The Misplaced Book 2: Segment 2

CHAPTER 12: PANGA

Just as Panga was getting accustomed to not having her head crowded with emotions, now she was getting used to having the Pegasus’ voice in her head. Snow Wing was engaging her in an unending commentary which mostly included insults directed at Evan.

“What is it you have against Evan, anyway?” Panga asked Snow Wing telepathically. During their walk through the forest she had discovered that Snow Wing could receive her thoughts when she directed them to him as easily as she received his. That is, when he bothered to pay attention.

What’s to like? Snow Wing asked her.

Panga looked over at Evan as he walked along beside them, paying close attention to Snow Wing. The Pegasus would flap his wings at random moments forcing Evan to dodge out of Snow Wing’s way or risk being knocked to the ground at the very least. Panga was certain Snow Wing was doing this on purpose and not as a reflex action. Mercury flew above them soaring at the height of the canopy of the trees landing every so often on a branch before flying off again.

Panga’s heart did a schwoop-schwoop in her chest as she watched Evan. His sandy blonde hair was short cropped and his brown eyes stared ahead, his brow furled in concentration. He had asked Arthur’s barber to cut his hair that had grown more wild and bushy during their quest back before they had left Arthur’s land. He stood about a half foot taller than Panga and in is baseline form he was average in appearance. His muscles didn’t bulge under his white polo shirt. Yet to Panga he was perfect. When had she felt this way about Evan? Perhaps she placed her own emotions in the background as much as others.

“What’s not to like?” she asked the Pegasus.

There’s not enough time left in the day for me to list the ways, Snow Wing answered. Though this didn’t stop him from beginning his list.

A short while later, Evan raced in front of them one hand placed out in front of them in a stop gesture, the other to his lips asking them for silence. Snow Wing nickered as he stopped just short of Evan’s hand, adding this to his list of things wrong with Evan.

“There’s someone coming our way, just on the other side of the trees. It may be travelers, but it could be members of Darnaxes’ army,” Evan explained.

It surprised Panga she hadn’t recognized them sooner. She should have sensed their presence well before Evan heard them. It had been so long since she hadn’t had other emotions so close to her, maybe she had been keeping emotions in the background of her mind even when they weren’t visually present to her. She reached out with her empathic abilities opening herself up to their emotions.

“There are four of them,” she reported. “I’m sure they’re soldiers. Three of their emotions are organized and alert. The fourth, I don’t know. I can’t get a read on him. It’s like his emotions fade in and out.”

Snow Wing pranced in place, disturbed. I don’t like how that one smells. Something familiar about it, something dark.

Panga turned her attention back to Evan who appeared to be staring into space, but Panga knew he was consulting their map.

“We’re maybe two days away from Darnaxes now. These may be scouts,” Evan said, as he shifted to his full strength form. “We aren’t going to be able to get past them. We’ll have to take them out quickly.”

Panga pulled her dagger from its sheath on her belt. “They don’t know we’re here, couldn’t we go around them?”

“Do you sense any others around?” Evan asked her.

“No,” she admitted.

“I’m sure these aren’t the only ones and I’d rather not find ourselves surrounded by them when we can’t avoid them any longer. Even with your empathy guiding us eventually you won’t find us an open path.”

Panga nodded and dismounted from Snow Wing joining Evan as he approached the clearing the suspected scouts were coming towards. As she looked around the trees into the clearing the four soldiers walked towards them, their eyes scanning the forest for any enemies. Three of them wore light armor with slender diagonal shields and spears. A short sword sheathed in a scabbard at the belt. The fourth was armed in a manner similar to the Greek troops Panga had faced on the battlefield of Troy. He carried a larger and bulkier rectangular shield and his armor appeared heavier than what Panga suspected were Darnaxes’ Persian warriors. Despite this his feet glided as he walked along the forest floor moving effortlessly and unencumbered. That a Greek soldier would march with the Persians made little sense to Panga. Possibly he was a traitor leading the Persians to Troy.

