Lithan.
He was no surprise…but he was also the minister at the trial right now, with Ash.
The thought made me queasy with fear and dread. What if Ash was walking into a trap? None of us even knew where he was…
“Tejus!” I called out. “I need to speak to you—now!”
Ash
Lithan and Qentos led the way to the pavilion. The remaining royals, Memenion, Hadalix and the abomination that was Queen Trina, were already gathered and waiting. I tried my hardest to avoid looking at the queen. Whenever I did, pictures of Julian’s malnourished body would flicker through my mind, and I could recall Ruby’s desperate cry for help when Queen Trina’s barrier had come down around the cell. I didn’t want to ever remember Ruby trapped and miserable like that, and I certainly would never let it happen again.
Each of the royals were permitted to bring a maximum of two ministers from their kingdom with them. I had been one of Queen Trina’s advisors, and I looked around to see who had been roped in as my replacement. As we got closer to the pavilion, I recognized a face—it was an older woman, one I’d never really spoken to much, who went by the name of Idiana. She was reputed to be tough, but also extremely intelligent…far more intelligent than the ministers of Hellswan, that was for sure.
Memenion greeted me with a nod as I stepped up to the pavilion, but Hadalix and the ministers ignored me completely. I could almost feel Queen Trina’s gaze on me, no doubt mocking me, but I still refused to look in her direction.
“Kings and Queen of Nevertide.” One of the Impartial Ministers stepped forward. “Today we fly to the Dauoa Forest to commence the trial.”
What?
I heard the sharp inhale of our collective breaths. Had the ministers gone mad?
“What is the meaning of this?” Hadalix bellowed from beneath his arch.
The Impartial Minister didn’t even bother looking in his direction—in fact, he wasn’t looking at any of us, but straight ahead as if we weren’t even there.
“You heard me. The Dauoa Forest. The integrity of the Imperial trials will not be questioned, King Hadalix. Not by any sentry here,” he warned.
“The forest is forbidden!” Hadalix continued, ignoring the minister. “Not a soul has been in there in my lifetime. For good reason!”
“Rumors and myth, Hadalix. Have you let yourself be swayed by common talk?”
The king scoffed, but his face had drained of all its color. The rage was an act—it was mind-numbing fear that was making Hadalix speak as he did, and I didn’t blame him.
I looked at Memenion questioningly. The king returned my gaze with a short shake of his head. Clearly this latest insanity of the ministers made no sense to him either.
“Did you learn nothing from the last time? More bloodshed on your hands—is that what you want?” Hadalix raged.
“We are not going to alter the traditions of centuries just because you are afraid,” the minister replied. Queen Trina laughed cruelly. I hadn’t seen her expression when the minister had announced our destination, but I wondered if she had already known. That, or she thought herself truly so powerful that the Dauoa could not harm her.
My father’s old warning came back to haunt me.
The dead remain to whisper in the trees, boy—never venture into the Dauoa or you’ll come back a half-creature, more demon than man.
The Dauoa had been forbidden to me and all the other children of Hellswan when I was younger. I had once, as a dare, approached its edges in broad daylight. Just standing there, staring into the gloom of the forest, I had felt as if I was being watched—as if the trees themselves were alive, their shadows and the thickets of their branches concealing whatever dark secrets the forest held inside.
It’s just stories—fairytales and stories…
I wouldn’t let fear get the better of me like Hadalix, and I wouldn’t expose my weakness to the other champions or the ministers. I would find a way to survive this even if it felt like I was stepping into a death trap.
“If there are no further interruptions, we will fly to the Dauoa. Your ministers are welcome to join you, but you alone will be going into the forest.”
With one last glare in Hadalix’s direction, the minister turned on his heel and rejoined the rest of his ancient clan.
“An interesting location.” Lithan sidled up to me. “They’re certainly creative with their trials. I can’t help but wonder if this is personally for your benefit, your highness.”
“What do you mean?” I snapped.
He gave me a sickly smile.
“Just that. Perhaps they think you will back out—it looked like Hadalix was about to.”
“Are you calling me a coward, Lithan?” I asked, more out of curiosity than actual anger. I knew I wasn’t a coward, so if Lithan’s comments were intended to strike a nerve, then they had failed.
“Not at all, your highness.”
He’d managed to say ‘your highness’ like it was a slur. I turned away from him, ready to return to my vulture. Lithan’s behavior was odd, even for him. If he wanted to continue working in the Hellswan ministry he had a funny way of showing it…which made me think that he had other plans.
Good.
I wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible. But I also wanted to know where he’d be going. Lithan had been privy to a lot of Hellswan’s secrets—both the emperor and Tejus had kept him close by at all times. If he was planning to become advisor at another kingdom—say, the Seraq kingdom—then something would need to be done.
Not caring whether Lithan and Qentos joined me or not, I jumped on my bird, ready to take flight.
We all flew up, hovering for a few moments around the pavilion, waiting for the Impartial Ministers to take the lead. The Dauoa forest was vast, entirely covering the northern lands of Nevertide. Not a single sentry lived there, nor was the forest ever used for timber supplies or hunting—as a result its geography remained a mystery to most of Nevertide’s inhabitants.
