Book 2: Chapter 86: The Calm Before the Storm

Book 2: Chapter 86: The Calm Before the Storm

I woke to the sun beaming in through the tent’s opening. A barrage of tiny licks rained down on my chin.

“Cinnamon?” I asked groggily, squinting against the morning light.

I wasn’t sure what Cinnamon was doing here, but who else had such little kisses? Still blind, I reached my hands up... and found a chihuahua. Borks yapped at me, his tail wagging despite his incredulity.

“Sorry, buddy,” I said, smiling at him. “You’re so small that I thought you were a bunny.”

Get let out another yap.

“Yes, yes. I know you’re ferocious.”

He barked his agreement, letting out a demonic little growl from his chihuahua throat.

“Why the change, though? Is it to scare off any would-be ambushers?”

He stood tall atop my chest, beaming down at me with pride. It was both cute and hilarious, so I ruffled the soft fur on the top of his head.

“You’re a good boy, Borks.”

“When you two are done cuddling in there,” Maria called, “breakfast is almost ready!”

“We’ll never be done!” I called back.

Borks ruffed, wagging his tail in agreement.

“Oh, yeah?” she asked. “You asked for it.”Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com

I glanced past Borks. “Asked for wha—”

She came flying through the opening, her eyes wide and grin manic. “For me to crash this party!”

She slammed down next to us, startling the absolute hell out of Borks. He jumped on the spot, whirling on her with his teeth bared.

“Aww, did I scare you, buddy? I’m sorry. I just wanted to be a part of the cuddle puddle.”

Borks, upon realizing it was her and not another attacker, descended on her with his rapid-fire kisses.

She half-choked, half-laughed, pressing her chin to her chest in a failed attempt to keep him away. With his small size and cultivation strength, he was a formidable adversary, and just when I thought Maria might die of laughter, I swept him up, his short legs hanging uselessly in the air.

“Sorry to interrupt your ambush, Borks, but I need her to be breathing to make us breakfast.”

“Thank you,” she wheezed.

She tried to get up, but I pounced, pulling her into a hug. Borks, free of my grasp, lay on top of us, rolling to his back and slipping in the wedge shape our bodies made.

“Good morning.” I kissed her on the forehead. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did. You?”

“Nope.” I yawned and stretched. “I found it hard to sleep after the ambush last night. My mind wouldn’t stop.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, patting me on the chest. “Will you be okay traveling the rest of the way to the capital today?”

“If I had some breakfast made by my girlfriend, I’m sure I could do anything.”

Maria giggled. “Well, lucky for you, I think she has some buns warmed and coffee brewing this second.”

“Wait, what?” I furrowed my brow, doing my best to keep the smile from my face. “My girlfriend is here? I thought Sue was back in Tropica...”

“Borks...” Maria eventually said, glaring at me.

He perked his ears up, cocking his head to the side in question.

“Sic him!”

Borks, playing along, launched himself at me. He snarled and nipped, the growls coming from him making me laugh as I wrestled the little git.

“Oh, you think you’re ready to take on the master, Borks?”

I scooped him up, running from the tent, and performing a slow-motion slam onto the ground. He played dead, groaning as his tongue hung from his open mouth.

“Fischer!” Maria gasped, dashing from the tent. “You killed him!”

She started doing fake chest compressions, but Borks remained ‘dead’, a little smile coming to his face under all the attention.

“Okay,” Maria said, rubbing his belly. “If I leave breakfast on the fire any longer, it’s going to burn.”

Pelly let out a questioning honk, to which Cinnamon nodded. She was ready.

Her adopted daughter took off, traveling west at incredible speed. With every meter they crossed, Cinnamon’s core seemed to vibrate with excitement. Before the day was done, her hard work would come to fruition.

***

Under the cover of night, Maria, Borks, and I arrived at the capital city of Gormona.

It was like nothing I’d ever seen before. I had come across some seriously fantasy shit since arriving in this new world, but the city before me took the cake. Walls that had to be at least four stories high protected the capital, its top lined by a parapet and a series of torches at even intervals.