Evan nodded to her pulling her from her thoughts as the two of them rushed the enemy soldiers. If an ambush had been their intention, it failed miserably. Panga didn’t sense even an indication of surprise in the soldiers as her dagger clanged against one of their shields. Evan dueled with the last of the Persians and the Greek as Panga faced two Persians. The Persians attacked as a unit forcing Panga’s full attention to them unable to follow any of Evan’s battle. Her mystical dagger guided her actions as she parried their spears and stepped aside. She brought her dagger back down on one spear splitting it in half. Before the Persian could draw his sword, she buried her dagger into his armor piercing his chest and he collapsed at her feet asleep. The second Persian threw his spear which passed so close to Panga’s ear she felt it whizzing by her over her right shoulder. She turned and faced him her dagger virtually pulling her arm to parry a blow from his sword. The two sparred to a standstill as Panga’s dagger clanged alternatively between the sword and the shield. Her dagger effortlessly guiding her hand to meet each attack of the Persian. Finally, Panga was able to get her dagger underneath the Persian’s sword arm flicking the sword out of his hand. There was a look of surprise in the Persian’s eyes as he found himself disarmed by a woman, but he had little time to recover from that before Panga’s dagger slashed along his throat dropping him to sleep.

Panga turned to assist Evan. The Persian was down, but the Greek was holding his own as Evan’s fist impacted his shield. The strength of the blow should have cracked an Ancient Greek shield, but it held as a ringing sound came from fist against shield. Evan swung his other fist underneath the Greeks shield arm. Instead of doubling the Greek over the fist passed through the Greeks body. Panga screamed as she raced over to the Greek as his sword slashed Evan’s chest. Panga engaged the Greek in combat, her eyes red with fury as she met the Greek blow for blow, before stabbing him through the chest. Instead of crumbling at her feet, the Greek soldier vanished in a flash of light.

Panga went to Evan who was lying on his back where the Greek had felled him. She dropped to her knees cradling Evan’s head in her hands. She met Evan’s eyes which were rolled up in his head. His body shivered although it was a humid summer day. He was shrinking back to his baseline form as Panga looked to his chest where the Greek had slashed him expecting his white polo shirt to be red with blood, but there was no indication he had even been injured.

That was a Shade, Snow Wing spoke in her head as he trotted over to them. Mercury flew above him perching in a branch above Evan’s head. One of Hades’ soldiers of the Dead.

“Snow Wing, can you fly Evan to the nearest city? He needs a doctor,” Panga spoke to the Pegasus aloud to distraught to care that Snow Wing could hear her thoughts.

Even if I knew where one was there wouldn’t be enough time, Snow Wing answered her. There’s nothing a mortal doctor could do for him. A Shade doesn’t cut the body they cut to the soul. A victim doesn’t die they go straight to the afterlife, becoming a Shade in turn.

“Then what do we do? I’m not going to let him die.”

Pray

“What?”

Trust me, pray.

Panga didn’t know what good it would do. She held Evan’s head to her chest, closed her eyes and prayed to anyone who could save Evan. She refused to accept she would lose him. A gentle hand rested on her shoulder.

“Rest easy child,” she heard a voice coming from above her. “He will not die. At least not today.”

CHAPTER 12: ALECTRA

In another two days Alectra and Jadin exited the forest onto open grasslands. They looked around at the beautiful grasses and flowers unlike anything they had ever seen before. The grasses were ankle length and emerald green. The flowers were a rainbow of colors of blue, violet, and red.

“We’re about a day away from Darnaxes now,” Alectra told Jadin as they strode through the plains.

About midday they came across shocking sight. A short distance to the west a herd of dinosaurs grazed on the grasses. Or at least what looked to Alectra to be dinosaurs. Their four legs were short compared to the rest of their bodies. They stood at least seven feet tall at the back and twelve feet long from head to tail. A single sharp horn extended from above their noses about three feet in length. Their golden lizard like skin shone in the sun reflecting almost blindingly back into Jadin and Alectra’s eyes.

“They’re beautiful,” Jadin said as they stopped to admire them.

“They are,” Alectra agreed, “but let’s keep our distance. I don’t like the look of those horns.”

As they crossed the plains, a bellow from the herd returned their attention to the dinosaurs. Two of the largest of the creatures strode out towards them shaking their heads and snorting in displeasure. Behind them four others formed an impenetrable wall. Within the small gaps Alectra could make out the smallest of the herd, babies and juveniles, their horns stubs on their noses. It became apparent to Alectra that something, perhaps a mild shift in the wind that was blowing her hair into her eyes, had alerted the dinosaurs to their presence. Despite what Alectra considered a respectable distance the leaders of the herd were determined to protect their young. As Alectra looked around, she cursed the open plains that offered Jadin and herself no protection or shelter from these beasts.

“We will have to fight,” she told Jadin as she unslung her bow.

“They’re just trying to protect their babies,” Jadin protested.

“I know, but we can’t outrun them and there’s no telling how far they’ll chase us.”

