The Mapkeeper and the Rise of the Wardens (25 page)

Mack threw his weight against the boulder, straining to push it off his friend’s body. Lucy and Luke sprinted to his side, weaving among heaps of broken rock to heave against the boulder beside their brother. Lucy gritted her teeth, summoning all her strength.

“Ahh!” Mack cried out, exerting with all his might. Though it was slow to move, the boulder gave way, inching off Zadok’s pinned body. At last, the great rock rolled and thudded onto the stone floor, crushing one of his legs and hooves on the way. Zadok did not move.

“Zadok!” Lucy bent down to his face, patting him on one cheek. “Zadok, wake up!” she was frantic.

Mack began to pat down his abdomen, sides, and haunches. “He’s got a lot of internal bleeding from the blunt trauma,” he reported.

Lucy rubbed Zadok’s shoulder, willing him to wake up.

“I’m going to check the area for anyone else who might be injured,” Luke stated, moving away.

“Zadok, please…” Lucy pled with her unconscious friend, who was always so strong and unwavering. She realized what a source of confidence and comfort Zadok was for her. The thought of losing him in addition to Cadmus was almost unbearable.

Her heart skipped a beat when his eyes fluttered open. He moaned, moving an arm up to his head and brushing his flowing brown hair out of his eyes.

“You’re alive!” Lucy exclaimed as her body flooded with relief. “Zadok, you were hit with a large rock, but we’re here and we’re going to help you,” she comforted her friend, stroking his shoulder. “Don’t try to move yet.”

“What happened?” Zadok blinked his eyes. “Ahh!” he cried out in pain as he attempted to move his legs.

“Take it easy, Zadok,” Mack ordered, his hands resting on either side of the impact area. “We need to get him to the castle maesters,” Mack told Lucy. “He needs medical attention, fast.”

“We centaurs have our own healers,” Zadok huffed through clenched teeth.

“The castle maesters are the best doctors in Praxis and you know it,” Lucy countered. “Zadok, we have to get you the best. Your life may depend on it…”

“Ahh!” he winced again. Her heart wrenched, his pain agonizing her.

“Everyone else seems okay in here!” Luke called across the cavern. Most of the dust had settled. Lucy scanned the room. Several creatures from a variety of clans were picking themselves up and dusting each other off. The two centaurs who replaced Tobias and Zandar trotted into the dining hall to assist their leader.

“Good,” Lucy replied. “We need to get him to the castle,” she addressed the centaurs. They nodded.

“I’ll get a litter and some more centaurs to accompany us,” one replied, galloping out of the hall.

“We’ll go with you,” Lucy assured Zadok.

“No, no, you don’t have to do that—” he began to protest between strained breaths.

“We’re coming.”

In the distance, the entrance gate clanged shut. Lucy’s hand jerked to the map in her pocket to see who had arrived. The map! She rushed back to where she’d left it open on the dining table.

“The map! It’s gone!” Her stomach dropped. Mack rushed to his sister’s side.

“No!” Mack cried. “Who could have…?” He scanned the room, but there was no one anywhere near the table.

Enzo, Auriel, Adalia, Axel, and Lance entered the dining hall.

“Is everyone all right?” Adalia led the group. “We were almost back to Abodox when the quake struck. We took cover and everyone is all right in our group. We didn’t find Odess—” her eyes fell on Zadok, splayed against the cavern wall and struggling to breathe. “Oh, Zadok!”

Axel and Lance rushed to his side, kneeling beside their leader.

“As far as we know, everyone was okay in here except Zadok,” Luke replied, grimacing.

“The map is gone!” Lucy exclaimed, distraught. She ran from creature to creature, stuffing her hands in the pockets of their garments, in total disregard of their personal space in her desperation.

Auriel and Adalia’s eyes went wide.

“What do you mean it’s gone?” Enzo growled as his eyes narrowed.

