Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks to Sylvidoll and AnneMouse for their efforts, and again to my buddy mike! I hope everyone enjoys this next installment; it’s twice as long as the last chapter on complete accident. Let me know what you all think in the comments!

Camp was broken shortly after the sun crested the horizon. With Denza’s aid, Cassidy constructed a frame from sturdy branches and strips of tanned leather cut from the hide armor Cassidy had worn the day before. Shawn had to stand still while the girls loaded the chest full of gold and a makeshift satchel of the armor commandeered from Cadder’s crew onto the frame that they had subsequently strapped to his back like a pack mule. Cassidy smirked and offered him one of their last remaining carrots to which Shawn offered to kindly shove up her shapely posterior.

Shawn’s body was put to the test as he slogged through the wilderness effectively carrying an adolescent cow on his back. By the time noon rolled around the downhill terrain had begun to even out and the battle with his own center of gravity was easing up. When they stopped for lunch he gratefully unloaded his burden and was finally able to stretch out the aching muscles in his legs and back. His woolen shirt was already saturated with sweat and stuck to his body like a second skin.

“I don’t suppose there is any easier mode of transport for all of this crap? Like a sled or a cart?” Shawn asked hopefully of his guide.

Denza glanced over her shoulder and gave him an incredulous look, “Is that a serious question?”

“Uh, yes?” replied Shawn uncertaintly.

The Elf rolled her eyes, “Unless you have the skill set to produce a cart by some means, then no. A travois would be too cumbersome and difficult to maneuver down these slopes and the forest up ahead is too dense, so it would get caught frequently. It would only slow us down.”

“Perfect,” Shawn grunted.

“Come on, Shawn! You’re such a big, strong man. Surely one little backpack isn’t too much for you?” Cassidy teased from her position ahead of them.

“Little?!” Shawn exclaimed. “Are you blind, Cass?”

Cassidy gave a theatrical sigh and stopped. She turned to Denza with sad eyes and said, “Denza, it looks like we are asking too much of this delicate little flower.”

Denza arched an eyebrow, “I agree. We cannot let this daffodil wither.”

“You can both go kick rocks,” Shawn growled.

All too soon, their break was over. Shawn found the remainder of the trip to be easier now that he only had to deal with the occasional obstacle blocking the path that he had to clamber over instead of losing his footing on the rocky forested slopes. Denza was right, a cart or a sled would have just slowed them down. The scenery changed little, and with no real trails to follow, Shawn quickly lost himself in the natural maze. The sun began to set by the time Cassidy called them to a halt at the edge of the trees just before the forest opened up around a sizeable lake and its rocky shore.

“This is our stop,” Cassidy informed them. She pulled out her grimoire and studied the pages for a long moment before looking up. “I need to create a doorway into a place called ‘Shadegrove’. It’s the home of the acting Wise Witch, where Tricha and her predecessors lived. Apparently it will belong to me once I have been deemed worthy.”

“Deemed worthy by whom?” Denza asked.

Cassidy held the book up, “The grimoire. It holds all of the combined knowledge of the previous witches. I guess once I’ve filled enough of its pages it will let me know how to enter, right now all I’m doing is basically knocking on the front door.”

“How does a book decide all of that?” Shawn arched an eyebrow inquisitively.

Cassidy shrugged her shoulders, “No idea. The only thing it shows me now are the directions to make a temporary door so I can make good on our promise to Tricha, and a spell to summon my guide, whatever that is.”

Denza shook her head, “This is why I trained as a hunter. Magic is far too obtuse for me.”

Cassidy shut the grimoire with an audible thump and stowed it away. She turned her attention to the space between the two trees that flanked the border between the shore and the forest and walked forward with an upraised hand. Shawn was surprised when she met a seemingly solid force. She slid her hand around in a circle, pausing to make a knocking gesture at certain points that produced barely audible sounds akin to knuckles on wood. After the first rotation, she reversed the movement and then again once more. With each gesture there was a gradually louder knock until Cassidy’s hand drifted to the middle of the circle and pushed her hand forward with a final heavy thunk like the pins of a heavy mechanical lock falling into place.

