by Alex Aguilar
The whole cart flipped… Robyn leaped and rolled over the pebbly mud… She tried to bury her nails into something, anything at all, but she’d been riding too fast and her grip slipped against the soil. She scraped her knees, elbows, and wrists over the wet gravel, and before she knew it she was tumbling off the cliff…
She let out a yelp of panic as her hand latched onto the only thing at her reach. A thick tree root, possibly belonging to one of the willows nearby, was sticking out of the earth, lodged along the cliff’s edge like an oversized vine. The cart fell, dragging the crying horses down with it, missing Robyn’s head by just a hair.
She made the mistake of looking down… She watched as the cart and horses shrunk down to the size of a whetstone, before vanishing entirely into the misty abyss that was the Great Rift. Some thousand feet deep it must have been, and Robyn had tempted fate at the very last moment.
You made it… By the gods, you made it!
But then she had a chilling realization… Nyx was still sitting next to her when the cart had flipped… In a panic she glanced up, but there was no sign of him anywhere. He might have been crushed by the cart, for all she knew. Or he might have fallen with it…
She had survived death again but hardly had time to rejoice; she was alone again, stranded, hanging by a vine along the edge of a cliff. And her breathing only grew hastier when she heard a neighing horse come to a halt just above her head.
She heard a faint “Whoa,” and a pair of boots slamming against the mud.
No… Please, no…
“Tsk tsk,” she heard him, and then the footsteps approached.
Damn it all to hells, no…
Robyn was hanging a good foot below the edge of the cliff. Even if she climbed her way back up, there was no outrunning the captain… She was trapped…
Captain Malekai Pahrvus leaned in for a better look. His boots sunk into the dirt and Robyn’s face was briefly speckled with dust and gravel. She coughed, holding on for dear life, unable to rub her eyes clean; instead she forced the dirt off by blinking rapidly. The captain had a nasty grin plastered on him. He hadn’t been this close to her since that night in his tent. He began with a sigh of relief and then, just as he’d done many times before, he chuckled and nodded his head in that disdainful and patronizing manner of his.
“You have quite some nerve, you know that?” he said, and already Robyn couldn’t stand to hear his voice. “Truly, you must be the most stubborn fucking thing I’ve ever met in my life…”
She said nothing in response. If she were being honest, the rage in her chest frightened her; she didn’t know that she was capable of so much hate. Malekai turned his gaze briefly away from her, glancing at something out of her view. He bent on one knee and reached for it.
“Tsk tsk. What a mess, what a mess,” he said, and then lifted his arm for her to have a look.
It was Nyx, drenched in mud and hanging lifelessly from Malekai’s hand. Parts of his serpentine body had been flattened and smeared with his own blood and guts. Robyn bit her tongue to fight back the rage.
Nyx... My dear Nyx, I am so sorry…
A tear escaped her eye. She hoped Malekai would stall further, at least long enough for Nyx to revive himself. But that small shred of hope died after what Malekai did next.
“I must say, your choice of friends baffles me,” he said. And then with a disapproving nod he threw Nyx’s body into the Great Rift.
“No!!!” she cried, but Nyx was swallowed by the dark pit of fog within seconds; she kept her eyes on him until he disappeared into nothing. And then she sobbed, knowing she might never see her friend again. Malekai was almost touched by it all, his head tilting to the side as he stared her down.
“You brought this upon yourself, girl,” he said.
Unable to resist herself, she hissed loudly at him, “My name is Robyn!”
“Right,” he said, his tone one of subtle admiration. “Robyn Huxley… What a pity. Such a beautiful name wasted on a stubborn little shit like you…”
Robyn glared right back at him through her tears.
If you’re going to kill me, just get on with it, she thought. But in reality, death frightened her greatly, and she couldn’t find the words to say without admitting her defeat. A horse trotted to a halt nearby. Robyn silently wished it were Skinner coming to her aid, but Malekai’s calmness spoke differently.
