Merryn took in several breaths as the setting sun painted the horizon as blood before fading away. The light wind chilled her cheeks and arms. Her arm swelled, pushed against the sling, and became ever more sensitive and tender.

“Casey, bring us back!” Parcival said.

Who’s Casey? Within moments, they were all whisked away to stand in front of a small home, her arm pitched a fit, and she moaned while shivering.

“Casey, we have her!”

“I’m glad everyone made it out alright,” said Casey. He closed the door.

Inside a hand-cut, carved log table, simple stump seats, some shelves, and other homey things and an odd lining etched into the wall.

“Han, ple — ase.” The world spun, sending her crashing down.

“Apologies, this’ll take a few minutes. You have payment?”

Only gibberish sounded from her mouth.

He crouched beside her, his paw-hands soft and gentle. Soon they glowed, followed by a blessed ease of the break repairing.

“My gratitude.” Parcival helped her stand.

Parcival stared at her, his face began to light glow as he stared intently for a moment, then this faded, and he put her down on a soft padded bench near the door. He turned to Casey. “She’s… unwell.” He then went back over to the table.

That magic was old, some sort of light. No? What was it called again? She rested her head against the wall.

Casey’s brow deepened. “How unwell?”

Han piped in. “At first it seemed like ordinary exhaustion, but after watching her it seems a type of parasite, one unknown to me.”

Parasite? I will show them a parasite. It’ll rain down death in the likes of such none will control!

Not now spirit, you want them to destroy us both?

When I get free…

I laugh! You toss threats around but can’t even get away from a little book, or pendent.

Foul creature! Let’s see you laugh when my energy fully returns.

Unnamed growled through her.

Don’t do that, they’ll think I’m gone insane!

Hisss…

Han would make a nice hat.

What?!

I joke… mostly.

“Merryn?”

Everyone had taken a few steps back, Han’s fur puffed out and Parcival stiffened.

Han stepped over to the table, his head tilted downward, his cheek twitching. “Maybe she’s gone crazy, from whatever happened.”

Parcival glared at him.

He faced her again. “Why are you doing… that?” Parcival’s hand that rested on the table now held it tight.

“Excuse me,” she coughed into her hand, trying to make it sound like a growl.

Muttering, he took another look, then became silent.

Han picked at his jacket.

“Merryn, when did this first happen to you?” Casey knelt.

She crooked, all words were gibberish refusing to come out.

Casey went to a barrel by the bedroom door, picked up a mug on the bench beside it, and dipped it into it. The cold water dripped from it.

“Here.” Casey handed her the mug.

Wrapping both hands around it, she drank. That water tasted better than any. So cold. It washed over her parched mouth, and she gulped it down in short order.

“Thank you. Don’t be so hard on them, I wouldn’t be here if they hadn’t had the lunacy to face Maxwell head-on.”

“And, he is?”

“Doesn’t matter who, but what he does. He has an agenda of some sort, of what I’m not sure.”

Parcival took a sip of his tea, wrapping his hands around the cup. His eyes peered over the brim.

Now, what was he thinking?

“Thank you.” He stood, shaking Casey’s hand.

“Follow me. The caves, they start here.”

“Caves?”

Parcival stood, stretching his hands. His fingertips brushed the thatched straw ceiling. “Han and I have decided that you need some help.”

“It would’ve been nice if you’d discuss this with me first.” She pulled up on the table and stood. Such woeful manners they have. I can’t wait to go home. But a cave? Did it have to be a god’s forsaken cave? Shuttering, she stayed back.

Walking over to the etched lined wall, Casey pressed his hands into faint imprints. Red glowing runes appeared, framing the entrance. The wall rumbled as it slid to the left.

Water dripped from the stalactites that toothed from above, not looking unlike the open slavering jaws of a great monster. Shaking now, with clasped sweaty hands, she scooted over toward the threshold. It’s just a cave, a nice little cave.

Parcival leaned into the entrance, whistling sharply.

A creepy whistle. Pieces of it came back to her. A shadow, two eyes, just like the other day, and like the first time all those years ago. A nice little cave that’ll trap us, never to see light again.

“Time to g — “ Parcival’s lips thinned, and his brow deepened for a moment. He let go of the edge of the cave entrance.

“What is it? Do, you see something?”

“No.” She attempted to swallow, but her throat struck.

Parcival walked over and pulled on her wrist.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. Though, if you could, it would be twice as fast.”

