12) James Baxter

Step One: SMILE there's a new chapter

Step Two: FORGIVE the slow author

Step Three: READ. LIKE RIGHT NOW.

A sudden chill woke me.

Groaning, I shifted in the prickly pile of hay. Wrapped around Marshall's thick cloak, it hardly bothered me. What did bother me though was Glob-awful angle my neck was in. I let out a hiss as I stretched.

I let my eyes adjust to the sun's first rays seeping through the windows. Mochro was still snoozing in his stall. Gumytrin had laid down on another pile of hay, though how he looks so comfortable with sleeping on something so uncomfortable was far beyond me. Flegimdur was sitting on a barrel and leaning against a wooden pillar fast asleep. Marshall was nowhere to be seen.

Marshall Lee.

A shiver went down my back as memories of last night drifted into mind. I felt my body flush under his cloak as it relieved the way Marshall made it arch and squirm under him as my mind had stopped functioning. Shaking my head free of last night, I unsteadily clambered onto my feet and stretched. Marshall's cloak clung to my shoulders. Looking around, the vampire was still nowhere to be seen. Maybe he went for a morning stroll?

A vampire in a morning stroll?

Oh Glob, his cloak is keeping me comfortable instead of protecting him from the sun. Gathering the heavy cloak—I resisted burying my face into it and getting lost in the scent of pine needles and strawberries—I ran out of the barn.

The morning was crisp and had the bite of winter's frost. My breath came out in white puffs as I scanned the view before me. The village was tucked at base of the hill of which the barn was perched. It was quiet with only a handful of people outside in the snow. Everyone must still be asleep. The men had just returned home and their families must be relieved and overjoyed to have them back.

"It's still quite early."

I whirled around at the voice. Marshall Lee was leaning against the wall. My heart thudded against my chest at the sight of him and the memories of last night. He stood in the shadow of the porch—his silvery skin glowed like the snow blanketing the world around us, making his eyes and hair look darker. "I—uh, have our cloak."

His eyes shone in amusement at my stuttering. "I have no need for it."

In seconds, he appeared in front of me. He took the cloak in his hands and threw it over my shoulders. "You are in more need of it than I am," he said as I opened my mouth to argue. I hadn't really noticed how much I was shivering until the cloak hugged me.

The vampire stood beside me in his brown trousers and thin white tunic. He stood at the edge of the shadow, closest to the sun without touching it, with his feet apart and arms crossed against his chest. Seeing him stand that way made a feather of a memory brush my thoughts, but it floated away before I could even reach for it.

"Does the sun not hurt you?" I said after a pregnant silence.

"It hurts all vampires when its rays touch us. Even standing in the shadow and looking at the sun would irritate other vampires. Even sting on our eyes and skin a little bit.?

My eyes wandered over to Marshall. He was standing quite still like a statue, even more so next to my shivering frame. "You don't seem bothered by the morning at all."

The corners of his elegant mouth curved upwards. "I'm quite alright in the shade. You've seen me wander about under the shade of the hood. It had stung at first but after a thousand years, I've come to welcome it."

"Welcome it?"

"Yes." His voice took on a nostalgic tone. "It reminds me of the old days when I was a rowdy child. I would always get scratches on my arms and legs. I remember the omes on my knees being the scratches that hurt the most. My mum had been there for a while to patch me up."

I gasped inwardly. It hadn't occurred to me to give his parents much thought. In my mind, I pictured a small Marshall Lee running around and holding hand with his mother whom I assumed was beautiful and passed down that beauty to her son. A smile pulled at my lips as I imagined a small Marshall Lee acting the way Geemo, Lollipop Boy and the other children in Terrafoire had.

A chilled finger caught my chin and turned my head toward its owner. "You have that look where you disappear into your own thoughts, into your own world." I was absolutely certain that my breathing had stopped entirely as he pulled my chin close enough for me to see my reflection against his black eyes. "Where is it that you wander off to? Can I follow you there?"

Words caught in my throat as I searched for a reply. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, a crash inside the barn followed by Flegimdur's swearing took our attention. Marshall released my chin and stepped back as the barn doors burst open.

"That damn horse of yours is more of dog," he grumbled at me. "Does it always have a dripping wet snout?"

"Almost all the horses are like that with those whom they fond of," Marshall said calmly. "Though it surprises me that one would take such a liking to you."

