He stuffed his face full of delicious.
Tim’s first plateful went down faster than that guy Leonidas kicked into the well. Halfway through his second plate of sunny side up eggs over skillet potatoes with biscuits and gravy on the side, he slowed down and savored the taste.
Why was it that biscuits and gravy were so damn good?
It was one of those questions that didn’t need an answer. Sometimes things were awesome, and they stayed that way forever. Unlike some of his favorite movies as a kid, biscuits and gravy would never go out of style. The real trick was getting Tim to try something new. He was a tried-and-true kind of guy. He knew what he liked, and he ordered it all the time.
Then he met someone who wasn’t afraid to challenge him. ShadowLily could break him out of any rut, even a food rut. No matter what they did together there was an almost infectious energy around her, and he was starting to think of things as theirs instead of his and hers. As long as their nights didn’t end up with her drunkenly throwing knives at things he was holding on his head everything would be fine.
He looked up when she walked into the room. It was like he just knew she was there. Like he wasn’t complete without her by his side. He shook his head for a moment trying to get rid of the mushy crap that was filling it, but he couldn’t do it. Love wasn’t a battlefield for the weak.
Tim stopped with his fork halfway up to his mouth to watch her sit at the table, then realized that he probably looked a little ridiculous with his mouth wide open and a spoonful of yolky potatoes dripping back onto the plate. Hurriedly shoveling the bite into his mouth, he chewed it as quickly as he could and finished it off with a swig of rumpleberry juice.
Trying to pretend he was cool as a cucumber, Tim grinned from ear to ear. “Nice of you to join us, sleepyhead.”
Laughing, ShadowLily speared a sausage from the tray in the middle of the table. “As if. Who do you think carried in all this food?”
It dawned on Tim that ShadowLily probably grew up working in the restaurant business because her dad owned a diner. That meant Joe raised her on early mornings and hard work. Tim’s dad worked the late shift on Fridays, which meant he usually spent Saturdays watching cartoons and eating cereal from a mixing bowl on the couch.
Was half a box really too much?
It felt like a hasty retreat was the best approach in this case so Tim decided to play things smooth. “I guess it could have been me who slept in.”
ShadowLily didn’t seem impressed with his effort so he moved on to plan number two. Blame the other guy. “That late-night fight took it out of me.”
“Don’t blame the freaky hyena because you didn’t get up with the rest of us,” ShadowLily scolded. “It’s like you forgot all about going to Naroosh today. It was all I could do to hold these guys back.”
Tim slapped a hand against his heart. “You wound me. I promise that I will be of no further delay.”
Cassie snorted. “I won’t believe that until you get a few more cups of coffee in ya.”
“Touché.” Tim grabbed the carafe and refilled his mug.
Looking around the table, he decided it was time to get the spotlight off of himself before he ended up in a deeper hole than he was already in. “So what’s the plan for today?”
“I think I can answer that,” Seraphina boldly commented as she walked into the room. “Or at least the first part.”
This was one of the moments Tim instinctively knew it was better to keep his mouth shut. ShadowLily might put up with his crap, but Seraphina probably wouldn’t enjoy it nearly as much. Tim watched the city’s leader and waited to find out what would happen next.
“Joe and I will join you on your journey to The Hallow, along with a small retainer of my men. With the passage open and less-than-friendly creatures making their way through it would be better to have a warning system in place. Last thing we need is a hundred of those things wreaking havoc in the countryside.”
“Sounds good to me.” Tim smiled. “But instead of riding there, why don’t we use the quick travel?"
Seraphina gave him a sly look as if that had been the reason she came along. “I guess we could bring a smaller advance party and have the rest of the men meet us there on horseback.” She glanced at the group. “We’ll need to have a ride back.”
Tim hadn’t thought of how Joe and Seraphina would get back to Tristholm once the rest of them went into the desert. It seemed logical that they would have full access to the portal system. Or maybe she wanted to get the guy alone in a carriage for the afternoon. It wasn’t the right time to harass her about the details—there were pancakes to finish before they left.
Plus, who wanted to ride a horse when they could get there instantly? Sure, it was all nice and relaxing until your horse saw a werewolf, then your balls ended up pulverized faster than someone shotgunning a beer.
Chapter Four
Khalid peered into the cavern, looking for any sign of the monster lurking inside.
He glanced over his shoulder and motioned for the small band of hunters to move into place. This was the last place he wanted to be, but after the woman and child had disappeared while fetching water at the river, it was the logical spot to go.
Jabari had ordered him not to pursue the matter, but leaving one of the people under his protection to be killed by a river dragon was madness. A leader protects his people and looks out for them, cares for them. He doesn’t sacrifice them to the monsters of the wild.
A noble who refused to protect his people wasn’t noble at all.
Not that he’d been fuming about it since he stormed out of the palace after his morning prayers. His time in the temple had only hardened his resolve that something had to be done. If he couldn’t handle the task officially, he could hire two hunters and some porters and do it on his own.
