The Wicked House of Caroline

With the sheer amount of biha she had, and its corresponding strength, one would think that blocking the blast of earth and stone would’ve been a simple matter. If Beks were observing the situation without taking into consideration that she had only managed to use elemental biha in the last few month, then she would’ve admonished herself for not reacting better.

But the instinct of over two decades as a biha-less individual won out over a few months of a limitless biha well.

As soon as she realized what was happening, Beks squatted down and lifted her arms to shield her face and upper body. She braced herself for the debris that came with the blast, expecting dirt and small, sharp stones to cut at her exposed flesh.

It took her a moment, with her teeth gritted and her eyes clenched shut to realize that the debris she expected to shred her skin wasn’t touching her. She still felt the air pressure as it passed, as well as dust in the air, as one would expect if they were caught up in a dust storm, but that was the extent of it.

Beks raised her head and dared to open her eyes. The towering figure of Rid Callan stood firmly in front of her. She couldn’t see his expression as he held his arms up, but his feet had been placed in a defensive stance and hadn’t moved.

In front of him was a hard packed stone wall. It didn’t seal the tunnel, but it did act as a shield large enough to cover them. Along the sides and the curved top of the wall, Beks could make out pieces of stone and rock bouncing off the sides, away from them.

She closed her eyes and released a low breath, No wonder her father wanted her to keep Thirnir with her.

As the sound of the blast died down and the ringing in her ears lessened, she saw Rid Callan turn around to check on her, his face full of concern.

“Your Highness? Are you all right?”

Beks remained squatted on the ground with only her head lifted. She nodded, shaken. “Yes. Are you all right?”

The man chuckled and shook his head. “I’ve shielded your brother from worse, Your Highness. This is not the first time I’ve been caught in an explosion.”

He offered his arm to help her up and Beks grabbed it to pull herself up. “Where did that explosion come from?”

Rid Callan furrowed his brows and looked back over his shoulder, towards the tunnel. “The chamber. The people digging must’ve evacuated the site to use explosive powder to break through the stone wall.”

“Explosive powder...that isn’t cheap,” Beks said with a small frown.

“The Temple is not short on money, despite what they advertise,” Rid Callan said. He carefully led her to the side, away from the tunnel, before pushing the barrier he’d created forward, to seal the tunnel. “We left the hole in the back of the chamber wall. Once the dust settles and they’re able to enter the tunnel, they’ll find it and know someone got there before they did.”

“Is there any way to seal the tunnel?”

Rid Callan’s narrowed eyes stared down the dark hole. His lips tightened into a line as he walked towards the wall and placed both palms upon it. “Perhaps not seal, but cave in.”

“That’s good enough.” Beks could feel the surge of biha weaving through the faintest cracks between stone and earth, loosening the material so that the narrow passage way they spent hours building collapsed in on itself in a matter of moments.

Beks noticed the sweat on the man’s head and quickly refilled his biha.

“You Highness, I think we should remain in the hiding space for a bit longer, at least until there is less movement around the side of the mountain.”

She nodded in agreement. “Then, we’ll wait.” She turned and looked around at the hiding crevice, and frowned. Dirt and debris from the tunnel ended up piled in all corners and flat surfaces of the space. The stone where she had sat on was buried almost to the top with a small hill of fine dirt and rocks.

Beks brushed aside the layer of dirt at the top and took a seat. The crevice was more cramped now, but she thought it a waste of energy to try to move the debris elsewhere. Rid Callan walked around, putting his hands on the walls to check for stability.

After a round, he seemed satisfied that the crevice was structurally sound, and Beks told him to rest. For the time being, they were just waiting. He hesitated for a moment, but agreed.

“If there is anything amiss, you must wake me at once,” he instructed her in a firm voice. Beks nodded, but was fairly sure he would wake up at the slightest disturbance,

He took a seat at the far end, leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed as he lowered his head. Either he was very tired and had fallen asleep immediately, or the Thirnir had been trained to sleep almost on command in order to get as much rest as possible when the situation allowed.

Beks was almost certain it was the latter.

She took a deep breath and turned her head to look out one of the spaces. The sun was still high and from what she could see, groups of people began to clear out the debris and rubble that had flown out of the cave opening that was where they started digging. It was mostly small rocks, as well as piles of dirt, but a few large stones had been dislodged and barricaded a portion of the entrance.

The laborers were being shouted out to both hurry up and to be careful what they moved, as the slightest nudge of a piece of stone in the wrong direction could cause a cave in. They’d have to start digging all over again.

Aside from laborers, even some low-level priests had joined the team to clear the entrance. There were even older children, whom she’d noticed had been helping with the cleaning and cooking of the camp, coming to help. The Temple didn’t seem to restrict themselves on who they brought, as long as they could do some sort of manual labor.

Beks lowered her eyes and sat back on the stone ledge beside the opening. Since the debris wasn’t compacted nor in large amounts, Beks estimated that the time it would take to get through would be far shorter than the initial attempts to dig the same distance.

