Mark of the Fool

Chapter 9: Telling the Truth

No, thats suicide. Theresa grabbed his hand.

Not if our Chosen friend cleared the forest as well as he said he did, Alex insisted. Think about it: you take Selina the safe way, while I slip in there before the core can make more monsters. I dont need to fight anything, I just need to sneak through until I come out somewhere. The Mark can help me sneak, at least it can do that.

Somewhere? Theresa shook her head. Her grip tightened. Thats your plan: somewhere? Alex, that could be on the continent, or somewhere in the northern seas, or in a cave to the west, or another dungeon, or the capital, or right in front of The Ravener for all you know. Besides, one of those spiders would kill you if youre alone.

Ive got no choice and Im not taking Selina in there. So thats why you need to take her, Theresa. Please.

Alex. She shook her head. Youre not thinking this through. What do you think shes going to say when you wake up tomorrow morning and run into the cave with all the horrible monsters?

Ill leave tonight.

You can barely stand. Her grip on his hand was so tight that it hurt. "Your eyes are closing as Im talking to you. I couldnt find my way through the forest in the dark even when Im fresh. You wouldnt stand a chance. And besides, Selinall wake up and find her brother missing: what am I supposed to tell her?

His jaw hardened. That youll meet me in Generasi City.

Youre the only family she has left. Shell try and follow you. Shell kick and scream. Shell try to sneak away. I know I would if I was her.

The young man frowned as Theresas merciless reasoning piled on.

And, she pushed. Suppose I get to port without you and run into someone from Alric, maybe even my family. People know you and theyre going to wonder what happened to you. Theyll talk and then itll spread around that someone who turned eighteen the day The Heroes were revealed just disappeared. Youll put them on your scent.

He grimaced. She was right, leaving his sister behind didnt mean keeping her safe. That monster had taken Theresa, Brutus strength and his magic to defeat it; if another one came along, he needed to be sure that Selina had every bit of protection, including from himself.

So what do you suggest? he asked.

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She glanced down to the sleeping girl. We make for the cave together. All of us. Ill search for some herbs in the morning; I might be able come up with something for those spiders.

His lips tightened. Bringing Selina thereif something were to happen to her-

Her other hand clasped around his. I wont let it happen, Alex, I swear. Shes the closest Ive ever had to a sister, and together, we wont let anything happen to her.

He paused, staring into her eyes. alright. Well all go to the cave together and check it out. If it seems dangerous, then well think of something else. He drew a deep breath. Now lets try and get some sleep. Im dead, and itll be a long day tomorrow.

Coille woods gave no sign that there was anything amiss.

Sunlight fell between lush tree branches and onto a healthy undergrowth of ferns and wild herbs. Birds trilled above, and a cicada let off a loud, grinding call in the distance. The air was fresh and cleanthough Alex thought he detected the scent of blood beneath the forest smells. He wasnt sure if he was imagining it or not.

Brutus padded ahead of him, swivelling his three heads and sniffing the air; he seemed determined to make up for his failure to detect the enemy the night before. Selina was quiet. Her tiny hand gripped his tightly.

Are you sure its safe this way? she asked for the tenth time.

Of course, he told her. The Chosen made all the monsters go away, so it should be safer this way.

Butwouldnt going by the road be faster? Her head swivelled almost as constantly as Brutus. She drifted closer to her brothers side.

Maybe, but we dont know if therere more monsters coming out on the road. So well just go through the forest and then come out further down. Okay?

She gave him a long look, and nodded silently. In truth, she probably suspected something was wrong, but hed deal with that later. For now, he just needed to keep her safe. In the distance, Theresa scouted ahead with an arrow nocked on her bowstring. Sometimes shed stoop and quickly cut some sort of herb from the undergrowth. Her movements were so practiced that even these pauses took only moments.

As the day wore on, the undergrowth thinned and she took no more plants. Rocks began to dot the forest floor, and Alex could feel the ground start to slope upward. Through the trees, he spied a massive hill rising from the earth and reasoned that they might be getting close.

Theresa raised a hand, calling them to a halt. She crouched in the undergrowth and crawled forward, peering up the hill. Eventually, she waved them toward her.

Were here, she said as they drew up beside her.

Alex peered through the trees.