“Cap’n!” shouted Borrys, dismounting his horse. He observed the tracks on the dirt and the muddle of food and supplies that had scattered when the cart flipped. “What in hells happened ‘ere?!”
Malekai did not look very happy. It was as if Borrys’s screech of a voice had reminded him of the wretched reality. Of all the good men I could have been left with, he pondered despicably. Why did I have to be stuck with you?
“Where, uh… Where are the rest of our men, cap’n?”
“Shut up and get me a bow.”
Robyn’s heart raced. There was a bow on the grass, a humble little thing made of elven wood. Borrys snatched it and handed it to his captain. Even as Robyn hung from that angle, she recognized Spirit when she saw it.
“You know,” Malekai sighed, spitting into the Rift and nearly hitting Robyn. “I had many ideas for how I would kill you. But I must say this way’s far better than anything I could’ve planned.”
Borrys handed his captain an arrow, and once again it belonged to Robyn. Such irony it was that she was to be shot by an arrow that she had carved herself, killed by the very same bow with which she had learned to kill.
“I know you must not think very highly of me, girl…”
“Robyn,” she growled at him, and it only made his grin wider.
“Right. Robyn,” he said. “You know… Regardless of what you may believe, I’m not the monster you make me out to be. Hells, in another life you might’ve even made a worthy comrade. I do admire a bit of nerve.”
He nocked the arrow in place and pulled back the string. Robyn fought the urge to look away, as much as it pained her to see her bow in his filthy hands.
“You still can, you know,” he said suddenly, aiming the sharp tip right between her eyes. “It doesn’t have to end this way…”
Robyn wished she could have believed him, but she could read the wickedness in his eye. Lying bastard… I’m the daughter of Adelina Huxley. Deceiving me will take a lot more effort than that.
“All you have to do is say the word, Robyn. And then Borrys and I will pull you right back up,” he said. “Just the one word… I want to hear you say it…”
Robyn frowned. She was certain he would kill her the moment she said it.
“No point in being stubborn this time, Robyn,” Malekai went on. The sound of his voice when he said her name was so revolting, she regretted ever telling him what it was. “You either say the word or you say nothing ever again... Go on, then… Say please.”
Robyn’s grip on the vine began to loosen. Her other arm was still in pain from the brand, there was no way she could have pulled herself up with it. It was either death by fall or death by Malekai’s hand. And she’d already made up her mind. She took a last glance down below at the Rift.
It’s all right, Robyn… Just do it…
Malekai sighed. “Time’s up,” he said. “Any last words, Robyn?”
She looked up fearlessly and hissed through her gritted teeth.
“Eat… shit!” she said, and then her fingers began to slide.
Malekai felt an instant rage. He was about to let go of the arrow, when suddenly a thundering sound startled them all…
A sharp, earsplitting, high-pitched growl echoed for miles around…
Robyn’s hand regained its grip, and her mind jolted her back to her senses. She’d been prepared to let go, prepared to die, before the sound broke her from that trance. It was followed by a strong sweeping wind, the likes of which could only be brought upon by a storm.
“What on earth was that?” Malekai turned to the trees. In a panic, he had lowered the
bow, glancing about for the source of the sound. Borrys was too stunned for words, his lower lip shivering and his hand on the hilt of his blade. The two men locked eyes with one another, their troubled minds in a daze. Whatever beast had made the sound had to have been large.
“M-Maybe we should go, cap’n…”
But there was no chance of it, not yet. Malekai was so fueled by vengeance, it blinded him. He walked back to the edge of the cliff with Robyn’s bow in hand. Robyn’s wrist was aching; she’d slid down so far, she was practically holding onto life with her fingertips.
“Cap’n!” Borrys shouted, his eyes glancing in every direction, startled half to death. “Cap’n, just leave her! She’s not worth it, cap-”
“Fuck off!” Malekai snarled, his hands determined to kill. He was ready to take aim again when the sound arose. A sweeping sound, like that of a ship’s sails thrusting heavily against the wind, resonated from underneath them, from somewhere within the Great Rift.