She perked up a bit. This also meant that they wouldn’t get to the chamber any time soon, nor discover that the jaw of St. Cyric had already been taken.

If that was the case, then they had some time to rest. The expedition would be busy trying to remove the debris from the explosion and one night came, Laz and Lucian could come and they could leave.

Beks closed her eyes and leaned against the side of the cave to try to rest a bit.

She drifted off, but the warm sunlight against her skin that was so prevalent began to cool. Frowning, Beks opened her eyes. Her sight adjusted to the dimness of the hiding spot, and on to the light against the far wall.

The light coming through the crevices began to dim. Beks furrowed her brows and sat up straight, turning her head to look out the crevice. It was still early in the day, wasn’t it? Time shouldn’t have passed so quickly, no matter who exhausted she was, to the point that the sun was setting.

No, this isn’t sunset light. That light was golden, followed by a blue-tinted light before darkness set in.

She narrowed her eyes and placed her hands against the stone wall as she leaned closer to the narrow hole. She could still make out the landscape outside, the shapes began to be lost as the light grew dimmer. Or rather, the space grew darker.

She could feel a tingle in the air, indicating that the phenomenon of sudden darkness was caused by biha.

There was only one person she could think of who’d be able to do such a feat.

Before she could figure out a way to call towards Laz, she heard yelling coming from the distance, where the expedition camp site was. She squinted, trying to peer through the thick darkness, but couldn’t make out anything.

“What’s going on?” Rid Callan had woken up and come to stand beside where she was seated. He bent forward to look through the holes and knit his brows. “This is Prince Lazarus’ biha.”

“What are they doing?” Beks muttered, more to herself. “Why didn’t they come back?”

“It sounds as if the expedition camp is being attacked,” Rid Callan told her with a frown. “I’d recognize those screams no matter what language was spoken.”

Her brows shot up and she slid off her seat. “Attacking the encampment? Why would they do that?” Lucian said that he was going to bring Laz and Gerard back, as in back to their hiding space.

What was with this sudden change of plan?

Rid Callan glanced towards the sealed tunnel and then back out. “They know we’re underground and Prince Lucian knows we were tunneling. What they don’t know is where we are. For all they know, we were caught in the explosion.”

Her heart clenched and Beks drew in her lips, biting them hard as she thought of her husbands.

“Hold your ground! Someone, light the torches!” People were yelling over each other, but Beks could still make out some of the frantic sentences.

A voice filled with despair cried out. “The light from the torch isn’t illuminating anything! I still can’t see!”

“What is this?”

Shadow biha was rare. Most people, even those who had biha, would not encounter it in their lives.

“Everyone stay in place! This is shadow biha!”

Beks wasn’t sure if she was surprised that someone realized it so soon, or that she recognized that hoarse, annoying voice. She grit her teeth and her fingers dug into the earthen wall with distaste as she looked hatefully out the opening.

“Paladin.”

She hadn’t seen him at Strahnroc when she saw Iris Elpidah at the blessing, but had assumed it was because he wasn’t authorized to go up that hide.

It seemed the murderous paladin who tried to kill her more than once had been dispatched elsewhere.

Her fingers twitched with anticipation and the wish to reach out and wrap her hands around that man’s corded neck to stop him from crossing paths with her for the last time.

“It must be the Second Prince of Kadmus! He’s here!” The paladin spoke again and Beks frowned.

“How did he know-”

“Her Grace, the Oracle has predicted that he would try to stop us!”

Beks bit her tongue to keep from letting out a disgusted ‘ugh’ at the thought that once more, Iris Elpidah was somehow involved and causing her problems.

“Well, it looks like you’re not as ignorant as you appear.” Laz’s mocking voice replied in the darkness and Beks almost cringed.

No...no, don’t talk. They’re going to try to capture you-

“Find him! He’s close!”

“Captain St. Moore, we’re unable to use the torches!”

“Brother Bartholomew!” Another man who sounded older called for someone in heavy Esuser.

Beks held her breath and craned her neck, trying to see what Brother Bartholomew was called to do. In the inky darkness ahead of her, she saw a faint light in the distance.

“High Priest, I can’t hold the light for long!”

“That’s all the light biha he can manage?” Beks heard Rid Callan grumble with distaste beside her. “Pathetic.”

“It’s impressive that they actually managed to have a biha user who doesn’t use life biha,” Beks said. Life biha users, admired for their ability to heal, were all but monopolized by the Temple when they could.

“That’s as far as your light can reach?” Another person didn’t just sound disappointed, but upset at the biha user’s limited ability.

“Keep your eyes open! I’m going to let it all out!”

Like lightning in the night, the flash came and went in an instant. The space illuminated was limited, but was enough to reveal all the figures hiding in the darkness, Laz, Lucian, and an on-guard Gerad included.

“There!” Captain St. Moore was standing closer to the twins and Gerard than expected. He pointed towards the trio and reached for his sword. “Capture them!”

“Gerard!” Laz shouted from the darkness, and even from where she was hiding, Beks could feel the pressure of wind going in all directions. She lifted her arms to shield her face, but Rid Callan put his arm over her head and pushed down to avoid being in direct exposure to the gaps.

