Clashes of Wills: The Assembly of Thirteen

By Omayra Vélez

In a bizarre twist of events, Callo falls into the Cavern of the Righteous and emerges elsewhere from a forgotten cave. His leg is still broken, but Mishami carries him into an impressive land full of both sublime beauty and vicious horrors. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Omayra Velez
• Release date: Mar 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781532397509

Omayra Vélez

Omayra Vélez has been a scientist, researcher, teacher, Army Officer, but now she is retired and finally has the time to write. The years in the Army gave her the opportunity to travel around the world and gather wonderful experiences, which she now uses to write her books. For now, she lives in Florida and she is enjoying the sunny beaches of Florida. The warm waters make life blissful. Currently, she is a busy bee writing her books and working on making a family greenhouse. Her life is full of crazy fun with her service dog Dexxy.

Book preview

Clashes of Wills

The Assembly of Thirteen III

BY

OMAYRA VÉLEZ

Copyright

Clashes of Wills, The Assembly of Thirteen series book III Copyright © 2018 Omayra Vélez, all rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced wholly, or in part, in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means, including within information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. Exceptionally, reviewers may quote brief passages not exceeding 0.5% of the whole, which may be pertinent to their reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Vélez, Omayra, author.

Title: Clashes of Wills, The Assembly of Thirteen series, book III/ Omayra Vélez

Description: Florida: Omayra Vélez, [2018] |

Series: The Assembly of Thirteen

Identifiers: ISBN 978-1-5323-9749-3 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-5323-9750-9 (eBook)

Subjects: Quetza Empire (Imaginary Place) – Fiction. | Fantasy

Fiction. | Epic fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / Fantasy / High. | FICTION / Action & Adventure. | FICTION / Science Fiction / Adventure.

Classification: LCC- TXu 2-128-048

eBook ISBN 978-1-5323-9750-9

hppts://www.omayra-velez.com

D

edication

There are people who are born with an innate magic to treat all people with love. Then there are these special individuals who obtain an extra special type of magic as they age. They become Fairies of all things wonderful. I was lucky to have two ladies who were born Fairies. However, the moment they became Grandmothers they transformed into the Queens of Fairies.

This book is dedicated to the Memory of one of my Queen Fairy Grandmothers:

Amparo Feal-Luciano

You took a piece of my heart!

February 1, 1924 – March 21, 2019

Acknowledgments

I want to say thank you to my Aunt Emily Luciano who helped me name this book. I also want to thank my sisters Di, Awi, and Maro. They always have the right words to say when I most need them.

Map of the Empire of Quetza



Table of Content

Copyright

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Map of the Empire of Quetza

Woe of the Land

Part 1

The Land in Between

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Part 2

Sometime Things Don’t Go as You Plan

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Part 3

Bad Things Happen, and June Has to Curse

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Part4

And Finally, June Gets Her Way

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Part 5

A Path Worth Taking

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Assembly of Thirteen, book IV: Promises of War- Teaser

Appendixes

Athany Chain of Command

Cast of Characters

Glossary of Terms

Time Line

Tolenko Family Tree

Falesto Family Tree

Biography

The Woe of the Land



The first plague came and went leaving a flesh infestation, red ulcers and eyes swollen in pain. A blight upon the land during the days of Cartaneo Falesto, and like a thief in the night, took the lives of many. An invisible demon who linked to the flesh of the people of Quetza as they worked during the day and caroused at night. The fiend, with no name, took the will of those people who gave it admission—through ignorance, pettiness or weak-mindedness. Every step they took away from doing what is right, hiding behind excuses, doing or saying things the self-righteous claimed they would never do, gave an entry portal to that demon. As the people slept, their dreams were laced with the touch of that cold, unholy hand, stealing the future of many generations.

There were exceptions. A few people lived with the ancient knowledge of the Helathy. They remembered the justice upheld by the Athany, the way of the Assembly of Thirteen. And then there was the Tolenko family. The one family who vowed to separate from the practices and proclivities of the ruling Falesto Emperor, from all which was false, separation from the lies that indoctrinated the people and all that was imposed by the nobility. Every year the Tolenkos chose to refresh those vows and lived in a happy knowledge of truth.

