The Keys to Ascension Page 9

  His horse crashed into water, whinnying like mad, but the whinny was cut off. The horse grew thicker and greener. Its back grew a shell. Then, Hibberro, his owl, and his packs sat atop a giant turtle.

  Theto started yelling in amazement when his horse shook furiously. “Ahhhhh!” Its sides pushed against his legs. He lifted them before he did the splits. The head of the horse lowered as it turned rounder and greener. The mane disappeared. Theto soon sat atop a giant turtle that walked into the river, then swam upstream after Hibb.

  Hibb patted the mouse through his pocket. “Thanks, Leo!”

  “Sure thang, buddy!”

  Hibb made that slight whistle noise again, then both turtles appeared as boats with crews of oarsmen propelling them upstream.

  “Uncle! The turtles are real but the boats are illusions?”

  He yelled back at him. “Yes, sir! Even with Akrah, most illusionists cannot create two crews of oarsmen. Your uncle is a fantastic wizard. Imagine where’d I be if it was legal!”

  Theto glanced at the water flowing by. The Scripture of Justice says magic is the work of demons. We should only rely on The Divinity for power…Are Leo and Akrah demons?

  They road for about ten minutes. Both riders drank a little water from their canteens and ate a cob of corn they brought.

  Hibb lifted his head and froze. “Oh jitter-poop.”

  Theto snapped his head toward his uncle, then waited for Hibb to explain. He didn’t. “What? Why jitter-poop?”

  “I just realized they’ll have checkpoints on the river too. We should be fine, just don’t panic this time.”

  Shaking his head, Theto said, “I’m not the one who panics!”

  “Okay, but we’ll really be in trouble further north. The river is deeper and narrower. So narrow that our fake oars will be pushing through land.”

  “Can’t you just change the illusion to something else?”

  “Not something that would make sense. I don’t know, maybe the soldiers up north won’t notice.”

  Ch. 18

  Hibberro glanced back at his nephew. The boy, who currently looked like an attractive older blonde woman, stared up at the growing mountains. Has Themeno never took him this far east before? Mountains are amazing the first time you see them…amazingly scary! He shivered at the thought of climbing them. The heights, the mountain men, the mountain bears, the mountain lions…good thing we’re going around!

  Hibb and Theto had been traveling upriver for a few days on the backs of their horses turned turtles that looked like ships to outside observers. They had slept next to it in illusionary tents, surrounded by fake trade goods. Every day they went through multiple checkpoints, but Hibb didn’t panic, and the guards always bought their new disguise—a young, handsome trader and his mother. Hibb found it hilarious watching Theto pretend to be a woman.

  The mountains that separated Hyzantria from Crusanadon grew in the distance. Hibb knew that they’d be safe once they got back on the main road that went around the mountains to Crusanadon. There were plenty of trade carts going back and forth on that road. They’d blend in.

  He looked at Theto. The boys always kinda looked like their dad. He sighed. This is all my fault. I don’t know if Parto or Finio will make it. But I’ve got to protect Theto. I owe it to my brother.

  Fast footfalls padded along the riverside. A soldier sprinted away from a small lookout tent and toward a horse. Hibberro glanced around. “Ooooooh, Poop pie!” The illusionary ores pushed into land over and over again. He accessed Akrah’s power, sucking air in and out of his puckered lips while twisting hands toward one another. Magic glided out of him and spun around the boats, making them look like sleek ships with sails and a crew of sailors. Hibb didn’t know anything about sailing, but he was pretty sure boats like these couldn’t sale upriver with no wind.

  The soldier leapt on his horse and galloped upriver, dust kicking up from its hooves.

  “Uncle!” Theto yelled, “What do we do?”

  Hibb scratched his head while scanning the riverbank for the next inquisitor checkpoint to appear. He pulled his turtle’s reigns east, and the amphibious reptile pulled itself out of the water.

  Theto followed him, yelling, “Why are we exiting east? We’re on the wrong side of the river!”

  “That runner spooked me! New plan! Through the mountains! There’re unguarded passes into Crusanadon.”

  “You can’t just change the plan on whims!”

