The Fetid Source （Part 3）
Rowena's heart hammered when she heard the door of the study shut and two voices rise just beyond the open window above her.
"Now then, General," came a slightly nervous voice, "You requested a private audience... Er-what is it you wish to discuss?"
The general's voice snapped back angrily, "Do not speak to me as if you are unaware. You have already disappointed our master due to your incompetence. Are you now trying to insult me with falsehoods as well?" His voice became a low, rumbling growl. "Tell me why I am here."
The man's voice trembled as he stammered, "T-t-the d-deadline. The a-attack on the East Gate."
"See?" The general gushed in a sickening tone, "You are not simple, doctor. You know exactly why I was sent."
Suddenly, there was a commotion.
The sound of the desk screeching across the floor and items toppling over.
Someone grunting, straining and choking.
"Where was your army?" The general seethed.
The doctor wheezed and gasped, his words barely escaping his lips, "There were-setbacks. Unexpected-I couldn't-"
Suddenly, the glass above Rowena shattered as a person was sent hurtling against the wall. His head landed against the fragile window panes, breaking the window, and sending a shower of sharp crystals over Rowena's face and body.
Rowena winced and clasped a shaking hand over her mouth, stifling a scream.
"Do not offer me excuses!" The general bellowed, enraged, "Without your army from the south, our forces were defeated at the border! We never even made it inside the forest! Now, the Greater Empire has made their move on Griken! We have lost our chance of claiming the forest!"
"Have mercy, please!" The doctor begged, "I can explain!"
"There is no excuse you can give that will make any difference.
Your orders were clear. Yet, I cannot make sense of it.
You were chosen for this honor because, unlike the others, you showed promise.
You showed a surprising talent, a near mastery of the Craft.
Now our master is inclined to give this prestigious honor to someone else. .."
"No, please! Give me another chance!"
"It is already too late! The master is coming to pay you a visit. He is not known for his mercy."
For a brief moment, there was silence, and Rowena could hear a faint commotion coming from below the balcony. Her eyes grew wide and her heart pounded in her ears when she saw the rope pulling and swinging from the stone chimera.
What was happening down there?
But the weak voice of the doctor began speaking again, drowning out the noise.
"I-I don't understand. Why is this so important?
Why now?" The doctor stood, his back facing the empty window, just inches away from Rowena.
"The Greater Empire is in control of the most powerful army in Solmira, with vast resources, even regardless of the Griken territory.
Stealing the forest from under their nose would throw us into war.
A war we could not possibly win. And all for what? Lumber?"
Suddenly the general's voice erupted again, but this time it was different. A second voice rose from his throat, echoing his words; deep, guttural, thundering.
"IT IS NOT ABOUT THE LUMBER!"
The doctor muffled a scream, cowering down with his hands above his head.
Rowena's body trembled violently and she tried to press herself deeper into the wall, wishing to melt into the stone.
She had never heard anything more terrifying in her life.
There was another moment of silence, then the general cleared his throat.
He spoke again, cold and collected. "That kind of thinking is exactly what is causing your inadequacy.
You should know that the Greater Empire is unstable.
As long as Etheria's heir remains at large, their hold on the people is fragile.
Imagine what will happen when they find out their heir is alive, imprisoned in Tide Gate.
They will be outraged! It will throw the kingdom back into civil war.
That is when we will strike. We are so close to catching him now. Too close to tolerate your mistakes."
Rowena's heart lurched in her chest.
They know Prince Ladomir is alive.
They might even know where he is.
She had to warn him.
But how?
"So that is the plan then?" The doctor scoffed, "To take Etheria? Tide Gate already holds vast resources from our trade port. Why risk everything to grasp for more?"
The general chuckled, cold and sinister.
The laugh gave Rowena chills and made her hair stand on end.
"Our master's plans reach much further than Etheria and petty resources."
"Then what do the Etherian's have that he wants?"
The general scoffed, "Surely you don't expect me to share such privileged information with a failure. In fact, I believe you have wasted enough of my time already. Take me to your laboratory immediately and explain to me these...setbacks. The master demands a full report before his visit."
