Embrace (13 page)

“Okay,” she confirmed. “We have to get out now. Something bad is coming!”

“Not without Catrina!” announced Colin.

“Catrina?” Ivan asked tensely.

“Catrina Flummer, the girl in the coffin,” Colin replied as if everyone should already know this fact.

“Flummer? The sick girl? From the other group? That’s not possible,” Ivan said, inspecting the coffin closer.

“Yeah, I know it’s not,” agreed Colin. “But it is her. I’m not leaving her here.”

“My job was to come here and fetch a man, not a girl!”

“Ivan!” insisted Meghan. “We can’t just leave her!” Ivan sighed hard, putting his hand to his head, covering his eyes.

“No, we can’t,” he agreed, sounding pained by the choice. Meghan knew he did not want to do anything that would jeopardize his place by Juliska’s side.

“Maybe this is part of the test, Ivan? Or maybe she didn’t know!” suggested Meghan.

“It doesn’t matter now. We have to take her.”

Colin was at the coffins side in an instant. The lid was too heavy for him to slide off on his own. Ivan helped. While they did this, Colby seized the moment and ran.

“Hey!” called out Meghan.

“You didn’t really think he was going to stick around?” asked Ivan, as they successfully slid the glass top off the coffin, which shattered as it hit the cave floor.

As it did, the silvery haired Catrina Flummer bolted upright. Her eyes flung open and she jumped out deftly, as if she had been awake the entire time. Her petite feet were protected by only soft slippers, but it didn’t seem to bother her as she landed softly on the ground.

“Colin! You found me!” she flung herself around his shoulders, as if they had been friends who had not seen each other in ages.

Meghan and Ivan stared in disbelief.

Bird chirped again, wildly.

“We have to hurry!” Catrina then advised. “We can’t allow Eidolon to keep what he has taken!”

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“How do you know about that?” asked Ivan.

She ignored him, grabbed Colin’s hand and dashed out of the room. Meghan, Nona and Ivan had no choice but to follow.

Up ahead they heard a shouted spell. It was Colby. He was fighting Bird, who was transforming in mid air; light emanating from Bird’s body blocked anyone from getting a close look at him. He was clearly a talented fighter, transforming from human to bird in a split moment, and then throwing spells, transforming, and then flying to safety.

The fleeing group caught up to Colby. He was agitated at the battle and quit, continuing his escape out of the cave. The rest followed behind, heading toward a small light, the cave’s entrance.

Colby and Bird exited the cave, followed by Catrina (still holding Colin’s hand), along with Ivan, Meghan and Nona. Each skidded in turn to an abrupt stop.

Although only late afternoon, and very much still light outside, the Valley of Eidolon had come to life, with Goblins of all shapes and sizes scissoring closer to the cave’s entrance.

Two crashed into each other causing a hostile fight to break out. Rust-colored rocks slivered off their bodies, crashing to the ground, or shooting toward unaware victims.

The fleeing group of youngsters stepped back, hoping to take cover inside the cave.

However, more Goblins poured out from behind them, forcing them back out into the daylight.

“We’re surrounded,” whispered Meghan.

A deafening, yet delicate, voice stopped the Goblins in their tracks.

“Stop this infantile fighting and get out of my way!”

The Goblin King had arrived.

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A thunderous movement shook the ground as Eidolon arrived. He slithered irascibly toward them.

“How dare you sneak into my valley?” he demanded. Then Eidolon noticed Colby. “Ah. My newest partner in crime.”

“Bull! You went back on our agreement. I will reveal the secrets of what you found, but not until I have the book! That’s the deal!” Colby shouted.

“I do like to change my mind from time to time,” mumbled Eidolon, raising one of his red rock arms into the air as if to say “my prerogative.”

He then dropped his arm and slid closer.

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“Besides, I do not think you’re in any place to contradict me!” he roared into Colby’s unshaken face. “I will take the book and you will tell me what this is!” Eidolon then took out a velvet bag.

“The man who wandered into my valley refused to tell me. It must have some great importance, seeing as he was willing to die for it!”

Confirmation. The man Meghan and Ivan had come for was dead, and worse, Eidolon already held what they needed to retrieve. Ivan was in deep thought, ignoring the scene around him, calculating ways to get the velvet bag.

