by Atlas Kane
They watched the villagers burn, the flames erupting into a storm of fury in a matter of minutes. The pyre burned, the added firewood burned, the entire grown wooden structure caught fire as well, and the people Minda and Satemi had come to love burned as well.
Minda allowed herself a moment of weakness and curled over to let the tears fall directly into the soil beneath her.
Satemi, though, looked changed. Cade admired her as she stood, stern and unyielding, her swords drawn and her mask firmly in place.
Cade touched her on the shoulder and said calmly, “We must leave, but I don’t know this world like either of you. Where can we go that is far enough away? Minda, what of the place you scouted? Where is it, and why do you feel it is safe enough?”
The beastkin frowned in concentration, explaining, “It is twenty or more miles east of here, almost at the end of the jungle itself. I don’t know if anywhere is truly safe, not when Vormer can somehow command these beasts. If, in fact, it was his doing,” she said. “Yet there are resources aplenty, and it’s more defensible than this village was.”
“Very well. Let’s go there then. I will stay in the back. Minda you take point.”
Satemi made to argue, but he shook his head, cutting her off. “You must recover first. Then you will be the warrior we know you to be.”
She grudgingly nodded.
Cade announced it was time to go, and the women turned their back to the pyre. Nothing was left of value in the village, so they turned and walked away. The forest was their home, and Minda knew where to take them. They would find a refuge, a place to rebuild and grow stronger.
And then, Cade promised himself, turning to face the city far away, we will return and bring justice to Vormer and all those foolish enough to follow him.
17
Moves Like Jaguar
The village of three moved away from the pillar of black smoke and heartache. Cade asked Minda if she would take point, something she was better at anyhow, but which would also allow him the opportunity to keep an eye on Satemi. The warrior had formed an adamantine facade, one that strained to hide incredible turbulence below. She had pulled herself together, but the shell around her grief was brittle.
It was harder still to gauge her emotions as she seemed determined to wear the mask. During their first break, when a skin of water was passed around and they looked back to see the black pillar behind them burning out, Cade suggested she remove it.
“I will wear it until a new village is formed, safe and far away from here. I’ll wear it until Vormer’s blood runs through the streets of Tanrial.” Her words were ice. They were also promises.
Cade and Minda exchanged their worry silently, their eyes doing the work of words. It wasn’t the time for argument though, and Satemi did not seem the kind of woman to be cowed so easily, even by two others who she trusted. So Cade nodded, giving her shoulder a squeeze. “You will honor Imenda by wearing it, I am sure. Now come on. It’s time to go.”
Minda pointed out the location of her proposed village site, far away in the jungle-strewn hills to the east. Cade trusted her, so simply said thank you and gestured for her to lead them on again.
As they left all that was familiar behind them, Cade recalled the boots Vormer had given him. Thrown over his shoulder when he wanted stealth, left at the village during the hunt for the same reason, he knew they were resting in the dirt some distance from the hut he and Minda had made love in. Glancing down at his feet, he knew he might never wear shoes again. It pleased him for some reason.
This was not Long Beach, California. He didn’t live on Earth anymore. This was Antinium, and he was Chimera Lord.
And what need, he thought, does a Chimera Lord have of boots?
The group skirted the Waterfall District, a place that Cade hadn’t expected to return to so quickly. It felt so open and exposed yet fringed all around by the trees and bushes of the jungle. Walking through its midst was a good way of being watched by unseen creatures. So, wisely, Minda looped around the south, staying in the loose foliage that grew on the outskirts of the area. In that way, they remained in cover yet had the advantage of swifter travel.
Cade stole glimpses of the three towering waterfalls as they wove through the trees, and even at over a mile away, they took his breath away. A soft wind was curling up the side of the mountain they fell from, peeling away moisture from the falls and sending it into a plume that floated above. The sun pierced through this veil, turning it a nearly opaque white. But when seen at an angle, gold and copper beams projected through the canopy.