Dirt, small rocks, and other light objects flew through the openings and slammed against the opposite wall with such force that she could hear the impact over the howling winds.

The amount of biha used to create such a force wasn’t small. Though Gerard’s well had increased and his ability had become more efficient, he only had so many of those attacks left before he ran out of biha.

Her eyes crinkled up as she clenched her jaw. This was unexpected.

She’d gone on several small team ‘missions’ since this entire debacle started and, while there had been some hindrances in them, none had been detrimental to the overall mission, and so, they’d all gone well and were successful.

She didn’t want to admit that a small part of her had the same expectation for this mission and expected success to come about as easily.

“I know you’re there, Caroline!” The man’s gruff voice laced with daring and vitriol shouted into the shadowed abyss. “Come out!”

I can’t believe they’ve captured my husbands. She almost wanted to balk at the audacity the Temple had. In their unofficial war, taking a hostage wasn’t unexpected, but the thought that it was her Laz and her Lucian who had been taken made her more angry than worried. How dare they.

“You aren’t in a position to make demands, paladin.” Lucian’s cold voice cut through the darkness and Beks’ eyes unconsciously searched for the origin of the voice.

“Don’t listen to him, Beks! He doesn’t have us at all! Just stay where you are!”

“You think you can hide in the shadows forever, Prince, you’re wrong!” There was a pause and then a louder shout. “Comb the area! Find them!”

Beks squinted. She didn’t know how far the shadow had been cast, but there was a time limit. Laz’ shadow biha would only last as long as he was able to release it. If she could find him, she could give him a continuous feed of biha that would allow the shadow to remain in place as long as they wished.

Her eyes narrowed. But where was her husband? “Rid Callan, can you find them?”

The older man remained crouched beside her and shook his head. “I can detect individuals, but I can’t identify who that individual is. Right now, there are many moving in different directions.”

“Is there anyone who is still?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Several. I don’t know if they’re the princes or not.”

There was a chance that Laz and Lucian also moved in order to avoid the search party. With their respective biha, they’d be able to see through the shadows.

Part of her wanted to call out to them, but that would attract attention and could direct the search party towards her. She didn’t know if they had any more explosives left, and while she and Rid Callan were safe for the time being in their little bunker, if they were found, they could be flushed out.

“Rid Callan, what do you suggest?” Beks asked.

“We need to evacuate. We have the jaw; we no longer need to stay here,” he told her. “I don’t know how long the shadow will last, but when it starts to fade, we’ll be able to see well enough to get back to Thunder.”

Beks nodded. “Create a larger opening for us, but keep up a barrier to keep any of Gerard’s wind attacks blocked. We’ll wait there for my husbands.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Rid Callan moved towards the small gap that was designed to be unnoticeable from the outside. It was through this gap that Lucian and squeezed through hours earlier to get out. Rid Callan carefully re-shaped the earth, expanding the gap while simultaneously creating a low barrier and using large rocks to keep it covered.

Beks followed behind him, putting her hand against the jaw tucked under her tunic to reassure herself that it was there. She refilled Rid Callan’s biha well once more as they put their hands against the wall to guide them, and squeezed through the gap to crouch behind the wall.

With the shadow covering the area, it would be difficult for those unskilled with light or shadow biha to see through it, but it wouldn’t have been a problem for the twins.

“Just wait a moment for Laz and Gerard,” Lucian’s voice said above them and Beks wordlessly cheered that her prediction was right. One of the twins had seen the earth being moved and knew they were coming out. “Gerard can’t see in the shadow, so Laz has to lead him.”

Beks nodded and grasped Lucian’s faintly glowing extended hand. He pulled her up and Beks looked towards the direction of the expedition camp. She should’ve expected that she couldn’t see through the darkness either, but was still somewhat disappointed.

“Your Highness, Her Highness and I also cannot see where we are going,” Rid Callan told Lucian.

“Both of you will hold onto my shoulder. I’ll make sure to lead you up a clear path. When we reach the outer edges of the shadow, the density will thin, and you’ll be able to see where you’re stepping,” Lucian told them. “I can’t use my light biha to illuminate the way or they’ll spot us faster.”

“I understand,” Rid Callan said. Beks felt Lucian take her hand and put it on his left shoulder. She waited a moment before she felt him move forward.

“Stay close and make small steps so as not to trip on anything,” Lucian told them. “There are still a few jutting rocks and mounds.”

She found herself holding her breath with every step she took, not realizing her chest was starting to burn until Rid Callan told her to exhale and inhale. She flushed, shaking herself out of her stupor and counting in her head to make sure she was breathing.

It didn’t take long for the shadow to start to thin and soon, she could see Lucian’s shoulder, her hand, and the ground.

Rid Callan removed his hand from Lucian’s looked over his shoulder. He took a few more steps, until he reached the edge of the shadow where the sun was starting to penetrate, and stopped.

“Keep going,” he told them. “I will wait for His Highness Prince Laz and Gerard and put-up barriers to buy time.”

