“You can do this,” Mira whispered to herself.
In all her years of service, never had her nerves gotten to her like this before. She’d stood at the door to the tavern, muttering assurances to herself for the past five minutes, but her hand refused to open it.
Magic was the furthest thing from her ability. There was nothing she could do to help. She would just be under foot. At least, that’s what it felt like. And as day gave way to dusk and then twilight, someone had to shoulder the burden of telling the children.
Something warm and furry nudged her chin. The ferret that was Rosalie nodded to her. She was right. It could be delayed no longer.
“Mira!” Vivveen squealed as the knight stepped through the door.
The human child dropped her broom and bounded to her. Her little arms wrapped around the zephyra’s waist. Wings curling around her, Mira focused everything on maintaining her composure. The girl would never know it took more strength to open that door than the knight had ever known.
Caleb looked up from cleaning mugs. “Where are the others?”
“Echo and Norm are working with the priests.” Mira’s answer was barely a breath.
A puzzled look creased the boys face. “What about Zhel?”
Mira wet her lips as she motioned to a nearby table. “Please. Take a seat.”
Confusion gave way to revelation at Mira’s grim tone. Caleb shook his head, as the woman lumbered to a seat.
“Non,” he muttered. “Non, dieux s’il te plaît.”
“The symptoms started shortly after we left town this morning.” Mira inelegantly fell into her seat. “Brother Luke and Healer think him being an elf is slowing it down but—”
Mugs crashed to the floor as the boy crumpled into a sobbing mass. Armand, the tavern keeper, hurried to him, issuing shushes and calming words.
Rosalie leapt from Mira’s shoulders, transforming into a particularly fluffy angora cat to comfort the boy.
Vivveen trembled. “Monsieur Zhel is…?”
No words came to Mira. All she could do was pull the child into her lap and hold her, wings enclosing around her to shield her against the world.
“It’ll be okay,” Rosalie purred. “Echo found what’s causing the Hunger. That’s what she and Mr. Norm are working on, right now.”
“See?” Armand said as he helped Caleb to the seat next to Mira. “Ms. Echo and Norm are on it. Mr. Zhel will be okay. It’s just a matter of time. You’ll see. Everyone’ll be okay.” He produced a handkerchief and wiped the boy’s face. “I’m gonna fetch dinner. You eat it all, y’hear? Mr. Zhel’s gonna need you good and strong to help him while he’s on the mend.”
The boy slowly nodded as a fresh batch of tears rolled down his cheeks.
***
Mira drew a deep gulp of air as she startled awake. The room was completely black. She’d followed the children to bed when it had become apparent Echo and Norm wouldn’t be returning any time soon.
The bed shifted next to her. Soft feathers brushed her arm.
“Good,” Echo whispered. “You didn’t go for a weapon this time.”
“Wha’ time’s it?” Mira slurred.
“Late,” Echo said simply.
“How late?”
“We’re closer to roosters than owls. Now, move over.” The duchess playfully nudged her. “It seems my bed is occupied.”
Propping herself up, Mira squinted hard against the darkness. Warmth filled her core at the sight of the children where she’d left them.
“I’m sorry, my lady,” she apologized. “I didn’t think it would be a good idea for him to sleep alone tonight.”
“It’s quite alright, my knight. I’d have done the same,” Echo said as she slid into bed next to her. “How’d they take it?”
“Caleb was a wreck. He couldn’t stop crying. And Vivvy.” She shook her head. “She wouldn’t let go of me all night. Finally crashed in my arms around midnight.”
“Poor things.”
“Did you figure out how to break the curse?”
“Afraid not,” Echo muttered. “All we can tell is it drains the life force from its victims, and those discs act as some sort of conduit. Siphons almost, drinking in their essence. To where, I daren’t guess.”
“Guessing breaking them wouldn’t do anything, huh?”
Echo shook her head. “Doubtful. There’s no telling how many more there might be. Destroying those wouldn’t be much different than shutting the mouth of a hydra. There are plenty more heads where they came from. No.” With a sigh, she rested her head on Mira’s shoulder. “We have to find the source. Dispel it there.”
Mira could feel the worry radiating off her. Echo had exhausted herself in study. The knight desperately wished she could say something. But what? At a loss, she wrapped an arm around her.
“So.” Echo cleared her throat, affecting a conversational tone in a clear attempt to change subjects. “Have you a gentleman back in Sitri?”
A snort tore through Mira so fast; she couldn’t try to stop it. “No.”
“Come now, Mira, surely there must be someone.”
She shook her head. “I’ve never had a serious boyfriend. I think I intimidate guys. You know,” she shrugged, “being a knight and all. What about you? Feathers like those, you’ve gotta have a whole flock chasing you.”
“Oh, I’m not wanting for suitors.” Echo rolled her eyes. “Regretfully. Feathers be damned, though, I’d kill for your span. But come then! There’s no one you fancy?”
“Plenty.” Mira chuckled. “But they sort of need to want you back.”