Most of the creatures they saw had been spotted by Minda before they were aware of the approaching party. The birds alone, which flew and hopped in the branches above their heads in an uninterrupted frenzy, seemed unperturbed by them.
As the land rose towards the hills, their climb grew more difficult, but again, Minda proved her worth as a guide. Sometimes traveling south or north for half an hour, which frustrated Cade when he referenced the map, would save them hours of travel otherwise. She would find a game trail where there didn’t seem to be one.
As their party progressed up from the flatter expanse of the jungle floor, Minda called them to a stop, pointing to something below. Cade squinted his eyes, unable to distinguish anything in the tangle of plant life. But then he saw it, a streak of black in the shadows of a fern tree. It was a jaguar creeping so slow it looked to be standing still. Then the beast exploded from its position, limbs and body a blur of liquid intent. The huge rodent it pounced upon only noticed the danger a second before it was over, a squeal reaching the group of travelers faintly.
The display gave Cade the creeps. How many times were we being stalked? Better yet, how did I survive my solo trip? No wonder everyone was surprised. This jungle teemed with animals, most hidden from plain view. There are a hundred ways he could have been killed, attacked by a beast like that but one of them.
His thoughts gave way when an alien roar broke the air behind them. It echoed off the low hills all around and made his blood run cold.
A few hundred yards away, Cade saw a few bushes shudder as if struck by something moving beneath them at great speed.
“I think we are being pursued,” Minda said in a calm voice.
Satemi drew in a sharp breath, and Cade saw the hand resting on the hilt of her sword tremble slightly. “It’s those abyss creatures. That is their call. We cannot fight them here.”
Cade looked around. They were standing on a slight incline, hedged in by foliage. It was a terrible place to fight alone and especially as a group. “We need to find a clearing, something level where we will not be at a disadvantage. If it’s more of those beasts that attacked the village they will have no trouble fighting on uneven terrain like this.”
Minda nodded and fell into a sprint. The group flew up the trail, and Cade only hoped some other creature didn’t ambush them from the opposite angle. Still, as they fled, more sounds emerged behind — a few more crashes of something heavy plowing through the forest, running after them, and once again a fell baying seeming to claw at their backs.
The monster, or monsters more than likely, bellowed in a fashion akin to what Cade imagined a hell hound might sound like. It was unlike any creature Cade had heard before, like a wolf’s call forced through a synthesizer, making their howl clipped and wavering.
Worse yet, however, was that whatever followed them was getting closer.
Cade nearly called the women back to make ready their stand, so close were the creatures. But Minda shouted ahead, giving them some degree of hope. “Another few hundred strides. Faster!”
They pressed on, Satemi straining to keep up. Her long legs helped, but she was built to swing a war hammer, not sprint. Yet she was determined, and in a few moments, the group broke out into a clearing surrounded by bamboo canes.
Cade gestured for them to spread out, him taking up the lead position in the triangle they formed. Three, it occurred to Cade, were so much stronger than two. “W
e can do this!” he hissed, glancing through the wavering bamboo. “Support one another, fight smart, and we can survive.”
A ripple of dread coiled in Cade’s gut regardless of his short speech. The sun was declining, pouring an onslaught of bronze light through the canopy. The bamboo around them were unlike anything he’d seen before, crimson-stalked with greenish gray leaves. The moment he spent on inspecting the plant, Cade immediately regretted. They were standing in a grove of fucking Blood Bamboo.
No more time was given to fretting, however, as the first sign of an abyss beast flickered through the foliage.
Then, not one but five of the sleek creatures poured into the clearing like liquid night. The Abyss Cats were terrifying to see dead, but alive, their glowing eyes flickering crimson with malice, Cade knew the villagers had died with terror in their hearts.
Without delaying further, Cade initiated his newest skill. Alpha’s Call erupted from his throat, a challenge and a rallying cry at once. His body reacted immediately, the newfound power and speed more than welcome. The beasts were not put off by his ability, however, instead moving with the same unnatural grace.
