Euphoria Read online

  The joyfulness passed, and again the awkward silence settled. “Your bridge?”

  “Oh, that’s right. You asked if you could use it.” Koelic nodded and left his question unanswered. The old man looked out at the rope as it swung above the water. “Do you want to know how I made it?”

  Before Fret could say he really didn’t care, Koelic started off on his tale. “That fiber is made by insects. Worm-like insects. Woven just right, and with a little magic, it can make a strong rope.” Koelic’s eyes watched Fret for a reaction to the term magic.

  He did react, which made the man smile.

  This guy is off his rocker. Bugs making rope strong enough for a man to stand on it! Fret thought.

  When the mention of magic came, Lyra spoke up. I want that magic! Her demand caused the reaction that Koelic saw.

  “I know, magic in our land is forbidden. Don’t be alarmed. I am no master magician or anything. Just a simple Mordock.” Koelic waited for more reaction, but Fret made none.

  Fret stepped back to his horse and started gathering necessary items off it. He had a small bag, which contained most of the food items. Koelic watched from behind.

  “Whatcha doing?”

  Fret did not answer. At last he grabbed the ax and turned to face the old man. Fear cropped up on his face as he saw Fret with the ax.

  “I don’t want any violence.” Koelic’s hands came up in a nonthreatening defense.

  Koelic’s words and posture at first confused Fret, but then he remembered the ax in his hand. “This is my protection on the other side.” He made his way to where the bridge was. Koelic followed cautiously.

  “Boy, that bridge is not that safe with all that stuff you’re carrying.” Koelic’s warning went unheard. Fret hoisted himself up. It swayed above the river, but it was still taut enough to stay above the water.

  His. Magic! The scream echoed in his mind, blinding pain. One hand kept him steady while the other one went to his head. Koelic looked around, as if he heard something as well.

  “Did your sack just speak?”

  Fret wanted to answer no. He wanted to step out farther on the bridge. But he felt himself losing control. His hand holding the ax let go, and it fell to the bank, its handle sticking out over the water. The blinding pain vanished, replaced by a numbing throb.

  “Boy, are you okay? Come down here,” Koelic spoke but looked reluctant to come any closer.

  His limbs obeyed the command instantly, as if Fret’s mind said it and not the old man. When both feet were on the ground again, he turned to look back.

  “I’m sorry to command you. I’m not using my power to mean you harm. It is not safe on the bridge if you aren’t skilled at balance. Plus it is not safe on the other side.” Koelic’s eyes held deep concern as he spoke.

  Fret shook his head. “Power?” He sounded weak. His own voice ignited little fires of pain, but nothing as strong as what Lyra had done.

  “Oh dear, I may have used too much force on you. I have the power to command, to suggest, and to coerce with my words.”

  No wonder Lyra wanted his power. What should he do? Another scream from Lyra would make Fret pass out. Yet he wasn’t willing to kill again. With the fragment out of sight, she could only influence him so much.

  “I’m okay, but I need to get across to the other side…no matter how dangerous it is over there,” Fret said. He turned all the way around to face the Mordock. He dropped his sack to the ground by his feet.

  Koelic studied Fret’s face. “I have a boat, a ways downstream. I can take you across. Agree.” The last bit was not so much a question as it was a command. He nodded quickly.

  “Gather your things and bring your horse along. It is only about a fifteen minute walk. Come.” Again another command, and Fret followed obediently.

  Chapter Eleven

  Galloping toward Zediah’s house was not quite an option now. Hazel pointed to a long, winding mountain trail that scaled a nearby cliff.

  “He lives up there?” Taylon asked, looking skyward.

  “Close to the falls. He claimed it was the center of harmonies. I never did learn what he meant by that. We will have to walk the horses up.” Hazel dismounted.

  Taylon checked on Euphoria, who still slept. His heart ached at the thought of the real Euphoria’s return and the idea that he may have lost Rose. He pushed his feelings aside as he dismounted carefully, laying Euphoria forward in the saddle.

