24

Wilt

“NEXT TIME YOU COME UP with a hair-brained scheme like that, tell us,” Lance said, gazing back at Wynn. “Things could have turned out a lot, and I mean a lot, worse.”

Wynn happily breathed in the crisp night air as they crept along the brick wall of a nearby courtyard.

“I will,” she promised. “In fact I don’t think I’ll ever do anything like that again.”

“Honestly you should,” Beryl said. “That was thrilling!” He spun in the air. “The trick, the skill, and the look on that guard’s face when you slammed the door on him!”

“Shhh!” Lance said. “We’re still not out-out.”

Lance peeked out from behind the wall and reported, “Three guards, two stationed in the courtyard northeast of us, and another patrolling across the street. Keep near the thorned azaleas.”

Beryl and Wynn nodded, following him past trimmed hedges of colorful red, and blue thorned azaleas, tall trellises of tangled hyacinth vine, and swaths of creeping ground willows.

They ducked behind a hedge of violet bush-poppies as a guard resembling an oak tree lumbered by. Lance glanced back at them, smiling.

“We’re almost there,” he encouraged.

But as they crept out of hiding, a voice cut the stillness of the night.

“It’s rather early for you three to be out.”

Wynn bristled. They looked to the center of the courtyard, where a large marble fountain stood. On top, the marbled figure of a stump-like lark poured a basket of flowers. Water flowed from it.

Out from its shadow stepped Captain Conifer. A bush turned around on either side of him, revealing themselves to be guards.

Wynn’s heart thudded.

Captain Conifer stroked the scraggly leafy beard on his chin. “I know you can’t be out for good behavior.”

Lance angrily glared at him. “We know it’s you,” he snapped. “You can give up the captain act.”

Captain Conifer gave an amused smile while the two guards looked at him, confused. “Pay his words no heed,” he told them. “The tall one suffers from delirium.”

“You got us thrown in that cell for no reason!” Lance yelled. Wynn noticed his wings buzzing as he grew agitated. “You hid behind sentries because you’re too cowardly to face us!”

“Uh, Lance,” Beryl muttered, “should we be keeping things down for other guards?”

The captain cocked his head, “You say that so scornfully. If anything, I did you a favor.”

Wynn stared. “What do mean?”

The captain grinned. “Your quest of course—it wouldn’t have ended well. I was on my way to your cell to assure a permanent end, but it seems you saved me the hassle of walking down to that dreary jail.”

Beryl muttered, “Permanent?” He said to Wynn, “So he was going to do us in!”

The captain turned to guards who flanked him. “You two, go down to the cells with the other guards to assure no other breaches have been made.”

The guards looked at him, puzzled. One raised a leafy brow. “What about these three?”

The captain shook his head. “I will handle them. Now leave. That’s an order.”

As the guards left, Captain Conifer met Lance’s gaze.

“The fact you aren’t fleeing in sheer terror shows how naive you truly are.” From his cloak, he pulled a familiar ash-colored staff—Lance’s staff—and waved it tauntingly. “I hope you’re not staying here to reclaim this. Or is it something more?”

Wynn could feel the near boiling anger radiate from Lance.

The air was thick with dread.

Wynn winced as her head began to pound. She leaned over and muttered to Lance, “I think we should go. Something feels even more off than it seems.”

Beryl glanced over at Lance. “Yeah, we made a plan that involved not getting caught.”

But Lance was focused on the fake captain.

The captain continued, “Nonetheless, as captain, it is my duty to enforce law and serenity. You all have committed the ultimate transgression for being a hindrance to me—like a twisted thorn in the paw—or frenzied flea behind the ear.”

His eyes had a harsh violet glow.

“And for that I cannot be merciful.”

In a plume of purple wisps, Brume revealed his true form. His hair grew long and wispy. with two small tusks that curled around his badger-like snout and snaggy beard. His hands bore long nails, and on his back sprouted large bat-like wings. Against his black fur was a long white splotch. His small pig-like ears folded back as he glared at them.

Wynn shook with alarm. “We have to go—now!” she hissed. She looked at Lance, who seemed unfazed by the lark that now towered before them.

Lance glanced at Wynn. “If you can’t handle a fight then stay back.” He turned back to the caster. “But I’ve dealt with him before. I know what to do.” He looked over at Beryl. “You ready?”

Beryl gave a determined nod.

And with that Lance took off, sprinting at the caster with Beryl following closely behind.

Brume laughed. “Just as foolish as ever.” With a flap of his immense wings he was airborne. Lance snapped his fingers, and his staff burst into flame.

