Curse Of The Dark Wind (Book 6) (32 page)

“What went wrong?” Nyx asks, gasping for air. She clings to the forked branches of the oak she has fallen into, her stomach sore from the impact. “Is everyone okay?”

“Timoran and Luke landed on the ground,” Delvin answers from where he is hanging by his legs. He watches his friends scramble out of the bushes below and breathes a sigh of relief when the forest tracker waves to him. “Looks like they’re fine. I’m really glad Luke didn’t get hurt because he’s already in pretty bad shape. Any more punishment and we’d have to drag him to the Garden of Uli. You still in one piece, Sari? Is that you crying?”

“I’m fine,” the gypsy says as she floats to the ground. Landing on the shore, she stares at the source of the baritone weeping. “I’m a little insulted that you think I cry in such a deep voice. What is that?”

By the time Delvin and Nyx get out of the trees, the others have gathered on the shoreline and are staring across the pool. A towering figure is crouched over the water, steam wafting off the creature’s thin body. Its alabaster skin shifts with every breeze as if its flesh will tear away and turn into mist at any moment. At first bald, a plume of wild hair erupts from the giant’s scalp and slowly retracts as the weeping grows deeper. The enormous figure’s mournful cries ripple through the air and fill the adventurers’ hearts with pity. Hissing tears fall into the pool and cause the water to froth, the heated liquid running up the waterfall to roil the river.

“A female geyser giant,” Luke states with a nervous laugh. The large woman roars at the sky and unleashes a torrent of scalding tears that misses the small group by a few inches. “We should probably calm her down before we’re cooked. I’d suggest only one of us approaches because these giants can be very moody.”

Delvin pulls the hood of his cloak over his head and walks toward the figure. “Everyone eat some food and get some rest. This might take a little while.”

*****

“You gave it your best shot, my friend,” Timoran states while patting Delvin on the shoulder. The brown-haired warrior stares at the barbarian with an incredulous look, forcing the big man to step away. “I am sorry. You looked upset.”

“I’m only confused,” the swordsman admits, scratching his head. He watches the geyser giant devour the feast at its feet, the creature’s stomach visibly bloating. “There was no way for me to tell she was hungry. At least I got the gender right. Why are you moping, Luke?”

“My ring won’t be recharged for a week,” the half-elf says as he leans against a moss-covered tree. “I haven’t been able to use this thing for the reason I bought it yet. The first time was a test and now I’m feeding a giant. I don’t even know how the food tastes.”

“Who eat first feast?” Fizzle asks, his head cocked to the side. “Luke no waste food. That bad.”

“I gave it to the people of Gaia who were helping with the city repairs,” the forest tracker answers, blushing at the smiles he gets from his friends. “Don’t look at me like that. You would have done the same if you were in my position.”

Delvin laughs and gives a light punch to the forest tracker’s arm. “Probably, but it’s funny seeing you blush about it.”

“It appears the river is cooling off,” Timoran points out.

The once bubbling water is already icing over and they can see up the steady slope that the valley is steadily draining. A herd of moose watch from the top of the ridge where they munch on the grass that has been revealed by the melted snow. The beasts run away when the geyser giant waves and calls out in a burbling voice. She lets her hand drop to her side and is about to cry again when Sari pats the creature on the leg.

“I’m surprised Sari knows how to talk to her,” Luke says as they listen to their friend talk in a gurgling language. Her voice is very melodic and transforms into clear words as the half-elf listens. “She’s trying to figure out why the geyser giant is upset. If we can make friends with her then she could help us up the mountain.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” Nyx announces as she drops from a nearby tree. She lands on her butt in a pile of snow and curses under her breath. “Damn spell wore off before I could stick the landing.”

“Did you see anything from up there?” Delvin asks, hurrying to help the caster. She refuses his offer and stands, angrily brushing the snow from her backside. “Need a ha . . . forget I almost said that.”

“There’s a village of titans between us and the Widowhorn. I got a good look at a few of them and they appear to be agitated,” the caster reports, ignoring the warrior’s last statement. She takes a drink from her waterskin and cautiously eyes the geyser giant. “It’s strange that we found her so close the titans. I’ve heard that giant species rarely live within a hundred miles of each other. Too close and they fight over space, which gets messy. I’m surprised we haven’t seen the titans reacting to the geyser giant. They had to know about the flooded valley.”