Flegimdur grumbled in agreement.

"Fionna!"

The three of us turned to see a boy riding a golden horse towards us. James jumped off as soon as the horse stopped in front of the barn. I had known him to be thirteen and almost my height but now I know otherwise. He was around before the Lich's rise to power. And so was his golden steed, Baxter. I wonder just how much of this world have they seen.

Flegimdur grimaced beside me, still uncomfortable around the sorcerer in front of us. Marshall Lee was stood still, a stillness that was nowhere near relaxed. Elbowing Flegimdur, I stepped forward to meet James.

James smiled at me then glanced around with intelligent eyes. Gumytrin had just walked out of the barn yawning when the boy sorcerer spoke. "The four of you are from Terrafoire, yes?"

The men beside me stayed quiet, still wary of James. "Yes," I answered after a pause. "The village has been evacuated. I am the last to leave her borders."

James sighed heavily. His shoulders sagged with relief and weariness. He looked much older then compared to only a few seconds ago. "The King's Village is now empty."

The melancholy in his voice was enough to rock me back on my heels. Baxter trotted to James and nudged his shoulder. Gumytrin cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should take this conversation inside. It may not have a hearth of a den but inside the barn is better than this morning chill."

With a wave of his hand, James magicked the barn doors wide open and strode in with Baxter right on his heels. I took this moment to observe the Jeff's adoptive son. The brown curls and stormy gray eyes had reminded me off Jeff, leading me to the conclusion that they were of the same blood. Perhaps they are but not in the way I had originally thought. He wore a simple gray tunic and trousers with patches at the joints. His skin was tanned and looked almost as golden as his horse.

James turned to us once we were inside holding his journal. "I hope only Fionna was the only who touched this journal."

Flegimdur coughed into his hand. Gumytrin smiled ruefully.

James chuckled. "I see. I'm sorry about that. You see, I had placed that curse on this book as the Mushroom War drew to an end. When our defeat was imminent and when the Lich claimed the human King's head, I had to flee Terrafoire. He was coming for me next and would destroy the village looking for me."

"Would he not just follow you wherever you went?" Gumytrin asked.

"Yes, and he did." Baxter snorted angrily and started eating hay. "Baxter remembers it well. We were running from the femme fatale duo of the Court, Angelica and Ashley."

Marshall Lee flinched beside me. Surprised, I raised an eyebrow at him but he turned away. He wasn't even intimidated by Angelica when we had encountered her in Terrafoire the other day. Perhaps it was the other name he reacted to. Ashley?

"You knew Ashley didn't you, Vampyre?"

Never in a million years would I have imagined Marshall so uncomfortable. He has lived over a millennia in this world and seemed to be at ease with his surroundings. But here he was, fidgeting and shifting on his feet. His cheeks seemed to be a darker shade than the rest of his pale skin.

"Yes," he replied nervously but refused to elaborate.

James nodded, a knowing smile spreading on his face. "In the end, after years of hiding and running, Baxter and I decided that the Court would stop at nothing to get us. So, we staged our deaths. There is a combination of spells that one can use to effectively stage one's death. The trick was well casted for it had convinced the fallen angel and the Witch of the West."

"Do they still believe you are dead?" I asked.

"I believe you and your party would have the answer to that question, Miss Fionna."

"Us?"

"Tell me," James said with a voice that was accustomed to teaching. "Does the Court hunt me or you?"

I thought for a moment. "They know we have that peculiar journal. Though I cannot say with certainty that they know whom it belongs to. Angelica seemed harried as to find out its owner."

"I hope you did not give them my name."

"Of course not."

James smiled. It lit up his features and returning his appearance back to the age he looked.

"What was the curse that you place on your journal?" asked a curious Gumytrin.

"I'm afraid I don't quite remember." James held up a hand as Flegimdur opened his mouth to complain. I fought down a smile as Flegimdur looked away sheepishly but still followed the command of someone so small compared to him. "I had to clear my memory of the curse and the contents of this particular journal. I also had to clear my memory of its purpose, significance, and the way to uncover its secrets."

"Is the content of it that important?" Flegimdur asked.

James smiled a knowing and scheming smile. "Yes it is, my dear prince." Flegimdur flinched but the sorcerer ignored it. "The content of this journal is the key to turning the tide of the war against the Lich. The price paid to assemble this volume was tremendous, but hopefully enough to see to its purpose."