The second plague left hidden evil on the land, but the inhabitants did not notice the shadows lurking in the corners of those mundane objects in every corner. The shadow had eyes looking, cursing. All in the Empire had one, maybe two sets of watchful eyes tracking, following, hunting them. Man, woman and child, all had a follower—watching the bad, the wicked, the downright evil, hearing whispers of things they should not say or were not supposed to do. Whispers of the things they claimed they did not want to do and knew were wrong, but they did anyway. Things that made life easier, brought pleasure, and were made real by their weak dispositions.

The third torment to the land transpired, but only the Fairies noticed. The Red Trees slowly disappeared and with them the magic of hope. The Fairies, who cared for the trees, died, insane, alone. Little by little the Humans of Quetza lost the ability to summon the hope connected with the innocence of childhood. One lonely tree survived for a last stand, to give the final hope. Maybe if all thirteen in the assembly would make their choice. Four woes and four Champions, each one holding a new hope. Maybe only the one with fire could break the bond or the one with a twin could give life to what once was whole, a new assembly.

The fourth woe was upon them. The manifestation of which might result in the loss of will needed to make change. The will that comes with knowledge and understanding to initiate the transformation. The metamorphosis desperately required, to make something strong. The Blue Trees held that determination, or will, to change. Elusive Fairies guarded the Blue Trees’ life forces. Their protection from harm at night. The magic that holds on to the land.

The first Companion Judge, the Blue Judge, comes out of the Queen Blue Tree, linking, loving, protecting all life through sheer will, alone. June Dunbar was not afforded choice. She never knew of her magical inheritance but was pushed into the tree and transformed into a Blue Judge. The changes infused attributes, of strength, magic, and that will to fight and take, to give. June became the incarnation of the land’s will, of power to create or destroy. She carries strength, and June walks in silent might. She holds the will to create, to find hope, find love and find faith. June creates and forms unity. A power given to June, to hold close, and use.



Make things new, break all that is old, hold what is good, destroy evil and create with Hope, Love and Honor, and Faith, if so, you choose my June. You have the magic of the land, the Athany, and the Fairies. Use the magic wisely my beloved child. Thus, whispered the Queen Blue Tree directly into June’s mind, while the metamorphosis was undertaken. The Queen Blue stood tall and gave her all to this one Blue Judge. The last Blue Judge, for she would not create any other if the other younger Blue Trees were destroyed throughout the Empire.



Run and conquer, protect and shield, hold the arms of the Blue and fight next to the Black and Green. I gave you a link to the past through the strength and stamina of your family. Be more than you think you are, hope is yours to give. For your life gives new hope for an Assembly. Love without question, it’s your choice my Kara. The last Red Tree, the Father tree looked at his Champion and he was proud as he merged with her mind. The mighty daughter of Peneas Ter Kushtaneo was his to nourish. He was the last Red Tree, so there was still a glimmer of hope.



Use your hands, use your feet, cast the wicked asunder and make the world anew. Do it all with your helper. You are our greatest creation. Destroy and rebuild; lift the land and place the mountains at the feet of the charges. The Maker gave you a guide of honor and we made her double the Vessel. Let your will stand for Love and Honor, our beloved knight, Karlos Visante.

The Black Father Spire looked to the sunset, his thoughts full of hope for his mighty Black Companion, the fighter, the child born in a box, designed to destroy all boxes full of evil.



Look at me. I am here, waiting for you. Choose me. I am good. I am worth it. Please choose me. Turn around. Please don’t go. There is so much we can do together. There is life in me. It is true, life will not be easy. You must fight for your price. You must have faith. You will give faith. You may die in the end, but if you choose me all can start new and many will live. We can join the other three and be magnificent. Be my Champion, please.

So, begged the lotus flowers, the Lily pads, and the Lily of the valley—all the flowers in the fields and the greenery everywhere, kept alive by the waters in the land. They cried, they pleaded and wept, and the man turned and looked at them all.

PART 1:

The-Land-in-Between

CHAPTER 1



Callo in Darkness

In the deep recesses of the Cavern of the Righteous, Callo woke to total darkness. His Shadow Demons gone, there was no light to reflect and make demons. There was only darkness. His broken leg was hurting; the fight had made his leg injury worse than it had been back at the stone village. He touched his surroundings trying to find any weapons. Nothing, but the effort made the pain in his head throb.