Beks grabbed his arm and poured biha into him once more before giving him an affirmative nod and quickening her speed up the mountain side.

Heavy footsteps against the dirt and stone behind her signaled Gerard rushing to join them. He passed her in a run as he took a deep breath and brought his fingers to his mouth. He let out a loud, shrill whistle that lasted several counts.

Beks continued climbing and then heard the familiar screech of a rokh acknowledging that they received the order. Well outside of the shadow, Thunder was circling in a descent. He flapped his wings as he landed, making sure the basket was as close to them as possible.

“Beks, hurry!” Lucian extended his hand towards her. “They’re coming out of the shadow!”

She couldn’t stop herself from looking over her shoulder. Shadows emerged from the thick fog, slowly at first, before breaking into a run as soon as they realized they could see.

Laz and Rid Callan were running up the mountain side. The distance between them and the mercenaries and paladins remained the same; a testament to their speed and agility, but taking off would take time and their pursuers could catch up.

She knew the risk.

So did an experienced Thirnir like Rid Callan.

“Go!” Rid Callan turned around to face the paladins and mercenaries rushing towards him. He seemed to dig his feet into the ground as he raised his arms.

“Rid Callan!” Beks shouted. She looked over her shoulder and almost came to a stop, but Lucian grabbed her arm and pulled her forward.

“Get to the rokh!” Lucian said.

“I can’t leave him!” Beks nearly pulled her arm from his.

“We’re not going to leave him behind,” Laz assured her. “Give be biha!” Beks grabbed his arm for a brief moment before he skidded to a stop and turned around. He seemed to launch himself back, towards where Rid Callan had created a series of pillars with narrow gaps between them.

“Lucian! Get her out of here!”

“Understood!”

“Laz!”

She watched him throw out his arms and a cloud of thick, black fog rolled out. The air became rich with biha once more as Laz seemed to focus on containing the shadows within the area where the approaching mob would run into.

His strategy wasn’t in vain. The mercenaries and paladins rushed into the shadows and orders soon filled the air to tell those who were lost in darkness to slow down or hold their weapons.

Rid Callan took this opportunity to run back up the mountain. When he was a few paces away, he turned around and created another series of pillars, like jail cell bars, to hold back their pursuers. It wasn’t enough to stop them, but would delay them.

Laz turned and ran after Rid Callan. Beks watched as Lucian lifted her into the basket. Rid Callan created another two barriers, but he was growing paler and she could tell his biha was being drained.

“They’re coming!” Laz shouted. He turned and sent out another shadow fog, but it was far smaller than the last. Swearing, he turned around. He looked towards the basket.

Beks met his eyes, but when she saw Lucian nod beside her, it was clear that the older twin was giving the younger one a silent order.

“Go up!” Lucian shouted.

Both Beks and Gerard whirled to look at him in disbelief. “What?”

“But, Your Highness, the Battalion Commander-”

“Go!” Rid Callan’s loud, booming voice filled the air. They looked back down the hill. The two men were next to each other.

Rid Callan pulled Laz into a narrow crack in the ground and then reached up. A slab of stone to the side shook.

Beks took in a sharp breath and reached out. “No-”

“Well come back for them when it’s clear!” Lucian told her, grabbing her arms and pulling her back from side of the basket. “If the expedition sees us leaving, they’ll pay attention to us and Laz and Rid Callan can hide until we come back for them.”

It made sense and was a perfectly logical plan of action, but Beks couldn’t quell the knot in her stomach. She forced herself to nod, which Gerard took as the final approval. He let out a long whistle and Thunder began to flap his wings.

The stone fell over, covering the crack where Rid Callan had wedged himself and Laz in.

Lucian kept one arm around Beks and stroked her back with the other, repeating in a low, reassuring voice that they would come back for Laz and Rid Callen.

“I wouldn’t leave my brother to die,” she heard him say as her heart slammed against her chest. Her fingers curled into the edge of the basket. “A day at most. We need to get somewhere safe and then come back for them.”

Beks gave him another shaking nod of her head, her eyes fixed on the stone slab that felt as if it had sealed their tomb.

It’s not as bad as it looks. She tried to rationalize it. Rid Callan is the most skilled earth biha user and Laz is safe. They will last a day. They will be fine.

A movement from the edge of the shadow fog drew her gaze as the basket rose into the air and began to sway. The mercenaries and paladins had emerged and as soon as the light hit their faces, their energy seemed to triple.

“There they are!” Beks glared at the familiar paladin who still ran with a slight limp Captain St. Moore was really trying to kill her yet another time. She supposed he wanted to kill her just as much as she wanted to kill him.

“What kind of hoard are they?” Gerard muttered under his breath as he watched the mercenaries and paladins race after them, undaunted. The darkness didn’t stop them, neither did all the barriers Rid Callan was creating.

“Gerard, take us up!” Lucian said as he looked over his shoulder. “Faster!”

“Yes, Your Highness!” Gerard let out another whistle, causing Thunder to reply with another screech.

