by Everson Cook
Kaateria and Belosic gracefully cleared the wall and the group made their way deeper into the woods.
After trudging through the woods for what felt like forever to Damon, he threw himself down on a boulder.
"So, I guess now we know why it's called Blackheel Forest," he said as he looked up at the trees.
He took his boots off and shook out the rocks. He examined his heels and found that they were in fact black.
"It was the most obvious choice for a name."
"I thought it was because most men who venture into these woods try get through it so quickly that their heels eventually turn black from their feet burning up," Belosic said.
"No," Damon said. "That can't be it."
It had been barely an hour since the group had left the village. And the slow progress could be attributed to Damon continually stopping. Although, Damon wouldn't agree to that undeniable fact.
"How much further?" Belosic asked.
"Not much," Damon searched the horizon. "You see that rock formation over there?"
Kaateria looked to where Damon was pointing.
"Yes."
Above the treetops was a tower of rocks. It seemed completely out of place given the rest of the landscape in that direction. On top of the tower was a giant boulder that was large and bulbous on one side and then tapered off around the middle into a narrower, longer section.
"That's where we're going."
"That really reminds me of something, but I can't quite put a finger on it," Kaateria said.
"It looks like a di--" Damon spit out.
"Dragon," Kaateria snapped her fingers, interrupting him. "Yep, that's what it is. Like the skull of a dragon. Probably an angry dragon."
"No, no, no," Damon shook his head. "It looks like a di--"
"Club," Belosic interrupted. "Like something you'd grab onto and bang someone with."
"No," Damon shouted. "It looks like a great big di--, Damon cleared his throat in frustration making what sounded like a drawn out hard "k." Or the hacking up of a hairball. "You know what? Forget it. You want it to be a dragon, or a club, it doesn't matter. Just know that that's where we're going."
"So, that will take us until what, before night fall at this rate," Belosic said.
"Exactly," Damon said.
"And, that's where the ring is?" Belosic asked.
"Nope, not at all."
Belosic slapped his palm against his head in frustration.
"But, it will reveal the location," Damon said.
"Ok, but it must be close to there," Kaateria said. "Unless it reveals something that provides further instructions."
"Like a map," Belosic said.
Damon slipped his boots back on.
"Something like that."
Then Damon got back on his feet and the group continued walking in the direction of the rock.
They reached the base of the rock tower as the sun started to set.
"Ok, this is it," Damon said. "We made it in time."
"In time for what exactly?" Belosic asked.
"You see that hole?" Damon asked.
There was a hole in the boulder that rested at the top of the tower. If the boulder was in fact shaped like a dragon's head, the hole was located where its eye would be. It ran through from one side to the other.
"Yes," Kaateria and Belosic said.
"Great. Keep watching it," Damon said.
Damon searched the area and found a stump to sit on. It was large enough that Kaateria could sit on his lap. Damon offered it up with a couple of slaps.
"I'm good," she said.
"Your loss. We're going to be here for a while."
Damon rested his back on the remains of the trunk that angled out behind him. Then locked his fingers together and put his hands on his belly.
"This is going to be really exciting," Damon said. "I mean, I'm going to really miss you guys. Well, Kaateria. I'll really miss Kaateria. But it'll be nice to finally get these chains removed and be able to hold my sword again. I really miss my sword. More than I'll miss you guys. Well, you know, except for Kaateria."
"So, how much longer?" Belosic asked.
"Any minute now," Damon said.
The sun continued its descent. Until it eventually passed by the boulder and fell beneath the tree line.
"Well?" Kaateria asked.
"Where is it?" Belosic asked.
"I don't get it," Damon said, sitting back up. "This is exactly where we're supposed to be."
"Ok, no more secrets. Explain to us what was supposed to happen at this point," Belosic said.
"Well, you see, the sun was supposed to pass by the boulder. When it got in-line with the hole, the rays would pass through it. Where the beam landed was where we were supposed to find the entrance to...The Devils' Cave."
Damon made an eerie noise like that of a ghost.
"And how exactly were the beams going to go through it?" Kaateria asked.
"What do you mean?"
"We're on the wrong side," Belosic shouted. "We need to be on the other side."
He threw his arms up toward the boulder.
Damon blinked a couple times in the direction of Belosic. Then he looked at where the sky was still glowing. Then up at the boulder. Then to his two companions. Then back to the sun. Up to the boulder. Then back to his companions. And then finished it all off with a couple more blinks.
"Oh, yeah. That definitely would have made much more sense. Maybe we're not too late?"
Damon waited, expecting Belosic or Kaateria to go and check. They both crossed their arms and stared back at him.
"Ok, ok. I see how it is."
Damon sat up a little further. He went so far as to lean forward. Neither Belosic nor Kaateria moved.
"Are you sure neither of you want to check?"
"Go!"
Damon got to his feet and sprinted around to the other side of the tower. It was the fastest Kaateria or Belosic had seen him move. It was actually pretty impressive and totally unexpected.
After a surprisingly long amount of time Damon slowly walked back around. He sat down on the stump, finding it still warm from before, and leaned back against the trunk.
"So?" Kaateria said.
