As the day passed they caught other glimpses of life, but nothing large or threatening. Most of the animals were completely unrecognizable, but did not seem dangerous or threatening. Remembering all of the warnings that he had been hearing about the Wastes, Joel finally caught up to Jared to ask him about it. “I thought the Northern Wastes were dangerous,” he said quietly to the Prince. “I haven’t seen anything larger than a rabbit.”
Jared smiled, but didn’t relax. “Oh, there are things out there, SongMaster. We just don’t see them. Between sheer luck and the skill of our guide, I think, we’ve avoided contact. If it stays this quiet it’d be almost too much to ask.”
The rest of the day was actually uneventful, bearing Jared’s words out. Frayne called a halt before darkness fell, and he and Withers picked out a campsite set against a small mesa that would afford some protection should they be attacked during the night. Withers gave Athena and Bowen explicit instructions concerning what sort of animal might be safe to hunt, and they left after being admonished by Jared not to stray too far. “I’d rather eat roots and berries and jerky the rest of the trip than lose you two because you just had to hunt something,” he told them. Joel gathered firewood with Step and was able to light a fire almost casually.
The hunters returned empty-handed not long afterwards, so Withers explained to everyone what could be eaten and what to avoid. “Almost everything above ground, save fruits and berries, is poisonous,” he told them, “and berries are not in season. Stick to roots and what you have in your packs.”
“Is it the air that makes the plants bad?” asked Step.
“Aye,” answered the old man. “Roots are not exposed to the air, and berries are not exposed long enough to become dangerous. But because many of the roots are bad as well, I need to see what you pull. You are better off sticking to what you brought, if you have any doubts.”
“Makes me wonder what the air’s doing to us,” Step said to Joel about thirty minutes later. The two men had gone searching for roots as the sun sank below the horizon. “We’re breathing the stuff, after all.”
“I guess that’s all the more reason to get the Duran and get out of here as fast as possible,” answered Joel. Though he responded flippantly, he was troubled. Something about the Wastes was bothering him, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. It was almost as if he recognized them, but he could not remember from where. He was also bothered by the lack of food and water, and he had, like Step, wondered about the air quality and what effect breathing was having on all of them.
Shaking his head, he continued to look for the clover-like plant that Withers had described to them. Finding a likely specimen, he bent to pull the stalk. Suddenly the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. At the same moment, he felt something pass overhead.
He whirled around and looked up in time to see a creature that looked like a pterodactyl pass about fifty feet overhead. It was huge, with a wingspan of twenty feet or more. A narrow head sprouted from a short neck that led to its shoulders and wingspan. At the rear end of the body was a tail that Joel guessed was probably about six feet long.
Unable to help himself, Joel gasped. As if he had screamed out loud, the thing’s head jerked toward the ground where Joel and Step were standing, and it began to bank, circling around for another pass. Step, who had been watching the thing as well, cursed. “Come on!” he yelled at Joel, and began running for a stand of trees about thirty yards away. Joel dropped the few plants he had managed to collect and sprinted after him. The flying creature let out a piercing scream and dove towards them, picking up speed.
Reaching the trees, they frantically made their way toward the middle of the copse. Joel fully expected to feel the thing’s claws in his back at any moment. Step finally stopped, and the two of them turned to face their adversary. The creature had landed in the clearing they had left but had not entered the stand of trees. It looked very unwieldy on the ground, and was clearly too large to pursue them.
Step grinned at Joel, panting. “It’s too big to fit between the trees. Now we just have to wait for it to give up and leave.”
“I’m surprised it landed at all,” said Joel, also struggling to catch his breath. “It looks like an aerial predator, not a ground hunter.”
“I guess we looked too good to pass up.” Step clapped Joel on the back. “You’re more of a mouthful than I am.”
Joel shook his head, smiling in spite of the fear. “How long do we wait for it to go away? It’s getting dark fast, and I’m not keen on staying out here alone at night.”