Jadin reluctantly drew her sword as the dinosaurs bellowed once again and charged the girls. They weren’t fast, but even at a sprint they would still catch them before they could have reached safety even if any had been available. Alectra nocked a light a light arrow and fired it connecting one of the beasts between the eyes. As was often the case with large opponents a single arrow did not enact the sleeping spell. The beast roared and galloped towards Alectra. She fired one more arrow before turning and running perpendicular to the dinosaur. As she hoped it wasn’t able to turn well and Alectra was able to put some distance between her and the creature. Alectra looked over at Jadin as she nocked two light arrows into her bow. Jadin joylessly brought her sword down on the dinosaur's head slicing off its horn. She turned to run as the beast cried out in pain and turned to pursue her. Alectra fired her arrows at her opponent. Both arrows connected and this time the dinosaur fell at her feet. She turned to join Jadin to offer her aid, but Jadin had been able to bring her foe down as well. Jadin knelt beside the dinosaur and gently stroked its head.

“Forgive me,” she said softly in its ear as Alectra came up beside her.

“They will be fine,” Alectra told her though she herself didn’t feel any better about what they had done. “They will just sleep for a bit.”

Alectra looked over at the other dinosaurs who paced slightly towards them before returning to form their shield wall around the young ones. They appeared to be conflicted between attacking Jadin and herself and staying with the babies.

“We have to go. I don’t want to have to harm any of the others.”

CHAPTER 13: TRACE

It took Trace a few minutes before a townsperson came over and helped him to his feet. He aided the citizens in stripping the defeated Persians of their armor and weapons before placing them in cells of the local prison. They had taken Eric into one of the houses and placed him on a bed. Trace knew it would be hours before he would wake. Defeating two of the hellhounds had exhausted him. Trace accepted only half of the armor they offered him as tribute for having liberated the town. He insisted that they keep the remaining armor and weapons for their own defense in the event of future attacks. Trace absorbed his share of armor and weapons to replenish his reserve energy. The townspeople took his actions as sacrificing to his father Zeus, which Trace silently hoped in a fashion, was true.

Later in the day, as Trace ventured back into the forest to pursue the hellhounds, he considered he may no longer look forward to returning home. The people of this world and Arthur’s looked upon him in a way no one in his own home had ever looked at him. They regarded him with gratitude.

Trace’s mother had died when he was twelve and his abilities manifested when he was fourteen, two years after he had begun his life on the streets. Following that time he had often had to make use of his abilities to protect himself, strangers, and his “friends.” Trace recalled the look of fear on the faces of those he had rescued or protected as they scrambled to get away from him. Many times Trace had to escape a city when it was he who was reported to the authorities as opposed to the person who had committed the actual crime.

It wasn’t until six months ago that he had met someone who had not been scared of him. Jadin had found him in an alleyway in Little Rock, glowing from having accidentally absorbed half of the electrical grid of the city. He knew now she had kept a safe distance from him not out of concern for what he may do to her, but what she could do to him. The call she had made on her cell phone was to Alectra, and shortly after he had sat in the back seat of Alectra’s car travelling east on I-40 back to Haven.

Electricity danced in his hands as Trace strode through the forest looking for the hellhounds. As near as Trace could tell the hounds had vanished. He scanned the forest where he had defeated his hellhound and where Eric had defeated his two, but there was no sign they had been there or where they may have gone. Trace focused his ears to pick up the slightest growl from a hound camouflaged into the trees and grasses of the forest floor, but the only sounds he heard was those of the wildlife and the wind breezing through the canopy. He dampened the charge in his hands and made his way back to the town resigned to having to accept that hopefully the hellhounds would not return to threaten the village.

Eric met him at the border of the village. “Did you find the hellhounds?”

“They were gone. No signs of them anywhere,” Trace told him as they walked back into the town.

That night they shared a feast with the townspeople being given a place of honor at the head table. With a full stomach for the first time in many days they retired to beds in the same home Eric had been placed earlier.

At first light Trace and Eric resumed their journey to Darnexes’ army. They would not be going without final gifts from the townspeople. They rode out on two of the finest horses the town had to offer. Eric rode out on a chestnut stallion with a star on his forehead. He was a spirited horse prancing on his hooves and rarely standing still with long powerful legs a full mane and tail. Trace’s horse was a black stallion with a white blaze extending from his eyes to his nose. He matched Traces’ impulsiveness tugging at the bit and attempting to ride out ahead of Eric.

“How much further do we have to go,” Trace asked Eric as Eric looked over their map.

“About another two days,” Eric answered. “I imagine it’s too much to ask that we find no more trouble before then.”

