Shieldwolf Dawning (25 page)

Samarra pointed at the dark bamboo forest ahead of them. The area emitted a haunting glow. "That."

The Green Woman

There were eyes everywhere. Although Samarra could not see them, she felt as if they pierced through her skin. Goose bumps appeared on her arms, but she ignored them and pressed on. Nothing was going to stop her from finding her brother.

"Let's hurry. This place is creeping me out." Samarra broke into an uneasy jog. Brin picked up his pace, but they stopped when they reached the densest part of the forest.

Giant bamboo stalks made of jade packed the area from one end to the other. On either side of the path that cut through the middle of the forest, flowering bamboo reached up and twisted around each other to form an archway. To the left, the area was thick with tall stalks and looked impenetrable. To the right, the area was bordered by mountains. A series of waterfalls cascaded over a tiered rock shelf in unnatural silence. An ancient step pyramid overlooked a winding river that coursed through the length of the forest.

Samarra glanced at Brin, who was examining a bamboo stalk closely. Before she could stop him, he reached over and snapped off a jade leaf. At once, a low-pitched wail resounded through the area, rising and falling in volume and intensity like the hideous cry of a wounded animal.

"Oh no," Brin said.

"Let's get out of here." Samarra's voice was drowned out by the wailing.

"I'm sorry."

"No point worrying now. Let's just go." She grabbed Brin's arm and led him down the path.

The wailing turned into ear-piercing screeches. Samarra covered her ears to block out the noise. The bamboo trembled and stalks split open with loud cracks. One by one, forest spirits emerged from the plants. Samarra tried her best to ignore her fear.

"Hurry. We can outrun them." She ran down the path. "What are they?" she asked, but there was no reply. Brin was no longer beside her. Samarra turned around to see him at a standstill. He had been hypnotized by the spirits crawling toward him like a pack of wolves surrounding their prey.

Samarra darted back to him. "Move, will you?" she screamed, pulling his arms frantically.

The spirits stirred up the ground. When they exhaled, their bodies doubled in size. Samarra panicked. Instinctively, she swung her staff in wide circles to prevent them from getting closer. "Stay back," she yelled. "Stay back."

She was able to keep the spirits away from Brin for a while, but they kept coming. The onslaught was relentless. Samarra eventually grew tired. Her movements slowed down and she gasped for air. Her head felt feverish and the world around her seemed to shift into an energy-filled blur. Unable to think straight, she struggled to remember who she was or what she was doing.

Everything flashed a hundred notches brighter. Instantly the fever in Samarra's head rushed into her chest, her arms, then to her hands, and a surge of burning energy blasted from her fingers. A blue fireball erupted from her staff and formed a protective circle around her and Brin.

"Huh?" Brin snapped back to himself.

Samarra stood trembling from the power she had just tapped into. "I … I don't understand. What's happening to me?" She felt dizzy.

By now, the spirits were flying madly around the circle and howling in desperation. Samarra was growing weaker by the second, but she was too scared of what the spirits might do if she put out the fire — not that she knew how to do that anyway.

A movement nearby caught her attention. A procession of Jade Giants had emerged in pairs from the step pyramid. They moved methodically with one foot in front of the other as they chanted an eerie tune that gave Samarra the shivers. The giants stopped at the edge of the circle of fire and parted slowly to reveal their queen.

The Green Woman carried a sceptre carved of bright green jade. Unlike the giants who protected her, the queen's body was formed of the smoothest bark. Her luxurious green hair tumbled to her feet like flowering ivy and left a path of white petals in its trail. Tiny butterflies fluttered around her lithe form. Her lips were plump and full. The queen was more beautiful than anything or anyone Samarra had ever seen.

"I am the Green Woman, Queen of the Jade Giants. Who dares to disturb my forest?"

"I'm Samarra and this is Brin. We're on our way to find my brother and we would like to pass through your forest."

"Dismiss the circle of protection," the queen said in menacing tones.

"Only if you let us pass." Samarra readied her staff in warning.

The queen laughed with derision. "I have only this morning given your kind permission to cross these lands, and you are already disturbing my forest. I am in no mood to negotiate with a gaian." Her voice thundered through the air. "Dismiss the circle,
now!
"

"No." Samarra knew the circle was what kept the spirits from attacking her.

"Then you leave me no choice." The queen traced an intricate sign in the air.

Brin whimpered and pointed at his feet. A carpet of moss had formed over his boots and was spreading up his legs.

"Stop, please," Samarra begged. "He didn't do anything wrong."

"He violated my forest." The queen pointed her sceptre at Brin. "What gives him the right to enter my domain and take what he wants? He must now repay me with a piece of himself. Equilibrium must be maintained."

"There must be something we can do to make up for this," Samarra said.

The queen eyed Samarra curiously. "Perhaps there is one thing you can do for me."

"What is it?" asked Brin. "I'll do anything. Here." He held up the jade leaf. "You can have it back."

"First, dispel the circle," the queen insisted.

"I don't know how," Samarra admitted. "I don't even know how I got it here."

The queen wasted no time. She closed her eyes and exhaled. A cloud of spores lifted from off her skin, covered the fire, and suffocated the blue flames. When the circle disappeared, the spores dropped to the ground in a pile of ash.

The queen opened her eyes and stumbled to her knees, visibly weakened by what she had just done. When she stood up again, she motioned for the spirits to retreat. Samarra watched in silence as they returned to the bamboo from which they had come.

Samarra and Brin stood face to face with the queen and her giants. There was no longer a circle of fire to separate them. Brin sighed with relief when the moss that had already reached his thighs retreated into the ground.

"To the east lies Albion Waterhole," the queen explained. "The Hippokampos who lives in the lake has something in his possession I want returned to me."

