The Fractured World, page 15
And I could say the same back to her. I wasn’t the sort to just mate anybody, no matter what it seemed.
We’d only just met, that was true, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t help being drawn to Trez like no woman I’d met back on Earth. She was special, at least to me. Casella the same. Even Faris.
I’d keep them all safe. That was a promise to myself. I wasn’t going to let history repeat itself.
Chapter 17
Come first light, Trez and I continued our journey.
“You think this snow will ever thaw?” I asked as I marched through the snow.
“If it’s like back home… nah,” she said from her favorite spot in the treetops. “We should count ourselves lucky it’s clear. Swinging in the snow sucks.”
Still up there after all. Looks like it’ll take more than a single fall to keep her grounded.
At least she’s hanging closer now.
Her daredevil antics didn’t fill me with the same dread when I could jump in and catch her before she hit the deck.
She continued playing spotter, not that massive snow-erasing prints were hard to follow in what was otherwise a world of total white.
After an hour or so, we came to the end of the trail. They vanished at the base of a mountain.
“This looks like the place,” Trez said. “Perfect lava fruit territory.”
“Great. More climbing,” I said.
“I feel personally attacked.”
“Don’t be. You’re awesome.”
Her cheeks brightened. “Save it for the bedroom, handsome. Besides, we’re not climbing.”
Rather than playing into her element, we scoured the perimeter for a cave that was so gaping you could hardly miss it. And that wasn’t even mentioning the heat. Just standing outside was enough to get you sweaty.
Inside was as advertised. A sauna.
Light pumped in from the entrance, illuminating the red-tinted rock maw. Huge stalactite fangs dripped from the ceiling, ready to snap at a moment’s notice.
“No sign of steamy,” Trez said, letting out a big sigh. “This might not be so bad after all.”
“And the lava fruit?” I asked.
“Right over yonder.”
In the back of the room was a gray tree molded into the wall. Its texture didn’t appear too different from rock, making it initially hard to spot. What gave it away was the melon-sized red fruits hanging from its branches.
“This is a piece of piss,” Trez said as she rushed to gather her fill.
I followed without the vigor. Everything looked normal and yet my hairs stood on end. “Trez, slow down!”
I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
Trez glanced back, stuck out her tongue, and continued.
I froze. Something wasn’t right. My instincts were screaming at me.
“Ah, yeah,” Trez said as she reached the tree. “This is well more than we need. Get over here, Brandon. Heavy lifting is your… ah.” Her cheeky glimmer clouded over.
I followed her trembling eyes to the entrance and bit back a grunt.
A monster filled the cavern’s mouth. It was a gigantic black beast, one that struggled to fit inside, with a thick gray shell upon its back.
I suppose you could have called it a tortoise if you had balls of steel. Its large claws and man-hungry mouth disqualified it from having such a cutesy title in my head canon. Not to mention the fact it could crush a van by sitting on it.
“Is this what you were worried about?” I said.
“Uh-huh,” the alien deer in the headlights said.
The monster approached. Its booming steps shook the entire cave.
“I’m sorry, lover,” Trez whimpered. “The fuck was I thinking bringing you here? You can’t take that. Look at it! Even a missile wouldn’t bring it down.”
That wouldn’t surprise me.
Nothing’s ever simple, is it?
“Regret it later,” I said. “For now, get the fruit.”
“You mad?” Trez squealed.
“Faris needs that fruit. I won’t abandon her.”
“And what about me?!”
“I’ll protect you of course,” I said, eyeing up my towering lumbering opponent.
“You gone blind? Look at it! It’ll rip you to pieces.”
“Casella gave me this power to protect. That’s what I’m going to do.” I glanced back at her. “I’ll distract it. You collect.”
Trez grumbled. “Dammit. How am I supposed to argue with that macho routine?”
I smirked. “You don’t.”
“You’re unbelievable! I’m gonna smack you if you get melted.”
“Kick my puddle to your heart’s content.”
“I will! Doofus,” she scoffed. “Make sure you steer clear of its steam, alright? I’d rather ride you than kick you.”
No disagreements there.
Trez went one way and I went the other. It took me right into the monster’s path.
It stood over twice my height and had to be the length of a semi from tail to snout.
I gulped.
When did I get stupid enough to pull stunts like this?
I miss being a coward.