He felt an odd sensation like very subtle pulsation across his skin that made his eyes flutter. The pulsing grew stronger as the space around them started to distort into a corridor of muddled browns and greens, like an abstract painting of the forest around them. Cassidy’s hand rested on an opaque door. A circular dial at the heart of the door was ringed with black arcane runes that stood out in stark contrast to the hazy distortion around them. The door swung inwards at Cassidy’s gesture to reveal sandy beach and a lake that stretched off into the distance.

Shawn felt his ears pop when they stepped through the doorway. The air was cooler than the muggy humid forest they had been hiking through. A soft breeze drifted across the sapphire blue waters lapping gently at the shore. Cassidy walked behind Shawn and began fiddling with the straps holding their belongings together and came away with the silk bag that held Tricha’s bones. Without speaking, she walked briskly towards the water and began wading in. To their collective astonishment, Cassidy’s feet never sank beneath the surface. She continued forward for about ten minutes before she stopped. Shawn could only make out Cassidy as a small figure in the distance when the water began to bubble and rise up, solidifying to form a structure that looked like stairs with a raised dais at the top.

Cassidy gently put the silk pouch into the dais and slowly backed away. With each step the solid water structure flowed back into the lake leaving the surface pristeen and without any ripples. Shawn and Denza waited for Cassidy who returned looking perplexed.

“That was quite something,” Shawn said as he stared out over the sapphire water that was now Tricha’s final resting place.

“Yeah. The lake seemed happy to finally have her home after so long. Something was in the lake, and it thanked me. It said I was taking my first steps down the path,” Cassidy furrowed her brow.

“The lake talked to you?” Denza warily followed Shawn’s gaze. Her eyes scanned the lazy tide for any sign of movement. She was poised like a deer ready to bolt at any sign of danger.

Cassidy shook her head, “No, something lives in the lake. It watches over the remains of the previous witches. I only felt it for a moment when I put Tricha’s bones in the water, which by the way was pretty awesome, then was gone as soon as the pouch sank out of view.”

“Well, I hope Tricha is able to sleep peacefully now,” Shawn nodded to the lake in respect. After a quiet moment he turned and walked back through the doorway between the trees.

Cassidy looked back with a wistful expression, “I don’t know why, but I feel sad leaving. It’s like i’m leaving home and I don’t know when I’ll be coming back.”

Shawn pulled her against his side, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder as they watched the door seal behind them and wink out of existence, leaving them looking at a vastly smaller body of water, “We’ll be back, Cass. You said it yourself, it’s yours once you are ready.”

Cassidy smiled sadly, “We just don’t know how long it will take. It’s weird because I don’t even know why I feel like this.”

“Maybe it’s a byproduct of being the Wise Witch in training? You have something to work towards, like a graduation present,” Shawn offered.

Cassidy snorted, “I already have my cap gown, let’s just hope it doesn’t take four years like high school did.”

“What is high school?” Denza asked from behind them, startling Shawn and Cassidy who both jumped. They had been so completely lost in their own world that they had forgotten about their Elf companion.

“It’s a proving grounds for kids, to see if they will succeed in the real world by pitting them against each other in a series of harsh conditions designed to break the spirit. Those who succeed with high enough scores will be accepted into the next level where real learning takes place,” Cassidy sneered in distaste.

“That’s horrible!” Denza looked aghast. “Why would your people subject their children to such treatment?”

Shawn rolled his eyes, “No, Denza. High school is the last four years of required education, starting from the age of five to adulthood at eighteen. There are a lot of schools, and some are better than others. We just happened to go to a public school that had little to no money, violence and drug problems, and jaded teachers who couldn’t care less about their students.”

“Isn’t that just as bad?” Denza’s expression changed very little.

“Well, in a way; but no country is perfect. I’m sure social elitism is common here too. Those with means are better off than those without, am I wrong?” Shawn asked.

“That is true. The nobility in Velain can afford tutors for their children as well as masters to train them in vocations should they aspire to join the Expeditionary Guild. Those born into poverty have little chance of raising themselves up,” Denza grimaced. “There are few who are generous and even fewer who don’t ask for anything in return.”

“Looks like some things are universal, aren’t they Shawn?” Cassidy said flippantly.