  After a quick water break, they began the ride up the rocky terrain. Once on the trail, it swallowed them up from the world. Trees and wild shrubs grew thick along the path. The canopy of branches overhead blotted out much of the sky. Taylon felt as if he had entered another world.

  Hazel kept the pace, a constant stride forward. She seemed eager to get off the trail. The horses enjoyed the slower trot, forced to gallop hard since Smead. Occasionally they nipped at a passing leaf or shrub.

  As they came out of the deep foliage onto the mountainside trail, Euphoria began to stir. Taylon noticed at first because the trail’s incline increased slightly, making them climb more of the path than before, heads down, pushing forward.

  Taylon glanced back at his horse, and he saw Euphoria sit up in the saddle. “Hazel!” Taylon whispered desperately. The old woman stopped when she heard the cry.

  Euphoria rubbed her eyes and stretched before opening them. “Where…?” On this part of the trail, a rocky cliff wall formed one side, and the other side was a straight drop-off. The view was amazing, but very disorienting to someone who had just woken up.

  “Euphoria.” Taylon came close to the side of the horse, looking up. He couldn’t see her necklace from his viewpoint to see if it was still yellow. Hazel theorized blue was for Rose and yellow represented Euphoria.

  “Taylon. What are we doing here?” It was the original Princess Euphoria.

  “Your Majesty, how was your sleep? You slept for most of the ride.”

  “Answer me!”

  Hazel came forward. “You are safe, Your Majesty. We are almost to the healer.” This caused Taylon to look back at the old woman. He caught the small wink she gave him.

  “Healer?” Anger flared in her eyes. He knew that temper well, before the time of Rose.

  “You don’t remember. Oh, it is spreading quicker than I feared.” Hazel put on mock anguish and gave a nod to Taylon.

  “Uh, oh…yes, Your Majesty. King La’ard was infected with a plague that soon spread through the castle. The alchemists said there was only one who may have a cure for such a disease.” Taylon did his best to embellish the story.

  Both watched Euphoria take in the lies they were feeding her. Her expression was difficult to read.

  “But why do I not…remember this?”

  Taylon heaved a veiled sigh of relief at the realization they might be able to trick Euphoria.

  Hazel spoke up to answer her question. “The disease eats away at your memories. Eventually you lose all sense.”

  Euphoria’s eyes showed she was suddenly scared, but the rest of her expression remained regal.

  Taylon prayed her mind processed the information, filling in the necessary gaps to help their fabricated story make sense.

  “May we continue on, Your Majesty?” Hazel asked, hoping she wouldn’t have to quickly find the sleeping drug.

  “Continue, but I need to know more.” She looked about again as Taylon watched her take in the view. Hopefully it would calm her.

  The horses moved, and all began again, upward. Euphoria did not ask questions right away. She looked to be sorting out what she remembered and filling in the many holes that she couldn’t quite put right.

  Slowly the trail’s incline decreased and became a bit more forgiving as the end loomed nearer. Taylon’s legs felt like he had run several hundred training drills. He couldn’t imagine how Hazel was still going.

  “Why is Master Kreitan not here?” The question came after a long silence.

  “He is dead.” The answer quickly slipped out
without Taylon thinking. He panicked for a moment.

  “Dead?”

  “He caught the disease. And then tried to attack your father,” Taylon said, knowing it was close to the truth. He wasn’t sure how Euphoria would take it.

  “I am glad he’s dead. Such a disturbed man. But Father would never hear of getting rid of him. I hope his death was painful.”

  A smile crept across Taylon’s face. It was a painful death.

  The mountain abruptly ended as the trail did. It was as if a huge giant had cut off the top and left a lush, green meadow growing. A roar of water echoed, overpowering at first but then soothing.

  Hazel and Taylon crumpled to the ground, exhausted.

  “So where is this healer?”

  “A little farther. We will make camp here to rest,” Hazel muttered back to her.

  “Um, no. I’m dying here. Or did your little peasant brain forget that? Now get up,” Euphoria commanded from her horse.

