18

  A Troubled Little Mind

  Jeshu returned through the portal first, and sighed contentedly to again be in the tower. Lech'ti lay draped over his shoulder, still unconscious.

  Scorpion followed. "So, scorpions on the surface have eleven limbs, if you count the tail, and the tails are also poisonous?" the ratling asked, agog.

  "Yes, but they're much smaller.” Jeshu answered. “I just assumed your tail knife was poisoned."

  "It will be in the future," he said under his breath.

  "Why do they have tails if they don't poison things?"

  Scorpion had to ponder the druid's meaning before answering. "Well, they've got stingers as long as a sword. And their prey is big and slow."

  "What is their prey?" Jeshu asked as the others began to trickle through the portal.

  "Hmm... uh, I know kaerbeasts, for one," the ratling answered, then noticed the lost look on the dryad's face. "They're desert... um... kind of like lumpy yaks? Anyway, scorpions kill them, then feast on the rotting carcasses for weeks. Even lay their eggs inside the empty cavity when they've had their fill."

  Cricket and Oydd arrived through the portal last, mid-conversation.

  "—exoskeleton makes its own wax? Like bees? Is wax like oil?"

  "Well," the rudra answered, "they're both lipids. But oil is more liquid and wax is more solid."

  "So wax is better than oil?" Cricket asked.

  "I... don't see why that's better, but it is what makes your shell shiny."

  "Wax is better than oil," the insect concluded with a nod.

  "Is that Pip?" Jeshu asked, watching a speck crawl along the arched doorway.

  "That's odd," Oydd responded. "Where do you think the mouseling is?"

  "You saw a ladybug from across the room?" Scorpion asked, judgmentally.

  "Well, I suppose I'm on high alert for dark magic."

  Oydd stared at the dripping organ in his grip with knotted brows. "I'm retiring to my laboratory for the remainder of the night, and I don't want to be disturbed."

  "It's late," Jeshu said. "You should sleep first. It can wait until morning."

  "I'm not sure it can. Brains are not used to being exposed to the elements. I need to preserve it by one means or another."

  Jeshu shuddered at the wording. "Before you go, can you locate the mouseling for me? I want to check in on her."

  "She's with Licephus," Oydd replied, without hesitation as he left the room, beckoning Skunk to follow.

  "I'll come," Cricket said to the druid when they were the only two left in the room.

  "Good," Jeshu replied. "I don't mind the company."

  The two headed for the stairwell to the burial chamber. Cricket slowed to the druid's pace, but grew agitated at the speed, and drew a dagger to entertain himself as he walked, flipping it around in his fingers.

  Jeshu watched him curiously, impressed by the insect's dexterity. "Did you know Scorpion doesn't use poison?"

  "Why would he?" Cricket asked. "Poison was kind of Skunk's specialty, since skunks are poisonous. Scorpion got his nickname because he has a sharp tail."

  "Skunks aren't poisonous," Jeshu said. "Though... I can understand the misconception."

  "They have poisonous spray that they use when they hunt," Cricket said confidently. "Skunk, er... saved their poison glands and coated his knives in the venom. It worked wonders."

  "That is a bit horrendous," Jeshu replied. "But I trust when you say it was effective." He walked a bit as he thought. "On the surface, scorpions are poisonous."

  "Enough to kill people?"

  "I can't say I'm sure. But they don't hunt people. I mentioned it to Scorpion and he liked the idea of poisoning his dagger."

  "No reason," Cricket said. "Never saw anyone ever get away from Scorpion. Skunk, on the other hand, had to use poison, because everything got away from him." The insect suddenly cocked his head, realizing that the mutant who accompanied them used to be Skunk. Even though they still called him Skunk, it just felt like a different person now.

  "Can you give me a little speed boost?" Cricket asked. "I have something I want to try."

  "It would be unwise. I need to replenish mana. But I can help you in the morning."

  "It's already morning."

  "Hmm," Jeshu replied. "I suppose it is. The afternoon then. After I have rested."

  "Fair enough." Cricket began to toss the dagger between his lower arms.

  Jeshu sighed when they reached the stairs. His legs creaked as he began to climb. "Cricket, are you able to change the shape of your shadows?"

  "Not at all!" Cricket snorted through his side holes. "I've tried, and I haven't made any progress. Cuddlebug really wanted me to make him a vest to match Bax, but I couldn't make so much as a wisp. We ended up having to resort to sewing."

  "You can sew?"

  Cricket corrected himself, "We ended up deciding that he had to practice sewing."