Night was rapidly approaching so the trio set up camp. Their dinner was sparse and mostly vegetarian, a fact that Cassidy was very quick to grumble about. She ranted to Shawn that she hadn’t had a real meal in years. Shawn sighed and spooned what little bits of dried meat he had in the stew into Cassidy’s bowl. She beamed at him and quickly snapped up the morsels.

After their dinner, Cassidy crawled in the tent and was quickly asleep. Denza had taken one of the fur blankets to use as a pillow and made herself comfortable in a nook between two large tree roots. She had elected to take first watch, as she had every night since they left the tomb. The two watched each other over the flames with only the sounds of Cassidy’s deep breathing and the chorus of insects keeping the silence at bay.

“Would you mind if I asked you something?” Denza asked quietly.

A log in the fire cracked loudly, splitting in two. Shawn shook his head, “No, ask away.”.

“Before when I asked you where you were from, you just said ‘far off beyond the sea’. Do you remember what your country is called?” Denza stared into the flames pensively.

Shawn felt their bond in the back of his mind and could tell she had already been trying to piece together where He and Cassidy were from by her confused emotions. He knew the whole amnesia charade wouldn’t hold up for long. In truth, he had given the subject some thought. He hadn’t discussed with Cassidy about what to tell Denza. He felt like he could trust her, if not only because of the bond their shared. In the days they have been together, despite her frequent sour moods, he had seen beneath the bitter and intense exterior to the softer side of the Elf.

“I do,” Shawn said simply.

Denza frowned, “What is it called, I might know where it is.”

“You won’t,” Shawn shook his head. He glanced at the tent, wondering if he should wake Cassidy for this conversation. It wasn’t just his secret after all.

“How do you know?” Denza pushed, a flair of frustration peaked through their bond.

Shawn pursed his lips, then shook his head. He didn’t like secrets, and if he truly cared about Denza in anyway, he wouldn’t lie to her. He stood up from his place by the fire and went into the tent and shook Cassidy awake. She moaned unhappily as she woke up and glared accusingly at him.

“What?” Cassidy hissed.

“Denza is asking about where we are from ... and I don’t want to lie to her,” Shawn explained quietly. “I think she’s been piecing things together, and we haven’t exactly been subtle.”

Cassidy rubbed her eyes and ran a hand through her hair, “Do you trust her? I mean, Death gave us a warning not to tell anyone because it would make us look bad, like, culty or something.”

“I do trust her, but this is your gig remember?” Shawn said pointedly.

“This is your life too, Shawn,” Cassidy replied firmly, she raised her arm to show her half of the Celtic knot. “We are in this together, remember?”

Shawn nodded.

“Good. Now I’m going back to sleep. Tell Denza whatever you want, if she takes it badly, we’ll just kill her.” Cassidy stuck her tongue out and settled back down to sleep.

He fought to keep the smile from his lips, “Let’s try and keep murder as a last resort.”

Cassidy grunted noncommittally.

Shawn kissed her on the side of her head and left the tent. He took his place by the fire and met Denza’s piercing stare, their bond had been growing increasingly agitated. He sent soothing waves towards Denza and was astounded when he watched the tension leave her shoulders and her expression soften. When she noticed, she shot his an accusing look before regaining her rigidity.

“Don’t play with me, Shawn. I don’t appreciate it.” Denza growled, her hand gripping his climbing axe still looped around her waist. He did wonder why she still held on it.

“I’m sorry. I was just trying to help,” Shawn raised his hands placatingly.

“So, what aren’t you telling me?” Denza asked again. “I know you are hiding something, because I can feel it. Just as you can feel my emotions, I can feel yours.”

Shawn nodded, “I know. But you have to understand that this isn’t just my secret to tell, that’s why I had to ask Cass.”

Denza raised her eyebrows expectantly. The flickering firelight causing her hair and eyes to shine green as the flames danced along the burning embers.

“We are from a country called America, also called the United States,” Shawn said to the flames, not looking Denza in the eye.

“There is no such place in this world,” Denza’s expression grew increasingly skeptical. “There is no such place on all four continents that is called that.”

“I wouldn’t know. We aren’t from here,” Shawn said with a hint of sadness to his voice.