“They probably knew, but didn’t care,” Luke explains, waving to the huge creature when she looks at him. Sari makes quick waves of her hands and snaps of her fingers to get the giant’s attention, causing the forest tracker to worry. “Geyser giants are solitary, so the other species don’t care if one wanders into their territory. They believe she’ll leave at some point and she isn’t a threat to their food source. Titans eat meat while she feeds off sunlight and clean water. That’s why you can find geyser giants chasing rainstorms during the summer.”

“No! Bad giant!” Sari screams in naiad, only Luke and the creature understanding her.

The ground shakes as the geyser giant charges at the adventurers, Sari hanging from the monster’s leg. With a quick shake, the gypsy is thrown off and she falls into the ice-covered water. Drenched and shivering, she rises from the pool in time to see the geyser giant bat Timoran and Delvin into the bushes. Drying off, Sari gathers the water in her hands and hurls two liquid nets at the creature. Both projectiles burst into hissing steam when they touch their target’s skin. The gypsy races toward the others and tackles Nyx out of the way of a dangerous stomp that singes the ground. With nobody else in her path, the geyser giant scoops Luke into her arms and runs into the forest.

“Get her!” Sari screams as she gets to her feet and sprints after the fleeing monster.

Nyx rushes ahead, her body covered in crimson aura that enhances her speed. Using the same spell, Sari catches up and they can hear the warriors following far behind. They come within sight of the geyser giant who fires jets of scalding water at the adventurers. Sari dances and leaps among the attacks while Nyx is forced to move away in an attempt to come at their target from the side. She watches the gypsy struggle to gain on the creature, but the slippery, uneven ground keeps the girl out of reach. Nyx waits for the giant to turn toward Sari, which gives her an opening to attack from what she thinks is a blind spot. With a burst of force beneath her feet, the half-elf sprints down the path to launch herself into the air and hurtle toward the monster. The caster is within reach of Luke when the creature’s other hand snatches her out of the air and hurls her into the surrounding trees.

“What going on?” Fizzle asks as he catches Nyx with his tail. He flips her over his head and watches the half-elf land gracefully on a tree stump. “Geyser giant angry?”

“I’ve no idea,” the caster answers, her lungs and muscles aching from the long-distance running. “She’s heading for the titans, so it can’t be good.”

“Others far behind.”

“They’ll catch up.”

Leaping over a log, Nyx sees Sari has stopped and several enormous figures are walking beyond the trees. She stops next to the gypsy and stares at the chaos in front of them. One-armed titans are charging around the stump-covered village, each one wielding a pine tree like a flyswatter. They repeatedly roar and swing at the geyser giant who is shrieking in her gurgling language. Whenever a muscular titan comes too close, the thinner creature transforms into steam and drifts away. Each time Luke is juggled within the sweltering vapor, his weak body resembling a leaf in a hurricane until the geyser giant reforms.

“Luke not do good,” Fizzle hisses as they watch the fight. “Dark Wind eat fear and stress. Need save.”

“Why are they fighting over him?” Nyx asks, waving to Delvin and Timoran when they rush into view.

“I told her we were going to the Garden of Uli and that Luke was the champion,” Sari explains when the warriors join them. They watch helplessly as their friend is tossed around and nearly grabbed by the crushing grasp of a titan. “She babbled about being the protector of the guardian’s emerald and being dishonored. The titans supposedly took the gem and deemed her a traitor. I guess they’re fighting over who gets to be the protector. She thinks possessing the champion will grant her the emerald and the titans kind of agree with that idea. I’m sure Luke could solve this by talking to them, but both sides think it’s physical possession of the champion that will solve this feud.”

“So he’s nothing more than a prize,” Delvin groans, rubbing his eyes. “How do we reclaim our friend from battling giants?”

“I do not think we will have to worry,” Timoran says, drawing his great axe and pointing at the geyser giant.

Dark tendrils are flowing from Luke’s body and burrowing into his captor’s hand. Panicked and confused, the geyser giant is violently shaking her fist in the hope of dislodging the unconscious half-elf. The titans keep away from the other creature and swat at her with their trees if she gets too close. Luke unleashes a primal scream when the Ring of Uli erupts and pink energy ripples along the corruptive tendrils. With her hand free, the geyser giant prepares to smash the whimpering champion with a devastating clap.

