by Billy Wong

She took a bigger gulp.

"You have to wait a bit."

"So I shouldn't have drunk that much?"

He looked at her and grinned. "Actually, I'd say drink a little more. You're huge!"

"How far have we walked? Are we almost there yet?"

"We should be . . . you okay, Rose?"

"I'm fine. Though if we don't find any treasure, I'll feel pretty stupid for walking this far with a gut wound!"

Timmy frowned guiltily. "Sorry for making you walk."

"It's okay. Say, didn't your map say something about a huge, twisted tree?"

"Yeah, the treasure was supposed to be underneath there."

Rose pointed ahead, where an unusually massive ash tree with wildly contorted limbs towered high into the sky. "I think we're here."

"Wow, that's a big ash."

Just then, Rose heard voices ahead of her. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but the presence of men out here put her on alert. "Wait here," she said.

"Huh? What, you're going to sneak up on those men?"

"Yeah. I want to get a sense of what they're doing here."

"You think they're treasure hunters, or what?"

"I don't know. But I'm hoping to find out."

She ducked low and crept slowly forward, keeping her body tucked behind bushes and trees. Soon, she could make out distinct words. "But none of our lures have worked, and today is the crucial day! We must go and find a suitable sacrifice, now!"

Another voice argued, "But if we act, we risk discovery. You know we would be wiped out if we were to reveal ourselves."

"If we do not act, we will have to wait three years for another chance!"

A third voice spoke out. "It's your fault our sacrifice escaped. You should have kept more of us on guard over her!"

"Well, none of you wanted to do it!"

Ritual, luring, human sacrifice. It was more than enough to make Rose wary. She began to turn back--only to bump into Timmy, who had crept up behind her. He yelped.

"Who's there?!" one of the voices demanded.

"Timmy!" Rose admonished with a harsh glare. "I told you to stay back!"

"What's going on?"

"Ah-ha!" a robust blonde man in long robes said, stepping into view. In his hand, he held a long, curved knife glowing a sickly green. "Looks like today's our lucky day!"

Timmy stared. "Are you saying there's no treasure?"

"Treasure? I see it, boy! You're just the kind of lad we need!" Behind the speaker, four more men appeared.

Rose stepped between the men and Timmy. "Stay back. I'll take care of this."

"What are you talking about?! I'm a fighter, too!"

Oh, right. Hey, she was used to protecting people targeted by the enemy. She did feel glad that Timmy wouldn't just be dead weight. "Okay, come on. Let's keep these guys from sacrificing any lads."

A man charged, slashing carelessly at Rose's face. She parried the wild blow and reversed her stroke, half severing his arm. Her gut wound flared up in agony, but he fell away screaming. A second man stabbed at her neck in nearly the same instant as the first's attack, but she leaned aside and drove the metal rim of her shield into his gut. He doubled over, and she smashed the back of his skull. The ring of metal against metal told her Timmy was fighting another man--the one with the strange knife, she realized.

She rushed the last two enemies, cutting away the head of a spear and shouldering down its wielder. The other man slashed at her with his axe, but she blocked with her shield and stabbed him in the side. He stumbled back, screaming as blood gushed between his fingers. His partner began to stand, but Rose chopped down through his collarbone and into his ribcage. He flopped back down, dying.

The wounded man managed to raise his axe and rush her, blood streaming from his mouth. She struck at waist level, nearly cleaving him in half, but as he fell he swung one last time. Rose leaned away, but the blade grazed her scalp and ripped it open. She grimaced, putting her hand to the profusely bleeding wound. The pain in her gut continued to grow, and she doubled over. She had surely popped a few stitches. Suddenly, she realized the sounds of Timmy's battle had stopped.