Crown of Daelin

Chapter 14: What Health Class Never Prepared Me For

     "Remind me again why this was a good idea.", grumbled Zoe as we stumbled along in the dark. We wound our way through the empty streets of Cebaran, and the only light to guide us was the glowing moon overhead. All was silent except for the muttering of frightened voices behind shuttered windows and the howling of the bitter wind that nipped at our faces and the places where our skin was bare.
     "Because the people of Cebaran are terrified, because they fear to even step outside their doors at night, and because they are being terrorized by a faceless creature that threatens their livelihoods.", said Adam, his bow at the ready as he led our group through a darkened alleyway.
     "Ugh. Why do you always have to be so noble, Adam?", groaned Zoe.
     "Just think of it as a community service project, Zo. You can even put it on your résumé.", I added, smiling at her reluctance. It seemed to me that she wasn't so hesitant about helping these people, or even about facing a monstrous enigma, but more about  being out of her cozy bed back at the inn this late at night.
    I walked slowly and cautiously behind Rose, Meuyola in hand, ready to face the unknown. While I was rather scared of what creature may lurk in the dark, I felt a strange sort of confidence around me as well. I was with my friends, people I had come to trust wholeheartedly, and their presence was enough to steady my shaking hands. Unlike many of the other misadventures we had had on our journey, we were prepared. This time, we were on the offense, and we were ready to kick some arse.
     I heard a scurrying by some crates behind me, and I whipped around, wielding Meuyola in front of me. My eyes scoured the  darkness, looking for a sign of movement. I peered into the shadows, ready for action. A small dark figure shot out from behind a crate, causing me to catch my breath and jump back. However, as it ran across the street and under the light from a burning lamp, it was revealed to be no more than an orange and yellow striped tabby with a pink bow tied around its neck.
    I took a deep sigh of relief as my friends looked towards me, wondering what the commotion was.
     "Just a false alarm.", I said. Then from across the village we heard a frenzied baying of dogs and the bleats of frightened sheep rise up out of the silence, accompanied by a vicious squealing noise that sent a shiver down our backs.
     "I doubt that one is a false alarm. Let's go!", called Adam as he began to run towards the ruckus. Fear and anticipation now flowing through my veins, I took a deep breath, said a quick prayer, and raced after him. Rob and Zoe ran at my side, and Rose was just ahead of us, racing blindly into danger after her brother.
      After running through the streets bathed in midnight, nearly tripping over every crack in the cobblestone street, we finally reached the end of town, where the barking now became a constant menace echoing in my ears. The streets soon ended and we found ourselves by an aging fence that surrounded a moonlit pasture. Inside the pasture was a flock of wooly jacob's sheep.
     However, these sheep were not grazing peacefully in the moonlight, as you might imagine a flock of cute, cudly sheep to be. These sheep were running everywhere, bleating furiously in panic. I peered through the darkness, and I soon found the reason why. My eyes widened as I found the dark, massive creature. At first it had blended in with the shadows in the field, but once I saw it I could hardly keep my eyes off of it. This thing was the stuff of nightmares.
      In front of me towered a massive beast, it's luminous yellow eyes gleaming in the dark. Everything about this creature could be summed up in two words; sharp, and terrifying. Its ferocious maw was filled to the brim with thin, razor-like teeth, and its claws were the size of a grizzly bear's and twice as deadly. All over its body were giant spiked quills the same size as javelins. Laid out before it was its latest prey: an unfortunate lamb that had just been torn up and was being feasted upon. 
     The monster turned toward us and forgot its meal as it heard our footsteps approaching. Its eyes scanned back and forth between our company. It let out a piercing screech underneath its breath as it studied us with loathing. And then it charged.
     With four giant strides forward and a leap over the fence, the monster was upon us. Not ready for its advancement toward us, I stumbled backwards a few steps and snagged my ankle in the grass. I fell backward with a scream, Meuyola falling to my side. I grabbed up my sword and held it out in front of me, ready to defend as the beast approached, baring its filthy fangs and screeching like a bat out of Hell.
      The creature didn't have a chance to attack me, though. I watched from the corner of my eyes as Rose barreled towards it with a long-sword raised. She jumped up with a cry and slashed at its face, where there were fewer deadly quills to get in the way. The creature turned on her and swiped its claws. However, it was too slow for our princess. She had already rolled away to the other side, prepared to attack again.