There was a single structure visible over the wall: a castle of ridiculous dimensions. I could only see the top floors, but there were multiple spires as big around as office buildings, all reaching up into the sky. I’d caught snippets of Operation Sticky Fingers, so I knew there were multiple levels to the castle, but seeing it in person was something else. Tearing my eyes from the castle, I focused on the wall before us. A giant gate of wood and iron blocked our way, and short of blowing through it, we wouldn’t be able to enter the city.

Luckily for us, we weren’t taking the front door.

Maria was staring wide-eyed at the castle, so I nudged her in the side. We shared a nod, then dashed off toward the south, staying within the treeline. Borks followed behind us in his golden retriever form, his steps completely silent under the crescent moon. I counted the arrow slots in the wall as we went, and when we reached the eighty-third, I held up my fist, signaling a stop.

Here.

We dashed through the clearing to the wall, crouched, and leaped. All three of us soared through the air, easily landing atop the wall without so much as the scuff of a boot to give us away. The entire cityscape was within view, everything from the castle to the gate to a few points of interest I’d been made aware of. My heart thundered in my chest as I looked down into the courtyard below; it was the reason we’d climbed the wall here. Lines of citrus trees ran up and down, their green canopies well pruned and cared for. Running between the trees, small bushes grew, some of which were covered in small purple berries.

“Wow,” Maria whispered. “There are so many...”

“May I interest you in some fresh Passiona berries, my love?”

“Why, such a gentle...” she trailed off. “Fischer—what is that?”

“Something wrong?”

She stared toward the northeast, her eyes going wide.

Curious, I followed her gaze, then frowned. “Is that—”

“Is that what I think it is?” she interrupted.

“No fracking way...”

Ruff, Borks agreed.

A sea of white creatures filled the sky, their number so vast as to be uncountable.

“Above them!” Maria yelled. “Is that Bill?”

Sure enough, there he was, soaring on unseen winds. He darted from side to side, and for a moment, I didn’t get it. Then, though, I realized the truth—he was herding them. As if he was privy to our conversation, Bill unleashed the mightiest honk I’d ever heard. Despite being on the other side of the capital, it reverberated in my chest with a bassy kick.

“Over there!” Maria gasped, pointing toward the front gate to the city.

I followed her gesture, and when my cultivator eyes caught sight of it, my mouth dropped open. “Cinnamon and Pelly? Wait, what is Cinnamon wearing? Is that armor?”

“Forget that! What the frack is Pelly carrying?”

It was a wooden box, but I didn’t have much time to check it out, because the front gate to the city fracking exploded, large chunks of wood and metal scattering everywhere. This, at least, wasn’t a mystery; I felt the chi signature that caused it. Before the smoke cleared, a cart zoomed through onto the cobbled street. If not for my enhanced eyes, I wouldn’t have seen Claws or the gleam of her needle-sharp teeth as she tore through the thoroughfare with lightning-wreathed limbs. She zoomed behind a building, Tokyo-drifting her cute little tooshie out of sight.

“We have some troublesome children...” Maria said, then let out a long sigh. “I guess it’s time for me to go, then. So much for my Passiona treat.”

I squeezed her hand. “I’ll bring you some berries home. Overprotective dads, huh?”

“Rogers, more like,” she replied, giving me a grin.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, no kidding.”

She swept forward into my arms, planting a kiss on my lips that banished everything else. It was only for a few seconds, but the heat of her mouth flooded out and resonated deep within me, more powerful and all-encompassing than any of my breakthroughs.

She pulled back, exhaling a shaky breath. “I love you, Fischer.”

“I love you more.”

Borks let out another ruff, adding his affection to the mix.

Maria walked backwards, not taking her eyes off me. “Good luck.” Without another word, she leaped from the battlements, soaring into the forest beyond.

I smiled, then bent to pat Borks on the head. “Good luck, buddy.”

He licked my hand, turned, and dashed away, shifting to his nightmare form as he sped along the wall.

“Guess it’s my turn...” I said aloud, approaching the ledge. I stepped into open air above the grove of trees, opening the floodgate to my core and letting chi flood out into my body as I fell to the ground below.