“When the quake happened we took cover under the table,” Lucy explained, frantic. “Then we stood back up and saw Zadok was hurt. We went to help him, and by the time I came back for it, it was gone!” Her heart raced as she shook a young male elf by the shoulders, barely aware of what she was doing.

“I don’t have it, Ms. Barnes!” he insisted, both hands in the air.

She regained enough composure to release the young elf. Stepping back, she paused, her heart still thundering out of control. She whipped around.

“Scour Abodox,” she ordered the group at large. She took off running toward the main gate. “Did anyone leave when Auriel’s group arrived?” she demanded of one of the centaur guards.

“Yes. There were two humans and the satyr,” he replied.

Lucy’s blood went cold.
Rhys
. She sprinted back to the dining hall.

“Let’s go!” She motioned to her brothers. “Axel, make sure Zadok is transported to the castle and seen right away by the maesters. Whether they are clones or not, they have the knowledge and skill Zadok will need in order to survive.” Axel nodded, overseeing Zadok’s careful transfer onto the litter. “My brothers and I must go. Three creatures left when your group arrived: two humans and Rhys,” she told the remaining clan leaders. “You stay here and scour Abodox. Let no creature, no room, and no corner go unsearched. My brothers and I will track down the three who left. We have to find the map!” she emphasized, wheeling on her heels and racing to her chamber to strap on a quiver and grab her bow.

“Did you find the unicorn?” Mack asked Auriel as he backed out of the dining hall after his sister.

“We found a carcass with the horn sawed off,” the Bellaux murmured, her face ashen. The hair rose on Lucy’s neck as she heard this, jogging out of the dining hall. She sprinted to her chamber, forcing the image of a dead unicorn from her mind.

“Got everything?” she asked her brothers as she cinched the belt of her scabbard, looking them over. “Let’s go.” She ran down the torch-lit passageway to the main gate, Mack and Luke beside her. A centaur had saddled three horses for them. Lucy grabbed the saddle horn of the nearest mount and stepped into the stirrup, swinging her leg over the animal. “Which way did they go?” she addressed the guards, turning the horse to face the gate.

“We saw them head down the main path away from Abodox. They disappeared into the trees soon after that,” one of the centaurs answered with an apologetic shrug.

She dug her heels into the horse the moment the gate creaked open, and the three horses thundered out of Abodox into the forest, leaving behind a cloud of dust.

Mist clung to the trees like an enormous burial shroud. Mack and Luke flanked her, urging their mounts to maintain a fast pace. The only noise was the collective clop of hooves, yet the forest possessed an ominous ambience, as if it were crawling with mysterious, well-hidden life. Though Lucy estimated it was about midday, only a few rays of sunlight managed to poke through the infrequent breaks in the dense canopy far overhead.

The ambush was swift and overwhelming. Three trolls stepped out from behind the trees bordering the path, using their massive clubs to bludgeon the horses with brutal accuracy. Lucy was thrown, her momentum carrying her onward after her horse was brought to a vicious stop beneath her. She smacked sideways against the trunk of a tree, the massive blow forcing the air out of her lungs. She crumpled against the base of the tree, paralyzed by shock for an instant before intense pain ripped through her body. Her chest was tight and devoid of air. Willing herself to breathe, she relaxed her back muscles and heaved a shallow gulp of air into her compressed lungs. Her vision cleared in time to see a troll’s boulder of a fist swing down and connect with a ruthless blow her head.

“Sit her up,” a familiar voice ordered.

Lucy felt her body bend at the waist, forced into a sitting position by two large, scratchy hands. Her head throbbed with immense pain, and her entire back and neck ached. She felt like she’d been hit by a train. She blinked her eyes open. Opening and closing her mouth, she peeled her dry, sticky tongue off the roof of her parched mouth. She was leaned up against the cold stone wall of a dark cave. To her left and right stood two enormous trolls. Through sheer willpower, she managed to stifle a moan of pain. Tight ropes bit into her wrists, which were bound behind her back. In front of her, Bade and Hobart stood in the center of the cave, arms crossed, peering down at her with hideous grins.