A sharp sting pricked her heart at her own words.
Echo raised her head from her shoulder. Even half-blind from darkness, Mira could see her magenta eyes on hers, and the glisten as tears filled them.
“Well, I think they’re mental.” Reaching into her own wing, Echo hissed as she plucked a flight feather as orange as the dawn sun and wove it into her knight’s hair. “There. Maybe you can draw some of my flock away.”
Mira couldn’t tell if she wanted to smile or cry as she touched it. “Thank you, my lady.”
***
Vivveen was glued to Mira from the moment she awoke. Neither she nor her brother let either woman out of their sight. The knight mentally cursed herself at her lack of words. Comfort wasn’t exactly something taught in her soldiering lessons.
They would have to find busy work for them soon. The others were waiting to discuss strategy.
There was no way of knowing how much longer Norm stayed with the priests and Zhel. Gauging by the weight of the bags under his eyes, however, it was safe to say he’d heard the dawn’s first crows. Not that Echo was much more alert.
Mira absently brushed Vivveen’s hair as she waited for her companions to gain some semblance of consciousness, but between the two, there wasn’t enough tea in the whole of Lendra to rouse them. The child shifted in Mira’s lap to touch her face, as if needing reassurance that she was there.
“Caleb,” Norm grumbled through exhaustion. “I need you and your sister to help pick berries, okay?”
Panic widened the boy’s eyes. “But monsieur, w-we can’t… please. We can help carry your things!”
“It’s just going to be a lot of boring talking,” Mira assured him.
“I’ll be good!” Vivveen whimpered. “I won’t talk or anything!”
“What if you need messengers? We can go for you,” Caleb offered.
“Please don’t go! Please! Every time people go, they don’t come back!”
Drawing her into a tight embrace, Mira shushed her. “Vivvy, sweetie, we’ll be okay. I—” The dawn bright feather in her hair brushed her neck. “I’ve got an idea.” Wincing, Mira tugged out one of her flight feathers and braided it in the girl’s hair. “There. Now I’m part of you, so I have to come back. See?”
The girl ran her tiny fingers over the gray-brown plume. She sniffled as her eyes drifted to Echo.
Her lip quivered. “Can I have one of yours too?”
With a soft smile, Echo obliged. “We’ll be back before you know it,” she said as she finished weaving it alongside Mira’s. “We just need to meet with our friends to discuss our next move. That’s all.”
Norm pulled the boy into a half hug, pressing his head tight to his chest. “We won’t set foot outside of town without letting you know first. I promise.”
“Can we go with you?” Caleb’s words were barely a breath. “When it’s all over?”
“Well.” The man sighed heavily. “My old lady’s been pestering me about having another.” He shrugged. “It’d be nice to skip that whole ‘potty training’ thing.” Releasing the boy, he eyed them suspiciously. “You don’t breathe fire when you get upset, do you?”
Caleb and Vivveen looked to each other; their faces scrunching in confusion.
“Non?” the boy said at a loss.
The warlock visibly relaxed. “Good,” he muttered.
“So it’s settled then.” Echo gently squeezed the girl’s shoulder. “Mira and I might need to do a high altitude flyover, but we will be back.”
“And the village needs those berries, so we’re really counting on you,” Mira added.
They escorted the children to the berry patch Rosalie generated before making their way to the west ward. Uncertain voices murmured within the main building as they entered. Brother Luke, Rosalie, Healer, and a number of priests hunched over a table, muttering amongst themselves.
“You’re here!” Rosalie beamed at seeing them.
The crowd parted to make room for them. Among them, half hidden by the go’thial, was Remy, a mischievous grin upon his face.
“You done getting your beauty sleep, mes amis?” He winked. “Ready to get some work done?”
“Well, you know us girls,” Echo quipped back.
“Monsieur Pêcheur has provided us a map of the swamp,” said Brother Luke.
Tea stronger than Mira knew possible was poured for them as they settled over the table with the others. Echo’s face twisted at the first sip. Pinching her nose, she quaffed it all in a gulp, and then signaled for more.
“We’ve been trying to figure out where anyone wanting to curse the town’d be setting up shop,” Healer explained. “So far, we ain’t got no closer to a guess than we had yesterday.”
The map was centered on Larris sur L’eau. Surrounding it were markers for various camps— fishing, hunting, trapping, and the like —along with goblin and other… less than friendly settlements. Strange symbols denoting sites important to the spirits of the swamp, such as Mama’s tree, dotted the map, and, of course, he’d made notes for fishing hotspots.
At last, something Mira understood. Growing up under Captain Theris’s care, she’d become quite familiar with maps. Tactics, logistics, they were as natural to her as flying.
“Remy,” Mira began as she studied the map. “The other day, you said there hasn’t been anyone inflicted more than about a half day away from the village.”
“Oui, that’s right,” he confirmed.
“A half day by how? Foot? Boat?”
