Bastial Explosion (The Rhythm of Rivalry: Book 3) (23 page)

The mission was simple enough for Jack to explain most of it by the time they’d walked to his house. The Slugari already had tunnels throughout Ovira. After the alliance was set, they’d worked to extend their southern tunnels into the heart of Kyrro. Now they were ready to come above ground, but they needed to plan the rest of the tunneling process with Kyrro. There was a lot to be discussed.

King Welson sent Javy Rayvender to lead the mission. From the way Jack spoke of him, it seemed they’d at least met before, probably even knew each other fairly well. But Steffen had never met the man himself. The only thing he knew about Javy was that he was the one who’d escorted Cleve to the castle after he was caught with the outlawed bow, and that was the last they’d seen of him.

Once inside Jack’s house, he offered them each some breakfast as he explained further details about the mission.

“A group of Slugari wiggled their way to Kyrro City yesterday. I was told that they dug underground from the north all the way to Raywhite Forest, as Terren had instructed them to before your group left the Slugari colony. Guards on the outskirts of the city escorted them to the castle. Apparently they received quite a welcome from everyone they passed. People were cheering and applauding, and the Slugari have been very humbled by this. I hope students in the Academy can give them the same greeting when they come here.”

Marratrice’s eyes went wide. “When will they be here?”

“Javy and the Slugari delegation should be here soon. Then the Slugari will take us to the entrance of their colony in Raywhite Forest. In the letter I received, it said the Slugari have come across an opportunity we might want to take advantage of, although I don’t know what it is yet. What I do know is that Javy is going to be the one who finalizes every decision.” Jack didn’t seem too pleased about that.

Steffen asked, “How do you know him?”

Jack vigorously scratched his chin, as if the mention of Javy had brought forth an itch he couldn’t satisfy. “I…I’ve worked with him in the past, I guess one could say.”

“I see,” Steffen muttered, uneasy about the nervous expression he found on Jack’s face. “So my role is just to translate if needed?”

“Yes, and soothe the Slugari’s worry. With Terren unable to go, I’m sure they’ll be a lot more comfortable seeing you there—or at least someone who came to visit them originally when the alliance was set.”

Although Steffen wasn’t traveling across territories to forge an alliance with a new race, like last time, he still was thrilled to go back underground and see the Slugari colony again. He’d been wondering what role the small slug-like creatures would take in the war.

“Jack Rose, are you in there?” a man bellowed from outside, pounding on the door. “We don’t know where Terren is. Someone’s here, and we don’t know what to do with him.”

By Jack’s expression, it seemed as if he was just as confused as Steffen.

“What do you mean someone’s here?” Jack asked, making no motion toward the door. “Who are you?”

“We’re two wall guards. An Elf came to the Academy from the east. He’s here with us, and from what we know about him, we believe him to be an ally. We just don’t know what to do with him now.”

An Elf? Were there more in Ovira than just Rek and Vithos?

Jack peered out the window. “My Bastial stars, there’s really an Elf out there.”

When Steffen came behind him for a look…and saw Vithos, he nearly slammed the door into himself as he pulled it open and maneuvered around it to get outside.

“Vithos! Is that really you?”

The Elf was even filthier than before, and it looked as if he hadn’t slept in days. His hair was longer, now coming down to the middle of his shoulder blades.

But even with all the dirt in his hair and on his face, he was practically glowing, his bright smile nearly reflecting the light of the sun.

“Steffen, happy see you,” Vithos said, his common tongue sounding a bit better than before.

“Reela’s going to die when she sees you!” Steffen shouted.

“Die?” Vithos grew concerned. “Like this?” He dramatically choked himself with his tongue protruded.

“No, it’s just an expression.” But then Steffen realized that Vithos certainly wouldn’t know that word. “Never mind.” Steffen waved his palms.

Vithos started shaking his hands to mimic Steffen.

“Oh, no,” Steffen muttered.

