Wizard Ch 09

They are truly into the wilds this time, though John can't be sure if they're hunting the survivors or being hunted by them.

Nothing in the way of juicy relationship building this time around, but worry not -- there's much more on the way!

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Enchanted

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"There are dozens of tracks," Jennaca grumbled as she met John and Matthew at the edge of town. "They head toward the mountains taking different paths. None stand out."

"Arika and her grandfather?" John asked.

She shook her head. "The only creatures that have left this town had feet with claws on them."

John and Matthew looked at one another. "There's no way one of them came into that tavern and took them," Matthew said.

John nodded. "We'd have known."

Jennaca shrugged. "I'm with you, but I know what I saw too. They didn't leave town... at least not walking on their own."

John frowned. "Well, that's a dead end then."

"It is... I'm sorry," Jennaca said.

"Let's see if we can save who we can," John said and looked up the hill to the northeast. He turned and looked Roxanne over, from head to toe and back up without linger on the skin her skimpy armor exposed. At least she wore her tunic today instead of going bare-chested into the wilds. "Are you sure your leg is up for this?"

"I'm sure," she said.

"She'll be fine," Helleen agreed from beside her sister.

"It will be cold in the mountains," Jennaca warned them. "It's cool here, but the higher we go the more winds we have... northern winds will hit at some point."

"You should have more than a shirt on too," Artesia said to Roxanne. "You both knowhow to fight defensively, but these aren't men with swords we face."

"What of you?" Roxanne asked while staring at Jennaca. "We might as well be jousting knights compared to Lady Jennaca."

Jennaca grinned. "Say no more. If you feel best protected as you are, then so be it. I only wanted to share a warning."

The twins looked to Artesia. Artesia looked at John and saw him shrug. She turned back to them and said, "I was talking to him too, but if that's your wish, so be it. I won't risk my life or my lord's if you're cut down though."

Weston puffed out his chest as all eyes turned to him. He was an average enough looking man though he was lean and his muscles stood out under the small buckler that he wore as a breastplate. Straps ran over his shoulders and around his sides securing it in place and leaving most of his belly bare. A skirt of hardened leathers trips studded with darkened steel rivets not so different from Helleen's. He wore sturdy boots that were made by the same cobbler as Matthew's.

"We'll be fine," Matthew assured her. "Aye, the armor's for show as much as for protection, but it's what they know and train in. Button us up like you are and they'd be pinched and stiff and trip over themselves."

Artesia snorted and turned away, shaking her head.

"Lady Jennaca, if you'd lead the way?" John asked.

Jennaca curtsied and grinned, "Of course, my lord."

Artesia rolled her eyes but kept her mouth closed as a marching order formed naturally. She made sure she was beside John, forcing Roxanne to linger behind them. Zynga took up a pace beside Roxanne that should have stretched her short legs but she moved without complaint or obvious effort. Helleen strode ahead and called for Jennaca to show her the tricks of her trade as they walked. Sadie, Matthew, and Weston came last, watching the ground in front of them as much as they looked to the wilderness around them.

"What manner of spells might help a journey such as this?" Artesia asked John once they'd left the town several minutes behind.

John glanced at her and smiled. "You've a wonderful mind, you know that?"

Artesia's cheeks colored. "I prefer to think ahead and be prepared. Whether these are demons or not, they sound very dangerous. Are they smart enough to lay traps for us? Will the wait in ambush? Do they climb trees or dig pits?"

"All fine questions," John mused. "I have not had time to find any answers to them though. I communed with Mistress last night and she was unaware of what, exactly, we might be facing. We don't know enough yet about them. Even with the description Arika's grandfather gave us."

"So how can magic help us?"

John nodded. "Without having a specific target or direct awareness of our destination, I'm afraid magic is of limited use. I could maintain some protective wards, but every spell I maintain will limit my ability channel additional magic or spells because I'll have to concentrate on them. A wizard must learn to multitask early on in their career, but even the most skilled can only handle so much channeling so much magic at one time."

"What of your spear? That's magical, you've said. Do you maintain that?"

John grinned. "You are a special treat, my dear, I--"

Artesia face tightened and paled at his choice of words.

"Ah, well, I mean you're very intelligent. Very intuitive at these sorts of things," he recovered. He wasn't sure if calling her a special treat had bothered her or if she didn't like being referred to with such familiarity and affection. "So, my spear is an enchanted item. A normal magical spell is an enchantment too, I suppose, but it only exists while there's intent and focus behind it. My chest, my spear, the amulet I took from the former queen of Dilly... those are all magical items. By enchanting the magic into specially prepared and naturally strong materials the spell will have a permanence to it. There is a school of thought that the magic eats away at such materials, but at such a slow rate no one has ever been able to find proof of it."

Artesia nodded and asked, "Could my sword be enchanted? My armor?"

John frowned. "Well... yes and no. Your equipment is fine and you maintain it impeccably, but it's not special."

She snorted.

"I mean no offense by--"

"I'm not offended. These were the best at hand," she said. "Average steel and average work, at best. I suspect Jennaca's gear is high quality. Mine is shit compared to it."