“Obviously, so you are either lying or you still aren’t telling me something,” Denza replied hotly.

“No, Denza,” Shawn looked up into her angry gaze. “I mean we aren’t from this world. We come from a different world entirely. This world is called Niverra, right?”

“Yes, the name is from the mother of creation, Nivra,” Denza frowned. “So if you aren’t from here, where are you from then? Assuming you aren’t just a moonstruck fool.”

Shawn looked at her thoughtfully, “To be honest, you might be right. I might be crazy. This whole thing might just be one very lucid dream or hallucination, but I’m not sure anymore. My world is called Earth. It’s funny that you collectively named your world after a cosmic power that created your world, and we just called ours ‘ground’.”

“So you’re telling me there are other worlds out there? I know other planes exist, perhaps it is one of those?” Denza offered, Shawn could feel her confusion and apprehension down the bond.

Shawn looked up and pointed at the stars shining in the sky, “You see the stars?”

Denza nodded, glancing up to the starry sky.

“What do you think the stars are?” Shawn asked.

Denza looked puzzled, “They are the heavenly lights that guide our way, constellations that tell us stories and remind us of the Gods,”

Shawn nodded, “We used think so too. After what I’ve seen in the past week, you’re probably right. But we have discovered that each of those stars is another galaxy, a cluster of asteroids, planets, and stars of all kind that are hurtling around in space at speeds that are incomprehensible to mortal minds. Giant balls of fire and gas hundreds of times bigger than this planet or mine. Billions upon billions of them.”

Denza squinted at the stars, then at Shawn. The disbelief was written all over her face, “I can feel that you are telling the truth, but It’s hard to believe.”

“Yet you believe in all powerful beings that control aspects of your world and everyday life? Different planes of existence totally separate from your own, but it’s hard to believe that there are other worlds out there beside your own?” Shawn raised his eyebrows. His argument would have been the exact opposite if he were to explain magic to someone from his own world.

“I can see your point, but I will abstain from agreeing until I can see proof for myself. If my people haven’t figured this out, how did yours?” Denza asked.

“We don’t have magic on my world. We have put all of our efforts into technology. I’m sure you use magic in your everyday life to accomplish tasks, but in ours we built machines instead. Our curiosity turned from our world to what might be up in the sky, and how to travel there,” Shawn gestured grandiosity towards the sky.

“That sounds amazing if it is true,” Denza’s eyes glittered at the thought of such marvelous inventions.

“We have built wonderful and terrible machines. We have learned to save lives from illnesses but also how to take lives by the millions. In our technological strides, base human desires have been exacerbated. The powerful trod on the weak, we have damaged our own world considerably and hunted animals to extinction purely because we like how their skin looked in front of our fireplaces,” Shawn’s expression darkened. “Or because it is rumored to cure impotence.”

Denza looked horrified but nodded, “I can’t say the powerful men and women here are any different. We might not have such advanced machines, but magic has been used for all kinds of atrocities. Maybe not on the scale of millions, but entire villages have been wiped out to perform twisted spells.”

Shawn shook his head, “It would seem evil has the same face everywhere, even if it has a different name.”

Denza silently stared into the fire before she asked, “So how did you really get here?”

Shawn shrugged, “I honestly couldn’t tell you. Cassidy was sick for a long time, and just before she died she was given a second chance at life. I got dragged along with her because of this,” he lifted his arm sporting the tattoo.

Denza moved to sit beside him and inspected the inked pattern on his skin, “Does it have any magical properties?”

Shawn gazed at his half of the knot, “I have no idea. We were told it bound our souls together, and that is why I got dragged along. I promised Cassidy I would always be there for her, and so here I am.”

She studied his face for a moment, “I take it you aren’t happy about being here?”

“I left a lot behind, Denza. My friends, family, and my girlfriend,” Shawn looked guilty when he mentioned the word girlfriend.

Denza copied what she had seen Shawn do earlier to comfort Cassidy and wrapped an arm around his waist, “You mentioned this woman before. You feel conflicted because of your attraction to me?”

“It’s a tad more complicated than that, but it’s close enough.” Shawn felt his heart pump harder with Denza this close to him. Her scent filled his nose and he felt tension drain from his body. “Cassidy gave me a firm talking to regarding the subject.”