  “Princess, be reasonable. We need to rest after that climb,” Taylon interjected before Hazel’s temper had a chance to speak.

  Euphoria paused as if thinking it over. “I’m in a generous mood, and it is quite a sight from up here. You can have five minutes.”

  Taylon predicted Hazel’s reaction and was able to calm the old woman down.

  The princess walked her horse away from them, looking at the scenery.

  “I don’t like that Euphoria at all,” Hazel said through gritted teeth.

  “Neither did most of the guard staff. The wraith personality wasn’t much better.” Taylon scooted back to lean against a tree. “How far to Zediah?”

  Hazel took a moment to rub the back of her neck. “About two hours. A little more climbing. Not as bad. But I think we should camp here. Start fresh in the morning.”

  Taylon looked at Hazel, who wouldn’t meet his gaze. “What else is up ahead that we would need to be rested for?”

  The old woman didn’t speak. Finally she looked directly at Taylon and said, “Predators.”

  ***

  “I believe her place is right around here somewhere.” Ra’na came down the aisle looking from side to side.

  “Ye said that the last aisle,” Lourak moaned, getting a little grumpy. He still was a bit miffed at the silencing treatment he received during lunch. But he hadn’t said another thing about Katrena.

  Gantha was also feeling the wear on his legs. He had never walked so much in his life. This market was huge, and Ra’na made it all the more difficult by shopping along the way. They had started the trek through the market around midday, but Gantha could tell now from the sky that it slipped into evening and would be dark in the next couple of hours. He wondered where they would be staying tonight.

  “Ooh, look at the sprite booth.” Ra’na changed directions and veered off toward a booth occupied by multiple glowing sprites. These sprites were making some sort of stained-glass sculptures.

  Lourak grunted at her departure and kept going forward. Gantha stopped, not sure whom he should follow. After taking another look at the sprites, the council member decided to follow the dwarf. He wasn’t into fairies.

  “My, oh my. Lookie what aye see before me.” The dwarf halted, and Gantha stopped short of a collision.

  Ahead was a booth decorated to look like the forest—a forest unlike any he had ever seen before. And inside the booth were several lovely creatures. His elf eyes recognized them immediately. Nymphs.

  Lourak began his swaggering walk up to the stall. He ran a hand over his mustache and beard and brushed back his locks of hair. All his preening was in vain, as when he reached the make shift shop his head barely came up to their counter. It took a moment for him to gain the attention of the nymph attending customers. Eventually she looked down and saw him.

  “Hey there. Are you in need of some of our quality services?”

  Gantha started to go forward and join the dwarf, when his eyes caught sight of an odd color he had never seen. In a booth on the right, farther up, a humanoid creature with blue hair and violet skin tended to jewelry.

  Back home, Gantha saw nymphs almost on a daily basis. They were charming and sweet, but he did not get overwhelmed by their graces as easily as Lourak. But the creature he saw here intrigued him, and in a funny way excited him.

  Slowly he made his way over, his eyes never leaving the woman. Something about her made his pulse quicken. Reaching the booth, he continued to stare at her as she worked farther back.

  “Are you looking to buy?”

  Gantha, startled out of his trance, looked down. He saw a goblin in front of him, a single, huge eye staring up at him. A black patch covered the other.

  “Um, no…um, maybe…what?” His mouth failed him as his mind processed the question. Was the goblin asking if he was going to buy the woman? Or was he asking if he was going to buy the wares out on the table?

  “Buy the jewelry.” The goblin spread his hands wide over the merchandise. Gantha quickly glanced over the pieces and took a small peek back at the woman. She had turned his direction, and he saw her face for the first time.

  His peek became a stare as his mind froze. A black tattoo slash cut across her eye. Normally facial tattoos distracted or distorted beauty. In her case, it seemed to intensify her charm.

  “You like?” the goblin said, as if he was indeed going to sell the humanoid to him.

  The most Gantha could do was nod. She approached the counter, looking uneasy. “Can I help you, sir?” Her voice was feminine, but not a sweet, soft chorus like a nymph. Instead, it held personality.

