Chapter Nineteen

  Caught Fly and Barren Spider

  The webs throughout the chamber trembled as something great and unseen skittered across them. Nephis stumbled away, keeping herself far from the stillborn eggs that stuck around the bound amulet. Marcus, his armored fist still clamping onto the relic, pulled once. It was stuck. Again, he yanked to no avail. The shaking of the webs grew more violent, and a soft, shushing sound filled the halls. It was a loud and breathy scratching, like the brushing of fur. Once more, with all his remaining might, he strained back, and the amulet tore from the webs. Marcus clattered to the ground, his fist gunked in cobwebs as strong as iron.

  All six of them fled. Whatever defeated three armored knights without a fight would surely overpower three and three more. Up the stairs they hurried, squeezing through the narrow halls. Nephis looked back for a moment to see a long, long leg crossing the threshold. Like a dark birch tree it was, like a spear covered in splitted hair. Rava Murku was here.

  As soon as they left the temple, Kugo shut the hood of his lantern, only allowing a sliver of light to guide them. Down the ruined streets they fled, the three knights lagging behind, the poison still flowing through their veins. Nephis, Kugo, and Moss waited for them around the corner of an old home. As they turned, Nephis looked back to see the web funnel that grew from the temple begin to convulse. Then, a great thing like a spider scurried out and onto the web canopy. It turned to look around, back and forth, its many legs clicked. They all watched, peeking from their hiding spot, frozen with fear for where the shadow-wreathed thing might go. Then it disappeared into the darkness, creeping away from them.

  Nephis collapsed, her back to the house. There, everyone stayed a while and caught their breath. Marcus looked over the amulet; it fit into his palm, and in it was etched a small heart held by one of the bird-headed creatures that the temple was decorated with. He turned it over one way and then the other, watching as the dim light from the hooded lantern glinted off of it.

  “What is it?” she asked in a whisper.

  “I’m not sure,” Marcus answered, “Our dear Captain Fane asked us to retrieve it. It must be magic. He seemed to know what it was. I was only to find it.”

  “Oh,” Nephis hummed. And for a moment, a dark thought crossed her mind. These knights were wounded and weary; in a moment, she could scorch them and take their armor and amulet for herself. Then they would have few troubles for a long while. No more shame or sleeping on hard earth, no more stale bread or empty stomachs. No more rivals for the Vallai Kei. And how hungry she felt! More now than ever. She shook the thoughts away. This shadow and this empty stomach were doing her no good.

  “Did they tell you?” she asked to pull her mind away, “That that village’s oracle cannot be married until the monster is dead?”

  Marcus chuckled. “I suppose she will have to mourn being a maid for a while longer.”

  “What a terrible thing to say!” hissed Lorelei.

  “You kill it then, you have a sword,” Marcus answered.

  Lorelei grumbled under her breath.

  “Here, you hold on to this until we make it back. Then you can give this to Fane yourself,” and Marcus looped the amulet around her neck.

  This seemed to cheer up Lorelei a considerable amount, a wide grin spreading across the foreign girl’s face. Whatever she was imagining, Nephis was not sure, but she could guess.

  “We’ve had a rest, now we should leave before it comes looking,” Kugo said quietly and picked up his things.

  Everyone agreed, and they carefully and slowly headed back. Though it was hard to tell where they had come from. The way was dark, and every sound they heard, the clattering fall of every rock and the strained groaning of the great webs, caused them to shrink back. The streets of these ruins were straight, and the placement of each home was exacting. Rows upon rows in every direction of the same ruin. They kept on straight. They came to the wall of the vale they found themselves in, it was veiled in thick, silver binding. This was not the way they came. But at least they might follow it, and eventually come to that silver rope that led back to the surface. It was hard to tell how long time went by in the Ceroil Wood, with no sun and constant scouring for danger, every minute passed in an hour and every hour passed in a minute. But as long as they walked, they did not see the guardian. In every shadow she lurked, behind every ruin she was. Always behind you and never in your sight.