The beast sucked in its breath and pulled its head back. When it lunged forward, it released a pillar of diabolical steam.
I hightailed it and just escaped having my flesh ripped from my bone.
That’s what she meant by steam?
This thing isn’t a tortoise. It’s a bloody dragon!
Fire and no wings? No problem. It was a monster lizard that attacked with breath attacks. If anything, steam was potentially more dangerous than fire.
I remember hearing how engineers check for steam leaks by waving a broom ahead of them. When the wood is disintegrated, they’ve found the leak.
If a pipe can slaughter a cleaning tool, a dragon could make me a puddle.
Once it had finished heating up the surrounding sauna, the dragon roared and lumbered after me. Its size slowed it down but also meant there was no room to escape. The cave no longer seemed spacious with it hoarding all the room.
I fought hard to not let the ground-shaking stomps of its heavy feet trip me up. I didn’t want to corner myself, so I stuck to circling around the monster. As long as I stayed at its side, it couldn’t hit me with its steam.
From holes in its shell, high-pressure beams fired and tried to take my head off.
I dropped to my stomach as the sweltering heat passed overhead. So much for that theory. Regardless, I was still doing my job and buying Trez time.
She was up the strange tree, gathering the goods.
It wouldn’t take her long to finish. Just a little more. I could do—
The dragon twisted and swept its tail across the floor.
I had time to brace but not dodge. The tail smashed against me and flung me across the cave. I was like a stone across water that slammed into this compact space’s equivalent of the shore.
Pain etched into my back and spread down my limbs. I bit back a growl as I struggled to move. My only solace was that the dragon wasn’t coming for me.
Then I realized what that meant.
The dragon pulled its head back and filled its cheeks with death.
“Trez!” I yelled as loud as I could, louder than my aching ribs allowed without discomfort.
She turned to my voice. Fear bulged her eyes and kicked her into action. She threw herself out of the tree as the steam surged over.
It missed her but claimed a casualty all the same. The lava fruits popped like juice-filled fireworks. One burst of steam left the tree barren.
I ignored my injuries and rushed to Trez.
She looked shaken but was ultimately unscathed.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Good as I can be,” she groaned. Her eyes widened upon spotting the tree. “No. No, no, no! It wouldn’t. It didn’t. That’s… now what are we supposed to do?”
“Maybe there’s another tree?” I said.
“Where? You see one? I don’t see one. How are we supposed to find it? For all we know, that was it. And they’re gone.”
I clenched my hands. “It’s not over. It can’t be. There has to be something we can do.” We hadn’t come this far and put ourselves in danger to bring back nothing but bad news.
Trez rubbed her chin and hummed. It turned to a mumble spattering of curses. “Okay! There’s one thing. One last stupid idea you can try.”
“Tell me.”
“Kill steamy. Kill it and rip the fruit right outta his guts.”
I stared at her for longer than I had business doing so. “You weren’t kidding about stupid.”
“Shut it. I wouldn’t say it in a million years if I could think of something better.” She jolted as a single step rocked the entire room. “It’s this or leave the herix to her fate. I ain’t gonna tell you which to do but… please don’t die. Going mate cray-cray after a single shag ain’t my usual style. There’s something about you, Brandon. Something that’s totally hooked me in. I ain’t losing that already. Not the next day.”
The scaled grim reaper lumbered our way, forcing me to decide there and then.
My heart thumped. The dragon was big; it was intimidating. I had no business standing this close to it. But, if I wanted to save Faris, I had no choice.
“Get somewhere safe,” I said.
Trez looked like she had more to say but she dashed for the entrance.
Only two of us remained. A steam-firing dragon and me.
I hate this planet so much.
I forced back all of my fear and charged straight at the massive beast.
It inhaled and unleashed its boiling devastation.
The attack would kill me if it connected, but it was so telegraphed I had time to dodge. I ran alongside the heat and aimed for its throat. I’d noticed something the previous times I’d witnessed this move. While it was breathing out, it was immobilized.
It proved my suspicions by not shifting to face me.
I drew my club and aimed for its throat.
Bursts of steam sprayed from holes in its neck.
I changed course a millisecond before I was melted. Instead, I landed on my ass. My mate-enhanced instincts were all that saved me. I hadn’t expected it to have yet another way to discharge steam.
Having used its neck to stop its breath, the dragon swung a claw.
I rolled out of the way.
Next came its tail.