Callo was not a man given to hysterics, his father described him as astute and methodical. He never allowed emotions to rule his life. Other than hate and contempt, emotions were pushed to the side. Emotions be damned! But in this dark cave, he lost his will and was succumbing to a flood of those unwanted emotions. Loneliness and darkness made his mental shields collapse, a secret he kept in his heart. The prospect of dying alone in darkness became a reality. He was going to find out what was on the other side of the lake of the dead.

Knowing these were his last moments, Callo reviewed his life’s achievements. Wars won, women conquered, powers attained—bought from the Beckon witches, his father’s wishes sometimes satisfied, and many properties won or purchased. He had acquired great wealth and was feared by many in the land, but for what? He had no friends. His sisters both hated and feared him, and Gallo … His brother was an evil part of him that needed to be hidden.

His mind took him to his childhood. Could he have done anything different? The answer was becoming clear to him—maybe! His hatred for his brother motivated him to keep going every day. His brother’s desire to be Emperor forced his hand, making him do many things—some of which he regretted. Maybe more than just some.

Often, Gallo tried to kill him and his sisters.

But you keep your friends close and your enemies closer, said Callo out loud.

So Callo stayed near Gallo and witnessed his brother’s atrocities. He tried to restrain Gallo when he could, but mostly he bided his time while waiting for the perfect opportunity to kill that monstrosity created by his father’s own evil ways, or maybe Gallo was simply born that way.

So many years wasted. Frequently, there was no choice but to follow Gallo or die alone, and he needed to survive. He wanted to live. To live, maybe even find peace or at least find someone he could like enough to want to stay with for a while. Or maybe not. Callo liked women a little too much. He liked them all regardless of who they were; women were for the taking. He liked to fuck and he had many young women, some more willing than others. Then the reality of his surroundings hit him again. He was going to die alone, inside a cavern dark as pitch.

I am still alive. Think of something else, said Callo to himself.

He changed his attention to the sounds of the place. There was a drip, clop, clop, a drop in the distance. The sound of the wind way above at the top of the cavern. He listened intently, but he could not hear any sound from the tronto that attacked him and fell with him.

Callo hated waste. The death of the magnificent tronto who fought him was a waste. An animal that beautiful should have had a more dignified death: to die in battle and then receive a proper send-off on a large pyre, offered up to the god of wild animals.

The tronto must have died in the fight. He tumbled with me into this spiral of the cavern. Perhaps I landed on top of the tronto, just like Opal landed on top of me when we fell down the cliff. How on Vanyan did I survive that fall? If memory serves me still, the animal belonged to the female Athany they called Oliver. Callo tried to keep his mind busy.

Life was unfair. Why did beautiful things have to die in such a horrid fashion? He then considered his sisters. They were such amazing beauties. He thought of Casandra with pride, but also with pity. His baby sister was so unlucky to have Gallo as a brother. She was the one Gallo hated the most.

Corry was smart. She stayed away from Gallo as much as possible. But he still found ways to catch her alone and that was never good for Corry. Sadly, it now appeared that the unnatural demon, Gallo, would be his father’s only choice for an heir.

One of his sisters could only ascend to the throne if his father made one of them his heir apparent and no male offspring contested their claim. It would be up to Cassy and Corry to kill Gallo. A near-impossible task since they both were linked to his dammed brother. Gallo had to die.



Callo was immersed in his own thoughts when nearby Mishami awoke in a bad mood. The tronto wanted nothing more than to kill the man who posed a threat to his mistress. She shook and stretched. Her body hurt all over, but she was ready to kill. She could smell the Human was injured—one bite is all it would take to separate his sorry head from his shoulders. She opened her eyes and with her exquisite eyesight, she found him. Mishami considered whether to bite his head off first or if she should mangle his broken leg a bit and then chew him up, a little at a time. She was readying to pounce when a voice told her.

« STOP! »

Mishami had to obey. She had no choice but to obey.



