* * *
“Would any of you mind me hitching a ride?”
I looked down at Havoc. For the first time, I actually felt sorry for her. She looked so small and helpless. I picked her up and set her on my shoulder, wincing as she grabbed onto my hair for support.
We stood on a small hill, staring over at what appeared to be an endless swamp. Massive trees, with thick twisted branches stretched outward from the water, threatening to grab anything that got close enough, and bring it to its demise. The path, if you could call it a path, was hidden by murky, bubbling goo.
Antonio held my hand tighter.
“We'll have to wade through the water,” he said.
“Do we have to?” I could just imagine what sorts of creatures lived beneath the surface. I shuddered at the thought.
“It’s the only way through,” Antonio insisted.
I nodded and put on my game face—whatever that was. I had to be brave. If my dad had suffered this place, I could too!
“Once we enter the water, do not stop. Do not look back. No matter what you see or hear, you must keep moving.”
“Why?” I whispered the question, afraid to hear the answer.
“A spell,” Havoc interjected. “The swamp sleeps . . . unless you awaken it.”
I nodded again. I was more afraid now than I’d ever been. I squeezed Antonio’s hand. I didn’t want to be separated from him for one second.
We inched toward the water line, Antonio’s posture stiffing. A mixture of emotions swirled in his eyes. His hand was sweating as much as mine, but he didn’t let go.
“Remember. Do not stop for anything.” He stepped into the water. A loud boom, like thunder echoed around us. A large ripple moved from one end to the other like a sonic blast—so much for sneaking our way through.
I stepped in, shivering at the iciness of the water. How could a place so hot have such ridged water temperatures? Crap. I wished I wore pants instead of shorts. The slimy water coated my naked legs, wrapping itself around my skin, sucking the moisture from it. I followed close beside Antonio. My eyes darted around, taking everything in.
“Uhuhh!”
“What is it?” Antonio grabbed me, pulling me into his side.
“Something brushed my leg.” I cringed, remembering the snake-like texture that rubbed past me. Please don’t let there be snakes in the water, I silently prayed.
“Keep walking,” Antonio urged as he pulled me along. His arm had wrapped around my shoulders, offering what comfort he could.
“Vipers swim these waters,” Havoc whispered in my ear. “I hate vipers; nasty creatures.” If Havoc hated them, they must be bad.
Wait a minute? “Vipers don’t swim in water,” I noted.
“These do.” Havoc held my hair tighter. “Did I mention they have two heads?”
Oh my God! “Antonio . . .”
We were waist deep now. The sludge clung to my bare skin. “Gross. I’m going to need a bath after this.” I pulled a chunk of slime off my stomach. Eww, there was actual slime touching me.
“This place is disgusting, and it smells.” I felt my stomach heave. Please, God. Don’t let me throw up now. Although with the large chunks of I don’t wanna-know-what floating around, you probably wouldn’t notice anyway.
“It’s not much further, I can see the shore just around the bend,” Antonio urged me on again, promising a light at the end of this disgusting tunnel.
“I thought you said there was a troll?” I glanced behind us . . .
“No!” Havoc shrieked.
Damn! The water began to bubble all around. I looked at Antonio, meeting the same panic in his eyes. He shoved me behind him, his staff already drawn.
A small ripple of water moved toward us. I gripped onto Antonio’s shoulders, but he shrugged me off, stepping slightly forward.
“We’re dead,” Havoc moaned.
The ripple was followed by another, slightly larger, and then another ripple. I took up my staff, pressing the button and releasing the blades. What I planned to do—who knew?
A high-pitched shriek pierced my ears. I jumped, slashing the staff to my left.
“Ahahh!” Havoc pulled onto my hair so tight, I felt a few strands rip out.
I’d managed to cut off one of the viper’s heads—sheer luck. The other head was viciously snapping at me. I swung and stabbed at it.