  Then everything seemed familiar to Nephis, the ruins faded into trees and path into lichen. “I know this spot,” she whispered. The floor was clear of webbing and lay thick with moss. “It’s only this way.”

  And they followed her through the dark forest. But as they came to where their exit should have been, everything was wrong. The path was blocked off with a wide net. “No, no, no,” Nephis said, “This was not here before. Perhaps I was wrong.” But as she peered through the webbing, she could just see her silver rope glinting in the lantern light. And a terrible, wintry chill fell over all of them. These webs had not been here before.

  At once, they all began to seek a way through, but so tight was the webbing that they could not squeeze past it. The way down had been wide as a barn door, but here Nephis feared to stick her arm through, for fear of it being caught. Then came the low sound of a chord being struck. Kugo threw Nephis to the side as the great and terrible mass crashed where she had been.

  It shuddered, the black beast, covered in fur. Many eyes gleamed in the low light, and its fangs quivered and snapped. It rushed Kugo like bull, slamming into the webbing, though it was not stuck in it. Each of the Knights of the Black Oak shakily drew their blades and hacked at the monster’s legs. Clang! They bounced off, not even cutting through its black skin. Rava Murku had a small head, no bigger than any of theirs, and a great, fat body, like the stem to a dark, shining pumpkin. Nephis ran back, and Moss ran forward to grab ahold of one of its many legs. It stomped and shook him, and though he squeezed, he could not snap it. It was as strong as a rod of iron.

  “Of hearth and home does man belong. And of his own does he often yearn”

  Nephis chanted the spell as it swung Moss back and forth, her hands outstretched. A bolt of fire streaked from her, lighting the forest in a hot glow. It plunked off of the wretched spider’s armor, and it was snuffed out by its fur. And then it growled, chittering as if rocks were stuck in its throat. It charged at Nephis, each of its footfalls like the felling of trees, for something so huge, it flew, barreling at her. She flinched and tried to back away. She tumbled to the ground. Rava Murku lurked over her, the world engulfed in her black shadow. She opened her terrible mouth, a tongue, like a spear shot out, dripping with poison towards her. And as Nephis stared at this end, a silly thought came about her. It would be a shame if that prophecy were true, that the wedding be called off because of her.

  Like a flash of lightning, a silver blade knocked the spear aside. Marcus wearily held the fangs back, his feet pressed into the soft soil, his arms shaking from the strain. He cut, his blade piercing the gums by an inch. The foul spider bellowed in pain, and its black blood coated the blade. Kugo swept her up and they ran, gliding along the far walls until they came to a hole. The blonde one had found it, and they all stuffed themselves within it. Right as they did, Rava Murku came to the opening, slamming herself against it, reaching her legs and claws, trying to snatch them. They pressed further in until it came around to the other side of the web.

  Nephis sighed in relief. Sweat beaded her forehead like a crown, and her hands trembled uncontrollably. Then, snap! Like strings of lyre being cut, or a whip being cracked, a web was cut. Rava Murku bit into the web with her pincers of iron and tore it. Snap! The sound echoed in their chest. They watched in horror as the monster began to undo its own work, tearing the net from the walls. They ran. Moss was the first up the silver rope, but everyone scurried quickly behind him. Then, it tore the webs from the trees and walls like a sheet and trampled after them. Moss went over the top, and then Lorelei, but the rest were still upon the rope. With his great arms, Moss heaved up them all, running from the cliff with them slung over his shoulder like a sack. They were slung up and over the wall as the beast bit into the air. They ran as fast as the wind, the poison seemingly far from the knight’s mind as a shriek and howl filled the air. Whether the bulbous creature followed them, they did not know, and only felt the blood pumping through their hearts. Eventually, Lorelei collapsed and began to heave into the black night, the poison finally grabbing ahold of them. How long they had run, no one knew, but they could not run any longer. Moss took the girl upon his back, and they crept through the darkness.

