Chapter 3

“Ahh!” Brendon screamed as he raised his sword to block the dog’s attack. A bunch of bandit trained dogs had attacked us while we were traveling through a forest. Myrcella and I were able to take care of most of them, but two managed to break through to Brendon. Luckily Myrcella was able to save him in time.

“You’re pathetic…” I heard her complain as she helped Brendon off the ground. She still had her hood up so no one could tell if she was laughing or if she was angry. Her voice didn’t give away much emotion either.

“Well, I’m sorry…I’m not good at fighting,” he said in his defense.

“It’s not your fault,” she muttered, earning confused glances from Brendon and me. What was she trying to say?

“What do you mean?”

            Instead of answering Brendon, she chose to face me after looking around for something, “Don’t you think it’s strange that we were attacked by the dogs and yet there are no bandits nearby?”

            I glanced around the area also and realized that she was right, “You’re right, something is wrong.”

            The forest was unusually silent and yet I didn’t feel like anything bad was going to happen. Myrcella didn’t seem too worried either. She started to search her pockets until she found a small silver orb and threw it at Brendon. He caught it clumsily and then stared at it like it was going to do something. He jumped when it flashed red, light green, and then darkened to a deep ebony color.

“The reason why you are so terrible with a sword is because you’re a mage not a fighter. This orb tells you your strength, special ability, and weakness,” she explained as she grabbed the orb, “The red means your strongest element is fire, the light green means you can cast healing spells, but I wouldn’t recommend relying too heavily on them because they are supposed to be used for temporary relief until you see a doctor-”

“I know that!” Brendon scoffed, “Dr. Hermethay drilled that into me the first time I met him.”

“Thank you for sharing. How was I supposed to know that?” Myrcella snapped as she walked past me while gently tossing the ball up and down in her hand.

“Anyway, the black color you got means you’re weak against dark spells so beware of dark mages and wizards,” she finished as we continued on our journey.

            We were close to Jaedda, the large mountain looming over the trees was proof of that. Jaedda was a mountain cave town built by the dwarves as a present for my great grandfather after he aided them in the aftermath of the dwarves’ Great Collapse of their main tunnel. We made good distance and time for one day’s travel, even though we were slowed by the bickering between Brendon and Myrcella. I wonder how long it would take them to realize that they are on the same side and not enemies? Either way, it is quite humorous to see Brendon so flustered while Myrcella places her hands on her hips in a cute pout…Eh! What was I thinking!? My eyes suddenly fell on the silver object being tossed in Myrcella’s hand. That orb is something that wizards and elves usually carry. How did it fall into her possession?

“Where did you obtain that item?” I finally asked. Her eye glanced back at me slightly before she slowed down to walk beside me.

“It was a gift for my birthday. My father gave it to me because he said it would come in handy when… Nice try Taran, you almost got me to talk.” What was she going to say? I knew she was going to slip eventually, since she just revealed a little about her father. If he gave it to her, then maybe he was a wizard, and if that’s true, then maybe Myrcella could also be a mage.

“Can you cast spells as well?”

“A little, I am a sword mage, but I fight more than cast spells. My strength is earth. I have enhanced senses and as for my weakness, you can figure that out for yourself. It’s not wise to tell others of your weaknesses,” she then placed the orb in my hand, “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

            I looked at the orb as Brendon peered over my shoulder at it. Once I squeezed the object, it immediately disappeared before it turned into a violet color and then blue.

“This is rare, you are a wind element, have a sixth sense, and you’re weak against water,” she said as she took the orb and put it in her pocket.

“That’s not fair! You know our weaknesses, but you won’t tell us yours!” Brendon shouted near my ear. Myrcella only shrugged.

“Would it be better if you never knew your weakness?”

            Brendon scoffed and then stormed off ahead of us until we were nearly out of his hearing range. Myrcella then began walking closer to me.

