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  The Raven’s final flight would soar far. Or crash.

  Chapter Seventeen

  A Failure

  Glantham shared the location of Subciv populated by the Techs. Doing so broke an old promise, but there was no other way. It'd been a long time since he’d seen them. Hopefully their xenophobic nature wouldn't become a problem. Being powerless to help out his fellow Undergrounders was depressing, but it was all he could do.

  Focused on returning to the purple dimension, Glantham prayed Snitch had kept his body safe. His thoughts shifted to her and the revelation he’d left her with. She had to rise to the occasion or there was no way out.

  After floating out of the tunnels and over the city, he let go of his concerns about Gavin. To return and solve the crisis he had created, there could be no distracting thoughts or feelings.

  He iterated over his many litanies before he saw a burst of energy. A purple corridor appeared and engulfed him. A moment later, he was greeted by the familiar hue of the purple dimension.

  A split second later, Glantham was flooded with energy. This was much more potent than their first arrival. Had his astral form gotten that weak? There might not be much time left to retake his body.

  He hoped the Warex hadn’t detected his arrival. A brief glance caused his shoulders to droop. This wasn’t the spot where he’d left Snitch. Not being familiar with his surroundings eliminated any chance of finding her without mental energy.

  Visualizing her or getting a detailed map would give away his position, so Glantham focused on scrying for a hint of her location. A nudge pushed him to the right, so he started flying. He would have gone on foot to keep a low profile, but that would take too long.

  It amazed him how every land mass had its own orientation, its own sense of up and down. Some appeared upside down, but their inhabitants walked on them just fine. Others were at strange angles. What if these denizens came to his world? They might find things . . . limited. Glantham chuckled at the thought and focused on Snitch.

  Nudges and hints directed him through a few turns, and he moved fast until a gigantic floating island approached. Unsure what to make of it, Glantham slowed.

  The land mass appeared barren, but as he got closer, its true size became apparent. Too far away to make out details, he proceeded. Soon, dozens of smaller segments became visible. It was a chain of islands all connected together.

  The central island filled the sky, and he spied a city that covered most of it. It wasn't the place he and Snitch had hidden out in earlier. That was much smaller.

  Bits of urbanization extended to the attached islands. Maybe she was on one of those? Glantham had come close enough to spot beings the size of ants on the surface. Imbued with a distinct purple style, it was obvious he was looking at the city of the Warex.

  Would he be spotted? So far, no one had taken chase. However, this was not the time to test things by using too much mental force.

  Collecting his thoughts and moving away from this hub, Glantham focused on detecting Snitch's location. He skimmed several of the smaller islands, seeking her presence. The nudges he received grew stronger.

  Some of the surroundings were familiar. An island to the left, turned at an odd angle, had a familiar set of stairs.

  The place they had first landed!

  Seeing it inverted had thrown him off. Now he gazed upon the spot where they had taken refuge, much closer to his destination.

  His eyes widened as he gleaned how close Snitch was to the home of the Warex. Finding that cave had been pure luck, but it wouldn't last forever. Just a few feet from the surface, Glantham reoriented himself. The cave wasn’t far away as he floated toward it, anticipating Snitch being alive inside.

  Glantham’s pace quickened at the thought of reentering his body and being free of the danger. The excitement sunk when he spotted a hunting party of those huge, foul beasts combing the island. Most were far away on the opposite side of the island, but a smaller group sniffed close to the cave. Could he beat them as they approached?

  What did they smell? Flesh? Mental energy? Would they sense him even in his astral form? No one had yet, but he was getting dangerously close. And what if Snitch had figured out how to use magic? Glantham moved as fast as possible.

  One of the beasts cried out, “What is this? A cave fill with black! Is there any magic?”

  Several joined at the entrance.

  “I sense no magic, but something has cloaked it.”

  “Then enter and discover its secrets,” commanded another.

  Responding to orders, the beast stepped into the cave enveloped in black.

  Glantham flew in, grazing past the Warex. As he crossed the dark barrier, he spotted her asleep next to his body.

  Glantham's mental form swept into his physical body. A rush swept through him as he took in a breath. His out-of-body sensory perceptions fled his consciousness and diminished him. It took a couple seconds to recover.

  “SNITCH!”

  She stirred and looked up, dazed. “Glantham. You're back.”

  “RUN!” he screamed, as he scrambled to his feet, struggling to get her to do the same.

  Her eyes lit up, and she jumped to her feet.

  “Where?” Snitch yelled.

  No sooner had she uttered the word when a Warex crossed the barrier of darklights.

  Its huge frame filled her eyes. Her jaw dropped wide open. She had seen glimpses, but nothing this close.

  Several more entered, causing Snitch to freeze in place.

  “And who is this?” cried the leader. “Are these the ones that stole our power and wield the darkness of the night?”

  “Eyatra manto!” Glantham yelled.

  Energy crackled in his hands as a gigantic energy bolt shot across the cave, knocking over the lead Warex. Glantham fired another energy bolt, but the second beast deflected it.

  Snitch looked between Glantham and the Warex. Was he buying her time to escape? She slipped over to the edge of the cave while the Warex focused all their attention on Glantham.