We stared at James and the small tome in his hands. Turn the tide against the Lich? Is that even possible? I swallowed. "What price was paid?"

James' gray eyes glazed over as if the memory played out before him. His eyes were locked with mine but I knew I was not what he was seeing. "A price great enough to cost the Human King his life and legacy. A price great enough that led the human race to near-extinction."

"Near extinction?" I gasped silently. "We are not near extinction! There are a great many villages out there—"

"Are there?" James asked sadly."Are there many human villages left? You have just informed me you were the last to leave the last great village of mankind. Of all the wandering I have done in recent years, this is the only other human village I have found and heard of."

"No," I mumbled, unable to find strength for my voice. "There has to be other humans out there. We are not few in numbers. We are not weak—"

I whirled around to the others. Gumytrin and Flegimdur refused to meet my eyes but Marshall did. I was seeking support and refuge from them but that was not what I found. "All of you have traveled great distances before you arrived at Terrafoire."

Gumytrin's purple eyes met mine, filled with sorrow and concern. "Fionna—"

"Is it true? Are there no other humans but the few here and those who are now in Eyllis 'Isal?" Their silence answered me. Tears threatened to fall but I held them back and glared at the men before me. "Why have you not told me?"

"And how were we supposed to that?" Flegimdur grumbled. "How were we supposed to inform you that the numbers of your race are dwindling down without devastating you—you, who had so much pride in her humanity?"

"You," I seethed, "you would have no problem with spitting on and walking all over my humanity. Do not use that pathetic excuse to hold your relentless tongue."

Flegimdur flinched away from me but stayed his silence.

"I am sorry, Fionna," Gumytrin said softly. "The alarmingly few numbers of your race was concerning for the other races—the elves and the dwarves. The Lich had already rid the world of one race and another had disappeared mysteriously around the same time. This was the main reason for the evacuation of Terrafoire. The chimera attack was catalyst for evacuation."

"There has to be other villages…" I tried weakly to convince myself. "There has to be…"

"Aaa is a vast land," Marshall's baritone said in an attempt to calm me. An attempt that was effective. "It is more than likely that there are others waiting in the shadows, bidding their time for the right moment to return to light."

I stood trembling before them. With the exception of the vampire, they hadn't the slightest clue to what I was feeling. How could a whole race disappear?

James cleared his throat. "All the goblins are dead except for the one member of the Court. The language is dead to us all except for him. He is the only one that can translate these words."

"How are we to convince him to do that, exactly?" I demanded, eager to change the subject.

"Oh, I am sure you know of many ways to coerce the Goblin King to do whatever you wish. Our vampire friend here obviously knows a couple techniques to get him to talk. Or Miss Fionna can use her feminine charm to—"

"No," Marshall Lee and Flegimdur hissed at the same time. The two of them glanced at each other in surprise.

"First," James continued, "we must find him—"

An earsplitting scream of agony ripped through the air. My palms immediately clamped over my ears to save my hearing. The others had done the same as well while Marshall Lee snarled and ran back out. The scream stopped only to be echoed my Marshall's own.

"Marshall!" I ran out of the barn and found Marshall Lee writhing on the dirt outside the shadow. The smell of burnt skin invaded my senses as smoke rose from his white skin, turning it black.

With the help of Gumytrin and Flegimdur, we dragged the writhing vampire back under the shadows of the barn. "That was reckless, old friend," Gumytrin rasped.

"It has returned," James gasped, pale as the snow. "The vampire chimera. It has returned."

I pounded desperately on the door to Jeff's house. The door clicked open and I caught myself before tumbling inside.

"It's back, isn't it?" Jeff rasped. His arm shot out and gripped my wrist in a vice. Fear and anger contorted his face. "Why has it returned? You and your friends led it here!"

"Do you honestly believe that we would want to the destruction of your village? If we had, we wouldn't have freed you from the ogres!"

"Whether you want our destruction or not hardly matters. Either way, it's coming for us because of you," Jeff snarled.

I opened my mouth to retort but I knew he was right. The vampire chimera attacked us in Terrafoire, appeared again in the middle of Marshall's battle against Xergiog and is now on its way here. Other villagers were coming out of their homes at the sound of their leader's frustrated screams. All of them were converging around us.

