The Forbidden Compass Trilogy: Book One- Caged

Fenn

Fenn looks around at the audience, memories bombarding him as he steps out into the arena for the second time that day. He hates this place. He wouldn’t mind if Krade burned the entire place down, or if Irelle flooded it, or if Mahna hit it with the strongest earthquake ever created. Or maybe all three. That would be a show they would all remember, if they were all still alive.

The announcer booms, safe on his pedestal, “ladies and gentlemen, it looks like we will be having a bonus fight today! A mer, dragon, elf, and fairy against the deadly scorpic! Place your bets, because this is going to be a fight to remember!” Fenn can imagine the announcer rubbing his hands together, grinning wickedly. “This will be a fight to the death! Ready… Set… Fight!”

Fenn watches as a heavy iron gate on the other side of the arena is lifted, and a shape scurries out into the light. Irelle gives a little squeak. “I hate bugs.” She says, her voice unusually high with fear.

“Really?” Krade asks. “I didn’t think you were afraid anything.”

“I’m not, hothead, I just hate bugs!” She yells, punching him in the chest.

“Watch it, sea urchin, I just almost died!” His voice is teasing, but Irelle just glares.

“I’m starting to regret saving you.” She says, turning away, arms folded.

“I’m not sure you noticed, but there is a giant insect that is about to make us its dinner!” Mahna’s voice is close to hysterical.

They turn to face the monster, petty quarrels set aside to be resumed later. The beast stands taller than even him. It has two, large, snapping claws, beady eyes, six legs, a black armored body, and a tail with a huge stinger on the end that drips poison.

Krade unsheathes his sword and sends a blast of fire at it. It hits the beast, but it just shrieks and scuttles faster. “I don’t think anything is going to get past that armor!” He shouts, wings spread.

Fenn loads his bow. “The rest of you distract it while I try to find a weak spot.” They all nod; Mahna looks surprisingly calm, but Irelle looks green and truly terrified. Irelle starts singing anyway, forming a spiked ball of water, freezing it. As she hurls it at the scorpic, Fenn tries to shoot it in the mouth. The arrow just bounces off the thing’s snapping mandibles.

“Fenn, look out!” He hears Mahna call. He rolls away just as the monster’s stinger digs itself into the sand where he had been moments before. The beast removes the stinger, ready to strike again. The sand where the stinger had been steams as it disintegrates.

Fenn flips out of the way of its claws, narrowly missing losing his head. A blast of sand hits it, and it turns back to the others. Irelle keeps cursing under her breath in Mermish and muttering disgusted noises, but she fights as hard as the others. Mahna and Krade fly around it, just out of reach, while Irelle stays below, hitting it with waves and cyclones that appear out of nowhere. Sometimes, she’s not even singing.

Krade shoots a blast of fire at the monster, which rears and stomps on the ground, causing Fenn and Irelle to stumble. “I can’t get it through the mouth!” Fenn calls, out of ideas.

Mahna dodges the scorpic’s tail. “You know how it uses its mouth to eat?”

“I don’t like where this is headed!” Fenn calls back.

“It has to come out!” Mahna shouts anyway as she shoots another blast of sand, distracting it from Irelle, who had slipped on the sand. She gets back up, spewing curses and hitting it with a flurry of ice spears.

“I hate this idea!” Fenn curses, rolling out of the way of the monster’s claws. He loads his bow while it’s distracted. He makes his way to the back, the others trying to keep it in one place. He kneels down, aiming under the tail, which arches over the scorpic’s head. He fires, and the arrow hits home. The beast shrieks, turning around to rear over Fenn. And it’s only more angry. He has only one more arrow left. I need something that can freeze it from the inside, like…

“Irelle! I need the knife!” He shouts, staring in terror as the beast rears, mandibles snapping, ready to bite his head off. She looks at him, confused. “Now!” She pulls it out of her sash and tosses it at him. He watches as at flies, glinting in the sunlight, through the air. It lands about an arm’s length away from him. He rolls towards it as the monster strikes where he had been seconds ago. The monster’s tail catches Mahna unawares in the sky, throwing her to the ground with a harsh thud.

Fenn’s first instinct is to go and help her, to fix her, but he knows that if he doesn’t find the knife they’ll all be needing fixing. He digs around, trying to find it under the sand the monster kicked up. He hears Irelle and Krade taunting the beast, trying to keep its attention away from Mahna and him. He sees a flash of silver and grabs at it blindly. He winces as the blade cuts his hand, but he gets a hold on the leather-wrapped hilt. He dives out of the way as the monster moves backwards. He uses his boot lace to tie the knife’s handle to the tip of the arrow. He slips it into place and aims, his hands slick with blood. He feels his hand start to go numb from the knife’s poison.

He needs to get closer, quickly. He dives forward as the beast turns on him. He slides under its armored belly and shoots the arrow at his target. It hits, sending a spray of green blood down on him. He tries to move back, weak, as the monster falls. As the black armored surface falls down on him, he whispers, “I’m sorry, Ma.”