“I am meant to understand that I’m doing the work of the gods. If the gods are so powerful, I’m not sure why they need my help.”

The Book of Lost Wisdom, Kalutu

Eighteenth of Learning 1142

Because they had stopped to sleep, they didn’t reach the farm until late afternoon. Maynor looked around, taking it all in. The small house, the barn and the shed indicated it was a small family farm. No one would look twice at it. Its distance from other dwellings made it a good place to hide captives. Yes, they had been here.

“How long?” he asked.

“Several hours,” said Dreek. “They apparently left quickly.”

“Somehow, they knew. They realized we were coming after them. That means that somehow they’re able to follow our progress.”

“Assuming,” said Ressssen, “that they were fleeing us and not another.”

“Possible,” said Maynor. He should have thought of that himself. “Well, we still have a couple of hours left until dusk. Let’s push on.”

“You don’t buy that they were fleeing someone else,” said Garne, watching him.

“It’s possible,” said Maynor, “but no. I believe they knew we were coming. We only caught up to them as fast as we did because they had stopped. As far as I can tell, they only started moving again when we turned around and came back. It seems likely that they had warning—the timing is right.”

“What are you suggesting?” asked Ressssen.

“That someone is keeping track of our movements and reporting them to the enemy. It could be some external source that’s tracking us, but it could also be a traitor.”

“If there is a traitor, there must be some way they are reporting…some mechanism. A day ago I would have denied the possibility,” said Ressssen. “But with what I know now, I will not. That said, I think it unlikely.”

Maynor nodded. “I’m just listing possibilities, not accusing anyone. But we should keep our eyes and ears open, just in case. Report anything unusual.”

“Agreed,” said Ressssen.

“I don’t like it,” growled Garne. “You need to trust your team, and I do. Well, I did. Striker’s betrayal has done a lot of damage.”

“Guild teams have fallen apart over less,” agreed Maynor. “I hope the same will not happen to the Misfits.”

“It won’t,” said Ressssen firmly. “We may struggle with this for a time, but remember, this is about the Undead King and the threat he representssss to all Thysandrika. Most teams don’t have such reason to work with each other.”

Garne shrugged. “That’s not what motivates me to stay, but I get what you’re saying.”

“We need to move out,” said Maynor. “As it is, we won’t catch them tonight.”

Merck, who had been silent throughout the exchange, sighed loudly.

“I’m going to have to get back on that horse, aren’t I?”

Garne chuckled. “Sore, are we?”

“Yes. Tell me it gets better.”

“It will in a few days.”

“I may not survive a few days of this,” muttered Merck. He moved to mount his horse then stopped. “Hey George, if you’re listening, here I am, your loyal priest. I could use a bit of relief here.”

For a moment nothing happened. Then, suddenly, he sighed happily. “I need to pray more often.”

“Don’t tell me that worked,” said Garne.

“It did, thank George.”

“This,” said Garne, “is why I stay with the Misfits.”

Ressssen ignored the banter and mounted. Upon seeing this, the rest of them followed suit. Garne was still chuckling as they rode off into the waning afternoon.

*

Flapper lay on the ground, huddling in fear. He had felt the terror as all of them had. The need to flee. But the pain in his body didn’t allow him to move, so he lay there, alone and shivering.

He was a failure…had always been a failure. He had joined the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Familiars because his old master had been cruel, but on some level, perhaps, he had deserved it. Most mages couldn’t pick the familiar they ended up with, and by any standard, Flapper was a disappointment. He was neither fast nor agile. He didn’t have great combat skills and wasn’t even particularly smart. He had been a burden to his old master and was a burden to Kalutu. Everyone else could fight but him. He couldn’t even get across the pit without Sam carrying him. Useless, that’s what he was.

The one called Zephyr wasn’t useless. She was keeping all three of the enemy busy while he lay there, feeling like he might never get up. He would lay here, alone, until something came and ate him. Then maybe he would be finally useful to something at least. He watched Zephyr in amazement, wishing he could do something like that…but he couldn’t. He was just a lowly beaver. His list of skills was limited. After all, what was the likelihood that Kalutu would need a dam.

Without warning, Zephyr vanished, leaving him alone on the ground. Her three assailants looked around, grunted in frustration and turned their attention to him. This was it… he was going to die. High time too. At least he wouldn’t be a burden anymore.

