

“Before you scold me, I’ll save us both the aggravation by saying that the clothing is for you to use beneath your head. I know the ground isn’t pleasant to lie upon.” He turned, facing his back to her. “I’m used to sleeping on hard surfaces; it doesn’t bother me as it does most. Just be sure to return it when you wake. I wouldn’t want you to go into hiding again because I am indecent.” He laughed.

Neelan remained silent as she tucked the shirt beneath her head. She closed her eyes, allowing her body to finally relax. “Thank you, Kale,” she whispered.

Kale laid on his back as tiny beads of perspiration scattered across his forehead. His body shifted as the peaceful dream he was having, slipped into darkness, replaced by the image of a middle-aged woman with short, spiraling red hair. Her golden eyes met his as she smiled warmly. The mysterious woman stepped forward in her plain and unflattering lavender dress that hung to just below her knees. She oddly wore a different shoe upon each foot, one black and the other red. Both looked old and worn. The woman then lifted her arm, gently tracing her fingers along a black scarf wrapped snugly around her neck. He could make out a small, golden bracelet which hung loosely around her wrist. Dangling from the chain was a jade pendant in the shape of a pointed tooth.

“Kale,” her voice sounded distant, although she stood mere feet in front of him. “There is still hope, young one. I am aware you are traveling to the town of Braxle. Please know I will do what I can to help guide you along your journey.”

“Guide me to what? Who are you?” Kale took a step boldly toward the woman. As he did, the floor beneath his bare feet felt soft, much like freshly kneaded dough, causing him to sink. He staggered to stand, attempting to regain balance as he fought the wobbly sensation of each movement.

The woman glanced at him, watching as he struggled. Her eyes seemed to be filled with pain as if she wanted to reach out and touch him. Despite this reaction, she turned to leave, slowly walking away into the nothingness that surrounded them.

“Wait!” Kale called out, extending his arm toward the woman. He could not understand why, but he felt an unexplainable desire to continue their conversation. He sensed she had more to tell him. He continued to sink deeper into the ground until suddenly; an unknown force lifted him upward, pulling him free. Everything went black.

The next sight to greet him was the warm rays of sunlight that broke through the leaves above. Kale soon realized he had awoken from a dream. He blinked numerous times before looking around to find Neelan and Thomas sitting nearby.

“’Morning, lazy; it’s time to go.” Neelan purposely tossed Kale’s shirt upon his head.

He moaned, wrinkling his forehead as he forced himself to sit upright.
That must have been another hallucination from the monsloth bite. But, it felt so real...
Kale thought. As he reached up to pull his shirt on, something fell from a fold in the fabric. He tossed the shirt to the side, examining what had fallen into his lap.

“What have you got there, Kale?” Thomas inquired; his eyes curiously intrigued.

As Kale lifted the small, golden chain onto his fingertips, his bright eyes widened in astonishment—it was the same bracelet the woman had been wearing. Kale knew now that what he had seen was certainly no dream.

Chapter 7: Bittersweet

“W
hat in Pan’s name...?” Kale held the bracelet before his face to better examine the piece.

Thomas approached Kale, kneeling to inspect the object. A look of surprise crossed his face as he pulled back in astonishment. “Jumping balt toads, Kale—unless my eyes deceive me, I do believe that belongs to a witch who goes by the name of Zasha. Though she has always kept her distance from me, I have no doubt the bracelet you hold belongs to her. I recall on a previous sighting of her, that very object hung from her wrist. There was an oddly intriguing glow which emitted off the pendant.” Thomas narrowed his eyes. “What business do you have with her? I’ll warn you now to be cautious—she is quite the meddlesome one.”

Kale yawned, shaking in an animalistic manner to remove the debris from his body before dressing. “You’re going to think this sounds insane, but I met her—at least I think I met her, while I slept.”

“I don’t doubt you, Kale.” Thomas rubbed his beard. “What a clever woman. I’d like to know just what it is she’s up to.”

Neelan finger-combed her hair before tossing the brown hat up into the air and catching it, with ease, behind her back. She placed it snugly upon her head, ensuring her ears were concealed inside. “We’d better get moving if you two intend to reach Braxle by nightfall. It’s unsafe to spend too many nights within this forest.”