This time, I hurdled over the top.
And then came another geyser of steam to contend with.
I got as far away as I could with space being a premium. Sweat, both molten and frozen, poured down my skin.
I can’t even get close. How am I supposed to kill it?
To make matters worse, this cat and mouse game seemed right up the massive dragon’s alley. It became more insistent on finishing the pest swarming around its nest.
I was so busy dodging I didn’t have time to attack. My super strength was wasted.
Dammit, leave me alone! Can’t I have a second to think?!
I couldn’t plan on the fly. I needed a break, a distraction, anything.
A rock thudded uselessly against the dragon’s shell.
“Oi!” Trez yelled from the other side of the cavern. “Get your stinking claws away from my man!” She launched another pebble. It too caused no damage but bought the monster’s attention.
“I told you to hide!” I replied. What could she do with stones?
A metaphorical light bulb appeared above me.
The dragon marched toward Trez. It stopped when something more distracting smashed it in the rear.
I smirked. My aim still needed work but there was a lot of dragon to aim for. I grabbed another stone, of which there were plenty, and launched it at the beast.
The crushing impact cracked into the steamer’s shell and bought me its undivided attention.
“That’s right. I’m your opponent,” I said as I launched my third fastball toward its face. “You leave her out of this.”
The stone nicked the dragon’s skull and summoned another pillar of steam.
Dodging from distance was simpler than the quick reactions needed up close. I circled the cumbersome monster and peppered it with makeshift bullets. This barrage had devastated all that had come before it.
An armored lizard’s sturdiness cannot be compared to a mammal. Cracks and cuts developed on its body, but the damage was underwhelming compared to my past works.
I gritted my teeth.
I need something more. Something bigger. But how am I supposed to find that?
“Brandon!” Trez yelled. “Look up!”
Up? What good will that do?
My eyes widened. Those massive stalactites. They were pretty much stone spears waiting to fall and I just so happened to have the key that would let them do so.
Trez you little genius.
I had to time it right. This wasn’t some game where I could reset the checkpoint if I missed. It was a one-shot thing.
The dragon, unaware of my plan, sucked in another breath.
Now!
I shot a rock cannonball into the sky and blitzed the ceiling.
A once sturdy stalactite crumbled. Its base eroded, dropping the sharp head onto the immobile dragon beneath.
That protective shell burst open. Its owner howled as it was stabbed into the ground. An eruption of smoke shot from around the massive stone, draining the creature of everything it had.
Game over.
“Holy crap,” Trez said upon deciding it was safe to approach. “You totally wasted it!”
“Please don’t expect me to do this ever again,” I said as I searched for air. My sweat was pouring out in buckets.
“But all you used were rocks! Do you realize how insane that is?!”
“That’s how I’d describe everything that’s happened to me since coming here.”
“Good point… but still!” She gestured at the gigantic carcass.
“As long as it’ll help Faris.”
Trez tensed. “Shit, I totally forget about that. This better not have squashed the goods.”
It took a small bit of gruesome digging to discover that hadn’t been the case. The dragon’s stomach had been spared and within laid a disgusting sludge porridge made up of half-digested red fruit.
“What did I tell you?” Trez said while pinching her nose shut. “When you get that big, you don’t even need to chew.”
“These will work?” I said.
“They’re still lava fruits.” She picked one and dropped it back into the sludge a split second later. “And they’re still hot as balls. They’ll have your pal right again before you know it.”
I breathed a relieved sigh and smiled. We’d done it. All that remained was to deliver them.
Chapter 18
An orange glow reflected off the snow’s surface, casting growing shadows that chased us through the forest.
Night was coming.
I rushed through the snow before I had to spend another night away from the others. Casella was okay. My instincts were gospel when it came to her. That much I’d decided. It didn’t mean all that couldn’t change in an instant. Then there was Faris. Who knew when she’d take a turn for the worse?
The tumbling snow fought back. It had started again a couple of hours prior and sought to trap us in its embrace.
“How much further?” I asked.
“We’re close,” Trez said from her preferred route. “I recognize these trees.”
“Seriously?”
“I’m good with trees, remember? See that silvery one? That’s steelwood. Miracle plant, that is. Hard as metal and light as air. And you see this one with the big yellow blobs? Citricus eucalyptus. You see, the thing about this one is…”
As much as I enjoyed hearing her ramble, my mind wasn’t in the state for a nature lesson.
