My heart warmed at this gesture. “But, Trig, you realize the odds? The Masara were extremely clear that even my chances of survival are so slim that they’re assuming I’ll die too.”
Trig shrugged. “Personally? I think those gem dudes are just like the eggheads in Maxwell’s Breach. Obsessed with calculations, theories and the lot. In truth? You can’t just run a calculation and assume it’ll work out that way. Real life is impossible to predict.”
“Sounds nice but…will you be saying that as something horrid is chewing your guts while you’re still alive?”
“Aves, I cheated death once before. No, not cheated. A trade was made. Gloria saved my life and, in the process, gave her own,” Trig said, the warmth fading from his words. A cold pallor came across his face as he stared past me. “The fact is, sometimes you have to be willing to throw your life away to save others. And you’re one of the people I’d die for. Not because of our friendship, but because of what you will do for all of these survivors. All of the villages.”
“There’s a difference between sacrifice and suicide,” I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Back out now, while you have the chance.”
“Why?” he asked. “Because my life has value? And yours doesn’t? Or maybe you’re just so self-obsessed you think you’re the chosen one who will save us all.”
“Oh yeah, my ego is the size of a planet,” I replied, smacking him on the arm. “All right, you can come with me. But anytime you want to back out, it’s fine with me. Just know, one thing is more important than anything else.”
“And what’s that?”
“You’re on watch first,” I said, scurrying up the wagon and climbing into the sleeping hatch. I smiled once hidden away from Trig’s eyes, sighing heavily at what my husband had done for me. Trig was good company. And while I’d certainly make him go back home when we reached the Shadewood, the journey wouldn’t feel nearly half as long with that chattering youth to fill every waking moment with conversation about anything and everything.
Chapter 4
I woke up to a familiar whistle. Three short ones followed by a long shrill tune. Danger wasn’t nearby but a warm trail was just discovered. I opened an eye and sat up.
“How did Dette make this bed so comfortable?” I muttered, wondering how long I had been asleep. I let out two quick chirps to signal I’d be over in a moment. Climbing out of the wagon’s top hatch, I looked around to see that we were out of the Zinoss Jungle and in territory that was quite unfamiliar to me. The area was still wooded like the jungle, but the trees were tall and pointed, with palm fronds sticking out every which way.
Trig was kneeling on the ground, running his hands over a small, smooth divot in the dirt. Instantly my hunting senses gave me an idea of what had made the divot.
Trail Age: Less than 2 hours
Monster Type: Bipedal scavenger
Preferred Habitat: Jungles
“So it’s definitely not a danger to us,” Trig said. “Trail seems cold.”
“It was here less than two hours ago and is a scavenger,” I replied, drawing my bow. “A scavenger I don’t recognize. Certainly not a Kinru.”
“You want to hunt it?” Trig asked. “Frankly, I could use the Bloodpoints. You don’t get a lot of them while handling guard duty.”
I nodded at that. A hunt would be good for us to stay fresh while traveling. Besides, a new charm would be welcome. “Let’s go. Nice and silent.”
We both were quick to adopt quiet stances and began stalking through the jungle wood. The dragging trail mark was easy to follow and as we got closer to a muddy patch of dirt, footprints began to form. Each footprint was the length of a human, nearly six feet in length and three feet in width, with Kinru-like talons.
“This is a big fella,” Trig said, rubbing his hands together. “You still up for it?”
I didn’t bother to reply. These specific footprints were extremely fresh, less than a few minutes old at the most. How come we hadn’t heard anything yet? Not a stomp, not a thump nor a roar. Few monsters were that silent.
I raised a hand for my companion to keep quiet and began to search around us, staying in place. This part of the jungle was muddy but everywhere else had been perfectly dry. And there was no source of water anywhere around. It hadn’t rained in the area for days either…and this particular area was being touched directly by the sun. There was something wrong with this mud!
My realization came a moment too late. The mud burbled as it suddenly came to life, rising upwards and throwing itself on Trig.
“Ahhhh!” Trig screamed, caught entirely by surprise as he was tackled to the ground by a small beast covered entirely in mud. Or…no, wait, it wasn’t covered, it was composed of mud! This creature was an amorphous blob, forming tail, fin and even limbs as it grasped and grabbed at Trig, trying to pin him down.
Fortunately, Trig had built his class around stealth and clever tricks to escape from these exact situations. One moment, he was being assaulted by this strange mud beast, the next he had simply vanished from sight.
“Gloorr?” the beast burbled as it realized its prey had vanished. I drew my bow and aimed it at the creature’s ever-shifting back, firing a few arrows at it. Each arrow crashed into the creature’s body, but the beast did not react. There were no sounds of pain, nor shrieks of agony. Slowly, it turned to face me.
The mudbeast shifted form into a large, tall blanket-like body, growing tall enough to where it could fall on its prey. As it