  "Have you tried making them denser?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "Um, to put it in terms of what you would need to do? Since you sometimes have more mana stored than you know how to use, have you considered putting more mana into each clone?"

  "Kind of a moot point now." Cricket grimaced.

  "Sorry. What the rudra said just got me thinking."

  "Why do you call him 'the rudra'? You don't do that to anyone else. You don't call me 'the insect'."

  Jeshu paused at the question, so much that he stopped in his tracks. "Do you want to be called 'the insect'?"

  "I do not."

  "Well, Oydd likes to be called 'the rudra'. The term is honorific to him. Sort of like how Patches likes to be called the mouseling. I wouldn't do it if I thought it were insulting."

  The two approached the burial chamber. Even from down the hall, the mouseling's silhouette could be seen resting atop Licephus' sarcophagus.

  "There she is," Jeshu smiled, but immediately the smile dropped from his face, replaced by a look of concern. "Oh... she's. Oh no!"

  "What?" Cricket asked in alarm.

  "It's alright. I just thought she seemed troubled at first, but it's more than that. I didn't mean to worry you."

  "You can tell how she feels from here?"

  The dryad nodded. "I have an... aura of sorts up to help detect dark magic. It has faded from the casting, but it still remains. Peculiar as it is, it also lets me feel what those around me feel. Only to a small degree, but..."

  "But what?"

  Jeshu circled the stone sarcophagus and rested a hand on the sleeping mouseling. She jerked in her sleep and began to breathe uneasily.

  "But this is... a curse. As clear as any curse I've ever seen, and... and I couldn't even see it."

  "You sensed it from down the hall," Cricket argued.

  "I'm speaking of earlier. Oydd was concerned about her and asked if I sensed anything, and I said I did not. I wonder if he sensed something, but deferred to my judgement." A tear slid silently down the dryad’s cheek, and Cricket froze in place, unsure how to react.

  "I'm sorry, little one," the druid continued. He stroked her softly from head to tail, and began to chant. Patches kicked once in her sleep, but instantly calmed, and her breathing slowed.

  Cricket watched for a minute, before finally asking, "Did you fix it?"

  "Oh, no. This one will take some time and effort. But I believe I can. First, I'll need to know what happened. For now I have linked us, and I will bear the brunt of it. I think it's best to let her sleep."

  Jeshu patted her again gently, then suddenly winced, as if in pain. He let out a soft groan.

  The druid swooned sideways, leaning against the coffin for support.

  "Perhaps I will not sleep tonight," he said sadly. "Cricket, will you stay with me while I rest. I... I don't feel like being alone."

  "Sure Jesh, anything you want."

  The druid dropped to the ground beneath the mouseling, taking a meditative pose—though notably, he still leaned his back against the stone for support. The druid closed his eyes and entered a flitting, vegetative state.

  Cricket stood in front of him and waved a hand before the dryad's face. He whispered, "Jesh," but the druid did not react.

  The insect wandered over to the open wall, looking off across the valley below and placed two hands on his hips before surveying the floor for a comfortable spot to lie down, finding only hard stone. But that didn't really bother Cricket.

  *****

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Scorpion yawned as he retired to the barracks. While he had been assigned his own quarters, he had trouble sleeping without being surrounded by comrades, and the azaeri made no objection to the ratling’s company. Sadly, the feathered lizards preferred much softer beds than Scorpion was used to, but at least their bunks were recessed in the wall, which made it feel more like home.

  When Scorpion reached the main hall, he ran into another ratling only a foot shorter than him. He paused, unaware he was staring, until she turned on him.

  "Got a problem?"

  Scorpion snapped himself to attention and stammered. "No... there just aren't a lot of ratlings around here. I haven't seen you before."

  The female folded her arms and regarded him coldly. "I've run into enough creeps around here. Not really interested in meeting more." She started on her way.

  "Wait, what's your name?" For the first time, Scorpion noticed a tiny salamander perched on her shoulder.

  "None of your business."

  Scorpion snarled, but watched her walk away, until she disappeared around a corner.

  His lip twitched in irritation, then he turned back toward the barracks and crawled into his bunk as if to sleep, but almost immediately his tail began to scrape his adamantine dagger against the wall far too quickly and anxiously. And the ratling knew, from hard experience, that meant he would not sleep for some time.

  *****

  Cricket yawned and stretched, but his arm bumped into a stone corner. With a start, he looked around, remembering where he was. The coffin left a slight scuff on his arm, so he spit into a hand and began to buff it out.

  Cricket found Jesh with the mouseling now curled up on his lap. Her eyes, however, were open, and she watched the insect with a look of curiosity on her face.

