by Rhys Thomas
“Shadow in the water, on the starboard side!” then a bell alarmed the ship as the man on lookout rung the alarm for contact twice and then all was still.
The door from the captain’s cabin banged open as Thiomin and Captain Grimsley strolled out. “Victor,” Thiomin called out. “Where was the shadow and how big?”
“S-starboard side sir!” the man stammered. “At least double the size of Naiad sir.”
“Fuck!” Thiomin hissed. “Keep a look out man but don’t ring the bloody bell again you hear me?” the man in the crow’s nest stuttered his affirmation.
Emilia and I walked over to the two men, “Any idea what it was?” I asked either of them.
“Not a clue and certainly not a good idea to start making noise if there is something swimming nearby,” Thiomin said shaking his head.
“It’ll be fine Thiomin,” captain Grimsley said and patted the man lightly on his shoulder. “Nothing has nor will attack us between Haroxi and Farland, the witches of the Glen reapplied the repel to our hull. We’re safe as long we don’t consciously attract them to us.”
“Them?” I asked, then wished I didn’t, knowing what the answer was to be.
“Sea monsters,” Thiomin answered and rested his hand gently on the captains, a look of fright coming to his eyes.
“Well shit,” I muttered and immediately remembered why I hated wide open bodies of water. The unknown depths called of darkness and things of with tentacles. My mind flashed to the dream I had before the burning of Wheldrake, the voice calling to me, no, not me. To Rokkaia. Then there was what I heard when encountering the Sa’teigy. Was I…?
“It’ll probably be best if you both return below deck to your quarters for a while, at least until breakfast,” the captain suggested, his nasally voice cutting through my thoughts. We nodded, understanding that he didn’t want us in the way as his man prepped the ship for the day ahead.
We returned to our quarters and stayed there for the next hour and a half.
I took the time to re-equip my armour, Ilya woke and without even dressing she began to help me do the fastening and straps. I couldn’t help but admire her toned sleek frame, her body agile and dangerous. She wasn’t as toned or muscular as Ariana, but she still radiated danger all the same.
My eyes watched her firm and pert round breasts bounce slightly as she moved, then I tracked my gaze down her slender belly and the hint of a four pack to the dark purple lips of her pussy. She looked tight just from a glance and as she turned around to look for her own clothing, she bent slightly, and I got an eyeful of the similarly purple coloured pucker of her asshole between tight ass-cheeks.
Then I noticed Emilia staring at me as I ogled Ilya and I coughed and quickly glanced away embarrassed by being caught.
The young witch sidled up to me and whispered in my ear, “don’t worry. I won’t tell if you don’t” she then glanced at Ilya’s still bent form and licked her lips seductively.
My cock bulge at the sight before me and I feel a hand stroke my inner thigh and brush my dick, “stop that,” I hiss and slapped the witch’s hand away.
She giggles as she moves for the door, “I’ll go see if the food is ready,” she calls out as the door swings shut.
“What the hell?” I ask myself quietly, wondering where all that suddenly came from.
A 30ft tall dense wall of fog clouded the shore of Farland from view, I looked from that to the tense clutter of shipmates as they scanned the terrain ahead, or lack thereof. I pulsed through a pebble of power custard into the runes behind my ears and felt my vision sharpen and become more focused.
I squinted ever so slightly as I stared at the wall of fog and through the massively thick cloud. I saw a beach, white dusty sand and a bank of grass in the distance.
We took a jolly boat fastened to the rear of the ship as it splashed down noiselessly, I looked up at the rear of the Naiad to see Thiomin and Captain Grimsley amongst the men who had been lowering us.
“We’ll see you in four days,” he called down. “If we’re not here, it’s either because of Goldranos slavers are in the area or you’re late and we’ve left without you.”
“Thanks,” I answered him dryly.
“Look after yourselves,” Thiomin shouted.
“We will,” Emilia replied cheerily. We rowed the jolly boat through the dense thicket of fog and breached the other side only slightly damp. I jumped out as we hit the shallows and felt my clothes absorb the water as I pushed the boat from the rear. I glanced up to see Emilia still sat primly in the middle of boat and enjoying the ride, though Ilya had jumped as well to help tow.
