Their hope for an empty cave was quickly dissolved. The ground was littered with bones of varying sizes. Not long after they came across the first corpse, a half-eaten deer. Quickly they started seeing the remains of more animals. Some were simply bones with shreds of muscle and tendon hanging from them, while others were recent kills. Most of the latter sat rotting as a testament to the creature’s tendency to hunt for sport rather than sustenance. The smell was astoundingly awful. A mixture of rot and excrement filled Daniel’s nose before they had even stepped fully into the carnage, and as they walked it only grew worse.
Daniel stepped carefully over bones and around carcasses as he leaned under and moved around more stone spikes. He couldn’t see any satlis, but they had to be near. Any sound would surely draw them in. Now that the danger was fully apparent, they moved more slowly than ever, which to Daniel was agony. With every step, he felt that his heart would stop out of fear that an unseen bone would snap under his weight and bring the whole den upon them.
Slowly, a new scent started to overwhelm the others. Daniel immediately recognized it from home: elk. He knew it from a herd that passed by Sapella’s Crossing every year. It was musky, like sweat, and was overpowering everything else. Shortly after the smell registered, the corpse appeared, illuminated by their torches. The body was fresh. Blood still pooled around it and only a few sections of its body were missing. As Daniel passed, he noticed a bright yellow liquid oozing from puncture wounds on the animal’s neck, barely visible in the dim torchlight but distinct enough against the brown fur that it was hard to miss.
The silence in the tunnel was broken by several soft, scratching sounds. At once, everyone stopped and looked around frantically. Daniel was afraid to breathe for fear he might make noise or miss hearing something important. Another few scratches echoed in the long tunnel. This time, Daniel saw the source. Ten feet ahead of them on the right wall, barely noticeable in the dim light, was a narrow alcove just off the ground. Hanging from it and curled along the ground like a coil of rope was a long, quilled tail.
The scratches echoed again. Daniel saw the tail shift slightly as a leg of the hidden animal kicked out of the alcove, its claws scraping across the stone. It reminded Daniel of the movement of a dreaming dog. He glanced at the others. The only one who hadn’t seemed to notice was Kenneth. He was the closest to it, just four feet away, and still advancing. In another moment he would be virtually standing on the tail of the animal. Claudia, the closest to Kenneth, waved her arms frantically, trying unsuccessfully to silently get his attention.
With no other choice, she hissed, “Kenneth!” In the silence of the cave it was deafening.
Kenneth turned. Claudia pointed to the coiled tail just in front of him. He glanced down and his eyes widened. He looked back up at Claudia, who glared at him for a moment before quietly motioning for all of them to continue forward. She directed them to walk in single file at the center of the cave.
Now they moved with even greater caution. Daniel carefully placed each step and kept his breathing as low and steady as he could. His heart beat so fast and loud in his ears that he was surprised the animals couldn’t hear it. As they went, the walls revealed more and more alcoves. Not all housed a satlis, but the deeper they went, the more the creatures appeared. There were dozens of alcoves along each wall. Most had one, if not two, satlis sleeping within.
The cave narrowed drastically, bringing the band of interlopers uncomfortably close to a satlis as it slept, giving Daniel a chance to get a good look at the beast. It was five feet long and very lean, with clearly defined muscles. Its body was covered in small, thin quills that at first glance looked like fur. On closer inspection, Daniel saw that the quills were solid and came to a needle-thin point. The highest concentration of quills rested along the animal’s spine. The face was clearly feline, with two fangs at the front of its mouth that curled over its lips and stopped just above the lower jawbone. The most defining feature of the creature was its tail. It was at least three times the length of its body. The mass of quills at the end looked like it belonged at the end of a mace. After his extensive look, Daniel kept his eyes cast down at his feet. He feared that if he looked at it any longer, it would wake and pounce on him. The fear was unfounded, he knew that. But fear didn’t always conform to logic.
Then, up ahead, Daniel saw something he never would have expected. Four of the creatures were just outside an alcove at ground level. They were kittens, small enough to hold easily in one’s arms. Unlike their adult counterparts, their tails were the same length as their body, lacking the mass at the end. In addition, it was clear that their fangs were not as pronounced.
The four kittens seemed to be playing while their parent slept in the alcove next to them. They rolled and bit each other and seemed to take no notice of the five intruders in their home. The kittens played just at the edge of the torchlight, darting in and out of view. Daniel and the others stopped and glanced at one another. Several long moments passed before anyone made a move. Then Mila stepped around Kenneth and slowly started to cross to the left wall. She motioned for the rest to follow. They hugged the left wall, trying to stay as far from the kittens as possible while also avoiding the alcoves next to them.
After only a few steps, however, one of the kittens stopped playing and stared at them. It made no movement aside from a few quick flicks of its tail. After several moments, the other three noticed their sibling’s gaze and followed suit. They all stared with sickly green eyes that shimmered from the light of the flames. Mila and the group took another few steps forward. The kittens reacted by stepping backwards hurriedly while keeping their gaze focused on Mila. Daniel feared what would happen if they stepped forward again, but he knew they had no choice. They couldn’t go back.