She raised her hand over the top of the basket and gathered biha. Lucian’s eyes widened. “Beks, wait-”

Their basket began to swing to the side as they ascended, but it wasn’t fast enough for Beks. Narrowing her eyes, she raised her hand. A beam of light narrowly missed Captain St. Moore. Behind him, people screamed, though they were further away from the light beam than he was.

Beks’ chest rose and fell with heavy breaths at her hateful eyes fixed on the paladin. HIs good eye went wide and he had stopped in place. Across his right cheek, a red welt had appeared. Her attack hadn’t touched him, but the air around the light beam was hot enough that it caused blistering.

Gerard seemed to hesitate behind her. “That...that’s enough to make a trebuchet explode.”

“Yes,” Beks said as she lowered her arm. After the light beam sliced through the cloud of darkness and shadows, it cut past the expedition site, and collided with the hillside in the distance. From the force, it had grown weaker by the time of impact, but it was still enough to cause the mercenaries and paladins who were chasing them to come to a stumbling stop, stunned by the flash to flight.

“I was worried that was too much energy and could create too much collateral damage,” Lucian said with wide eyes.

“It doesn’t matter there is,” she said. She lifted her hand over her chest and pressed against the cloth of her tunic. She could feel the jawbone against her. “I have the relic.”

Lucian snapped his head towards her. “You found it?”

“Rid Callan got to the chamber and was able to break through the stone,” Beks replied. “We managed to get out before they caused an explosion.”

Lucian closed his eyes and let out a heavy breath. He slumped over against the side of the basket. “We were in hiding when we heard the explosion.” His red eyes crinkled up as the grip around her shoulder tightened. “I know you two were tunneling, but I didn’t know how far you got or if you’d been caught in the blast. Laz and I panicked, fearing the worst.”

“I’ve never seen the Battalion Commander so panicked,” Gerard said behind her.

“We couldn’t wait, so we attacked to force them back and draw them away.” Lucian lifted his head to meet her gaze. “If we could lead them away, then we could try to find you.”

The aching in her chest grew stronger. Beks reached up and grasped his arms, nodding as she squeezed him. “Rid Callan was able to shield us both and seal the tunnel. We didn’t expect the explosion either.”

Lucian nodded his head, distracted. “Yes, yes, it’s good that he was there.” He held her gaze. “Because of him, you’re alive.”

“We owe him a lot,” she said. “We need to bring him home. Yaya and her brother are waiting for their new father. I can’t fail them.”

He nodded once more, closing the gap between them and pressing her head against his chest.

“Your Highnesses,” Gerard spoke up, his voice becoming alarmed. “They’re moving back below.”

Lucian turned his head to look down. “Are they retreating?”

Beks frowned. She didn’t think Captain St. Moore would retreat so easily. Perhaps it was because all they had were swords, and Thunder had already taken them high enough that they couldn't be cut.

“Wait, what is that?” Gerard gripped the side of the basket as he leaned forward. His eyes were wide as he looked over the edge.

Beks and Lucian followed his gaze. Beks felt her blood run cold. Lucian took in a sharp breath as they watched a small crew of laborers pull off a large piece of canvas off what appeared to be a wooden wagon. On the bed was a familiar weapon with two people on either side, winding some cranks as another set adjusted the name.

A massive arrow was in place.

“A ballista!” Gerard yelled. He looked up at the flapping wings of the bird. “Thunder! Go higher!”

The rokh screeched in reply and began to ascend. The voices below grew faint, but yelling could still be heard. Beks felt her legs begin to shake as she watched the ballista turn and aim for Thunder.

“Gerard! Use wind biha to move the trajectory!” Beks yelled. She grabbed his arm and flooded him with biha, but a helpless look filled his face.

“My wind biha isn’t strong enough to change the trajectory of something with that much force!” Gerard replied with frustration.

“Just do it! Any slight change is better than no change!” Lucian ordered.

Beks grit her teeth and turned back to the ground. She swallowed hard and lifted her hand over the edge of the basket. She adjusted her ring and began to collect biha in her hand as she adjusted her footing to brace herself.

She took a deep breath and released a beam of light. At once, she was pushed back a bit, into Lucian’s arms. He shouted her name, but she didn’t pay attention, instead ignoring how drained she suddenly felt to see if her light beam hit.

It was short and concentrated, just like it had been when she unleashed it on a battalion. Except, this time, her target was further away and a single object rather than a row of weapons.

“No!” A whistling sound breached the air before she could look over the edge. The color drained from her face as she saw an arrow as thick as her arm flying past the basket.

Below, a wide, dark hole with dirt and stone strew around it was just beneath the back of the ballista’s right wheels. The weapon had been shot, but the force from the shot shook the body of the weapon. The men adjusting it yelled and jumped out of the wall as it tethered to the side and then tumbled into the hole.

She missed, but it was enough to delay another shot.

Still, one shot was already too much.

She’d felt Gerard’s wind biha against her face, as well as felt the rock of the basket, but the force wasn’t enough to throw the projectile weapon off course to miss Thunder.