But the one who had been a Scout suddenly looked toward the door.

“There she is!”

Flapper looked, but she was already gone. The enemy forgot him as if he wasn’t there. And why wouldn’t they? No one could construe him as a threat. The three ran out of the room and around the corner in pursuit of Zephyr. She was so fast. If only he could be like her.

He tried to get to his feet and after a few minutes of rolling around, managed to start moving in the direction of the door. Everything hurt. The one called Swag must have been very strong to kick him hard enough to hurt him so. Or maybe he was just fragile. Hardly surprising. It wasn’t like he had a lot of combat experience.

Flapper finally made it to the doorway and began inching toward his new master. He couldn’t blame Kalutu for leaving him behind. If Flapper had been in his shoes he’d have done the same thing. At least the others escaped. That was something. Flapper continued down the corridor, moving as quickly as he could, which admittedly wasn’t nearly fast enough. Then a creature appeared in front of him. So this was it. He really was going to die. He shut his eyes. Nothing happened, so he opened them again.

It was Bruce! Bruce had come back for him! He motioned for Flapper to follow with a single spindly leg. Flapper moved a bit faster now that he wasn’t alone and terrified. He still thought they should have left him behind, but the idea that they hadn’t had a certain amount of appeal as well. Bruce walked slowly enough for Flapper to keep up with him, stopping to wait whenever he started to get ahead. Not only was Bruce a team-player, but he was useful as well.

Phase-shifting, invisibility, poisonous bite, what he wouldn’t give to be more like Bruce. Imagine being able to climb walls, run fast and actually serve some sort of purpose. Flapper sighed but kept going, ignoring the pain in his body. A few moments later, another figure appeared next to them.

“You’re safe, good. I was hoping you were. I went back for you, but you were already gone. Hello, Bruce. Are you here to take us back to the others?”

Bruce nodded vigorously, an odd sight that Flapper had never gotten used to. As a giant spider, Bruce had to move the entire front half of his body to nod.

“It’s not far,” said Zephyr, “and those demon sworn shouldn’t bother us for a while. They’re distracted for the time being.”

Flapper didn’t say anything, because Zephyr couldn’t understand him.

I understand you just fine.

Flapper froze. No one had ever spoken to him like that, except his masters of course.

Zephyr?

Yes.

How can you talk to me?

It’s an ability called telepathy. It’s one of the first abilities that kindred learn when they’re called.

Oh. That sounds useful.

It is. Are you okay?

Yes.

I have a healing potion I can use on you, if you tell me where you hurt.

No. Don’t waste it on me.

She sighed. It’s not a waste silly. You’re part of the team.

Only because I was in the right place at the wrong time. No one asked me to be part of the team. It just happened.

It doesn’t matter. I can ease your pain. Will you let me?

Flapper started to say no but then nodded instead. At least if he could move faster, the others with him would be safer. They really should have left him behind.

Where are the demon sworn now?

Chasing me. I put a thought in Scag’s head, and he keeps seeing me. Since he’s the Scout, they’re doing what they always do. Following him. It’ll keep him busy for a while, but it won’t last forever.

That’s amazing.

Zephyr smiled and gave him a tiny bit of healing potion orally before rubbing some on different parts of his body.

Feeling better?

Yes, thank you.

Then we should hurry. They’ve started moving again.

Flapper looked up at her as they made their way closer and closer to his new master. If only he could be more like Zephyr.

But he wasn’t. He was only a beaver and not much use at all.

*

“Okay assuming this palace is laid out like the palace in Rish,” said Chari, “how does that help us?”

“Well, we know how to get around the palace. Maybe we can figure out where we are meant to be,” said Kalutu.

“The throne room?” asked Chari. “It seems like that would be the place to head if we wanted information.”

Before Kalutu could reply, Bruce, Flapper and Zephyr entered the room. Kalutu moved immediately to Flapper.

“How are you? Are you injured?”

I am fine. Zephyr fed me a healing potion. You shouldn’t have to worry about me.

“But I do worry about you. You’re one of the team.”

Flapper didn’t say anything, and Kalutu felt something of what his familiar was feeling. He understood the sentiment to some degree. Still, he didn’t say anything. He would be there for Flapper whenever necessary but would not intrude without invitation.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. No one entered, but they heard voices from outside—eerily familiar voices.