Kale and Thomas knew this all too well. It was surprising how different and intimidating the woods were as a human.

She began to make her way toward the traders’ path, through the thick vegetation. “I’ll be going my separate way once you’ve reached the town.” Her pace quickened. “I just don’t want you to get comfortable with the thought that I’ll be sticking around.”

“All right. Do whatever you desire, we will be just fine.” Kale followed close behind, unwilling to soften. There was no way he would reveal that he would actually miss her company.

Although Kale could not see, Neelan looked ahead with sorrow-filled eyes. Somewhere within her stubborn heart, she hoped for them to ask her to stay. Instead of allowing herself to feel sorry, she shook the emotion, putting up her inner shell which helped shield her from pain. “If we follow this trail, we should arrive by twilight.”

The sky was nearly cloudless and they could hear the sounds of birds chirping cheerfully in the distance. Kale inhaled, enjoying the warm atmosphere from an all new perspective.

“Thomas,” Kale broke the silence, “can you tell me more about this, Zasha? She seemed to know a great deal about us, although she only revealed a small amount of information. The woman knows we are heading to Braxle.”

“To be quite honest, I know very little about her, aside from a couple of previous encounters in which I’ve seen her. Even then, she stayed back, almost as if she were trying to hide from sight. For this reason, I assume she is meddlesome and cannot be trusted.” He leaned in toward Kale, whispering into his ear as they continued to walk, “I do, however, have a confession to make.” He sighed, knowing Kale was not going to fancy his next words. “It was Zasha who provided me with the spell to transform you. This is why I did not doubt your dream. She is planning something—what it is I am unsure of, but I do know we must take caution. We do not know who we can trust and who will be against us. However—I do owe her great thanks for saving your life; even if there is an ulterior motive that lies beyond the obvious.”

Kale abruptly stopped. “You’re telling me that you placed my life within the hands of some loony witch?!” he snapped quietly at Thomas, waving his hands angrily as he spoke. “You didn’t even know if the spell would truly work! You took a gamble at the cost of my well-being!” Kale grunted in frustration. He had always thought Thomas to be wise and rational. The entire situation was quite surprising. Luckily for the two, Neelan continued along in front, oblivious to their conversation.

“I had no other choice, you know. Had I waited even another minute, you’d be de—” Thomas glanced up, noticing Neelan had stopped, impatiently tapping her foot for them to quicken their pace. He knew he needed to come up with a believable cover, otherwise she would surely grow suspicious once again. “Had I waited another minute, you’d be
de
hydrated. That is why I conjured such a water spell.” Thomas sighed at his poor attempt to conceal the truth for what he so recklessly blurted out.

The old man is worse than me with his loose lips,
Kale laughed to himself. Luckily, Neelan appeared to have bought the story as she continued on without saying a word.

The forest grew scarce and the trees were scattered about, leaving most of the area bare and sandy. The day’s final rays of sunlight poured over the horizon, creating a natural display of colors.

“We’re almost there!” Neelan called out to them as she pointed forward toward a large silhouette. Her stamina was exceptional and had allowed her to maintain a brisk pace throughout their entire journey.

Kale and Thomas finally reached her, panting loudly as they caught their breath. Kale’s human feet were still tender and hurt badly after walking for miles upon stones and debris.

They finally arrived at the tall wall, built of many vertical logs sharpened into a point at the top. Beyond the wall, Kale could see grey smoke drifting toward the sky from many of the homes.

“Here we are—Braxle.” Neelan tapped the tip of her green boot against the ground, pushing the powdery sand into a small mound. Her eyes  wandered aimlessly, dodging Kale and Thomas.

“Well, I hope you have a safe journey to wherever it is you’re heading.” Kale gave a quick wave to Neelan, a human gesture he had seen Thomas do many times upon departure.

Neelan peered toward her boots, now hiding behind the curtain of hair that hung straight and sleek, despite the heavy humidity. “Sure...goodbye.”

Without hesitation, Kale turned and began anxiously walking toward the wooden wall. Both Neelan and Kale’s pride wouldn’t allow them to be the first to give in and confront the other. It was easier to shield themselves from being hurt, rather than to face it head on—easier to say goodbye before either grew attached to each other’s companionship.