And they were apparently smart. Instead of attacking at once, the beasts circled the group, denying them the ability to defend a single front. Their movements were eerie, almost as if gravity didn’t affect them. In some ways, the cats reminded him of the jaguar they’d seen earlier, but even the black of their coats differed in indescribably, alien ways. Instead of fur, they were covered in slick, undulating skin, like a vat of crude oil had been poured over their backs.
Then there was the matter of their tails. Rather than the smooth and harmless tail of a panther or puma, the Kargina Loor had insectile appendages wavering behind them, tipped in a dagger-shaped barb.
Minda stood at Cade’s left shoulder, her staff extended and already emitting a potent light. Satemi had only one of her swords free, no doubt conscious of swinging two long weapons so near to the group. A wise decision. Cade gripped the haft of his axe, waiting for the nearest cat to pounce.
A few moments dragged by, the tension scathing. So Cade did what any infantryman would. He flipped his axe around, shouldering the weapon, and let a controlled pair soar into the face of the first cat. The first projectile tore through the monster’s mouth then into its neck below, the second landing square in the top left part of its sloping forehead.
It shrieked in pain, giving a half-hearted leap, then curled in on itself in death. The others broke into action.
Two more leapt at Cade, and he had no choice. He activated Wyrm’s Wrath, and as the skill shifted his perception, the streaking blurs of the attacking beasts slowed. Cade snapped a kick into the chest of one, pushing it away from them, then lashed out at the other with Culling the Pack. The blow cleaved across its chest, and a sickly green aura surrounded the beast indicated its wounded status.
A heavy spray of blood shot out from the deep gash. For the first time, his axe caused a Bleed effect. But despite the extra damage, the cat wasn’t out of the fight yet.
Behind him, Cade could hear Minda chanting something, but Satemi was silent but for the whip of her sword and the rending of flesh. He could not watch their progress, could only protect the trio from the threat on his own side.
The Abyss Cat he’d kicked returned first. Instead of leaping blindly, it ran at him, slipping under Cade’s first attack and repaying him with a slash across the thigh. Cade cried out, the wound burning with an unquenchable fire. The hell is on that thing’s claws? Cade bellowed in his mind. Feels like lemon juice, vinegar, and a handful of salt rubbed in for a little extra pizzazz.
Another attack was aimed at Cade’s gut, the cat rearing up and sweeping its paw in a blur. Cade jumped back, brushing into Minda for a moment, before stepping back to counter. He had to be careful. Fighting back to back was necessary, but if he plowed one of his allies over, they would be done for.
Remembering its new augmentation, Cade flipped his axe-head around and swung the hammer. It clipped the beast on the temple, a sickly crack resounding.
The beast stopped moving, its fiery eyes unfocused. It stumbled then stood in place, its head hanging, mouth gaping open. Stunned! Stunned that mother! Cade thought, and whipped the axe across its throat in a backswing. A fountain of fell blood sprayed out at his feet. The cat recovered its senses in time to experience death. As it bled out, the beast’s front legs grew weak and it finally collapsed.
Two down, and by the yowls behind him, possibly four, he thought, praying that another pack of the beasts didn’t show up and tip the scales against them.
Rather than celebrate, Cade advanced on the wounded abyss cat who’d kept its distance. Even as he watched on, Cade noticed its status effect fade. The cat jumped back into the fray with renewed vigor, easily dodging two more of Cade’s attacks. Its strange tail, so much like a scorpion’s but more geometric in its design, shot forward. The barbed end plunged into Cade’s thigh, and he felt the burn of venom being injected.
He grunted and pulled free. The cat bounced back on graceful paws, rearing its tail for another strike. “Screw you then. Want to play grab ass with me, then dodge a fucking bullet!” Cade shouted, and fired a Slug Shot. The damn cat did dodge it, at least partially, moving away so its shoulder was hit instead of its chest. But the impact hampered its movements.
That was all he needed. Cade leapt forward, feinting a jab with the end of his axe, then swinging full force, bringing his hammer down in the center of its head like he was splitting wood. The top of the beast’s head caved in, more dark blood bursting out in all directions. Some hit Cade’s face, and he grimaced, not wanting to know what the abyss tasted like.