Why am I so on edge? I’ve missed her but…
My heart wouldn’t calm. Casella was okay, that much I knew, but I had a bad feeling about something.
“It’s just down here,” Trez said, interrupting her own lecture. She sprung ahead.
“Wait!” I yelled.
Trez almost fell off a branch. She had to catch herself with her tails. “Shit, man. Don’t startle me like that.”
I was too focused to apologize. There was nothing around but us and the snow and yet my goosebumps flared. “Could you check the area?”
“What’s got into—”
“Please,” I said.
A serious look came over her. “Alright. Give me a moment.” She vanished into the trees.
I wasn’t too eager to send Trez there, but something told me she’d be okay.
She’s my mate too. Maybe my instincts work on her as well?
And that makes me a clairvoyant?
After a couple of minutes, Trez returned. She was naturally pale, but any semblance of color had sapped from her face. “Oh, shit. Oh, shit! You were right. What the fuck are they doing here?” Her shoulders shook.
I steadied them with my hands. “What did you see?”
“Stalkers. The whole place is crawling with them.”
A chill ran up my spine as my scars began to burn. It was my first time hearing that title and yet I knew exactly what Trez was referring to. “Have they found the cave?”
“No. They’re nearby but they ain’t found it. No way that’s gonna last. They’ve got to be looking for them. Why else would they be here?” Her reaction to the stalkers was on another level to how she’d talked about the dragon.
“What are they? How do you know their name?” I asked.
“I’m into dangerous shit. I love documentaries on this sort of stuff,” Trez explained. “These guys… they’re proper bad news. Perfect combo of quick, smart, and deadly. They love hunting in blizzards, popping out of nowhere and—” She gestured by stabbing the air. “By the time you know they’re there, you’re already dead.”
I clenched my jaw. None of that reassured me. Quite the opposite. “We need to get rid of them.”
“You heard a thing I just said?” Trez snapped.
“Every word, but my mate’s in danger. Faris too.”
“I’m also your mate, you know?”
“And I’d be thinking the same thing if it were you in there,” I said, kissing her on the forehead. Then I handed the rucksack over to her. “Listen, I’ll draw them off. You get in there and get these to Faris.”
We’d only just met, that was true, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t help being drawn to Trez like no woman I’d met back on Earth. She was special, at least to me. Casella the same. Even Faris.
I’d keep them all safe. That was a promise to myself. I wasn’t going to let history repeat itself.
Chapter 17
Come first light, Trez and I continued our journey.
“You think this snow will ever thaw?” I asked as I marched through the snow.
“If it’s like back home… nah,” she said from her favorite spot in the treetops. “We should count ourselves lucky it’s clear. Swinging in the snow sucks.”
Still up there after all. Looks like it’ll take more than a single fall to keep her grounded.
At least she’s hanging closer now.
Her daredevil antics didn’t fill me with the same dread when I could jump in and catch her before she hit the deck.
She continued playing spotter, not that massive snow-erasing prints were hard to follow in what was otherwise a world of total white.
After an hour or so, we came to the end of the trail. They vanished at the base of a mountain.
“This looks like the place,” Trez said. “Perfect lava fruit territory.”
“Great. More climbing,” I said.
“I feel personally attacked.”
“Don’t be. You’re awesome.”
Her cheeks brightened. “Save it for the bedroom, handsome. Besides, we’re not climbing.”
Rather than playing into her element, we scoured the perimeter for a cave that was so gaping you could hardly miss it. And that wasn’t even mentioning the heat. Just standing outside was enough to get you sweaty.
Inside was as advertised. A sauna.
Light pumped in from the entrance, illuminating the red-tinted rock maw. Huge stalactite fangs dripped from the ceiling, ready to snap at a moment’s notice.
“No sign of steamy,” Trez said, letting out a big sigh. “This might not be so bad after all.”
“And the lava fruit?” I asked.
“Right over yonder.”
In the back of the room was a gray tree molded into the wall. Its texture didn’t appear too different from rock, making it initially hard to spot. What gave it away was the melon-sized red fruits hanging from its branches.
“This is a piece of piss,” Trez said as she rushed to gather her fill.
I followed without the vigor. Everything looked normal and yet my hairs stood on end. “Trez, slow down!”
I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
Trez glanced back, stuck out her tongue, and continued.
