Not Just Another Fae (Vegas Fae Stories Book 4) Page 20

  "Charlie," I said, pointing to Hades' armor. "Since we're going to have to fight our way out, I can wear this over my own Fae armor. Hopefully, between what magic I can muster and the shield, I can block any of the Chimera's flames. Any chance there'd be any armor around here that would work for you? Maybe Cerberus wore something that would be useful; something we can use to protect your back and flanks."

  "I have not seen such a thing," he replied.

  "Take a look around anyway, "I said. "Maybe we can access the stables from here. There might be something there. I'll meet you downstairs in a minute."

  He nodded and left the room to search.

  I started tossing parts of armor out of the case, then grabbed the scythe and bident. As I placed them on the table, I knocked the bag over and the Queller fell off the table. Wondering how Charlie was doing, I bent over to pick it up.

  As soon as I had it in my hand, it began to glow. Holding the orb in my palm, I watched as it spun around and then raised a few inches into the air. As it slowed and stopped, I saw the arrow pointing downward. I held it in my hand and left the room, going down the stairs to where Charlie would be. The arrow moved slightly as I rounded corners and I followed its directions as it led me to Charlie.

  "I have found nothing," he said as I walked into the room he was searching.

  "Well, I did find something," I replied as the orb stopped moving. "I'm just not sure what it means."

  "What does it do?" he asked.

  "I was thinking of you," I said. "It started spinning and the arrow pointed the way here. Let me try something else." I walked out of the room and back to the front doorway and held it up again. Thinking of Harpies, I waited to see what it would do. Nothing. I did the same thing with Chimeras and Shades, still nothing. Then I tried thinking of him again, and the arrow slowly pointed in his direction. "So... It won’t point to the creatures outside, but it will point to you," I said after a moment.

  "What does it mean?" he asked.

  "Well," I said. "I'm not really sure. But if it was used to chase escaping Ghosts and Demons, maybe it seeks out things that don’t belong; and if there's anything that doesn't belong here, it's us. Not much help at the moment, but maybe we can use it when we find a way out of here. Any luck finding armor?"

  "No," he replied.

  "You'll just have to stay close then. Oh, found this in the armor room as well," I said I held up the scythe. "No Helm of Darkness, but I think it's something Gaea might want."

  "Perhaps it will prove useful then," he replied.

  We went back upstairs and I put the orb and scythe away, then dressed in Hades' armor. Carrying the bident and Demeter's sword, we went into the other room. I had decided that our best chance, and least distance, was out the balcony and toward the Arch. It was only a couple of stories, and even with diminished magic, my Fae persona could take the fall. I pulled down the curtain after peeking out over the balcony and took a few steps back into the room. There were more Harpies now, but it didn’t matter. This was our only way out. Besides, maybe they'd break our fall. I placed the helmet on my head and held up the shield, then looked back at Charlie.

  "You ready?" I asked.

  He nodded.

  "Here goes nothing!" I started running. When I reached the balcony, I leapt.

  Chapter 19

  We crashed into a flock of Harpies and the half birds scattered. Having landed on my feet, I looked back to see Charlie right behind me, snapping at one he had landed next to. I held up the shield and started for the Arch. I'd only taken a few steps when the Chimeras attacked. I swung my sword and lopped the head off of one, but another latched itself onto my arm, its goat head bleating as the other head pulled my shield toward the ground. I swung my sword and took off that head as well. The Chimera let go, and I saw it rear back. I raised my shield just in time to avoid the blast of flame it spewed from its mouth.

  Going down on one knee, I quickly switched weapons and jabbed the bident forward, the added length enough to spear the now one headed Chimera. As I got up and tried to move forward toward the Arch, the Harpies attacked. It was all I could do to keep moving as I batted them aside with the shield. I tried using blasts of magic, but it just wasn't strong enough in this place, with so many of them attacking. Charlie was holding his own, biting at any Harpy that got close. Then I started swinging the bident like a bat, it's sharp prongs cutting into any Harpy that got near.

