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We huddled for comfort for a long time and held onto each other tightly; before the storm finally passed by. The answer to my weather question was revealed, when the sun came up, but there was a strange red velvet tint to the world...

  The two of us had strayed along a black beach. The ocean was murky and thick. My boots were full of sand and my eye’s stung. Thea tried to look beyond the distance, but the intense glare was too much for her. You’d think that the bright star would have been warm, but we were cold; it was like the sun was made from ice. Luckily, our druid coats were perfect for such weather; nice and thick.

  Our journey hadn’t the best of starts and the dark realm instantly tested us. The murky sea gave me a sense of being watched. Two strange sticks popped up from the water and edged closer to the land.

  “What is it, Lucius?”

  I hadn’t a clue, but the unusual creature slowly approached with caution. I’d noticed what I thought were golf balls on the end of the sticks; they blinked curiously. Out of the Maylok sea, a gigantic snail that was covered in spiky plankton ascended from the shoreline. The gastropod mollusc was slow, but evolution had given it a sharp smile. Its mouth was full of stray fangs that protruded from its gaping hole. The slime from its lips dropped onto the sand with a fud. We instinctively ran and put a good distance between us; the Snail followed at a distance.

  “I doubt it will be straight forward here, maybe even stranger than Eve,” I said. “Do snails have teeth?”

  “I don’t think the snail is alone,” replied Thea. Her gaze diverted towards an army of eyeballs in the sea and they covered the whole shoreline.

  “We don’t have a choice! We must move inland!”

  The beach was suddenly swarming with slimy gastropods and they slithered towards us. Their heavy movements jerked the floor, but the sand unusually moved like an earthquake!

  “What’s happening!” shouted Thea.

  A shell arose from the beach and we wobbled on top of a humongous crab! It darted towards its prey, pincers at the ready, cutting at the snail’s necks and chomping on their flesh. We fell from the creatures back and rolled into the crab’s dark hole...

  Chapter Seven - Civilised Creatures

  Into the pitch black we went and rolled down a system of tunnels. We’d came to an end bruised and full of sand; Thea was equally as annoyed, but we trudged on with a limp and cough. The hole was too deep to climb out of, so the only option was to keep going and hope the crab was alone.

  It was hard to see for the first few miles and Thea kept stepping on my back shoe, which fell off time to time. I had to bend down and rummage around until my fingernails had collected the dirt.

  “Lucius... look,” said Thea.

  Her eyes had shone from an unnatural light and my right side was visible in the dark; Orion was trying to help. I drew my Rapier sword and the tunnel lit up like a Christmas tree. Although it was better to see, it didn’t improve our surroundings. Some parts of the hole had caved in. We had to climb the mounts of soil to continue our journey.

  There was a sudden change in the atmosphere, and we felt much warmer. Steam vented through small gaps in the rocky walls and ahead was a yellow glow...

  We slowly came to a Victorian lantern that was nailed into the stone. Beneath, an image of a strange creature was inscribed in the rock. It was in the shape of a small child coated in fungus and moss; its nose was at least half its size. The creature’s appearance wasn’t the thing that startled me most, but the depiction of it, eating humans had imprinted in my mind. Our encounter with this creature or demon was a true test of character for both me and Thea.

  We entered its domain and passed through, what I presumed was a ley-line; even in the darkest corners of the universe, the energy of all living things could thrive, but there was an unusual red glow. Whether the colour had meaning, I could only guess. Crossing the void created the same sensation as to crossing Eve’s telluric currents, but to have that feeling in Maylok was quite puzzling.

  Orion’s pentagram flashed and helped us enter a new domain. I had wondered whether it was possible to travel to an exact location, but it was early days in my new occupation and Lira’s location was unknown.

  We ventured through the dark doorway and into a stone room that was decorated in red silk. Bowls of fruit and summer wine were laid out on an extravagant table. My belly growled from hunger and Thea licked her lips.