It shot through the tips of his left flight feathers, startling Thunder. There was a scent of blood in the air, but the projectile had not lodged itself in Thunder’s wing. The wing wasn’t bleeding from what they could see, but that didn’t mean that Thunder hadn’t been injured.

“Thunder!” Beks and Gerard screamed as her suspicion was confirmed. The massive bird let out a screech of pain that penetrated their bones. Beks’ eyes reddened as the basket tilted.

Thunder flapped his injured wing, trying to keep them steady as he began to fall, unable to stay up in the air.

Gerard swore and Lucian grabbed Beks, wrapping her between him and the corner of the basket furthest away from the side that was likely to hit the ground first. “Hold on.”

“Thunder!” Beks cried out again as hot tears slid down her eyes. The rokh glided as best as he could towards the mountain side and before he tumbled to a stop,

The trio inside the basket were tossed out, landing in along the side of the mountain while Thunder flapped his wings and struggled to get upright.

“Gerard!” Lucian shouted as Beks looked up from where they’d landed on the ground. His arms remained wrapped around her and he was on his back, having almost slid out of the basket when the basket hit the ground and fell over.

“I’m fine, Your Highness!” The hulking man seemed to only dust himself off as he stood up on shaking legs. He looked towards Thunder panicking several paces up the mountainside.

“Calm him down!” Lucian ordered.

Beks scrambled to get up and get into a defensive stance and rushed a few steps ahead to create a single person barrier between the approaching paladins and mercenaries and a startled Thunder.

“Gerard, check his injuries!”

“Thunder! It’s all right! It’s all right! Calm down!” She heard Gerard behind her, trying to reassure the giant bird. Thunder’s squawking quieted down, but she could still hear the stone rustling beneath his talons as he tried to get into a comfortable position. “Your Highness, can you keep them back?”

Beks gathered biha in her hands. Sweat gathered around her forehead as she went over various scenarios in her mind. She certainly had enough biha to raze the entire expedition to the ground, but she couldn’t control her biha very well and a few more direct hits to the mountain side could cause an avalanche.

There were also people she deemed innocent enough to not be involved in whatever personal war she had against the Temple. Those children and hired laborers didn’t need to be collateral damage if she could help it. The Temple may not care, but she did.

In addition, she had to acknowledge that though part of a problematic institution, some of those clergy had no idea how problematic it was.

As for the paladins and mercenaries.... Well, they get what they were paid for.

“Don’t use another light beam unless absolutely necessary,” Lucian said as he stood beside her. “It’s too strong. What if you miss a target?”

“I know,” Beks said. “If Thunder can still fly, then we just need time, but if he’s injured, then we must evacuate with him.”

Lucian looked at her with uncertainty. “How do we evacuate with a giant bird who can’t fly?”

Beks narrowed her eyes as her hands clenched. “Light beam.” In other words, she’d make it so that nothing could threaten Thunder.

Coming up the mountain side, a good handful for paladins and mercenaries were slowly approaching. Amongst them was an elderly man in fine robes. Beks narrowed her eyes.

“That’s High Priest Leviak,” Lucian said in a low voice while frowning. “He’s on the Temple’s High Council.”

“Then they were sure the jaw of St. Cyric was buried here,” Beks replied. Lucian’s head vaguely nodded once. “How’s his temperament? Can we bargain?”

“Self-righteous and proud, but if the price is right....”

“Understood.” Beks didn’t relax her stance as she watched the mercenaries and paladins fan out, likely trying to encircle them. Her gaze fixed on the man giving the orders. “Captain St. Moore comes to try to kill me once again.”

“Again?” Lucian frowned.

“At the Great Temple Complex, he followed me to a tower library and would’ve reached me if Sister Levina hadn’t saved me,” Beks told him. She glared at the paladin. “Why can’t he die?”

“You are Lady Rebecca of Caroline!” The High Priest’s voice reached clear across at her. He wasn’t asking, but rather stating a fact.

“You’re mistaken!” Beks replied, trying to sound as confident as possible. “I’m Princess Rebecca of Kadmus. Didn’t they tell you I am married?”

“It doesn’t matter what you’re called. What matters is that you’re here.” The High Priest’s face darkened. “What would a Princess of Kadmus be doing here, at the Giant’s Ridge?”

He and the paladins at his side continued to walk forward. They were getting too close to the slab of stone where her husband and Rid Callan were hiding. If they got too close, then when Rid Callan and Laz emerged from their hiding place, they’d be surrounded. Beks grit her teeth and held out her hands.

“Wait!” Beks narrowed her eyes as she met the gaze of the High Priest in charge. He stood in place, his eyes narrowed as he looked at her as if she were a child acting up in a classroom. “Stop where you are. I came to check on a trading pass that’s been sealed up and was suddenly attacked by your people.”

The High Priest stopped, but not because Beks told him, but rather he was surprised by the sudden accusation. He drew his head back and frowned. “What attack? How dare you blame us-”

“Weren’t you the ones who caused that explosion that rocked the mountain?” Beks demanded in an exasperated voice. All she needed to do was put her hands on her hips to get the full effect. “I was almost killed!”