  For whatever reason, the other Chimeras had been stunned by the loss of two of their members, and held back. Even so, Harpies continued to claw and wail as we moved slowly toward the Arch. Although the bident was having an effect, I was still clawed and cut in places where armor didn't cover. At least two Harpies had clawed into my skin, one having pierced my own Fae armor at my stomach when I lunged upward at several that flew down from above.

  Seeing we were now only a few yards from the Arch, I yelled at Charlie to move faster and together we covered the distance, leaving a trail of dead creatures behind us. When we were just a few feet away, I let out a guttural scream and started swinging my shield and bident for all they were worth, leaping through the Arch just as another flock attacked from the side. As I crossed through, the Harpy that had clamped its claws on my arm burst into flames. Dropping to my knees to pull the now burning bird from my arm, I saw that Charlie had made it as well, a burning Harpy carcass on the ground in front of him. I looked back, but there was nothing to see. The magic was hiding the palace and the rest of the creatures. In front of us were fields of grasses and grains. What was beyond that, I couldn't tell. Without the Helm of Darkness, there was nothing we could do but search out the tower. At least we were in Elysium. We couldn’t be any worse off than where we had just come from.

  "Welcome to paradise, I think," I said to Charlie, who was spitting burning Harpy blood from his mouth. Pulling off my helmet and opening my pack, I grabbed a bottle of water and held it high as he lapped it to cool his mouth and rinse the blood off.

  "Let us hope there is something more palatable than burnt Harpy," he said.

  I took a drink myself, then used the rest of the water to clean us up a bit. Standing, I picked up the bident and tucked my helmet under my arm. "All right, let's see if we can find a way out of here."

  We walked a few miles and eventually came upon a small creek. Nearby, a man wearing a simple tunic sat, tending a fire as the cool breeze blew. He looked up at us as we walked by.

  "Well met, strangers," he said. "Seldom have I seen travelers of late. Come, sit, and enjoy my fire."

  "Thank you," I replied. "But we must move on. Perhaps another time."

  "As you wish," he said, then he smiled. "Of course, you are dressed as one seeking the games. I should have realized. Continue on, continue on. They are but up the road a way."

  We went a few miles further, passing several others who seemed to simply be enjoying the day. Eventually the road led to a small valley with several fields, all of which were filled with men and women performing various types of sports. One field held discus, another a stone ball. In several, the people were fighting, but always as sport, and they congratulated one another when one bested the other. One in particular interested me, as the participants were fighting with swords in full Roman armor. We walked alongside it and I stopped to watch the champion for a while. He had bested three others before finally pulling off his helm. He bowed and patted his last opponent on the back with a laugh, then began walking towards a table filled with food and wine, where he sat down.

  "You have great skill," I noted as I grabbed a cup, then pulled some meat off a platter for Charlie. I figured of all the places in Hades, the food here, at least, would be safe to eat.

  "Thank you, my friend," he replied, draining his cup. "Your armor seems formidable, have you come to play in the games?"

  "Not today... my friend," I said in reply as I sat down across from him and began to share a meal with Charlie. "We are merely passing through on our way to the tower and stopped to enjoy th
e show. You fought well."

  He nodded and went back to his meal. After a while he looked back at me and paused, eyeing me strangely. "Do I know you?"

  "Perhaps we met in a past life," I replied, getting up from the table. Taking a last gulp, I put down my cup and wished him well. Then Charlie and I continued on our way to the tower.

  We walked through a lot of the place, watching people do everyday things. No one was working, just enjoying the day. If you had to have an afterlife, the Greek and Roman version of paradise didn’t seem too bad a way to spend eternity. Everything seemed peaceful enough. Ok, it was a little boring, at least to me. But I guess if I'd lived in those times, when life was much harder, and shorter than today, I might have looked at things differently.

