The Cascadian Mountains were beautiful. They rose up around them like rocky giants, their faces covered with vegetation and their peaks capped with snow. They further east they traveled, the drier the climate became. The deep greens of the west lands faded to browns and yellows, and the stony slopes became sparse, the plant life withering beneath the dry, insistent desert winds. Eventually, they crossed through the tallest of the mountains, entering the foothills on the other side of the immense mountain range.
Razja pulled her horse to a stop to admire the scene before her. It was late afternoon, so the sun was setting behind her, painting the land in a golden hue that made her want to weep. It had been months since she left home, but in that moment, it felt like she hadn’t seen her homeland in years. Beneath the foothills, a vast plain stretched out into eternity, radiating from the heat of the sun. It was an untamed land owned by tribes of goat herders and nomads, and to the south, she knew, were the sweeping deserts of Kaarna, a country she would likely never see again.
“Everything alright?” Camdyn asked softly, turning in his saddle to look at her.
She nodded. “Yes,” she replied, fighting back tears. “I just... I need a minute to...” her voice broke off, and she took a deep, shuddering breath to soothe her emotions.
“It’s bloody hot,” Jasper complained, opening the front of his tunic. “I can only imagine what it’ll be like down there.”
“Like an oven,” Camdyn answered, grinning. “Nothing quite like a summer in this part of the world. It can cook a man like a sausage in his armor. Best we find a stream and refill our waterskins.”
Jasper groaned.
Razja took another breath and urged her horse forward, pushing aside her feelings and adopting a look of cool dispassion. During her magical training, she was taught the importance of stoicism. It allowed one to make rational decisions, even in the face of turmoil.
The other two watched as she led the way through the foothills, guiding her mount along familiar territory as she followed the path.
No matter what happens, this is where I’m supposed to be, she told herself, setting her jaw in determination. The fates have brought me here to prevent this great calamity from occurring. And if I die, then at least I will be close to home.
She tried to remember that as she descended into the Eternal Plains. Only the gods knew what awaited them beyond.
Chapter Seventeen
The plains around them shimmered with heat, the sprawling, unbroken landscape a desolate sea of yellow grass and hard-packed reddish clay. Their horses plodded along the road, kicking up dust as they slowly made their way across the Eternal Plains.
At first, Razja had been excited to be back on this side of the mountains. The heat had invigorated her, reminding her of days long gone. Now, she found herself wishing there was water and shade to offer respite from the unforgiving sun.
I forgot how difficult it is to travel in this land, she thought, pulling her hood lower to block the rays of the sun. The west lands are cold, but at least they are wet. I’d give anything for a rain storm right now. Part of her was disgusted at how quickly she had acclimated to the western climate. It made her feel weak and soft. However, she could not deny that her homeland was a harsh place, unforgiving and unyielding to outsiders.
Camdyn rode ahead of her, and every so often she heard him grunt and saw him wipe sweat from his face with the back of his hand. The man was utterly stoic, bearing the temperature without so much as a peep. He had stripped off his armor and slung it over his saddlebags, preferring to have the blistering sun on his bare skin rather than the stifling heat of iron and leather, even if it meant being unprotected.
Jasper was another story. He complained incessantly about everything, from the buzzing insects that plagued them to the dust that clung to them. He huddled beneath a tented blanket to stave off the sun and poured more water on his head than he did into his mouth.
Overall, it was a miserable journey, and the trail continued onward, stretching north east with no end in sight.
“There is a tribe of goat herders that inhabits this region,” Razja said after a long period of tortured silence. “Perhaps we can rest with them and resupply.”
“Why would anyone live in such a place?” Jasper groused from behind.
Razja shrugged. “They’ve grazed this land for centuries. It is part of who they are.”
“They must be insane, then,” the assassin muttered, though not quietly enough for Razja not to hear.
They continued on, pushing their mounts to the brink of exhaustion as they followed the hard-packed road. There was little water to be had and no lakes or rivers to be found, so they were forced to share their water stores with the horses to keep them from collapsing. Even Razja, who had little experience with the animals, knew that they would not be able to keep on like this for much longer. Eventually, they would run out of water, and then they would be in serious trouble.
There was a reason this region was known as the Eternal Plains.
The nomads are able to survive out here, she thought, licking her dry lips. There must be an oasis of some kind... a spring, perhaps? Then would could refill our waterskins and water the horses.
Her answer came that afternoon, when they noticed buzzard circling somewhere off the main road.
“There!” Camdyn shouted, pointing excitedly. He squinted in the direction of the buzzards, a smile playing out on his sunburned face.
“What is it?” Jasper asked, peeking out from beneath his blanket.
“Animals never stray far from water,” Razja said, turning her horse in the direction of the buzzards. “That means there must be something there, perhaps water. We’ll need more if we are to carry on.”
“Wonderful,” Jasper said, voice tinged with sarcasm. “Maybe then I can actually take a bath.”
They left the road and began making their way through the yellow grass, carefully traversing the gently undulating landscape.
Eventually, they did find some water, though it was little more than a shallow puddle. Still, it looked clean enough. Crystal water bubbled up from a hidden spring far beneath the ground, surrounded by a stand of stunted reeds in a small depression in the plains.