  Hibb ignored him while he touched his right nipple and strained his vocal chords to make Leo’s rhythmic deep noise. The power flowed through him, he let the horses change into their normal selves.

  From the mouse in Hibb’s pocket, Leo said, “Good! My other wizard needs me. You’ll have to go without my power for a few hours.”

  “What! No! We’ll be at the mountains in an hour, I can’t get through them with horses! We need sure-footed mules!”

  “I’ll try to make it quick, good luck!”

  The seemingly endless well of power that Hibb could tap at will disappeared. It always felt like he lost a part of himself when a high being’s power wasn’t available. It becomes so intuitive to use that it seems like another arm.

  Akrah laughed. “Abandoning us in a time of need. Just like him; he may talk nicer, but he’s traitorous scum! How can you trust a high being that uses two wizards? See. I tell you like it is, dumb dumb. I may not pull my words, but I’m devoted to you. Hey, I have the right to be mean to you cuz you’re all I got! Without you I have no influence on a planet!”

  Hibb pursed his lips.

  Theto pulled his horse next to him while gazing at the scenic mountain view. “You sure we can make it through those?”

  Hibb nodded. “In my day I went through many times. The mountains are dangerous…super scary actually. But they’re not that thick.”

  The mountains loomed over them as they traveled. “Theto.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Leo had to take care of something. Without him, we can’t make it through…not with our horses anyways. We need to traverse some steep ledges; doing so with a horse is risky.”

  “Do we need the horses?”

  “We got a long journey south to get to Blastonin. And these are some fine horses.”

  They reached the base of the mountains. Hibb examined the rocky ledge that would start their journey upward. They got off their mounts before Hibb looked at his nephew. “I can disguise us as a hill. Even if someone comes by, they will just see a rolling hill leading into the mountain. When Leo returns, we can—”

  Theto pointed. “Inquisitor!”

  Hibb snapped around. A lone inquisitor galloped toward them, his white robes flowing behind him and his long daggers bouncing at his side.

  Hibb twirled his hands and surrounded him and Theto with an illusionary hill.

  The inquisitor kept coming.

  Theto growled, “Now he knows you have magic. Grrraaaah!”

  Hibb jerked his head forward. “Poopciscles!”

  Throwing his hands in front of him, Theto said, “Just blind and deafen him again.”

  “Yeah. I need him to be closer. It’s only temporary and is actually a difficult spell. It’s all an illusion. I don’t really blind and deafen him; I just give him the personal illusion of being blind and deaf. Personal illusions are hard.” He looked at his nephew with a grin. “But don’t worry, old uncie can do it.”

  Hibb made five massive, growling bears appear in front of the charging inquisitor. The beasts swung at the man as he ignored them and sped right through the illusionary creatures. Hibb focused hard and aimed the personal illusion at the attacker. Hibb smirked as he executed it perfectly, but the inquisitor kept coming, like he was somehow immune! Hibb made twenty copies of Hibb and Theto, making them move around and mix amongst one another. He and Theto did the same.

  The inquisitor leapt off his horse, spinning in the air with a throwing dagger in each hand. C’mon, please hit an illusion, please hit an illusion. The d
agger from one hand twirled toward a fake Hibberro, the second glinted in the air as it came for Hibb’s face! His eyes opened wide as he stared at the spinning blade.

  Something collided into Hibb from the side. Theto! They both slammed into the ground as the blade spun above them. Hibb made all the illusions attack the inquisitor, but he remained focused on the real Hibb and Theto, ignoring the fake punches, kicks, and tackles that went right through him.

  Hibb yelled, “Leo! I need you!”

  “Sorry, busy.”

  The inquisitor dashed toward them, a long dagger in his right hand and a throwing one in his left.

  Hibbed pleaded, “I’m about to die!”

  Theto flashed to his feet and faced the white cloth covered man. Sprinting forward, the inquisitor faked a throw with his left hand. Theto didn’t react. Then, the inquisitor jumped around Theto, angling for the wizard. Theto flashed out his leg, just barely reaching the inquisitor, who leapt, but too late. His left foot collided into that of Theto and the inquisitor tumbled across the ground.