“Excellent.” Bade’s grin widened. “You’re awake. Welcome to my home away from home, Mapkeeper! I hope you’re ready for some fun, because I want to play a little game.” Hobart giggled, his short, round frame bobbing up and down with glee.

Total-body stiffness made even the slightest movement painful. Lucy’s hands were numb from the tightness of the rope binding her wrists. Despite the pain that wouldn’t even allow her to take air into her lungs in comfort, she somehow sensed that the map was nearby.

Ignoring the throbbing in her head, she croaked, “Where are we? Where are my brothers?” Her parched mouth made forming words a challenge.

“Ahh, but if I told you all that, then there’d be nothing left to surprise you with!” Bade spread his thin hands. “You see, things are changing here in Praxis. And we are fortunate enough to be at the forefront of it all! Together, we can establish a new world order, Lucy.” His flashed a maniacal grin. “The monarchy is archaic, and the royal family doesn’t hold any real power anymore. What Praxis needs is a real leader from within. For centuries, the map has chosen an outsider to come to our world and attempt to lead us. This has to end. Praxis needs a leader of its own, and I am ready to step forward and become that leader.”

“Why would anyone follow you?” Lucy spat, shifting her position but finding no relief from the pain afflicting her entire body.

“He has the map.” A huge, pot-bellied troll stepped out of the shadows behind Bade. His deep, loud voice echoed off the damp walls of the cave. “He has a plan. And he’s right. We don’t need outsiders coming to Praxis to lead.” Like the other two trolls in the cave, he wore nothing but a large brown loincloth.

“Ms. Barnes, have you met Digby?” Bade asked with false politeness. The beast bared a cringe-worthy collection of gaps and square brown teeth that Lucy interpreted as a smile. “As you can see, the trolls are already with me. With the Wardens out of the way, the goblins won’t be difficult to convince. They don’t play well with others, so the happy little team effort that your late love interest had organized is over.”

Lucy seethed, hatred burning within her. “You’re not even worthy to mention Cadmus by name,” she growled. She longed to plunge a sword into his skinny belly. She looked down, but her weapons were gone.

Bade threw back his head and cackled. “Very good, Ms. Barnes. I like that anger. Stoke that fire, that’s good.”

“Where are my brothers?” she repeated. The numbness in her hands began to spread up to her elbows. She shifted, trying to stimulate blood flow. Her back and neck screamed in protest and her head throbbed harder.

“That’s all part of the fun!” Bade took several steps toward his prisoner. Digby grinned, crossing his trunk-like arms across his barrel chest. “You see, Ms. Barnes, I’ve got your brothers in a very special place.” Lucy’s stomach dropped. She looked away, sickened by the sight of Bade’s face. He knelt down in front of her. “And I have big plans for them.”

Fear bubbled up in her throat and a sudden loneliness unlike anything she’d ever experienced overcame her. She looked once more at the trolls to her left and right, then back at the pale, gaunt face of the man kneeling before her.

“That’s right, Ms. Barnes. You’re all alone now.” He lowered his voice. “The gig is up. Playtime is over. But don’t worry, because I still need you,” he added, standing and walking back to where Hobart and Digby stood. “Because unfortunate though it is, the map still takes orders from you.” He reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled it out. It was inactive. A plain piece of parchment. Lucy’s heart pounded. She ached to jump up and snatch it out of his hands.

“Lucy Barnes.” Bade unfolded the map and read the script in its bottom corner, his upper lip curling on one side. “It makes me sick. And one day, I will find a way to fix the only flaw this otherwise beautiful artifact retains. But until then, your assistance will be a necessary hindrance.”

Lucy willed herself to remain calm. She focused on drawing in long, slow breaths.

“Now. The first order of business in which your help will be necessary is in regards to your brothers.” Bade began to pace, clasping his hands behind his back, the map still in his grip. Lucy’s heart began to pound once again. She stared down at the dirt. “I have a problem. There is only enough space in my new headquarters in the Dour Mountains for one… guest. And with both your brothers there, it would seem that I have two, would it not?” he stopped pacing and faced her.