A high-pitched squeal came from the beast’s mouth as its head shook from side to side a few times, delayed impulses moving its body even though it was already dead.
Then the beast fell in a heap.
No other cats were in front of him, so Cade spun and he gasped. Minda had one cat pinned to the ground, roots only barely holding it in place as it struggled. Another was exchanging blows with her, the woman’s dagger covered in as much blood as her thighs and forearms. She wasn’t faring well at all. Satemi stood over two more bodies, a third, this one larger and faster, kept her occupied exclusively on dodging and parrying.
Cade needed to step in or his girls would be hurt more than they already were. His Wyrm’s Wrath fell away at the worst possible moment, but he was determined to end the assault quickly. Sprinting over to the entangled cat, Cade caved its head in as he’d done the other. The Herculean Hammer sunk through the beast’s skull but stuck there. He yanked once, and it resisted, so he left it there, unsheathing his dagger instead.
Then he lashed out at the cat attacking Minda. It avoided his attempted Culling the Pack, the green-shrouded dagger passing an inch away from its ribs. But even as it did so, Minda leapt forward, driving her dagger into its eye.
The cat was gravely wounded, but its body tensed for another blind attack. Cade sunk his dagger behind the cat’s shoulder, the ribs scraping the blade in a chilling fashion. The abyss creature bucked against him, rending the wound wider, and Cade felt the blade of the dagger snap free. When the cat shrieked, still trying to walk away from its pain, bloody spray covered Satemi’s feet. The cat stilled, focusing only on remaining upright. Its front legs trembled with the effort.
Satemi, with the form and grace of a master, stood tall, turning sideways to the beast, then lunged forward, her sword piercing its heart with ease.
Satemi withdrew the sword with a flourish, opening the wound wider and tossing its blood to the forest floor. The monster, an Abyss Cat Alpha, Cade saw, collapsed. It glared malevolently at Satemi, its eyes more intelligent than was proper for any beast.
Finally, its ragged breath ceased.
Everyone’s wounds were relatively minor, Minda’s being somewhat more severe. They took a few minutes to treat hers with a paste she’d prepared from an herb gathered in the Waterfall District. Wh
en she tried to use it on Cade, he refused. “I have rapid health regeneration and resistance to poison. If I show signs of infection, I’ll let you know.” Reluctantly, Minda nodded her assent, still eyeing the nasty gouge in his leg where dark poison leaked out. It hurt to stand on, but Cade could feel his body resisting the effects of the poison.
He held up the handle of his now-useless dagger, the blade buried somewhere in the huge abyss cat’s torso. “Looks like Vormer’s gifts aren’t so fine after all,” he said, throwing the broken weapon to the ground.
“I wasn’t aware that was up for debate,” Satemi growled, turning away. Still, her mind remained pragmatic. “Keep the sheath though. We can replace that with another dagger soon enough.”
“Let’s eat here, and quickly, then find a place to camp. Somewhere away from this cursed bamboo,” Cade said, catching his breath. So while Minda summoned food from her Inventory, Cade went around and looted the Kargina Loor.
Not a single item of loot was offered when he checked the first. Not sure what to think, he continued to search. Yet try as he might, he couldn’t find a single piece of loot on any of them.
Their meal took place in a quiet huddle, as far away from the dead cats as they could get. They only spent a few minutes doing so, replenishing their strength before continuing. While they ate, Cade checked his XP progression and gasped. It hadn’t moved.
“What is it?” Satemi asked, hand moving to her sword.
“No. We’re not in danger, but the strangest thing. I received zero XP for those kills. What about you guys?” Cade asked, hoping his experience was somehow a fluke.
The look on Minda’s and Satemi’s faces told him it wasn’t.
Cade explained the lack of loot as well, and they discussed the implications of such an occurrence. Somehow, it seemed the abyss cats, these creepy Kargina Loor, weren’t a part of this world’s system.