“That’s not what I’m saying at all,” said someone that sounded very much like Dahr. “It’s just that your father is famous for what he did in the Undead War all over the world, not just in Twyl. People in Death’s Doorstep talk about him, even my mother used to talk about him all the time. I swear, it was like Arimen was suddenly walking Thysandrika again.

The door opened the rest of the way and Dahr entered, looking around, but apparently not seeing them. Not quite the same Dahr. He was a bit younger, but he was Dahr nonetheless. Eric’s voice came from the outside corridor.

“Well it’s not the way my father tells it, that’s all.”

“Of course not. Your father is a servant of Sheba. He’s modest. Your whole family is recruitment propaganda.”

“That’s a big word for a little guy,” said Eric.

“I heard it a lot in the kitchens, mostly from Leata.”

And then, after the conversation was over, Dahr vanished. They walked outside but there was no sign of Eric.

“What the hell is going on?” asked Chari.

No one had an answer for her, and she didn’t wait for one.

“I think it’s time to head to the throne room.”

Kalutu took one more look around the room as if remembering, then followed Chari back to the main corridor. He seemed reluctant to leave, glancing back several times. Chari could understand it. It was a link to his masters. But she wanted answers and wanted them now. Some of those answers might be in the throne room.

She pushed the pace. Sam kept warning her about possible traps, but she barely gave Bruce and Zephyr time to scout ahead. Still, nothing halted their progress. It was entirely possible that the traps along the way had been disabled by those who came before them.

They were halfway to the throne room from Eric and Dahr’s quarters when a voice halted them in their tracks.

“Lost Wissssssdumb. We’re coming for you. It won’t be long now.”

Chari looked at Kalutu but neither said a word. They knew the best option open to them and took it. They ran.

Only Sam was caught off guard, since the familiars had picked up the plan telepathically, and Zephyr was better able to read the situation. Thus he was last in line. When he looked back down the long corridor, he saw them following—the demon sworn and his two henchmen.

He briefly slowed his pace as if he was considering a stalling tactic, then thought better of it and hurried to catch up to the others. As a squirrel, Sam could move quite fast and a short time later he was at the front of the line.

“A bit of warning would have been nice,” he muttered. His companions didn’t answer.

“Run if you like, Lost Wisdom. We’re in no rush. We will catch you and we will finish you. That I promise.”

No one in Lost Wisdom wasted their breath answering. That had to be conserved for running. The throne room was a level above Dahr and Eric’s chambers in the real world, which meant they were a level below in the dungeon. They descended the stairs as quickly as possible. Their pursuit didn’t seem to be hurrying but didn’t seem to be falling behind either. They were so close to the throne room now. Hopefully something there would be able to help them.

They could see the doors were open, and a single guard stood to either side. They readied themselves for battle as they approached, but the guards didn’t seem to react to their presence at all. They turned the corner and ran inside.

The throne room looked as it always did. An exact replica of its counterpart in Rish down to the battle tapestries and the stained-glass windows. Everything was in place, including the king, though Queen Treya was nowhere in sight. There was only one difference between the chamber in the real world and this one. In the middle of the room, rising from the floor, was a low circular platform that looked remarkably like a ritual circle. Chari recognized it from stories she’d heard. It was a chirkir, the strange creatures that had the ability to transport people from one place to another.

They hadn’t been sure the king would even notice their presence and were relieved when he stood up and looked right at them.

“Ah, here you are.” He studied them for only a moment before his voice grew colder. “Tell me. Where are my sons?”

Chari and Kalutu approached the throne and the others followed. Chari didn’t particularly want to be closer to the king, but she knew what was coming from behind them.

“We don’t know, Your Highness,” said Chari. “We are searching for them.”

“Well they are obviously not here.”

“We know that. It’s just…we are being pursued and came here to seek your aid against those that would threaten us.”

At that moment, their pursuers caught up with them. Chari and Kalutu drew their swords. The king turned to look at them.

“Welcome my champions. I see you’ve brought me some prey. It’s time to feast.”

“King Terrence,” said Chari. “It’s me, Chari. Don’t you recognize me?”

“You knew it had to come to this,” said King Terrence, slowly making his way toward them. King Terrence is strong, true, but he was never a match for me.”

“You’re not King Terrence.”