Mila lifted her left boot to take another step. The moment her foot touched the ground, the kittens ran to their sleeping parent and cried out with high-pitched mewls. The satlis sleeping in the alcove reacted to the sounds immediately. It lifted its head, ears twitching rapidly and locked eyes on the five intruders.
Everyone froze for what seemed an eternity. The satlis’s eyes darted between the five of them. Slowly, its face turned from concern for its kittens crying out for help to anger at the intruders that had walked into its den.
Just as it was about to cry out and alert the rest of the den, Mila shouted: “Run!”
The satlis roared furiously. All around them, the cavern was filled with the sounds of creatures awakening and answering the roar with mirrored calls. The five of them ran as fast as they could. Daniel risked a glance behind, only to see that every one of the animals they’d passed was now in the tunnel, most of them charging after Daniel and the rest, fangs bared and snarling viciously. When he turned forward again, he was greeted by the sight of Kenneth slamming one of the beasts aside with his shield as it leapt at him. The animal was sent through the air and into a stalactite as the rest of the group ran past.
Mila reached into her quiver, turned on her heel, and in the same motion drew back her bow. How she was able to pick out her target and fire so quickly was beyond Daniel. Yet an instant after she released the string and let the arrow fly, he heard one of the satlis’s cry out.
Mila finished continued turning on her heel until she was facing forward again and called out: “Claudia! We need a wall!”
Without replying, Claudia reached into the pack that always hung from her shoulder. As far as Daniel could recall, he had never seen her open it before. Now she reached inside and removed a red orb that easily fit in her palm. It appeared to be made of clay, similar to the tunnel walls within Grey Gate, with a short wick on one end. Claudia gripped the orb tightly and ran the wick across a section of her belt that held a piece of spark stone. The wick caught and started to rapidly burn away. She dropped the orb onto the ground as they ran. After a couple of moments, a loud thud echoed in the cave, followed by a brilliant flash of light that faded bef
ore an orange firelight persisted.
In spite of their circumstances, Aaron skidded to a stop and stared at the bonfire behind them. “What was that?” he asked.
Daniel too had paused at the spectacle. The cave was quickly filling with smoke while the walls, floor, and ceiling were coated in flames. Beyond the flames, Daniel could see the outline of a horde of satlis dashing back and forth by the burning wall, trying to find a way past it to their prey.
Claudia spoke through ragged breaths. “It was an ingera, it’s a scholar weapon.”
Aaron sounded stunned: “I thought scholars were supposed to be diplomats.”
Claudia turned and started off again. “People have forgotten a lot about what we are and aren’t. Let’s go, the fire will only last for so long.”
The exchange lasted no more than ten seconds, but already the fire had started to dissipate. Smoke now choked the tunnel in a thick veil. Shortly after the group resumed their mad dash, they found where the tunnel split. The pass to the right had only a slight rise while to the left was a near-straight drop down a rocky slope like a cliff edge parallel to them.
Daniel hadn’t seen any more alcoves along the walls, but now something new blocked their path. Walking slowly toward them were five satlis, twice the size of the ones behind the wall of fire. Daniel didn’t even have to ask to know they were females. The smallest of them at the back carried a rabbit in its mouth while another, the largest at the front of the group, effortlessly carried a young fawn by the neck. This satlis was tall enough that the legs of the deer didn’t even touch the ground. The five animals paused in their tracks at the sight of the humans running down the length of the tunnel. Daniel felt his breath catch in his chest and quickly drew his sword.
The beasts dropped their kills and bared their long fangs. Even in the low light of the torches, Daniel could see a sickly yellow liquid drip from the tips. The beasts charged at them with a low roar. Their first target was Kenneth at the front. The largest satlis was the fastest and the first to leap through the air at the warden. Kenneth raised his shield in front of him. The animal slammed into it. Kenneth used his shield like a catapult to toss the animal down the cliff slope into darkness. It howled in fury as it vanished over the edge before it was abruptly cut short. He had no time to reposition himself to meet the next attacker. Instead, Mila intervened.
She drew back her bow and planted an arrow in the animal’s breast as it rose to swipe at Kenneth with its front claws. It reeled back but was otherwise unharmed by the shot. The other three satlis charged past Kenneth and went for the rest of them. One dashed past Claudia. As it passed, it swept its tail out to the side at her knees. But Claudia had clearly dealt with these beasts before. She swiped her blade in an upward arc to cut off the animal’s tail as it came for her legs, sending half of the tail harmlessly to the side. The satlis skidded to a stop and screeched at the sudden pain before turning, enraged, to strike at Claudia. The scholar had already turned and was now charging at the animal. While it screeched at her, Claudia drove her blade into its mouth and up through its head, killing it instantly.
At the same time, Kenneth swatted aside another satlis with his broadsword while blocking its tail with his shield as the satlis tried to arc it around behind him like a whip. Daniel heard Aaron yelp. He turned to see Mila grab Aaron by the collar and yank him out of range of one of the beasts as it tried to flank them. Aaron fell to the ground in a heap but was soon back on his feet. Daniel turned his gaze ahead again. When he did, he was greeted by teeth.
