The Road To Kalbakar, Wyrms of Pasandir #1

CHAPTER 13 - A GREATER DANGER (Part 1)

Naudin watched Eskandar as he sat down on the edge of a cot. The guy looked exhausted, he thought. Absently, Eskandar's fingers played with that deadly hook of his as he stared at – what? It wasn't strange he was spent. Running around killing monsters, defeating Wastrels and that bigmouthed guy Amaj would've cost a lot of energy.

Carefully he tried to see Eskandar's mind. Just a peep, to see how his strange mind looked, no more. Mother would skin him alive if he read the guy uninvited. Not that he got a chance to. The moment Naudin touched the borders of Eskandar's mind, he was blasted back, portcullises came down and massive doors closed on him. He stumbled back to the bed behind him and sat heavily down. No Entry – that was very clear. He had gotten his glimpse, though. Eskandar's double brain was active; the lower level lit up like a bonfire. He'd not read that mind uninvited.

Kellie frowned. 'Don't do that,' she said. 'It's very impolite.'

Naudin's face grew hot. 'I couldn't,' he said. 'I've never seen a mind like his.' He lay down, suddenly bone tired. 'Next time, I'll ask; I'm afraid he'd accidentally blast me if I sneaked inside.'

'He's strong,' she said. 'Let him be.' She nodded to Jem's bottle making an unsightly lump in his tunic. 'Why is she hiding?'

Naudin took the bottle from inside his tunic and pulled out the stopper. 'Jem, come on out, girl. Nothing to be afraid of.'

'Finally!' her thought screeched. 'I wanted to warn you, but I couldn't. Never cork my bottle! Danger! We're in terrible danger!'

'What danger?' Naudin thought. 'We're perfectly safe here.'

'We're not!' Jem leaked from her bottle as an agitated cloud, waving her arms while she solidified. 'Gods of my Fathers, we must get away! Now!'

'Tell us why,' Kellie said calmly. 'What danger is there we can't feel?'

'Jinn!' There was terror in Jem's voice as she said that.

Kellie and Naudin exchanged glances. Jinn were tales of long ago and far away; ancient demons from the northern lands.

'Impossible,' the young mage said. 'They've been banished to the Underworld for ages.'

'No longer,' Jem snarled. 'They are out. They're here. Those soldiers... They've been taken over. I tried to warn you, but then you silenced me with that stopper! Idiot!'

Naudin stood staring at the bottle, unsure what to think. Jinn were way out of his province; he was a mentalist, not a demon summoner. 'Why don't I feel their minds?' he said feebly.

'Because they're not human. Their brains work different, like you can't hear very high sounds either,' Jem said. 'Now move! Flee!'

At that moment, the curtain slid aside.

'Too late!' Jem wailed as she fled back into her bottle.

But it was Amaj, fully dressed and carrying a sheathed sword in his hand. His eyes were large and tears streamed down his face. With him was the Lady Adagatha, wearing only a nightdress.

'What's wrong?' Kellie asked softly. She was fully alert now and ready for action.

'The soldiers have gone mad,' Amaj sobbed. 'Hornal... He betrayed us. Killed my father... the servants. Wants to kill us, too. We must leave.'

'It's no common betrayal,' Adagatha said. 'He who wore Hornal's face is something else; something terrible.'

'Jinn,' Naudin said, and the old woman whirled around.