Lucy’s mouth was so dry she was sure she wouldn’t have enough saliva to speak. Her mind raced. She couldn’t bear for anything to happen to Mack or Luke. Her heart ached at the thought of it. Closing her eyes, she took a long, deep breath and swallowed, willing herself to remain calm.

“What do you think about my predicament, Ms. Barnes? Wouldn’t you agree that something must be done to rectify the issue?”

She ignored him. Her mind whirred as she tried to come up with a plan. She’d done it in the Warden lair. Why not now? But self-doubt assailed her—Bade had the map! She felt useless, tied up and beaten on the floor of a cave surrounded by her enemies.

I can’t give up
, she urged herself.
I am the rightful Mapkeeper
and I was chosen for a reason. Zadok believed in me
, she recalled with sudden clarity. Cadmus had believed in her. Her heart soared at the thought of the centaur and the man she admired so much placing their faith in her. There were others, too: her brothers, Adalia, Odessa and Auriel, the king and queen, the villagers, and even Enzo and Glump had placed their trust in her.
I can’t give up on them!

“Since you seem to be at a loss for words, I’ll fill you in on my plan. Because I make the plans around here from now on, Ms. Barnes.” She looked up at Bade and his brow furrowed in sudden anger. “You will choose. One will live, and one will die.” His sneer broke into a sudden maniacal grin. “It’ll be fun, like a game. Don’t you think so, Ms. Barnes?”

Lucy’s heart constricted and her pulse skyrocketed. “No!” She croaked, unable to formulate words to express her anguish.

Bade chuckled. “I thought you might react that way.” He looked down at the map, which began to pulsate with faint light. His expression sobered. “So here’s the deal: either you decide, or my hospitality runs out and I kill them both.”

She sucked in shallow, rapid breaths. Somewhere deep in the cave, the steady drip of water permeated the silence. Bade took a step toward her.

“Well, who will it be, Ms. Barnes? I don’t have all day,” he snapped.

Thunk.

“Gah!” One of the trolls guarding the cave entrance fell to his knees with a roar. An arrow was sticking out of his chest.

Thunk. Thunk.
Two more arrows sunk deep into the neck of his companion.

“Arrrrrgh!” the second troll gurgled as he grabbed at the arrows sticking out of his neck, breaking them off at the shafts. Blood gushed from his neck. He ran out of the cave toward his assailant, club raised high overhead.

“What is going on?” Bade demanded. “Digby, get more trolls!”

Digby roared, waving an arm toward the recesses of the cave. Four trolls emerged from the darkness, dazed as if they’d been torn from a deep slumber. They advanced into a spray of arrows as Lucy looked on in disbelief. These arrows were thicker than the ones she and Luke used in the battle against the Wardens. Dozens of them pierced the thick flesh of the trolls with ease, taking the unarmored creatures down in seconds.

“We’re under attack!” Bade screeched, retreating into the depths of the cave, Hobart hot on his heels. “I thought you said this cave was charmed and unfindable!” He smacked Digby on the shoulder as he passed the leader of the trolls.

“It is,” Digby growled in his deep bass voice. “Hold your ground,” he directed, holding one of his massive hands out toward the two trolls flanking Lucy and looking toward the cave entrance. The arrow-riddled bodies of six trolls now lay heaped in the dim light penetrating the cave.

“Who’s there?” Digby thundered, squaring his shoulders to face the threat.

With a flourish of his bow and a deep bow, Rhys hopped over the bodies of the trolls and bowed low before Digby.

“Why it’s just the satyr,” Rhys replied, looking up from his bow and wiggling his thick eyebrows at the creature towering over him. “Oh, and I’ve got a few friends with me.” He turned and waved an arm. A swarm of waist-high hooded creatures flocked into the cave and surrounded Rhys.