  “Um…you…uh….” The council member simply shut his mouth, knowing all was going to come out wrong. He stared.

  “All right, what’s going on up here?” Another voice erupted from farther in the booth. This voice sounded brusque and irritated. Gantha’s eyes flicked toward the stranger.

  “Ra’na?” It was out before his mind told him it wasn’t Ra’na at all.

  The newcomer pushed the woman and the goblin aside to stand in front of Gantha. “No, I’m not Ra’na. And why is a council member checking out my employee?”

  For a moment, Gantha stood stunned. How did she know he was a…? Then he remembered he had donned his emblem sash in case it helped while talking with the locals.

  “Um, I wasn’t…um…I…” Again he felt compelled to just shut his mouth before he screwed things up further.

  “Katrena! There you are. And I see you have met Gantha.” Ra’na came alongside him. The goblin and the violet woman both looked equally amazed as they looked from Katrena to Ra’na and back again. Gantha was in a similar state but was afraid to do anything, or even allow his mouth to open in fear of something stupid coming out.

  Katrena’s face adopted a scowl. “Ra’na.”

  “It has been a long time. I had trouble finding the shop. And I see you have gotten new help. Hello, I’m Ra’na.” She extended a hand toward the goblin, whose expression changed from shock to delight. He took her hand and kissed it. She gave a small giggle and then presented the same greeting to the woman.

  The woman’s grasp barely shook the offered hand.

  Gantha saw his chance and extended his hand. “I’m Gantha.” But before the humanoid’s hand could even get close to his, Katrena batted it away. Her cloak moved aside, revealing her amputation.

  “Sister, what happened?”

  “Sister, it’s none of your business,” Katrena mocked back at her. Ra’na felt the sting from those words; it showed on her face.

  “So, why are you here? And with a councilman,” Katrena said curtly.

  Recovered from the harsh mocking, Ra’na spoke up. “There’s been a prophecy. I thought you might know.”

  “And why would I tell you? Information isn’t free.”

  Ra’na again lost her smile. “Kat…what’s wrong?”

  “Why did you even come to find me? You know we don’t get along.”

  “That’s not true!” Ra’na exclaimed.

  “
Then why has it been so long since we have seen each other?” The words hung unanswered. Ra’na looked down, while Katrena looked smug.

  “Fighting again, girls?”

  All eyes looked over Gantha’s shoulder at the speaker. When he turned, he saw Da’Lynn standing there. A question formed on his face before he could ask it.

  “There’s been another prophecy. And it is urgent,” Da’Lynn said to Gantha as she eyed Katrena and Ra’na. “But let’s go to a quieter place to discuss it. I believe at least one of my daughters knows something.”

  “Daughters? Yours?” Gantha choked out, but she was already on the move behind the booth. She stopped short of a canvas doorway.

  “Are you coming?”

  “Yes, Mother,” Ra’na and Katrena replied in unison.

  Chapter Twelve

  Koelic got Fret almost to his house before Fret realized what was going on. The old man was persuading him. The house stood less than a half a mile from the bridge, away from the river. Fret looked around, dazed at first.

  “Where’s the boat?”

  “I don’t leave it out on the river. It is at my house, this way. Come with me.”

  Fret began to move and then abruptly stopped, as if by an unseen hand.

  Do not follow him. Lyra’s voice lost the feminine charm and came across as more of a metallic, grating noise vibrating in his skull.

  “Come help me with my boat.”

  “Okay.” Again Fret was submissive, but as soon as he began to step, something stopped him again.

  Kill him! He is using you. This thought rang through his head and then through his core foundation. But unlike the previous message, he grasped the meaning.

  “No!” Fret reacted violently. His horse, which had been following him the whole way, gave him a nudge in the back as he bumped into it. Quickly, without listening or thinking, he mounted the animal and took off, back toward the bridge.

  The Mordock yelled for him to come back, but the command slipped away in the air. Lyra filled his head with her own scream of rage. Not too overwhelming, but it made riding a bit maddening.