"Yes, well... it's good enough to get you by with the maintenance you do on it, but any enchantment I attempted would only last as long as I maintained it. Or you."

"Me?"

John nodded. "You're learning, aren't you? One day you'll be able to add a magical keenness to your blade or a strengthen the toughness of your leathers. Already you've begun to learn the patterns and theory behind using magic to shield and deflect."

"It's difficult," she admitted.

"Of course it is," John said. "Otherwise everyone would be doing it! Practice though, practice will make you better and open up your mind to new possibilities."

Artesia nodded and fell silent.

John watched her a moment and put his mind to work wondering how he might use his growing arsenal of spells should they encounter one of these demons.

* * * *

"This is recent," Jennaca mumbled while looking up at the rubble that filled the pass she knelt in the middle of.

"How can you tell?" Helleen asked.

Jennaca pointed to different rocks. "See the coloration on this one? The dirt here? The cracks and edges there? These rocks have been upended and smashed against one another. Plus the tracks, they're old but not so old the wind and rain have washed them away."

"Those aren't clawed footprints though," Helleen said.

"Aye, people used this trail. They traveled up and down this ravine frequently once. Now..." Jennaca turned and looked up the steeper side of the valley to her left. It rose to a ridge that led to one of the outermost mountains of the chain. She pointed to a dip in the top of the ridge that led to a hollow along its side.

Helleen followed her finger, squinting against the early afternoon light even though the was above and behind them. "That's up ahead of us a ways yet."

"Everything rolls down hill," Jennaca said.

John and Artesia walked up behind them and came to a stop. "What's this then a rock slide?"

Helleen turned and nodded. "Jennaca says it's recent."

"How recent?" John wondered aloud.

"A week, maybe less," Jennaca said and stood up. "If we try to go around it might take us days."

"Why can't we go over?" John asked.

Jennaca frowned. "It's not set. It won't be stable. We might set off a smaller slide, at worst. At best the rocks shift under our feet and we end up with broken legs."

"Well that's convenient," Artesia mused.

"These demons are smarter than we gave them credit for," John mused.

"You think they did this?" Jennaca asked. "A rock slide? How would they?"

"How indeed?" John asked. He let the question linger while Roxanne and Zynga joined them. "I don't know is the answer, but I do know there's a reason for it."

"To cut us off?"

"Yes, but also to prevent anyone from escaping," John said. "I can think of many reasons to capture the people of Rock Haven and these mountain villages. Food, labor, entertainment, profit... the list goes on. This wasn't done to keep us out, specifically, but to keep any aid from coming just as much as it was to keep those people in."

"You seem to know a lot about this?" Matthew said as he, Sadie, and Weston joined the group.

"No more than any of you, but it's simple enough reasoning if you think it through," John said.

They all fell silent as the rose to his unspoken challenge and came to similar conclusions.

"So what do we do then?" Matthew asked. "Up and over? We don't have the manpower to clear this out... unless you've got magic to spare."

John chuckled. "It would take my spells a month or more to clear this. No, I fear we need to find a way over it."

"John..." Jennaca warned.

"I know, I know, it's not safe," he said. "Tell me, Jen, take away a dozen years and imagine yourself on the other side of this. You know there are terrifying creatures in the darkness stealing your townsfolk. Taking your parents from you. Waiting for you to fall asleep so they can take you too. Would you want rescue to turn around because the path was hard to walk on?"

Jenna scowled. "I wouldn't feel like that, even as a little girl... but you're point is valid."

"You wouldn't?" Helleen asked. "I'd be wetting my bed."

"Don't let her fool you, she still does!" Roxanne teased.

Helleen gawked at her sister.

"Different kind of wet though," Roxanne said.

Somehow Helleen found a way to drop her jaw further.

John stifled his chuckled and caught Jennaca's gaze with his own. "Do you think you can find us a path?"

She turned and studied the rock slide. After a moment she nodded. "I can. You need to be careful, all of you. If you've got spears, use them as staves! Those that don't, we'll need to find something you can use as a walking stick. Sadie, Zynga, Roxanne... that means you."

"Come on, there's some trees we can cut branches from back down a bit," Matthew said. "Weston and I will help and keep watch."

"My heroes," Zynga said too-sweetly.

Roxanne snickered and then smiled at Sadie. Sadie watched Zynga for a long moment before she went ahead of the mace wielding gladiatrix.

"Helleen, with me," Jennaca said. "Step where I step."

"I will," Helleen promised.

John caught Artesia's eye and raised an eyebrow. Artesia gave a curt shake of her head and a dismissive snort through her nose.

John pressed his lips together and focused on keeping his attention as evenly distributed up the pass and down until Roxanne led the group back, freshly hewn branches in hand to use as sticks.

Sadie carried two branches and stared at John a long moment before opening her mouth and saying, "Lady Jennaca doesn't have a staff."

"Lady Jennaca could probably fly over this if she put her mind to it," John admitted. "Not actually, of course, but she's... she's something special."

John didn't see Roxanne's frown at his praise for their guide.