“But…” she started to say as she leaned against my arm. I could smell faint sandalwood coming from her as I fought down the blush from our nearness.

“Don’t tell Brendon, but I’m weak against fire,” she said before she moved away from me.

            No wonder why she didn’t want Brendon to know, he would probably use that knowledge to his advantage the next time they started arguing. But why did she tell me when she knew that Brendon was my close friend? How could she be so trusting of me when we met just yesterday? Then it hit me, maybe she was testing me. Why would she care if Brendon knew her weakness? He just learned that he was a mage so his power wouldn’t be a threat to her anytime soon. If I kept her secret anyway, maybe I’ll earn her trust and then she would tell me who she is.

“Oh my…” Myrcella gasped. I glanced before us and found that we not only caught up to Brendon, but that he was about to run into a body lying on the ground.

“Brendon! Watch out!” My warning reached his ears in time and he stopped just his foot touched it. Myrcella pulled down her hood and ran to the scene as Brendon fell on his bottom in shock.

“B-blood everywhere…” he whispered when I arrived. There were blood, tattered pieces of clothing, bones, and flesh scattered among the tree branches and on the ground.

“What manner of beast did this horrible act?” I asked the wind, knowing it would not answer me. I turn to the lone body and knelt between Brendon and Myrcella. The man was still in one piece, but he was covered in bruises, cuts, and teeth marks. The clothes he wore showed that he was a bandit. Maybe this was why the dogs were loose. Myrcella brought her small hand over the man’s face and gently turned his head so we could see his neck.

“Look at these bite marks. They look like Feloid fangs, but the marks near the end are too dull for a Feloid,” she explained while she pointed at the marks, “I still hear a faint heart beat. Do you know how to cast white magic, Brendon?”

“I’ve heard stories…Let me try…” He closed his eyes and concentrated until a light green glow surrounded the body. The bandit’s eyes shot open as his body jumped.

“W-who are you!?” the man screamed as he tried to back away.

“We are not your enemy,” I stated calmly, hoping to settle him down. When he relaxed, he started a coughing fit.

“Who did this to you?” Brendon inquired as helped him sit up.

“…We came upon a filthy half-blooded Feloid who ate the flesh on my men and played with their bones,” he grated out in harsh voice.

            How vile and disgusting! I vowed that when my journey is over, I would send Garenthia’s best knights and hunters to catch this monster.

“Half-blood…?” I glanced at Myrcella whose eye was widened in either surprise or fear.

            As fast as lighting , her hands grabbed his shirt in tight fists, “Did he tell you his name!?”

“Myrcella,” I whispered as I detached her from the injured man.

“Don’t do that,” Brendon scolded, “You could send him into shock with that violent behavior.”

“He did give us a name…before he attacked…he…said…his name was Xu…” His eyes closed as he fell against Brendon. Brendon quickly checked his pulse.

“He dead…,” he announced grimly. It wasn’t long before I felt Myrcella’s whole body tremble beneath my hands.

“Xutho,” I heard in a nearly faint whisper.

“Who?” My question went unanswered as she shook her head and hid behind an obviously fake smile.

“N-nothing. I’m probably mistaken.” There she went again, hiding secrets from me. But what ever was happening, there was no point in staying here. I helped her stand up and faced Brendon.

“We need to move on, it’s not safe here,” I urged as he nodded eagerly. I was stopped when I felt a small hand on my arm.

“Aren’t we going to bury him?” Her voice quavered while her head was downcast. I never knew why, but I felt the urge to comfort her.

“We don’t have the time or the equipment to do that,” Brendon explained in the background as I gently grabbed her hand.

“I promise to tell the nearby townspeople about him so they can bury him, okay?” I reassured in the most comforting voice I could manage. Myrcella only nodded her head before she stared at our hands. I thought I saw a little bit of pink in her cheeks when she pulled away, but I couldn’t confirm it as she quickly walked past me. I was surprised to see that Brendon was standing behind her, glaring daggers at her. Why was he angry at her all of a sudden?