“As long as we have to, I guess. Sooner or later they’ll miss us – I just hope they don’t walk up to that thing unawares. Unless –”
“Unless what?”
Step pointed at Joel’s guitar, slung in its usual position on his back. “You want to take a stab at it with that thing?”
Joel considered for a moment. “I don’t know, Step. I don’t know what will affect it, and I don’t want to start something I can’t finish. I’d prefer a little bit of backup before I take on a beast that size.” Step raised an eyebrow, and Joel finished, “I am still sort of a novice, you know.”
Step shrugged. “I think you can take it, but I trust your judgment, so we’re going to have to wait until it leaves. I don’t want to try to cut around it and get lost. Keep an eye out for other things in here, though.”
As it turned out, they didn’t have to wait long. As soon as the sun sank below the horizon, the beast backed away from the trees and took off, struggling to get airborne and then disappearing into the dark sky. Joel wondered if it was afraid of something still bigger that hunted the ground during the night. He realized that following that line of thinking would get him nowhere except frozen with fear, so he pushed the thought out of his mind and followed Step back to camp.
Frayne wasn’t pleased at their empty-handedness, but seemed to forgive them when they related what had happened. Withers recognized the creature from their description, calling it a Dracorth. “They don’t normally land,” said their guide. “They don’t do too well on the ground, and there’s lots of other things that’d be more than happy to take a bite of ‘em.” According to the old man, the one Joel and Step had seen was average-sized.
It was getting late, and Joel was still tense from the encounter with the Dracorth, so Fender suggested he skip his magic lesson for the evening. After a meager supper of jerky and a few roots that Luana and Bowen had found, everybody moved to their respective bedrolls and drifted off to sleep. Step had first watch, and promised to wake Joel when it was his shift. Experience had shown the party that it was easiest to have Joel take the late watch; his inexperience at telling time using the stars meant that often he kept watch all through the night, since he didn’t know when to wake his relief.
It seemed that he had barely closed his eyes when he was jolted awake by a scream. His eyes flew open and he bolted upright, looking around to see the source. Gaen and Frayne were already up and running toward the south end of the mesa against which they had made camp. Doing a quick head count, he realized that it must have been Luana who screamed, since she was nowhere to be seen.
That was when he saw the snake. Easily the size of Earth’s biggest anaconda, the pitch-black constrictor was coiled around Luana’s body. She had been lucky to get the scream out, since it was obvious that the snake was quickly squeezing the breath from her lungs. Only her head was visible; the rest of her body was wrapped tightly by the snake’s coils.
As he approached he realized exactly how big the snake was. The coils wrapped around Luana were at least as thick as Joel’s own body, and it appeared as though less than half of its length was needed to completely engulf Luana’s body. As it squeezed, the snake kept Gaen and the other would-be rescuers at bay by snapping at them, showing dagger-like teeth almost a foot long. Frayne was trying to strike with his sword but was having no luck getting past the snake’s defenses.
Joel realized they were going to have to do somet
hing quickly. He knew Luana couldn’t long survive the crushing pressure. Now Jared and Gaen had joined Frayne in trying to wound the snake, but it moved with incredible speed, and they were having no luck.
He was dimly aware of J’Mart floating next to his head, shouting at him. He turned to the Ramiken. “What?”
“I said grab your guitar, music man!” said J’Mart. “Nothing else is going to work, unless Fender has something up his sleeve!” Joel could see that Fender was indeed mouthing a spell, but he knew that his magic would be a welcome support to the other magician.
Just then there was a hiss followed by a dull thud, and the snake let out a hissing scream as an arrow buried itself in its body just below the head. Joel turned and saw Bowen already notching another arrow, looking for a clean shot. He was obviously afraid of hitting Luana, but was losing valuable time looking for an opening. Suddenly he saw one, and released the arrow. The arrow entered the snake’s mouth and the tip emerged from the top of its head. Almost immediately the creature shuddered, gave one last squeeze, and then collapsed. Its coils hit the ground, along with Luana’s limp body. She didn’t move.