     Adam stood by the fence, firing arrow after arrow into the thick hide of the neck and between the quills. With each twang of his bow, the creature let out an irritated screech of pain as the arrows lodged into its side. However, they seemed to only aggravate him, for no matter how many arrows Adam stuck into it, the beast did not fall. While the two royals attacked, Zoe, Rob, and I watched in awe. What Rose and Adam were doing was purely amazing; and just as dangerous. I felt the pang of cowardice as I saw how they were putting their lives on the line for this, and how we were simply standing there with our mouths agape. However, the Regios had also been training for moments like this since they were born. Needless to say, the rest of us had not. So I put that thought to the back of my mind and looked for a way to help.
     Finally, the creature had had enough. With a deafening roar, it launched its own attack using a skill that we were not happy to find out that it possessed. All of the sudden, it tensed up its muscles and shot out a volley of its massive quills in every direction. Luckily, every member of our company was able to hit the dirt fast enough in order to avoid the first wave of the quills. But now we had one more thing to worry about, and the longer we fought this thing, the chance that someone might get hit would increase. So, being the stupid idiot I am, I came up with the brilliant idea to take a whack at it. With a burst of courage from Heaven knows where, I ran towards the beast and swung Meuyola at its head. Out of pure chance, my sword connected and created a giant gash across the monster's face. The creature backed away, thick trails of blood trickling into its eyes. It then ran blindly towards me, swiping its claws but not sure where to strike. I used this time to turn and run back aways from it so I could take a second to plan before I made my next move. I ducked as the creature sent another volley of spear-like quills over my head. It was a close call this time, as I felt one whizz past just inches above my head. I let out my breath in a quick sigh of relief, but then quickly caught it again when through the brisk night air came the most terrible sound imaginable. From my left came a terrible scream of agony, and the voice was one that I had known well since childhood. It was Zoe.
     Fear froze me in my place for just a second, before I turned and ran towards my best friend, completely ignoring the dangerous threat at hand.
     "Zoe! ZOE!", I screamed into the darkness, barely dodging another spike flying in my direction.
      "Oh God, oh God...I...it hurts so-" I found Zoe lying in the grass by the fence, her beautiful face distorted in pain as she cried out into the darkness. She gripped her right shoulder, where one of the giant beast's quills had been lodged deep into her flesh. Through the moonlight I could see the blood flowing out from the wound, seeping between her fingers and dripping onto the grass. I knelt down next to her and grabbed her hand, unsure what to do. I may be able to BS my way with a sword, but this was something completely different. Middle school health class never teaches you what to do when your best friend gets impaled by a giant porcupine quill. Tears filled my eyes as I thought desperately about what to do.
     A second later Rob appeared beside me, falling into his knees at the sight of her. "Oh God...Zoe!" He assessed the situation at hand with panic and fear in his eyes, but quickly a look of determination washed over his face as he decided what must be done. "Danny, I need you to hold her down while I try and take it out."
     I crawled over to where I could grab both of her shoulders and held them down the ground, ignoring the slick feeling as the warm blood coated my fingers. We could still hear the struggle between the Regios and the creature behind us, but none of that mattered anymore. Rob grabbed ahold of the quill with two hands, and with a deep breath in he began to slowly extract it from her chest. She grimaced in pain but no words escaped her lips as the silent tears strolled town her cheeks.
     "You're going to be okay, Zoe, don't worry. You're going to be fine. You're my strong little girl, remember that? Danny and me, we're not letting you go anywhere.", Rob said softly to her, his words a warm and comforting shield against the pain. Slowly, bit by bit, Rob pulled out the quill, until finally the razor sharp tip was free. Rob sighed with relief and together we began to make makeshift bandages out of strips of cloth torn from our sleeves. That is until there was a bone-chilling screech that sounded just behind us that warned the porcupine monster was just on the other side of our backs. I crouched down to dodge the oncoming volley of quills that was eminent, and I expected Rob to do the same. But he did not. He remained where he was, still as a statue, but in his eyes blazed a fierce light that I would have never imagined to come from the sweet, nerdy Rob I was familiar with. But this boy before me was not him, and a sense of bravery seemed to almost emanate from inside of him.
     He slowly stood, without fear of the merciless creature behind him, the quill that had impaled Zoe in his hand. He turned around and faced the creature.