“This is the Elf who went with Terren?” Jack Rose asked.

“Yes,” Steffen answered. “Can I take him to see Zoke and the others?”

Vithos stopped shaking his hands and shook a pointed finger at Steffen. “See Zoke, yes, yes! See Reela, too?”

“Yes, you can see Zoke and Reela if we hurry. They might be leaving to go to the dining hall for breakfast soon.”

“Hurry,” Vithos said.

“May I take him?” Steffen asked Jack.

“Certainly. I know where Terren is. I’ll tell him to come by your house. He’ll be so happy to see Vithos. Treece, make sure you’re packed before lunch so we’re ready to leave when Javy and the Slugari get here. You as well, Steffen.”

They shared a quick goodbye, and then Steffen was running alongside Vithos, wondering who was going to be more excited to see him, Reela or Zoke.

But then a realization hit him.
How is Vithos alive?

Worried, Steffen gave one more look to the Elf beside him. A voice argued against his doubts,
how many Elves could look exactly like him and even have the same accent?
Then Vithos turned and showed another wide smile.

“Yes?”

Steffen nearly started weeping with joy as tingles ran through his body. “It’s really you, Vithos.”

“Yes, it’s me, Vithos.”

Chapter 20:

ZOKE

Zoke had a series of nightmares during the night, all of them about Zeti. Usually it was Vithos who calmed him when worries of his sister started to take over. But now there was no one to do that. No Human ever would understand his situation.

In the morning, he was awakened and called out of his room just so a strange man could gawk at him. Needless to say, when Zoke returned and couldn’t get back to sleep, he wasn’t in a good mood.

So when he heard the front door open and Steffen’s voice shouting—“I have a surprise! Zoke, Reela, Effie, if you’re here, come out!”—Zoke couldn’t decide between ignoring Steffen or exiting the bedroom to curse at him.

Soon he chose the latter—cursing.

But when he saw a familiar Elf standing next to Steffen, all of Zoke’s anger was gone in an instant.

“
Ektol,
” the Elf said in Kreppen, smiling widely.

“Vithos?” Zoke replied. “No, it can’t be.” It had been so long since Zoke had said anything in Kreppen that wasn’t a curse word that he was still talking in common tongue without realizing it.

“Aren’t you glad to see me?” Vithos teased, speaking in Kreppen.

Zoke heard Reela’s door open violently. She ran out into the hall. Before even reaching Vithos, she fell to the ground and started weeping.

It seemed to have the same effect on Vithos, for tears suddenly streamed from his eyes and he nearly collapsed as he staggered toward her.

Effie was out of her room by then, already crying though she hadn’t even seen Vithos yet.

Then Zoke noticed that Steffen was crying as well.

“Stop, Reela,” Steffen said with a smile, wiping away tears.

“I can’t help it,” Reela sputtered out between weeps.

Effie was bawling by then. “Damn psychics.”

But everyone seemed happy as they cried—enormous smiles on their faces. Zoke was baffled by it. He knew there had to be some sort of psyche in effect, perhaps the reason he was nearly collapsing from joy like the Humans. He’d never felt this way before, his whole body tingling. But he felt no urge to cry, and why would he? This was a joyous occasion.

“I don’t understand,” Zoke admitted. “Why’s everyone crying?”

Reela had gotten to her feet by then. She and Vithos were embracing as they cried on each other’s shoulders.

The front door was still open and Terren ran through, barely stopping before running into Vithos and Reela.

“It’s really true!” Terren’s face showed excitement at first. But it contorted just after he finished speaking, and now he was weeping with the rest of them. “Bastial hell, why am I crying?”

This confused Zoke even more. He was the only one smiling without tears. “Why is everyone crying and smiling? Happy and sad at the same time, is such a thing possible?”

“No, we’re just happy,” Reela answered.

“Weird Humans,” Zoke said with a laugh, no longer caring about anything besides that Vithos was standing before them.