Sheathing his sword, Frayne ran forward, ignoring the death spasms of the snake, and knelt next to Luana. He touched her face, and then felt for a pulse. Everyone was quiet, watching him, until his shoulders noticeably slumped. When he turned away, the expression on his face said it all.
Withers was the first to break the shocked silence. “’Twas a Wist,” he said quietly. “They are strong and quiet and fast.”
“I should have heard it,” said Step, shaking his head ferociously. “I was alert. I was watching. I should have heard it.” Guilt was written all over the man’s face, and his voice was cracking a little.
“Don’t beat yourself up, boy,” said Withers. “A Wist is hard to detect. They usually aren’t found in this area of the Wastes, but a lot of strange things are happening lately. It’s not your fault.”
“No. I should have heard it,” repeated Step. He backed away and sat next to the fire, a blank expression on his face.
For his part, Joel was in shock. He was reeling from the adrenaline, and now a sense of guilt was beginning to seep over him as well, adding to the sorrow that was quickly sinking in. Why didn’t I grab my guitar? I might have been able to save her. I could have killed it, or released her, or…
Still looking at the still form of their friend, Joel slowly sank to the ground, unsure what to do next. Unlike Oren, whom he had only known for a day or two, he and Luana had become friends. She had told him about her fiancé, and her plans to have children someday. She had been quick to laugh, and was one of the few people who was able to joke with Frayne. Although she had not pretended to understand his magic, she had treated him as an equal and a friend. He missed her already, and was having trouble believing that she was dead.
He didn’t know how long he sat there before Frayne spoke up. “All right, it’s over. Nothing more we can do for her. Let’s get this snake garbage away from camp and tend to her body. Step? Snap out of it. Nobody else heard anything either. I don’t think you would have heard it if you were right next to it. Nothing we could have done. Now get moving!”
His voice provided the impetus for everyone to move, and the spell was broken. Joel, Bowen, Gaen and Step pooled their strength and managed to pull the snake off of Luana and away from the camp. Once they had its body laid out full-length, Joel estimated it to be thirty-five or forty feet long. It was midnight black in color, and its eyes had vertical pupils like a cat’s. It was obviously a nocturnal predator, and Joel guessed it would have been hard to spot even if Step had been looking for it, regardless of its size. Even in death it was a frightening sight, one that Joel felt he would be seeing again in nightmares.
While they moved the snake’s carcass as far away from camp as they could so as not to attract scavengers, Fender and the others arranged Luana’s body in a more dignified fashion and covered her with a blanket. Withers suggested strongly that they wait until daybreak to bury her, since the nocturnal predators were much more dangerous than the daytime monsters. Frayne followed that with the suggestion that everybody try to get some sleep, but they all agreed that nobody would be sleeping that night. Quiet filled the camp as each person became immersed in his or her own thoughts.
Joel was staring into the fire when Jared sat down beside him. “How are you doing, SongMaster?”
Joel glanced at him, then back into the fire. “I’ve been better. You?”
The other man shrugged. “I’ve lost a fair share of comrades, and it never gets any easier. You can console yourself, however, with the fact that she died the way she would have wanted.”
“Crushed by a Wist?”
“No, I mean she died in action, not in her bed. It’s all any of us ask.”
Joel sighed. “That may be so, and I suppose I understand it, but it doesn’t make it any easier. She’s still gone.”
The Prince turned to him with a thoughtful expression on his face. “Don’t think we are not grieving, SongMaster. We each do in our own way. Tell me: You are not a warrior in your world, correct?”
“I don’t even like to get into fistfights.”
“So perhaps your unfamiliarity with death makes it more difficult. The others of us, even Fender, have dealt with death often, and so while it is never welcome, it is not unknown.”