     "Today, you die." Rob jumped forward with the prowess of a long jumper, and with all of his strength plunged the quill straight into the throat of the beast before it had even a second to realize what was happening. With a final howl and a gurgling sound as it choked on its own blood, the creature slumped down onto its side, never to move again.
     The rest of our company stood frozen in shock. Out of all the Rob-like things that could have happened, the scene that had just unfolded before us seemed like the most unlikely of all. Finally Adam cleared his throat. "Nice one, man." We all turned our attention to Zoe. The bandages had somewhat managed to help slow down the flow of blood, but they were already soaked through. Rose knelt next to her and looked at her shoulder.
     "Crap. You took out the quill. That only increases the rate of blood loss!" My heart sank. Rob and I thought that we were being helpful, when in reality we only had made it worse.
     "Oh my God. I'm so sorry. I didn't-", said Rob in a panicked state. The triumphant monster-stabbing warrior was gone, and the old worrisome Rob was instantly back in his place.
     "It's fine.You didn't know. But we have to get her back to Cebaran and find a doctor, if there is one.", said Rose while tightening the bandages around Zoe's shoulder. She put her hand on the ground and a half a dozen herbs sprouted up from the earth. She skillfully plucked the leaves off of some plants, and pulled some up by the roots and cut them up with a  silver knife that she took from her belt. She placed some of them between the bandages by the wound and some of them in Zoe's mouth.
      "Danny, give her some water to get down the herbs.", she instructed me. I knelt down next to her, and cupped my hands. With a little focus a pool of water formed between my fingers, and I poured into into Zoe's mouth. She swallowed the herbs down, and within seconds the pain seemed to melt from her face as she fell into a gentle sleep.
     "That should hold her over for a little while, but I'm no medic. She needs real attention or she might not make it."
     "Rob and I will carry her. You and Danny run into town and find help.", Adam said to his sister.
      "We're on it.", said Rose, and with that we were off. We raced through the moonlight down the dark streets, the wind at our feet and our soles barely touching the ground. I cannot remember a time when I had ever run faster, for whenever I faltered in my steps I could see Zoe's beautiful face contorted in pain and fear. I pushed that terrible image to the back of my mind and kept on running.
    Before long Rose and I had reached the inn, and when we burst into the common room like a fierce winter storm blowing open the door, heaving and eyes wide, all faces were turned to us.
     "Please...help...", panted Rose, her deep breaths preventing her from speaking freely.
     "Our friend...She's hurt really bad. Is there a doctor anywhere in this town?", I finished, holding a stitch in my side. Bert, the man from the common room, stepped forward to help us.
     "There isn't a doctor, no.", he said . My heart sank, and with a sudden realization I knew that my best friend was dying and in pain, and there was nothing I could do about it.
     "But, there is an elderwoman who lives not too far that has done some healin' in her time. However, I should warn you that some of her methods aren't real...uh...conventional. Most folks tend to stay clear of her. But she might be able to help your friend. What happened to them, anyhow?"
     "She was impaled by a giant porcupine. That's what was killing off all of your livestock. It's dead now, but not before it injured our friend.", I replied. Saying it out loud only made it seem so much real, and so much more grave of a problem.
     "Where does this elderwoman live?", asked Rose.
    "Jus' follow the road by the cobbler out of Cebaran until you reach a fork by the river, then take the path on the right and it should lead you right to it."
     "Thank you so much." As quick as we had come in, we were out the door in half a heart beat and on our way to the stables. We didn't know how long it would take to get the elderwoman's house, and by the time it took us on foot it might be too late.
     We took the fastest horse, which happened to be Eurydice. Stubborn as she was, her long and powerful legs could outmatch even Adam's pegasus, Arrow. We soon found Rob and Adam, who carried Zoe's unconscious form carefully down the cobblestone road. We told them what we had found out, and made a quick game plan. Rose was too small to hold up Zoe's form during the ride, so she switched places on the back of Eurydice with Rob. Being the only one who even had a chance of controlling the horse, I would stay at the reigns. Adam gently passed Zoe up to Rob, and once he had her securely in his arms I kicked Eurydice into a sprint, and she was eager to oblige.