Samarra put on the bravest face she could manage. "Who's the Hippokampos and what does he have that you want?"

"The Hippokampos is a magical beast, a giant seahorse who has appointed himself to rule over the inhabitants of Albion Waterhole. He wields the Trident of Latent Energy." The queen frowned. "Trapped in the trident is the power to control the undines who share the lake with him. He forces them to mine the depths for gold to feed his insatiable greed. The brute has enslaved them one by one and can take away their lives if they venture to the surface. Such a powerful weapon in his hands disrupts the balance of the waterhole." She approached. The wind of her breath caressed Samarra's face, filling her senses with the musky aroma of sandalwood. "In you I see promise. I am certain you will find a means to retrieve the weapon and bring it to me."

"Why can't you get it yourself?"

Samarra wished she hadn't spoken when the queen narrowed her eyes and snarled. "A great battle looms closer every day. I must remain in my forest to protect it from succumbing to flux." The queen gestured to the Jade Giants who stood around her. "My protectors were not designed to journey through a waterhole that runs so deep." She gave an order and four giants stepped out of formation.

"I see." Samarra watched helplessly when the giants grabbed Brin and marched him through the bamboo. They took his staff and bound him to the thickest stalk. Memories of what Merganser had done to the Sairfangs flashed through Samarra's mind.

"You have until sunset to bring me the trident," the queen warned. "If you do not return, your friend will pay a heavy price. Will you do what I ask of you?"

Samarra didn't want to believe this was happening. She could rant and rage, but the scene would play itself out regardless. She knew that if she agreed to return the trident, she would lose precious time — time she needed to find her brother. On the other hand, if she refused or didn't return, she would be able to continue her journey. But what would happen to Brin? Samarra's heart and head told her she had no choice but to do the queen's bidding. Brin was her friend and needed her help. With a nod, Samarra accepted the task.

"I will send an escort with you to the edges of my forest to ensure the spirits do not attempt to possess you again," the queen said. "Beyond the boundary, however, you are to continue alone. Find what I seek and return it to me immediately. Now go." She gestured at two Jade Giants, who stepped out of formation and started down the path.

The trek through the forest was uneventful. Samarra followed the giants along a winding river, around a mountain, and all the way to the eastern edges of the Jade Forest. The waterhole lay beyond the bamboo. A thick fog had rolled in and transformed the waterhole into a steaming cauldron. The giants turned around and headed back to their queen. Samarra stepped out into the open, unsure of what to do next.

She sat down on the sand and unhooked her makeshift bag from her waist. She broke some bread and cheese and ate as she tried to figure out how to get the trident. "What do I do?" she asked herself between bites. "How do I get to the Hippokampos?"

"We can take you across the lake," said a feminine voice in melodious tones.

Samarra jumped to her feet nervously. "Who's there?"

"Do not be afraid."

"We will not harm you," a deeper voice added.

Open-mouthed, Samarra stared as three figures took shape on the surface of the lake. The undines whittled themselves from water into androgynous bodies that were at times bipedal in appearance. Their aqueous skin sparkled in the weakening sunlight like whirlpools of sapphire. The undines moved as close to Samarra as they could without stepping out of the water that kept them alive. Two of the undines could have been female, but there was no way Samarra could know for sure based on their physical appearance.

"We felt your presence." Their voices were a chorus of rushing water. "Why such sadness?"

"I'm looking for the Hippokampos," Samarra replied. "I don't know where he is."

"Why would you seek him out? He is a menace to us all," an undine said.

"I have to return his trident to the Green Woman." Samarra slumped her shoulders in dejection. "She has my friend and won't let him go unless I do what she says. The trident is supposed to prevent undines from taking shape above water, but you're here. How is that possible?"

"We are much older and stronger than the others," one of the undines explained. "We can resist the magic of the trident, but only for short periods at a time. We will soon have to return to the depths of the waterhole or else we will cease to exist at all."

"Do you have names?" Samarra asked.

"Yes," said one. "My name is Ilham."

"I am Mitra," another chimed in.

"Nafiseh," the third added.

"I'm Samarra." She bowed slightly. "Can you tell me where I can find the Hippokampos?"

"Yes," Mitra said. "The Hippokampos lives where the waterhole touches the ocean."

"Will you take me to him?" Samarra asked hopefully.

"If you wish."

"Thank you. I'm not sure what I can give you for your help." She rummaged through her pockets.

"No need for payment." The undines joined hands and each one flowed into the other. Their bodies merged to form a large sphere of water on the surface of the lake.

"Step into the bubble," Ilham said. "We have sealed air inside for you."

Samarra entered the bubble. A few small droplets of water fell on her skin, otherwise the interior was mostly dry and sturdy. The bubble glided along the surface of the lake for a distance before it submerged itself. The deeper they went, the more scared Samarra became. She couldn't stop worrying about whether or not she would drown if the bubble burst, but it remained intact as the undines made their way to the mouth of the lake.

A school of tiny, multicoloured creatures darted by, distracting Samarra from her fear. One of them came close enough for her to see its features clearly. She had read about the mermignon, but had not seen one up close and personal until now. The creature had the face and torso of a gaian woman with a peacock blue fantail. Its pink-and-purple hair rippled as she swam alongside the bubble. She inspected Samarra with curious eyes and a smiling face before returning to the others.

"The Hippokampos is to your far left," Mitra announced.

A large green creature floated above a pile of gold. The Hippokampos must have been at least twelve feet tall. Samarra's first thought was that it looked like a wild stallion padded with rippling muscles. On closer inspection, she noticed its scaly hindquarter was shaped like that of a giant seahorse. He carried a silver trident in his curling tail.

Samarra gasped when he looked up with a start. Without warning, he shot through the water and headed straight for her.
"Charge!"
His voice was hoarse.