Here, as it turned out, was the bottom of a lonely hill in the middle of the woods. It was ancientlike most hills wereand covered in sparse patches of undergrowth like a balding mans last few hairs. From its centre, a massive cave-mouth yawned wide.

Both Roth siblings gasped.

This had been a place of recent violence.

Animal bones were scattered across the sandy rise just below the cave. The bones had been picked clean. Even from their distance, he could see the impressions of massive tooth marks etched into many.

The owners of those teeth were shattered all over the sand.

Cedric had obviously passed through here on his rampage. Silence-spiders lay everywhere; some had carapaces crushed by massive blows, others had heads pierced through by stabbing weapons. Others had been blackened by massive fire-blasts, and the earth had been scorched with them.

Look at the size of that one. He pointed to a massive beast. The headless corpse dwarfed the others, and he doubted that his own head would even have reached its shoulder. Its claws looked able to snip a small tree trunk in half.

At least theyre all dead. Theresa squinted at the cavern.

It was difficult to believe that this place had become a spawning ground for the Ravener; without the bodies, it looked to be no more than a common forest cave.

Theres lots of tracks all over the place, she continued. Butit doesnt look like theres fresh ones. Look at the blood and ash; theres no prints in them. Nothings walked there that I can see. Brutus?

The cerberus sniffed the air, pointing his three snouts in different directions. He gave no sign that he smelled anything out of place. Then again, what had dwelled here were creatures that gave no sound or scent while they lived, so one couldnt be sure. Not completely.

W-why are we here? Selina had pressed herself so tightly to her brothers side that it was like she was trying to hide beneath his cloak. I dont like this place. Where are we?

Her wide green eyes searched his for answers. He paused, considering what he should do. On the one hand, he wasnt sure how she would react if he told her now: not only did he have the worst of The Heroes Marks, but he was also fleeing the kingdom. Some would charitably call it deserting his duty. Would she think that? Would she grab his hand so that he could join the other Heroes, excited that her big brother was one of the people she made figures of?

Or would she be disappointed that he had ended up with The Fool? Would she sulk?

He steeled himself. It was time to tell her, no way around it. Before, when it looked like they could slip quietly onto a ship, it would have been fine to wait until they were out of Thameland altogether. Even though she might still have reacted badly, at least they would have already been in the clear.

Now, on the doorstep of an active dungeon, it would be too dangerous and unfair to keep her in the dark. Growing suspicions had a habit of making people act in unpredictable ways, and she needed to be close and safe.

Selina, he began, dropping down to one knee and facing her at eye level.

Y-yes, Alex? Her grip tightened on his cloak.

Again, he paused. This time he tried to focus The Mark on telling little girls bad news. Unfortunately, nothing came back; even if that was a skill, he had no successful memories to draw from. Typical.

You know my birthday was yesterday, right?

Yeah

Well. He took a deep breath. You know how we left early, before the rest of Theresas family?

Yeah.

Its because. He searched for the right words. Well, its because your big brother discovered something on the night before last thats dangerous.

Dangerous? Her lips quivered. Youre not going away are you?

No, but some people might want me to go away from you. And Id be going somewhere dangerous His words trailed off.

Selinas head had lowered more and more and her entire body trembled. Though her mop of brown hair had fallen to hide her chubby face, he knew she was fighting back tears.

Y-You, she stammered. Did you get The Fools Mark?

He bit the inside of his cheek. Yeah, thats right.

They fell silent, though he could hear Theresas breathing and Brutus panting behind him.

I thought something was funny, Selina said slowly. You were acting weird when we were walking on the road. Andwhen you were talking to Cedric your hands started shaking.

Alex blinked in surprise. He hadnt even noticed.

And then you and Theresa were whispering last night.

His eyebrows rose. You were awake?

She nodded silently. Buthow can you be The Fool? Her face shot up; her chubby cheeks had washed red while tears and snot ran from her eyes and nose. You can use magic! I saw it! You cant be The Fool! She started to sob. M-my teacher said The Fool cant use magic! S-she said that The Fool dies most of the time!

Hey, hey, Theresa scooted up beside Alex. Remember what Mr. Cedric said? Did he think The Fool was useless?

N-no, Selina sniffed. But he said he has to protect The Fool or hell get hurt! Alex, dont go! She jumped into his chest suddenly, clinging to his shirt. Dont go, dont go away, please. ItI dont want it to be like mum and dad.

