Chapter 11 #2
The corrupted otters must have sensed our intent. They fought harder against their earthen prison, those unnaturally intelligent eyes now filled with desperate fury. Their chittering calls turned to shrieks that set my teeth on edge.
I reached for my phoenix fire, letting it flow while tapping into Aeolus's magic, a steady current of power which buoyed my strength.
Purifying fire streamed from my fingers, surrounding the otters one by one.
The largest otter threw back its head and screamed, a sound of agony and release that shook the trees.
Black corruption poured from its body like a putrid cloud.
The twisted essence fought viciously as my phoenix fire burned through it, lashing out like a cornered beast before dissipating with a final putrid gasp.
This time, I wasn't alone. Desmond's earth magic kept the otters contained while preventing the darkness from seeping back into the soil. Ryu's dragon fire formed a blazing perimeter, forcing the corruption upward where Aeolus's winds scattered it harmlessly into the air.
Our powers worked in perfect synchronization, as if we'd done this countless times before. One by one, the otters' bodies convulsed as the corruption was expelled, their unnatural bulk shrinking until they were merely large rather than monstrous.
The last traces of darkness fled their bodies in writhing tendrils that dissipated in the wind.
Where nightmarish beasts once stood, now a group of dazed but normal river otters blinked up at us.
Their eyes, while still clever, no longer held that twisted intelligence that had made them so disturbing.
Desmond held his hand out, standing still, then the mud loosened under the otter's paws, releasing them.
"Well," I managed, swaying slightly as exhaustion hit me like a physical blow. "That was... interesting. Anyone for round two, or shall we save some fun for tomorrow?"
Aeolus caught me before my knees could buckle, steadying me against his chest.
"You're pushing yourself too hard," he murmured, genuine worry clear in his tone.
"I'm fine," I insisted. "Just need a moment to..."
"To what? Pass out again?" Ryu's voice held a sharp edge. "We don't need you burning out before you even get to our realms."
I tried to muster a witty retort, but exhaustion stole the words. The corruption from the spring still burned in my veins.
"She needs rest," Desmond said quietly, his gentle authority brooking no argument. "We can make camp while we await Taranis and Lucas."
The hunter stepped forward hesitantly, his weathered face marked with those same corruption-tainted wounds I'd seen earlier.
"I know a safe place," he offered, his voice gravelly from disuse.
"Been using it as a camp since these... things.
.. started appearing. It's on higher ground, away from the water. "
Desmond nodded in thanks, then turned to me with concern in his gentle eyes. "Can you walk?"
I stumbled as we made our way to the clearing, pride alone keeping me upright. Aeolus stayed close, his hand hovering near my elbow. The easy way our magics had merged still unsettled me—too natural, too intimate for strangers.
The hunter led us through the forest with the wary steps of a man who'd learned to fear his own shadow.
"Found these two searching for you," he explained, gesturing to Ryu and Desmond.
"Dragon-man there convinced me to guide them to the spring.
Wasn't hard to track you—those beasts were making enough noise to wake the dead. "
Desmond had retrieved our horses after the battle, and they now followed behind us, my mare docile despite her earlier panic.
The clearing the hunter led us to felt blessedly normal after the twisted landscape around the spring.
Late afternoon sunlight filtered through the leaves, painting everything in soft gold.
"Here," Aeolus said, gesturing to a fallen log. "This area is upstream of the spring, no trace of corruption." I sank down gratefully, fighting another wave of dizziness.
Once we reached the clearing, Aeolus took charge of the horses, his wind magic gently lifting their saddles while he murmured soothing words.
He led them to a grassy patch at the edge of our camp, used his magic to create a temporary corral of swirling air, and made sure they had water from his own supplies.
"They've earned their rest too," he said, patting my mare's neck as she drank deeply. "Poor things were terrified by those creatures." Finishing with the horses, Aeolus came to sit next to me.
Desmond knelt beside me, his honey-colored eyes full of gentle concern as he examined my arms where the corruption had entered. Aeolus watched him closely.