  “Izatolmay bruchnow!” Glantham shouted. He waved his hands in giant circles and thrust them toward the troop of Warex.

  A purple mist appeared, gathered into a tight ball, and flew into the Warex, knocking three of them over.

  “Izatolmay bruchnow!” Glantham repeated. He swept his hands left to right.

  Another purple mist formed, shaped itself into a flat plane, and flew toward the others.

  “Keekanow!” replied one of the Warex. The purple plane slowed and collapsed into its hand. A wicked grin spread across its face. He threw it back and it wrapped around Glantham, engulfing him in a bubble.

  His arms and legs didn’t move again.

  Snitch snuck along the edge to the mouth of the cave. Not able to levitate so much as a dagger, there was no way she could take on these magical beasts. Staying to fight wouldn't help anyone.

  She slipped through the dark barrier and ducked behind some large rocks, avoiding the rest of the Warex. Hopefully not spotted, she slithered farther away, avoiding discovery at all costs.

  The Warex inside the cave emerged, one carrying Glantham bound up in that cocoon of purple energy.

  Her spirits dimmed.

  The Warex leader waved the one carrying Glantham closer.

  “You know the power of the Warex.” His hot breath stung Glantham’s eyes. “We haven't seen small creatures use such power for eons.”

  Glantham struggled against the encasement, but it was no use.

  “Those spells were quite powerful. Have you forgotten where you are? This is our dimension, and we are its rulers.”

  The others laughed.

  The leader continued, “You surprised us. We didn't expect to see such a formidable use of our power.” The beast's wicked smile turned into a dreadful look. “But this is the end. No more for you.”

  Glantham froze with fear. His successes were due to surprise.

  There were no more surprises now.

 
; “We intend to collect upon the mystical debt you have incurred.” The Warex leader spat out these words with his long finger extended in Glantham's face.

  The rest of the troop let out a loud hoo-rah.

  The leader raised his hand, silencing them. “But not yet. Instead, I will find out what you know and how many others we can harvest from your realm.”

  Glantham gulped at those words. What did “harvest” mean? He had tried to conceal the existence of this realm and its power for so long. Could they summon Gavin? If so, he had failed. Also, what about those that had seen him cast spells. Were they at risk, too?

  A tear formed in his eye and hung heavily, his bound arms unable to wipe it away.

  Snitch peered over the rocks, listening to the Warex leader talk to Glantham. Butterflies filled her stomach as the beast spelled out his fate.

  If Glantham had practiced mentalism for years, what could she hope to accomplish? Doubts piled up fast. There must be a way. How, she didn't know. For now, she would watch and listen.

  “We have captured our prey. Let us take it back to the palace. Move out!”

  The party hiked away from the cave.

  Snitch continued along, hiding behind rocks, trees, and underbrush. Every now and then, someone looked in her direction and she froze in place.

  After a couple hours, the band of Warex took a break.

  Needing information, Snitch lay on her stomach and slid underneath some underbrush toward the Warex. It reminded her of the time she snuck into Gavin’s camp undetected. Only this time, she wasn’t making contact with a handful of resistance fighters. Wiping the sweat building up on her forehead, she got within thirty feet. Good enough.

  “Do you remember when we captured that one mortal? The one that didn't know the source of his power? He was shocked when we summoned him to the center of the city.” They all laughed.

  Snitch's mouth opened. Others had discovered mentalism and suffered? A lump formed in her throat. Glantham’s hiding of this extradimensional energy became clear.

  “Or what about the pair of creatures who entered our realm seeking an alliance? What fools!” another one said. They carried on cackling like a band of marauders.

  Snitch was mortified. These beasts viewed others as mere insects. A thought dawned on her. In addition to the purple dimension and her own world, were there others? Were there more beings that knew magic, and could they help her? Perhaps, but it sounded risky to use magic. Sizing up the odds was something Snitch lived on, and they weren’t looking good.

  The leader stood and motioned for everyone to resume their journey.

  Snitch’s back was sore, being bent over, but she wasn’t about to stir and risk discovery. At least her sore feet got some rest. She channeled every ounce of strength to control her breathing and maintain calm as the Warex moved away. Remaining unseen was the key to a few credits.

  It was life or death.

  She resumed trailing them when there was sufficient distance. A few more hours of moving through the forested island, and they approached the edge. A set of steps led up and away. This time, the collection of floating stairs wasn’t so odd.

  Snitch held back as the Warex ascended. There was no coverage of foliage to hide her presence. They were almost out of sight before she followed. Tunnel walking was nothing compared to this.

  A certain amount of haziness disguised the destination until she got closer. She spotted the tail end of the pack as well as other merging paths.

  Gritting her teeth, she took several quick breaths. Her mouth was dry. After half an hour of climbing, she dragged her legs onto solid land and relaxed her shoulders. Snitch’s eyes darted back and forth, looking for an escape route like always.

  Then the hairs on the back of her neck rose.

  “Intruder!”

  Snitch's eyes scanned the giant wall straight ahead and locked onto the sentry at the top, ringing a bell.