It honestly wasn’t needed as I was outpacing her in stride and strength anyway. “We’re going to have to conceal this somehow,” I said aloud.
“Oh, don’t worry I’ve got this covered,” Emilia said happily and waved at Ilya and I to move back. Emilia raised both of her hands and started to cast off quick rapid gestures, the sleeves of her robe gathered at her elbows. Suddenly I felt a shifting of the sand beneath and I braced as what seemed like shifting pulses of movement rippled forth and gathered under the boat. The boat vibrated as it sank into the floor of the beach, swallowed by the white sands.
“There!” Emilia exclaimed happily. She spun to meet our—mainly mine—shocked expressions. “Shall we go?” she asked and without waiting for a reply she set off for the bank of grass at the far back of the beach.
I looked Ilya and cocked an eyebrow, “she’s clearly got a few nuts and bolt missing,” I said to the Mælic Redeye.
“Nuts and bolts?” she asked me. Giving me the look, like I was crazy. Farlands was pretty much bare of everything other than tall grass, strong winds and a few distance forests so far. Again, far of in the distance sat a fat ass mountain, bigger than the Dale mountain back on Haroxi. It also ranged far wider and I couldn’t help but wonder why I hadn’t seen it on the way of our approach via the Naiad.
In fact, we hadn’t even seen a sighting of anything till we almost drove straight into the fog surrounding this continent. I looked back over my shoulder as if to see the beach, but all I saw was more tall grass, standing about 8feet tall. I sighed realising we were in for a long walk.
~*~*~*~
The first sign that something was wrong, was the thunderous boom that shook everything. We all ducked instinctively, casting worried glances at one another. Then a loud booming groan filled the air, and I felt the goose bumps on my skin shiver and retreat at the sound.
We were in a cropping of more tall grass between two stretches of a forest. Emilia and Ilya had informed me that the grove we were travelling to was somewhere within the forest we had been trekking for the last day or so.
“It should’ve been here,” Ilya had replied when I asked her. “The grove moves as does its tender, they do so to avoid things like that.” She threw a thumb over her shoulder and there, not far off from our crouch position I saw what she meant.
Standing as tall as a 50ft building, an enormous bull like animal rose from the ground. It a had thick mossy green coat of matted fur, mounts of mud and turf straddled it’s back as it reached its full height. It had six legs and a crest of black fur on its chest, with a drape of a black beard merging with it from its throat.
The gigantic animal huffed a steaming breath of hot air, twitched its ears and I watched as its powerful jaws ground together and saw tuffs of grass falling off its chin. Oddly the bull giant didn’t have lips, so it’s grey gums and flat square teeth were visibly on display. Its horns were a crooked L that curved out from its head. A large dull red gem sat just above its brow.
“Is it hostile?” I asked Ilya. We were all stunned by the giant bull-things appearance, Ilya least of all, I imagined because she had experience travelling this land.
“Not usually,” she answered with a frown.
“Not usually?” Emilia asked before I could. Ilya nodded, casting her red gaze back to the enormous animal. Its eyes were an angular slit with a dull yellow iris, �
�I’ve seen them regularly, though I’ve only actually seen one attack a band of mercenary’s looking to plunder Zwericania ruins. The troop had attack it first so I’m almost certain it’s not hostile unless it’s to defend itself.”
“It doesn’t have a name?” I asked, feeling that it seemed strange how she referred to the animal as it. This time it was Emilia who answered me, “we haven’t named any of the animal, creatures or monsters that have been discovered on this land.”
“Why is that?”
“Because we realised that it’s utterly pointless. The Farlands isn’t a viable place to inhabit, it’s filled with the dangers of the forgotten and the unknown. Yet still people believe they can do what no other has done.”
“Which is?” I prompted the young witch.
“To tame the Farland, Zwericania’s magic still hums across this land. Eventually the great frozen dome that’s imprisoned Zwericania will shatter.”