  "Not exactly what I was expecting," I said as I stood on the riverbank a few hours later. Across the stream was a circular tower of white that rose into the heavens. It looked... I don’t know... deserted. It sat on what I supposed would be called a cape, a small area of land that stuck out into the river, which was itself, quite wide at this point. Beyond it lay fields of golden flowers, but the tower itself stood alone on the rocks.

  "It appears he has abandoned this place," Charlie said.

  "Let's hope so, "I said, staring down at the orb's arrow, clearly pointing to the tower across the river. "I’m not really in the mood to face a Titan, especially the one who’s sword I now carry." I scanned both sides of the river. "If I remember some of the maps right, this should be the Eridanus. It's not supposed to be as bad as the other five, but I'd feel better if we could find a way to cross that doesn’t include swimming."

  We walked along the shore for a bit, looking for a way to cross. There were a few boats near the center of the river, but they were too far away to hail. We were also unable to locate a dock or any that were pulled up to shore. There was no bridge to be seen and none of the boats seemed to notice us. I was just getting ready to try swimming, when Charlie pointed out a sail coming our way, slicing through the water not too far out from the shoreline. About 20 minutes later, it revealed itself as a high sided, four oar rowboat, complete with a single square sail. As it ran up to the shore, the sail collapsed and a man in full armor jumped out and walked toward us.

  "I thought you might need some assistance," the man said as he took off his helmet, revealing himself to be the champion from the games I'd chatted with earlier.

  "Strange to find you here, friend," I replied as I reached out and grasped the hand he held out.

  "Your mention of the tower intrigued me," he said. "It is said to be empty now. I wonder, what quest could take you there."

  "One that I may not speak of," I replied. "And dangerous as well. But the use of your boat would be appreciated."

  "I thought as much," he said. "But I do not think you can cross the river unaided. The winds blow harder the closer to the other side one sails, and past mid-stream, gales will form. It is said to be nigh impassable. Perhaps I could join you. A second set of oars might make the journey possible."

  "That would not be wise," I replied. "It is most likely a one-way journey and you have earned your place of rest here in this place."

  "It is said that those that earn the right of passage to the Blessed Isles have lived three lives. In each their souls free of darkness. Perhaps it is time I return to live another."

  "Are you not happy here?" I asked. "I have seen you fight in the arena. I would have thought such a life, well deserved and earned, would be to your liking."

  "So one would think," he replied. "Perhaps if I recalled more of what I had done to earn this place, or faced greater opponents, it would seem less dreary. But there is something about you that brings up strange memories. I believe there is more that I must still do before Fate would have me dwell in such a place for eternity."

  I was about to argue further, but Charlie butted his nose against me. I looked down to see him shaking his head. It was not unexpected. But any decision was his to make. Truth was, I'd prepared for such an eventuality.

  "As you wish, friend," I replied. "Perhaps a second set of hands will make the journey easier."

  "Excellent!" he said, picking up his helmet. We pushed the boat back after turning it around.

  Charlie jumped on and got in the bow. We joined him a few seconds later and began to row.

  With the sail still down we moved against the wind. At first, we advanced swiftly, the oars pushing the boat through the water with ease. A moment later, things changed. The wind began to blow harder and the waves increased, smashing against the bow as we went further into the river. Eventually, the wind howled and the waves boiled up and over the sides of the craft, filling it with water and making it harder to row.

  "Faster," I yelled over the lash of the wind and waves.

  With a burst of speed, we rose up into the air and crested the next tall wave, crashing down into the water before climbing another. Were it not for my Fae strength, and my companion's fortitude, I doubt we could have accomplished it. But although each wave pushed us back, we still made headway, the oars catching the water and propelling us a few feet further each time toward the other shore.