"We've got sticks," Matthew said. "We're ready and the suns starting to get long in the west."

"So it is," John agreed. He turned back and notice the Jennaca and Helleen were nearly halfway up the pass. "Let's be off then, Artesia, I trust you've been watching?"

"I have, my lord," Artesia said and took the lead.

John was only a few paces behind her as they began to climb up and over the freshly fallen rocks. True to Jennaca's word, there were many rocks that shifted and sunk. Otherwise dislodged and sought to roll down hill, often prompting a shout of surprise or warning. Matthew took a bouncing rock off his boot and Roxanne taught them all a new blasphemous phrase when a rock slipped under her foot and she plunged knee deep into a hole. Her bizarrely strapped sandals actually saved her leg from a gushing tear, though it was reduced to an angry scrape that seeped blood down her leg until Sadie caught up to her and put her magic to work.

"Sorry Sadie," Roxanne mumbled while the priestess finished soothing the burn in her leg. "About what I said about the saints, I mean."

Sadie smiled. "If Saint Eile was truly upset, you'd still be bleeding and cursing. As long she is not, neither am I."

"I suppose you've heard far worse from us," Roxanne said.

Sadie's smile faded as she looked up the pass to where John was probing rocks and holes with the butt end of his spear before he stepped on them. "There are far more disturbing things in the world," she agreed.

Roxanne followed her eyes and gasped. "John?"

Sadie blushed and looked away. "I... no, I was just looking at how far we've yet to go."

"Sadie, is there something wrong? You don't often spend too much time with us. We're loud, offensive, and often drunk... but you've seemed more silent than usual lately."

"It's nothing," Sadie said. Roxanne was about to let it go when the priestess spoke again. "I was beginning to wonder if this was all I was meant for. My calling to Eile, I mean. Was my life to be spent healing those that could have avoided being hurt in the first place? I justified it by our travels and the sick and injured I found in the places we went but... I was starting to wonder."

Roxanne nodded. "And you're not now?"

Sadie looked up the hill at John. "My fears of wasting my calling can be put off while he's around, I think."

"Lord John?" Roxanne asked, her eyes following Sadie's.

Sadie made a face. "There is hardship ahead of us, that much I'm certain," she said.

"I think you're right about Lord John. He's got the right of it with these people. I never really gave suffering or hardship of others much thought before, I admit, but it feels good knowing that we're trying to do something about it. That or I've spent too long without a mug of ale in my hand!"

Sadie smiled without smiling. "You're secret is safe with me, Roxanne."

Roxanne laughed and climbed to her feet. She tested her leg and only winced a little. "Almost good as new. I'd kiss you if, well, you know."

Sadie grimaced. "Knowing I took your suffering away is reward enough."

Zynga stepped up from where she'd been watching and listening a few feet away. "We're losing ground and daylight."

Sadie stiffened and looked at the halfling woman. She forced a fake smile on her face and nodded. "She's fit to go again."

"I am," Roxanne agreed. She poked a few rocks with her stick and nodded. "Let's go."

Sadie let Zynga follow close Roxanne and then spent a moment watching them before she followed after. Matthew and Weston shared a glance and a shrug and continued to bring up the rear of the small group.

Navigating the rock slide ate nearly two hours out of their afternoon. By the time the last of them cleared it Jennaca was finishing up her explanation of the tracks on the other side. Tracks made by the boots of people that had come, seen the rubble, and turned back. There were other tracks there too. Tracks with claw-tipped toes.

"What's the short version?" Matthew asked.

"Villagers were here," John said. "A large group but they turned back."

"Why?"

"I think the rock slide happened while they were trying to leave," Jennaca said. "I can't be certain on the exact age of the tracks though. I can tell you that the demons played a part in it."

"In the rock slide?" Matthew asked. "We already thought that."

"No, well yes, but as you said. I meant the demons were here when the villagers were. I see their tracks over and under the foot prints of the people."

"Among them?" Weston gasped.

She gave him a sad smile. "There's signs of fights too. Drag marks, some dried blood... but not a proper fight, more of a rout."

"Saints preserve us," Weston mumbled.

"The saints gave us our wits and the strength in our arms," Matthew said. "And they gave us Sadie when that's not enough."

"And Lord John and his magic," Roxanne pointed out.

John offered a fragile smile and cleared his throat. "Well, that makes us better prepared than I've ever been before, thanks to you and your companions. Let's move and hope we're not too late."

Jennaca pointed. "This way. They ran this way."

"Ran?"

"Oh yes, they were running."

John took a breath and looked around. He searched the ridges and rocks on the valley walls.

"They're watching us," Jennaca said. "I feel it."

John let his breath out.

The rest spun around, searching for dark shapes, long tails, and clawed feet in the growing shadows of the western ridge. In a few minutes the sun would be behind it completely, plunging the valley into the shadows as the sun sank in the west. Dusk was a few hours away on the plains but in the shelter of a mountain ridge, it would come early for them.

"Let's go," John ordered.

He wasn't worried about dusk, he was worried about what might come with it.