  “It’s tempting, but I don’t think we should touch anything...” I warned.

  Thea made a point of collecting more provisions from the table. We hadn’t enough to last the long journey and it might’ve been the only time to stock up. I had to agree that she was right. We couldn’t possibly have known when our next meal would be. So, I reluctantly filled up my pockets with fruit and Thea filled her leather bag until something stirred in the next room. Our disturbance had alerted a creature that smelt of seaweed.

  “Someone has touched my ornaments... Maybe they can stay for tea...” echoed an incredibly posh and well-spoken voice.

  A green hand clutched the side of the door and the creature came in. Unlike her depiction on the wall, she wore a red silk dress that stretched to the floor. It didn’t suit her one bit and looked oddly misshaped. Her long droopy nose left markings of snot on her dress.

  “My - my... humans...” giggled the creature; her eye’s twinkled with a thirst.

  I reached for my blade, but it was gone!

  “Looking for something? Hmm? So quick to judge...” The monster somehow had magically lifted Orion without even moving a muscle. “Will you take a seat?” she gestured.

  We had to oblige and be seated. We sat at the table of silk cloth and fruit. My stomach rumbled from either hunger or nerves. She stared intently and looked to my pocket that housed one of her apples.

  “You see, that is just stealing... You can keep it if you like, but there is a price.”

  “And what would that be?” I quivered.

  “Nothing important...” said the creature, whilst she fiddled with a loose fastening on her dress.

  “I don’t trust her...” whispered Thea.

  “I don’t think we have a choice. How did she take my sword without us realising?” I replied.

  “I could ask about Namir’s location or if she knows were Lira is being kept...”

  “Three questions you can ask me and then I take what is mine... Yes or no, what will your answer be?”

  I gulped and unwillingly agreed. I had a feeling the creature could have taken what she wanted in the first place, and so, we decided to play her little game.

  “The first question, go!”

  “Where is Lira?”

  “With our great master. You should be more specific with your questions,” she grinned.

  “Lucius, I think this thing will not play fairly. She is a trickster,” whispered Thea.

  “Quiet girl! Let him speak!” she squealed; froth at the mouth.

  “Where is the location of your master?”

  “In the Darklands.” The creature grinned to show her brown teeth, “Last question, Lucius Domhill.”

  “How do you know my name?”

  “No!” shouted Thea. “That wasn’t a question! You tricked him!”

  It was an instinctive question and a shock to hear a creature like her to know who I was.

  “The mage had warned me of you. Our common enemies’ arrival in Maylok; how exciting!”

  “You have no intention of letting us go...” said Thea.

  “No,” grinned the wretched monster. “And now, my prize.”

  Chapter Eight - Rock and Stone

  The green monster collected her prize and she gloated, before eating my left middle finger whole! She had used her magic once more and a stump had replaced my digit. My heart pounded with anxiety and disgust, but I felt no pain; I felt nothing.

  “You witch!” screamed Thea.

  The creature licked her lips with satisfaction and looked to me again. “I should capture you for the master, but you ta
ste too good to share. Time to claim the rest!” She couldn’t contain her eagerness and leapt from her chair.

  Orion suddenly appeared in my hand and the red pentagram flashed. I pushed the table forward and onto my foe; I then rammed the sword into the wood and through her chest.

  “Looks like you won’t get dessert!”

  The slimy creature had drawn in her last breath and the threat was gone; her body deflated like a balloon.

  We sighed with relief and Thea hugged me. She then examined my stump, “Does it hurt?”

  “Weirdly... no, but I’ll certainly miss it,” I said, whilst observing my injury. “I can’t shake off the mental picture of her swallowing my finger...”

  “Me too...” sympathised Thea.

  The experience was one of many to have a negative impact and something I had to get over, and fast or Maylok would’ve swallowed the rest.