James pushed his way in front. "No, Dad. It's here for me."

Jeff blanched. "James?"

"I suggest you let the lady go, village leader," Marshall growled, suddenly appearing in front of the crowd. His eyes glowed read under the shadows of the hood. The villagers stepped away from him.

Jeff took one look at the vampire and let me go instantly. "The vampire—is it a chimera as the girl says?"

Girl? I grumbled in my mind. Only yesternight had I insisted he stop calling me Miss Fionna.

Marshall threw him a dangerous look then took my arm. He led me away from the gathering and to the front of the village where Gumytrin and Flegimdur waited.

"Let James handle the villagers," Gumytrin said as he handed me Miltiades. "He has a bigger chance of calming them than you do."

"They need to leave," I mumbled.

But the three of them head me for they stopped their preparations and looked at me strangely. "Leave?" Flegumdur hissed. "Why—?"

"Think about it," I hissed back. "That vampire chimera is on its way here. We might be able to fight it off, but who's to say that it won't return? Who's to say that the Lich won't send others to this very village and do away with the last of my race?"

Flegimdur grimaced but said nothing.

"Granted you are right," Gumytrin started, "but I believe that we have a more pressing problem at the moment. This vampire chimera is powerful. Spells and magic won't work against it, right Marshall?"

The vampire nodded under his hood. "Simple blades cannot pierce our skin as well. This vampire's body has been changed and enhanced by whatever it is Larx does to his chimeras. We cannot keep trading blows with it and wait for an opening. In a battle of endurance, it will surely win."

As the three of them pondered a plan, I watched Marshall carefully. He had told me the night before that he knew this vampire. Was it an old friend of his? Could he bring himself to hurt it? Was there a reason he hasn't shared this information with the others?

Another agonized scream tore through the morning. Much closer, in fact, as close as the other side of the small village. The scream was followed by that of a woman who ran into the streets.

"He's here," Marshall grumbled and disappeared with a swish of his cloak.

"We have to get the villagers out of here!" I cried to Gumytrin.

The elf looked torn between going after Marshall—wherever he went—and helping the villagers. Flegimdur seemed to have already made his choice and bolted to the streets. "We can evacuate them," Gumytrin suggested but didn't sound very convincing. "to where, however, I haven't the slightest clue. The woods are quite dangerous and—"

"And Eyllis'isal?" I asked hesitantly.

Gumytrin paused for a second. "I do not have enough strength to create a portal from here—wait, there might be way."

He quickly glanced around. "I must find James, but I fear for our friends." He looked at me thoughtfully. "Go to the battle but do not join it. I mean no offense, but you would not be much help."

I nodded. This was something I was already aware of but to have it said out loud, even as nicely as Gumytrin said it, still stung.

"However," the elf continued with a small smile, "indirect actions help much more than you think." He clasped my arm and made his way to Jeff's door.

Most of the people on the streets were frozen. The story of the vampire in the founding years of Grockernic appears to be one every citizen knew. However, they cannot just be standing in the middle of what may soon be a battlefield between two impossibly powerful vampires.

A large crash—a house caving in by the sound of it—sounded really close. The village is no longer safe for them. Just as I opened my mouth to scream at the villagers to hide, their leader found his voice. "Citizens of Grockernic! Go quickly and gather your family and friends. If we are to survive we must leave this village—"

I was certain that he had entire speech prepared to calm the villagers and charm them into leaving. But he lost his chance to deliver it when Flegimdur came crashing into the dirt street. He cursed and climbed out of the crater the impact of his body created on the ground.

"Everyone into the forest!" I heard Jeff yell. Immediately, the villagers followed their leader's orders.

"Gumytrin!" Flegimdur yelled. "Get the villagers out of here!"

"What on earth do you think I'm doing?" Gumytrin yelled back.

A woman carrying a small baby in one arm and dragging another behind her desperately made her way to the forest's edge. The elf appeared beside her, scooped up the child and dragged her by the hand towards the forest.

"Fionna!" He yelled in my direction. "Go help Marshall and Flegimdur!"

What help could I possibly offer? I wanted to yell back. Instead, I grumbled at myself and sprinted to the street Flegimdur disappeared through.