Damon sighed and crossed his arms. He looked like he was settling in for the night.
"I want to thank you Damon," Belosic said.
"You're welcome. But, really either one of you could have done it with the same results. I'm really not sure why I had to go."
"No, not for that. I want to thank you for getting us this far and for explaining how to find the ring. Because now that I know how to find it I can say good-bye."
"What are you saying?" Kaateria asked.
"I'm saying good-bye. I... I thought I just said that."
"Great. Finally. I've been waiting very patiently for Kaateria and I to be left alone. It took you a while, but I'm glad you eventually came to your senses."
"Yes," Belosic said. "I will be leaving you two alone. To die."
Belosic drew his sword.
"That was," Damon said, "totally unexpected."
"I'm sorry," Belosic said to Kaateria. "But I'm going to need your blade."
"What? Why are you doing this?"
"Honor."
"How is leaving us out here to die honorable?" Kaateria asked.
"Good question," Damon chimed in. "Really good in fact."
"I'm not doing it for my own honor. But for the honor of my queen."
"But Flenshorn doesn't have a queen," Kaateria said.
"Yes, and who's fault is that?" Belosic scoffed.
They both turned and looked at Damon.
"What? I didn't kill her," Damon said. "Not literally anyway..."
"King Glendorrys can always find another woman to become his queen. Maybe one more virtuous."
"But it won't be my queen," Belosic said.
"You're not making any sense, Belosic," Kaateria said.
"I'm a Gonstonian!" Belosic shouted.
Kaateria gasped.
"No, that can't possibly be true. I've known you for years," she said in disbelief.
"I was embedded within Flenshorn at Nortia's birth. She would grow up to become queen. It was foretold. And I was to protect her. But I--"
"Failed!" Damon cackled. "Wow, that is amazing. You had one job and you--"
Belosic placed his blade under Damon's chin cutting him short.
"Say it again. Go on. I dare you."
"I wasn't going to say anything," Damon said, doing his best to speak while preventing his Adam's apple from moving.
"That would be a first," Belosic said. He pulled his blade from Damon's throat and aimed it at Kaateria.
"I am going to need that weapon now."
"Over my dead body," Kaateria said.
"I was hoping it wouldn't come to that."
"I'm assuming I get a say in this as well," Damon said. His arms raised as he tried to get their attention. "I would also prefer it wasn't over her dead body. Let those perky breasts have a chance to lower to her knees. Also, if we could keep my body alive as well, that would be greatly appreciated it. I just, well, I have a lot of fans. And I really enjoy my life. What with the women, and the drinking, and the, well, the women..."
Kaateria drew her blade and got into her fighting stance. She held out one hand and flexed her fingers beckoning for Belosic.
"Is that such a great idea? Last time you fought someone you almost died."
"Listen to the man, Kaateria," Belosic said.
"There's nothing to listen to. I'm not giving you my sword. End of discussion."
"How many days have we trained together? And you've never beaten me."
"I said--" Kaateria lunged.
"End." She swung her sword. Belosic was taken off-guard, but recovered quickly enough to block it.
"Of." She swung again from the other side. This time, ready for the backswing, Belosic blocked it with ease.
"Discussion." Kaateria faked a swing. Belosic moved to block it leaving himself open. Kaateria jabbed with her freehand hitting him squarely in the jaw.
Belosic stumbled backward. He crouched down. Then he swiped the back of his hand across his mouth. Belosic looked at it and started to laugh. He glanced up at Kaateria and smiled. Blood coated his teeth making them a dirty orange.
With a growl, he pounced at her. His swings were fast and powerful. And they came at her from multiple angles.
Kaateria stayed on the balls of her feet and avoided the blows as much as possible. She knew from practice fighting with Belosic that the more she tried to block them, the quicker she wore down.
Usually it wasn't a problem. He would wear her down. She would cry mercy. Then they would go to the tavern and he would buy her a pint. Over a few rounds, they'd go through the fight blow by blow and talk strategy.
When asked, she would credit Belosic with how far she'd come as a swordfighter. She never imagined she would find herself in this position.
She switched her sword from her right hand to her left. It was definitely her weaker hand, but she knew it was harder for Belosic to defend.
Belosic spit some blood on the ground. He dug it in with the tip of his boot. Then he switched his sword hand as well.
They charged at each other. Their blades clanged as they exchanged blows.
After a few more swings, Kaateria again caught Belosic off-guard. This time she hit him with an elbow as she spun through his swing
Belosic spit some more blood onto the ground. Again he chuckled. His eyes flashed with excitement.
"Give me your blade Kaateria," he requested calmly.
"No," she shook her head.
Belosic laughed.
"Give it to me."
"Last time I checked, you were the only one bleeding."
Belosic smiled.
"We've done this dance before. We both now how this usually ends."
"Usually," Kaateria said. "But not today."
"Um, Kaateria," Damon said.
"Bless the Gods!" Kaateria shouted. She continued shifting from one foot to the other. Waiting for Belosic to use the distraction to his advantage.
"Don't look now--"
"Why would I?" she asked, keeping her eyes trained on Belosic.