“What were you doing on that mountain?”

“I told you,” Beks replied, as if he were asking a foolish question. “I was told there was a trading pass here and I came to survey it for trade. I married into a kingdom and worked with our trade ministry. This is completely within my area of focus.” That was not a complete lie and even Lucian nodded in agreement behind her. “We were coming down to regroup and assess the situation when the entire mountain shook.”

“So, you attack us in return?” Captain St. Moore gripped his sword at his side.

“My brother and I were waiting for our wife. She could’ve been trapped, if not killed, by the explosion.” Lucian joined her lie without hesitation, his voice so clear and factual, it was almost believable. As expected of her husband. “Of course, we’d go on the offensive.”

“And it seems we were right to do so,” Beks replied. “We’re not the ones chasing people up a mountainside with swords.” Who’s the victim now, old man?

The High Priest frowned. “Regardless, you attacked us. Why should we let you go?”

“Isn’t this just a conflict based on a misunderstanding?” Beks asked, raising a brow. “I apologize for my husbands’ panic, but if they weren’t concerned for me, this wouldn’t have happened. My husbands attacked your camp, but your people attacked my bird.” She motioned her hand to the rokh behind her. “Gerard, how is Thunder?”

“No serious damage! He’s just as we found him!” Gerard yelled back. He meant that Thunder could fly. He was just startled and his injury wasn’t enough to keep him down.

“You see that?” Beks told the High Priest and his people. “We’ll call it even.”

The High Priest let out a small ‘tsk’ and shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t let you go, Your Highness.” Her eyes narrowed more so at his mocking tone. “You’ll have to come with us.”

Beks let out a small laugh. “I’m going to give you one more chance and I’m going to be generous about it.” She paused and let a pleasant look grace her face. “What about a trade?”

At once, Lucian snapped his head towards her with disbelief. “Beks!” She didn’t look back at him and instead took careful steps forward.

“Retreat back.” She willed herself not to look towards the stone slab where Rid Callan and Laz were hiding beneath. “Return to your camp and let us go.”

The High Priest let out a small scoff and sneered. “We have you surrounded and your hawk is injured.” He lifted his chin and smirked, making his face look even more wrinkled. “You are not in a position to bargain.”

“All right, then if I’m not in a position to bargain, what about a threat?”

The old man jerked his head back again and seemed to look at her as if she’s spouted out the most absurd question. “A threat?” He blinked and then began to laugh. “What do you have to threaten us wit-”

Another beam of light flew from her hand and flew between him and one of the paladins guarding him. He let out a cry as he darted to the side, waving his hand as if to move away the intense heat that came from the light. Far behind him, there was a low thud as the light beam collided with the same mountainside as her first one.

The tension in the air increased, but this time it was from the Temple’s side.

Beks kept an emotionless look on her face. “I have that,” she replied, unmoved. “I can incinerate your entire expedition, but there are young people here and irrelevant individuals that shouldn’t have to die for you, so I offered a trade.” The presence of those young laborers, including some older children helping with the cooking and cleaning of the camp, was why she hadn’t blasted light beams at the entire encampment when they were in the air. She just wanted to escape with everyone unharmed and destroy the jaw of St. Cyric, not butcher everyone there. Still, she couldn’t let the High Priest know that. She narrowed her eyes and gave him a haughty look. “If you’d rather the other option-”

“Wait! Wait!” The High Priest raised his hands and looked at her with wide, somewhat fearful eyes as the mercenaries behind him seemed to shrink back. The paladins hadn’t abandoned his side, but they had gripped their weapons tight, as if weighing their options. The High Priest seemed to take a deep breath. “What do you wish to trade for?”

“I heard that the Temple set out on an expedition to find a relic. Since it seems you are digging here, I trust that you’re looking for the relic here?” Beks asked. She looked at the expressions on their faces, but they were stubborn. “What if I can help you find it?”

The High Priest shook his head. “That’s unnecessary. We have already found-”

“It’s the jaw of St. Cyric, isn’t it? The lower mandible with teeth attached with metal wire.”

The High Priest frowned. His eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about-”

“The shadow is dissipating. Retreat as far back as you can without disappearing into the fog and I will get you your jaw,” Beks replied.

Suspicion was on the old man’s face. Captain St. Moore’s eyes narrowed and he took a step forward. “This is ridiculous! We have them surrounded-”

Beks shot another light beam at him, making him suck in a sharp breath while those behind him yelled in surprise. Beks’ eyes fixed on the paladin. “I have yet to pay you back for all your harassment, Captain St. Moore. It seems I’m more tempted for the latter.”

“We’ll retreat back!” The High Priest shouted. He looked at the paladins on either side of him and gave them firm nods of his head. “Stand down!”

They looked at him with uncertainty and he repeated it again, louder. Despite the clear reluctance amongst the paladins, they began to walk back, signaling for the mercenaries to retreat behind them.

Beks kept her hand up in a threatening motion, as if ready to shoot at any moment. She watched them get further and further back. Just as they were about to be surrounded by the shadows once more, the stone slab that had covered Rid Callan and Laz’s hiding place began to move.

