Nikali waited another moment. He needed to hear a sound. Quickly he grabbed a block of cheese from his pouch. He dropped that into the canyon. Like the pebble before it, there was no sound. The cheese had not landed.
“Nikali, let’s go,” shouted Heric. Nikali broke from his trance. He saw that the others had finished crossing the bridge. They all waited on the other side.
He brushed away his annoyance with the canyon and walked the rest of the way across the bridge. There was nothing further he could do. He joined the rest of the group. Forman gave him a peeved looked before he turned to address the entire group of travelers.
“We are officially outside of the Eluan Empire. Whatever you were over there means nothing out here. There are dangers we do not know about. We need to stick together from here on out. Never travel alone, and do not lose sight of the main group. Alexus will lead the way to the Louson Kingdom. We are in his hands now.”
Chapter 11
Being outside of the Eluan territory proved troublesome for the traveling caravan. The terrain was muddy every step of the way. When not on their horses, they had to walk barefoot or risk losing their shoes. Their traveling time was doubled because of the situation.
Alexus had with him a map. He had made it when he first traveled to the other side of the canyon thirty years ago. It was still fairly accurate. He had left a number of markers along the way. Only a few of them had gone missing.
At night the real dangers began. Like any environment, there were animals that lived in the area. The fires kept them at bay. Every now and then a soldier would have to strike out at the surrounding darkness and scare away the creatures. They never got a clear look at the animals. Only flashes of their eyes as they approached the light.
Their legs came down to a flat bottom with webbed toes and sharp points on the side. Their claws could scratch through the soldier’s shields. They continually sniffed the air. The noise was an early warning of their approach.
Every night was guarded in shifts. Despite that, Heric found himself awake most nights. He trusted his guards, but he could not help himself. He was the protector.
One night he lay awake. He could hear the creatures roaming around their campsite. He had not seen one yet. There were two guards on duty all the time.
He kept his eyes on Abigail. He did not want any harm coming to her. She slept peacefully, and he wanted it to stay that way. If anything were to approach her, he would strike.
The hours rolled on into the night. Heric remained in a state of near meditation. It was equal to sleeping with your eyes open. He could let his body and mind relax while still being aware of his surroundings. Heric learned about it from reading stories about his great grandfather. He did it so often his people could never tell whether he was awake or asleep or even dead or alive.
As the story goes, Heric’s great grandfather, Mattew Caning, died peacefully on the battlefield. His Council had not told the men right away because their army was already losing and they feared even further casualties. Three days after Mattew’s death, his army saw imminent defeat. They retreated from the battlefield. The Council refused to give up. They strapped Mattew’s body onto a horse, his eyes still open, and rode him out to the field. The men saw their honorable Emperor ride out onto the battle. They all followed. The Eluan Empire won that day. They continued winning after that, fighting for their fallen Emperor.
Heric admired that story. He wished to someday go out like Mattew Caning. Even dead he could be an inspiration for the Empire.
“Still awake?” Forman asked. It broke Heric out of his blissful trance. Forman sat down next to him. They both looked out past their campsite into the night. They could still hear the sniffing and pacing of the animals surrounding them.
“I was battle sleeping,” said Heric.
“You need real sleep,” said Forman.
“I’m fine with battle sleep. I’ve lead whole armies after a week of it. This is nothing.”
Forman rolled his eyes at Heric’s confidence.
“What do you make of this situation?” Forman asked.
“I’m counting about six animals around us. Their sniffs are all a little different. They are circling us. There are two gaps in their perimeter. They are due to the two rocks we camped between. Good choice on that,” Heric said.
“No, not about that exactly, I mean the whole thing. Why didn’t Alexus warn us it would be this bad?”
“He’s only been here twice. What were you expecting? He can’t know everything about this area. We knew there were going to be dangers.”
“We can’t keep going like this. We need to make better time or we’ll run out of rations before we get to Louson.”
“Do you have any suggestions?”
“I have one, yes,” said Forman. “I go on ahead. I can travel much faster on my own. I can get to Louson. They can send for help. Their soldiers will be more prepared for handling these beasts. We can get you all out of here.”
“You are worrying too much,” said Heric. “The animals are keeping their distance. We’ll be fine.”
“How much longer is that going to last? They’re testing their boundaries. Sooner or later they are going to cross into the light. What if it rains? That’s going to be one nasty fight for the night. There are still too many variables and too much time before Louson.”
Heric took a deep breath. What Forman was saying was getting to him.
“How much farther until Louson?”
“According to Alexus it’s another four days of traveling. At the pace we’re going that could mean another week. I can do it in two. One, if I did not stop for the night.”
“You would kill your horse.”
“Whatever it takes to get you guys to Louson alive.”
“That would be three nights before reinforcements came. Then at least another week with them. This could make us look weak.”
“Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.”
Heric did not speak. He mulled over the options in his head. Going down a man would be rough in their situation, but time was not on their side.