It had taken the entire day to find the right men for the job and track the monster to this cavern. How the water dragon covered so much ground with the woman and child in its jaws was astounding. It was one thing to kill a person and quite another to carry two bodies for miles.
The sun dipped on the horizon, bathing the cavern’s entrance in shadows. The perfect time for them to attack would be in the morning, but by then the woman and her daughter might be dead. He was probably kidding himself that they were alive now, but he knew if it were him out here injured and alone he would want someone to come and save his ass. The sun was setting behind the cavern, but inky black shadows had already covered the interior.
Slow-moving water eddied and swirled around the cave’s entrance. The monster could have been waiting for them right there if the water was deep enough. There was no way to tell in the low light until it attacked or got lucky. Spotting the eyes of a crocodile at night was almost impossible.
Hunting a crocodile was dangerous at the best of times.
Despite being lone predators, the massive animals often congregated together on the riverbanks. It wasn’t unheard of to see great packs of the reptiles sunning themselves on the shores, not unlike Jabari’s many wives at the palace’s sapphire pools.
The crocodiles of the river Euz were stronger and larger than those of its many tributaries. It must have been the river’s fertile waters, or maybe it was the healthy fish population they had cultivated to help feed the crops that lined the muddy banks. It wasn’t unheard of for the city's fishermen to report tales of seeing twelve and even fifteen-foot specimens. Of course, there were tales of larger crocodiles, but Khalid paid them no mind.
Fantasies were for the ears of children.
It wasn’t as if they were some backwater people. They didn’t only have canoes. Their flotilla sported many barges. Some were for sailing, others for making war. It would take a massive river dragon indeed to destroy one of Jabari’s finer vessels.
Khalid made the sign of the goddess over his chest and thanked her that it wasn’t one of the river cows instead. While the giant hippos looked docile and kind of cute, they were the most deadly creatures aro
und. He’d seen a man snapped in half, a whole group of canoes overturned by a single one of the hulking brutes.
Then they would disappear underwater.
It was well known that the hippos could hold their breath for remarkable periods while they traveled along the river bottom. It made them frustrating creatures to hunt. It wasn’t until he thought of attaching bamboo rods and rope to the ends of some of their arrows that the annual hunt became productive. With the simple invention of a buoy, they could follow the underwater beasts' progress and be in position to kill them when they surfaced for air. Tonight, they weren’t hunting for their annual feast. They were doing something of much greater importance.
Trying to save lives.
Being out here against orders was one thing, but killing the monster was worse. Still, the lady of light called to him. It was as if his heart was filled with light. If the goddess wanted him here, there was no other place he would rather be. Not that his master was very understanding. He had spoken of praying to the gods himself and getting a very different answer.
Were they even praying to the same gods?
It fell on his shoulders to act. Khalid would follow his heart and do what he must, despite Jabari’s decree. Displeasing a man of such importance was a risky business. As the head of the city’s soldiers, Khalid held a certain amount of leeway in how he handled his orders. The short amount of leash he had didn’t extend to openly defying his master’s will.
In this life, sometimes we do what we must.
Once a water dragon tasted human flesh, it never stopped hungering for it. The woman and child would only be the first of many taken if they didn’t end this now. It was the honorable thing to do. Something he would have expected any of his men to do for any of the villagers. What kind of man would he be if he turned around now?
“Light the torches!” Khalid roared.
He found that when he was nervous or a little scared, it helped to act with a confidence he didn’t feel. Nothing was worse in battle than doubt. It was okay to be cautious, but doubt was never an option.
Not if you wanted to live.
Now that they had come so far, there was nothing to do but see their mission through. Sleeping in the marshlands was out of the question, and so was walking back in the dark. All of them would have been easy prey for the giant crocs at night. The river dragons were notoriously nocturnal hunters. While this one had been awake most of the day, the lure of a feast right outside its den might be too much for the crocodile to ignore.
If they wanted to live, they had to end this now.
The two hunters lined up behind him. Each of them was equipped with a bow and followed by a servant holding a torch. Khalid was blessed to have been able to lure two of Nar’ha’s famous archers away from the pub with promises of glory. The two archers were the perfect backup to Khalid and his trusty spear.
It took him a moment to strap the small leather buckler to his wrist. Khalid still wasn’t sure why he was bothering except out of tradition and his hope that the goddess’ words etched into the wood by his wife would keep him safe. It wasn’t like the wooden shield was strong enough to stop a bite from a river dragon, but entering the battle without the item wasn’t an option.
Sometimes a little luck was all that kept you breathing and your opponent dead.
The spear in his hand filled him with confidence. Three times the weapon had been blessed by the gods during the hunt and once again in the arena. The spear had become so important he even gave it a name—Sekhet.
Tonight, Sekhet would become the great leveler.
“Stay behind me and keep your eyes open,” Khalid commanded as he walked forward.
Keeping his body angled behind the shield, he slowly moved down toward the water’s edge and followed the slow-moving liquid into the caverns. Hefting his spear above his head allowed him to throw the weapon or to stab with it. Keeping the crocodile at a distance would be the key to his survival.