  The open fount of Leo’s power returned to Hibb. He made the guttural noise and touched his nipple, turning both horses into ferocious bears.

  The inquisitor leapt to his feet, standing near Hibb. The two bears rumbled toward the inquisitor in a tremendous charge. Theto dived out of the way. The bears thundered forward, but not fast enough. The inquisitor threw his blade, it spun toward Hibb’s chest, but old Hibby already worked on a counter measure. Using Leo’s power, he controlled the flight of a bird, making it dive toward the blade. The bird collided with it, knocking the blade off path while the bird tumbled and fluttered toward the ground.

  Three more birds dove at the inquisitor, then scratched at his hooded head. He ignored them and lunged toward Hibb with his long dagger. A bear smashed into the inquisitor, who rolled across the ground before leaping into the air and landing on his feet. He quickly dodged another charging bear.

  Hibb and Theto dashed away before turning and standing next to each other. A flock of birds shaded them as it swarmed in the air between them and the inquisitor. The bears stood amidst the flock, showing their true height and girth, their roars booming across the land.

  The inquisitor scanned the animal army that Hibberro had assembled. Hibb knew, a trained inquisitor, willing to die, could still kill him and Theto. But maybe this inquisitor didn’t know he could make it through the birds and kill his target before dying himself. The order didn’t exactly train its assassins in bird fighting.

  Hibb controlled the inquisitor’s horse, making it walk around the birds and stand next to its owner, facing away from the mountains. C’mon. Take the leave. Retreat. Please retreat.

  Squatting into a sprinting position, the assassin held two blades, ready to dash into the swirling mass of birds. Hibb considered surrounding him and Theto in illusionary fake armor, but decided against it. The inquisitor would see through the illusion and view it as a sign of weakness. Hibb stared at the inquisitor, who was posed to strike like a curled viper.

  He then leapt on his horse before wheeling it around and making it walk backwards, facing Hibb and Theto. The inquisitor stared at them until reaching about a hundred yards away, then turned and trotted off.

  Hibb morphed the bears into mules. They walked toward Hibb and Theto as the birds scattered. “Get on. They know our plan; we must get through the mountains before they get word to the Crusanadonians on the other side.”

  “Aren’t they Crusanadonans?”

  Hibb tilted his head to the side. “Uuuuuuuh. I don’t know.” He crawled onto his mule. “Let’s go.”

  Ch. 19

  Theto smiled as his mule put its feet on flat, green ground. He gazed behind him at the soaring mountains they just crossed, then shivered at the thought of the heights. He could still see the long, stark cliffs they traversed. He turned and hugged his mule’s neck while pressing his face into the beast’s jaw. “Thanks buddy.”

  The animal shifted suddenly and in different directions. “Ah!” He glanced at his uncle, but his ride changed too. The mules grew taller and longer until Theto and his uncle once again sat on horses.

  Hibberro showed a gaping smile. “No time to waste, let’s move!” His horse walked forward.

  Theto followed.

  “Man. I’m glad CAA!”

  Theto covered his ears at the incredibly loud and high pitch way Hibberro said the owl’s name. “and my little mouse friend survived the mountain cold.”

  “Yeah, well that warmth illusion of yours really seemed to work. It was like it wasn’t even an illusion.”

  “Ha haaaa! Being a great magician is more than just understanding your high beings’ powers. You got to interact that knowledge with your understanding of the mundane world. See, the human body has surprising powers. Trick it in just the right way with an illusion, and it will make itself a little warmer.”

  Theto nodded. Maybe my uncle isn’t a complete idiot. “Hey, why doesn’t your mouse have a name?”

  Hibb stared off into the sky for a moment. Then smiled while shrugging. “I’dunno.”

  Theto exhaled a quick batch of air, then shook his head.

  They both froze as they stared ahead at the two armored men on horseback galloping toward them.

  “Theto, be prepared to fly if they know who we are.”

  Theto nodded, then tilted his head to the side. “Fly? Hey. Why didn’t you turn our horses into birds so we could just fly over the mountains?”