Surprised, Brume dropped it and it clattered to the ground.

Lance raised his arm, sending a spiraling column of light towards Brume.

Brume dodged and laughed again. “It’ll take more than your rudimentary magic to stop me!”

Wynn’s head pounded more furiously now. She watched Brume closely. Wherever his shadow fell within the courtyard, the grass shriveled and plants curled.

Wynn’s mind flashed back to the black rotting lichen on the tree, then the pile of shriveled gray bugs she’d found in the Great Osier.

She looked up in horror as she and her friends grew closer to Brume, who kept evading and taunting them.

That was his plan, to lure them in then…

Wynn took off running. “Lance! Beryl!” she yelled, her paws scrabbling against the cobblestone pathway.

They paid her no heed as they focused on Brume. Closer, Lance scooped up his staff and launched another beam of light, which spiraled towards the other caster. Brume evaded, but the spell clipped the tip of his wing. He growled and glared at them.

As the two neared, the tip of Brume’s shadow crossed Beryl’s shell. He winced and turned, confused.

“Don’t get close!” Wynn warned. “His shadows will hurt you!” But her words failed to reach their ears. She frantically looked around for something. I need to show them. Her gaze fell upon the large, thorned azaleas. She ran to one, yanking a bundle as the thorns pricked her paws.

“Why aren’t you fighting back?” Lance yelled to Brume. “You coward.”

Brume glowered. “As if I would waste a spell on an amateur caster and his little minion.”

“Minion?” Beryl roared, and flew closer. “I’ll show you!”

Wynn darted in front of him and held out her paw. “Stop!”

Beryl stopped in midair and looked at her, startled.

Lance also looked at her, surprised. “Wynn? You can’t just run—”

“Just watch!” she snapped, then turned and hurtled the thorned azaleas into the edge of Brume’s long shadow.

Before they could hit the ground their large petals folded in and their stems wrinkled. They fell into a crumpled mess on the pathway.

Lance stared, bewildered.

Beryl gasped and backed away.

“I’ve been trying to tell you,” Wynn said, “his shadows are dangerous! You nearly crossed into them!”

Lance was confused. “But you can only do that with wisps.”

Brume glanced down at the flowers, then silently looked up. As he stepped closer, they all backed away. He picked up a wilted magnolia and looked to Lance. “To assume such a thing shows how little you know of magic.” His gaze met Wynn’s. “And you. Your presence here befuddles me the most.”

Wynn’s heart pounded as he spoke.

“These nitwits I can see,” he said, “even with their poor powers, and mediocre strength. But you. You don’t merely have nothing.” His words dripped with malice. “You are nothing.” He flicked away the remains of wilted flower before her. “Not a guardian, not a caster. You’re a disgrace that ran away from home.”

For a moment Wynn struggled to breathe. It was as if all air had vanished from her. She glanced down, near certain she’d crossed a shadow.

“Halt!” a voice cried out. Behind Brume, two guards ran up.

Brume turned around, unimpressed.

A guard raised his axe-tipped halberd. “As a member of the Runnelloom guard we command you to go no further.”

The other guard agreed. “We saw everything, you imposter!”

Brume raised his large wings and his shadow crept along the ground. As it reached the guards they began to choke and contort. They dropped their weapons and fell listlessly to the ground.

“Thorns and ash…” said Beryl.

Wynn started to tremble. She looked to Lance, who had a similar look of horror.

Brume cackled at the fallen guards. “You’re whole battalion is foolish. Mindlessly following orders. Unable to recognize a change in your leader. I didn’t know whether to cheer or weep at how easy it’s was to be assimilated.”

Lance shook his head, gaining his wit back. He turned to the others. “Run! Now!”

Brume whipped around as they began to flee, snarling, “That time has passed!” Taking off with his wings, he pursued them.

Brume snapped his fingers and a cloud of dark purple wisps appeared before them.

“Duck!” Lance ordered.

They ducked as the wisps turned into long spears of shadow hurtling towards them. They stood up as the spears passed and continued running. As they made for a main road, Brume snapped his fingers.

The long shadow across it warped and rose into a tall arc of spikes, blocking their path. Lance recoiled as a spike nicked his arm, orange droplets of blood tickling down.

Wynn glanced back to see the caster nearing. “Now what?”

Lance pointed to a large wall with parapets that bordered the courtyard. Its tall metal gate was open. “To that Battlement!”

They took off towards it.

“Hey,” Beryl said, panting, “won’t that place be crawling with guards?”