“Brendon?” He turned to me before he chuckled nervously.

“Heh, heh, that wench doesn’t know her place, does she?”

            Huh?

            He soon jogged ahead, leaving me with no choice but to follow them. They are both acting strangely and yet I couldn’t figure out what their problems were. I decided not to try to talk to them for now and focused my thoughts towards the monster that attacked the bandits. It seemed that the half-blooded beast and Myrcella were connected somehow. Considering how much she was shaking earlier, I was guessing that she had been attacked by it before. I wondered how fearsome it was.

            Before I knew it, the cavern entrance to Jaedda was upon us. We prepared ourselves before entering since no one knew if the invading Dauconese army had reached here yet. As we traveled down the long tunnel, I noticed Myrcella’s head darting everywhere under her hood.

“Is Garenthia allied with the Dwarves?” she finally inquired while looking back at Brendon and me.

“Yeah, why?” Brendon responded as his eyes narrowed in confusion.

“Oh, nothing. It’s just that Daucon is sided with the Elves. I would have thought we’d have a war because of that.”

“That’s probably because we don’t talk about it much and the fact that we didn’t know about Daucon’s alliances anymore than you knew about ours,” I reasoned. Whatever words that were going to be said were cut short as the main cavern came into view.

            Several torches and glowing stones illuminated the town, allowing us to see the stone houses, streets, and other tunnels that the miners work in. The streets were almost deserted, but the people who were out cowered in fear at our arrival. Suddenly, I felt intense fear and anxiety as my eyes continued their trek across Jaedda.

“Taran, your sixth sense enables you to feel what other living things are feeling, which is why you can tell there’s danger before it strikes. What do you sense right now? The smell of blood and tears around this place is giving me a bad feeling.” Her voice was barely audible as she kept true to her role as an acting assassin, but fortunately I was able catch what she was saying. But before I could answer, yet another obstacle distracted us.

“Young travelers!” An elderly voice screeched from behind. I quickly turned around as Brendon ran behind me and as Myrcella jumped into a fighting stance. It was an old woman who was dressed like a medicine maker. She carried a basket of herbs and held a gnarled wooden cane.

“Take heed of my warning and flee before the new lord discovers your presence,” she droned on while pointing the end of her cane in front of my face. Brendon assumed there was no immediate danger and went into a diplomatic mode as he walked up to the medicine woman.

“Wise elder, we are only weary travelers looking for a place to stay the night. I’m sure if we talked this out with your lord-”

“Fool! If you insist on staying here, then you will be trapped here like the rest of us. Our lord is a horrible being who slaughters anyone he considers lazy and kills anyone who tries to leave the forest. Quickly! Leave now and get the king to help us. We’ll pay you greatly if you do,” she begged.

            Brendon suddenly paled as he faced me with a terrified look on his face, “I think we should do as she says.”

            As much as I didn’t want to leave the village in such turmoil, I felt that there was no choice. After all, there was no king right now and there would never be one if I didn’t finish this journey.

“It’s probably for the best,” I sigh regrettably, “Let’s g-”

            I felt someone tugging my sleeve. I glanced down to Myrcella, who was shaking her head. She really wanted to say something.

“Uh, excuse us for a moment,” I told the medicine woman before pulling Brendon and Myrcella out of her hearing range.

“We can’t leave, we must help them!” Myrcella whispered quickly once she had the chance.

“Do you really think we can handle this on our own? We might need help,” I managed to force out, knowing that would be the same thing Brendon would have said. By the determined look on her face, it seemed that her mind was set in staying. Convincing her to leave might be a challenge. I hoped she wasn’t as stubborn as Brendon claimed I am.

“Besides, we won’t be able to stop the Dauconese if we end up getting stuck here,” Brendon added.