“Anything else?” I asked the duo. “It won’t attack if we simply walk by?”
“No,” Ilya said shaking her head, white hair bouncing as she did so from its stylish tying behind her head. “They’re usually harmless, the grove only moves from their path, because the animal has poor eyesight and tramples pretty much everything before it.” As if to demonstrate her point Ilya stood up swiftly, and boldly strolled through the thick fumbling of grass.
“Hey! Wait!” I gasped out and tried to catch ahold of her arm but missed. The giant bull didn’t even blink as Ilya appeared out of the tall grass. Emilia and I watched as Ilya stood before the chomping bull and with her fist’s planted on her hips, she turned back to us and leaned her weight on one foot. Clearing her throat disapprovingly.
I glanced at Emilia who was looking sheepish as she stepped forward to follow Ilya through the grass. With a sigh I followed, except it was a different matter when I breached through the wall of grass. The enormous bull’s head immediately swung to peer at me as its nostrils flared.
The giant bull let out a thunderous groan as it snorted repeatedly and shook it enormous head as if to dispel fear or confusion. “Wow!” Emilia squealed. Suddenly the great bull turned away from us and jogged off, each step taken sending small quakes through the ground.
We stared in shock as the giant animal ran away, both women then turned to glare daggers at me as if it was my fault. “Hey, it wasn’t my fault,” I said raising my hands in a placating gesture.
“Must be something you’re carrying,” Emilia muttered as she watched the bull leave with a small pout playing across her beautiful bow lips.
“Maybe…” I replied my mind drawing up flashes of Shade’s grey blue eyes. I kept the fact that I might suspect why to myself, Shade was to be release at the end of this journey, what that meant though was anyone’s guess.
I just hoped that whatever we ran into next would be sensible enough like the giant bull to not even bother us.
We moved on for the rest of day being cautious of our surroundings and the unfamiliar cries and call of animals. The strangest thing I found was the complete absence of insects. I was reminded eerily of the farmhouse where we had found the brood-mother and its nest. I wanted to bring this to the others attention but thought that unnecessary worrying would only distract us.
“We can set up camp just over that rise,” Ilya said and gestured ahead of herself, up the moderate incline of dirt and tree’s we were climbing. Both women had proven rather resilient and I was surprised that Emilia was keeping up so well. The young witch had tied her long platinum blonde hair into a bun, hidden under her witching hat.
She held tightly to her satchel bag dangling against her hip. Sweat thinly sheened her face making her glow in the dying light.
The day had gotten progressively hotter as the sun rose and dipped, Ilya seemed to be the only one unfazed by the day’s climate and events. I for one was slowly weakening as the sun dipped out of sight. It wasn’t as noticeable as it had been before, but I could feel the sluggish weight of my body growing as we trudged along. I wondered how far from this grove we could be.
“Ilya-” I hissed, about to ask her an estimate of how far out we were, when a sharp crunch of something snapping, practically filled the forest from our right.
We all froze and swiveled to the sound, I thought to summon a flame but then thought better of it when I realised it would give our position away and possibly burn down the entire forest. I heard both Emilia’s and Ilya’s breath’s catch and I cast them a glance to see what they were fixated on.
But all I saw was the shadowy sentinels of tree and brush.
“What do you see-” I began but Emilia hands flashed to slapped silently over my mouth cutting me off. I squinted, then paused recognizing how stupid I was being. Sending a small thrum of power to the runes behind my ears I focused on the possibility of night vision unsure if would work. At once my eyesight darkened and then intoned at the edges with a grey hue that quickly filled my vision.
Everything was cast in a grey fuzz that bled into the dark area’s lighting them gradually. I scanned the surroundings looking what had caught the girl’s attention. But all I saw was the tense trees, bushes and a mound of thin grass with two piercing white orbs flowing at their centre mass.
My breath caught and something about how our focus was solely on that spot, meant that the thing hiding, no longer needed to conceal itself. A low angry and feral growl erupted from the mound. The trees branches rustled as it stood rising to a full 10feet in height, half that of the trees in this area. I couldn’t make out what colour it’s skin or fur were, as everything was muted grey and a lesser black.
