At the Gates of Falathel

“Come on! It’s time to leave!” Elindra flew excitedly over Silas and Leyade’s heads. “Time for an adventure!” With her spirits restored, she swooped towards her companions, urging them to get ready and set off.

Silas shook his head and sighed, wishing he had been allowed a little more peace and quiet. Anyone might have thought he was annoyed, but the smile on his face gave him away. Just as excited, Leyade sprang onto a rock, raised a fist and echoed Elindra’s cry.

“Oh, no. Not you too…” Silas protested through his laughter as the two of them whirled about in excitement.

A moment later, Leyade and Elindra exchanged a knowing smile. Silas watched them and murmured to himself:

“And they think I heard nothing last night…”

He shook his head with a smile, put on his hat and followed them.

Leyade led them through the dense forest beyond Kalneria’s borders. Unlike the madness of that place, this was an ordinary forest: ordinary flowers, ordinary trees… Everything was ordinary. Even her compass worked properly. Thanks to that, they made steady progress through the trees until midday.

“Well, according to the map, if we keep going in that direction, we should reach the nearest known landmark to where Falathel is supposed to be…” Leyade said, pointing to the map after they had finished eating.

Elindra lay on her back in the grass beside them, looking thoroughly content after her meal. Silas nodded over the map, following Leyade’s explanation closely.

“Yes, it looks as though we’re near. If you like, I can send Elindra ahead to take a look before we go any further,” he offered, tickling the dragon’s belly until she wriggled over onto her front.

“That would be useful, but don’t you think it’s dangerous? We don’t know what might be out there…” Leyade looked at him anxiously.

“Don’t worry. This little ball with wings can look after herself. She’s done it before,” Silas replied with a reassuring smile, ignoring Elindra’s protest at being called a little ball with wings. “Once she’s back, we’ll head over together.”

He rested his book on his lap and gestured towards Elindra.

The dragon sighed and sat up.

“Don’t worry, Leyade. Silas always uses me as bait,” she said resignedly.

Leyade raised an eyebrow at him, clearly questioning his methods.

“What are you talking about?” Silas tapped Elindra lightly on the head with his book. “I don’t use you as bait. I would never put you in danger. I only send you ahead to look around.”

Elindra rubbed her head with her forepaws.

“Hey! That hurts!”

Leyade laughed and shook her head at the pair of them.

“All right, all right. If you don’t mind, Elindra, would you take a look?” she asked with a smile.

“If you’re the one asking, it will be an honour to serve as bait.” Elindra raised a forepaw in a salute.

“We are not sending you out as bait! Stop being so dramatic!” Silas protested, covering his face with one hand.

Leyade stood and explained where Elindra should fly and what she should look for, showing her the map and pointing towards the forest.

“We’ll give you an hour. If you aren’t back by then, we’ll come looking in case something has happened. If you can, stay in one place. If you move around, it will be harder to find you. We might even pass each other without noticing,” she warned seriously. “Above all, remember: if there’s danger, come back. Be careful, all right?” Leyade pointed a finger at her and held her gaze. “Come back. Do you hear me?”

The dragon nodded firmly.

“I will.”

Silas leaned towards her and looked her in the eye.

“Return like the wind that rises with the morning,” he said in Sylvan.

Leyade recognised the phrasing of a Sylvan blessing. She knew little of that culture, but the meaning behind the words was clear.

Elindra raised a forepaw, and Silas pressed his hand against it. They exchanged a look and nodded. Then she took flight and disappeared from view.

Silas sat down again and returned to the book he had been holding for some time. Leyade settled beside him to wait, but not before glancing at its pages. They were filled with runes she could not read, though she recognised them as part of a spell.

Silas noticed her trying to work out what he was doing and spoke without looking up.

“It’s my spellbook. I’m reviewing the spells I’ll use today.”

Surprised at being caught, Leyade blushed, nodded and looked down at the map in her hands. Silas smiled in amusement and went on reading.

Time passed slowly. Leyade studied the map again and again, making notes and watching the direction Elindra had taken. Silas murmured words she could not make out, turning the pages and occasionally glancing towards the same patch of forest.

On one of those occasions, Elindra’s silhouette appeared in the distance.

“It’s Elindra!” Leyade sprang to her feet and hurried forwards to meet her.

Silas finished reading a sentence, closed his book and quickly stood. Elindra glided towards them and landed in Leyade’s hands. The elf checked her all over. She was unharmed.

“I’m glad you’re all right,” Silas and Leyade said together, then laughed at themselves.

The dragon looked from one to the other and tilted her head, curious about their shared reaction. All she said, however, was:

“Of course I am. I’m Elindra, the finest bait in the world. No one can eat me.”

Her playful tone, combined with her nearly expressionless dragon face, made Leyade laugh even harder.

“Well? How did it go?” Silas asked.

“I found them!” the dragon announced proudly, tapping her chest with a forepaw.

“Really?” Leyade’s eyes widened with excitement. “Then let’s go!”

With that cry, she dashed off with Elindra still in her hands.

“Hey, hey! Put me down!” the dragon cried, wriggling.

More calmly, Silas put his book into the matching case Leyade had seen earlier. He watched as she laughingly released Elindra and began packing up the things they had used for lunch.

“Tell us what you saw while we pack, Elindra,” Leyade said, her hands full.

The dragon settled on a rock and began.

“It’s a ruined city. The ground is almost impossible to cross, with rubble everywhere. But at the far end, I saw a sort of temple that’s had better days.”

Leyade nodded thoughtfully.

“Did you see a way into the city and the temple?” Silas asked, putting on his satchel.

“Of course. Who do you take me for?” Elindra gave him an indignant stare. “There’s a stream before you reach it. If we cross that, we can get to a part that’s more… passable?” She tilted her head, sounding uncertain about the word.