"The darkness left marks," he murmured, tracing the faint purple lines that now threaded beneath my skin like negative flame-script. The violet trails pulsed faintly, reminiscent of the same unnatural glow that had infected the spring. "But your phoenix fire seems to be containing it."
Ryu's amber gaze flickered between Aeolus and me, his head tilting slightly as if trying to piece together a puzzle.
His nostrils flared as he caught something in the air between us, his draconic senses picking up what others couldn't. "Something's different between you two. What happened out there?"
Heat rose to my cheeks as Aeolus shifted closer. Gone was his usual smirk, replaced by something sharper, more intent.
"Our phoenix friend here has quite the talent for purification," Aeolus said smoothly, though I noticed how carefully he chose his words. "You should have seen her work. Cleansing corruption with all the finesse of a high court enchanter."
"That doesn't explain why you're hovering like her shadow," Ryu muttered, a hint of smoke curling from his nostrils.
"The spring cleansing was... intense," I said, trying to redirect the conversation. "Aeolus helped keep me grounded."
"Indeed." Aeolus settled back against the log, his smile holding a secret edge as he glanced between Ryu and Desmond.
"Though I suppose you two deserve to know what happened before you found us.
We tracked the corruption from town to the spring.
The hunter here," he gestured to the weathered man, "warned us about the murder otters, but we pressed on anyway.
" He paused, his eyes meeting mine with unspoken communication.
"But watching her tackle that spring? Pure phoenix fire cutting through corruption like a wildfire through dry brush.
Quite the illuminating experience, I must say.
Just happy I didn't get burned." His light tone belied the weight of everything left unsaid, but his subtle emphasis on 'illuminating' made me tense and I shot him a warning look.
I wasn't ready to examine what that meant, especially not with an audience.
"No time for games," Desmond interrupted, his steady voice diffusing the growing tension as he knelt beside me.
His steady hands began sorting through various herbs from his pack.
"Right now, we need to focus on your recovery and getting camp setup for the night.
The corruption left its mark, and these should help.
" He glanced meaningfully at Aeolus and Ryu.
"Perhaps you two could make yourselves useful? "
Aeolus nodded with obvious reluctance. "I brought a tent," he said, producing a bundle of silvery fabric from his pack. "For the lady's comfort, of course."
"How thoughtful," Ryu growled, smoke curling from his nostrils. "I suppose you just happened to have that ready."
"Some of us plan ahead, dragon." Aeolus's fingers danced through the air, wind lifting the tent fabric and beginning to shape it. "Though I understand the concept might be foreign to one who solves everything with fire."
Ryu snorted, a curl of smoke rising from his nostrils. "Unlike some, I actually plan for practicality." He stalked away and returned moments later with an armload of deadwood, the branches crackling in his too-warm grip. "Not just for impressing."
"Is that why you shed those scales everywhere you go?" Aeolus quipped, nodding toward the iridescent flecks that had fallen from Ryu during his partial transformation. "Very practical. Marking your territory like a common lizard."
"Better than leaving behind the scent of desperation," Ryu shot back, arranging the firewood with more force than necessary.
The two men glared at each other but moved to complete their tasks.
Aeolus's wind magic whirled around the silvery fabric, lifting it into shape while invisible currents deftly wove through the guide ropes, securing them to nearby trees with precise knots.
Meanwhile, Ryu arranged our simple dinner preparations with more force than strictly necessary, each pot and pan landing with a deliberate clang.
Their bickering continued in low mutters that carried on the evening breeze, but at least they were channeling their rivalry into productivity.
As the tent took shape, Desmond worked methodically, his large hands surprisingly delicate as he sorted through dried herbs and powders.
The familiar scent of chamomile rose as he crushed the dried flowers, followed by something sharper.
An herb I didn't recognize that made my flame-script tingle beneath my skin.
"A special blend," he explained, catching my questioning look. "The chamomile for calm, elderberry for strength, and..." He held up a sprig of something that shimmered faintly in the late afternoon light. "This is shifter-sage. It helps balance supernatural energies after they've been disrupted."
I watched, fascinated despite my exhaustion, as he combined the ingredients in a small pot of water. His earth magic flowed subtly into the mixture, enhancing the natural properties of each herb.