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  When they came out of the woods, relief flooded over them, like a tidal wave, it hit them. The sun! The golden sun still shone upon them! They did not know how long they were away, only that their weariness clung to them like a sudden rain. As they looked around, they realized they had not come out the way they entered. But Mouse was keen of eye and sharp of mind and could spot the village upon the far horizon. They set out, walking with some leisure, ambling from hill to hill and smelling the sweet, summer breeze.

  “So you seek the stone, as well?” Lorelei asked.

  They could not hide it any longer, Kugo looked to Nephis. “Yes,” she said, “We do.”

  “Ah, it is funny, but I am happy to hear it,” she answered. “Most people who are also looking try to kill us, but you came and saved us. You are good people.”

  Nephis smiled faintly. “So who are all of you?” she asked. Sooner or later, these people would become their rivals. If she had learned anything in the imperial palace, it was that, in plays for power, alliances were like the wind.

  “We are the Knights of the Black Oak,” she happily sighed. “Knights of justice and equality!”

  “Oh? Who do you serve, then?” Nephis asked.

  “We serve our dear Captain Fane!” she said.

  “We serve the people,” Marcus piped in, “Captain Fane is our leader and our founder.”

  Nephis, outside of the letters, had never heard of a Lord Fane nor such a company. She supposed it was possible that some minor lord formed their number, but to have such reach would be impressive to say the least. “And to what house does this Lord Fane belong?” Nephis asked.

  “’We belong to the House of Man!’” Lorelei quoted.

  “Captain Fane is no lord,” Mouse said proudly, “I can respect him. He is a free man.”

  “Yes,” said Marcus, “He has the spirit of a king, and the heart of a priest, and the soul of a wanderer! I should follow him to the ends of the earth.”

  “Oh,” Nephis said, “Really?” Whoever this Captain Fane was, he sounded like trouble for the crown.

  “It’s true!” Lorelei exclaimed, “You should join us! I know you seek the stone, but we want it for the good of all!”

  “In helping others, you will help yourself,” Marcus said sagely. “In aiding the weary and the lost, you will find yourself. In fighting for the greater good, you fight for yourself. These are what we believe.”

  “I am not so sure,” Nephis laughed, “Perhaps someday! But I must think on it.”

  Lorelei sighed. “If only you knew,” and she looked off into the sun, great doe eyes gleaming in its light. “Oh, we will be headed to Lugoj next, it’s a small town just south of Remare. There is a ruin there, Fane believes it has a tome of the Vallei Kei! You should come with us!”

  Marcus laughed heartily, “Lorelei, you shouldn’t go spilling such things to rivals! But you are a capable party! Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. Of course, we would be willing to split whatever we find, so long as we can take notes!”

  It sounded like a wonderful idea to Nephis. They had little clue where to head next, and before them falls a guide! And she would not mind some female company now and then. Kugo and Moss were swell, but rather rough and tumble in most ways. “I suppose we could manage that. What do you think, Kugo, Moss?”

  “Fine by me,” Kugo said.

  “It sounds fun!” echoed Moss.

  “If I may ask,” Marcus cleared his throat, “Why do you seek after the Vallai Kei?”

  Nephis all at once felt sheepish about her impure motivations. “Much the same reasons,” she lied.

  “I am glad to hear it! To Lugoj we will go!”

  Yet as they walked, something seemed amiss. Near the village, there was no traffic, no hustle or bustle, or any sort of person. Cows mooed and sheep baa-ed, but the people were silent. It was still the afternoon, the highest part of the day. The banners still waved, but no one was arranging them. The gate was open, but none guarded it. The town stood unharmed, but no one was within it. All of them hurried to the village. It was a ghost town.

  “What in the world,” Kugo muttered.