They settled into an uneasy silence. Forman waited for a response. He needed his orders.
“Forman,” Heric said breaking the silence. “Do you hear that?”
They held their breath. Forman listened for what Heric was talking about. He did not hear a sound.
“There’s nothing there,” Forman said. The thought then dawned on him. “The animals are gone.”
“Where would they go?” Heric asked.
They both got to their feet. They walked forward to the edge of their perimeter. There was no sign of movement beyond the light of the campfire. There was no sniffing, no rustling of the ground. The animals were truly gone.
Then there was disturbance out in the distance. It was faint in the air, carried by miles of open space. The animals were growling, and barking at an unknown presence. Then there came a scream. It was cut off shortly after it started. Then there was roaring. The animals were roaring in triumph.
Heric and Forman shared a moment of understanding. They were spared for the moment because another man fell. Heric looked back at his companions. Only the guards on duty were aware of what had just happened. He signaled them to keep quiet. He did not want to start a panic.
“Forman,” Heric said, but he did not finish his sentence. Forman was moving.
He dashed over to a pile of wood they had collected for the fire. He grabbed an arm full. Before Heric could complain, Forman lit a few of the sticks on fire as rudimentary torches.
“Don’t do it, Forman,” said Heric.
Forman did not stop moving. He took a blanket and oil from his supplies and wrapped up the wood he had grabbed.
“This is our chance, Heric. Those things are away from here. We need every second.”
“This is an order, Forman. Do not go,” Heric commanded. Forman, instead, jumped on to his horse. He looked Heric directly in the eye.
“With all due
respect, it is my mission to lead. You are here on diplomatic relations, not as a military commander. I have the final say until we get to Louson. I’m sorry.”
With that, Forman signaled his horse to go. They flew past the fire and into the darkness. Heric watched helplessly as his friend disappeared into the night. Only his burning torch could indicate his wareabouts and that was shortly going to be burned away.
Chapter 12
As light broke the next morning, the travelers raced through the forest. Heric feared the worst. The previous night had remained quiet after the nearby attack. When dawn came Heric woke everybody up regardless of what their previous plan had been.
There was no time to eat. Heric had ordered everybody to pack up their things and ready their horses. It was a mad rush. Adrenaline woke up the travelers the rest of the way. There was a small panic at first, but Heric quickly explained the situation. He told them about the animals attacking someone last night. The creatures had a taste for human blood. Their attacks would be much worse and much more likely.
They rode through the entire day. Heric followed a path left by Forman from earlier. Branches were broken and scattered on the ground, clearly having been struck by a sword. Heric knew not to break from the trails. It was their only communication with potential help.
The soldiers did not mind the quickened traveling pace too much. They had been trained for these kinds of extremes. As they charged through the woods they could eat lightly on the go.
Alexus was growing exhausted. He was not as young as he used to be. These kinds of travels were not for him anymore. He remembered the days when he could forgo everything and just continue on his journey. He would reach a destination two days early because he stopped for nothing. Those days were behind him now as evidenced by the searing pain racing up his back.
Abigail and Nikali were having the worst of times. They had never ridden for this long or this hard. Abigail couldn’t see straight. She was still tired from the abrupt awakening. The constant bouncing around made her nauseous, but she could only dry heave. She had not had anything to eat all day. Her only sort of relief was when she slumped down over her saddle horn. The horse did not need her directions. It would follow the leader of the pack. Abigail clung tighter to her reigns and hoped for and dreaded the coming night fall.
Nikali never complained. He hid his pain from the rest of the group. The physical pain was actually a welcome for the moment. He kept his mind on that to keep from thinking about the jar of Tamor Blood attached to his pack. It swished against the movements of his horse. Nikali could almost hear a song coming from it, calling him to drink. It would make the trip much easier on him.
He refused. He concentrated on the real world and its pain. Alexus had said not to use any arcan. Nikali wanted to oblige. This was his time to change, to become a better man for it all.
The sun was hitting the horizon. The towers of the Louson Kingdom reached to the sky. Up ahead was the next sign left by Forman. Some branches were layed out on the ground between an outcropping of rocks. There was a path that led out to an open field and rolling hills. The towers were a beacon of hope and despair. The city was finally visible, but it was still too far to reach. The sun continued to set over the Kingdom. It was there Heric decided to make their stand.
If they continued they would be caught out in the field when the sun went down. It was not a terrible scenario for Heric, but he wanted something different.
The rocks would allow for a better defense. The rocks created a bottleneck toward the field. Heric and his men could better guard the others in their group. They could run to the field if need be. There would be more attacking out in the open. It was unnecessary work. They just needed to buckle down and survive through the night.
The horses were placed overlooking the field. They had a clear path to run. None of the tents were set up. Three fires were prepared. One sat in the back near the exit toward the field. The other two were at the front, helping guard the entrance to the woods. They began to burn as the sun went down. Heric and his men were standing guard between the two rocks just behind the fires.
