The Three Thorns (26 page)

“You still have a job to finish, toad. Camouflage your skin and follow them…that’s an order,” Jodo called back through the howling winds.

Using the destroyed window as his only exit, Jodo took Jennings and withdrew from the storm, followed by over a dozen goblin troops that took flight in time. In a flash, the gutless duo left the rest of Borland’s soldiers to their own fate.

Every ally and rebel to Saul was tossed by the massive wave that covered the entrance like a cold gray blanket, swallowing its victims inside its powerful current, until nothing was left of the room but a stormy sea, unfit to be inhabited. The waves crashed on top of the Council of politicians and circle of sorcerers that had created it.

Trump’s amphibious body adapted easy to the water current. He swam low and deep to keep out of sight and danger while he tracked the Brotherhood above him.

Ariel and Cassius fought their way through each goblin creature when the wave washed over them.

Like a large fire hose, a huge part of the wave smashed against their backs, pushing each protector off of their feet and out of the large hole in the wall with enormous force. Now a heavy river, the spell’s mighty current swept everyone downstream and away from the flooded Stained Castle, spreading across the route Jodo Kahln had previously taken to reach it.

Cassius drew his sword out of the water when enemy figures emerged from the murky depths, swimming round him. But the bounty hunter didn’t have to strike a single blow, for other allied bounty hunters had survived the current and fought off the foes for him.

“Protect the children, get them out of here!” a white witch screamed as she shot out of the stream to battle a flying goblin.

Nearby, the rest of the protectors had regrouped with the children, looking wet and miserable as they waited eagerly for Cassius to appear.

Thrusting his large claw back into the water, Ban Pan grabbed the struggling bounty hunter and pulled him through the heavy current to dry land.

“That’s some arm you’ve got there, Master Troll,” Cassius spluttered.

“Don’t expect my help again. I’m not here to protect the protectors, especially pirate scum,” Ban Pan griped.

“Ex-pirate scum,” corrected Cassius, flashing the troll a cheeky smirk.

“Take them to the hideout!” a chief faun ordered, and with that, several armored faun guards escorted the Brotherhood and their band of protectors away from the continuing battle, followed by the baby faun guard the group had met at the Stained Castle’s entrance.

The battle itself had only begun to fizzle out when Borland’s reinforcements infiltrated what was left of the Stained Castle.

The chief faun joined the large group and led the way to a secret doorway under the mountain the Stained Castle rested on. All were safe and accounted for. The air grew quieter as the chief faun continued to guide the Brotherhood and their protectors down an enormous set of steep stone steps. They descended a thousand feet before reaching the secret door to the Stained Castle’s belly.

The chief faun cast a spell upon a gigantic area of stone, which uncovered the door and handle that protruded out of the rock. A few faun guards pulled the massive stone door open and led the group through its doorway before the door merged back into the mountain.

Another enormous staircase stretched upon the inner mountain for miles, spiralling downward toward a living society below them.

When the fauns guided the group to the bottom, they continued to lead the way through what appeared to be a marketplace consisting of large, rounded tables that were fully dressed with feasts. There appeared to be a celebration about to commence, but at close range it was clear the fauns were only storing food for the long migration ahead of them.

“What’s all this food for?” Cassius asked the chief faun.

“We’ve kept ourselves hidden for years, since Saul’s dark war. But ever since the Children of Abasin have returned, we have been preparing for our own trip to Reethwood.”

“You’re going to Reethwood, too?” Ban Pan asked, panting as he held the unconscious pixie upon his back.

“We’ve heard it is one of the last untouched places on this earth. Too long have we fauns been in the caves, homeless. We long for daylight and to be amidst the trees again. Our hooves have not been exercised enough here. This habitat is for cave dwellers and dwarves, though this particular area has done us favorably,” he said, smiling.

“I need to get home to the Bothopolis Canyons,” Ban Pan said. “We’ve still to hold our fortresses. I must warn my people.”

“That is the problem. We have not banded together like we should have. Most of the dwarves have fled across this earth, only to protect what is theirs,” the baby faun mumbled as it passed the chief faun.

“He’s right. You need to stay with these chosen protectors and help guard the children,” the chief faun leader said, nodding.