When Reela and Vithos parted, he turned to Zoke and barely got his arms around Zoke’s shoulders for a hug. Zoke had never been grabbed in that way, and he didn’t particularly like it. He felt as if he was being constrained, like they were about to start wrestling. But because it was Vithos, he let it go.

“I’m sorry, Zoke,” the Elf said in common tongue, transitioning to Kreppen shortly after. “I didn’t mean to make you think I was dead, but I see now that this was the case.”

“I understand,” Zoke replied in Kreppen. “But you’d better tell me everything that happened.”

“I will—including that I met with Zeti.”

“What!” Zoke shouted.

Although none of the Humans understood their conversation, Zoke’s raised voice stirred their curiosity.

“I’m sure everyone wants to know what happened after we were separated,” Vithos said. “Will you translate for me? I’m still not so good at common tongue.”

“I will,” Zoke said, turning to the Humans and transitioning to their language. “Vithos will explain what happened after we collapsed the tunnel, and I’ll translate.”

“Wait,” Effie said. “I’ll fetch Alex. He deserves to be here just as much as the rest of us.” She ran out.

“Tell me about Zeti as we wait,” Zoke said.

“She should be within Tenred territory by now,” Vithos replied. “She, Grayol, and Keenu were sent there by Doe and Haemon to deliver some messages and figure out why the birds they sent hadn’t returned.”

This was terrible news. Zeti should’ve been keeping her distance from the Slugari leaders, but it sounded as if she’d been promoted and now was working closer with them.

Vithos continued before Zoke could think about it more. “I asked her to come with me to Kyrro, and although she wanted to be with you, she didn’t feel as if she could. She has too much pride, Zoke. She thinks of leaving as a betrayal, for she knows it’ll make her a traitor. I’m not sure if she’ll ever come to our side until this war is over.”

Zoke felt himself nodding. “I can understand that. I never would’ve made the choice either, even if our places were reversed.”

Vithos shook his head and grumbled. “Sometimes I just don’t understand you Krepps.”

“What else happened with Zeti?” Zoke was in no mood to change the subject, and he knew as soon as Alex arrived that the Humans would expect him to translate Vithos’ story.

“Not much else. I could tell that she misses you just as strongly as you miss her.”

“Do you know if she’ll be safe in Tenred?” Zoke knew nothing about the Humans there.

“Nebre’s been there for a while now. If he’s safe there, then I’m sure Zeti will be as well.”

But Nebre speaks their language, and Zeti doesn’t.

Effie came back with Alex. He was the only one to enter the house without crying. Zoke figured it was from the psychics calming down by then.

After everyone spent a few more moments telling Vithos how happy they were to see him, Zoke translated the Elf’s account of what happened after being separated from them within the Slugari colony.

“It didn’t even occur to me that you could’ve made it out of there alive,” Terren admitted when Zoke was finished.

Zoke translated the statement for Vithos.

When Zoke was done and Vithos nodded, Terren added, “I’m sorry.”

Being unable to translate that, Zoke was thankful that Vithos knew what it meant by now.

“Terren, everything good.” Vithos put his hand on the tall warrior’s shoulder, then transitioned into Kreppen. “Tell them that I know a lot more about the new Krepp encampment now. I think we may be able to take out Doe or Haemon with an arrow from the correct position.”

Zoke translated, and everyone seemed excited about the idea except for Terren.

“Right now there are more pressing matters,” he said, glancing around the room. “I was going to tell all of you tomorrow, but I might as well say it now while we’re here. We need skilled fighters and psychics for a mission in Corin Forest. Reela, Effie, Alarex, and Zoke, I was going to group you four with another strong psychic, but with Vithos here, he can take her place.”

“What about Steffen?” Alex asked.

“We don’t need a chemist for this mission,” Terren said. “And Jack Rose already needs Steffen for another task. It will be the five of you. The mission leader will be coming by tomorrow to take you through the Fjallejon Pathway.”