Digby backed up, uncertain of the capabilities of the small army standing before him. Many shouldered bow slings and quivers. They buzzed with energy—a dozen high-pitched conversations at once muddled into a continuous hum. Lucy was hit with the distinct memory of the same mélange of conversation noise somewhere before, but she couldn’t quite place it.

One of the short, hooded creatures stepped forward. It wore a deep crimson robe and carried a walking stick longer than it was tall with a luminous, opaque orb encased in wooden prongs at the tip. The throng of creatures hushed themselves.

“We come for the Mapkeeper,” the creature announced in a high-pitched, feminine voice. “And the map,” it added with a giggle. The odd gathering dissolved into tittering laughter, but the giggles ceased as soon as they’d started.

Bade and Hobart crept out from the depths of the cave.

“And what makes you think we will give it to you?” Bade sneered.

“You will give it to us,” the little creature squeaked, “or we will be forced to take it from you.”

Bade looked up at Digby. “Well? Go ahead! Squash them!”

Digby frowned and backed away. “Not today, Bade. They have some kind of magic. There are only three trolls left here. And too many of them.” The cave shook with each step the great creature took away from Rhys and his companions.

Bade’s face fell. “What do you mean not today?” he roared, stomping his foot. He crinkled the map in one hand. Lucy winced, longing to rip her treasure from his undeserving hands. Keeping quiet, Hobart backed away from his leader.

“We will take the map,” the leader of the mysterious creatures repeated herself. She extended a tiny, thin hand toward Bade as if expecting him to hand it over.

Bade looked around, frantic. Unnoticed, Hobart had retreated back into the shadows with Digby. Bade was left standing alone. Screaming in rage, he threw the map down at the feet of the crimson-robed creature.

“I’m not through with you!” he spat hatefully, pointing at Lucy before he sprinted into the depths of the cave. Hobart, Digby, and the two remaining trolls who had been guarding Lucy lumbered after him. Rhys leapt forward to chase them down, but the crimson-robed creature stopped him by placing a tiny, gentle hand on his arm.

“Don’t bother, they’ll be gone,” she squeaked. “It’s a tunnel with many forks and turns. As with the rest of the forest, we know it well. But it’s no use chasing after them now. We have what we came for.”

At last she faced Lucy and her army of companions followed suit. Lucy ogled the little creature, unsure of what to expect. Her dark face bore the deep creases of age, but her eyes sparkled with youthful mirth.

“Rhys, how did you—” she began, her voice cracking. She shifted her weight. Her arms were numb from her hands all the way up past her elbows.

The satyr hurried to her side. “Lucy, are you all right?” He knelt and pushed her away from the stone wall, picking at the rope that restrained her.

“Here, let me.” The mysterious creature appeared at his side and touched the milky orb that topped her walking stick against the rope. It fell to the ground in loose folds.

“I told you I was on your side.” Rhys winked, helping Lucy to her feet. She swayed, a rush of lightheadedness sweeping over her. Her back screamed in pain.

“Whoa, you better sit back down,” Rhys huffed as he supported most of her weight, easing her back to a seated position. “You don’t look so good.” He squatted beside her on his stubby, coarse-haired legs. Her blurred vision sharpened as blood made its way back to her head.

“I’ve had better days,” she murmured, exhausted and aching all over. “Rhys…” She mustered the energy to look him in the eye. “My brothers. Bade kidnapped them. He’s holding them somewhere in the Dour Mountains. I’ve got to go…” She leaned her pounding head against the wall of the cave.

“Lucy,” Rhys objected, “I’m all for saving your brothers, but you’re in no condition to—”

“I believe this belongs to you, Mapkeeper.” The orb-wielding creature handed the map to Lucy with a smile. Lucy took it, a surge of relief flooding her. The parchment felt smooth and perfect in her hands. “Mapkeeper, my name is Cleo and I am queen of the kobolds. We owe you our sincerest thanks for leading Praxis to victory over the Wardens, who possessed an ancient magic but were gone astray.