The Impartial Ministers formed a ‘v’-shaped flock and began to soar off. I followed with the rest, keeping my pace steady. I needed to have a moment alone—everything was happening so fast. It was only just starting to hit me that I’d been crowned this morning. Was I about to be the shortest-reigning monarch Hellswan ever had?
We touched down at the forest border, landing at the edge of a vast, dried-out field of yellowing grass. Tall and imposing Okadale trees guarded the entrance. They looked ancient, and it occurred to me that whatever creatures were in that forest, they would be far older than any of us.
Even the vultures seemed jumpy. Many were squawking erratically, and shuffling back from where the trees’ shadows cast the grass in gloom. The Impartial Ministers gathered together a few yards in front of the forest’s edge, waiting impatiently for us to approach.
“Come, come!” one of them yelled, tapping on the ground with a gnarled wooden walking stick. I walked over. There wasn’t any point in trying to delay the inevitable—we would be going into the forest whether I liked it or not.
“For centuries the emperors of Nevertide have descended to the Dauoa Forest to test their mettle against the most feared land in these kingdoms. Those who have returned usually find that there is little to truly fear other than fear itself—that beasts are beasts, wherever they may live. The courage and self-belief that you will find on completion of this task will carry you through your rule, should you succeed.”
My eyebrows rose in surprise. For the Impartial Ministers, that speech was almost encouraging, and I wondered if their words belied the dangers that we would face.
“In the forest, there are four replicas of the emperor’s scepter. The scepter signifies the emperor as a leader of his people, fashioned in the likeness of the shepherd’s staff that the first emperor of Nevertide carried. You may use your powers freely once you enter, and there are no rules of engagement…but let me advise you this, those who turn on one another in the Dauoa never quite leave the spirit of t
he forest behind.”
At the Impartial Minister’s warning, I looked over at Queen Trina. She was staring into the dark depths of the trees beyond. At first I thought she was nervous, but then a gust of wind blew and she turned her face toward me. The look in her eyes was one of anticipation.
She’s insane.
No one in their right mind would be looking forward to this.
Reluctantly, I headed toward the start of the forest.
“Ash, a moment, please.”
I paused as King Memenion approached. He was heavily armed, a mace hanging from his belt as well as the sword of his kingdom. On his back he wore a bow and arrow, and a small scythe had been buckled to his leg. My weaponry consisted of a dagger and the sword of Hellswan.
“Did you know we would be coming here today?” I asked, pointedly looking at his weaponry.
“No. But so far the trials have taught me nothing other than I should always come fully prepared.”
I nodded. A heads up from Lithan or Qentos would have been nice, but really the shortcoming was mine—I should have known better.
“What would you say to traveling together, just for the first few miles?” Memenion asked. “It may increase our chances of survival. I don’t know what is in there, but I do know we have less chance of defeating it alone.”
I considered his proposal. There were four scepters in the forest, which meant that all those who returned with one would progress to the next trial. I didn’t believe that Memenion would double-cross me—I didn’t know the king well, but from what I had heard, he was a fair and just one. I also couldn’t ignore the fact that he was much better prepared than I was. Only my pride held me back. Would I feel like I’d somehow cheated the task if I allowed Memenion to accompany me? It wasn’t like the trial at the lake…this was designed to be a solo venture.
Don’t be a fool, Ash.
My pride would only leave me dead. Memenion’s plan was a good one.
“I agree. We’ll face whatever’s in there together.”
The king nodded, satisfied. He gazed at the forest in determination, his expression almost angry, like the place had personally offended him.
We carried on, walking side by side to our destination. As we reached the first tree, the temperature dropped significantly. I could have sworn I heard calls, soft, low whispers, coming from the darkness within, but I didn’t know if it was just my imagination.
“Can you hear that?” I checked with Memenion.
He nodded. “Rumor has it that dead souls settle in the trees, waiting for the afterlife…but as I say, that’s just rumor.”
I nodded. “Just rumor. Right.”
Memenion squared his shoulders, readying himself for whatever we were about to face.
“Let’s go,” I announced. We were wasting time. If night fell while we were in there we would risk getting completely lost. The forest was so large it could take days to find our way out.
We treaded as silently as we could through the undergrowth. I wrapped my traveling cloak around me more tightly as my breath came out in white vapors. I didn’t understand the reason for such a temperature change. It was a warm day everywhere else across the kingdom.
We made good progress, walking briskly to keep warm, and heading in a northern direction. We had no clue as to where the scepters might be, but it would make sense that they’d be somewhere in the heart of the forest.
Memenion and I kept leaving markings on the trees with our daggers, hoping that they’d help us find the way back…that, or they’d lead something else right to us. But it was a risk we needed to take.
The whispers of the trees had continued as we walked. There was nothing discernible I could make out—it was more like a soft moan, sorrowful and unabating. I wished that it would stop. I felt like it would drive me mad before long, turning my own dagger on myself just to make the awful noise stop.
I should have been more careful what I wished for.