With it came another roar, this one loud and alarmingly near…
Robyn watched as the blood drained from Malekai’s face, as if the man had come face to face with death. He was looking in her direction, at the shadow rising out of the misty depth. She craned her neck down… and the corner of her eye caught a glimpse of the winged beast…
Malekai was startled off balance when it flew past them, a massive creature the color of coal, with scaly reptilian skin and giant wings like a bat. With an ear-splitting roar it flew into the great blue sky, casting its shadow over them, soaring with the wind like a thousand-pound bird.
“By the gods…” Borrys exclaimed, his face pale and his tongue suddenly as dry as sandpaper. “I-Is that a… a…!”
Malekai stumbled back to his feet, his hair ruffled and his eye-patch hanging loosely out of place. He yanked it off and threw it over the mud, gazing into the skies at the massive creature, astonished beyond words. He’d never seen such a creature in real life, only heard the stories, and even then he’d doubted they were anything more than myths. Yet here he stood staring at one.
The winged creature circled back around and flew towards them at great speed. And it was then that Malekai wakened from the shock. “To the horses! Now!”
They ran to their mounts and galloped away. But the creature was brutally fast; it was getting bigger and bigger as it neared the cliff again. Borrys whimpered like a frightened child, spouting devout nonsense as if he were suddenly a man of faith that deserved to be spared.
Malekai wasted no time. He was more concerned about saving his own skin, he figured Borrys could serve as bait and slow down the great beast. It flew past the edge of the cliff, overlooking Robyn along the way as if she was not a worthy prey for it. The creature’s gaze was instead fixed on the two riders. It was here for them.
Robyn forced herself back to her senses. Whatever that thing was, it had given her a fighting chance. Using what little force she had left, she pulled herself up and used her free hand to grip the earth as best she could.
Her mind was distracted, astonished by the winged creature. She had to be careful, had to force the dark thoughts out of her mind; if that thing circled back towards her, she was certainly done for.
Concentrate, Robyn… Push, now… Give it all you got!
Her heel found a sturdy-enough stone along the cliff’s wall and she used it for additional force. Before she knew it, her eyes were at eye level with the ground. She could see Malekai and Borrys scampering off down the road from which they came. Too many trees were in the way, and so the giant creature flew in the open space along the edge of the cliff, trailing the two men like a great eagle chasing after a pair of field mice.
Now’s your chance, Robyn. Don’t you dare waste it.
Somehow, she managed to grip the loose soil long enough to pull her knee up to the flat ground. Once she did that, she felt a release of tension all over her. One good push was all it took before she was crawling over the mud again. She cared so little about all the filth that she lied there face-up for a moment, catching her breath, stroking the mud with her fingertips as if it was precious.
You did it… You bloody did it… You’re alive…
Her eye caught sight of her bow Spirit, filthy and wet over a nearby puddle. Malekai must’ve dropped it on the way to his mount, she figured. Immediately, she reached for it, caressing it like a lost pup. She wasn’t done just yet. So long as she had her bow, she would keep fighting. She found her quiver of arrows over a patch of dry grass, right next to a tattered red-leather eye patch.
He will pay… The evil bastard will pay for all he’s done…
There was another roar, high-pitched and resonant, like the shrill cry of a frantic crow only deeper and much rougher. The winged creature had outrun the two rogue mercenaries. Its bat-like wings slowed to a halt and it perched itself on the other end of the road, where the path was wider. Malekai had a good lead on his right-hand man, and when the creature enclosed them, he was the first to face it. He brought his white stallion to a halt.
There it was, the big monstrous thing… Its reptilian head was five times the size of a horse’s, its jaw stretched outward like a crocodile’s, its teeth were frighteningly jagged like a mass of daggers. Above its forehead, the creature had a pair of horns, curved and sharp like a bull’s, and its neck was a good six feet in length, which made it look even larger when it stood on its lizard-like legs.