I froze. Something wasn’t right. My instincts were screaming at me.
“Ah, yeah,” Trez said as she reached the tree. “This is well more than we need. Get over here, Brandon. Heavy lifting is your… ah.” Her cheeky glimmer clouded over.
I followed her trembling eyes to the entrance and bit back a grunt.
A monster filled the cavern’s mouth. It was a gigantic black beast, one that struggled to fit inside, with a thick gray shell upon its back.
I suppose you could have called it a tortoise if you had balls of steel. Its large claws and man-hungry mouth disqualified it from having such a cutesy title in my head canon. Not to mention the fact it could crush a van by sitting on it.
“Is this what you were worried about?” I said.
“Uh-huh,” the alien deer in the headlights said.
The monster approached. Its booming steps shook the entire cave.
“I’m sorry, lover,” Trez whimpered. “The fuck was I thinking bringing you here? You can’t take that. Look at it! Even a missile wouldn’t bring it down.”
That wouldn’t surprise me.
Nothing’s ever simple, is it?
“Regret it later,” I said. “For now, get the fruit.”
“You mad?” Trez squealed.
“Faris needs that fruit. I won’t abandon her.”
“And what about me?!”
“I’ll protect you of course,” I said, eyeing up my towering lumbering opponent.
“You gone blind? Look at it! It’ll rip you to pieces.”
“Casella gave me this power to protect. That’s what I’m going to do.” I glanced back at her. “I’ll distract it. You collect.”
Trez grumbled. “Dammit. How am I supposed to argue with that macho routine?”
I smirked. “You don’t.”
“You’re unbelievable! I’m gonna smack you if you get melted.”
“Kick my puddle to your heart’s content.”
“I will! Doofus,” she scoffed. “Make sure you steer clear of its steam, alright? I’d rather ride you than kick you.”
No disagreements there.
Trez went one way and I went the other. It took me right into the monster’s path.
It stood over twice my height and had to be the length of a semi from tail to snout.
I gulped.
When did I get stupid enough to pull stunts like this?
I miss being a coward.
The beast sucked in its breath and pulled its head back. When it lunged forward, it released a pillar of diabolical steam.
I hightailed it and just escaped having my flesh ripped from my bone.
That’s what she meant by steam?
This thing isn’t a tortoise. It’s a bloody dragon!
Fire and no wings? No problem. It was a monster lizard that attacked with breath attacks. If anything, steam was potentially more dangerous than fire.
I remember hearing how engineers check for steam leaks by waving a broom ahead of them. When the wood is disintegrated, they’ve found the leak.
If a pipe can slaughter a cleaning tool, a dragon could make me a puddle.
Once it had finished heating up the surrounding sauna, the dragon roared and lumbered after me. Its size slowed it down but also meant there was no room to escape. The cave no longer seemed spacious with it hoarding all the room.
I fought hard to not let the ground-shaking stomps of its heavy feet trip me up. I didn’t want to corner myself, so I stuck to circling around the monster. As long as I stayed at its side, it couldn’t hit me with its steam.
From holes in its shell, high-pressure beams fired and tried to take my head off.
I dropped to my stomach as the sweltering heat passed overhead. So much for that theory. Regardless, I was still doing my job and buying Trez time.
She was up the strange tree, gathering the goods.
It wouldn’t take her long to finish. Just a little more. I could do—
The dragon twisted and swept its tail across the floor.
I had time to brace but not dodge. The tail smashed against me and flung me across the cave. I was like a stone across water that slammed into this compact space’s equivalent of the shore.
Pain etched into my back and spread down my limbs. I bit back a growl as I struggled to move. My only solace was that the dragon wasn’t coming for me.
Then I realized what that meant.
The dragon pulled its head back and filled its cheeks with death.
“Trez!” I yelled as loud as I could, louder than my aching ribs allowed without discomfort.
She turned to my voice. Fear bulged her eyes and kicked her into action. She threw herself out of the tree as the steam surged over.
It missed her but claimed a casualty all the same. The lava fruits popped like juice-filled fireworks. One burst of steam left the tree barren.
I ignored my injuries and rushed to Trez.
She looked shaken but was ultimately unscathed.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Good as I can be,” she groaned. Her eyes widened upon spotting the tree. “No. No, no, no! It wouldn’t. It didn’t. That’s… now what are we supposed to do?”
