A Sky of Spells. Morgan Rice

sword went flying through the air, tumbling end over end, and lodged itself through the throat of the Faw, a moment before it killed Centra. Centra screamed as he looked over and saw the dead Faw, just inches away, their faces almost touching.

      To Reece’s surprise, Conven did not go for Centra; instead he kept running up the small hill, and Reece looked up, horrified to see what he was doing. Conven seemed suicidal. He cut his way through the group of Faws surrounding their leader, who sat high up on his platform, looking over the battle. Conven killed them left and right. They hadn’t been expecting it, and it all happened too fast for any them to react. Reece realized that Conven was aiming for their leader.

      Conven got closer, leapt into the air, raised his sword, and as the leader realized and tried to flee, Conven stabbed it through the heart. The leader shrieked – and suddenly, there came a chorus of ten thousand shrieks, all the Faws, as if they themselves had been stabbed. It was as if they all shared the same nervous system – and Conven had severed it.

      “You shouldn’t have done that,” Reece said to Conven as he returned to his side. “Now you’ve started a war.”

      As Reece watched in horror, a small hill exploded, and out of it there streamed thousands and thousands of Faws, pouring out of it like a mound of ants. Reece realized that Conven had killed their queen bee, had incited the wrath of a nation of these things. The ground shook with their footsteps, as they all gnashed their teeth and charged right for Reece and Conven and Centra.

      “MOVE!” Reece screamed.

      Reece shoved Centra, who stood in shock, and they all turned and ran back for the others, fighting their way back up the muddy slope.

      Reece felt a Faw jump on his back and knock him down. It dragged him by his ankles, back down the slope, and lowered its fangs for his neck.

      An arrow sailed by Reece’s head, and there came the noise of an arrow impacting flesh and Reece looked up to see O’Connor, atop the hill, holding a bow.

      Reece regained his feet, Centra helping him up as Conven protected their rear, fighting back the Faws. Finally, they all raced up the remainder of the hill and reached the others.

      “Good to have you back!” Elden called out, as he rushed forward and took out several Faws with his axe.

      Reece paused at the top, peering out into the mist and wondering which way to go. The path forked two ways and he was about to go right.

      But Centra suddenly raced past him, heading left.

      “Follow me!” Centra called out as he ran. “It’s the only way!”

      As thousands of Faws began to ascend the slope, Reece and the others turned and ran, following Centra, slipping and sliding down the other side of the hill, as the ground continue to shake. They followed Centra’s lead, and Reece was more grateful than ever that he’d saved his life.

      “We need to make the Canyon!” Reece called out, not sure which way Centra was going.

      They sprinted, weaving their way through the thick, gnarled trees, struggling to follow Centra as he deftly navigated through the mist on a rough dirt trail, covered in roots.

      “There’s only one way to lose those things!” Centra called back. “Stay on my trail!”

      They followed Centra closely as he ran, tripping over roots, scratched by branches, Reece struggling to see through the thickening mist. He stumbled more than once on the uneven footing.

      They ran until their lungs hurt, the awful screech of those things behind them, thousands of them, closing in. Elden and O’Connor’s helping Krog was slowing them down. He hoped and prayed that Centra knew where he was going; he could not see the Canyon wall at all from here.

      Suddenly, Centra stopped short, and reached out with his palm and slapped Reece’s chest, stopping him in his tracks.

      Reece looked down and saw at his feet a steep drop off, into a raging river below.

      Reece turned to Centra, puzzled.

      “Water,” Centra explained, gasping for air. “They’re afraid to cross water.”

      The others all stopped short beside them, staring down at the roaring rapids, as they all tried to catch their breath.

      “It’s your only chance,” Centra added. “Cross this river and you can lose their trail for now, and gain time.”

      “But how?” Reece asked, staring down at the foaming green waters.

      “That current would kill us!” Elden said.

      Centra smirked.

      “That’s the least of your worries,” he answered. “That water is filled with Fourens – the deadliest animal on the planet. Fall in, and they’ll tear you to pieces.”

      Reece looked down at the water, wondering.

      “Then we can’t swim,” O’Connor said. “And I don’t see a boat.”

      Reece looked over his shoulder, the sound of the Faws getting closer.

      “Your only chance is this,” Centra said, reaching back and pulling a long vine attached to a tree, its branches hanging over the river. “We must swing our way across,” he said. “Don’t slip. And don’t fall short of the shore. Send it back for us when you’re done.”

      Reece looked down at the gurgling water, and as he did, he saw awful little glowing yellow creatures jumping out, like sunfish, all jaws, snapping and making strange noises. There were schools of them and they all looked as if they were awaiting their next meal.

      Reece glanced back over his shoulder, and saw the army of Faws on the horizon, closing in. They had no choice.

      “You can go first,” Centra said to Reece.

      Reece shook his head.

      “I will go last,” he answered. “In case we don’t all make it in time. You go first. You brought us here.”

      Centra nodded.

      “You don’t have to ask me twice,” he said with a smile, nervously watching the Faws closing in.

      Centra grabbed hold of the vine and with a scream he leapt off, swinging quickly over the waters as he hung low on the vine, lifting his feet from the water and from the snapping creatures. Finally, he landed on the far shore, tumbling on the ground.

      He made it.

      Centra stood, smiling; he grabbed the vine as it swung, and sent it back over the river.

      Elden reached out and grabbed it, and held it out to Indra.

      “Ladies first,” he said.

      She grimaced.

      “I don’t need pampering,” she said. “You’re big. You might break the vine. You go, and get it over with. Don’t fall in – or else this woman will have to save you.”

      Elden grimaced, unamused, as he grabbed the vine.

      “I was just trying to help,” he said.

      Elden jumped off with a shout, sailed through the air, and tumbled on the far shore beside Centra.

      He sent the rope back, and O’Connor went, followed by Serna, then Indra, then Conven.

      The last ones left were Reece and Krog.

      “Well, I guess it’s just the two of us,” Krog said to Reece. “Go. Save yourself,” Krog said, glancing back over his shoulder nervously. “The Faws are too close There isn’t time for both of us to make it.”

      Reece shook his head.

      “No man left behind,” he said. “If you won’t go then I won’t.”

      They both stood there, stubbornly, Krog looking increasingly nervous. Krog shook his head.

      “You are a fool. Why do you care so much about me? I wouldn’t care half as much for you.”

      “I am leader now, which makes you my responsibility,” Reece replied. “I don’t