  Cricket waved, and the mouseling hopped onto the floor and scurried over to sit by him, cozying up against his shoulder.

  She still stared at him, almost unblinking for a while. Long enough that the insect almost asked if she were okay, but the mouseling spoke first.

  "I don't feel bad," she whispered softly as if confused, then yawned too, baring her tiny teeth.

  The druid’s eyelids still flitted anxiously, in a deep but agitated meditation.

  "That's good," Cricket said and patted her on the head.

  "Did I do good?" She asked earnestly.

  "What? Oh, yeah, you did great. You really shut him down." Cricket sat up straight. "But it was... really a disaster, otherwise. I think, overall, it was a huge loss.''

  "But I did good?"

  "Yeah... but you did good. You did great."

  Patches smiled, but then suddenly seemed preoccupied by a memory. She stared very seriously at the insect, and said, "He said I had... Tal's men."

  "Who said that?"

  "Licephus. He woke up to tell me."

  "Oh, that sounds important. Let's see... yes, I remember. Tal was a great mage. Rudran, I think. He could ensorcell a hundred men at once. Even his greatest foes. Mesmerized them! Captivated them!" Cricket said.

  "I don't know those words," Patches said softly.

  "Did he say 'talisman,' little one?" Jesh joined.

  "Jesh! You looked like you'd sleep forever!"

  Patches wiped her whiskers with a paw. "What's a talisman?"

  "Like a necklace. Often magical."

  "Oh!" Patches said in evident panic. "No, I didn't take it..."

  "You're not in trouble," Jeshu assured her. "I'm just trying to help. Did you take a talisman that didn't belong to you?"

  "No, but I did," she answered slowly.

  "Which is it?" Cricket asked.

  "I didn't. But I tried not to."

  "Little one," Jeshu replied as tenderly as possible. "That doesn't make sense. If you want help, then you need to be honest with me."

  "And you won't get mad?"

  "No, I won't get mad," the druid assured her.

  Patches watched him closely as she waved her tail along the dusty floor.

  Finally, she said, "I didn't take it from a mummy."

  "And where is it now?" Jeshu asked.

  The mouseling unconsciously looked out toward the annexed shell high above them.

  "Is it there?" Jeshu asked. "In the shell."

  Patches nodded, but looked on the verge of tears. "But you can't get it. If you touch it, then it will come after you too."

  "What will come after me?"

  Patches considered her words. "The mummy and... the shadows. And it makes Licephus mad. But he never got mad before."

  "Where did you see Licephus?"

  Patches pointed at the sarcophagus. "He climbed out to get mad at me, but then he climbed back in."

  "Ah," Jeshu said, in comprehension. "I see. And he told you he wanted the talisman?"

  Patches nodded almost indiscernibly. "And Pip wanted it too. He tried to get me."

  "Mouseling," Jeshu said in a comforting tone. "Can you show me where the talisman is? I can remove the curse."

  Patches made a troubled sound. "Will I get to keep it?"

  "No," Jeshu replied. "But It will make Licephus happy, and it will make Pip happy, and it—"

  "It will make him like me again... Pip?"

  "Yes," the druid assured.

  "Okay, but if he bites me, then I'll turn into a zombie."

  "No, no... you're thinking of vampires. And he won't bite you anyway."

  "You promise?"

  "I promise."

  Patches inhaled deeply, then darted toward the hall. And when she was almost out of sight, she turned and waited for the others.

  On the way to the top of the tower, the group ran into a red-eyed Scorpion, sitting next to the cages to the upper levels. He held a paw over his empty eye socket as if he were stanching blood.

  "You look awful," Cricket said bluntly.

  "Haven't slept."

  "You really should," Cricket encouraged.

  "I tried, idiot. Too much adrenaline from the fight."

  "Do you mean you actually haven't slept?" Jeshu asked. "Usually when someone says they haven't slept, they mean that they didn't sleep well."

  "I mean that I haven't slept. Where are you headed?"

  "To the annex," Jeshu replied. "Is anyone operating the lift?"

  "No," Scorpion replied, and I've been here for a couple hours."

  "That's odd."

  "Maybe it was El'Lick's shift," the ratling joked morbidly.

  Without warning, Patches darted up the wall and into the counterweight shaft. Cricket risked a quick look up the shaft. He could see about two floors up, but the mouseling was already gone.

  "Well, I guess we should get in," Cricket said.

  Jeshu climbed into the cage and almost immediately a click resonated from above and the lift began to rise.

  In a panic, Cricket leapt onto the outside of the rising cage, and turned to look at the ratling, as if to invite him, but Scorpion already snored softly, his head bobbing.

