Chapter 21

  Where was she?

  Tiny droplets fell in the dark, splashing into deep wells and sending ripples through the still waters. The air around her hung heavy, a thick blanket, damp and cold. An eerie glow cast the room in soft shadows.

  There was a rustling at the far end of the cavern. Footsteps, followed by a low scraping slither, the slosh of rotting leaves peeling apart as something heavy slid across the stone floor. Whatever it was, it was coming towards her.

  A rattling clang and then a thud as a figure slumped beside her. It was Eike. His chest rose and fell steadily, and she could see his breath, short puffs of fog swirling around his face. He was unconscious, still bound by the woman’s spell.

  She heard a sharp crack, and sparks flared, flooding the cave in a flash of brilliant light. The white glare faded to a warm incandescence, revealing a barren hovel in the light of a fire. The floor was littered with bones, stripped clean and scarred from gnawing teeth. The ceiling was held up by great knotted tree roots bending around rock and soil, their gnarled forms interwoven like the fingers of an ancient hand, caressing the earth above. In one corner lay a pile of rancid furs, a makeshift bed for the old hag.

  She stood beside it, tending to the fire. It’s flames licking at the base of a large cauldron.

  “The old king is dead…” she sang, stirring the pot. “…and the forest calls me home.” Black clouds of billowing smoke rose from the cauldron, choking the cave in its putrid stench.

  “What in the gods is that thing?”

  Fia jumped as Eike appeared beside her, pressing his hands against their cage. He stared between the bars, eyes narrowed.

  “It’s a witch,” she whispered, pressing a finger to her lips.

  He lowered his voice, murmuring, “You two don’t look much alike.”

  “I’m not a witch!”

  Eike shrugged, holding a finger up to his lips in reply.

  “…the blackened roots still twist and croon…”

  “So, what’s the plan?”

  “First, we need out of this cage.”

  “You must have a spell for that, right?”

  Fia held out her hand, closing her eyes to think. She could melt the bars…maybe. Or perhaps—

  “—What are you doing?”

  “What does it look like I’m doing?” She hissed.

  “Well, you’re just… you’re sort of sitting there with your hand out… Do you need something from me?”

  “What do you mean?” She opened her eyes, but her hand was empty. Where was her staff? “Oh no,” she murmured.

  “Oh, no?” Whispered Eike, through gritted teeth. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I’m afraid, I’m not going to be much help here,” she replied softly. “There’s a magic in this cavern, it's blocking my own…Where’s that big sword you were swinging around?”

  “Unbelievable,” he sighed, reaching back for his hilt. But his fingers found only air. “Oh no…”

  “We make quite the pair, don’t we?” Fia let out a deep breath, exhaling slowly as she pressed her thumb and forefinger between her eyes, massaging the bridge of her nose.

  “A warrior who's lost his sword, and a mage with no magic.” Eike grinned.

  “She’s going to eat us, you know.”

  “But,” his head tilted slightly, “If she doesn’t, think of the songs they’ll sing. What a daring escape it will be!”

  “…Now the woods are mine alone…”

  The song ended. Its last words echoing coldly through the grotto. And the witch turned, limping towards them.

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  Eike shot her a glance, nodding his head.

  But what did that mean? What was his plan?

  “What—”

  “—Which one of you first?” a voice rasped. And through the bars of the cage, the witch’s head appeared. Her sallow flesh hung from the bones, loose and pale. She had no eyes. The gaping hole where they should have been stood empty. A black void, a hunger that could not be filled

  She reached out, bony fingers gripping the cage. And she shook it, screaming, “Which one!”

  “Me! Take me!” Shouted Eike. Then he turned his head, slyly giving her a wink.

  They were going to die.

  “Hold out your hand,” the witch croaked. “Let me see if you’re ready.”

  There was a flash of ivory, and Fia caught a glimpse of the jagged bone between Eike’s fingers.

  As she leaned in, he struck. Grabbing her arm, pulling her into the bars. And then, he jammed the shard into the void of her eye.

  The witch pulled back, shrieking as she stumbled, falling to the ground. Her cries grew louder, until the walls shook with her wails, her body writhing in agony.

  “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Eike shouted over the screams. He was beaming, chest swollen with pride.

  “It isn’t over…”

  “What?”

  The ceiling began to quake. It shuddered and shook, sending dirt and stone crashing down upon them. And from the darkness burst the great roots, snaking down and wrapping themselves around the twisted woman.

  “These woods are mine!” She bellowed, as the roots buried into her flesh, digging tunnels in and out of her skin, until she and the trees above were bound together, as one. She lifted her arm, coiling the web of vines into a great beam and swung it down upon them.

