He knelt on one knee and unzipped the bag. A quick inventory showed that everything he had packed was still there. The first thing he retrieved was his 9mm handgun and shoulder holster. He secured the holster over his shoulder, then double-checked that the clip was full and the safety was on before he placed the gun in the holster and snapped the strap over the grip.
Next, he reached in and pulled out a white plastic trash bag. Inside the bag was a dirty dish towel wrapped around the dagger he had hidden twenty-six years ago. He unwound the dish towel and stared down at the dagger. It looked as pristine as it did the day he had hidden it.
The sound of chittering drew his attention back to the tree. Nearly a dozen of the Purple-Tailed Tree Mice were now gorging themselves on the yellow fruit.
He scanned the area again, looking for any sign of Ruth. There was no trace of footprints. Even from the brief time he had known Ruth, he was positive that she would have stayed nearby if she were here.
He kept the dagger out, stuffed the towel and the plastic bag back into the duffle bag, zipped it closed, and stood up again.
First things first—he needed to find shelter, take stock of where he was, and decide on his next move. If he was correct and the creatures in the tree were Purple-Tailed Tree Mice, then he was on the Isle of the Monsters. There was a rough map of the Isle in the journal. His grandfather had visited the kingdom once, but he had never ventured farther afield than the capitol city.
Asahi bent down, picked up the duffle bag, and pulled the strap over his head so it crossed his body. Based on the angle of the sunlight streaming through the upper canopy, he suspected that it was just after midday. He would have a few hours to secure a safe place for the night. The temperature was moderate now, but he suspected it would drop when the sun set.
“I think the trees may be out for camping tonight—at least that one,” he mused with a shake of his head at the colony of tiny purple creatures.
He closed his eyes and carefully listened to the surrounding sounds. The chirps of birds mixed with the buzzing of insects and the chatter of the Purple-Tailed Tree Mice. Another sound coming from his right filtered through the noise—the sound of rushing water.
Asahi opened his eyes and turned in that direction. Water meant a river or lake that could lead him to either a village or the coast. He unfastened his belt and slid the end through the loop in the dagger’s sheath. He refastened the buckle and rolled his shoulders to ease the tension in them before he set off toward the sound of flowing water. If Ruth was anywhere nearby, he hoped she would do the same.
Nali’s palace:
Underground chambers
“Keep her contained. I want no one except the gargoyles anywhere near her. See if Denae can do anything to relieve her suffering,” Nali instructed as she stepped out of the high-security containment room.
“Yes, Empress,” Di answered.
Nali looked through the thick diamond plate window. The room had been reinforced and sealed so the alien could not escape. She splayed her hand against the foot-thick steel door as she studied the suffering Sea Stag in the water tank. Two gargoyles monitored the Sea Stag mare.
“Empress, is there anything I can do?” her old guardian asked.
Nali shook her head. “No, Pai. I must do this alone,” she murmured.
The hippogriff shook his head and snapped his beak. She looked at him and smiled at his obvious disapproval.
“Your parents…,” he began before snapping his beak closed once again.
“…would have insisted that you accompany me. I understand your concern, Pai, but my parents never had to face anything like this before,” she said, looking back through the window. “She is being tortured by the alien inside her.”
Pai stepped closer, the long talons on his front legs tapping against the polished stone floor. Nali lifted her hand and gently caressed the feathers along his neck. Pai had been her guardian all her life, and she appreciated his many years of unwavering friendship and loyalty.
“I can see to the Sea Stag’s execution. I would make sure she doesn’t suffer,” Pai offered. “It would be more merciful.”
She shook her head. “Not yet. Perhaps Denae can draw the alien out of the poor creature without killing her,” she murmured.
Nali retraced her steps to the upper levels of the palace. Pai followed her. Gargoyle soldiers stood at attention as she passed. She bowed her head in greeting to each one, even as her thoughts were focused on the problem at hand.
“Nali, if there is another alien, it is best that I help you search. You need my superior eyesight,” Pai coaxed.
Nali chuckled and sighed. “You aren’t going to give up, are you?” she demanded as she stopped and faced him.
Pai tilted his head as if thinking about her question before he shook it. “No,” he teasingly replied.
Her expression softened when she saw the worry that he didn’t bother to hide. She also noticed the silvering of his feathers and the slight limp in his gait. Pai’s expert skills would be useful, but she worried about his health. He was no longer the spry young hippogriff that he had been a century ago.
“You are aware of what the alien can do. You’ve witnessed what will happen if it enters your body. We are still not sure how it does that. I hope Denae will be able to tell us. You also know that you won’t have the same protection that I do, Pai,” Nali warned, already knowing that she would give in to Pai’s desire to go with her.
“And what will happen if it takes you by surprise before you can shift? Who would be there to protect