  The lift rose more slowly with Cricket's added weight, but eventually the grinding of gears stopped and they arrived at one of the upper landings where Patches waited patiently.

  "Did I do it?"

  "Yes, you did it," Jesh replied. "We could have used a little more time to get in the cage."

  Patches nodded nervously, while the druid looked at the rope bridge two floors above him.

  "Are there any lifts near here?"

  "No," Cricket answered. "They're on the far side. It would take longer than climbing."

  Jesh let out a brief sigh. "I don't really understand azaeri architecture. There's nothing near here," he griped as he made his way to the stairwell.

  "Um, I really only see the azaeri use the lifts to go up. They like to just glide down."

  "That almost makes sense, but why build a lift here, just to glide back down?"

  "I've seen them do it. Because if they're at the top of the tower, they can get anywhere easily."

  "Then this lift should go to the top," Jeshu stated as he began to climb the stairs again.

  Jeshu, are you free?

  "Not at the moment."

  "What?" Cricket asked, confused.

  "Oh, sorry. I meant to say that to Oydd."

  Not at the moment. What do you need?

  A... medical checkup of sorts. When could you come to the lab?

  I'm nearby. Is it urgent?

  No.

  I don't think I'll need much time, Jeshu thought. I'll contact you if it takes longer than expected.

  Jeshu felt the link close without another thought from the rudra.

  The insect stopped a bit short of the rope bridge, while Patches already waited on the far side.

  "I'll um... do you have anything for vertigo?"

  "If it's really from your compound eyes, can't you just close them?" Jeshu reasoned.

  "I don't have eyelids."

  "I realize this is off topic, but how do you sleep?" Jeshu asked.

  "Well, I can't see, just because I can't close my eyes, if that's what you mean. I definitely dream, and when I'm dreaming, you couldn't wake me up by... waving a hand in front of my eyes, for instance." Cricket crept one inch closer to the ledge.

  "You're sure you're not just scared? Because I actually can help that."

  "No. I'm not sure. I don't really get what emotions... other people feel. I... bet this is fear," Cricket said unconvincingly.

  Jeshu smiled. "I have an old blessing that I used to use to inspire confidence in new soldiers."

  "A grace?"

  "It's actually a little different, but you can think of it that way. Like a Grace of Bravery."

  "Really?"

  Jeshu nodded. "Shall I try it?"

  Cricket sighed. "Yeah, I'm already getting a little dizzy."

  Jeshu stepped close to the insect and placed a hand directly atop his head. "Close your eyes."

  "I can't. We... just talked about that."

  "Oh, sorry. Concentrate on the task."

  Cricket slowed his breathing. He felt a calming feeling begin to spread through him. Oddly, it started in his chest and spread to his arms next. Then finally his mind relaxed.

  "Oh, that's nice. I feel like I could jump off and it wouldn't bother me."

  "Well... don't, obviously. But I'm glad you feel better. Shall we go?"

  Cricket nodded and started across the bridge a little too fast. Almost immediately he toppled sideways into the hangers and reached out with all four arms, grabbing in different places. He stooped forward onto his knees and began to crawl along the planks—though not in a terribly straight line.

  Jeshu walked to his side. "Does it help if you look up?" He offered the insect an arm.

  "I don't... think it was fear after all," he said as his cheeks began to swell and he suddenly retched over the side. Despite the dizziness, Cricket looked over the edge of the plank, curious which way the wind was blowing. He yelled out at some soldiers stationed below. "Sorry!"

  Jeshu helped him to his feet, and the insect wobbled alongside him, leaning into his shoulder and looking upward.

  When they reached the far side, Cricket darted into the spiral hallway and plopped on the ground, panting.

  "Surely, you're being a bit melodramatic."

  Cricket lifted his arms up before his face where he lay. "I... see two of everything. And they're not even moving in the same direction. Left arm right... right arm up. And I'm sitting perfectly still. Arms shouldn't be moving at all."

  Patches leaned in close and kissed him on the forehead.

  "Thanks, Patches, that helps."

  Cricket rolled over on his side.

  "Are you falling asleep?" Jeshu asked.

  "What? No. I'm resting."

  "When you roll on your side like that, you're usually asleep in minutes."

  "What? Really? I hadn't noticed, he said, yawning.

  Jeshu waited fairly patiently for a minute, then asked "Should we go on without you?"

  Cricket didn't answer, and a few seconds later he began to chirp.

  The druid sighed. "Come, little one. Or rather, show me the way, and I'll follow."

  Patches kissed Cricket again softly on the cheek then scurried down the hall.