Antonio was bracing himself for what rose from the water. My heart stopped. Before us, stood a figure that must’ve been at least 12 foot tall. Sunken red eyes peered through stringy tufts of hair that dripped like tentacles down a hideous, misshapen face. Its nose was long and crooked and when it snarled, bared teeth so stained, it looked as if it had drunk bottles of black ink.
I didn’t have time to freak out. The first viper was joined by another, and then another.
“He told you not to look back! Didn’t he tell you not to look back?” Havoc shrieked loudly.
“I’m sorry!” I cried. “There are too many of them. There’s no way—” Slice. I’d managed to cut off the other’s head. One down! Ten . . . twenty . . . son of a—
“Child of Light, over there!”
I swung to the left again, severing another head. I was getting dizzy. I literally had to move in a circle to ward off all the snapping heads that wanted a piece of me.
The sound of clanking steel to my left distracted me. I glanced over at Antonio. Huge mistake! I screamed out in pain. One of the snakes had punctured my arm with its tooth.
“EVELYN!” Antonio roared. Abandoning his fight with the troll, he plunged through the water; his staff was in the air, swinging past my head in the next instant. He lobbed off both the viper’s heads in one swipe.
“Fool! She’s fine!” Havoc shouted at him. “Defeat the troll!”
Fine? I was freaking not fine. A large lump was forming on my arm where the snake had bit me. It grew limp with each passing second.
Antonio gave me a regretful look before he turned his attention back to the troll—who by now had gained distance and was nearly upon us. His loud thunderous roar brought goose bumps to my skin and nightmares that would haunt me until my dying day.
I used my good hand to swing at the other snakes.
“Havoc! Can’t you do something?” I yelled at her.
“Do you have anything to trade?”
“Was she kidding me?” I swung again, severing another head. Depending on her answer, her head might be next.
“Well, I suppose I could help you, even though it’s against the code to help someone for free.”
“You little—”
“Oh, oh, I know! I could consider it payment for you letting me ride on your shoulder!” She squealed cheerful—right in my ear!
“Havoc! Ahahh!” She’d scrambled down my arm and bit off the chunk of skin where the snake had bit me.
My vision blurred. Large amounts of pus spurt from the wound. I gagged.
“There’s no time to vomit, swing to the right!” I did as she told. I couldn’t function. The pain was excruciating, and the sight of my arm was more than I could stand. I puked!
“To the left Child of Light, to the left!”
I swung again, severing another head. God, could things get any grosser? I was waist-deep in scummy, pukey, dead snakehead, and troll infested water.
Antonio roared behind me.
Clank, clank, clank!
The troll was much fiercer than I’d imagined. He’d somehow propelled himself from the water, taking a cheap swing at Antonio’s head and missed. His axe-like blade, came toward Antonio again, the force of it somehow never besting the Slayer.
“Uhuhh!” Something swam between my legs. “They’re everywhere! If only we could—” Oh my God! I spoke the first spell to come to mind. “INABILITARA!” I spun around, my hand extended. An orange glow shot from my fingertips. The snakes froze in place. All movement around me; ceasing instantaneously.
Havoc clapped her hands. “Very good Child of Light!”
“Damn, it wasn’t the spell I’d wanted, but it’d have to do. I’d wanted to immobilize the vipers. I’d done that, but this spell would suck my energy for sure. In class I’d held one Ragno like this, but there were at least fifty snakes in front of me now, all glowing orange, and all waiting for my spell to weaken.
“Antonio!” I cried over my shoulder.
Antonio was still battling the Troll. He’d sustained a large wound to his arm, the bright crimson gushing from it, colored his skin.
“You have to help him!” Havoc pointed out the obvious. Honestly, did she think I didn’t know that?
“How? It’s taking all my strength to hold the snakes.”
“You must know something. You’re the Child of Light!”
“Why do you keep calling me that?” I snapped though gritted teeth.
“Because. You were sent from the heavens. Your soul gives off a light that evil cannot stand; not without great pain anyway.”