“Not sure you can take a bath in it,” Camdyn remarked, eying the pool doubtfully.
Jasper shrugged. “As long as I can pour some over my head, I’ll be content.”
As they approached, Razja discovered what was causing the buzzards to circle around overhead. The remains of what looked to have been a horse were sprawled out near the pool. Its bones had nearly been picked clean, and troubling claw marks rent the ground all around the corpse.
Not a welcoming sign, she thought.
They refilled their waterskins and Jasper did pour some of the water over his head. It tasted pure and cool, which was a welcome respite from the heat of the day.
Even so, the presence of the dead horse made Razja feel uneasy. Whatever had killed the animal could have still been close.
Refreshed, they decided to rest a little and water the horses, taking out their provisions and eating quietly. Each was lost in their own thoughts, enjoying the break from the hard traveling they had done over the last few days. After about an hour, though, Razja urged them to depart.
They begrudgingly prepared to leave, leading their mounts away from the spring and back toward the road when they heard a strange rumbling noise coming from a nearby cluster of rocks. The stones shifted and then parted, revealing a hole leading deep underground.
“Oh no,” Razja murmured, horrified. “This isn’t good.”
The creature emerged from the rocks with a terrible trumping roar, its chitinous legs scratching at the dry ground as it rose up before them. It had a large segmented body covered in a dusky shell, with six legs like a crab that ended in wicked points. Behind it, there was a large curving tail with an enormous barb like a scorpion, and its head was a terrible maw of long, serrated teeth. Coarse, matted hair sprouted from its ne
ck like a lion’s mane, and three glittering black eyes regarded us hungrily at the front of its hideous head.
Razja had heard stories of these creatures, but had never seen one in the flesh. It was worse than the stories led her to believe.
Acting purely by instinct, she readied her bracers and embraced the power, filling her body up with the buzzing energy. Even the comforting warmth of magic was not enough to put her at ease, however. She knew how dangerous these creatures were.
“What the hell is that thing?” Jasper cursed, leaping from the back of his horse and drawing his twin blades.
Camdyn did the same, leaving his mount and drawing the great sword from off his back.
“A manticore,” Razja explained, forcing herself to remain calm. “It is a creature that roams the eternal plains, preying off goats and sometimes even their herders. We need to proceed with caution.”
“Lovely,” the assassin answered dryly. “As if this journey hasn’t been difficult enough. First, we have to fight a basilisk, and now this!”
“Quit complaining and help me kill this thing,” Camdyn bellowed as he slapped his horse on the rump, prompting it to retreat away from the pool.
The manticore seemed to be approaching them slowly, its crablike legs scratching tentatively at the earth. Its black eyes regarded them blankly, its gaping mouth dripping with saliva.
“I’ll soften it up with some spells,” Razja declared, preparing the words in her mind. “When it is stunned, move in to attack. Its armor is weakest beneath the belly.”
With that, she began to cast, uttering the ancient words to produce a torrent of magical missiles. The energy sprang from her fingertips and rushed into the air, arcing high and plummeting down like a hail of arrows. However, when they were about to hit, the manticore strafed to the side, moving with frightening speed and avoiding the attack altogether.
She cursed beneath her breath. Of course. The stories all said they were fast... this is going to be more of a challenge than I thought.
“Spread out!” she commanded the others, already preparing another spell. “We need to make it harder to dodge our attacks!”
The manticore lunged, going for Camdyn with its mouth snapping. The mercenary jumped out of the way, stumbling to the ground but still managing to hold onto his sword.
Jasper went for the monster’s back, sprinting at full speed and striking out with both of his blades. The metal glanced off its chitinous hide, scratching out a few sparks but otherwise doing no damage. Then, seconds later, he was forced to run away, the great scorpion tail lashing out like a venomous, barbed whip.
Speaking the words of power, Razja pointed at the beast and let out another barrage of magic missiles. These ones found their mark, pounding violently into the creature’s back.
It let out a terrible scream, turning away from Camdyn and fixing its attention on her. It was still a dozen or so paces away, but she knew that it would be able to cross the distance in no time. Suddenly worried, she immediately began to backpedal.
Sure enough, the manticore went for her, scuttling across the uneven ground with its teeth bared.
Camdyn lept to his feet and began a concerted effort to harry the creature, stabbing into its side and trying desperately to draw blood. Jasper came around to its other side and trying similar attacks, slashing at its legs in an attempt to cut off a limb. Both men tried in vain, their efforts failing to even draw the beast’s attention.
Still moving backward, Razja readied another spell, this one a beam of energy meant to puncture thick armor. It took a moment for her to remember the words, but when she did, the spell flowed out of her, culminating in motes of light at her fingertips and finally blasting out in a flash.
Like the last spell, this one seemed to work well. The blast took the manticore directly beneath the head, punching a hole through its shell and driving deep into its body.
The manticore staggered backward, a pained roar escaping its toothy mouth as it reeled from the magical attack. Camdyn and Jasper moved in, seeking its soft underbelly and stabbing with their weapons.