Her cheeks cooled, as did the rest of her body. “No, we need to hurry.” She nibbled on some loose skin on her lip. It wasn’t proper acting this way. She straightened her shoulders and attempted to look normal, whatever that is. Her ears twitched.

“Well, we’ll need to see.”

Wiggling her fingers in a series of strange gestures she summoned a small glowing globe, as always it started out as just a mote that grew larger, warming her hands as it floated above them. She held it tight before letting it go where it floated midair.

Parcival coughed.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“How did you do that?”

She tilted her head. “My aunt taught me.”

Raising her hand, the globe raised with it. Don’t run, just get through this, it’s a little cave. Nothing much in a little cave. She breathed in and focused on making it brighter.

Parcival’s eerie face glow caught her breath just for a second. She stole a quick glance. He didn’t appear to notice, or wasn’t showing if he did.

He started talking, but it was hard to concentrate. The thoughts spun around too fast to catch any.

His voice cut through, again.

Parcival turned and went inside. “Coming?” He held out a hand.

She froze. It won’t happen again, it can’t.

He came over. “Together alright?”

Nodding, she straightened her shoulders. Got to get him away before it was too, somehow. Pour sleeping powder into their drinks in the next town? Just the thought of it gave a metallic taste to her mouth. Moronic getting so, so, so… She squeezed his hand back. Worming into my brain like that. Damn you.

“Just move. It’ll become easier if you keep going don’t slow us down,” Han said.

She swallowed, nodding. An image of a hole opening up and swallowing them all came and went. It won’t happen again, it was just an accident, besides I’m not a kid anymore.

“Light of Olenus shine long and bright.” She stood.

Han checked on Parcival who’d walked further away, his gaze sharpened. “You know, he talks on about helping everyone, but Guardians have a tendency to deal out judgement harshly as their gods don’t see grays well.”

A racing sensation went up and down her arms, and her stomach did an dead end jig. What kind of strange fipty-flopn’ whiplash attitude is this of his? I thought they were friends?

“Parcival is with us, his job doesn't deicide who he is.” He hasn’t judged me once so far, even when I was suspicious before.

Han moved to the side and they continued along the bridge. A good thing too as she unintentionally looked over the edge and a light vergo sent her head spinning. she stepped slower now and tapped each plank before continuing.

“You’re an Elvin, you seem to avoid talking about anything related to your people, but maybe you should? If there’s one thing I know, is past's tend to come along and bite you when you least expect it.”

She adjusted her face letting it become blank. “Mines actively doing so, I have my reasons. I’m done talking for now.” He’s fishing, letting them know what happened would only hurt them. I’ll tell them later if I have too, if they're too involved Maxwell might harm them.

Parcival shouted, “are you two declaring your vows for one another? Do you need a priest? Hurry along!”

Right. Another step forward. Move.

Han hopped and landed at the end of the bridge beside Parcival.

Parcival led the way further down a passageway, that opened into a terrible cavern. The light ball streaked off ahead, illuminating all it reached. Every corner and edge glared; the shadows pulled back as the globe circled the area above them.

On the far left side, several thin spindly bridges jutted out, if they could be called that. Going further into the bridge, the encroaching shadows pulled and ate away the light. Ladders reached up from the bottom of pillars, leading to even more bridges. These connected to more ledges and linked to several flat-topped stone pillars like so many spectral fingers in a row.

“Keep looking straight ahead.”

“Right. Ahead.” Don’t want to be here! Could just run back, right? We could try another day? She swallowed. A large, dank tunnel emerged at the end of the bridge. She gripped the rope, frozen.

“Merryn?” Parcival snapped his fingers in front of her. “Let’s go.”

Cold sweat drenched the back of her undershirt. She clamped her jaw as a whine tried to squeak out. Not today. Come on; stop it. She pulled in rapid breaths, the scent of old gods below, once resided here.

I’m being foolish, nothing is there. Nothing!

Weren’t you sleeping?

Who can sleep with all that whining?

You’re no help.

A cave can’t hurt you, go.

A quick shiver ran down her neck.

Parcival watched and waited. “It will be fine. Look, I’ll go ahead and show you,” he stepped away.

“Come back!” Unable to look him in the eye, she held her hands. At least none from home can see this shame.

He half-turned his face, winking, before heading to the tunnel entrance.

Han patted her thigh. “See, it’s fine.”

She glared at him. “Do not do that.”

He drew his hand back, eyes wide. “Listen to yourself! You are losing it, other elvins’ like you would have breezed though this. You tried your best, correct?” He said this in a voice lower than the human could hear. Then walked away shaking his head.