I thought about that. Light causes pain? In the Underworld it would. This place thrived on darkness. I looked around at the eerie swamp. The sky around us was growing bleaker by the minute.
Light . . . light! “Havoc, shield yourself.” With my other hand, I summoned the last of my strength, doing my best to harness my “inner light.” “FLOGA!” Not exactly light—more like a huge fireball that pulsed orange. I threw it at the troll, hitting it square in the chest. The bright explosion from the flames enveloped us, giving the illusion of daylight for a brief moment.
The troll roared out in agonizing pain.
Antonio took full advantage of its distraction and jumped forward, delivering the final blow—he’d severed its head with one swipe. He then advanced through the sludge as quickly as he could. Taking me around the waist and pulling me through the water.
My hold on the vipers was weakening, and so was I.
Antonio pulled me onto the shore and set me down gently—and not a moment too soon. I’d collapsed the moment my feet hit dry land, the charm collapsing along with me.
“Evelyn!” Antonio’s hands gently shook me.
“Evie.” I whispered through closed eyes.
“What?” he asked.
“My name’s Evie.”
I could hear Antonio grinning back at me, bringing a smile to my face. I opened my eyes. “Snakes!” I sat up, prepared for an attack.
Antonio spun around, his staff outstretched. But the swamp… was gone?
“Where’d it go?” I asked disbelieving that a slimy viper wasn't about to take another bite out of me.
Antonio stared into the nothingness. “I don’t know?” He looked to Havoc.
“Don’t ask me. I’m not a swamp kind of girl. I’m more into the fire and brimstone,” she mused.
“Yeah, and biting,” I added, growling through my teeth, remembering her vicious assault. How would she like it if I bit her?
“I know. No need to thank me.” Havoc strutted off, swaying her hips as she went.
“You bit me, you witch!”
She spun around on her heel, her glare just as deadly as mine. “I’m not the witch here,” she hissed. “You don’t see me casting spells. Besides, you said you wanted my help.”
“You bit me! How was that helping?”
“Your arm would have filled with that pus and erupted, spreading poison throughout your whole body. You’d be dead right now if I hadn’t.”
I gulped, looking to Antonio for confirmation.
Antonio took my arm and examined it. Aside from the quarter inch chunk missing, the arm looked fine. I hated to admit it but the intense throbbing had dissipated.
“Here.” He reached into his pack and pulled out a first aid kit. “I don’t know if this will help, but it couldn’t hurt.” He put ointment on the wound and bandaged it tight.
“Now you.” I ran my hand up his arm, pausing at the deep gash across his bicep.
“No, its fine,” he winced at my touch. But his eyes never left mine. “It will heal on its own.”
“Right. Well, you can be brave later.” I repeated the treatment he gave me, taking care to not press too hard on his wound. I only wished I had something to stitch it up with.
“Lucky for me, I managed to get through the whole ordeal unscathed,” Havoc noted with pleasure.
I glowered at the little brat. “We can remedy that for you . . . how about a little nip?” I snapped at her with my teeth, causing her to jump.
Antonio laughed heartily. I couldn’t help but laugh too.
“That’s not funny.” Havoc stomped her foot in protest. “See if I bite you again!”
Antonio and I looked at one another, both of us breaking out into another bout of laughter. Now that the danger had passed, we felt giddy and lucky to be alive. Even with our little nicks and scrapes.
“If you two are through laughing, we might want to head for the Hovenbrogue trees. It’s almost nightfall.”
That snapped Antonio out of his light mood. “Quickly, there isn’t much time.” He yanked me up and pulled me toward the sunset.
“Hey!” I struggled to match my steps with his. I still wasn’t quite myself.
“Faster! If we don’t make the trees before sunset, the Borgons will eat us alive!”
I picked up my pace. I had no idea what Borgons were and I didn’t want to know. If they were anything like the vipers, or even the dreaded Ragnos we’d soon be facing, I wanted to be as high up in those trees as possible.