     We soared ahead through the night, down the road and beside the river, time being the only enemy we faced. I could hear Rob behind me whispering words of encouragement to Zoe, and my heart ached with the guilt I felt once again for bringing my friends into harm's way. Soon I could see lights shining through the trees, and before long I was pulling Eurydice to an abrupt halt in front of a wooden hut with patches of grass upon the roof. I jumped off of Eurydice and raced to the door.
     "Please, is anyone there?! Our friend is hurt really bad and we need your help! Please!", I pleaded, pounding on the door. I stopped banging, and after a second of silence the elderwoman emerged from within. She couldn't have been over four and a half feet tall, with wrinkled skin that had been browned from long years out in the sun. Her silver hair was tied back in a braid and ornately carved earrings hung from her lobes that had been stretched to an unusual length due to prolonged use of heavy earrings.She wore a variety of shawls and skirts made from different animal skins and plant materials, and a leather pouch hung from her neck. Typical voodoo type, I thought to myself. The one thing that stood out most about this woman was her eyes. They shone like sunlight through spring leaves, and even in the dark of the night I could see inside of them, a spectacle not unlike a thousand tiny emeralds sparkling as they scattered the light about them. The woman narrowed her gaze as she looked over Zoe, and then looked to Rob and I with skepticism. She bade us bring her inside, and after we had set her on a low couch in the corner of the hut she turned to us with a hardness in her emerald eyes.
     "There will be a price.", she warned.
     "Whatever it is, we shall gladly pay it. What is it that you want?", Rob said. I wanted to warn him about making deals too hastily and without caution, but I also knew what Rob felt. I took the blame upon myself, and I was willing to pay the price-no matter how costly. The elderwoman looked to Rob with a sly, all-knowing grin on her face.
     "What I want from you is the next-born heir of Aablah, if you should ever come across such a child.", said the woman. I looked at her, unsure of what sort of game she was playing at. My mind went back to when Adam first told us the legends of Kaerosa, and of the great sorcerer who founded the kingdom.
     "But there won't ever be such a child. I heard that the bloodline of Aablah is gone.", I said.
     "If this is true, then there is nothing to worry about it, is there? You shall never have to pay if you never find the child. Now all you have to do is sign in this little book here and I will save your friend.", said the elderwoman as she pulled out a leather bound book from the shelf and placed it on the table with a quill and ink. I reached out and grabbed the quill, but Rob snatched my wrist before I could sign.
     "Rob! What are you doing?!", I complained, yanking my hand away from his grip.
     "Wait a second, Danny. We need to know what would happen to the child."
     "Rob, Zoe's life is at stake! Don't you understand, there won't be a child."
     "How can you know that for sure, Danny? Why would she ask for something she knew she could never receive? This has to be a trick.", he said warily. He turned to the elderwoman again.
     "What would happen to the child? Why do you want it?", asked Rob. The woman only chuckled and shook her finger.
     "That is no concern of yours. Your only concern, young man, is your friend here. A friend whose fragile life you hold in your hands. She cannot last forever. Without my help she will surely die. Are you willing to sacrifice her life for someone you do not know and you may never meet?" A moment of still silence passed through the hut as Rob thought about what the elderwoman had said. Then without a word he reached out his palm towards me, asking for the quill. I handed it to him and watched as he walked over to the table where the book lay open.
     "Are you sure you don't want me to sign it, Rob?", I asked, worried and confused about why this deal worried him so.
     "No. I feel like this is something I have to do, Danny. I can't explain it, but if we ever meet this child, I want to be responsible for whatever happens to it." With that, Rob dipped the quill in the ink and stained his signature onto the frail paper, condemning the soul of one unborn child to save the life of one he loved. The elderwoman snatched up the book and set to work immediately. Rob and I sat down at the table and watched the woman as she went about her business, gathering herbs and various substances from different baskets and cabinets and muttering strange words under her breath. Not soon after she started her healing the elderwoman ordered us to leave, claiming that our presence was too distracting for her to focus.
     So reluctantly Rob and I made our way outside the hut, where we stayed until the darkness turned to the pale light of morning. Neither of us slept, or even spoke to each other. We watched the hut for a sign that Zoe would be alright, and all throughout the night faint glowing colors shone and faded through the windows. We sat, and hoped, and worried. But most of all, however, we prayed. We prayed most deeply that Zoe would live. But in a fashion that was just as deep, we prayed that never in our lives would we meet the heir of Aablah. All through the night, we prayed that we would never have to face the consequences for that which we had done.