Callo heard the animal moving, gnarling and breathing heavily. His instinct was to grab a weapon, stand and try to defend himself—maybe attack first, to give himself the element of surprise—but he had nothing at hand. There was nowhere he could move to or reach, and with a broken leg he could do little.

Callo loved knives, but against a tronto?! The only weapon that would stop the animal would be a long, sharp sword or maybe even a blunt weapon, if it was heavy and powerful enough. He had neither of those—nothing but sarcasm to throw at the animal if it was alive in the cave with him. And him talking out loud would only agitate the animal and make her destruction of him more painful than it would otherwise be.

Kill me, please! Make it quick. I know you can see me in this darkness. You might be able to get out of this cavern, but you could kill me first, said Callo.



But Mishami could no more kill him than she could talk. The voice had commanded her. It put her in her place. She was compelled to obey, so she just stared at the man she wanted to maul.

Callo trembled in a corner and Mishami sat there watching and curling her claws. The animal wanted to attack, but she could not. So Mishami did what the Voice demanded of her to do next.

« Take him to the other side. »

Mishami calmed and waited. She did not want to obey, but she had no other choice. The Voice was all powerful. After a minute she approached him, then sniffed him from head to toe, and then simply stood next to him. Callo moved hesitantly and Mishami sniffed him all over again, slowly the second time, starting at his feet and moving up. She took her time to learn his scent. This was a man who had darkness within him. He was easy pickings. She could eat him easily, but the Voice was clear. The command was:

« No, do not bite him. Do not harm him. He is Mine. »

So, after committing his scent to memory, she just stood next to him, waiting for him to take the next step.



After moments of waiting for death to come in the form of the tronto biting his head clean off his body, Callo was amazed when nothing happened. Mishami then shocked him further when she did something entirely unexpected. She nudged him with her snout and urged Callo to stand. Trontos did not behave like that. Her actions were not normal. But Callo responded to her actions by using the wall to push himself up to a standing position. Once he was near enough upright, Mishami moved herself under him and lifted Callo onto her back. And she moved forward. Callo could not believe what was happening. Why was this animal helping him? He had been fighting both her and her mistress only hours earlier. But he didn’t give voice to any misgivings.

The tronto walked through the caverns as if she had lived in the darkness all her life. She turned left and then right, they went up and up, following a path that only she could see. Callo was riding the tronto. With what little energy he could muster, Callo held on to the beautiful tronto’s fur and stayed the course. Maybe the tronto was going to return him to her mistress. Callo expected the tronto’s attack, her anger, her hate, but this action was incomprehensible.

Callo fell asleep. Even with the pain in his leg, his body was in desperate need of rest and he could not keep from losing consciousness. A few hours later, a light started to appear in the distance which woke Callo and he watched as the radiance increased. He prepared himself to be taken prisoner by Pop Tolenko and the large Athanys, Randal and Oliver. He knew he would regret his attempt to kidnap the Teacher-Magi. His mind was resigned to the consequences of his actions, and even his desire to serve and please his father faded with his need to survive.

But the light became ever brighter, hurting Callo’s eyes. He covered his eyes with the neck of his shirt, trying to adjust to the increasing brightness. When they exited the cavern, Callo found himself in a valley of majestic beauty.



The cave opened to a world where golden trees lived. The forest was a mass of many different trees. They were of an incredible incandescent green shade as if the leaves were lit from within and of the most amazing height, the likes of which he had never before seen. In addition to the golden ones, there were also red, blue and purple trees; a clear river crossed the valley, with many creeks and rivulets, and various rocks sticking out at random. As the tronto moved through the forest he heard birds chirping and the breeze rustling the leaves—all the sights, sounds and subtle movements combining beautifully in a colorful variety of life. He could smell pine trees and the gentle aroma of many flowers.

The tronto walked slowly through the forest and Callo noticed that the sounds combined to make music, as though it was created by a new type of instrument. The birds chattering and the gentle breezes, the steady flow of water and an occasional splash, all carried a beautiful melody. Mishami brought him to the edge of a river where the waters were flowing softly, but then he noticed the rocks were different. As the water splashed over the rocks, the rocks sang. There was the source that harmonized all the other sounds and lifted the melody. It was coming from the rocks in the creeks and the riverbanks.