"Y-yes. Right away, General." The doctor stammered, heading towards the door, "You see, the problem isn't my mastery of the Craft, but rather these strange... symptoms. I have experienced temporary psychosis, delirium, blackouts-"
His voice abruptly cut off as the door closed behind them.
Finally, Rowena leapt to her feet and hurried to the edge of the balcony.
How were the others?
What was going on down there?
--------------
Gareth anxiously eyed the balcony above.
Maybe sending Rowena up was a bad idea.
He knew she was smart and capable, and she was growing stronger every day. But her fear was still her greatest weakness. It tainted her actions and clouded her judgement. It was most obvious when they would spar. She would fight as if she was already defeated.
Perhaps he shouldn't have pushed her.
He drew a deep breath.
No. She will be fine.
But as soon as he took his eyes off the balcony, he heard glass shatter and raised voices from above.
Rowena!
His heart raced as he grabbed hold of the rope, but just as he was about to climb, Zephyrah and the Dissolver came bounding around the corner.
The Dissolver called out frantically, "Gareth! The crocodile!"
Gareth's face went pale.
No.
He couldn't even glance back towards the balcony. The creature was already upon him, jaws parted in a ferocious, blood-thirsty snarl.
The Dissolver and Zephyrah leapt out of the way just as the crocodile's jaws snapped shut, inches from where Gareth stood. He barely got his hand on the handle of his sword before the chaos erupted.
The monster whipped around and thrashed with terrifying speed.
Normally, Gareth would welcome a new challenge.
But this time, his focus was split, and his thoughts were erratic.
For the first time, he found himself struggling, barely keeping up with the monster's wild movements.
His eyes darted frantically between the crocodile and the balcony.
He had to get to Rowena.
But he couldn't.
Gareth shouted and slashed at the beast's snout to keep its attention on him. He drove his sword through its tough hide over and over, but each time, but it was as if the creature felt no pain. The creature didn't even flinch. Its eyes burned with empty, mindless rage.
Zephyrah fired arrow after arrow, each one thudding harmlessly into the beast's side and sticking out like broken quills. The Dissolver charged in fearlessly, jabbing his spear into the creature's forearms and legs, while Gareth held its attention, slashing at its jaws and dodging its teeth.
They were relentless.
But it made little difference.
The creature showed no sign of weakening. Instead, it lunged again and again, each charge more frenzied than the last. It trampled on the rope that still hung from the balcony, making it swing and tug.
At last, the crocodile reared up and spun, whipping its powerful tail through the air and throwing both the Dissolver and Gareth aside.
Its rear foot became entangled in the rope as it turned and focused on Zephyrah.
She tried to jump out of the way, but the creature was too quick.
It lunged and snapped down on her leg with a sickening crunch.
Zephyrah's scream echoed through the swamp.
Rowena's face appeared at the top of the balcony just as Zephyrah cried out. The rope suddenly snapped tight, breaking off the wing of the sone chimera. She gripped the rail and watched breathlessly as the rope fell to the ground below.
The Dissolver and Gareth sprang to their feet, desperately attacking the crocodile, trying with all their might to free Zephyrah from its grasp.
Then, there was a loud blast from a trumpet nearby.
Rowena gasped and rushed to the far side of the balcony, where a swarm of armored guards and terrifying creatures was running towards the commotion, torches in hand.
She darted back again, wanting to call out and warn her companions, but it was already too late. The guards' shouts cut through the darkness as they approached.
They had been spotted.
In an instant, the horde joined the fray, driving the crocodile back with sharp spears and flaming torches.
The Dissolver and Gareth turned their attention away from the crocodile, forced to defend themselves against the soldiers, but they were vastly outnumbered. The soldiers restrained them, crushing them into the ground and tying their hands behind their backs.
Rowena watched in horror as the guards heaved her companions upright and shoved them forward.
As they dragged him along, Gareth stumbled then twisted to look back, meeting Rowena's worried stare.
A small part of him felt relieved.
She was alive.
But she was far from safe.
None of them were safe.
Rowena ducked down, pushing herself behind the rails of the balcony. Her heart hammered in her chest, and her whole body trembled as she peered through the broken window of the study.
She was alone.
And there was only one place she could go.