“But will there be a town when you return?” Her question spoke one of my fears. I wouldn’t like it if I failed to save them. If only I knew who was behind this, then maybe…

“I really would like to help, but I don’t know what we’re up against,” I finally answered, hoping it was enough to change her mind.

“What if I knew who’s behind this?” she asked confidently. The way she said it convinced me enough to believe that this new lord of Jaedda was nothing more than a cowering nobleman instead of an ogre hiding in the shadows.

“Then we stay and finish him off as quickly as possible.” That earned me a relieved look from Myrcella and a panicked look from Brendon.

“But we don’t have time!” he whined desperately.

“We still need a place to sleep and right now it’s either stay at the inn and face the lord or camp outside with the flesh-eating monster,” she argued with her arms crossed.

            Brendon froze and thought it over in less than ten seconds before stiffly running to the medicine woman while squeaking, “No! Here’s fine!”

            Point. Set. Match. Myrcella: 3, Brendon: 0. I wondered where I fit into this game? I seemed to always agree with Myrcella, but I usually defended Brendon. But anyway, now to a more important question, “Who is behind this, Myrcella?”

“Xutho,” she said simply, as if it were an obvious answer, “His scent is all over this place.”

     ********************************

“Xutho?! You mean that monster that attacked the bandits?” Brendon screamed after Myrcella closed the door to our room. The innkeeper gave us a special room with an entrance to a tunnel that led to the lord’s lair. The innkeeper also warned us that normal toned voices can be heard all the way down there so if we had to talk, it would have to be a low whisper. Respecting this rule, I immediately silenced Brendon by shoving a pillow against his mouth.

“Don’t worry, I heard the townspeople say he’s out right now, but we should start quieting down anyway,” Myrcella said as she made her way to the bed that was farthest away from the secret passage. I felt my stomach growl and decided it was time to eat before picking up the bag that held our food and walked over to the bed she was sitting on with Brendon following me. We were soon splitting our rations while we sat in a circle on top of the bed.

            An hour later I was trying to take a nap while Brendon practiced casting fire magic on a candle and while Myrcella sat crossed-legged on top of another bed, meditating. I spent ten more minutes trying to fall asleep only to find my thoughts focused on the connection between Myrcella and Xutho. I figured there wouldn’t be any point in asking her anything since she was so determined to keep her past and real identity a secret. But maybe if I asked the right question…

“Myrcella?” I whispered in the quiet air, startling both her and Brendon. She eventually opened her visible eye and glanced at me.

“Yes, Taran?” she whispered back. I felt like I was talking in a library or in a church during service.

“Just so I know what I’m up against, could you tell something about this Xutho creature?”

             There was a long pause as she closed her eye again. I was about to think she was just going to ignore me when she opened her eye and muttered, “I don’t know much about him, except that he’s violently aggressive and persistent.”

“What? But you were shaking when his name was mentioned, I thought you knew him,” Brendon uttered as he looked away from his little project.

“I…was surprised. I didn’t know where he went. I thought he was gone for good when he disappeared from battle.”

“Disappeared from battle?” I echoed.

“It all started a week before the queen decided to marry, while I was away visiting another village. Xutho came for my family’s precious treasure. H-he defiled my father’s grave and attacked my mother and siblings as he searched for it. When he found out that I inherited it, he attacked me only to curse and flee in the middle of battle,” she explained as she brought her knees to her chest and rested her head on top of them. Apparently this subject wasn’t important enough to keep a secret.

“What treasure was he trying to take?” Brendon inquired.

“Just a mere piece of jewelry that my father’s father received from a dying warrior. He only thought of it as a lucky charm, but my father knew there was more to it than meets the eye. The fact that someone tried to kill for it was proof of that-”

            A loud sound interrupted her and blew the sheet that covered the entrance. We each began creeping up to it as the sound of distant voices reached our ears. The lord was here.

            Feeling much like a mercenary, I turned to the others and whispered, “Let’s go…”