Alex grimaced. That stung.

Im not leaving you, Selina. He wrapped her in a tight hug. Were going to the big wizard city together, and Im going to buy us someplace to live, and youre going to go to the best school, and see all the sights there, and nobody is dying. Okay?

She sniffed. Promise?

I promise.

Selina sobbed quietly against his chest.

Good. Now, if were going to go together you have to be very brave, okay? He pointed to the cave. Do you remember The Cave of the Traveller from school?

She nodded. P-people go in and then come out in different places.

Thats right. He patted her back. Were going to use that to get out of the kingdom, and were only going because Mr. Cedric got rid of all the monsters that were in the forest. But, well only go in if you want to. If you cant, or if you dont want to, then well turn right around and find another way. Hows that?

Selina swallowed, pulling away from Alex and giving the cave a long, fearful look. She gave a silent nod. L-lets go.

Theresa smiled at her and her entire face softened. Thats a brave, brave, brave girl. She reached past Alexs shoulder to pat Selina on the head. Dont worry, Ill protect us. And Brutus will too.

The cerberus looked over with one of his heads. Theresa smiled and scratched him behind an ear. Alex chuckled: she was taming both beasts and children at once.

And I can pull my own weight. He flexed his skinny muscles and posed in front of Selina. Im a mighty magic-user, after all!

Despite herself, a small smile started to form on the little girls lips.

Alright, heres the plan. Theresa opened her sack of herbs and drew out a strange plant with leaves that were silvery underneath. Wormwood.

Bug repellant? Alex raised an eyebrow. You think itll work on those monsters?

She shrugged. They looked like bugsI think its worth a try, and theyre going to smell us anyway. So, we might as well use what we can.

Wait...isnt that also called stinkweed?

Yeah.

Isnt it called stinkweed for a reason? Yknow...because it stinks?

Theresa gave him a look. How much do you think the inside of those spiders bellies stink?

He winced. ...yeah, okay, bring on the stinkweed.

She drew out a mortar and pestle. Ill crush the leaves and add water to make a juice that we can rub over our skin and clothes. She drew an empty water-skin from her pack. Well put the rest in here: and well need to reapply it every hour or so. Her eyes flicked back toward the cave mouth.

The opening was quiet and unassuming, but the darkness ran deep.

Hopefully, we wont be in there very long.

Alex gave the cave a long look. With the travellers magic in it? Who knows? I just hope that its empty.

They stood in silence for a few breaths.

Right, lets get started. Ill help grind the herbs; well need all the juice we can get. He stood up. After that, lets hope our luck holds out.

Wormwood stank, Alex confirmed. A lot. Stinkweed was a perfect name for it.

As he wrinkled his nose, he wondered if that was the reason insects stayed away from it. Brutus had sneezed from all three snouts too many times to count as Theresa had coated him in it, while Selinas face had scrunched up like a tiny, miserable dried cranberry.

Even his forceball seemed to be shying away from him, though he was sure that impression was all in his imagination.

Probably.

Done. Theresa said as she finished rubbing the smelly stuff over herself. She put the rest of the juice into a small spouted pot and poured it into the empty water-skin. Alex had used the forceball and memories from The Marks guidance to help crush the plants into a juicy paste before theyd combined it with water.

Theresa checked herself over, making sure that her arrows were straight and that her great-grandfathers sword was loose in its sheath.

Your parents arent going to like that you took that. Alex noted.

If it keeps me alive, and I tell them thats what great-grandfather would have wanted, Im sure theyll let me live. You ready?

He adjusted his pack and checked over the magic circuit one final time. It was strong and stable; it had only taken him a couple of tries to form the circuit this time. Good. He was starting to get used to The Marks interference. Starting to. Hopefully, he would get even better with time.

Ready. He nodded, then glanced down to Selina. And you, little goblin?

Selina raised her scrunched up little face and eyed the cave ahead as though it were a live beast ready to gobble her up. I-Im ready.

Wow. He doubted hed been half as brave at that age.

He carefully took her hand in his own. Then, no sense giving the core more timelets see what well see.

Together, with Brutus taking the lead, they stepped toward the darkness awaiting inside the Cave of the Traveller.