He looked all around and admired the scenery. Callo, like all the people of Quetza, believed the Red Trees had all been destroyed. But here he counted seven fully-matured Red Trees and many more in the process of growth. There were golden birds perched on the Blue Trees making a most striking picture. Callo was still riding on top of Mishami’s back when the tronto stopped by one of the creeks to drink water. She hunched lower to reach the water and Callo was able to climb off. The sky was clear blue with fluffy, snow-white, candy-puff clouds dotted around, and a cool breeze gently wafted through the valley. It is not often a person can see nature in its purest form, but here was Callo, in a dream-like valley of utter perfection.

Callo descended from Mishami’s back and lowered his hand to the water to share some of Mishami’s creek water. He was very thirsty.

Yuck, warm water! spat out Callo. He could not believe that despite the water being so warm, Mishami was drinking it as if it was icy cold elixir.

He crawled to a nearby tree and settled to try and understand what just happened. He was a Prince of Vanyan, recently bested in battle by Athanys and a tronto. He fell down a cavern, further damaged an already broken leg, but he was still alive. And then the animal who had fought him and had reason to kill him, instead carried him to this most magnificent valley that technically did not exist—at least he’d never seen it on any map in the entire Quetzan Empire.

If his father ever found out about this place his chances of being Emperor would be secured. The magic in the air was all encompassing, he could sense it with every breath he took. As Callo admired the forest and creek, a colorful cloud of fluttering insects slowly rose from a nearby bush and started surrounding him. It was a cloud of butterflies, their wings decorated with every color in the world. Callo could see butterflies of all different sizes, shapes and colors as they surrounded him. They fluttered over him and settled, turning him into a statue of butterflies. He tried to softly shoo them away, but they persisted, fluttering around and resettling again, despite his attempts.

Soon, the butterflies were accompanied by tiny birds that looked like humming birds, but these birds were colored silver and gold. After a few more moments of trying to shoo the insects and birds away, Callo sat completely still, looking and being enthralled by the birds and insects and the scenery all around him. As he was sitting against the tree, he started hearing a strange sound in the distance. The sound was getting nearer. He tried to guess what it was. What could be making the sound? First it was a shuffle of movement, then a ruffle of what might have been feathers. It sounded to him like a million sheets being dragged over the grass. The birds in the forest were singing a loud song of welcome.

As the sound grew louder and nearer, Callo tried to see what was making all the ruckus, but it was coming from too far behind him. He rolled over and pushed himself away from the tree, but the butterflies and birds held him in place. The light from the sky brightened further, blinding Callo once more. He sat sideways on the ground covering his eyes again, but once he adjusted to the light and looked up, he saw an enormous blue wolf who appeared from behind the trees.

Accompanying the blue wolf was what looked like a red henfo. Then a colossal black panther followed, and at the rear was a green and yellow tronto. These four majestic animals were then flanked by eight horses, but not your average horse. These stallions were as large as Clydesdale draft horses and all were white from head to hoof, with just one colored patch over their snouts. Two of them had a black patch over the front of their heads, two had blue markings, another pair had red and the last pair were marked with green patches.

Callo looked at these creatures, but he could not believe what he was seeing. The sight alone was astonishing. But as the animals fanned out around where Callo was sitting, a man walked out from the brush. He was old and had weathered skin. The man appeared to be a peasant, maybe a poor farmer. He wore a straw hat, a brown pair of pants, a white shirt with the sleeves rolled to the elbows and no shoes. He walked with one hand resting on a walking stick and in the other he held an apple that he gave to one of the horses. The animals parted making space, as he walked between them, all the while patting one animal and rubbing the fur of another, and finally he stopped and stood in front of Callo.

"I see you have been blessed by the creatures of change and persistence. What are you doing in my valley?" asked the peasant.

After the man spoke, the butterflies and the birds slowly left Callo. Callo looked up, but between the straw hat throwing shadows and the blindingly bright sky behind, he could not see the man’s face.

That tronto brought me here. Where are we in Quetza? I have never heard anything about a valley like this, said Callo, looking around the valley.

The peasant laughed with a happy and clear voice. He stared at Callo. Then said.

"This is the Valley of the Golden Spine. What are you doing … in my valley?"