“And he wasn’t a match for me fifteen years ago, when I defeated him and took him over in the Undead War. The first Undead War. With your death, the second undead war will begin.”

“What!”

“I don’t think he can hear you,” said Kalutu. “He’s responding to someone else. Someone we can’t see.”

“But who?”

“I don’t know.”

King Terrence continued on as if they weren’t there. “King Terrence has been working with me all along, of course. How else could I have prepared so completely for his attacks? No one suspected. King Terrence the Warrior King, beloved by Sheba was my way in. And now look at where that has brought you.”

Chari shuddered. Was it possible? Was her husband’s father truly working with the Undead King. No, of course not. But why was this copy of the King saying that, and as importantly, to whom was he speaking.

“It brought you to me. It brought you to your end. The second Undead War begins…now.”

At that signal, the demon sworn and his two companions, who had stopped at the throne room entrance to listen to the King speak, began to move again. There was no way out. No way past an enemy Chari already knew they couldn’t beat.

“Attack King Terrence,” shouted Chari.

“Are you sure?” asked Sam.

“I think he’s the demon. He’s giving power to the others.”

Team Lost Wisdom, as one, attacked King Terrence, who looked surprised, but drew his sword and started defending himself. With the sheer amount of enemies arrayed against him, he could do little else at least for the moment.

The three demon sworn moved to help the king, crossing the distance in the fastest way possible, straight from the throne room door, across the ritual circle in the middle of the room.

They stood on it, but when they tried to step off they found themselves trapped.

“What sorcery is this?” asked Swag.

Chari risked a glance and saw that a dome had formed over the chirkir, imprisoning three of their enemies.

“Whatever you have, now is the time to use it. Hold nothing back,” she shouted.

The hardest part of the fight was trying to avoid hitting each other as they crowded around the image of King Terrence, driving him back to the wall. He could barely get an attack in. Each time he tried, he was hit from a different quarter. His main target seemed to be Bear, not necessarily because he was the most powerful, but because he was so large it was hard to focus on anything else. Bear’s very presence drew his attention.

But that left a lot of others to attack in sequence, dodging back when in danger, only to be replaced by others. Chari pushed her way through a wall of familiars and used every skill in her arsenal to damage him. And slowly, ever so slowly, they whittled him down.

“How is he this strong,” shouted Kalutu, apparently frustrated. “Will he ever die?”

But they kept going and eventually, King Terrence went down to one knee.

“You can not kill me, for I am undeath.”

King Terrence dropped his head and when he looked up again, his face was a black skull with glowing red eyes. Several of the familiars backed away.

A voice spoke in Chari’s head.

Come to me now, servant of Sheba.

She didn’t know how, but she knew that the chirkir was talking to her.

“Quickly…into the circle!” shouted Chari, who ran toward it. There was only momentary hesitation before Kalutu followed, then the familiars. Sam was last, shaking his head as he ran.

“I’m going to regret this.”

Chari ran through the shield and she was inside with the demon sworn who stood staring at the creature that had been King Terrence in stunned silence. Chari kicked the closest demonsworn hard, she thought it was Scag. He stumbled back through the now open force shield, but couldn’t reenter when he tried.

Seeing this, Gruff charged into Swag, knocking him back out of the circle with a well placed head butt. The rest of them pushed the remaining enemy out. Now the shield protected them, while the four outside made attacks that never touched them.

It is time for you to go, Chari of Melar.

“You know my name?”

I have ever known your name.

“How?”

That is a story for another time.

“But…”

She didn’t have time to finish the sentence. There was a flash of light, and suddenly the world went away, or more technically, Chari did. And when she could see again, she was somewhere else. Somewhere she had never been before. She made sure everyone was with her and was relieved to find no one missing, which was good, because they were standing on a chirkir, completely surrounded by armed warriors.

“Welcome to Andara, Princess Chari.”

“You know who I am?”

“Yes. We have been expecting your arrival.”

“Well I haven’t!” said a familiar voice. “Someone had better explain to me what the hell is going on. Chari, are you all right?”

“You were told you would be met by family, were you not?” asked one of the warriors.

“Yes, but…”

“And you wanted to find your daughter did you not?”

“Well yes, but…”

“Then you have nothing to complain about.”

“Father… what are you doing here?” asked Chari.

King Leonid sighed heavily. “The work of the gods, apparently.”