He laughed. “Well, we ain’t got wings like you, chere, so it’s just the two for us.”
“I think I see where she’s going.” Norm moved to get a better look at the map. “If there haven’t been any cases further than a half day’s travel…”
Echo’s face paled. “The source is here. In the town itself.”
Revelation filled the assembly as they clambered to look.
“The first case, or at least, the first we know about, was at the mill.” Mira tapped the map. “The second was on the other side of town. Do we know when the goblin settlements started getting hit?”
Remy shook his head. “Can’t say nothing for sure. Most of them don’t want nothing to do with us.”
“Well then.” Mira sighed. “I guess we need to check on them.” She turned to Echo “Ready for that high altitude flyover, my lady?”
“Not particularly,” Echo griped. “But I suppose we are the only ones equipped for the matter.”
“Echo and I will fly out and wide circle back. If I’m right, we shouldn’t find any signs of the Hunger until we’re within that half day’s radius.”
“Care… for an extra… sword… dame knight?”
Zhel lumbered towards them. His whole form trembled with exertion. He looked awful. In those few hours, he’d lost at least ten pounds. His features, already sharp and angular, were painfully pronounced.
Healer and Brother Luke rushed to the night elf. The demigiant shouldered his weight like he was a toddler as both insisted on him lying back down, but Mira could hardly hear them.
This was the wrath of the Hunger. He’d been a lethal weapon less than a day ago. A storm of sword and dagger, but now, he could barely stand on his own. And that was considering his elven nature slowed its progression.
She shook her head. How’s anyone supposed to survive this?
Fingers laced with the knight’s. Soft sobs shook Echo as she hid her tear stained face in her guardian’s plumes. All Mira could do was squeeze her hand.
Zhel ignored the priests, turning his hardened eyes to Mira. “Dame knight, I can still—”
“Be a colossal pain in the butt?” Mira nodded. “I agree.” Shaking her head, she sighed. “I know you want to help, but you’re no good to anyone in this state. Please.” She gestured to the beds. “Lie back down.”
He sighed but made no protest. His strength was sapped. If not for go’thial carrying him, he wouldn’t have been able to crawl back to bed.
Sniffling back her tears, Echo dried her eyes. “We should contact Sitri. Have the captain at the quarantine send riders to request curse breakers from the capital.”
“It’s a good idea, my lady, but—” Mira’s face twisted with doubt. “Welmin isn’t really big on magic. I think King Bazyl only has three or four court wizards.”
Norm looked to Echo. “What about your people? Zephyrni society is run by sorcerers, isn’t it? Think Clearwater Cove could help?”
The duchess shook her head. “We’d all be dead by the time they got here. It takes a month just to get to the islands.”
“What about another eyrie?” said Brother Luke.
“There’s one in the Sun Shade Mountains, but they’re pretty isolationist, even by zephyrni standards,” said Mira.
“Arcanal.” Healer sighed heavily. “If anyone’s got mages to spare it’s the Imperium Arcanum.”
Mira’s feathers bristled. “Assuming the Council of Nine would even accept an envoy to Magoria, the empire would exact a heavy price.” She shook her head. “Welmin would be ruined.”
“Maybe,” Healer grunted. “But better ruined than dead if you ask me.”
“It’s a decision for the king to make, isn’t it?” Rosalie reasoned. “Asking for outside help that is.”
“She’s right,” said Echo. “This is above our stations to decide. I’ll contact the captain, have him send the riders, and let his majesty decide the best course given the new information.”
Brother Luke nodded. “A wise choice, my friend.”
“I’ll get a head start on the fly over,” Mira said as she grabbed her halberd. “You contact the captain and his men.”
“Got it,” said Echo as she dug the enchanted mirror from her bag. “I’ll take the south to west orbit, you handle north to east.”
Rosalie hopped down from her stool, shifting form to that of a falcon and looked to Mira.
“I’ll follow after you and get a closer look at those settlements,” she said. “See if I see any signs of the curse.”
Wind in her wings, Mira climbed to her ceiling. Finally. A plan. Not much of one, but she’d take what she could get. But as her orbit steadily shrunk, and the promised movement within those far flung settlements slowed, a strange feeling quivered in her heart.
A slight, though painfully familiar pressure built in her head, but at the same time, it was different. Distant. Not with her but—
“Aagh!” she shouted in pain.
It was like someone yanked out one of her flight feathers. Something was wrong. The quiver in her heart consumed her whole being. Her breath caught and released in great gasps.
What’s wrong with me? Why… What’s this feeling? She blinked and a tiny face filled her mind’s eye. A little human girl screaming for help. “Vivvy!”
About the Author
A. S. Raithe is a fantasy author living near Pittsburgh with his wife and children. Always the creative type, it wasn’t until high school and being introduced to a local bestselling author that he found his passion for writing. He took time away from writing to attend college before being convinced by his wife to pick it up again shortly after their wedding. Outside of writing he enjoys exercise, baking, gardening, folklore, music, and hiking.