CHAPTER 14 : PANGA

Panga watched as the old man placed a gnarled hand on Evan’s chest. His face was wrinkled, but not just from concentration as he pulled herbs from thin air and place them into a bowl that had appeared at his feet. His gray hair was unkempt and shoulder length with a well trimmed full gray beard. He wore what appeared to be a full length white robe with elbow length sleeves.

“Who is he?” Panga asked Snow Wing privately as she continued to hold Evan’s head in her hands.

Asclepius, God of Medicine.

Panga looked down at Evan as Asclepius continued to work on what she hoped would be a cure. His eyes had turned a shade of gray and were staring blankly back into hers. His skin was turning a pale shade of white. She looked back to Asclepius who continued his work patiently. He poured an unfamiliar liquid into his bowl and mixed it with a wooden spoon. As Evan’s condition worsened Asclepius was working to patiently for Panga's taste.

“Do something!” she demanded of the God. “Don’t you have a universal demigod cure or something?”

“I do, but if I administered it to him I can assure you he would die a much more painful death than what he is experiencing now,” Asclepius answered her calmly. “If you are to treat someone successfully, you must know who you are treating as much as what you are curing.”

Panga let him work with no further interruptions constantly looking between him and Evan. A short while later Asclepius placed what looked like a piece of bread into her hand.

“Feed him this,” he said kindly as he returned to his bowl.

Panga placed the bread into his mouth and to her surprise Evan was able to chew it despite being unresponsive to her in any other way. The effects were instantaneous. Evan’s eyes cleared, his skin returned to its usual color, and a slight smile appeared on his face.

“Thank you,” Panga said to Asclepius with tears in her eyes.

“Your welcome,” Asclepius answered her as he placed a small bag in her hands. “It will be a couple hours before he is ready to move. You can place these within the cornucopia Dionysus provided you with. The bread will cure any injury other than death. There are only ten and it is a one-time offer so use them wisely. Now I must go, there are others in need of my services.”

“Wait!” Panga called out to him. “You said we weren’t demigods. If we aren’t then what are we? Why do we have these abilities and others don’t?”

“There are some things even the God’s aren’t allowed to share.”

“Not allowed or won’t?”

There was a mischievous look in the God’s eyes that didn’t align with his apparent age. “Take your pick,” he said as he vanished.

CHAPTER 15 : JADIN

“You’re going to be fine,” Jadin said as she smiled into the eyes of the young girl. “Hold it here,” she told Alectra indicating an ugly gash on the girl’s arm where an accidental sword strike had opened the wound between her elbow and her hand. Jadin set to work with her needle and her thread stitching up her injury.

Jadin and Alectra had encountered the caravan a short while earlier under attack by what they suspected to be Persian troops. Some of the men who were armed had been doing their best to protect them, but against trained soldiers there was little they could do. They had rushed to their aid using their abilities and their sword and bow and arrow to rout the troops, but by then the damage had already been done. Some of those injured were beyond Jadin’s skill to heal. She was determined to do everything possible for the others.

“There, that wasn’t so bad was it?” Jadin asked her young patient as she finished placing a bandage over the newly placed stitches. She wished she had a sucker to give her. Duh, she slapped her forehead in her mind as she reached into her bag and pulled out two small suckers. She handed one to the girl and showed her how to remove the wrapper and to suck on it with her own.

“Good isn’t it. You were very brave.” She smiled at her again before moving on to the next of the injured travelers.

It took her the rest of the day to treat the wounded. She and Alectra set up their own camp for the night away from the caravan. The next morning they restarted their journey to Darnaxes. They had been offered rewards for their efforts, but had refused them. The travelers would need all they had for their own journey ahead. The little girl Jadin had cared for had wrapped Jadin in a hug of gratitude momentarily panicking Jadin for fear of affecting her with her ability. They waved at them as they went their separate ways.

“I never get tired of watching you when taking care of wounded,” Alectra said to her as they walked. “It’s the only time I see you not worry about your ability.”

“I don’t,” Jadin said in sudden self-realization. It was something she had never considered before. “Back before we began these adventures, back in school, we never worked on actual patients. I kept as much distance as possible from my classmates of course, but these are the first people I’ve worked on. It’s like when I’m practicing medicine I don’t even think about my abilities. It’s kind of like a therapy for me I guess.”

“You’ll make a great doctor when we get home. Maybe a pediatrician. You were excellent with that little girl and you looked so happy. I’m not sure I have ever seen you like that around someone before.”

“That would be nice. I still have a lot of schooling ahead for that, but this has been good practice. Now let’s stay alive long enough to get home.”

