The Ruins

Magic

“Magic.” Ramal replied moving her eyebrows up and down. She smiled from ear to ear.

“Ok.” Ishloche said turning to Jakombie. “Your turn.” He motioned to the water bottle with his large talons. “Drink.”

Jakombie wondered what it would do. Lanai had healed before his eyes. His wounds were older and deeper. He picked up the canteen and drank. He felt the cold liquid moved through his body. He started spasming. He fell to the ground. Foam came to his mouth. He coughed and sputtered.

“Jakombie!” Lanai ran toward him.

“Don’t touch him!” Ishloche demanded.

His scars started to fade as the magic ran through his veins. His vision cleared. He spat out the bile in his throat, as he sat up. He felt relieved, as if he has washed away something that was eating at his insides. He picked up the water and drank more. His bones straightened and his hair came back in full force running down his back. As he sat on the ground, he invited the magic to work its wonder. He heard Ramal continuing her tune with her eyes set on him. He breathed in deeply. He lay his head back and felt the fog drift away. Jakombie was dizzy. He closed his eyes. His breathing was labored.

“What’s happening to him?” Lanai asked? She frantically looked at the dragon and the fairies, then back to Jakombie and Ramal. “Is he going to be ok?

“Shh.” They all sounded.

Ramal sought more power from the earth. She sat down and grounded herself. She ran the dirt through her fingers and grazed her palms on a rock. She hummed louder. She closed her eyes and felt the surge leave her body. It left her weak and tired. She fell over onto the ground where she sat. The fairies went to her.

Ishloche nodded his approval. “Very good.” He told her. “You will be weak and tired the first time the power is drained from you.” He circled Jakombie. “You are a wonder to me.” He said. “Tell me everything,”

Jakombie thought back. He strained his memory. “I was human. I was a farmer. My family was attacked by the Zombies. They were all eaten and taken back the cave. I was bitten. I was left to die and be reborn into their clique. My mother was a healer. She had always planted herbs and plants that did various things. I found what I thought she would use and I addressed my wounds. I didn’t die. I was hurt. I passed out for a few days. When I awoke, I was half alive and stupid. Everyone around me was slain or gone. I made my way to the caves to see if my family was dead or just captured. I had heard of the Orcs keeping slaves because their kind was so clumsy. “ He though a moment more and then continued. “I found my hole in the cave where I stayed to myself. I could pass as one of them if they came my way. I smelled like them because of the bite. They didn’t mess with me. But I was still human.

“I don’t know how or why. I thought I had healed myself enough to try and release a captive. The only one I found as Lanai. She stood proud and defiant against Gnork, even as she had to do as she was told, because of him yanking her around by her chains. “ Jakombie looked at her. “She was so strong. I watched her for a couple of days. She decided when it was time to go. She went to follow the chain to the end. She would’ve died if I hadn’t helped her. I had my hollow in the cave walls. We hid there until I could find her some food and water and get the herbs to make her feel up to going out further. It’s not easy to get a human who has been traumatized to trust you. I felt the need to help her. I had to.”

He reached in to the sackcloth and pulled out he herbs and fats that he had collected. “This is what I put on her raw skin. My mother showed me. I was lucky to remember. “ He handed it toward Ishloche.

The dragon came toward it and smelled it briefly. He nodded in approval again. “Jakombie,” he said “you are healed.” Ishloche turned a golden orange color and turned to Ramal. “Well done.” He told her, winking.

Krag was waiting by the water. He needed to know more of Namani’s patterns. He saw the sea monster come toward the bank and then head the other way with a swish of its massive tail. The scales shimmered against the sunlight. He would swim about a mile and then back two or three. He stirred up the fish from the bottom of the stream to the top. Namani swam in circles as if guarding a nest.

Tordin came to sit beside him and watch. “What could possibly be down there?” He asked Krag.

“I’m not sure.” Krag told him. “I don’t feel the need to try and find out. Namani is too fast. “ He threw a rock toward the middle of his circling. Like magic Namani was there to throw it back out, either by flipping his tail or biting it and hurling it out of the water. “What would make him make a nest, in the middle where it’s calm?”

“Babies” Tordin asked. “Or treasure?” They watched the circles in the water come to the shore and crash upwards, as if to push the dirt back further. The swirls or green, blue and brown came from the bottom up.

“If this thing has spanned new life, Lord help us all.” Krag said with a whistle, shaking his head. “Then again,” he continued. “More than one of them is a lot more Orcs to feed to them.”

“Yes true.” Said Tordin. “What’s your battle strategy?”

Krag scratched his head. He ran his fingers through his hair as he sighed. “Simply bring them to us.” He pointed to the river where the current was small. “We’ll stand over there and call them on.” He threw a rock in the pool. “Then, they try to cross and Namani eats them. The ones that make it we will finish off with what we have.”

“Mighty men drown.” Micca popped in. “Yes, yes and the fish.” He rubbed his bald head against the sun. “No, not me! “ He told his thoughts.

Tordin shook his head at the man. “You’ve had too much heat, go drink some water. “ The three men watched the water as the rock came back at them.

Krag agreed. “Micca, he’s right.” He tiled his head and his chocolatey brown eyes looked to the sky. The smell of fresh air and water mixed with dirt filled his lungs. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. “Tordin find a mate and go practice your sword play.”