  There wasn’t time for dwelling, especially in a place where monsters reside; I had to be strong-minded and carry on our journey and so, we went forward to find the Darklands within Maylok. We hadn’t a clue where to start or what we faced, but we were hopeful and tried to be optimistic about our chances to succeed.

  Thea followed me through the archway and out into a large marshland or bogland; a murky haze coated the scenery. The stench was incredibly potent. My eyes began to water. Thea was the same, her eyes looked red and sore, which was an instant bad reaction to whatever we were exposed too. It was too much, and we turned back into the green monster’s layer.

  “What now? We can’t go through that?” coughed Thea.

  I agreed and thought of backtracking. Maybe there is more than one cave back there…

  As we turned the corner, something caught my attention. A pile of old clothing and equipment were bundled up on top of a wooden trunk.

  “Her victims?” I questioned.

  “That makes sense, but I think these are animal clothes and not humans.”

  She was right. Some odd fittings and shapes could only accommodate a certain type of animal. Looking at the clothing gave me a flashback of Sedgwick and wondered what type of attire he would’ve chosen; I missed my old friend and we could’ve done with the Druid's help at the time.

  “Lucius, look!” said Thea; she rummaged through the trunk to find a pair of goggles. “Perfect! Don’t you think?”

  “Very nice fined, Thea!”

  She also found two thick scarfs that we’d tied around our faces. We looked like we were ready to join Lawrence of Arabia and tackle the scorching deserts.

  We tried again and walked into the marshland. Although it wasn’t perfect, the swelling around Thea’s eyes had gone down considerably. The goggles seemed to work, but the smell still managed to seep through the scarfs; my throat felt so dry.

  We trudged onwards and through the murky mist that didn’t disperse. The small streams and smelly bog water were black; I’d nearly fallen in twice because of the uneven ground.

  On more than one occasion we heard something cutting through the wind, like a bird or bat. There were whisperings amongst the quietness, and I felt faint.

  “Argh! What was that!” screeched Thea.

  Something had brushed against her back causing her to jump.

  Again, there were whispers and even giggles...

  “Something is playing with us here. Keep your whit’s about ya.”

  “Bit hard with these goggles, Lucius. They keep steaming up! They’re a strange invention...”

  “I sometimes forget what era you’re from.”

  We huddled together, which was a good action to take. Two talons appeared from the mist and scraped the top of my head. Blood dripped from my cut and covered my left goggle lens; I was slightly blind.

  A swoosh to my right and we both ducked! The talons faded into the fog.

  “What is it!?” questioned Thea.

  “A type of bird or a Maylok hybrid.”

  Silence...

  “There!”

  The golden talons appeared again, but this time I was ready. I swung Orion and cut into the beast’s wing. It screeched and dropped out of the sky. I was right about it being a hybrid. The creature was huge; twice the size of Bjorn the bear. Its eyes were a deep yellow and belonged to a mythical animal that all men of the sea fear; a Banshee. Body of a horse, feet of a hawk and human facial features.

  She sized me up and smiled with its humanoid face. I heard the giggle again that came from the beasts back. We hadn’t noticed the small pigmy holding onto the Banshee’s scruff.

  It did not speak and had taken flight once more.

  “I don’t like this...” said Thea.

  In the distance, a musical sound calmly coasted through my ears. I felt drowsy and entranced. Thea looked confused as if she couldn’t hear a thing.

  I blacked out...

  I awoke and was wet from head to toe. Thea looked over me and was equally sodden.

  “Wake up!” she sobbed. “Please – wake up!”

  My head ached, but I arose. Thea hugged me tightly and I’d noticed she had a few scratches across her cheek. Feathers were scattered amongst the boggy grass and dark blood stained the waters. The Banshee laid dead!

  My friend had acted with strength and courage. As I fell to the hymn of our enemy, Thea defended me until the Banshee was permanently cut down. She had used Orion to pierce the beast’s heart and I was dragged into the water by the surviving Pigmy. It had company beneath the marsh and Thea dived in the water without hesitation. She was scratched by their little fingers, but she pulled me from certain death. I sometimes forget her origins and capabilities; out of the two of us, I think she has always been the best equipped. Being the daughter of a medieval knight had its perks. She was the strongest of us all.