“We don’t have a choice,” Lance said.

As they neared, the gate began to tremble as its shadows struggled to pull it downward.

Lance reached the gate and shouted back at them, “Hurry!”

The two caught up and ran through, Lance following, just before it closed.

They ran down the large entry, passing long green tapestries and pillars. Lance darted behind a pillar and the others followed.

As they caught their breath, Wynn noticed Lance wince and hold his arm.

“You okay?” Wynn asked.

“Fine, it’s just from that first spell I cast,” he said. “I should’ve cast it with my staff in hand.” He shook his head. “Scratch that, I should have seen that it was a ploy to begin with.”

Their convo was cut short by a loud clinking as the gate began to open.

Wynn was panicked. The bale-caster wasn’t finished with them yet. “Now what?!”

“We need to outsmart him, then we can flee across the rampart,” Lance said.

Wynn peeked out to see Brume’s dark figure looming further down among the columns, his eyes bright as he walked.

“We need to get to those stairs,” Lance hissed, pointing at the stone steps to the far left of them. “Those should take us out.”

“But he’ll see us,” Wynn said.

The sound of encroaching footsteps grew louder.

“Maybe we’ll want him to,” Lance said.

He raised his staff, and placed light doubles of all three of them into the air. The doubles were crouching, more exposed along the columns.

Brume turned to the illusion and laughed.

“You must find me fool to fall for such simplistic trick. If this is where you want me to look, then you must be…” he turned to the column opposite from the illusion. He raised up a hand. Like clockwork, the shadows of the column grew, curved outward like hooks.

“Go!” Lance hissed from behind him.

They sprinted for the stairs.

Brume’s ears twitched and he turned away from the second fading illusion.

Lance had made two copies.

As Brume’s eyes picked them out in the darkness, Lance launched a spear of light into his path. Brume darted aside, the magic grazing his cloak.

He glowered in their direction as they bolted up the stairs.

WYNN SHUT THE DOOR BEHIND them as Beryl flipped its long iron latch. The walls surrounding them were covered with shields and halberds. Four large windows lined the sides of the small room.

With no hesitation, Lance dashed over to the nearest window. He swung out a leg and held the side. “Quick, up here.”

Before Wynn could protest, he was climbing. Beryl followed, flying out. Wynn sighed and followed, peeking out the window. The view of the road and roofs far below made her woozy. She carefully picked her way up. Beryl stuck out a hand, helping her over the finely cut bricks.

Above, the moon hung over a familiar shade of dark blue. Dawn was near, but not yet.

Lance scanned around. He walked to the roof’s edge and pointed to the left side. Its brick path ran along on both sides of the tower, wrapping around the section of the wall in a thin walkway. Wynn’s stomach turned at the thought.

“The ramparts here,” Lance said waving them over. “We just need to—”

“Halt!”

“Cease!”

They looked to see a tall tree-like guard gazing up at them, training a longbow and arrow at them.

“Trespassing is forbidden on this walk,” she declared.

“Who goes there!” called another voice. They turned to see two other guards running down the opposite end of the walkway to them. “You there, come down at once!”

It was a spruce-like guard and nettle-like guard, armed with halberds.

“Great,” Lance grumbled.

“Talk about timing,” Beryl pitched in.

Below them the door banged and buckled.

Lance walked over to the other side. He gazed down at the spire’s roof below, then hopped up on the parapet.

“We have to jump.”

Wynn’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding!”

The banging of the door increased.

The spruce-like guard, gripping the halberd in her hand, began to climb.

Wynn stole a glance below. The roofs seemed to swim in her vision. Her heart pounded and her head spun.

Then it’s over, Wynn thought. There’s no way.

“We’re running out of time,” Lance yelled, “it’s the only way.”

“There’s no way I can make that jump!” Wynn said.

Lance hopped down from the parapet.

He gave Beryl his staff, got on a knee, and pointed to his back.

“You don’t have to,” he said.

Wynn hesitated. Her paws felt has heavy as the blocks the battlement was built with. There’s no way… She thought of the long plunge down.

“Wynn!” Beryl yelled. You can do it! Plus, if you fall, I could always catch you—probably-ish.”

Lance’s soft gaze met hers. “It’ll be okay, I promise.”

Wynn took a breath.

She dashed over to him and hopped up his back, throwing her arms around his neck.

Lance crossed his arms behind and held her.

All at once—

The guard climbed over the parapet.

Splinters of dark wisps and wood flew out of the windows below.

And Lance leapt.