  Things were strewn about. Pots lay on their sides, doors were left ajar, and walking sticks were cast away. It seemed as if every soul in the village had been taken away. Nephis ran to the seer’s home to find it much the same. Books and fabrics were thrown on the ground, the curtains were torn, and the wedding dress was cast upon the floor. But not a soul remained inside. They scoured the house, finding an attic and a cellar, both untouched. In the bedroom, a small room with a single window peering to the outside, there was a box left open. A golden necklace sparkled in the sunlight, still in its box. The house indeed was full of valuable things. Wedding gifts untaken.

  The six of them gathered outside. Chattering about how strange it all seemed, but no one dared to truly say anything for a while.

  “It is odd,” said Marcus, “Perhaps there never was a village,” he mused.

  Both Mouse and Lorelei stayed quiet.

  “We best be heading off then,” he said. “Lugoj is still days away.”

  “Wait!” Nephis said, “What about the people? Something is wrong here.”

  Marcus palmed the back of his neck. “It is a shame, and it is strange, but what are we to do about it? For all we know, they could have been ghosts this whole while! Haha . . . Besides, once we have the Vallai Kei, all of this can be undone! It is unfortunate, but we cannot risk anyone else finding it. Especially not those detestable Sons of Barthus!”

  Nephis was aghast. And looking around, she noticed how the dirt was strewn about, as if someone had run and tripped. And there, gleaming in the earth, she saw a shard of glass, shaped like an arrowhead. Her blood ran as cold as ice. “Something is wrong here; they’ve been taken!” Nephis stammered, “Look, the dirt, it’s thrown all around!”

  “But we have no idea where they’ve gone.” Marcus sighed. “Come along now, Lorelei, Mouse. You three may join us, if you like.”

  A pit formed in Nephis’ stomach. And she seethed, biting her tongue.

  “No? Well, goodbye then. And thank you for your help,” Marcus said, “Should we meet again, it will be a happy day. Meet us in Lugoj, if you come along, or on the road, on in Remare. I expect we will spend a while there.”

  And the Knights of the Black Oak straightened their things and followed Marcus to the West.

  “Goodbye,” Lorelei said faintly, “And God be with you.”

  Nephis did not reply.

  She watched bitterly as they left, and held tightly in her hand that glass arrowhead. Nephis fell to her knees and threw the shard to the ground. “Nephis, are you okay?” Moss asked as he knelt down next to her. Kugo picked up the shard and turned it either way in his hands. He left and soon returned with three more arrowheads. They were quiet for a while, the only sound being the braying of distant animals, and Kugo adjusting his things.

  After a while, he spoke up. “Get up, we’re going to fix this.”

  “Aren’t you going to ask me what I want to do?” Nephis moped.

  “No? Why would I want to hear you despair over not helping these people for the rest of my life? Now get up, I’ll bet we’re days behind,” he said and offered her a hand.

  Relief washed over Nephis’ heart, and she began to weep. “It’s my fault!” she warbled through snot and mucus.

  “Uh-huh, I’m sure it is,” Kugo echoed.

  “Don’t say that!” she sobbed.

  “It’s okay, Nephis,” Moss said. “We got you out.”

  As they scoured the village for a clue, they found many footsteps leading back east. How many had assaulted this village? None of them could prove it, but they were sure it had been that stranger in the black robe, that elder Son of Barthus, escaped from the glass prison. Kugo was quick to gather whatever food he could find; after all, they would likely not return before it rotted. Moss was sure to set the animals free where he could. Had anyone seen them, they likely would have been stabbed on sight for such a crime, but it was the right thing. They gathered at the gate leading out of the city.

  “A real oracle,” Nephis muttered. “I can hardly believe it.”

  “What should we ask her when she gets out?” Moss wondered.

  “I should be afraid to!” Nephis cried, “What if she tells me that I will never be wed until that beast is dead!”

  Moss thought deeply for a while. “Then we kill it!”

  Nephis laughed a little. “I suppose so.”

  And they left, walking from the town of ghosts and following carefully the soft steps of their raiders. How long they had been gone, they did not know, but Kugo was sure it had not been more than two days. The sun set to their backs as they stepped once more into the night, this one they hoped might rise with the morning.