The whispering stopped suddenly, and Memenion turned to me in relief. We both grinned at each other. I took another few steps forward, and then froze. A resounding howl split the sudden silence.
“Fanged beasts?” Memenion whispered.
I don’t think so.
It sounded a bit like them, the four-legged creatures that stalked most of the Hellswan forests and occasionally in winter dared to encroach on the cattle, but the cry was slightly different—lower, throatier, as if the creature was larger.
Another howl echoed, coming from a different part of the forest. We hadn’t moved from where we stood, and soon the howls were coming with terrifying frequency—whatever these beasts were, there were lots of them.
“Do we run?” I suggested, my heart pounding in my chest as adrenaline kicked in.
“We’ll make too much noise. They can probably smell us anyway. Perhaps it’s better to stand our ground.”
“Up ahead then,” I agreed, pointing to a small clearing a few yards from where we stood. “At least we’ll be able to see them coming.”
Without hesitating, both of us rushed forward. As we entered the clearing, we stood with our backs to one another, slowly circling as we faced the surrounding trees. It only took a moment before we heard the rustle of undergrowth—creatures moving steadily, stealthily toward us.
The thorn bush to my right shook, and I spun to face it head-on with my sword drawn and ready.
The blade tremored in my hand when I caught sight of the creature emerging from the undergrowth.
It was huge, the same size as a fully-grown fanged beast, but it was ghost white and severely malnourished—under a thin layer of short hair, I could see its bones sticking out at odd angles. Its jaws were large, the bottom half hanging down to show razor-sharp teeth as it drooled in my direction. Most horrifying of all were the eyes—they were completely white, as if the creature was constantly rolling them back in its head.
I stood still in terror, and felt Memenion do the same behind me. More of them appeared from the undergrowth, leering at us, panting and scratching at the floor as they waited to pounce.
Ash
Before I could take a moment to steady my shaking hand, they leapt at us.
Memenion roared as he lashed out with his blade, and I crouched low, ready to do the same. The creature landed in front of me, a forked tongue darting from its mouth, tasting the air. It reared up, the sharp blades of its teeth ready. I volleyed my sword upward, hitting the roof of its gaping mouth. The steel came into contact with brittle bone, and the tip of my blade came out the other side of its skull. It screeched, the rest of its body spasming in pain. With as much force as I could muster, I yanked the blade back out.
Before I could take a breath, another was upon me. While I fought it off, I could hear the neat splicing of arrows hitting their targets as Memenion fired one after the other into the undergrowth.
“There’s too many!” he roared.
“I know!” I cried back. I had only injured the second creature. Another one was taking its place, with more snapping, waiting their turn behind. “We need a barrier—now!”
“We’ll trap them in with us!” Memenion argued, flinging his bow to the floor and replacing it with his broadsword.
“We’ve got no choice,” I panted as I released another volley of blows. “Do it—NOW!”
I flung the creature backward, and latched on to Memenion’s mind as best I could. Our energy connected. Memenion’s fear and rage met mine. The barrier emanated from us with a ‘whoosh’, knocking back most of the creatures as its clear blue light surrounded us. Two of the beasts remained.
Memenion and I made quick work of them—Memenion sending one of the creature’s heads flying as he hacked at it with the scythe.
I slumped onto the ground, drained. I was covered with foul-smelling blood, a strange milky-red substance that turned my stomach.
“What the hell are they?” Memenion breathed as he collapsed on the ground beside me.
“The reason sane sentries a
void the Dauoa,” I muttered.
The creatures were circling us, growling at the barrier and sniffing at its near-invisible wall, their forked tongues flickering in the air.
“You know, I think they’re blind,” I stated, remembering how the first creature had seemed to ‘taste’ the air before launching itself on me.
“You could be right,” Memenion agreed, “though it doesn’t make much difference. Their other senses are obviously heightened.”
“I suppose we wait,” I sighed, leaning back on my elbows.
Memenion nodded, about to lie down, but then he paused.
“Can you hear that?”
I listened, only hearing the sounds of the hungry growls.
“What?”
“Someone’s coming this way,” he replied. “I can hear footsteps.”
I hoped it wasn’t Hadalix. We couldn’t shout out and warn him from the barrier, and unless he saw us first, he wouldn’t know that he was about to stumble into a feeding frenzy.
Using True Sight, I followed Memenion’s intent gaze. I didn’t see anything for a few moments. I kept looking, and soon enough the distinct royal-blue robes of Queen Trina came into view.
“Queen Trina.”
Memenion nodded, perceptibly relaxing.
“It will be an undeservedly swift end for her,” he said with a grimace. I wasn’t so sure. Queen Trina was deadly—and, though I hated to admit it, a far superior sword fighter than Memenion or me.
The creatures halted their sniffing of the barrier. One cocked their head inquisitively in the direction of Queen Trina.
Off you go then…for your next meal.
I willed the creatures to leave so that Memenion and I could continue our journey. They took off at a run, pounding the ground with their hooked claws. Turning back to Queen Trina, I watched her as she unwittingly continued forward.
I hoped the creatures would attack her. Whether they managed to defeat her or not, she deserved the unpleasant battle she had ahead of her.