It slid to the side, allowing for Rid Callan to climb out and then pull Laz up. Without dusting themselves off, they walked towards Beks and the rokh basket, which Gerard had adjusted upright and straightened the ropes of. The entire time, both men kept their eyes on the High Priest and his people, wary of any sudden movements.

It wasn’t until they reached Beks that they stopped.

“Gerard, tell Thunder to take flight,” she said in a low voice. She didn’t see him nod, but she heard him whistle.

Thunder replied and Beks heard the flapping wings and felt the gusts of air behind her. She didn’t turn around, refusing to take her eyes off her enemies.

“Your Highness, the basket is ready,” Rid Callan said.

“Get in,” Beks told them. “Lucian, prepare to pull me in when I turn around. Rid Callan, if they move before I get to the basket, create a barrier.” She extended one hand out to her side and he put his forearm under her palm for additional biha before bowing his head and following her orders.

She heard shuffling behind her. “We’re in, Beks.” Lucian said. “Quickly!”

Beks reached into her tunic and grasped the petrified jaw. With slow, steady movements, she pulled it out and raised it into the air.

She watched as the High Priest’s eyes went wide. His jaw dropped open as he pointed. He began to shout. They were far enough that Beks could just hear him yelling ‘get the relic’ in Esuser.

Beks tossed it on the ground and beamed. “Time to go!” She turned around as the mob of paladins and mercenaries raced forward. Just behind her, the basket was floating at her hip’s height and she jumped, launching herself up with her arms extended towards the awaiting arms of Lucian.

He grabbed on to her and felt another hand grasp the back of her clothes, pulling her up with ease.

“Why did you leave it?” Laz choked out as he and Lucian pulled her inside.

“I was going to destroy it anyway,” Beks said. Thunder let out a screech as they ascended higher.

“Your Highness, is another barrier necessary?” Rid Callan asked.

Beks shook her head. “No, I want them to watch.” A small, sadistic part of her wanted there to be a witness from the Temple. The High Priest was on the High Council, so he must’ve known why the relic jaw of St. Cyric was so important.

Therefore, watching it be destroyed in front of his very eyes would have the best effect. Besides, if it was destroyed there, there was no risk of it being snatched from her later elsewhere, perhaps even closer to Strahnroc.

Below, she watched as Captain St. Moore, despite his limp, was leading the pack of paladins to the jaw. They were high enough that Beks had a clear shot.

If her estimation was correct, there would be little shrapnel from the blast that would reach them.

She looked over the edge of the basket and extended her hand.

Biha gathered as she narrowed her eyes.

The jaw had landed against a piece of stone jutting out from the ground and was an easy target.

The flash of light was like lightning in the clear day.

The High Priests didn’t expect it. The paladins didn’t expect it.

A low, almost hollow boom filled the air as the light beam hit the jaw, seemed to course through it, and shatter it in different directions.

The howls of the High Priest reached her ears as Beks watched with satisfaction as the paladins shielded their faces before yelling and running to the charred ground to look for the parts.

Beks’ face was filled with joy as they went higher and higher.

“Did you plan to do that?” Laz asked, looking towards her with surprise.

“I planned to destroy it as soon as I could, but in this way, it will devastate the hope of the Temple,” Beks said.

“Beks, we don’t know if the whole relic was needed or just a portion of it,” Lucian told her with some caution. “What if only a portion of it was needed.”

“I have a backup plan,” Beks told them. “At least with this, it is likely that whatever ritual they want to do won’t be as effective.”

“Your Highness, they seem to be getting the ballista ready again,” Rid Callan told her.

Laz grabbed Beks’ hand and put it on his shoulder. “Biha.”

She filled his well and he then turned around and released a layer of shadow below them to shield them from view. Rid Callan nodded, satisfied.

“Now that at least one relic is destroyed, what do we do? That was the only one they were looking for, wasn’t it?” Gerard asked.

Beks nodded. “But I’m certain they’ll still try the ritual.” She narrowed her eyes and looked down, her mind sorting through her thoughts. “At Strahnroc, Iris Elpidah had wanted to do the ritual, but the High Priest told her to wait. It seems that having all the relics was necessary to have the most control. Even without the jaw, they will still proceed. I don’t know how much control they’ll have, but any reduction of it is welcomed.”

A whistling sound flew through the air, but it was far enough away that it didn’t alarm them. Beks watched with placid eyes as the projectile shot from the ballista flew past them.

Thunder let out an annoyed shriek.

“Your Highness, where do we go now?” Gerard asked.

“Fly further west into Kadmus territory to rest. I need to contact Sister Levina and Elder Arash to see if they found anything regarding the relics and the ritual,” Beks told them. “It’ll give us a better idea of what to expect.”

Gerard tilted his head to the side. “Expect for what?”

“The ritual on Strahnroc,” Beks said as she looked back at the shadow that still covered the ground around the expedition site they were leaving behind. “It’s only a matter of time before they do it, and they’ll do it soon.”