  As the knights’ plate armor and huge broad swords bounding at their sides became clearer, Hibb said, “The more I flaunt my magic the more determined Hyzantria, and the crusaders we’re about to talk to, will be to chase us down. We’re not the greatest priorities. I don’t wanna give them reasons to keep hunting us after we’ve escaped south. Plus, it’s easy to spot giant birds in the sky.”

  The men covered in metal slowed their mounts to trots, then to a walk as they approached.

  Hibb scratched his head. “And, uuuuuh, I’m afraid of heights. Those kinda heights are the scariest in the world!”

  One knight, slightly in front of the other, lifted his visor. “What are you afraid of?”

  Hibb jerked his head back. “Oh, heights. I was just pondering these majestic mountains of Crusanadon and couldn’t help but shiver at the thought of standing at a peak.”

  The knight laughed. “Yeah, as a boy I climbed these things with ma pa.”

  Hibb nodded with a warm smile. “Yeah, that’s nice. Welp, we best be going.” He angled his horse to the side to go around the crusaders.

  A gauntleted hand flashed forward. “Halt.”

  Hibb obeyed.

  “Where did you come from, where are you going, and what’s your business?”

  Hibb’s eyes went wide while Theto glanced at their horses and their lack of illusionary trade goods.

  Why aren’t we disguised as traders?

  The knight spoke. “If you’re new recruits for the semi-annual crusade, you’ll need to be interrogated by our psych-doc. Then tested by our arms-man. Then we’ll put you in a division. Based on scouting reports, there’s a big patrol of infidels across the border with a huge baggage train.” He threw a fist in the air. “Some big freaking loot for The Divinity!”

  Hibb smiled awkwardly. “Yes. I wish you the best of luck and thank you for defending Hyzantria’s northern border. But we are just traders. We left our cart and draught horses at a store front we own back in Hyzantria. Now, we travel back to my wife in Blastonin.”

  Both knights drew their swords. The SHING! echoed off the mountains. “You’re a Blastonin? Don’t you dare try your dark arts; I’ll cut off your hands.”

  Hibb kept his hands on his horse. “Oh, no sir. We’re Hyzantrian. Just my heart was foolish enough to fall in love with a Blastonin woman. Heh heh.”

  The front knight shook his head. “I want to slaughter and plunder those infidelic Blastonins almost as much as the demons in the east.”

  Leaning back
, Hibb said, “Hey now. We both fight the eastern empires. We have common enemies. And common allies. Don’t worry, we’re just merchants, not mages. And I’ve taught my son the truth of The Divinity. Even my wife converted.” He stretched his body up tall and put a hand on his chest while closing his eyes. “I try to spread The Divinity’s good word in all the lands I travel.”

  The knight nodded. “That’s good.” Both men sheathed their swords. The first one turned his head back to the other. “Jirion, you have anything to ask?”

  “No sir.”

  The front knight turned back toward Hibb. “Good day.” They wheeled around and trotted off.

  #

  Hibb and Theto traveled an hour on a wide dirt path, passing two more pairs of knights who interrogated them similarly. Theto admired the green, empty land—so untouched compared to the endless farms back home. His admiration of the land was interrupted by seeing in the distance a series of tents and spreadout armored men on both sides of the road.

  “I guess this is where all those patrols came from.” Theto looked at his uncle. “Go around?”

  Hibb shook his head. “Naa, they already know we’re here.”

  Rows of armored men fought each other with swords and maces. Others fired crossbows into targets, while some rode by tall poles chopping through them with swords. In some tents, groups of men drank and laughed. In a purple tent, a priest in purple robes spoke of the great evil they must face.

  Hibb and Theto rode through the middle of the camp.

  A man shouted, “Hey, you again, halt!”

  They did so and looked at a man in a silk shirt and short shorts that his muscular legs burst from. It was the knight who first stopped them earlier. He jogged up to Hibb and Theto.

  “I talked to the commander about you two. He says it smells fishy. Me and Jirion are to escort you to the southern border you claim to be traveling to.”

  The uncle and nephew glanced at each other. Hibb opened his hands in front of him. “Good knight, surely you have better things to do. We’re trying to make time, and I’d really prefer not to be slowed.”