My reflexes took over—my hand immediately on Miltiades' hilt, my legs bent for quick reactions, and my eyes darting around to take in all the details. Marshall Lee was locked into mortal combat against a chimera of his own race, of someone he had known personally. His cloak flew around him in great strokes as he danced in the air. The vampire chimera itself was just as I last saw it—pale white skin, bloodied rags and chains around his neck and limbs. This time however, its eyes were stitched shut with an X. Marshall himself was very tall but he was dwarfed by the chimera. Unlike the vampire, the chimera was impervious to sun's rays, which puts Marshall at a disadvantage.

Flegimdur was poised similarly as I was and in the same predicament—we both watched the superior fighters before us and hopelessly searching for a way to help our friend. I slowly made my way towards him without looking away from the battle.

He cursed under his breath. "How in the nine hells are we supposed to contribute to that?"

The movements of the two combatants were just fast enough for our eyes to keep up. There were times when they completely disappeared—moving at inhuman speed. I couldn't agree more with Flegimdur's question. I was no amateur with a sword nor do I have any doubts of Flegidmur's skill as a swordsman. But I could see no possible way for us to join this fight.

Marshall's flames erupted from his black sword as he launched his blood-red ax towards the chimera. It swatted the ax away and charged at Marshall Lee. It stampeded through the his black flames and attacked with its razor sharp claws. Marshall was ready for him—he parried it with his sword and swung at its neck but it had leaped away. Then the two disappeared, only to reappear on the roof of a house several blocks down.

I had been able to help in the previous fight by shooting an arrow at the chimera's chest with James' journal tied to it. But the owner currently has his journal, and I am having doubts that little trick would fulfill our goal again.

Flegimdur cursed under his breath. "For now, let's make sure the village is cleared. the last thing this situation needs of for the interference of civilians. However, whatever you do, stay out of that fight's way. We shouldn't cause our vampire friend any distractions either."

I nodded as he motioned for me to check the housed to our left while he went to the right. Keeping one eye on the warring vampires, I found the houses on my area clear of villagers. Minutes later, I spotted Flegimdur running towards the forest with an unconscious man draped over his shoulders followed by a frightened boy.

It would be some time before he returns.

A scream caught in my throat as the house across the street from where I stood was destroyed by a powerful blast. I crashed against a wall—narrowly missing a potentially bad injury from my own sword—then crawled inside one of the homes. I peeked out a window in time to see Marshall rise out of the ruins of the house. His black fires surrounded him once more, acting as a shield that I had once thought impregnable. His hood barely clung to his head. His shoulders rose and fell rapidly, signifying his panting. Black blood ran like rivers down his face. His burning reds eyes found mine and flashed black.

No! I need to relocate myself or else he'll worry about me.

The vampire raised his black blade as the chimera roared at him. Marshall's eyes darted to me again. I pointed behind my back and fled as quickly and silently as I could. More crashes signified the recommencing of their battle. As I ran—looking into homes for villagers as I went—a thought stopped me on my tracks.

Mochro!

Checking that Marshall and the chimera were fighting in the opposite direction, I bolted towards the barn. There, I found my black mustang with the three other horses of our little group. Two of them were neighing nervously in their stalls while Mochro watched me as if to say What took you so long?

It had taken a moment to calm down the horses then let them out. I clung onto their reins and clambered onto Mochro's saddle. Gumytrin had told me the previous day that their horses were trained by the best horse-trainers of Eyllis'isal—they will find their masters unless commanded otherwise either magically or by the masters themselves. I led the horses to the edge of the village and released the reins of Flegimdur's brown horse and Gumytrin's spotted mare. I hit their behinds with Miltiades' sheath and they took off in the forest in search of their masters.

Marshall's gray mare stayed with me, waiting for permission to find her own master. Flegimdur has yet to return and judging from the last I caught sight of the vampire, Marshall wouldn't last for very long. Was he in any way holding back because he knew the chimera from a previous level?

Before anything else occurred, Marshall's horse reared up then took off in the battle. "Wait, stop!" I yelled then urged Mochro to follow after it. Mercifully, Mochro was much faster and we caught up with it in seconds. But in those seconds, we had reached the street the battle was commencing on.

At Marshall's yelp in pain, my hands immediately found my bow and had an arrow nocked in a split second. The chimera had him pinned against the dirt road. His hood had fallen down and the sun's rays burned welts into his face.