“Maybe there’s another tree?” I said.
“Where? You see one? I don’t see one. How are we supposed to find it? For all we know, that was it. And they’re gone.”
I clenched my hands. “It’s not over. It can’t be. There has to be something we can do.” We hadn’t come this far and put ourselves in danger to bring back nothing but bad news.
Trez rubbed her chin and hummed. It turned to a mumble spattering of curses. “Okay! There’s one thing. One last stupid idea you can try.”
“Tell me.”
“Kill steamy. Kill it and rip the fruit right outta his guts.”
I stared at her for longer than I had business doing so. “You weren’t kidding about stupid.”
“Shut it. I wouldn’t say it in a million years if I could think of something better.” She jolted as a single step rocked the entire room. “It’s this or leave the herix to her fate. I ain’t gonna tell you which to do but… please don’t die. Going mate cray-cray after a single shag ain’t my usual style. There’s something about you, Brandon. Something that’s totally hooked me in. I ain’t losing that already. Not the next day.”
The scaled grim reaper lumbered our way, forcing me to decide there and then.
My heart thumped. The dragon was big; it was intimidating. I had no business standing this close to it. But, if I wanted to save Faris, I had no choice.
“Get somewhere safe,” I said.
Trez looked like she had more to say but she dashed for the entrance.
Only two of us remained. A steam-firing dragon and me.
I hate this planet so much.
I forced back all of my fear and charged straight at the massive beast.
It inhaled and unleashed its boiling devastation.
The attack would kill me if it connected, but it was so telegraphed I had time to dodge. I ran alongside the heat and aimed for its throat. I’d noticed something the previous times I’d witnessed this move. While it was breathing out, it was immobilized.
It proved my suspicions by not shifting to face me.
I drew my club and aimed for its throat.
Bursts of steam sprayed from holes in its neck.
I changed course a millisecond before I was melted. Instead, I landed on my ass. My mate-enhanced instincts were all that saved me. I hadn’t expected it to have yet another way to discharge steam.
Having used its neck to stop its breath, the dragon swung a claw.
I rolled out of the way.
Next came its tail.
This time, I hurdled over the top.
And then came another geyser of steam to contend with.
I got as far away as I could with space being a premium. Sweat, both molten and frozen, poured down my skin.
I can’t even get close. How am I supposed to kill it?
To make matters worse, this cat and mouse game seemed right up the massive dragon’s alley. It became more insistent on finishing the pest swarming around its nest.
I was so busy dodging I didn’t have time to attack. My super strength was wasted.
Dammit, leave me alone! Can’t I have a second to think?!
I couldn’t plan on the fly. I needed a break, a distraction, anything.
A rock thudded uselessly against the dragon’s shell.
“Oi!” Trez yelled from the other side of the cavern. “Get your stinking claws away from my man!” She launched another pebble. It too caused no damage but bought the monster’s attention.
“I told you to hide!” I replied. What could she do with stones?
A metaphorical light bulb appeared above me.
The dragon marched toward Trez. It stopped when something more distracting smashed it in the rear.
I smirked. My aim still needed work but there was a lot of dragon to aim for. I grabbed another stone, of which there were plenty, and launched it at the beast.
The crushing impact cracked into the steamer’s shell and bought me its undivided attention.
“That’s right. I’m your opponent,” I said as I launched my third fastball toward its face. “You leave her out of this.”
The stone nicked the dragon’s skull and summoned another pillar of steam.
Dodging from distance was simpler than the quick reactions needed up close. I circled the cumbersome monster and peppered it with makeshift bullets. This barrage had devastated all that had come before it.
An armored lizard’s sturdiness cannot be compared to a mammal. Cracks and cuts developed on its body, but the damage was underwhelming compared to my past works.
I gritted my teeth.
I need something more. Something bigger. But how am I supposed to find that?
“Brandon!” Trez yelled. “Look up!”
Up? What good will that do?
My eyes widened. Those massive stalactites. They were pretty much stone spears waiting to fall and I just so happened to have the key that would let them do so.
Trez you little genius.
I had to time it right. This wasn’t some game where I could reset the checkpoint if I missed. It was a one-shot thing.
The dragon, unaware of my plan, sucked in another breath.
Now!
I shot a rock cannonball into the sky and blitzed the ceiling.
