The Archer (A Tale Of Heroes & Demons Book 1)

Chapter 28

Fractures

Orelius and Katherine forced their Esquians to an abrupt stop, skidding through the undergrowth. Rosie was behind them, coming to a gentler stop beside.

"Declan?" Katherine called into the darkness. The forest was silent around them. No sounds pierced the air, no breeze rattled the branches. She jumped down and strode forward hesitantly. "Hello?"

Midnight came prancing back through the trees, whinnying sadly. She turned her dark head back towards the darkness stretching before him. Katherine strode forward and reached out to Midnight but the Esquian backed away.

"It appears our hero has had an accident of sorts." Orelius shook his head. "That just won't do." He pushed Ashka forward, following the trail Midnight had made on her return. He didn't need to see to know the trees thinned around him and he stepped into open air.

Orelius dropped to the ground and gazed through the darkness. He put his feet forward slowly, testing the ground before him. He made it about eight yards before he felt the ground disappear.

"Archer?" he called into the gloom.

"Down here!" The voice was faint, but there.

Orelius leaned down and peered over the edge. There was just enough light left for him to distinguish the shape dangling from a protruding root nearly a third of a league below. "Quite a predicament you have gotten yourself into now, eh archer?"

Swearing under his breath Orelius stood up just as Katherine appeared at his side.

"What happened?" she demanded. "Where is he?"

He shrugged and pointed down the cliff. "Look for yourself."

Katherine got onto her stomach and shimmied forward until she could see over the edge. "Declan!"

"Here!"

She shot up and pointed her hand at Orelius. "This is your fault!"

"My fault? How is this my fault?"

"You're the one that insisted we go over Death's Valley instead of around it and now look at what' happened. We should have known better than to ever listen to you. How would we even jump if the Esquians are scared? Look what Midnight did to Declan! If he hadn't have gone ahead of us we would all be down there right now. No, we would probably be at the bottom, not dangling from the side."

"For your information the Esquians are not scared. They are perfectly capable of jumping the valley in the light of day. They just did not see it this time."

"And that is your excuse?" Katherine shook her head and crossed her arms. "Pathetic." She turned and started to walk away.

"So what? Are you just going to leave him down there now? Take up his quest as your own?"

She whipped her head around and glared at him. "For your information, I am going to try to save him. Unlike you."

Orelius stared to mutter to himself after she left. "I'll show them how to save the hero. And then they will have no choice but to trust me." He leaned over and called down to Declan again. "Don't worry, I will get you out!"

***

Declan couldn't help but scoff. Orelius get him out? Yeah, right. He was probably going to take off and leave them there, with Declan still hanging in the darkness.

His arms were burning with the effort to hang onto the root. As his eyes had adjusted to the darkness he was able to see many things he had missed as he fell. Small plants grew out of the side of the cliff, and the entire surface was uneven and rugged.

Blood dripped down from where his hands were stripped raw. It was hot and sticky as it ran down his arms before dripping into the darkness. He listened to the night and the silence around him.

The quiet beat against his head like a drum, creating a pressure that made it hard for him to concentrate on staying up. He was beginning to get the overwhelming urge to let go and just fall asleep.

Katherine was still up there, though. She would try to help him.

But what if Orelius has turned her against you in your absence? What if she has left with him?

No, she would never do that.

But what if she did?

No!

...yes. You know I'm right. They have abandoned you. You are alone.

Let go.

It can all be over soon.

You could rest.

But Demonica...

Someone else will stop her.

Don't worry.

Just rest.

Declan snapped back into reality when he felt himself slipping, but it wasn't his grip that had loosened.

No.

The root was pulling out from the earth and there was nothing else around for him to grab.

lmig +{@