“Is it harder when you know them? Because Oren’s death affected me, but not like this. But then, I barely knew him.”
The Prince gave him a half-smile, an expression Joel was starting to become familiar with. It was an expression that fit the Prince’s sardonic view of the world. “Of course it is harder,” answered Jared. “But we have a mission to complete, so perhaps we should hold our mourning until our business is complete. I think our companions would want it that way.”
“I’ll try,” said Joel. A totally unrelated thought struck him, and he looked more closely at Jared. “What’s it like being a Prince?” he asked him. “You don’t act like I expected a Prince to act.”
Jared smiled again. “And how did you expect me to act?”
“I’m not sure. I guess I expected you to be more distant – more aloof.”
The Prince shook his head. “Perhaps a different Prince, in a different land,” he said, “but I am not that way. It is hard to rule wisely and justly if your people can’t approach you with their problems and suggestions, and even complaints. Even my father is a somewhat intimidating figure, and I don’t feel he is aware of everything in his kingdom that he should be.”
“And you would change that?”
Jared nodded. “Aye. When I am King, I shall be more accessible than my father, I hope. Assuming we all make it through this little journey alive, of course.” He looked up as Fender sat down next to them. “Well, magician? Any news?”
Fender’s face was drawn; whether with sorrow or fatigue, Joel couldn’t tell. The wizard pulled out his pipe and proceeded to puff softly before he answered. “I have good news and bad news,” he said, “but I think we all should hear this.”
Jared stood up and clapped his hands, attracting the company’s attention. “Gather around, please. Our esteemed wizard has news, he says.”
When they were all gathered around the fire, Fender spoke. “In the interest of completing our task as quickly as possible and hopefully getting out of the Wastes alive, I conducted the locator spell again,” he said. Joel could see Frayne’s ears perk up. “There was… resistance,” Fender continued, “but I have managed to succeed. The good news is that I know where the Duran is located.
“The bad news, however, is that your Highness showed some foresight, whether you meant to or not. The Duran is located in the ruins of Vertton Crags.”
Withers stood. “If that is where you are headed, I will lead you to its walls, but no farther. I will not enter that cursed place.”
Frayne snorted, but said nothing. Fender continued. “I don’t know anything more specific about its
location, only that it lies within the city walls. I may be able to determine more as we approach.”
Jared spoke next. “So do we know how well – or even if – it is guarded?”
“Doesn’t really matter, does it?” asked Bowen. “We’re headed there, one way or the other.”
“Aye, but, like his Highness, I would like to know what’s waiting for us when we get there,” said Gaen. “My instincts tell me it’s not going to be a matter of strolling in, grabbing the book and leaving.”
“Of course not,” said Frayne angrily. “Do you really think the thief would steal it and then leave it unguarded for any fool to find? No, mark my words – there will be something guarding it – something evil.”
“Fine,” said Gaen. “At least we have a destination now. Means we can move with a purpose, and hopefully get out of here sooner. I don’t want to lose anybody else if I can help it. In the morning, after we take care of business, we move.”
With that, the impromptu council broke up. Frayne volunteered to stand watch for the rest of the night, and everyone else retired to his or her bedroll. Joel didn’t expect to sleep, but he did manage to doze fitfully until daybreak, his broken dreams filled with images of giant snakes.
When morning came, Frayne didn’t have to rouse anyone, since most of them were up already. As soon as it was light enough, Step and Bowen fashioned digging implements out of some branches and managed to dig a shallow grave. The others found rocks, and together they managed to make a passable cairn for Luana. Frayne said a few words about her sense of humor and her bravery, but his words sounded hollow.
Watching the occasion, Joel got a little misty-eyed, but held his emotions in check. J’Mart was sitting on his shoulder quietly, and cocked his head. “When this business is over,” Joel told the Ramiken, “I’m going to give Oren and Luana a better funeral than we could do here.”
“Good idea,” said the little man. “They would like that, I think.”
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