Feel the Burn (28 page)

She pulled her hand back and watched the lizard while it scampered up the wall.

At midday they stopped to have a seat and a bite to eat while allowing the rest of the group to catch up. The sense of wonder and excitement at watching the other griffons amble into the cave, then Sito, hadn’t diminished and for a moment Loi let the awe sweep over her, comparing life two years ago to life now. It just blew her mind at times.

Seated near her, Tomiar’s tail flicked when the other griffons entered and Loi caught the tufted end, playfully tugging on it. The griffon twisted to look over a shoulder at Loi, the motion uniquely griffon—smooth as a cat but dexterous as a bird.

‘Bored are we?’

Loi grinned and tugged it again.

‘Maybe. Or maybe it’s just fun.’

Tomiar regarded her with a long look then deliberately flicked her tail, swatting Loi in the face.

Sabyn watched while Gredel and Cat walked in, behind Phroma and in front of Loushka. Standing beside him, Daron commented in a low voice, ‘It’s hard. Everyday I look for him.’

Rumal, both hands busy while he worked oil into a stiff leather strap, glanced over at Cat.

‘She reminds me of the King.’

Sabyn nodded, his arms crossed, and regarded his cousin. She did look like the King, her brows and the way she laughed. It brought up so many memories, causing a dull sense of pain in his chest.

Alek, he thought, feeling the sorrow expand. Where are you now?

Beside him Daron sighed and turned away, the lines of his face looking more pronounced when he walked across to Sian who sat with Sito. Rumal, still rubbing the oil in with slow circles of his thumbs across the strap, exchanged a somber glance with Sabyn.

‘Good thing it’s only three nights left.’

‘I don’t know. Going back without him, it doesn’t seem right.’

Gredel, hearing Sabyn’s comment while he walked over, laughed humorlessly.

‘Not to concern yourself. The odds aren’t great.’

The three men stayed quiet and the truth hung in the air. Many times over the years there had been real moments of concern, yet somehow they’d always pulled through.

This time he felt old. Tired and done. In the solitude and darkness of the caves the reality of war hit home. There could be no honor in fighting those forced to fight and yet, without this battle the atrocities would continue; snatching lives and ruining realms. Already the cost of the approaching battle had been exorbitantly high and the stakes only grew.

A sound caught his attention, pulling him back from the dark thoughts. Across the cave, Loi and Tomiar play fought. Watching as the griffon caught the girl full face with her tail allowed a little more light to creep in. Loi swiped at Tomiar with her long braid, giggling while she did so.

Feeling eyes on him, Sabyn glanced back to see Gredel watching, a speculative, knowing expression in his eyes, his mouth grim.

‘And yet, we’ve beaten bad odds before.’

Rumal gave a sharp exhale through the nose, gold eyes dark, and smiled thinly.

‘That we have, worth a shot.’

They all turned away, moving back to their positions when the line assembled.

Ignatius positioned himself behind Leseach and Rashid in the line, walking with the Cavalry soldiers and the goblins who rode them, their raspy voices echoing queerly within the hollow chambers. The soldiers reminisced of various battles and he joined in, absently correcting numbers or dates, while his mind drifted.

There was an assumption amongst some of the noble houses of Elion, that those who entered the Guard did so due to a lack of intelligence. After all, why be a soldier when you could become a diplomat or work toward becoming a member of Council. Ignatius’ father tried both positions and settled on soldier.

‘It puts you in an excellent position,’ his father explained to Ignatius when urging him to consider entering the Guard. ‘You have the brains but will always be overlooked due to our lower status. However, enter the Guard and you can rise as high as you like. With your abilities, Ignatius, you could go far and get close to the crown. That’s where the possibilities lie, not in arguing with it, but with working alongside and protecting it. Earning a trust a council member will never have.’

Like most advice his father offered before his death some time ago, it proved very true. Now what he needed was a diversion, something to give him an hour at the appropriate time. Various ideas floated about but none quite fitted. Something will turn up, he thought, just a little patience. Already the Northerner regarded him with the same disinterest she held for any other soldier, the acerbic edge she’d once reserved for him now gone.

Hours passed and they kept the pace strong. Laura’s announcement of only four days lifted the spirits of all and made the time pass quickly. Soon, sounds echoed down the line when those ahead reached the desired camp for the night. All the decisions about where to stop lay firmly in Laura’s hands and the girl walked with a permanent dazed expression while she communed with the earth. It made Ignatius uneasy, knowing that Laura hadn’t done anything like this before. He followed Leseach and Rashid into a high ceilinged cavern, its walls littered with holes, like honeycomb. The Halenine fae and most of the goblins worked at checking all the holes while the other soldiers set up camp. Leseach deliberately sought out a position with no large wall holes near it and set up the tent for the Princess. Part of him wanted to offer to help but he resisted, knowing it wouldn’t have the desired effect.

‘Lieutenant.’

He turned to find a Halenine fae hovering at head height.

‘Yes?’

‘I’ve found a scent, I’m not sure if it’s a threat.’

‘Show me the tunnel,’ Ignatius said, reaching for the two long bladed daggers he favored and slipped them into the sheaths strapped to either calf. It required a decent climb, accompanied with the usual jeers from those watching. Wriggling into the entrance he nodded to the fae.

‘I’ll let you know if I need help.’

Then, thrusting the torch in front, he began crawling along the tunnel. It opened up quickly, high enough for him to walk along if he stooped.