Without another thought, I released the arrow aimed at the X stitched over its eye. Before it hit its mark, I let go of Marshall's horse, who bolted straight to the vampire. The arrow hit just as Mochro thundered towards them. It reared back in pain just as I had another arrow aimed at the other eye. I shot the arrow and the chimera reared back with an arrow in each eye.

Marshall's horse stood over its rider, shading him from the sun. I grabbed Mochro's reins and pushed him to go faster. He reared up on his hind legs and slammed his front hooves against the chimera. It clawed at me but Miltiades was immediately in my hand. I deflected its attack and slashed at its throat. Miraculously, Miltiades was able to pierce its skin. It roared and swatted us into a house. I flew off Mochro and landed in a dining table—the same one that I sat in the previous night. The smell of Annette's delicious cooking was gone and replaced by the fetid odor of the chimera's rotten blood.

Mochro struggled hopelessly to get to his feet as the chimera turned its attention on me. A wave of intense heat washed over me just as black ribbons of fire wrapped around the chimera's neck. I took this opportunity to scramble to the adjacent room which I knew was Jeff's kitchen. Once inside, I almost collapsed in hystericals. There, sitting on the wooden counter was something that I had thought was in the middle of the forest with the other villagers; James' journal.

I would have been mad with his carelessness with leaving behind such an important artifact had it not been the only tool we could use against the vampire. Snatching the book in my hands, I peeked back out to the dining area. Mochro was still struggling but there was no sign from either vampire. I prayed that Marshall would be alright as I helped Mochro to his feet—it had taken a while since I did not have Marshall's vampiric strength.

Within seconds, Mochro thundered down the streets as I searched for the battle I had tried so hard to avoid. James' diary was heavy in my hands as I furiously thought over my suicidal plan. I had no doubts that the Court wanted to get their rotten hands on James' journal and that they had sent their strongest pet to come and retrieve it. "Let's hope this works," I grumbled as Mochro found the warring vampires.

I grabbed my bow and shot another arrow at the chimera. Both vampires froze and turned towards me. The chimera growled as Marshall stared at me astounded. The first to move was the chimera—it charged at me with lightning speed. I was sure I would have been dead had Mochro not panicked and leaped out of its way. The chimera crashed into another house, bringing it down as it broke through its foundations.

"Go Mochro! Run as fast as you can!"

The black mustang charged down the streets and turned sharp corners, barely missing the chimera coming after us. Unfortunately, my plan was incomplete and I was running out of ideas. I certainly had the chimera's attention.

"That was reckless," Marshall's baritone growled, appearing suddenly behind me. I would have fell off of Mochro had Marshall's arms not wrapped around me and took Mochro's reins. His chest pressed against my back when he leaned forward against the wind. His gray mare thundered beside, barely able to keep up with Mochro. "Whatever you do, Fionna, do not let go of that book. And for Glob's sake, don't throw it at the chimera."

"Marshall!" I gasped. "Your horse won't be able to keep up with Mochro."

Marshall grunted and waved an impatient hand. His horse turned the corner and disappeared and galloped to the forest. "Grab Efialtis."

"What?"

"My sword."

My hand wrapped around Efialtis' hilt just as the chimera leaped into the air. I left the black blade in its hilt and nocked an arrow onto my bow. Marshall leaned to the side, allowing enough space for me to aim for a proper shot.

"Wait," said Marshall. "Don't shoot until I say. Just keep him as your target."

I held still—as still as I could on a mustang galloping as fast as it can—as Marshall chanted an incantation. The arrow began to heat up between my fingers. Familiar black flames burst from the arrow's tip but didn't burn me. "Shoot him now."

And I did. The arrow sailed through the air and buried itself in the chimera's chest. It fell out of the sky and landed with a heavy thud on the street.

"Is it…?"

"Dead?" Marshall panted. "Don't think so. All we've done is bought ourselves a few precious seconds."

"Marshall!" Flegimdur was riding towards them. "This way! Baxter's got a plan!"

"The horse?" I said incredulously.

Marshall shrugged and pulled at Mochro's reins. The black horse thundered after the brown one as the chimera crashed through a house.

He wrapped an arm around my waist. My hands immediately clung onto him as Mochro and Flegimdur's horse leaped over the debris littering the streets. Flegimdur led them through the streets and into the forest.

The forest? But the villagers are hiding in there!