“Watch for the tail!” Razja shouted, noting the scorpion barb rise up as if to strike. “There is no cure for its poison!”
Jasper managed to duck out of the way before the tail struck out at his position, the large, knife-like stinger jabbing harmlessly into the ground. However, the manticore continued on its path and lunged right at Razja, chomping furiously with its jaws in an attempt to devour her.
She fell backward, narrowly missing the snapping teeth before falling hard into a clump of dry grass. A second later, the beast was on top of her, pinning her down with its great body.
Screaming, she beat her fists against its thorax, panicking as it crushed her against the ground.
Gods above, she thought, squeezing her eyes shut as the weight pressed down on her. Please, help me!
The immense force weighing down on her vanished an instant later as the maticore reared up, shrieking madly. Razja scrambled backward, twisting and then crawling on all fours in an attempt to get away. The creature seemed to completely forget about her, its attention focused elsewhere for the time being.
Panting, she pushed herself to her feet and stumbled away, tears running unchecked down her face. When she finally turned around, she saw what had drawn the manticore’s focus. It was a familiar, if not insane, sight.
Camdyn stood on the back of the monster, hacking away at its spine with the edge of his sword. The blade glanced off its hard exterior, but his attacks seemed to be having some kind of effect. The manticore screamed and stabbed at him with its tail, but the angle was such that it could not reach him while he stood upon its back. It rocked back and forth, trying to dislodge him but to no avail. Even though his attacks did little damage, he had the beast’s full attention.
I need to stop this, she thought, blinking against the tears and crossing her forearms in front of her. It’s only a matter of time before the manticore knocks him down. Then, it will kill him.
Jasper darted in as she prepared a second beam spell, the assassin trying unsuccessfully to find a weak point in the creature’s flank.
Magic crackled at the ends of her fingers, swelling into a fist-sized ball and then finally lancing out before her. The radiant beam tore through the manticore’s belly as it reared up, spilling dark ichor onto the ground and causing it to writhe in pain. The impact of the spell knocked Camdyn off its back, but fortunately he landed safely, rolling away from its stabbing legs and wriggling tail.
Letting out an agonized trump, the monstrosity sank to the ground and began to spasm in its death throes.
Exhaling in relief, Razja carefully made her way back to her companions, who had gathered off to the side, away from the dying manticore. Both were dusty and drenched in sweat, but niether looked to have been wounded in the fighting.
Jasper wiped a hand across his forehead. “Either we’re magnets for giant monsters, or we’re the unluckiest fools in Thel’Varden.”
Camdyn chuckled and drove his sword point-first into the ground, resting casually on the hilt as he watched the manticore.
“We should put it out of its misery,” Razja suggested, her eyebrows knitting together in concern.
“Let the bastard suffer,” Jasper spat as he sheathed his blades. “We’d have gotten no kind treatment from that one. I say we get our horses and leave it bleeding in the dust.”
Camdyn grunted his agreement, though he said nothing.
Razja frowned. “It was only doing what comes naturally. The manticore is a predator, and we trespassed on its hunting grounds. I’ll not let it suffer needlessly.”
Jasper shrugged and turned in the direction the horses had fled. “Suit yourself, sorceress. Don’t expect me to help you mercy kill a bloody monster.”
Razja gave him a pointed glare before striding over to where the manticore quivered on the ground. The dirt and grass had grown black from the thing’s blood, but it still snarled at her as she approached
.
She embraced the power and began readying a third beam spell, this time pointing her hand at the creature’s head. “It’s time to sleep now,” she muttered as she looking into its glittering eyes, compassion filling her heart.
But before she could complete the spell, the manticore threw all of its remaining strength into an attack – a final, desperate attempt to kill her where she stood. Its great chitinous body leapt forward, gaping maw snapping toward her position, but the attack fell short. It collapsed five feet away from her, legs unable to support the dead weight.
Even as its head lolled in death, the scorpion tail whipped around the top of its body and slashed her shoulder before driving deep into the ground.
Searing hot pain shot through her entire body, causing her to scream and drop down to her knees. A quick glance told her everything she needed to know: the barb had cut her almost to the bone, and already the manticore’s foul poison was working its way into her blood stream.
Camdyn and Jasper rushed over to where she knelt by the monster’s body, her screams fading into small, pained whimpers.
“What’s wrong?” the big mercenary asked, his face a mask of concern.
Razja turned to look at him, already starting to feel dizzy. “I’m so sorry,” she said, lips trembling. “But... it’s killed me.”
Chapter Eighteen
Razja’s knees gave out, and she fell right into Camdyn’s waiting arms. “What do you mean it’s killed you?” His voice was thick with concern.
“Poison,” Jasper murmured, leaning in to study the wound on her shoulder. “Look - the skin is already starting to turn black. You ever seen anything like that before?”
“That’s just a scratch,” Camdyn replied, though he sounded doubtful. “Surely it wasn’t enough poison to kill you.”
“The manitcore is... quite deadly,” Razja answered, her head already starting to swim. “A full dose of poison... kills within minutes. A partial dose...” She trailed off and shrugged, closing her eyes against the sun.
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