  Just when I thought we would never make it, I heard a yelp from Charlie. He jumped from the craft and clamped his jaws on the bow mooring line. We scrambled to join him. As we leapt from the bow, the wind gave a last howl. The rope broke and the boat was lifted up into the air and thrown back into the river. I grabbed what was left of the mooring line, thinking it might come in handy at the tower, coiled it around my arm, and threw it in my pack. We were soaked and miserable, but we had made it to the far shore. We climbed further up the rocks, the winds and waves subsiding, no longer violent since we had passed beyond the water's edge.

  "I'm afraid your way back may be more difficult," I said to my companion, as I looked out over the river, the waters now calm. There was no sign of the boat.

  "I do not think Fate would block my return should she not wish for me to continue," he replied. Then he patted Charlie's head before walking over to where I stood. "Since that decision has been made for me and we are, at least for now, companions, I would learn your names. Although much has been hidden from me since I came here, my name I can remember. I am called Lucius."

  Of course I knew who he was. It was only because I recognized him that I even stopped to watch the swordplay. In his past life he'd been one Lucius Camillus, a Senior Centurion in the army of Rome. He'd been critically wounded in 280 B.C., the battle of Heraclea. There, through a twist of fate, he'd been saved before death and turned by the Lilin. Before his true death in a battle against Marissa's dark Mages, I'd hoped we had become friends.

  "I am Robert," I replied. "The hound is Charlie."

  "Well met," he said.

  "To you as well," I replied. "Now, if it is truly your wish to leave this life behind and accompany us, I can offer you the return of your memory. However, there is no turning back should you so decide to accept it."

  "By your armor alone I knew you were of the Gods!" he declared. "Fate indeed, has other plans for me." Then he got down on one knee. "How then, may I be of service?"

  "You can stand up, for one thing," I said, dropping the fancy talk and helping him to his feet. "I am not the God of the Underworld, although I wear his armor. Still, as much as I hate to say it, I'm probably as close as you're going to get these days."

  "I do not understand," he said.

  "Trust me," I said as I reached into my pack to retrieve the goatskin I'd brought. I poured a capful and handed it to him. "Drink this and you will."

  Although I'd brought it mainly in case I needed it for Bernd, I had enough of the water from the Mnemosyne to spare him a capful. The water from the source of the Titan's pool would restore his memory. I just hoped I was doing the right thing. Of course it was a little too late to worry about that now, I thought to myself as he drank it down.

  He was quiet a minute and then suddenly grabbed his throat in panic. Before I could react he r
elaxed, then looked up at me. "Bastard had a hidden knife," he said. "I should have foreseen that."

  "You saw an opening," I replied. "Kinda hard to twist and duck when you're flying through the air. Courageous move, and effective. It was all over after you cut the Mage down. Once he was dead, the Demon we were fighting was released and the battle was finished. At least for the most part."

  "Wait," he said, grabbing his chest and neck. "The Lilin. It is no longer present."

  "I don’t know what to tell you there," I said. "I'm guessing that whatever afterlife the Lilin go to, it isn’t this one."

  "It will take some time to get used to," he admitted. "Still, it is good to be alive."

  "Let's hope we can stay that way. I wasn't kidding when I said it was a dangerous quest."

  "But less so now that friend Lucius is with us," Charlie added.

  "Thank you," Lucius said. "Now tell me. What are you doing here?

  "This is gonna take a while," I said. Then I told him the story of my first contact with the Demons and what had occurred up to our arrival in Hades. I also added a few things that had happened before that time, including my daughter's rise to throne and her conversation with Gaea, trying to bring him up to speed with all he had missed. Then I told him of my intention to find Bernd and stop whatever was opening the portals.

  "You have been busy," he said when I was done. "You will have to tell me the rest when we have the time. Especially of how you were able to free the Lilin. That is one story I would love to hear more of. But for now, what of the tower? It is said that Cronus once dwelt there, but it now lies empty. What is it you seek from that place?"

  "Honestly," I replied. "We need to find a way out of here. I'm hoping we'll find one in the tower."