Denza rested her head on his shoulder and scooted herself over until she was pressed tightly into his side, “and what advice did she give you, Shawn?”

Shawn grit his teeth. He could feel her desire to comfort him slowly blossom into more lustful desires that the bond tried to encourage in him, “She said since we are stuck here, I might as well enjoy myself and live my life. The hard part is that it has only been a week, and I feel like I’m giving up on her and I.”

Denza nuzzled into his neck and shuddered, “I would agree with her. If you have no way home and are stuck here for the foreseeable future, what is the point in punishing yourself?”

Shawn felt the blood drain from his stomach only to be filled with nervous energy. His mouth went dry, so he swallowed a few times before answering, “I want to. I really, really want to. But it’s too soon. Don’t I have to at least try?”

“Try what, Shawn?” Denza purred into his ear. Her free hand had found its way onto his thigh and was gently stroking his leg.

“I don’t know. Try to get home? Mourn? I feel excited when I should feel guilty,” Shawn tried to extricate himself from the frisky Elf.

Denza wrapped herself tighter around him and began kissing up his neck and taking his earlobe between her teeth and breathlessly said into ear, “Or you could stop torturing yourself and just take me. Here and now on the forest floor. I know you can feel how badly I want you just as I can feel how badly you want me.”

Shawn struggled both internally and externally, “Denza, stop! We can’t. This isn’t you!”

Denza let out a low growl and nipped at the skin just beneath his ear, “Don’t tell me who I am.” She reached down and tried to worm her hand into the front of his pants.

Shawn gripped her wrist. They struggled against one another before falling over, Denza landing on top of him and straddling his hips. Her eyes were glazed with desire as she grinned down at him in triumph. She began unlacing her leather vest, “You’ve denied me too long, Shawn. I have needs and the bond just keeps making it worse. I have never desired a man before, and this is your fault. You reduced me to such a state.”

Shawn balled his fists and squeezed his eyes shut. He focused on the bond and saw the link between the two of them pulsating with desire, each end echoing in a feedback loop. Groaning in frustrated he gripped the bond with his will, strangling the link between them. Denza let out a surprised squawk and fell over clutching her head.

“You bastard!” Denza moaned as she writhed on the ground. Shawn couldn’t feel her emotions with his choke hold on their bond, but if the pain that was lancing through his head was anything like hers, he could sympathize.

“I’m sorry, but this isn’t right,” Shawn winced as he got up. He felt the fire of desire dying in his loins and took a deep steadying breath.

“I get it, no touching. Gods, stop whatever it is that you’re doing!” Denza curled herself into a fetal position.

Shawn let go of his hold on the bond and sighed as the pain subsided. He felt a surge of indignation from the bond. Surprised, Shawn inspected more closely and noticed that the spike of emotion wasn’t from Denza, but from the bond itself. A small fragment of implanted memory surfaced that spoke of some magic having some level of sentience. He sent his own wave of displeasure at the bond. Denza whimpered and looked at him with sad and confused eyes brimming with tears.

“Sorry, that wasn’t meant for you,” Shawn apologized quickly ... He focused once more and tried again. This time he thought of the bond as its own entity, instead of something like a bridge. He felt the presence recoil and slink away in a way that reminded him of when he used to scold his dog for pooping in the house. He sent a second wave of disappointment. The bond responded by sending a chastened feeling back towards him. “Wow, talk about strange.”

Denza sat up and looked at him wearily, “What is?”

“The bond is alive,” Shawn mused.

“What are you talking about? I can’t feel anything except that you were mad and disappointed in me,” Denza looked down to see her state of undress and blushed as she quickly redressed.

“I said that wasn’t for you, but yeah, you did get a little pushy,” Shawn couldn’t help running his eyes over her body.

Denza noticed his gaze and her blushed deepened, “I don’t know what came over me.”

“I do,” Shawn said. “At least I think I do. For some reason, the bond has a mind of its own, and when I forcibly stopped the link between us it seemed angry. Then we sort of communicated in a way and it reminded me of when I would have to discipline my pet back at home. So I think it must be acting out of some drive to get us to become more intimate for some reason. It’s already proven to influence us in times of danger to protect one another.”