But I noticed how the coat of fur on its humanoid body was thinly layered. Two arms and two legs, it reminded me of the nomadic ogre Ariana and Marisa had killed. But instead of an ogre, I saw what I could only describe as a big-foot-like monster, and it shared the partial similarities of a human and an ape.
Its features seemed strikingly intelligent, but the hungry glint and the snarl rippling along its lips as it drooled, spoke as to what its intended meal was. I summoned a bright flash of fire on instinct and instantly regretted it as the bright flare of light blinded me momentarily.
I heard the girls scream and cry out then I was pushed aside and thrown to the ground, as what I could only assume was the monster crashed down nearby, where we had been standing. I rolled twice and blinked rapidly trying to regain some semblance of my night vision.
Bright white spots blotted my eyesight, I heard the thing tossing about as it thumps quickly against the ground. Then the fucker roared, and I had to clamp my hand over my ears to block the sound as it deafened me. I rolled again and again till my side impacted solidly against what I assumed to be a tree stomp.
Quickly dispelling the draw of power to my senses, I blinked as everything was suddenly swallowed in darkness.
A caught a brief flash of purple lightning as it forked from the tips of Emilia’s clawed fingertips. Arcing across the ground to impact against the monster but the beast simple shivered and shrugged it off. I heard cursing just before another deafening roar. I sat reorienting myself and looked for Ilya, the Mælic redeye was nowhere to be seen and I began to worry. Then a pool of shadow blacker that the night of the forest swarmed the big foot-like beast’s back.
Then a white head of hair poked out from shadow pool, her scimitar flashing as Ilya carved away, cutting deep horizontal slashed across it’s back. It cried out and leapt into the air rebounding off a tree and careening into another as it tried to shuck her off. With her blade planted firmly in its back, Ilya rode along.
“Alaric! we need your fire for fuck sake,” Emilia shouted to me, frustration and anger laden her light voice. It was the first-time I heard her like that and honestly, I was astonished. I looked for her but saw nothing. The roar filled the forest and rattled my bones, “Ilya!” Emilia called out in terror and concern.
“Emilia, stay down,” I shouted, an idea coming to me.
I stood steadying myself, hop
ing she heard me and heeded my warning. I focused inwards, as a thundering crash and groan came from a topple tree. I tore myself down deep into my delve and drew everything I had, I blinked as a blazing white orb of fire spun into existence on the palm of my hand and wavered on my feet as I forced my concentration to a pinprick.
“Alaric move,” I heard Ilya commanding tone. But it was drowned out as I was swallowed and drawn into the binding orb, my whole existence narrowing, swirling and then twisting as my consciousness was sucked into the fire in my palm.
I swam in a plane of searing white light, beyond me and all around was a glass veil unseen to me, but there. Before me was a landscape of arching bridges, like the strands in DNA, each interlocking and bridging one another; spiraling upwards.
I saw houses and plateaus upon which magnificent palaces glinted. Then I looked to the orb in my hand and it was now a black expanse of the void, distantly I saw the shine of the far-off stars and the great hands that guided them. Then a shadow blotted out the stars, snatching away on the orders of those guiding hands.
The skies beyond the veil darkened, the screams of billions wailing as terrors of indescribable horrors and madness invaded the plane. Massive triangular ships and primordial beasts enveloped everything in carnage.
Then I was drawn back to the present, as a massive primordial wolf breached through the ceiling of a palace on the central plateau, a low thundering howl echoing across the plane angrily. This was my home.
“Look out!” screamed Emilia. My eyes snapped to the hulking figure lunging towards me, without fully understanding what I was doing I brought the black starry orb in my hand up and slammed it into the beast’s open jaw as it clamped around my hand and tore it away with a vicious shake of its head like a dog.
Blood spurted from my crude stomp; a jagged knife edge of bone protruded out the end. I heard screaming and turned, “Emilia? Ilya!” I called out or tried to at least, but the screaming kept interrupting me and my voice was gradually growing more and more coarse by the second.