Plague of Mybyncia (50 page)

“Is everyone here who’s going?” Sampson paces
the beach, scanning the bodies in our large, misshapen group.

Chancellor Keller, Queen Ravan, Princess
Sansa and Salva have all ascended to the shore for our departure to
Dellapalania’s moon.

“All here,” Clarence says. “Six Rogues, four
Dofinikes,” he tosses me a grin, “and one Fallon. All ready to
go.”

“Very good.” Sampson moves for the queen and
chancellor, but before he can speak, Princess Sansa steps forward,
bowing graciously.

“Thank you, heroic Arizals. We wish you safe
travels to Blovid, and pray you find him in good health.”

Sampson lowers his head in a returning bow.
“Many thanks for your generous hospitality.”

Chancellor Keller shakes his head. “No. It is
us who offer our many thanks. We are indebted to you, Fychu. You
and your heroic friends. You are welcome in our waters anytime for
any duration. We only hope you honor us with more frequent
visits.”

“It is a favor I do plan to make good on,”
Sampson grins, backing up. “We must reconvene with Blovid now...
discuss what the next phase of this war will be.”

“You have our unwavering allegiance,
Fychu.”

Sampson nods, motioning us to form two
groups. I shift my rifle to my back, Reid and Able doing the same
before clasping my hands as the rest of our circle forms.

“Good luck Fychu,” Queen Ravan steps forward,
her eyes scanning our entire group, “and fellow Arizals. We will
see you again soon.”

A wave of lavender fog sweeps across the
queen’s face and in seconds, she disappears completely. The beach
is gone, replaced by a light purple cloud that billows in the
background—a moving contrast to the immobile faces that peer at one
another around me. No one speaks for the duration of the brief
trip, but the edge of everyone’s hair blows in the unfelt breeze—a
reminder we’re still in transition, still traveling to some new,
unknown world. I’m about to ask how much longer it will take when
the lavender fog evaporates.

Suddenly, I’m freezing.

Releasing Reid and Able’s hands on instinct,
I cup my arms for immediate warmth, cradling into myself for heat.
Squinting against a rough chill, I try to make out this new
environment but it’s difficult to see with the huge gusts of white
flurries blowing about. We’re in some sort of grayish-blue
wasteland surrounded by small, snow-covered mountains in the
distance.

Cupping my hands to my mouth, I breathe out
hot air. “Is this right?”

“Afraid so,” Sampson nods with a squint. He
gestures up over the hillside. “We’re not far.”

“Thank God,” Jace mumbles through chattering
teeth.

“We’ll be inside before you know it,”
Clarence trudges through the snow behind Sampson, assisting Qippert
who has an arm over his shoulder and Vix’s.

“Couldn’t we just arrive there?” Werzo
shakes.

“What’s the problem?” Clarence raises a brow.
“Thought you were a Rogue? Surely you can take a little cold
weather?”

“But a bl-bl-blizzard?”

“This isn’t a blizzard. You should see
Larupip when it’s winter time.”

“How could you tell?” Jace laughs, breathing
heat into his hands and rubbing them together.

“Is Blovid expecting us?” I trudge closer, my
Converse sinking into the white mesh.

Qippert glances over his shoulder. “I told
him I would bring the Fychu as soon as I could. We figured it would
be only a matter of days—if that. We did not anticipate any major
delay so he has sort of been expecting us all along.”

“And you’re sure he’s here?” I ask. “He
hasn’t left?”

“Why would he leave?” Sampson frowns, leading
us down the hill and toward the narrow mouth of a dark cave at the
base. It’s surrounded in a white blanket and sits nearby invisible
in the rough, icy wind.

“M-maybe someone found his location…” I
shrug. “Maybe he’s on the run again.”

Sampson shakes his head. “I don’t think so.
The Vermix may suspect a hideout on Larupip, but it’d take too much
time and energy to send a fleet to investigate. And no one would
come looking for him alone. Not in this terrain.”

“So…” Able says, “potentially, we could stay
here? If it didn’t work out on Nerwolix?”

“So quick to abandon the brotherhood?” Jace
laughs.

“Just looking at all the possibilities.”

“Yes,” Sampson agrees, guiding us out of the
bitter cold and into the dark cave. “Larupip could always be a
final retreat. A safe zone, if necessary.”

“And where is Larupip?” Werzo asks, his voice
ringing with a slight echo now that the harsh wind is no longer
howling overhead.

“It is one of our three moons that circle
Dellapalania,” Clarence explains, helping Qippert navigate the
cave’s narrowness. “Harrizel is the moon of Hope, Arosin is the
moon of Cultural Studies and Larupip is the moon of the Other... I
guess you could call it the least popular.”

