“No,” Iseult said coolly, then released Finn’s arm to step forward.
He withdrew his sword, lowering the tip toward the woman’s still wriggling body. At first Finn thought he might use the sharp edge to skewer her, but instead he slid the point beneath her torso, then flipped her body over, revealing a small creature that had been trying to free itself from the trapping weight of the corpse.
It struggled to its clawed feet, checking over its craggy, rock-like skin for injuries with its spherical eyes. One of its bat-like wings seemed to be broken.
“It’s a Grogoch,” Finn gasped.
The Grogoch jumped at the sound of her voice, then trembled in fear as it looked up at Iseult. Naoki hopped off Finn’s shoulder and crouched on the ground, prepared to pounce the Grogoch.
“Wait!” Finn cried, then knelt beside Naoki to halt her pounce. However, Iseult looked just about ready to pounce the small creature himself, and Finn couldn’t blame him. They’d met Grogochs before. Not only had many townsfolk danced themselves to death, but both Finn and Iseult had been rendered unconscious long enough for Kai and Anna to kidnap her.
The Grogoch blinked up at her, still trembling.
“What happened here?” she demanded. “Did you sing the townsfolk to sleep so the other Faie could murder them?”
Naoki let out a low growl.
The Grogoch was trembling so violently she thought it might wet itself. “N-no, lass,” it sputtered in its humming voice. “I was only here to have a bit of fun, then they attacked. I was knocked down and my wing was broken.” It gestured pleadingly with its taloned hands at the drooping wing.
“We know these creature’s tricks,” Iseult muttered. “We should kill it and move on.”
“No!” it rasped. “I did no wrong!”
Finn held up a hand toward Iseult, halting his sword arm.
“Tell me what happened,” she instructed. “Who attacked?”
“Other Faie,” the Grogoch whispered. “Elementals, led by someone powerful. The elementals never meddle in the world of humans. They must have been forced.”
Something tickled at the edge of Finn’s memories. She knew something about these elementals, but couldn’t quite place what it was. “Tell me more about the elementals,” she urged. “Tell me everything you know and you will not be harmed.”
“Finn-” Iseult began to argue, but she silenced him with a pleading look.
“Cannot be killed,” the Grogoch explained. “These ones were made of pure fire. Whoever commanded them did not reveal themselves. Many of the townsfolk fled, but others tried to fight. Silly men. Stood no chance.”
Goosebumps broke out across Finn’s entire body. She knew she’d encountered elementals in her previous life, but could not quite recall the event, just like all her other memories. She knew they were there, buried somewhere deep within her subconscious, but she had no access to them.
The Grogoch was eyeing her suspiciously, as if wondering whether she’d go back on her word.
Several pairs of footsteps sounded behind Finn’s back. She turned for just a moment to see Kai, Anna, Sativola, and the other two crewmen jogging toward them, carrying sacks of supplies over their arms, but when she turned back, the Grogoch was gone.
“We should not have let it go,” Iseult muttered as the others reached them.
“What are you all standing around for?” Kai questioned upon arrival.
Finn frowned and turned back to Iseult. Their eyes met, and she tried to silently let him know there were things they needed to discuss. He seemed to understand her silent meaning, as he nodded, then turned his gaze to everyone gathered around them.
“Let us leave this place,” he instructed. “Hopefully Maarav and Rae will have already made their way to the gates.”
Soon Naoki was back on Finn’s shoulders, and the party continued onward. Finn hardly noticed the corpses they passed, her mind entrenched in trying to recall her memories.
She was not sure who would be able to command the elementals, but she felt it was critical she find out. If elementals could not be stopped by human means, perhaps they could be stopped by one of the Dair. If they could, she needed to figure it out fast, lest they come for her and her friends next.
Chapter Two
Anna’s feet were beginning to ache, but she kept her complaints to herself. After so long at sea, her limbs and mind felt useless. She was surprised with how little she’d seen in Migris. After all that had taken place there, she’d expected to be jumping at her usual shadows, but the city had seemed dead. All that was left was a bit of magical residue and corpses.
After meeting with Maarav and Rae, the party spent the rest of the day heading east down the Sand Road. Ealasaid and Finn had both spent much of the journey on the two horses, but Anna had refused her turn. She could walk as far, likely farther, than any of the men. She had, however, allowed the men to strap their proffered supplies behind the horses’ saddles. They had found unharmed food in several cellars, along with a few extra bedrolls, some cloaks, and a bit of coin.
After leaving the horrors of Migris behind, they’d had no relevant encounters besides a caravan camped on the side of the road. They had been on their way toward Migris when they heard of what happened there, and were preparing to turn around the next day. The group did not know about what Finn claimed were elementals, only that the city had been burned.
While the others had conversed with the caravan, Anna had kept her eyes cast to the side, waiting in the background with Finn while she clutched Naoki, wrapped in a cloak like a baby - an enormous baby - to keep her hidden. Anna had at least been grateful for the odd distraction of Finn at her side. She didn’t want to know if any of the caravaners were magic users. She already had to see Finn shining like a glittering star. She didn’t need to see anyone else.
The only problem with keeping her eyes continuously cast askance was that she’d see things in the surrounding forest. Magic-type things. Unlike Migris, the woods were alive with movement. Nothing solid, really, just flickers of light, and numerous gray shapes that seemed to be watching the party as they progressed down the Sand Road.
More problematic still, was the fact that soon it would be dark. She always saw more strange things in the night than in the day, whether she was awake or asleep. She did not look forward to her dreams that evening. The sea had offered a relative feeling of safety. There she only had to interact with a few people, and her direct surroundings. On a ship, she knew the gray shapes she was seeing weren’t physically there. In the woods, there was no telling what was real or illusion.
“We should make camp soon,” Maarav stated, the black cloak draped over his shoulders fluttering in the icy wind.
Anna clenched her jaw at the idea, though outwardly she agreed with a nod. She would have to rest at some point, and she might as well get it over with.
“Somewhere away from the road,” Iseult added, walking protectively by Finn’s side. “We are safer where we cannot be seen.”
Everyone nodded and muttered their agreement. After what they’d seen in Migris, they all feared what they might meet on the road, but it was also the fastest route away from the coast. A worthwhile risk. That same logic did not apply to sleeping. For sleep, they would hide in the shadows, and hope that the shadows weren’t what they needed to be hiding from.
With everyone in agreement, Iseult led the way off the path and into the trees. While Anna would defer to the judgement of very few, she found she had no problem deferring to Iseult. She didn’t particularly like the gruff man, but she knew one thing about him for sure. He was a survivor. It was wise to follow survivors if one hoped to remain among the living, especially in times like these.