Irritated, Callo eyed the insolent man as best he could under the circumstances and decided to give the peasant some latitude. Callo wanted his question answered. There was no valley named Golden Spine in Quetza. And how could it be that a valley belonged to a peasant? No lowlife would dare speak to him in such a fashion. Callo was about to spit out some nasty reply when all twelve animals behind the peasant growled, howled, snarled or whined. The animals startled Callo with their threatening postures and he quickly reconsidered his reply.

I don’t know why I am here? I don’t know where ‘here’ is, said Callo, readjusting and reclining against a tree. As he was sitting on the ground, without weapons, injured, he knew he was at a total disadvantage.

The man smiled, revealing a full set of pearly white teeth, but Callo could still not see his eyes.

Fine, like I said you are in the Valley of the Golden Spine and it is not on any map of Quetza. This place is the-land-in-between and you are here to learn, said the peasant.

Callo’s curiosity was piqued, but he saw that maybe this might be his chance to persuade the man to help him fix his leg. He would then call his Shadow Demons and escape.

Your magic will not work in this place. And I will not help you with your leg. I will let the others teach you though, said the peasant.

Callo could not believe what he just heard. The man read his thoughts. Fear touched Callo for the first time since he entered the valley.

There are many different types of fear. There is a good and reverential type of fear before a god. There is the fear that keeps you alive in a potentially dangerous situation. There is the fear that helps you avoid doing stupid things, like jumping from a ledge, and there is the fear that comes in the night from things that are about to kill you. Fear was not a stranger to Callo, but here he felt something different. It was a fear of the kind wrought by the idea I may never leave this place alive. This is the end of the road, type of fear.

Tronto, carry him and follow us, said the peasant to Mishami.

He then turned and walked back through the waiting animals. Mishami sat down next to Callo, allowing him to ride her once more. Things were surreal for Callo. This tronto should hate him and want to kill him, but instead she was helping him. In truth, she looked disgruntled and not very happy to be helping, but at least she wasn’t biting his head off.

As the peasant walked alongside Mishami, all twelve of the animals followed them. The scenery changed, and Callo could see mountains on the horizon and a waterfall with an emerging rainbow. He saw little trickles of water, and what looked like Sprites and Faeries hiding in the distance. Callo swore he could see Koddy and Lavei children hiding behind boulders, but then, it all could be his imagination. After all, he did hit his head when he fell down into the cavern.

The place had so much water all around. The water splashed on rocks and the resulting drops turned into little round, bouncing, childlike creatures that grew legs once they fell on the ground, and would go off running until they disintegrated. It was sad to see them disappear as if their life lasted, but a few seconds and their sole purpose was to bring wonderment to those who watched them being created. The final hours of daylight dispersed, turning into rays of light of the most brilliant shade of orange. As the light waned, the sounds of the day faded, being replaced ever so softly by the magical sounds of dusk.

It was a mesmerizing view, and Callo was lost in this magnificent spectacle of color and sound. As Mishami followed the peasant, Callo’s eyes followed the splendor of the-land-in-between.

CHAPTER 2



Cliff and Clifton Tolenko

As the tronto followed the man, Callo realized they were getting farther away from where the cave was located, and Callo worried about his exit from the valley. The peasant had not asked Callo if he wanted to stay. He told Callo he was there to learn and made the assumption that Callo would stay. But Callo had to resume his search for Seamus. If he wasn’t going to capture the Gift-Vessel, he at least needed to find Seamus for his father. He could not stay in the Valley of the Golden Spine, the-land-in-between made little sense. He needed a healer and a horse. His mission had not changed. He still needed to find Seamus.

The peasant kept walking deeper into the forest until they reached a cabin in a clearing of meadowland, surrounded on all sides by very large trees. When Callo saw the humble cabin, his first instinct was to feel amusement at the man’s outlandish statement that the valley was his.

The peasant lives in that squalid house among all this magnificence. So much for him owning this place, thought Callo.

Mishami had followed the peasant’s instructions to carry Callo. Once they arrived at the dilapidated house in the meadow, she stopped and dropped Callo as if he was a sack of potatoes. She was clearly frustrated at having to carry the man.

"You had enough of