“Colby,” whispered Catrina. “You cannot tell him what that is! Do you have any idea what would happen?”

Colby snarled his reply.

“I will do whatever I need, to survive, and return to my master,” he told Catrina. “With the book as agreed!” he then yelled at Eidolon.

Fury erupted from Eidolon, causing even his minions to back away. The surrounded youngsters covered their ears from the deafening sound.

“Or not,” mumbled Colby, taking a few steps back, suddenly humbled.

Eidolon then made it clear that he was in charge. He grabbed one of his minions, letting out a thunderous cry, while crushing it to bits! Shards of rock spewed out of Eidolon’s hand.

The other nearby Goblins squirmed nervously.

“I am finished being nice!” Eidolon’s delicate voice had vanished.

“That was nice,” whispered Meghan.

Colin turned and whispered to Bird.

“Where’s Magicante?” Colin knew Bird had hidden it, but had no idea where.

Bird then flew around the corner. Am I supposed to follow? If he could run fast enough he just might be able to sneak through…

I’m not fast enough, he admitted, knowing that if they could reach the Magicante, it could get them all home.

But then what? What happened once they were home? Eidolon was not going to just sit back and ignore this invasion.

The Svoda would have little warning.

Colin, accepting what he needed to do, was about to send Meghan a thought when he stopped. It wasn’t Meghan he needed.

“Ivan,” whispered Colin. “I need a distraction so I can get away. If I can get to my book we can all get out of here, fast!”

Ivan, lovely Ivan, as usual, did not question, but immediately went into action.

Colin allowed Meghan into his mind.

“I need you to create the largest fire you can,” he explained. “We need a smoke screen, if even just for a few seconds.” Colin then remembered his first aid kit. He would need that smokescreen too.

Meghan struggled with this bolder version of her brother, but realized he might be right.

Without hesitation, Ivan then confronted Eidolon.

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“I believe that what you are holding actually belongs to Banon Blackwell. I will take it now, if you don’t mind.” Ivan daringly stepped closer, ready to strike Eidolon with a spell.

Meghan concentrated, hard. The fire began slowly, in her palm. Then it spread.

Eidolon’s Goblins noticed first.

“Hey, what are you doing?” They had clearly never seen someone light themselves on fire.

The fire spread over Meghan’s body, leaving a tingly sensation wherever the flames licked at her skin.

Ivan’s attention stayed on the velvet bag! He was not going back to Juliska empty handed, whether Eidolon knew how to use what was in the bag or not.

Meghan thought furiously about the spells in her pocket guide. She wanted to be able make the fire spread. According to the book, she could catch anything on fire, even if it was not something normally flammable. She let the flames crawl from her body onto the ground, taunting the Goblins. They wobbled backwards as the unfamiliar flames taunted their red rock bodies.

“You’re doing great, Meghan,” encouraged Nona. “Keep going. Make it spread.”

“This is nothing!” roared Eidolon. “Do not back away. Attack!” he ordered.

Ivan threw a spell, which hit Eidolon straight on. It had no effect on him what so ever.

“Silly boy!” he said, impressed Ivan would even try such a feat. “Your magic is too weak on someone like me.” Eidolon’s body slinked closer.

Ivan dived out of the way.

“Guess we have officially broken your no magic rule, Eidolon,” he egged.

The Goblin King laughed boisterously.

“I’ll say it again: Silly boy! I have no such rule.” Ivan was speechless for a moment. Perhaps Eidolon was lying. The Banon had specifically told them they could not perform magic, per the rules set forth by Eidolon.

“I will also warn you again, that your magic will have no effect on me, so you might as well stop trying.”

Catrina Flummer stepped forward then, her silver hair gleaming in the approaching sunset.

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Goblin King,” she said confidently. Eidolon glared at her, ready to explode, but before he could respond, a fiery explosion blew up a smaller sized Goblin.

Meghan had successfully thrown a life-sized fireball. It drained her, though, and she fought to keep her fires lit. Nona stood at her side constantly encouraging her.

Colin, seizing the opportunity, dropped the bottle marked Smoke Screen, Advantage Yours! from his first aid kit, grasped Catrina’s hand tightly and bolted. Catrina was even shorter than Colin. However, with the assistance of the smoke screen, they easily slipped between two heaving Goblin bodies, unnoticed. They disappeared around the canyon wall, where Bird flapped anxiously, waiting to show Colin where the Magicante was hidden. He hoped it was not far.