They had a clear view of their entire surroundings. The fires illuminated the areas. Shadows danced behind the trees, but the men grew accustomed to their layout.
The night was fully on top of them. No one spoke. No one was in the mood for it. Alexus comforted Abigail, staying between her and the open woods. Nikali was off in the corner alone. Beads of sweat rolled down his face. His breathing was hard. He took deep breaths to try to control it.
The first sound of sniffing came within the hour of the sun being down. They all stood at attention. New shadows began to appear between the trees. They would appear and disappear circling the entrance to their camp.
Heric’s choke point appeared to be working. None of the creatures had left the tree line yet. Heric needed to concentrate their attack between the rocks. He could easily manage that situation.
Then one of the creatures stepped into the light. It stood on four legs. The tail scrapped against the ground. Its brown scales were caked with mud. There was an overbite in its jaw line causing yellow teeth to always show on its face. It stared right at Heric with its glowing eyes.
Heric readied himself. He let his sword reflect in the nearby fire. Its light bounced off of the animal’s head. It growled its disapproval of Heric’s actions. The creature dug its claws into the ground. Heric and his men braced themselves against their shields.
The animal charged. Heric ran forward. They collided. The animal was thrown back. Heric had caught it off balance. The creature recovered quickly. It got back to its feet, never taking its eyes off of Heric.
Immediately, Heric returned to his guards. He was disappointed he did not get in a killing blow with his attack. He watched and listened for the rest of the animals surrounding them. He could count six different set of footsteps. They remained hidden in the trees.
Next, the creatures all emerged in unison. They did not take the time to stand around. They charged the travelers seeking refuge in the woods. They rammed into the guards’ perimeter. Their talons screeched against the metal shields.
The soldiers struck the animals with their swords. Heric was able to get a clean shot at one of them. He stuck his sword directly into its stomach. After a final moan the creature toppled over, lifeless.
Then the creatures retreated into the night. Another soldier had killed a creature as well. The two bodies were left behind. Heric let them be, as a sign of their triumph.
The sniffing started to spread out. It was no longer concentrated in front of them.
“I want everybody to be ready for anything,” Heric said. “They are widening their attack range.”
The sniffing got closer, but there was no sign of them. They stayed in the dark beyond the light of the campfires. Heric looked every which way. He could not see any of the animals. Scratching sounds began to accompany the sniffs. Heric could not see any explanation for it. The sniffing became louder. They had to be visible at that range. Heric could not understand it. Then he looked toward the rocks.
There were two creatures perched on each rock. They looked down on the group with bloodlust in their eyes.
“Hold the line,” Heric ordered his men. He charged to the middle of his companions. He held his shield like a roof. There was no way to protect Alexus, Abigail, and Nikali. They were all too far apart. There was no question. He chose Abigail and Alexus. He ran over to them. They huddled under his shield, protected from the animal above.
“Nikali, get over here,” Heric demanded.
Nikali did not move. He did not even look up. He remained sitting, holding on to his pack.
“Nikali, I cannot protect you from over here,” Heric said. It did not register with Nikali. He sat, near catatonic, separated from the surrounding world.
Heric’s attention was pulled away from Nikali. The attack had begun again. The guards were overcome with more of the animals. Three more had joined the anim
al’s pack. Heric forced himself to stay put and keep an eye on the two overlooking their entire camp.
Then the one directly above them jumped. It landed hard on Heric’s shield. He held his footing. The creature balanced in the air for a moment then was dropped off by Heric. It slammed into the ground hard. Heric moved fast. He shoved the shield into the spine of the animal. It had nowhere to go.
Heric heard the bone snap in its body. Its legs swiped the ground around them. One of its talons struck Alexus across the ankle. He fell to the ground writhing in pain. Heric swung his sword to finally put down the animal. After a moment of shock, the animal died.
But before Heric could react, the second creature pounced. It jumped straight for the guards.
Heric tried to warn them, but the animal was too fast. It landed directly on a guard to his left. Its teeth sunk into his neck. The guard died instantly. Heric charged the creature, throwing him into the darkness with the blow of his sword.
Their formation was crumbling. Fear and panic were overcoming the soldiers. Their attacks were less decisive. They swung their swords at sloppy angles. None of the creatures were taking any serious damage that way.
“They’re coming this way,” shouted the soldier guarding the horses. Heric turned. He rushed over to join the guard. The sniffing was all around them now. It was impossible to know how many more beasts had joined the attack.
Then three creatures jumped out of the shadows. They attacked the horses. Heric dove underneath a horse’s belly to attack the animal. It was too late for the horse though. It dropped to the ground, bleeding profusely from its new wound and neighing loudly in pain. Heric was not fast enough to get out from under the falling horse. It landed on his leg, pinning him to the ground.
Heric continued fighting. He struck down his original target then struggled to defend against the next creature nearest him. As he fought he watched his guard fight the third creature that had attacked.
Eluan Falls: The Inheritors of the World Page 7