The smallest of the animals had reached Daniel. It suddenly seemed as if this was the longest moment of his life. All he could see were rows of teeth with bits of flesh and fur stuck between them and sickly yellow saliva dropping from their points. He didn’t know what to do or how to stop what was about to happen. But it didn’t matter. The next thing he felt was a pair of hands on his shoulders as he was shoved aside towards the cliff edge. He managed to turn his head and see Mila standing in his place. The satlis opened its maw wide and forced her to the ground beneath it. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Mila and the animal were on the ground while Kenneth was sprinting toward them, his sword raised. Daniel saw Claudia out of the corner of his eye as she stood behind them, screaming something he couldn’t hear. Aaron stretched for Daniel but was clearly beyond his reach.
Then he crested the cliff edge and they were lost to his sight. He saw a wall of stone rise up in their place as he fell. Then there was nothing but a sharp pain in his back and head, followed by blackness.
Chapter Eleven
25th of Horace, 26th year of the Fourth Age.
Griffon sat with her back against the railing of The Royal Jewel as the sun finally reached its peak in the sky. The soft rays bathed her in a rich glow, driving away the late autumn chill. She had been at sea for ten days and had been working off her debt to Captain Andrews nearly every moment of it by cleaning the deck, polishing every scrap of metal no matter how useless it seemed to be, helping the cook, and cleaning up after every meal. In spite of her life in Forge, she had never been this sore nor had this many blisters. But she couldn’t have been happier.
Griffon felt lighter and more at ease then she ever had in the city. She knew it was partly because she had set a goal for herself and every day she was drawing closer to it—closer to finally having control over her own life. It made her feel that she was finally moving forward. Soon others would see her as something more than the daughter of an abusive drunk and a whore.
Her attention was caught by the sound of heavy footsteps. She turned to see Captain Andrews approaching with a smile across his face. He stopped beside her and placed his hands on the railing to look out over the sea. “Ms. Hart,” he said, “I thought I should let you know that we’ll be arriving at Navia within the hour.”
She jumped up and stretched her arms out behind her, causing her shoulders to pop as she spoke. “How long will we be in the city?”
“Hopefully we’ll depart tomorrow evening after we restock some supplies and drop off some of our cargo.”
“How long will we be at sea after we leave Navia?”
He stroked his beard. “About a week and a half, give or take a couple of days, depending on if the wind stays favorable.” He turned to walk back to his cabin at the rear of the ship.
“Thank you again, captain.”
Without stopping or looking back, he replied, “You’ve thanked me every day, Ms. Hart, it is no longer necessary.”
She watched him go before leaning on the railing. She disagreed with that statement. To her it would be necessary every day until they arrived. With a content sigh, she turned to the front of the ship to look at the mountains in the distance. Navia was just on the other side of them. As she watched the peaks grow ever closer, she glanced at the figurehead adorning the bow of the ship. It was an elegant woman in a flowing dress, holding a round ruby in front of her with both hands.
The Royal Jewel itself. Andrews had said they’d caught at least a dozen people trying to steal it from the figurehead in the dead of night. He had never done anything about it and simply laughed as they tried to pry it free. It would never budge from its position. Even if it did, he said, it was worthless. Nothing more than colored glass. She smiled at the thought of someone perched on the figurehead’s arms attempting to wrestle the ruby free.
She turned to look back at the shoreline. They weren’t far from it. The waters along the southern coast dropped off quickly and were void of reefs or rocks, allowing the ship to stay well within sight of land. The Spines extended into the ocean, forming a wall of steep slopes and cliff faces that had been the main sight for the better part of two days. Griffon watched the terrain drift by them and fell into what was almost a trance, where time seemed to pass in an instant. Before she knew it they were rounding the edge of the mountains and Navia was finally in full view.
The city building
s were all made from a light grey stone quarried from the mountain range, along with redwood taken from Highwood Forest just beyond the walls. The city ran partway up the mountain. A shining, large mansion sat on the slopes above the city looking over it all. Griffon didn’t have to live in Navia to know it was likely the home of the councilman and his aides. She looked to the harbor, which was crowded with people and ships of all sizes at nearly every available dock. She could see everything from a trade vessel like the one she rode on to a Royal Army patrol ship.
The Royal Jewel approached the city and settled at a dock as far from the other ships as possible due to Andrews’s preference. Several crewmen leaped onto the dock to tie the ship off to the available moorings. When that was done, they laid down the gang plank and immediately began unloading the portion of their shipment bound for local clients. Griffon walked down the ramp and set foot on the solid, unswaying wood of the dock, feeling instant relief. It was nice not to feel the constant motion of the sea beneath her feet, but also odd after so many days rocking endlessly back and forth.
A man with a large, leather-bound book approached the ship with a stern look on his face. Griffon assumed he was the harbor master, which meant he would be looking for Captain Andrews. She stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder as he passed. “Excuse me,” she said. “Do you know where I could find an inn, preferably something cheap?”
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