“I wonder why…” Able mumbles.

“So we’re close to Dellapalania?” Werzo
frowns.

“They won’t come looking here,” Sampson
repeats. “If anything, they would try Mybyncia again or maybe
Nerwolix first. Even if they suspected Blovid was here, it would
take a lot to seek him.”

“So where is he?”

“At the very end of this cave,” Sampson
gestures ahead. “We’re nearly there.”

We travel for another minute with the walls
gradually closing in around us, suffocating our narrow passage to
accommodate a single line. Clarence and Vix shift sideways, helping
Qippert between them as they shimmy through the tight space.
Everything is dark and, even though we’re still inside, completely
cold. Busy blowing heat into my hands, I focus on their warmth and
bump into Able in front me of me.

“Sorry!”

“Eager to get inside?” he laughs, keeping me
steady.

“Eager to get warm.”

Reid rubs his hands down my arms behind me.
“We’re almost there. Sampson?” he looks ahead. “It a lot
further?”

“Right here,” Sampson reaches the end of the
passage where the walls close to a corner. But it’s only blackness
ahead, my Callix the only light among us. Suffocated and cold, I
focus on Reid’s hands.

“Where?” Werzo asks from somewhere behind me.
“There’s nothing there.”

Sampson raises his hands to the wall on the
right and starts to push. Slowly, it shifts back with a hard, loud
scraping and pausing, he glances back to us, “Best wait here. Let
me secure the area and I’ll retrieve you.” Nudging the wall forward
again, a bright yellow light escapes into the blackness,
illuminating it briefly. But Sampson keeps going, eventually
walking into the light as the entire section of cold wall returns
to place, restoring us to the darkness.

“Um… what just happened?” Werzo asks.

“He’s confirming its safe,” Clarence has
Qippert leaned up against the wall. “He’ll be back in a
second.”

“Because he just walked into heat and we’re
still out here in the cold.”

“He’ll be right back,” Reid repeats, rubbing
his hands down my arms. “Calm down and give it a second. You doing
okay?”

I nod. “Just ready to get inside.”

“Think he’ll have something to eat?” Jace
holds his stomach.

“God, I hope so,” Able agrees. “Should’ve
brought some of that Hunnis with us.”

“Blovid may not be expecting all of us,”
Qippert exhales, “but he left with enough food to survive on for
awhile. He should have enough to feed everyone for the next night
or so.”

“After that we shall be returning to
Nerwolix,” Vix says, “and there will be plenty of food there.”

“It’s not food I’m after right now,” Werzo
blows heat into his hands. “It’s warmth. Booker, how are you
holding up?”

“I’m cold.”

“To the point,” Clarence laughs. “I like
it.”

“And Blovid will have news on the war in
Dellapalania?” I ask.

“I am not sure how much at this point,”
Qippert says. “He has been off-planet for a bit, so he will
probably need an update from us.”

“But he’ll be able to tell us more about
Reuzkimpart? About what he’s doing? What he did to the other
Leaders?”

Qippert nods. “Though I am sure Blovid’s
focus will be on the next phase of this war, much as the
Fychu’s.”

The wall begins shifting and Sampson emerges
again, the yellow light painting his features in a warm glow.
“Alright,” he smiles, glancing between all of us. “It has been long
overdue. Would you like to come inside and meet Blovid?”

Assisted by Clarence and Vix, Qippert manages
to move inside first, followed quickly by the other two. Able is
next and then it’s me. Having first heard about Blovid back when
Sampson confessed his true nature as a Dofinike, I’ve wanted to
meet the brave Arizal Leader who ordered the cease-fire on the
Ellae massacre. It’s taken a visit to two planets and one moon to
get to him, but I’m here.

Holding my breath, I push my shoulders back
and follow Able into the yellow light.

Be sure to follow my blog for sneak peaks
and updates on the release of
Discovery of
Nerwolix
, due out this Winter!

About the Author:

C. G. Coppola is still a huge fan of Oreos,
but even more so wine. Except when she spills it, which seems to be
constantly. The move to New York hasn’t happened yet. Or to
Amsterdam either. But she’s optimistic and currently content in her
bigger apartment where all her stuff fits nicely. She’s also
extremely
happy her alma mater won the National Championship
(go Noles!) so the swamp can take a seat for a change. Other than
that, there’s finishing the series and getting to the
Castle-Mansion where she hopes to write full time. Oh, and trying
not to spill so much wine. That’d be nice.

Connect with me online:

www.cgcoppola.com

https://ninjallamaempress.wordpress.com

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/cgcoppola