CHAPTER 16 : ERIC

There was a time when Eric would have considered rumors and gossip as harmless conversation. They often provided him with some of his best material. They were easy targets to mock or otherwise make fun of. That all ended when he met Pheme. There wasn’t anything amusing in the news that the Goddess of Fame and Rumors brought to them.

Pheme had appeared to them at dawn, the day after they left the village. She trumpeted her horn as she descended from the clouds. Eric thought she was beautiful as her golden dress billowed around her legs, her gold wings guiding her to a neat landing in front of them. Her blond hair hung in neat curls shoulder length, her blue eyes looking between Eric and Trace with curiosity, a mischievous smile formed at her lips. Rumors often were beautiful the first time you heard them.

“So you are the heroes Dionysus summoned,” she said sounding unimpressed.

“Well, we certainly didn’t volunteer for this,” Eric said. “How do you know about us?”

“I keep my ears attuned to all the affairs of men and Gods seeking the most enticing of details that are worthy of my attentions. Dionysus expects you to save Olympus that is most intriguing. I must tell you that the forces you will face are most formidable. They will not easily be defeated.”

“Is that so?” Eric asked. “We figured we would just show up, put on our best Superman poses and they would turn and run like scared children.”

Pheme laughed as if she had heard nothing more amusing. “You are a true son of Momus if I have ever met one. Mockery, however, will not avail you in the coming battle. Listen to me carefully and you may yet save Olympus. Hades has provided Darnaxes with some of his most vile of servants and among the worse monsters known to Greece. His forces include a small army of Shades, warriors of the Dead who can only be defeated by a demigod wielding a weapon gifted by the Gods.”

“Fresh out of those,” Eric interrupted.

“The weapons gifted by the Wizard will serve as well,” Pheme answered before continuing. “Darnaxes also has griffins and a flock of stymphalian birds at his disposal. The birds are armed with razor sharp beaks and talons capable of easily rending the flesh from your bodies though they are as vulnerable as any other bird.”

“Just what we needed,” Trace put in. “An ancient Persian with an air force and only I can fly.”

“You won’t be alone. Last, Darnaxes’ army includes hellhounds.”

“That’s not what I wanted to hear. I’d hoped we’d never encounter those accursed dogs again. Don’t you have any good news for us?” Eric asked.

“Only time will tell heroes. What you do with what information I have given you will determine whether you gain fame or if Dionysus faces the most scathing of rumors. Farewell.”

With that Pheme flew back into the sky and vanished in a flash of light.

CHAPTER 17 : EVAN

Evan looked over at Panga as they journeyed out of the forest and onto an open plain. His eyes lingered on her a bit longer than they should. He eyes found her blue culottes and then drifted up over her loose fitting multicolored blouse before settling on her face framed with her shoulder length blonde hair. Her hands ran affectionately through Snow Wing’s mane. He looked away when her blue eyes met his.

His friends looked to him as their leader and he couldn’t help but feel he had been failing in that role. First, he had separated the group in a dangerous world where the best he could hope for is that they would all make it to a rendezvous point. Now, Panga had been right. They could have evaded the scouting party and instead he had endangered both of them in confronting them unnecessarily. If it had been him holding her while Asclepius developed his cure… He shut his eyes. He couldn’t even bear the image of that.

Evan hadn’t always had feelings for Panga. When they had first met, it had been his responsibility to train her in the use and control of her abilities. It wasn’t until after she had mastered them and they began to get to know each other more as friends he had considered a relationship with her. However, his prior role with her made him uncertain of the appropriateness of moving forward with that. Just when he had elected to allow Panga to decide that for herself, they had found themselves in Arthur’s land. Ever since his role as leader had kept him from saying anything more. He was responsible for getting four more people home in addition to Panga.

Evan turned his attentions back to the grasslands ahead of them. He scanned their map estimating they were a little more than a day from reaching Darnaxes’ army. When they set up camp that night, Evan stepped away from Panga while she ate her dinner staring off into the darkness.

“What is it?” Panga asked him a short while later apparently having decided Evan had had enough privacy.

“I don’t know if I can do this anymore, Panga,” he said softly. “Have I made any good decisions since we have been here? I don’t know if I can be trusted to get us home alive.”

Panga placed her hands on his cheeks and turned his face so that his brown eyes were looking into her blue. There was an intense look there that he had never seen before except, perhaps, at the final battle with Morgan Le Fay.

“Don’t doubt yourself. I, we trust you with our lives. We will follow you wherever you lead. That is the only way we get home.”