She clenched her teeth together. I don’t know what makes me want to scream more, this damn bridge or him!

He went and sat on a stupid rock.

I’m not losing it. Everything is just going so wrong. She stood until her legs burned. She let go, but kept watch of the tunnel.

At the end of the bridge, she crouched down, tying a bootlace. Her fingers blocked any attempts to knot it. Doesn’t matter. The area still spun, so she played with it for a few minutes.

When she sat down, Han raised a brow, smirked yet kept quiet.

“Let’s make camp here and proceed in the morning.” Parcival pointed to a flat area ahead, to the right of the sinister tunnel.

“No, I want to keep going.”

It took longer than it should have, but she finally crossed. Am glad that’s over. Opening a pouch, she brought out a thin braided leather cord, then reached back for her hair and tied it.

She followed him into the next cavern passageway. This became another tunnel that went on for twenty feet. It had no rocks, thankfully. She raced past as soon as the light showed at the end. “Oh joy, praise the sun, we’re out!”

She bounced on the pads of her feet. Sweet air. No more walls. She resisted an impulse to spin around. She grinned, then joined her hands in a soft clap. Alright.

Han had an odd look on his face that settled into a smile.

Parcival took out several small logs from a large hip pouch he searched in it and pulled out a small vial popped the cork poured Its shimmering silver liquid over the logs where they burst into flame.

“What manner of — I mean, what magic is that?” It wasn’t often you’d see a man of the blade use magic so easily.

He shrugged. “Just a touch of alchemy. It’s nothing to worry about.”

How often, when someone says that, it is? “It’s not magic?” Something about his tone didn’t sit right. All the good mood drained away. She sighed. Have had about enough of containers and liquids. Yet, he did help.

“How about a short rest before, we continue?”

Never had many friends; stayed in the temple until of late. It was hard to know just what his intentions are. It shouldn’t hurt to try.

She eased down and crossed her legs a few feet away, taking care not to start any muscles screaming again. “Just where are we going anyway? I really need to get back home. Where’s the nearest ship port around here?”

Han, who was smoking his pipe, popped up his ears straight as a jack-in-hammer. “I thought I saw something.”

On full alert, she froze. The winds were quiet, a few harper-beatles chirped. Her ears twitched and swiveled slightly. A scratching? That too stopped. She relaxed again.

“Seems gone now,” she said.

He moved closer to the fire across from Parcival, his little nose sniffed. “I can see better over here anyway.”

Parcival shrugged.

“Come sit over here.” He patted the ground next to him.

“I’m just fine right here.” Somewhat arrogant, how brash!

The smoke was strong and harsh, instead of pleasant sweetness, it burned some with each breath. She waved it away and scooted away from the draft. It only happened to be closer to Parcival.

He lifted an eyebrow and smirked, stretched, then pulled the ties off his cloak, letting it slip off into the grass.

“Thank you.” Still facing the fire, she scooted to the side a little more.

Parcival smiled. “Any idea as to what Maxwell was doing to you?”

She stiffed. Odd sounds. Half-spoken sentences. That worm glop. She rubbed her hands a few times. “I was pretty out of it.” She paused, then turned and studied his face.

“I’m not positive, but it may have to do with this infection.” It’s best not to tell them anything, they don’t need to get involved any further. A thin sweat chilled her palms, and she wiped them on her leggings.

If he only knew. All the more reason to say quiet they’d think it’s a possession most likely. Exorcisms are painful, at least the ones I’ve seen.

“Come with me to my home city. We have many skilled healers and priests. One should fix you right up!” He grinned.

Smiling, Han nodded a little too vigorously.

“I wonder about that.” Still, if one could — no, that was too much to hope for.

####

They talked through the night and slept until late morning.

Almost afternoon by the looks of the sun. She blinked, stretched, and put her armor back on.

Once Parcival was ready he led the way, following a path that lead to the mountains far off.

Walking up ahead, the pathway wound up like a kink along the mountainside. This way was shorter, but the path could crumble at any time. She bent and dug under the snow to the raw earth.

A handful of the dirt crumbled in her hand. Even in this cold, it’s treacherous.

“Are you sure this is the only way?”

Parcival took out a water pouch, sipping from it.

Taking out the map, she checked it. “It’s not on my map, this huge city you keep going on about.”

“It’s, hidden. It’s over to the west, just past that clump of trees.”

She rolled the map back up and placed it back into her pouch. “We are headed straight for Lashquet Wood, you lead.”