There is a familiar smell, he thought and crouched, holding the torch lower, trying to see evidence of life. Glowing lizards scurried along the walls, their dark purple tongues flicking against the stone. Not seeing anything yet, he walked along further then recoiled, uttering an expletive, and snatched a dagger. The vork screeched, attracting the attention of the other two down the tunnel. Jamming the head of the torch into the open fanged mouth, he slammed a dagger through the other head while jerking back to avoid the long tongue. Pulling the blade out he used the torch to flip the struggling reptile over and quickly slit the two throats. The other two lizards ran silently at him, their bodies arching from side to side and they lifted their fronts, readying to attack. Taking a firm grip on the torch and dagger, Ignatius breathed out steadying himself, eyes staring central. He focused on the toothless heads, those venomous long tongues already flicking the air, tasting his scent.

‘Not this time,’ he muttered.

It was the only sane decision though he knew it would cost him. Kicking a loose rock at the furthest vork—causing it to jerk back—he used the torch like a club and smacked the closer vork, crushing its skull. Not unexpected, he felt the needle-like teeth of the other head sink into his forearm. The sear of pain spurred him on and it only took a moment to swing his other arm over and plunge the blade through the lizard’s head, a sharp twist forcing the lifeless body to jerk, releasing the death grip. Blood ran down his arm but he ignored it when the other vork launched itself off the side of the tunnel, mouths extended wide. It went against nature to ignore the visible teeth and he grunted in pain when those fine teeth breached the mail and sank into his shoulder. He dug his fingers into the throat of the venomous head, holding it away and repeatedly bashed it against the stone. The toothed head screamed, gnawing at his shoulder and the surge of pain triggered an adrenaline rush. With a growl Ignatius slammed the lizard’s body against the stone, making both heads screech. Then, getting a better hold on the throat, he twisted the head until he felt the neck snap. The lizard scrabbled against him, claws latching into the chainmail while the remaining head released his shoulder in a bid to escape.

‘Not a chance.’

Pulling his other blade out, it took an easy slice to end the blasted creature. Panting, he dropped the still twitching corpse to the tunnel floor and sat for a moment, head spinning. The torch glowed dimly, so coated in blood and he leaned forward to pick it up, tapping it against a rock to dislodge the muck. The light briefly shined off something further down the tunnel, where the vorks came from and he squinted, trying to make it out. The spinning of his head abated and now curious, Ignatius stood, holding the torch high and cautiously moved toward it. The corridor quickly grew narrower and at the end of it was an opening, just large enough for him to duck through but he resisted. A low growl rumbled through that opening.

Moving the torch so to cast a little light into the room beyond, he spotted it, the light glinting off the large hungry eyes. The ardwyr drew its upper lip up and growled again, hunching back from the light. Ignatius forgot the discomfort of his injuries and studied the animal speculatively. Ardwyrs were smart, very smart. They couldn’t communicate like Sito but with a constant appetite they could easily be taught. Natural scavengers and very strong, they viciously protected any kills they made or carcasses they found.

Now this, Ignatius thought with a growing sense of triumph, could be the perfect distraction, if the creature stayed close and out the way. The ardwyr stopped growling but kept its eyes fixed on him, the large pointed ears twitching when Ignatius shifted and reached for the closest vork. Working quickly, he hacked both the heads off and tossed the body through the small opening. The ardwyr made a sound of alarm and skittered away from the lizard at first, short tail curled under and its long un-retractable claws clacking against the stone. Then it sniffed, long muzzle twitching, and crept closer. It stood away from the light Ignatius shone into the small room but he could hear the crunching while its massive bone crushing jaws made short work of the vork.

It must have been blocked in here by the lizards, Ignatius realized when he heard it finish, sniffing furiously for any remains. Pushing up to a crouch he moved along the corridor to the next carcass. Removing the heads, he hacked off one of the five legs and threw it so it landed just outside the ardwyr’s den. The sniffing grew louder and the tip of the dark tan and black muzzle appeared. The animal crept forward just enough to seize the dismembered leg and disappeared back into its den. With a smirk Ignatius cut the other legs off, tossing them so they landed further and further away from the den and closer to him. He didn’t fear the creature at all. If he’d been injured or if one of those bloody lizards got him then the ardwyr likely wouldn’t hesitate to drag him into the den and consume him. The creature held no particular affinity to other animals. But, if it knew that it got food when he was near, it would stay close; which Ignatius wanted.

He sat back against the stone wall of the tunnel and allowed himself a moment to feel his impending victory. For an instant the thought seemed so wildly extreme he nearly laughed out loud. To have Catherine fully, to lay claim to her body and plant his seed. Ignatius leaned against his bent knees while he saw it in his minds eye.

Arriving back from battle victorious, not only would Jenviet be dead, but Catherine with child, unknowingly tied to him. Permanently. She would be his elixir of life, her Elemental energy extending his life span to hers and all he had to do was be the strong, passionate partner she desired, an easy task, her inner glow of power made her the most attractive woman he could imagine. He would be King at the time of a new age, with no DeNaga threat and his wife, his queen, the Fire Elemental.

A whine broke him from the daydream and he found the ardwyr sitting at the entrance to its den, watching him.

‘Patience,’ Ignatius said and he cut the final carcass into pieces, tossing it down the corridor to the creature who uttered small urgent growls. The ardwyr hunched over the lizard, its powerful hind quarters folded underneath it while it grasped the lizard with its clawed forearms and tore hunks of flesh off, gulping down the mouthfuls, the shaggy hide quivering. When it finished the ardwyr sniffed again, slanted dark eyes with light pupils gazing expectantly at him.