  The bars around them shattered, and Fia felt Eike’s arms catch her as he leapt, pulling them from the storm of splintered wood and silver shards.

  “And look at that! We’re free!” He shouted, scrambling to his feet.

  “Free to do what?” She cried, eyes searching for cover.

  The witch swung again, the roots ripping into many whips, snapping as they flew through the air, curling after Eike. He dove as they lashed above him, cracking just over his head.

  “I’ll keep it occupied! You figure out how to kill it!”

  As the witch raged, her attention locked on Eike, Fia slipped back into the rubble of their former prison. Hiding in the debris. They needed a weapon. But what? Fire! In the corner, the cauldron sat bubbling undisturbed by the witch’s thrashing. And beneath it, the fire still burned.

  “Any ideas?” Eike yelled. “I’m starting to—”

  —There was a loud yelp, and he flew through the air, crashing through the wood beside her.

  “…run out of space,” he groaned.

  “The fire,” she whispered. “We’ll burn the roots!”

  He looked up, eyes shining, “Excellent, that’s good…really good…just one thing…”

  ‘What?”

  “How do we get past her?”

  The witch stood between them and the fire, lost in the dark wood that wrapped around her person, a chrysalis slowly swallowing her. Green light pulsated, emanating from its core. And in its glow, the hag began to mutate, head bulging, limbs shaking.

  “So, here’s the thing…”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m going to,” she placed a hand on his shoulder, “need you to get back out there and take a few more hits.”

  He winced, “I’m not sure how many more I have left in me.”

  “You’ll be fine.”

  “Well, what are you going to do?”

  “I’ll be inching along the wall, heading towards the cauldron. Then while she’s distracted, I’ll light her on fire.”

  “Oh, that’s easy!” Eike snapped. “I’ll do that. Let’s trade!”

  “Don’t be ridiculous! I’d go down in one hit, and then she’d be right back on you!”

  A sound, like the grinding gnash of pointed teeth, echoed through the chamber. And the chrysalis began to crack, tearing itself open from the inside.

  “Look, we don’t have time for this,” she hissed. “Think of the songs! You don’t want them singing about how you left a lady in harm's way.”

  “Just make sure they sing about how chivalrous I was at my funeral,” he grumbled back at her.

  “You’ll be fine!” She shoved him forward, “Now get out there!”

  “I’m over here! Look at me!” He shouted, half-heartedly. “Come get me!”

  Another shriek, and the roots flew forward.

  Fia stood, carefully pressing herself against the stone edges of the cave. And then, ever so slowly, she began to crawl through the shadows.

  “Over here!” Eike called again. Ducking and dodging as he wove through the sea of vines. He was light and fleet of foot. And he dashed, this way and that, as the witch howled, unable to keep pace with his speed.

  Soon, she reached the cauldron. It was filled with a black tar that bubbled and wheezed above the flames. Oil, oil would make the witch burn faster. But how to get it on her? It looked too hot to touch, so she gathered some furs from the witch's bed. Up close, the foul smell made her ill, and she retched and was almost sick. But she forced it down, wrapping the rotting skin around her hands and taking hold of the cauldron's handles.

  But it was too heavy. She pulled with all her might, but could not lift it from the trivet.

  “Fia!” Eika called out. “Try to hurry!”

  The cocoon was halfway open, a shadow emerging from its shell.

  She let out a short scream, a quiet burst of frustration. Lashing out, her foot struck a leg of the trivet. It spun from beneath the cauldron, kicking up sparks as the pot fell, toppling over and rolling away from the fire. The tar spilled from it, splashing everywhere and covering the chrysalis in its thick oil.

  For a moment, the sparks floated, shining beads that shimmered in the dark. Then they fell, slowly drifting down to settle amidst the pitch. And the room burst into flame.

  A screeching filled the chamber, and a rumbling shook it. The roots pulled back, tearing from the witch as they fled the heat, shrinking from the inferno towards the roof. And the old crone fell, hitting the ground as the fire took her.

  “We got to get out of here!” Eike yelled, sprinting through the flames and catching her hand. At the back of the cave was a small doorway. And behind it, a tunnel. The way out. He ran towards it, dragging Fia along behind him.

  The tunnel was long and winding, and the smoke chased after them, biting at their heels. They ran for what seemed like an eternity. But finally, they saw it. Light. The way out. Lungs burning, feet aching, they burst out into the light of the morning sun. They were in a garden. It was sprinkled in dew and bathed in golden rays of sunlight. They had made it.

  “Fia, look!”

  Eike stood in the sun, breath ragged, grinning from ear to ear. In his hand was a flower, pale as snow, its delicate edges speckled in lilac. Moonshade. The garden was filled with it.

  Cycle: Timor 5-2