Leyade took the map and searched for the stream, or the area where it ought to be, before showing it to Elindra.

“The stream isn’t marked. I suppose it’s too small to appear, but…” She traced a finger over the map. “If I work out our position from the mountains, this looks like the likeliest place for water. Does that seem right?”

She traced the route she thought they should take and looked at Elindra.

“Hmm…” The dragon studied the route, glanced around and nodded. “Yes, it’s roughly there. I can’t be completely sure, but it looks right. I’ll show you when we get closer.”

Leyade nodded, took out her charcoal and another sheet of paper, and traced that section of the map, marking their route. When she had finished, she put away the charcoal and shouldered her backpack.

“Come on. Let’s get there before it grows too late and we’re caught out after dark.”

She gestured towards the sun and took the lead with Elindra.

They made good time through the trees and bushes until they heard running water. Leyade noted landmarks as they walked, reaching the stream at the edge of the section she had copied. She looked across to the far bank. Beyond the water stood ruined houses that seemed to have crumbled apart, smothered in weeds and vines and surrounded by dead, withered trees. Whatever had happened there, it had been a long time ago.

They approached the stream to inspect it. The current did not look particularly strong. Leyade picked up a fallen branch beside a tree and used it to test the depth along the edge. The water there seemed to reach halfway up her lower legs, though the darker channel towards the centre looked deeper. She discarded the branch and turned to her companions.

“We should be able to cross if we’re careful.”

Silas studied the water and nodded.

“All right. I’ll follow you.”

Leyade stepped into the cold stream. The current flowed around her legs. She tested her footing on the muddy, stony bed before turning to give Silas an encouraging nod.

“Step where I do if you can. It’s slippery,” she warned, continuing across.

Silas nodded and followed in her footsteps towards the far bank. Elindra hovered above the stream, ready to help if they needed her. As they advanced, Leyade began to feel something strange. It was like an unpleasant weight pressing against her, difficult to describe, tightening around her body and making it uncomfortable to breathe. She looked around, searching for its source. The feeling seemed to come from the far bank, growing stronger as she approached. She quickened her pace as much as she could, eager to get out of the water and investigate. Glancing back, she saw Silas struggling to follow. He did not seem used to making his way through places like this. For Leyade, who had grown up in a village, it was nothing unusual.

Silas did not seem to have noticed anything yet, so she gestured that she was going ahead. At that very moment, something surged out of the water beside him, almost striking him. Leyade leapt nimbly onto the bank and drew her bow, her eyes fixed on Silas. Caught off guard, he barely dodged the blow and almost fell.

“Silas! Are you all right?” Elindra cried, swooping lower.

An enormous caiman emerged from the churning water beside him. It had apparently decided that Silas was food.

Leyade drew an arrow, nocked it, pulled back the string and aimed straight at the animal. She released. The arrow flew through the air and struck its neck, but instead of sinking in, it glanced off. The scales were too hard.

“Shit!” she exclaimed.

The caiman spun faster than anyone would have thought possible for an animal weighing several tonnes, swinging its tail at Silas to knock him down. He narrowly avoided it again, struggling to get clear of the huge reptile. The half-elf raised a hand and gestured, hurriedly reciting a spell. Carefully, he reached towards the creature, and a small bolt of electricity leapt from his fingers. It struck the caiman and coursed through its body, making it writhe for a moment. But instead of driving it away, the spell only seemed to enrage it. It fixed its gaze on Silas, ready to attack again.

Elindra swooped towards the caiman. Once she was close enough, she opened her mouth and breathed a cloud of golden, pollen-like dust into its snout. The animal shook its head, trying to clear it, but inhaled some of the powder. Leyade watched expectantly, her bow raised. Suddenly, the caiman began making noises beneath the water. They were rhythmic, shaking its body with spasms.

‘Is it laughing?’ Leyade wondered in bewilderment. She reached into her quiver for a different arrow and drew her bow again.

The laughing caiman tried to lunge at Silas, but the fit brought on by Elindra’s breath made it fail spectacularly. Silas seized the opportunity to cast another spell, plunging his hand beneath the water. He pointed at the streambed, and a slick layer of oil spread across it, swirling through the water around the caiman’s feet. As the animal tried to move away, it slipped. Its legs buckled, and its own weight rolled it onto its back, where it thrashed and made ridiculous noises.

For a second, it seemed to be over.

Elindra flew low towards Silas and shouted:

“Hurry! Get out of the water! My breath won’t keep it like that for long!”

Silas nodded. Panting, with water up to his knees, he resumed his struggle towards the bank where Leyade stood.

Then she heard something crack behind her. A dry snap, like breaking wood.

She glanced towards the ruined houses. Nothing. Only motionless weeds and vines. She frowned.

Seeing no movement, she turned back to help Silas.

“Come on, Silas!” she cried, reaching out.

He stretched an arm towards her, only a step from the bank…

And the water around his knees erupted.

“SILAS!”

Something enormous, larger and darker than the first caiman, had seized his leg beneath the surface. Silas screamed, not from pain, but from the sheer force of the pull. He fell backwards into the cold water. Whatever had caught him was dragging him towards the deeper channel in the centre of the stream.

Leyade did not stop to think. She dropped her bow and ran towards him.

But on her second step, the cracking sound came again. This time, there was more than one. Five. Six.

Crack! Crack! CRAAACK!

Figures began emerging from between the houses. They looked like tall, thin, black trees, lumbering towards the stream. Their bark cracked and split with every movement, as though they were rotten inside.

Leyade faltered. If she went after Silas, the trees would close in on her too. If she stayed where she was, he would drown.

At least five black trees were advancing from the ruins, cutting off the way inland. Behind her, Silas was disappearing beneath the surface with the second caiman.