The Unknown Alchemist

Chapter 34 - You have magic

Arctos leaned in close placing the point of his sword to the male's throat. "Tell me where she is and your death will be swift."

The faunid gave him a pained smirked before coughing up more blood and going still.

Roedin approached. "He died from a simple wound. Poison?"

Before Arctos could answer movement caught his eye and he threw up his fist to command attention. Everyone froze as the bear crouched low and advanced through the trees. On the edge of his vision he saw a flash of red and the smallest measure of hope sparked in his chest. He twisted with sword drawn then straightened in disappointment.

"It's just a fox," Arctos reported. "Probably lured by the smell of blood. Let's get back to the trail"

Roedin barreled past him heading straight for the animal.

"Roe! What are you doing? The trail will go cold!"

The fox turned and fled with Roedin right behind. Arctos whirled and ordered the warriors to follow but keep their senses open as Roedin paid no attention to his surroundings. He was entirely focused on the fox, even stumbling at times over logs as they crashed through the forest. Then he tripped and fell to the ground taking in a face full of snow and the fox disappeared through the trees.

"No! Come back! Where is she?" Roedin called out in desperation.

Arctos ran up behind him. "Roedin, it's a fox! What is going on?"

Her body was pushed into the snowdrift, neck snapped. It was the old Papilio faunid; the reason they came to the camp in the first place. It was she who had led the younglings out of the camp, and the attackers had put her down easily. Arctos bent over and brushed her eyes closed.

Roedin knelt in the snow, his shoulders hunched. "We never got to speak to her. We should have gone the first night we arrived, but with everything..." He looked up at Arctos. "Immortality has made us forget the importance of time."

Arctos clenched his jaw and looked at the warriors encircling them in a defensive position. The stench of death wafted through the night air. Death and blood. He tilted in nose the wind.

Another scent caught his attention. Wood smoke and... a tang of herbs? It was unfamiliar and made his nose burn. He twisted his face and followed the scent to a small cave entrance hidden in the hillside. Silently placing each step down he approached the opening with trepidation, the warriors behind him. Arctos' heart raced as he drew nearer, the tension threatening to lock his muscles in place.

A few steps into the cave his eyes adjusted to the light of a small fire and he froze in horror. The warriors gasped behind him, every one of them breaking their training. Some even cried out and dropped to their knees in despair. Arctos scanned the small space, his body practically convulsing in rage.

It was a tomb. The bodies of more than a dozen younglings lay on the ground or slumped against the walls. Pools of blood leaked out beneath them or they lay in twisted, broken positions. The males just stared, not believing their eyes. Roedin stormed up beside him and Arctos instinctively reached out to stop him.

"She's not here," he warned his brother.

The cave was small and the bodies were clearly all faunid.

"She must be. The fox..." Roedin's voice trailed off as he took in the horror.

A warrior screamed and ran forward scooping up the body of his youngling, clutching the calf to his chest.

"This doesn't make sense. Why would they kill them? They were trying to take them," Arctos wondered aloud.

He looked away from the grieving father and stepped further into the cave, checking all the bodies for life. A Pantheri kit had her throat cut and he reached down to check for a heartbeat then pulled his hand away from the still-warm body.

Still warm.

They had been so close to arriving in time. Too close. He looked down at his hand in frustration but saw no blood, even though he had just touched the youngling's neck. He ran his fingers through the blood again but it didn't transfer to his hand. It was an illusion.

He whirled and stood in one motion. "This is a trap!"

The warriors were instantly alert, swords drawn, searching for the threat. Arctos lurched around the fire, knocking over a small bowl of smoldering herbs on his way. Poisoning the air, he thought. Before they could retreat a great whoosh left the cave like the hillside was exhaling a deep breath.

The air rippled in front of him and Avery's figure took form. She stood tall, holding both hands in front of her, clutching a blue gem. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she muttered under her breath. Sweat poured down her temples and she trembled under the strain, her lips dry and cracked from saying words over and over again. Then her eyes snapped open as she drew in a sharp breath. Shock and fear flashed across her face before she crumpled to the ground.

Roedin was kneeling beside her instantly. He lifted her head and shoulders, searching for injuries. Avery gasped back into consciousness and twisted away from him, scrambling on her hands and knees before vomiting on the floor. Roedin gently placed his hand on her back as she coughed and sputtered. Her arms gave out and she collapsed to her side, shivering violently as she brought her knees to her chest. She was not well, but she was alive.

Whimpering sounded around them and Arctos tore his eyes away from the human to find the younglings of the cave were not dead at all. They began sitting up, blinking sleepily, some crying. The blood had vanished from their bodies though many still had cuts and scrapes.

Roedin looked up from Avery to Arctos. "It was a glamour. Designed to deceive whoever came in here into thinking they were dead."

Arctos exhaled sharply. "How? Was Avery holding the magic?"

Roedin shook his head in disbelief as the warriors began collecting the younglings and reassuring them.

"How is this possible?" Arctos asked.

"The original sorcerers were humans, but after the Tidal Wars any human with magic was hunted down and sacrificed to the earth gods. She could be..."

Roedin's voice trailed off as he reached down to brush the hair away from Avery's face. She gave no reaction, if she even noticed. She continued to shake, her eyes wide in shock.

Arctos could feel this brother's worry as deeply as if it were his own. Through Roedin's bond they had all become keenly aware of Avery's emotions, whether from instinctual protectiveness of a family member or a magical connection.

"We need to get her to camp," he said to Roedin.

Roedin crouched low over his mate and placed a hand close to hers, but not touching.

"Avery, we're going move," he whispered. He licked his lips and hesitated before going on. "I need to carry you. Is that alright?"

She didn't speak but reached a trembling hand out and grasped his fingers. Roedin closed his hand around hers and gently scooped her up as she curled herself tightly into a ball. Arctos carried two younglings with him and they left the cave.