“A mixed band of protectors? Preposterous! We aren’t equipped or prepared. We don’t have the same skills!” the flabbergasted troll yelled.

“Maybe, but this is more than a civil war, Master Troll. Come this way,” the chief faun said quietly. He brought them through the market place filled with saluting fauns.

“Where are we headed?” Benjamin whispered, but nobody seemed to hear him.

The group walked another half mile across a marbled land. Statues of dwarf kings and queens on the cave walls loomed over each passerby, stretching several yards to a dead end.

“Must be another one of those faun illusions,” Ban Pan whispered to Ariel. The nymph nodded in agreement when she saw the chief faun had unveiled another massive door and opened it sideways.

The chief faun smiled, addressing the children while leading them into a brightly lit room. “I was saving this transportation spell but you need it more. Besides, I’m sure our army would like to meet you.”

The strong sunset outside pierced through the windows of the stone room and filled it with a warming orange glow. The children looked in awe at the two thousand faun soldiers that knelt in their presence.

“This gateway has taken you far from the Stained Castle,” the chief faun said mildly. “We must part ways now,” he continued. “If you leave this mountain, you will find the hidden sanctuary upon the opposite cliff, beyond the bridge. The Council requests that we leave the children in your care. We have duties and allies to aid on our journey. It would be much too dangerous for the humans to travel with us.”

“I understand.” Cassius sighed, frowning back at his small group of friends. “It looks like we’re stuck with each other.”

Passing the multiple lines of kneeling troops, each boy and protector couldn’t help but look at the sheer magnitude and precision of the secret faun army.

The window at the end of the stone marbled room opened up, inviting them to walk through. After Tommy and Sebastian waved goodbye to the faun guard leader, the boys’ protectors took a tight grip of their hands and led them into a new area of Abasin.

After the dusk settled, Ban Pan and Cassius built a small fire to dry off the children. No one knew what region of land the faun’s doorway had led to, but it soon became too dark to contemplate moving on further without one’s bearings. Ariel had begun sewing the wounds on Cecil’s wings shut, aided by her fairy’s light.

The fire was beautiful and the ember glow gave off just enough heat to keep members of their band warm without attracting attention. A rustle from the bushes behind him woke the sleeping troll from a deep sleep, startling the beast to raise his claws in defense until he saw Cassius appear, carrying a young ox over his shoulder. Cassius threw the carcass down in a bundle next to the fire and made the surviving group gasp in horror at the butchered animal, but everyone felt too exhausted to argue with the bounty hunter’s untraditional ways.

“Your bellies will thank me,” Cassius insisted.

Sebastian sat beside a sulking Benjamin, who had his back to the fire, facing away from the group as he stared into the starry night sky.

“Why so quiet?” Sebastian asked bluntly, encouraging him to reply with a little push.

“Tired.” Benjamin let out a slight cough, whilst rubbing his arms to keep himself toasty warm.

“Face the fire, Benjamin,” Ariel suggested, but Benjamin ignored the advice. The worried boy kept his eyes fixed on the night. Tommy searched along the ground and found a few pieces of living earth food for the boy to eat. Carrying the plant over to him, its tentacles jumped from Tommy’s arm and wrapped themselves around Benjamin’s hand, feeding off the boy like a parasite.

“Bon appétit, I guess,” Tommy tittered nervously.

Benjamin raised the dancing vegetable up to his mouth until a tug on one of the tentacles sent the vegetable flying into the camp’s fire.

“Don’t eat anything that grows out of these lands. They’re poisonous and feed off your blood…understand?” Cassius chastised, pointing at the three boys. Tommy and Sebastian nodded their heads obediently in agreement while Benjamin sat in silence.

“Proper food will be ready shortly,” Cassius assured them after he headed back to skin the rest of the fat off the dead ox.

“He’s only trying to help,” Benjamin finally muttered, fiddling his shoelaces between his fingers. The quiet boy kept his back to the fire when Tommy joined him to feast upon the juicy, tender bits of ox fillet later that night.

“I’m sorry about your friend,” Tommy muttered between bites, rudely chomping his meal.