The woods weren't as dense as the Thornwood but they were challenging enough for an amateur horse-rider. I was grateful that Marshall had taken the reins from. Had I been the one steering, we would have been killed by a stationary tree rather than the chimera. We followed Flegimdur over several bushes and around many trees and to a small clearing. There, I could make out Gumytrin crouching down beside the shorter standing frame of James. Baxter appeared beside us in a golden streak. He neighed something that Mochro seemed to understand. The horses had an understanding—Baxter stopped abruptly while Mochro galloped even faster.

Flegimdur stopped behind the elf and the sorcerer and waited for us. The chimera's scream tore from behind us. I felt Marshall's breath hitch then the vibrations of his chest as he growled. The chimera crashed after us—Baxter was nowhere in sight.

"Fionna," Marshall said to my ear, "Hang onto me."

I clung onto his arm as his whole body tensed at the chimera's closing proximity. James' book—which I had squeezed between my knees—began to cool and became icy. The sudden coldness made me yelp and drop the book. My heart stopped for a second until it flew ahead of us and into the hands of its master. As we neared James and Gumytrin, a circle of light appeared in front of them.

"Don't let go of me," Marshall yelled over the howling wind.

The circle of light zoomed towards us. Marshall let go of Mochro's reins, wrapped both his arms around me and leaped impossibly high. He grabbed the closest branch and swung us both onto another branch. He didn't release me as Mochro charged straight to the circle of light with the chimera close enough to snap at his hooves. In the second before Mochro's powerful black shape was engulfed by the light, Baxter thundered into appearance and crashed into him. Marshall covered my mouth with a large hand, muffling my surprised scream.

"Horses are tough," Marshall whispered. "Mochro will be fine."

But the chimera was not. Without anything to stop its speed, the chimera crashed through the clearing and straight into the blinding light.

"It would seem the Court now knows that you are still walking about," Gumytrin panted.

The portal spell had taken a lot of energy from him. We found the villager's camp almost an hour ago, about two hours after the chimera disappeared into James' portal. It was similar to the one the elf had used to transport the people of Terrafoire into Eyllis'isal. Gumytrin had thought it impossible to create a portal in a place without massive magical potential like the ruins of Terrafoire's castle. However, James was apparently a walking reservoir of magical energy that had nearly overwhelmed him.

James smiled. "I would have loved to see the shock on Larx's face when he learns I still live after all these decades."

Flegimdur laughed. "It would be the first thing he hadn't expected in centuries."

I glanced around the camp. Though the villagers had thanked us for protecting them from the vampire chimera, they were actively avoiding us and occasionally throwing an accusatory look our way. Gumytrin was too exhausted to pay them any attention and Flegimdur was ignoring them which surprised me—I had expected him to threaten them with his spear.

Marshall was sitting underneath the shadows. Had I not seen him take his motionless position there, I would have never known he was there at all. He had said nothing since the chimera disappeared. I wondered how close he had been to that vampire and how he knew him.

In a couple hours, Gumytrin had enough energy to create another portal with the help of James and Baxter. It took another hour for Gumytrin to place a request to have the villagers of Grockernic transported to Eyllis'isal. And another to receive a confirmation.

It only took a couple minutes for the villagers to pass through the portal and to the elven kingdom. Jeff and his family were the last to go—they had refused to leave without saying good-bye to James. After their good-byes, the village leader approached me.

"Miss Fionna," he began sheepishly, "I wanted to apologize to you."

I tried not to look bewildered. "Um, don't worry about it...What was it that you're apologizing for?"

"I accused you for having led the chimera to Grockernic. My behavior was unacceptable and uncalled for. You and your friends had rescued me and the other men then safely brought us back to our families. My accusations were inappropriate, misplaced and were not proper in showing our gratitude for what you have done for us."

We are apparently some of the few humans left in existence. Even if we weren't, I would have gladly helped you and your village, I wanted to say but couldn't. By telling another human that we were ones of the few left in Aaa, I would have accepted the fact myself. Instead, I gave the village leader my forgiveness and waved good-bye as the portal closed behind them.

Step Four: REVIEW coz I love you guys and you guys love me:)

Step Five: DAUNTLESS FRIENDS who has seen the Divergent movie? Is it worth watching?

Step Six: FROWN coz its gonna be a while until the next chapter:(