Denza frowned, an expression Shawn had come to dislike because he thought she was much more beautiful when she smiled even if it was a rare sight, “Information on the bond is kept secret from non-elves, and even further so that only the males know. So I don’t have anything to offer except speculation.”

“We are in the same boat then,” Shawn offered her a hand to help her up which she took reluctantly. They stood close to each other for a long moment simply looking into each others eyes. He could feel the raging emotions inside of Denza and sent a wave of soothing contentment and forgiveness. He wrapped his arms around her and she melted into him. There was no inflamed desire in the embrace, and even the bond purred in contentment. He allowed himself a small smile.

“You sleep in the tent tonight,” he pushed Denza towards the shelter. She began to protest when he silenced her with a finger on her lips. “Don’t argue. I have a lot to think about so I doubt I’ll get any sleep tonight.”

Denza studied his face and then offered a small smile. She kissed him gently on the cheek and retreated into the confines of the tent without another word. Shawn touched his cheek where her lips had touched and enjoyed the warmth that suffused his insides. He took Denza’s place against the tree and laid his head against the rolled up fur.

“I’m sorry, Jenny,” Shawn whispered to the night sky. “I don’t know when I’ll see you again, but I hope you’ll understand.”

Shawn stared moodily into the dying flames and contemplated his lot in life. He swore to be by Cassidy’s side, and he would see that oath through until the end. He looked at the tent where the two women slept, and the chest of gold was hidden away. Cassidy was right, he really did need to have more fun and stop moping around. He began to think of all the ways he could make use of the gold they had until the sun broke through the canopy, then began to break camp before the girls woke.

The trio set out once more on their final leg to Fort Rolver once the girls woke and ate breakfast. Denza took the lead and set them at a brisk pace that Shawn had to push himself to keep. The trip took two and a half days with the last day seeing them carve a snaking path down the ridge line Shawn and Cassidy had climbed on their first day in Niverra.

Cassidy was ready for civilization by the time the large pentagonal walls came into sight, and for as much as Shawn loved the outdoors, he had to agree ... The fort was nestled between two sheer cliffs in the natural valley they formed. Two bunker like structures were built into the cliffside that bristled with bastila and had what looked like three rows of twelve arrow-slits below each of the fortifications

Two walkways reached out from the fort and connected to the sheer cliff sides and their fortifications. Each structure was supported by four massive arches that seemed to cut the valley in half. From their vantage point they could see that the stronghold was incorporated into much of the rear wall. The lead point of the pentagonal structure faced south towards where the valley spread out and opened into flatlands and sparse forest.

As they neared the two colossal gates they noticed a small queue of people waiting on the left side of the worn dirt road while a steady stream of people left from the right most gate to go about their travels. When they had made their way down the ridge Denza had given them a brief warning about what to expect once they neared the fort. This warning however, did not prepare them for the shocking sight of people chained in manacles being led into the city by a pair of men in good quality clothes: They wore waist jackets, slacks, and polished boots. The pair had seen such styles before in their own world, but these appeared much more rustic.

The two men had arrived in a carriage pulled by two groomed chestnut colored horses. Once the two had finished their conversation with the guards and were waved in, they got back into their vehicle and trundled along with their slave cargo train trailing listlessly behind them. Cassidy’s mouth was hanging open in sheer disbelief that people could be treated in such a way. Shawn looked back at Denza who had fallen into his shadow a few steps behind him wearing only a loose fitting pair of trousers and a plain shirt two sizes too large for her.

When the line moved forward, Shawn took Denza’s advice and placed himself in the lead. They walked up to the gate guards who called for them to halt. There were five guards in total who stood in pairs on either side of the gates. They wore armor that seemed to be the standard medieval style: Iron caps, cuirasses, chainmail, gauntlets, and sabatons. The four that stood guard just outside the gate were armed with heavy shields and spears. Historically, such a loadout was designed to repel raiders on horseback, but spears were also effective at keeping the general populace in line. The fifth guard, who seemed to be a ranked officer, most likely a lieutenant of the guard, addressed Shawn.