  Although we were fine, it was far from over. The ground shook and bubbles rose from the marsh. Several pigmies came to the surface. I could see their features more detailed. They were like small children, but with oval heads and gills that ran down their bodies. Their colours differed from one another; some were grey, others orange, but most, dark blue. Their hands were small but sharp and their eyelids were coated over by some excess skin.

  They attacked in numbers and viciously swiped at us. I held Orion and cut down as many as I could. Thea fought back, with a melee of kicks. She struggled with our remaining foes and so, I tossed my blade into her grasp once more and she finished off the vicious Pigmies.

  We were knackered, hungry, wet and fed up after our encounter. Our scarfs weren’t as counterproductive as they once were, but the goggles kept our eyes from swelling up.

  We headed further inland.

  The mist began to let up, the higher we ventured. The marshland disappeared and transitioned into rock and stone. It seemed we were climbing up a mountain. This was an activity I was trained for and the terrain felt familiar to the Highlands.

  Up and up we went, although our progress lagged. We stopped on a ledge and decided to start a fire within a ridge that we hoped would conceal us. We picked dry grass from the small crevices. Fortunately, a fire burns dead grass quickly and we had one going in no time. We dried our clothes and huddled together for warmth. I had placed a large rock on the edge to extinguish any light.

  Thea opened her bag of provisions. The smell of rotten food was potent. The apple that we’d taken from the monsters table had infected the rest of our provisions. It was a hard blow to our journey. But luckily, we still had the water bottle.

  We were tired and my body ached from the extensive stress of the day, but I opted to do first watch and Thea had a good rest. The scratches on her cheeks had scared her face, but she still looked as beautiful as the first day I’d met her. It was such an innocent moment before the shadow changed things forever. My anger towards Dante was one of the many things that spurred me on. More importantly, the love I had for Thea was keeping me alive.

  Chapter Nine - Haggington

  Our clothes were dry from the unusual heat of the day, which probably did more
than the actual fire. It was colder on the ground, but hotter the higher we’d travelled; usually, the climate is the other way around that made things even stranger.

  We weren’t alone on the mountainside. Large birds that reminded me of Paradactyl’s flew close. I’d seen them before, flocking over the Divided High Grounds, during Nordaious’s treacherous rebellion and the demise of King Eirik.

  The prehistoric birds scouted the eastern side and it gave us the chance to move on without being seen.

  Not far off, the mountain began to take shape. We climbed over a boulder and slid down into a small crevice. As I looked up, a pattern of oddly shaped stairs appeared like an illusion.

  They swivelled up to a gap within the crag.

  “Shall we...” I panted.

  The steps came in all shapes and sizes. It was almost as if they were once landscaped by a professional and in time have become derelict.

  We gradually climbed to the last step and pulled ourselves up onto the ridge; to my surprise, a log cabin lingered within.

  My stomach rumbled and Thea nodded sympathetically because she read my mind. Food was our only concern, without it, there was no point in carrying on.

  The cabin was old, and the wood had darkened. I couldn’t see smoke coming from the chimney or light inside. We were cautious on approach and a tad sceptical on our chances of scavenging.

  I opened the door with Thea at my heels. The place was dilapidated, but the further we inspected the house, there were signs of usage. The beds upstairs were made, and the furniture dusted; the kitchen was at a suitable level and a type of stew simmered on the hob.

  What kind of creature lives here? I thought.

  We were guests once more in an unknown Maylok cabin.

  Footsteps approached from outside.

  Thea and I exchanged worried looks. We hid behind the wall that separated the kitchen and front room. I peered round to watch the door open. I small figure entered dressed in fur, from head to toe. The visitor pulled down his hood.

  “Sedgwick?” I whispered.