“Put friend down!” roars Fizzle as he grows to the size of the giants. His wings turn leathery and three barbed tails weave through the air behind him. “Fizzle demand you return champion. No make Fizzle mad!”

The geyser giant gently places Luke on the snow-covered ground and the titans drop their trees. All of them kneel before Fizzle even after he returns to his tiny form and lands next to his friend. Nyx and Sari are the first to reach the forest tracker while Timoran stands ready to fight the behemoths if they attempt anything.

“He’s going into aura shock,” Nyx says, her eyes a shimmering gold. She tries to inject some of her power into Luke, but is knocked back by a burst of force. “The Dark Wind and the Ring of Uli are at war. I don’t think we can do anything this time.”

“Let me try something,” Sari whispers, leaning over to kiss Luke and deliver a restful sleep spell. The gypsy feels a foul ooze slip into her mouth and try to crawl into her throat. A rush of ice from her stomach nearly chokes her, but it pushes the slimy gunk out of her body. “That was a bad idea. Why didn’t you stop me this time, Nyxie?”

“I was hoping it would work.”

Delvin draws his sword and readies his shield, his eyes scanning the area. “We’re in a really bad spot. The titans might think he’s a danger and attack once they recover their senses. I don’t think we can hold them off. If there’s even a chance that your bond with Luke can help then please do something, Fizzle.”

With a determined growl, the drite crawls onto Luke’s chest and curls up as if he is going to sleep. His scales shimmer with a purple aura that steadily intensifies to envelope him and the forest tracker. Nyx and Sari move away, helplessly watching the display of Draconic magic. The light gets smoother and becomes a pulsing cocoon of energy. With the show of power over and the drite apparently contained, the titans regain their courage and surround the adventurers.

*****

With an electric jolt to his heart, Luke’s eyes open and he leaps to his feet. The snowy forest is below him, which makes him think he is flying. The delusion fades when he notices that he is standing on a flawless, glass-like stone. A large wall of the smooth, reflective blocks runs in both directions, disappearing into the thick clouds. Glancing over one side, Luke sees the Widowhorn and its surrounding land sitting miles below him. The other side is a vast forest and the treetops are no more than a few yards shorter than the wall. Squinting into the distance, he sees that the trees still have their green leaves beneath the thick layer of snow. He has a strong desire to leap into the beautiful landscape, but the forest tracker can sense the griffin spirit trying to hold him back.

“This is the Garden of Uli,” Luke whispers as he crouches on the wall. The crisp air is invigorating and he greedily takes several deep breaths. “I guess I’m unconscious and this is another vision. Wonder who plans on talking to me this time.”

“I am too weak,” a voice whispers from the clouds. They try to take a long, curving form, but shudder and spread out again. “The invaders have drained my power. You need to return my heart to restore me. I lack the strength to continue.”

“Then who’s going to explain what’s going on?” the half-elf asks while he walks along the wall. He stops at a corner and stares out at the swirling clouds. “I wouldn’t be here unless someone had a message for me. If you can’t talk then let me get back to my friends.”

“Good to see you’re still impatient and mouthing off, kid,” a familiar voice says from behind Luke. “I hope you haven’t forgotten this old gnome. If so then the gods really wasted their time sending me as a stand in.”

The young warrior slowly turns around with a look of disbelief on his face. A few tears roll down his face when he sees the greasy-haired gnome standing on the wall. Fritz Warrenberg is dressed in simple clothes that are covered in burn marks and splotches of oil. Using an ivory comb, the grinning inventor fixes his black hair and shakes the blobs of grease off. The ghostly ooze passes through the solid rock, causing the red-eyed gnome to chuckle. Tucking his hands into his pockets, the friendly ghost grins at the half-elf.

“Fritz . . . is that really you?” Luke whispers, groaning at the ridiculous question. “I’m sorry. That came out before I could stop myself.”

“If it makes you feel better, I said the same thing to the Gnome God when he showed me to my factory,” Fritz replies as he slips on his glasses and pulls a thin scroll out of his sleeve. He sees the confused look on the warrior’s face and sighs at the fond memories. “You have no idea how much I missed that clueless expression. You see, my young friend, when gnome inventors die, they are given a workspace that is proportional to their ambition and success. I was given a factory with many, less ambitious inventors under my care. I can’t say I’m bored or depressed, but I do miss everyone I left behind. How’s the old gang doing? I know I’m here on business, but I don’t get to spy on the living like those lazy halfling spirits.”