Through their body language, Thomas easily picked up on the situation. “Are you certain you don’t want to join us?” He gave Neelan a final offer, despite already knowing what her answer would be. A soft spot within his heart felt sorry for her.

“I’m very sure of my decision. I have something very important I need to do...alone.” Though her time with Thomas and Kale had been short, she knew there would be no forgetting either man. They had welcomed her as a friend, and for that she was grateful.

“Well, my dear,” Thomas bowed, “it has been a pleasure to have met you.”

Neelan forced a smile, taking a final glance toward Kale, although unsure why. He remained with his back toward her, admiring the wooden wall—the simplest things were fascinating to him. It was his first time interacting where humans dwell. Neelan frowned, gripping the strap of her quiver as she turned to leave. She then walked away from the two men as something cool trickled down her left cheek, causing her to reach up and touch it with her index finger. As she felt the liquid, she realized that tears were streaming down her face. For the first time in decades—Neelan cried.

Chapter 8: A New Life

K
ale and Thomas were alone once again and eager to enter the town. Although Kale still despised humans, he was very intrigued with the town and wanted to see more.

“Hey, Neelan, why don’t you at least join us for din—” Kale turned to face an empty trail. He had forced his focus from her so intently he hadn’t noticed she was already gone. He didn’t know whether to feel guilty or angry at himself. His eyes pinched shut as he shook his head.
What am I doing? I can’t allow this to bother me. It’s not as though we were friends — she was another liability to get us caught. She’s irritating too. It’ll be nice to have some peace once again
.
Kale couldn’t decide  if this was truly how he felt, or if it was a stubborn desire to be alone. With the reliable old sorcerer as his only friend, Kale knew there was no risk of growing attached and being hurt. After all he had been through, he did not want to feel pain within his heart again. For a dragon of fire—he now had a heart of ice. Four fingertips slid over his shoulder, breaking his chain of thought.

“Maybe we shall see her again, someday.” Thomas spoke to comfort, as if he could read Kale’s thoughts.

“I could care less,” Kale abruptly replied as he crossed his arms.

Thomas shook his head. “Ah, to be young again.” He gave Kale a firm pat before turning to face the town of Braxle. “I think it is in our best interests to make way for the inn. If we don’t arrive soon, there won’t be much left for dinner.” He removed his pointed hat, tucking it securely into his robes to reduce attention being drawn toward them.

Although it was common within the town to see tradesmen come and go, a sorcerer clad in long robes and a tall pointed hat would be a sight to behold. Most individuals skilled with magic served a royal kingdom, or lived nearby to assist their higher authority in times of need. The other handful, which remained in smaller villages, were natives and chose to remain to aid their loved ones. While it wasn’t unheard of to see a traveling sorcerer, it was a rare sight, and some might take alarm, afraid the magic wielder might have foul intentions. Kale did not help the situation, and appeared quite shady with his ill-fitting clothing that hung sloppily from his body.

“Tighten your waist so your pants do not drape so loosely. We need to do all we can to appear as though we are simple travelers passing  through.” Thomas shook his head, knowing they would soon have to take the main street toward the inn as no back alleys led to the building.

Once situated, they followed the wall until coming to an opening just wide enough to accommodate a small wheeled cart. As they took their first steps into the town, Kale was surprisingly enthusiastic at what he saw. From the outside, Braxle had appeared to be quite small, but once inside he could see many rows of homes and a variety of shops. Many of the buildings were constructed of wood with a thick straw roof, woven tightly together. Others were made with much higher quality materials such as stone walls and lumber roofing. They began their journey down a road made of firmly packed clay that stained the bottom of Kale’s soles a bright orange.

Townsfolk tending to their end-of-day routines paused to watch the two as they strolled by.

Thomas had visited Braxle in the past, however he had done so without notice, arriving at night and quickly slipping into the inn. As he sensed more stares upon them, he raised a wrinkled hand, motioning a friendly wave. “Greetings!” he cheerfully called out. Since they had already been noticed, Thomas wanted to ensure there were no suspicious or worrisome feelings toward their entrance.