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Colby took advantage of the smokescreen and followed the duo. He narrowly escaped being crushed by the same two Goblins that Catrina and Colin had run between, but he made it through. He scurried after them, determined to claim his prize.

Meghan stayed put, keeping her fires ignited. Her baby blue eyes dissolved to a blood red color. Streams of flame shot out of them blasting at the Goblins. They dared not go closer and ignored their King’s demand to advance.

Ivan then did something that no one expected. He climbed up the canyon wall behind him, over the cave they had just exited, so that he was eye to eye with Eidolon.

Eidolon stopped and laughed. In that moment of amused laughter, Ivan threw a spell directly into Eidolon’s eye.

It worked!

He was blinded, just for a moment. Ivan jumped onto the Goblin King’s convulsing body, grabbed the velvet bag and then plummeted to the ground.

Meghan, afraid that Ivan might be injured, lost concentration. The fires she had created fizzled and died. The Goblins advanced. But none faster than the King.

For an immense creature made of rock, Eidolon’s body was agile. He glided across the uneven surface of the ground like an ice skater on clean ice, lifting his enormous body into the air and hurling himself toward them. His body twisted, attempting to crush Ivan and Meghan, but as it came crashing down, Ivan grasped Meghan, pushing her out of the way.

Eidolon missed them by mere inches.

“Run,” ordered Nona, now rounding the same canyon edge that the others had escaped around minutes before.

Ivan yanked Meghan off the ground and they ran. Every direction they turned, rock-hard arms, legs and bodies crushed down around them, pulverizing whatever happened to be underneath.

The evening sun still blazed hot. Up ahead, Ivan and Meghan noticed Colby chasing after Colin and Catrina. They both knew what he wanted: Colin’s book! The Magicante.

Bird had hidden the book in a small crevice. He used his beak to edge it out. Colin, while running, yelled for it to wake up.

“In some trouble are we?” it cynically asked, while yawning.

“We need to get out of here, fast.”

“You could have done that yourself, you know,” reminded Magicante.

“I know that. But I wasn’t going to leave you behind.”

“I see, yes. Good thinking, then!”

Colin grabbed Magicante ordering Catrina to take hold, but Ivan and Meghan were still too far behind, and Colby was closing in.

Colin prepared for battle.

Catrina hid her delicate face behind the book.

“Don’t worry, Lass. He’ll do just fine,” the book told her.

“Oh, I know he will. I just hate watching battles. So violent,” Catrina explained.

“Ah,” said the book. “You’re a special one. Unique talent, aren’t you?” 69

“You cannot tell,” insisted Catrina. “It must remain a secret, at least for now.”

“Yes, I can understand why,” the book mused. “Very well, then.”

“Thank you,” said Catrina, finding the book very agreeable.

Colin and Colby sent spells at each other with heightened speed. They collided, sending sparks in all directions.

“You’re much better than most,” admitted Colby.

“That’s what they keep telling me,” said Colin presumptuously. Repeatedly, their spells collided, canceling each other out. Colin only wanted to last long enough for Meghan and Ivan to catch up. When at last they did, he instructed them to take hold of the book.

“Colin! Get over here!” yelled Meghan.

Colin and Colby were practically laughing now; throwing pointless spells. They were having way too much fun trying to hurt each other.

They stopped dueling, and froze.

Eidolon and his Goblins were racing their way.

“Damn!” yelled Colby. “I will get that book. Maybe not today! But I will!”

“Colby, come!” Colby’s loyal Catawitch, Elisha, appeared atop a nearby rock. Colby bounded to the rock. Elisha jumped down to meet him. There was a burst of flames and they were gone.

Bird and Nona jumped onto the book, which Colin then grasped onto; the book had them back at the valley’s edge in a split second.

Colin then wondered why he had not just used the Magicante to locate Catrina in the first place. Then he decided that the book would have just made him do it on his own, anyway.

Ivan stood up, dazed.

“How…” he stopped. “Whatever. We need to warn everyone. Eidolon will be coming!”

“Wait!” said Catrina.

The group halted.

“No one can know about me. I will explain, when there is time.” Colin did not question, but to his displeasure, this time, Ivan did.