Up ahead, something spanned across the gap. Was it a bridge?
The sound of swaying ropes and wood planks hitting one another cut through the wind as we approached the narrow bridge spanning the gap.
“What luck,” Heidel said drily. “A bridge.”
As it swayed, a silver glow encompassed the planks and rope, though it only lasted a second before it faded.
“Did you see that?” I asked.
“See what?”
“The magic.”
The Wults’ eyed me.
“You saw magic?” Kull asked.
“Yes, a silver glow. It’s most likely enchanted.”
“Which means what?” Brodnik asked.
“I’m not sure.”
“Would it be dangerous to cross?” Rolf asked.
“Possibly. It could also be a trap.”
“You think the creature created this?” Kull asked.
“It seems likely.” Stepping to the bridge, I reached out, but I didn’t touch it. I let the flow of its magic come to me. An odd combination of powers came from the ropes and wood. I didn’t recognize any of the enchantments. In Faythander, the magic stood out with its own colors representing different species. Green for dragons. Blue for elves. Pixies used pink magic, and goblins wielded gray. But this was something else entirely. Since I was on an alien world, it didn’t surprise me.
“I don’t know what kind of magic it is. It’s impossible to tell its purpose.”
“I don’t trust it,” Heidel said.
Kull scanned the canyon from one end to the other. “It could take us more than a day to cross if we climb.”
“Do you think we should risk it?” Brodnik asked.
“I’m not sure. One thing I know, I don’t trust magic.”
“None of us do,” Rolf said. “Well, except for the elf.”
“Believe it or not, I don’t always trust it either. I can tell you the magic doesn’t feel tainted.”
“Does that make it safe?”
“No. It only means whoever put it here wasn’t using tainted magic.”
The wind blustered through the canyon, making the bridge sway more violently.
“I don’t think we have any other choice but to cross,” Kull said.
He hefted his sword, then stepped onto the bridge. When nothing happened, he took another step, then another. As he approached the halfway mark, he glanced back at us. “I think it’s safe for you to cross.”
“Well, I might as well get this over with,” Heidel said. She stepped onto the bridge. The two Wults continued walking carefully over the planks. Once Kull reached the other side, he stepped off. A few moments later, Heidel did the same.
“I think it’s safe—” A creature appeared behind Kull. It had a face with a snout like an alligator. Beady golden eyes shone from its sockets. Greasy black mane hung in strands over its hunched shoulders. Its four arms ended in hands with clawed fingernails. Silvery magic wrapped its body. As it moved, its form turned transparent. A knife glinted in one of its hands.
“Look out!” I called.
The two remaining Wults began crossing the bridge as Kull rounded on the creature. The Wult stabbed it through the midsection, but his sword passed through its body as if it were made of smoke. The beast lashed out, thrusting its knife at Kull. The warrior deflected the blow with the sound of ringing steel.
Heidel had her own knife at the ready. She threw it at the creature, but again, the blade passed through as if it were made of smoke.
Rolf and Brodnik made it across the bridge, facing the monster with swords drawn. The beast opened its mouth. A ball of fiery magic blasted out with blinding power. The Wults’ screams echoed. Several fighters fell to the ground, but I couldn’t see who had been hit through the blinding white magic.
I sprinted across the bridge, racking my brain, trying to come up with some sort of spell to trap it or to make it appear as a physical being so someone could kill it.
The bridge wobbled dangerously. I was forced to slow down, hold to the ropes, and keep my footing as I crossed to the other side. When I stepped to the ground, only Kull remained fighting the beast. The others lay passed out on the ground.
The beast growled. Knives appeared in each of its four hands. It launched all of them straight for Kull, who ducked and rolled to the ground, the blades whizzing through the air. Some landed with a thud in the trees. Others sailed off the cliff. More knives appeared in the beast’s hands.
I readied a spell, my magic coming slowly, though I did my best as I created a shield to encompass Kull and me. The beast launched its knives. The shield slowed them as they passed through, the weapons landing at our feet.
“Can you help me kill the beast?” Kull asked. Another volley of knives struck us.
“Possibly. It’s using some sort of power to make your blades useless.”
“I’ve noticed.”
Another volley. With each attack, my magic drained. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold up the shield. If I use all my magic, I won’t be able to create a spell to keep it in a physical body.”
“Then we’ll think of another way. I have an idea of what to do.”
“You do?”
“Yes. It’s head.”
“What do you mean?”
“It has been leaving a trail of heads behind. It wore different heads in Faythander and on Earth. It’s wearing another head now—most likely from a creature it slaughtered here. What if that’s the one thing on its body that can be harmed?”
“I don’t know. Try it, though.” Another volley hit. My magic waned until the shield was barely visible. “Try it now.”
Kull leapt at the creature, swinging his sword in an arc. Golden eyes grew wide right before Kull lopped off the head. The body stood for a moment, then crumbled to the ground. The head landed a few feet away.
The others got to their feet, slowly approaching the corpse.
“Is it dead?” Heidel asked.
Kull nudged the body with the toe of his boot. I turned to the injured Wults who stood behind me, hoping to heal them with some sort of spell, wondering