Khalid cast one look behind himself to make sure the men still had the heart to see this through. Leaving now would bring great dishonor to their names, but fear couldn’t always be controlled. He’d seen war-hardened veterans piss themselves in fear before a battle, but they always fought. He didn’t know these men well enough to rely on their ability to summon courage when it was called for. The two had the look of men who would fight until death snatched them away.
Still, looks could be deceiving.
Jabari appeared to be a great man. He had many wives, he owned all the land, and people bowed at his feet. However, it was all for show. Unlike his father, Jabari was petty and cruel. One wrong word could end with a man ruined in reputation and wealth. Sycophantic followers surrounded him, and he wasn’t someone to be trifled with on the best of days.
The cavern’s interior was darker than Jabari’s heart and a good deal more than Khalid would have liked. As the men followed him inside, their torches reflected off the water and spread the light farther than it would have gone without the liquid assistance. The cavern must have been immense for none of their light to reach the back. He’d expected the space to be big enough for a few of his men, but he could have fit an entire company inside.
How was it possible that he never knew this place existed?
It wasn’t as if Khalid hadn’t spent the entirety of his youth hunting in the marshes of the great river. His skills as a hunter were why Jabari’s father plucked him from obscurity and sent him down the path he was on now. Such a great man deserved respect, and it was the main reason he stayed in his position after the man died.
Some decisions haunt you longer than others.
The choice to come here wouldn’t keep him awake for even a night. The right thing to do wasn’t always easy. It was kind of like a person admitting they were wrong. It took effort and resolve, but it was worth it.
Plus, it wasn’t as though all the cards were stacked against them. At least they only had one pool of water to keep an eye on. A river dragon big enough to carry two people away wouldn’t fit anywhere except the main space of the cavern. Although today it felt like every blessing was a curse as if when he flipped a coin, one side was light and the other only darkness.
The only downside here was that the space was too big for him to keep watch over the entire surface of the water all at once.
Keeping his head moving from side to side, Khalid looked for any sign of a body or the crocodile as he circled the edge.
“What manner of place is this?” one of the torch bearers mumbled in hushed awe.
Khalid heard a thunk from behind him and looked back to see one of the hunters smiling as the torchbearer grimaced and moved both his torches to one hand so he could rub the back of his head.
“Hold the torches high, and let the goddess protect you. A righteous man has nothing to fear.” Pili the hunter motioned with his bow for the man to get moving.
Knowing that the situation was under control, Khalid continued deeper into the cavern. The sound of slowly moving water was loud enough to drown out their footsteps, but the fact they hadn’t laid eyes on the monster yet was disturbing. The river dragons weren’t exactly known for their subtlety.
The sound of breaking wood made Khalid’s head snap to the left faster than a cobra could strike.
A crocodile bigger than he’d ever laid eyes on stomped into the room from some hidden recess at the back of the cavern. The snapping sound came from a human leg the beast was chewing on like one of Khalid’s hunting dogs with a bone. Seeing the size of the monster, Khalid knew he should have turned and tried to run, but the thrill of the hunt was on him now, and there was no turning back.
A kill like this would etch his name in the histories right below the gods themselves.
Readying himself for the battle, Khalid called upon Eternia for strength and Mosi to guide his hand. The goddesses wouldn’t let him down; they never had before. Three wars, two fights to the death, and one rebellion later he was still standing.
With the g
ods on your side, nothing was impossible.
The twenty-foot crocodile moved past the men as if they weren’t there. It slid into the water as it finished off the leg. Khalid watched the ripples for a moment, then all signs of the monster disappeared.
This was where things would get interesting.
They stood zero chance with the predator in the water. The only way for them to hurt the giant monster was to get him out. Attacking the croc across the room would have been ideal, but the sheer size of the creature had momentarily stunned him from charging into battle. Now they had to lure the beast out of the water so he could keep it busy while the archers did most of the work.
A loose stone brushed against his boot. Khalid bent to pick up the rock, then threw it by the side of the pool so it bounced along the edge before plopping into the water. The river dragoon exploded from under the surface, its jaws snapping at the air as it slid forward on its belly into the cave.
“Arrows!” Khalid cried.
Rolling to the side so both archers could have a clear line of sight, he prepared himself for what was coming next. Before the river dragon could do more than turn its head, three arrows were sticking out of its side. Not that they seemed to have slowed the monster at all.
Khalid had the creature’s full measure now and knew that one snap of those jaws and it wasn’t only his shield that would break in half like a toothpick. Fear robbed a man of courage, and when there was none to be found, a warrior could only do one thing.
Charge!
Khalid ran toward the crocodile, closing the distance between them in an instant. A scream tore from his lips as he beat his spear’s haft against the rim of his shield. That’s right. Your tasty snack is right here you big motherfucker.
The gods chose this path for him. Live or die, Khalid knew this was exactly where he should be.
The river dragon was shifting its focus to the archers despite his taunts. It was time to remind the giant crocodile that the problem right in front of you was never a good idea to ignore.
Deserts Of Naroosh Page 4