18. Fenric #2
“It’s really a miracle you survived into adulthood.”
“It really is,” Rain agreed, laughing harder.
“Earlier, when Mal mentioned that finfolk had magic, I was imagining something more to do with fighting in water or even shapeshifting. Not fog.”
A soft grunt of agreement came from Belstrom as he approached Fenric.
“Unfortunately, the information Malfas and I were able to uncover regarding these fiends was rather sparse and opaque. Your assumption is correct in that their magical abilities are aqueous based, which would include fog since the atmospheric occurrence forms when—”
“Yeah, I don’t need a science lesson in the formation of fog. I need to know how to get through a magic fog. Right now, the price for this job and the heroes being willing to abandon the village is suddenly making a lot more sense.”
“You have demonstrated a proclivity for vexatious and laborious jobs,” Belstrom drawled.
“This one’s more personal in nature, as you well know, and how dare you rub my nose in past mistakes.”
“Fortunately for you, I have formed a hypothesis I wish to test regarding this fog. I am proceeding,” Belstrom suddenly announced.
“Whoa!” Fenric wrapped both his hands around Belstrom’s massive forearm and dug his heels into the dirt, prepared to hold the big man back, though he knew deep down that he wasn’t nearly strong enough for such a task. “Are you sure about that?”
“Yes. I am eighty percent certain the fog will merely throw me out again if I advance in the wrong direction. I do not believe the fog itself possesses the ability to kill me.”
“Of course, that’s where I’m lucky enough to step in when you discover you’re wrong,” Hapi muttered.
“I’m coming with you,” Fenric stated, releasing Belstrom’s arm.
“Very well.”
Fenric blinked. Not a hesitation or breath of argument.
Belstrom must really believe the fog to be safe.
He looked over his shoulder at Rain, Hapi, Malfas, and Maxie.
“Stay alert in case the finfolk are lurking in the area. Malfas, see if your god can think of any way to get rid of the fog completely.”
“I’ll be ready to raise your dead asses,” Hapi reassured them, looking less than pleased about having to work.
Rain lifted a hand in the air and waved at Fenric and Belstrom. “Don’t get too lost.”
Fenric pushed through the wall of fog with Belstrom at the same time.
The cool touch of the air slid along his sweaty skin, and Fenric couldn’t help holding his breath, not wanting the magic fog in his lungs.
Just like before, the world suddenly became silent.
They could no longer hear the conversation of their companions.
All right, straight through seemed to work—
A strong, invisible force hit him square in the chest. Fenric had just enough time to register it, to gasp as it slammed into his lungs, and then he was jerked right off his feet once more.
The world around him became a whirling mix of debris and white light, disorienting and blinding.
Then he landed hard on his ass, like he’d been tossed out with the bathwater.
“Owww,” Fenric groaned, levering up slowly onto one elbow. Bones and muscles ached from slamming into the ground twice.
In the next second, Belstrom landed next to him with a ground-shaking thud.
“That was a disaster,” Hapi commented, coming around to offer Fenric a hand.
“You’re telling me.” Fenric took it, pulling himself up with a groan. Not to mention a wince. He’d definitely have a bruise on his ass for that little stunt later. “Okay, ten feet straight is too far. We apparently need to turn or something.”
Belstrom stood with Rain’s help and gave the fog what could only be called a childlike grin. “The fog is a puzzle. How delightful!”
Yeah, his giant friend was definitely the right person to take with him. Belstrom’s enthusiasm would carry Fenric along well after he became homicidally frustrated.
Which shouldn’t take long, as Fenric wasn’t the most patient person in the world.
All right, Man versus Fog, round two—start!
This time, he counted nine steps, turned left, then made it a single step before being thrown back on his ass. Belstrom landed at the same time as he did, so clearly left wasn’t the direction to go in.
Right it was.
For round three, he took nine steps in, turned right, went three steps, and then the invisible force threw him out once again.
Fenric lay on the hard-packed dirt road, looking up at the sky and groaning. He was starting to resemble that old saying: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.
“Bel,” he groaned as Hapi once again pulled him to his feet. “I want to try going panther this time. Maybe I can smell my way forward better.”
Maxie exploded into a loud “Oooooooo!” His eyes grew as wide as saucers. “You can be a panther?”
Fenric smirked and winked at the young man. At least someone was happy.
“No harm in trying,” Rain said. “You sure it is not because you want to land on your feet instead of your ass?”
“That might have something to do with it. All right, round four.”
In the blink of an eye, Fenric shifted into a sleek black panther. He glanced over at Maxie, who’d balled both of his hands into fists and was holding them against his chest as if it was the only thing keeping him from petting Fen.
Later.
Maybe.
Nine steps forward, two steps to the right, forward one, two, three—
This time, when that invisible force grabbed him, he wasn’t too surprised. He just went along with it—fighting it clearly did nothing—and landed more smoothly on his feet.
Belstrom landed hard next to him, but he was still grinning.
Giving himself a shake, Fenric eyed his friend for a moment before shifting back into his human form. “Still having fun over there?”
“Quite so!”
So easily amused, this one.
Malfas came in closer. “It might be my imagination, but I think the fog is getting thicker with every attempt. Hey, Fen, I take it your sniffer isn’t helping you at all since you landed out here within a minute of going in. Any other bright ideas?”
“Not a one.” Fenric groaned. “Currently taking suggestions.”
“We advance farther with each pass.” Belstrom dusted off the seat of his pants as he spoke. “Quite tedious, but we should be able to deduce the path.”
“My concern is that it won’t matter if you do.” Hapi gestured gracefully at the fog. “I do not think simply following a set path would allow us to make it through. The magic will not care if we know the path. We’re missing another factor.”
“Ah, you make a profound point,” Belstrom said in agreement.
Personally, Fenric had a sinking feeling this wasn’t going to work and nothing they did would get them through that fog. Malfas wasn’t wrong; the fog was getting thicker, almost as if in reaction to someone deliberately trying over and over again to get through.
“We’re losing daylight, too,” Rain muttered, glancing up at the darkening sky. “Let’s do this: Fen, Bel, try for another hour. If you can’t make significant headway, pull back, and we’ll camp out here tonight and try to come up with a different plan.”
“You have proposed a sound plan,” Belstrom said.
Inside once more. Fenric returned to cat form so he could land on his feet. He had too many bruises on his ass as it was.
No matter how many times they attempted it, though, they couldn’t get any farther. Once they hit that eighteenth step, no matter what direction they tried, they were thrown back out.
On what felt like the fiftieth time of landing outside the fog, Fenric hissed and spat.
His hackles rose and a low growl rattled up his throat.
His cat instincts reared enough for him to think murder was a splendid idea.
Just wait until he got his hands on the finfolk for casting this frustrating trap. He’d rend them limb from limb!
A rough hand touched his head and Malfas crooned, “Good kitty~”
Fenric snapped at his hand in warning.