  Chapter Eighteen

  An Awakening

  Her heart raced. What now? This wasn’t the same as breaking into a pawnshop. Her legs took off without thought. Turning to the right, her eyes latched onto an outcropping in the distance.

  The bell continued to clang followed by more shouting.

  Galloping feet thundered from behind.

  She could never win a foot race with eighteen-foot tall creatures. Moving away from the edge of the island, the territory widened. She headed toward the foothills, but they weren't getting closer. There was no sign of cover. Anywhere.

  Snitch glanced over her shoulder to see how many. Dozens! They were quite a distance away but were closing fast. She was dead, a feeling that heightened as she spied several more up ahead boxing her in.

  The panic in Snitch’s stomach rose into her throat, blocking her ability to scream. Her feet pounded the ground until they hit a dip, tripping her.

  Wiping the dirt from her face, Snitch spotted a few drops of blood on her hand. She spat it out and scrambled to her feet.

  Pale purple light glowed around her. Were the Warex using their mental energy to attack?

  Several of them were just a few hundred feet away on her left and another handful were farther to the right. The cliffs she had set her sights on were too distant.

  The shimmer of pale purple light increased. Was she about to join Glantham?

  Terror filled her mind. Her pending fate stopped her from running and caused her to crumble to the ground. She wrapped her arms around herself as a bubble of purple light surrounded her.

  What is this? I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. I wish they couldn't see me!

  The light vanished.

  A few seconds later, the closest Warex reached her.

  Snitch cried as the beast rushed past her.

  The next two continued past her just the same.

  Snitch's mouth hung wide open.

  Less than a minute later, six more caught up. They stopped and looked around, the closest was thirty feet away.

  “Where is the intruder?”

  “I don't know. I didn't get a good look. It appeared rather small.”

  “We were close, but I lost the scent.”

  “How could you lose the scent of a mortal?”

  The questions turned to bickering.

  Still huddled in a ball, Snitch peeked around.

  The Warex scanned the surroundings but didn't respond to her presence. Some even looked straight at her but didn’t move.

  Arguing pack leaders were best avoided, so she gripped the edges of her coat and tiptoed toward the cliffs. After a few steps, her foot hit a rock.

  Thud.

  A nearby female Warex looked in Snitch's direction. “Did anyone hear that?” No one replied. She took a few steps toward Snitch.

  Snitch swallowed the lump in her throat and focused on tunnel walking. Part of her discipline included steady breathing. Giving away her position by panting would be foolish. She stepped one foot at a time, sizing up how far to go and only exhaling when the beasts spoke.

  A member of the pack walked toward the leader.

  Snitch traced its path in her mind and knew she wouldn’t be out of its way. Spying a small rock, she changed directions to get it. Quietly picking it up, she threw it at another Warex in the opposite direction.

  “Who did that?” he growled, looking around and locking his eyes on the female Warex. “Who do you think you are?”

  Snitch kept moving.

  “What are you talking about?” the female shouted back.

  “Don't lie to me.” The two glared at each other, teeth flared.

  Snitch breathed out and in. More steps.

  Movement was tedious. Her legs ached and her lungs burned. And yet, a hint of familiarity rose inside. This was her routine, and it granted her a sense of control.

  The Warex continued to search and argue as Snitch moved out of the area, toward the distant cliffs.

  It took forty-five minutes of silent stepping to reach the cliff and its outcroppings. Snitch let ou
t a big sigh as her hands touched the stones. Glancing back, she couldn’t even make out the Warex hunting party. Should be far enough to not be heard.

  She scaled twenty or thirty feet up to a small ledge, fighting off fatigue. This never wore her out in the tunnels.

  Snitch’s stomach grumbled. It must have been a whole day since they’d gotten stuck in this forsaken realm, but she fought that off in favor of finding a new place to hide.

  Moving along the ledge and turning the corner, she spotted a tight opening. Grabbing her pocket bulb, she was ready to check it out. But would it work while she was invisible? Tapping the switch, its brilliance shone on the walls around her.

  Snitch scoped out several cracks until she eyed one big enough to squeeze through. Once inside, she slumped to the ground. A pulse of faint purple light emanated from her, and a huge weight was dropped.

  “I guess being invisible isn’t free.”

  Setting her pocket bulb on the ground, Snitch dug into her pack. Finding a few rations, she tore one open and devoured it.

  Her hands paused holding another. Ration or reenergize?

  She ate two more and stopped. Her stomach ceased to grumble, and a warm feeling spread into her arms and legs. Stretching her legs out on the ground, she fell asleep in minutes.

  The Warex attack on Glantham echoed in her mind. Then it shifted to the open field where she was chased by the Warex. It was like running in sand.

  Her mind then drifted back home, where she floated through the tunnels and above ground. It was night in a part of the city she didn’t recognize. A boy stood outside someone’s house. He shouted. Snitch drifted closer to hear.

  “Hey Michael!” Jerell said. Well, yelled. He wanted to wake his friend without tipping off his parents.

  “What is it?” Michael grumbled as he opened his window.

  “Come on. Let's go.”

  “You do remember, I got grounded last time for a whole month. I’m sure my parents won't hesitate to kill me this time around.” Michael leaned on the windowsill.