A once sturdy stalactite crumbled. Its base eroded, dropping the sharp head onto the immobile dragon beneath.
That protective shell burst open. Its owner howled as it was stabbed into the ground. An eruption of smoke shot from around the massive stone, draining the creature of everything it had.
Game over.
“Holy crap,” Trez said upon deciding it was safe to approach. “You totally wasted it!”
“Please don’t expect me to do this ever again,” I said as I searched for air. My sweat was pouring out in buckets.
“But all you used were rocks! Do you realize how insane that is?!”
“That’s how I’d describe everything that’s happened to me since coming here.”
“Good point… but still!” She gestured at the gigantic carcass.
“As long as it’ll help Faris.”
Trez tensed. “Shit, I totally forget about that. This better not have squashed the goods.”
It took a small bit of gruesome digging to discover that hadn’t been the case. The dragon’s stomach had been spared and within laid a disgusting sludge porridge made up of half-digested red fruit.
“What did I tell you?” Trez said while pinching her nose shut. “When you get that big, you don’t even need to chew.”
“These will work?” I said.
“They’re still lava fruits.” She picked one and dropped it back into the sludge a split second later. “And they’re still hot as balls. They’ll have your pal right again before you know it.”
I breathed a relieved sigh and smiled. We’d done it. All that remained was to deliver them.
Chapter 18
An orange glow reflected off the snow’s surface, casting growing shadows that chased us through the forest.
Night was coming.
I rushed through the snow before I had to spend another night away from the others. Casella was okay. My instincts were gospel when it came to her. That much I’d decided. It didn’t mean all that couldn’t change in an instant. Then there was Faris. Who knew when she’d take a turn for the worse?
The tumbling snow fought back. It had started again a couple of hours prior and sought to trap us in its embrace.
“How much further?” I asked.
“We’re close,” Trez said from her preferred route. “I recognize these trees.”
“Seriously?”
“I’m good with trees, remember? See that silvery one? That’s steelwood. Miracle plant, that is. Hard as metal and light as air. And you see this one with the big yellow blobs? Citricus eucalyptus. You see, the thing about this one is…”
As much as I enjoyed hearing her ramble, my mind wasn’t in the state for a nature lesson.
Why am I so on edge? I’ve missed her but…
My heart wouldn’t calm. Casella was okay, that much I knew, but I had a bad feeling about something.
“It’s just down here,” Trez said, interrupting her own lecture. She sprung ahead.
“Wait!” I yelled.
Trez almost fell off a branch. She had to catch herself with her tails. “Shit, man. Don’t startle me like that.”
I was too focused to apologize. There was nothing around but us and the snow and yet my goosebumps flared. “Could you check the area?”
“What’s got into—”
“Please,” I said.
A serious look came over her. “Alright. Give me a moment.” She vanished into the trees.
I wasn’t too eager to send Trez there, but something told me she’d be okay.
She’s my mate too. Maybe my instincts work on her as well?
And that makes me a clairvoyant?
After a couple of minutes, Trez returned. She was naturally pale, but any semblance of color had sapped from her face. “Oh, shit. Oh, shit! You were right. What the fuck are they doing here?” Her shoulders shook.
I steadied them with my hands. “What did you see?”
“Stalkers. The whole place is crawling with them.”
A chill ran up my spine as my scars began to burn. It was my first time hearing that title and yet I knew exactly what Trez was referring to. “Have they found the cave?”
“No. They’re nearby but they ain’t found it. No way that’s gonna last. They’ve got to be looking for them. Why else would they be here?” Her reaction to the stalkers was on another level to how she’d talked about the dragon.
“What are they? How do you know their name?” I asked.
“I’m into dangerous shit. I love documentaries on this sort of stuff,” Trez explained. “These guys… they’re proper bad news. Perfect combo of quick, smart, and deadly. They love hunting in blizzards, popping out of nowhere and—” She gestured by stabbing the air. “By the time you know they’re there, you’re already dead.”
I clenched my jaw. None of that reassured me. Quite the opposite. “We need to get rid of them.”
“You heard a thing I just said?” Trez snapped.
“Every word, but my mate’s in danger. Faris too.”
“I’m also your mate, you know?”
“And I’d be thinking the same thing if it were you in there,” I said, kissing her on the forehead. Then I handed the rucksack over to her. “Listen, I’ll draw them off. You get in there and get these to Faris.”