Malekai was careful not to make any sudden movements, for this creature was not looking at him the way a predator looks at a prey. It was an expression so vicious and hostile that it was hard to believe this thing was just an animal.
It opened its massive mouth… And the captain felt the scorching heat radiating from it… “Easy there, boy,” he mumbled at the creature, his face drenched in sweat. “Easy…”
A bright orange glow began to crawl up the creature’s reptilian neck. When Malekai saw it, he darted frantically towards the trees. And then, within seconds, everything was aflame. Borrys Belvaine made an attempt to flee, but there was no outrunning the beast. It craned its scaly neck and the raging fire drifted with it, swallowing both Borrys and his horse like bugs.
Robyn watched in horror; she could hear their cries even from a distance. Borrys twitched frantically, the reins caught in between his fingers, and his howling horse trotted blindly off the edge of the cliff. They fell, their bodies engulfed in flames, like a pair of falling stars disappearing into the Great Rift.
A cloud of black smoke began to gather above the trees. The flames were spreading, creating a scorching barrier impossible to escape. The creature shoved its head fearlessly between the blazing trees, its scaly black skin impervious to it, like a hungry unrelenting cat hunting down a rat. As if assuring the Captain’s death, the creature coughed out more flames, this time in worn-out puffs, as if it was still recovering from its last scorching breath.
Even from a distance, Robyn was sweating from the intoxicating heat.
But she wouldn’t dare move… She was captivated by the creature, mesmerized by its resilience and its haunting beauty; a majestic fearless thing that had spared her life when she was in most dire need of it, like a guardian spirit watching over her…
Oh no…
Robyn’s limbs were suddenly trembling. The winged creature turned on its heels and looked in her direction, as if expecting to find her standing there. Despite the heat, her body grew cold with fear… She turned and ran, faster than she thought she was capable of, cursing under her breath as her boots splattered mud into the air.
The creature dropped into the Great Rift and used the winds to his advantage, flailing its thick meaty wings and trailing her effortlessly. Frightened out of her mind, Robyn stumbled and scraped her knees even further. She was so filthy she wondered how the creature could even tell her apart from the rest of the brown earth.
Feeling the sweeping wind behind her, she tossed and turned, crawling backwards in a fit of distress. The creature landed right in front of her, tri
ggering a mild tremor in the earth beneath her fingertips. There was no outrunning it now; her humble bow was no match for the creature’s fire. She was utterly helpless.
Don’t look up at it, she told herself. Do not look up…
A moment passed… Robyn shut her eyes, waiting for the heat to devour her, but the creature did nothing. It simply stood there watching her.
Don’t move a muscle… Show it that you mean no harm…
She remembered Old Man Beckwit mentioning something about the way animals often fought for power, about how some would only attack when provoked, and she hoped that the majestic creature was smart enough, that it could somehow sense her frailty in its own peculiar way. Or was it a matter of sight? Could the creature not see her when she stood perfectly still?
Realizing it was not there to harm her, Robyn lifted her eyelids gently and took a moment to observe it. Its body alone was about the size of three horses, and it had a sharp tail like an alligator that added another four or five feet. Its body was smooth and glimmering like obsidian, except for the set of spikes along its neck, and it was almost entirely black save for its wings, which seemed to have a reddish hue to it under the sun’s light, the color of dark raw meat gone dry.
And its eyes, they were… No… Its eye…
The winged beast only had its left one…
The right eyelid was empty, marked by a deep scar over the socket…
Robyn’s jaw dropped. The creature opened its mouth and exhaled a puff of grey smoke, and with it came a guttural sound that was almost human. A few moments passed, as if the creature was stalling, giving the girl some time to adjust.
And then, well… Then it spoke…
A deep rumble of a voice, it had. It was deathlike and chilling, and eerily familiar to Robyn’s ears. It was the voice of her beloved Nyx.
“Hello, Lady Robyn…”
She was stunned… She told herself she was imagining things, that the injury on her head was more serious than she thought. But when she looked into his eye, she couldn’t help but sense that warmth, that wisdom, that familiarity.