Cassius raised his head up from the dead animal, awaiting Benjamin’s reaction as he kept carving more meat off of the carcass.

“Why are you sorry, Tommy? You didn’t kill him, did you?” Benjamin mumbled. He finally rested his head by the fire and took what rest he could get for the day ahead.

***

The protectors awoke to the sounds of Ariel rustling through the brambles. The thicket surrounding them was swiftly torn apart, revealing the enormous cliffs and the bridge that cut across them. In daylight they could see the whole cliff drop they had camped dangerously close to. The bridge was still very much intact. The sun was shining brighter this day, and humming birds filled the bushes around them. Cassius busied himself helping the boys equip their own utilities and baggage for the journey when he heard a call from Ariel.

“Are you sure we’re not on the enemy’s path?” she asked.

“It hasn’t been tarnished by them yet. Notice the footprints are faun,” Cassius said, pointing toward the markings and scraping the sandy ground with his blade.

“Very well, so this is the way to the hidden sanctuary?” she asked, seeking confirmation as she looked toward the bridge.

“Yes, that is where we must take them.” Cecil’s voice caught everyone by surprise when he stirred from his slight coma. “I know this place well.” The haggard pixie used his stick to rise and lead the way forward with a ranting that had even put the rowdy troll in his place. Everyone smiled in relief and felt comforted when they heard the commanding lisp of the plump pixie. “The Council didn’t expect a cowardly ambush yesterday. Let’s stick to their wishes. We take the Brotherhood to the hidden sanctuary…end of discussion. I don’t want to hear any more on the matter. Time to get moving,” Cecil rambled.

The rocky dirt path formed into a minor cliff edge – half the size of a cliff one hundred yards opposite it. The taller cliff blocked the sunlight and cast the whole group in shade.

“Bounty hunter, watch our back,” instructed Cecil, pointing his staff at Cassius.

Cassius hung back to follow the group as Cecil Baskin took charge, fronting the way to the bridge ahead of them.

“I like your ears, Peter,” Benjamin said suddenly, causing Sebastian and Tommy to start sniggering behind Ariel’s back.

“Very funny, you three. I’m very proud of my ears. They can hear better than all of your ears put together,” Ariel informed, teasing the giggling boys behind her. “My real name is Ariel.”

“Cassius,” Benjamin called out, watching behind him to see his protector guarding the group.

“Yes?” was the bounty hunter’s one word reply.

“We’ve lost–,” Benjamin began, but Cassius finished his sentence for him.

“Trump…I noticed. You can’t lose those who are already lost, Master Benjamin.”

It took a mere second for Benjamin to understand exactly what Cassius was implying. Benjamin kept his eyes peeled as he hiked beside his friends.

“What’s a Trump?” Tommy asked, taking the leading spot in line from Sebastian to have a closer talk with his reunited brother.

“Trump is their friend, dolly daydream,” Sebastian answered, rolling his eyes back at Tommy. Tommy immaturely stuck out his tongue in response.

Cassius could tell Tommy’s question had unsettled Benjamin, so he answered on his behalf.

“He was a companion who travelled alongside us to the Stained Castle,” the bounty hunter informed bluntly.

“My word, so you’ve lost two friends instead of one,” Sebastian began.

“Trump is a traitor and one we are better without the company of,” Cassius added, closing the conversation once and for all.

“We’re here,” Cecil called out, panting while he stepped his little foot onto the bridge. Shaking his leg up and down to test the durability and safety of the tied rope, the pixie gave them one of his reassuring winks. “She’s safe to cross alright.”

Bright morning sunlight broke through the hollow cave from the other side of the cliff and shone on the bridge.

“It’s a cave tunnel. Look!” Tommy gasped.

“More like a shortcut. It’s just a tunnel to the other side,” Ariel explained. “What do you think, Cassius?”

Taking a gulp of water from his animal skin strapped water pouch, Cassius simply gave a rude shrug and kept a lookout behind them.

“Let’s just cross it,” Ban Pan grunted, taking his first step onto the bridge. The troll’s large, hairy foot caused the supple bridge to sway from left to right.

“Wait, I think we should start with the lightest first,” Ariel suggested.