That was when she heard the snarl. And felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
32
"A rentaur," Kaateria hissed.
She slowly twisted her body so that she could see it in her peripheral vision. She kept her blade trained on Belosic.
The rentaur stood on all four legs next to a fallen tree. It had two pointy ears that stood tall and straight on its head. They twitched from side to side as it listened for movement. The ears had tufts of white hair hanging from them similar to that of an old man who had given up on their days of chasing women. It had sharp, yellowish eyes with black slits for pupils. It had two short fangs on the bottom of its mouth and two long ones that curled outside of it. It had a a reddish-black nose that sat on a scrunched in snout that looked like it had taken a solid punch.
The rentaur eyed the scene before it with hunger. The scent of blood having awoken it from its slumber.
It slinked forward silently, its padded paws muffling any noise. Its tail swished with each step. On the tip of the tail was another tuft of fur. It touched the ground tracing lazily in the dirt. To some, it might look like lines made with no precision. But to Damon, it looked like the rentaur was drawing its plan of attack. Damon was pretty sure at least one of those was of him losing his arm. And then another was of the rentaur eating that arm. The rentaur made eye contact with Damon.
"Did anyone else see that thing wink at me?" Damon asked incredulously.
The rentaur flicked its tongue out and ran it over its tusks before turning its attention to Kaateria and Belosic.
If Damon had been asked at that moment, he would have confessed some jealousy for the rentaur's tongue, the length of which Damon knew would drive any woman wild if wielded correctly. Unfortunately, at that moment Kaateria and Belosic were too busy worrying about their lives and watching for the rentaur to make a move for them to ask. Damon made a mental note to mention it at a later date. If there was one.
The rentaur paused. It let out another piercing howl. The slits of its pupils enlarged as it anticipated the humans' reactions with some excitement. Then they contracted just as quickly.
The rentaur tilted its head. It squinted its eyes as it checked to make sure that what he thought were flesh targets were actually flesh targets. It was unsure why none of them had run. It wasn't something that usually happened.
It howled again. A little more drawn out. A little louder. It made sure to bare its teeth and turn its head to the side, so that they were easier to see. Incase that was part of the problem.
Kaateria readied her sword. Belosic, with Kaateria standing between him and the animal, rested on his.
The rentaur's howl sounded like it ended on a question. Damon was pretty sure he saw it shrug.
And then it pounced.
Kaateria stepped aside avoiding a collision with the beast as it landed. The rentaur skidded as its momentum carried it forward. It retracted its claws. It looked from Kaateria to Belosic trying to determine which one would be the easier target. Then it saw Damon. And licked its lips. But not in a sexually hungry way like Damon was used to. It was more like in an actually hungry way.
"Oh, come on," Damon said with disbelief.
He scanned the area looking for something that he could use as a weapon.
Then he saw it. Or felt it, actually. With the tip of his boot. It kind of hurt. And he wondered why it hadn't dawned on him earlier.
Damon dug his toes under the four foot long branch and flicked it into the air. He snatched it out of the air with both hands. He hefted it a couple of times checking its weight. It was as close to perfect as a branch standing in as a sword could be. He smirked with satisfaction.
"Haha!"
Damon
began spinning the branch. He moved it from hand to hand. He rolled it between his fingers. He twirled it faster and faster until it became a blur. The rentaur could feel the wind from the branch blowing its whiskers back against its fur.
"Show off," said Kaateria.
"Come on fur ball," Damon said as he snapped the branch straight and, holding it in both hands, aimed the tip at the rentaur's face.
The rentaur approached Damon cautiously. It watched Belosic and Kaateria out of the side of its eyes. They remained at a safe distance. Because they were wise. And wanted to live.
When the rentaur was within striking range, Damon swiped the branch at it. The movement was barely perceptible. In fact, the rentaur hadn't seen it coming.
The noise, however, was quite audible. There was a loud crack. And a scream of triumph. The rentaur cried out in pain. It took a step back. It touched its paw to its face. It pulled it away and saw blood. The creature howled.
It turned and looked at Kaateria and Belosic who remained where they were because they hadn't changed their minds on living.
Damon, meanwhile, began twirling the branch again.
The rentaur moved toward him a little quicker than before. Like before, Damon readied his weapon. The rentaur closed in. Like before. And also, like before, Damon swiped at the creature.
However, unlike before, there was a different result. And this took everyone by surprise. Well, almost everyone. Except for the rentaur.
This time when the rentaur approached and Damon swiped the stick at it, the rentaur swiped back at the stick. With its claws fully extended.
The branch shattered. And Damon was left holding the short end.
"That would explain why I didn't try that earlier," Damon said as he tossed the stub aside.
Damon's eyes bugged out as the rentaur's paw, and more specifically the claws, came dangerously close to his face. Damon dove out the way, barely escaping another injury The rentaur skidded to a halt and quickly recorrected its position.
Damon rolled over on his shoulder and popped back up onto his feet. The rentaur, fully aware of the fact that Damon was the only one not armed, charged even quicker than before in his direction.
Damon leapt up on the trunk of the tree that he had previously been using as a seat and started to climb to what he hoped would be safety.
