beside them. Triton grew used to its presence but Kephas remained between the creatures in his gargoyle form as a precaution. He knew the strip of Bog lands he traveled was the narrowest part. They should reach the Rim by dawn.
His thoughts were on the next part of his journey when Giga suddenly jumped in front of them and stood on its hind legs. It hissed loudly at something ahead of them. Kephas pulled his dagger and stepped in front of Triton, who had become agitated at Giga’s sudden movement.
Nothing happened. Just as Kephas was beginning to think the little creature had overreacted, the mist swirled again and a large dark shape lunged toward them, screeching.
“Damnation!” Kephas yelled as he jabbed at the thing with his dagger. The blade stuck in its dark hide and it reared back, taking the dagger with it. Kephas jumped on Triton’s back and pulled out his sword. With a battle cry he charged.
The stallion had been trained for battle and didn’t falter as they neared the beast. It stood a head taller than Kephas’s gargoyle form and was twice as wide. The head sported a large horn that curved to the sky, with dark eyes the size of a man’s hand on either side of it. It reared back on its legs like a horse before falling to the ground and charging them. Kephas held his sword out like a lance in anticipation. Right before it reached striking distance, Giga appeared on the beast’s head and clasped the horn in its small teeth.
The beast skidded to a halt and began shaking its head violently but Giga held on tight. With his free hand, Kephas pulled two throwing knives from his vest and sent them sailing, one after another, straight into the beast’s eyes. It reared back again and screamed in anguish. Before it dropped, Kephas threw a much larger dagger and buried it in the underbelly. The beast dropped, which buried the dagger even deeper, before falling onto its side.
The beast heaved out a dying breath and then was still. Triton made sounds of distress but Kephas calmed him with soothing words and gentle hands. He slid from the horse’s back and approached the fallen creature with his sword ready. It didn’t move, and not until Kephas was close enough to set the tip of his sword to its neck did Giga finally release the horn. Giga dropped to the ground and hissed at the beast before running around Kephas to stand behind his boots.
He looked down at the strange Giga. “It’s dead now, I’d wager.”
Giga peeked at it again. “Dead. Deeeeeaad.” Then it nodded its small head in agreement.
Kephas chuckled. “You’re a might braver than expected, little Giga. Glad to have you along.”
Giga nodded again but didn’t take its eyes off the dead creature before them.
The wind shifted and a horrible stench hit Kephas. “Gods that reeks, whatever it is. Time to go.”
He pulled out a rag and cleaned his sword before sliding it back into its scabbard. Then he grasped Triton’s reins, thankful the stallion hadn’t run off. The horse whinnied in annoyance, most likely at the smell, before letting himself be pulled around the dead creature. Giga trotted along beside them once again as they continued on the trail.
Kephas looked up at the moon with a sigh. “That’s all the excitement I need for one night. Let’s hope that’s all we get.”
* * * * *
Albain watched Princess Theodora sleep as plans formed in his mind. The name change had thrown him for a moment when they’d first met, but he knew better. It had been decades since he’d seen her as a babe in her mother’s arms, but the Queen still looked nearly the same. A shame that lovely woman was dead, but probably for the best.
He’d been the one to show her the way out of Halstrid when she’d set her mind to running, back when he was a wizard. It was pure luck, and the damn aging of his now human body, that had kept her from recognizing him in the fishing village. Now with her out of the way he could lead the Princess down whatever road
His thoughts were on the next part of his journey when Giga suddenly jumped in front of them and stood on its hind legs. It hissed loudly at something ahead of them. Kephas pulled his dagger and stepped in front of Triton, who had become agitated at Giga’s sudden movement.
Nothing happened. Just as Kephas was beginning to think the little creature had overreacted, the mist swirled again and a large dark shape lunged toward them, screeching.
“Damnation!” Kephas yelled as he jabbed at the thing with his dagger. The blade stuck in its dark hide and it reared back, taking the dagger with it. Kephas jumped on Triton’s back and pulled out his sword. With a battle cry he charged.
The stallion had been trained for battle and didn’t falter as they neared the beast. It stood a head taller than Kephas’s gargoyle form and was twice as wide. The head sported a large horn that curved to the sky, with dark eyes the size of a man’s hand on either side of it. It reared back on its legs like a horse before falling to the ground and charging them. Kephas held his sword out like a lance in anticipation. Right before it reached striking distance, Giga appeared on the beast’s head and clasped the horn in its small teeth.
The beast skidded to a halt and began shaking its head violently but Giga held on tight. With his free hand, Kephas pulled two throwing knives from his vest and sent them sailing, one after another, straight into the beast’s eyes. It reared back again and screamed in anguish. Before it dropped, Kephas threw a much larger dagger and buried it in the underbelly. The beast dropped, which buried the dagger even deeper, before falling onto its side.
The beast heaved out a dying breath and then was still. Triton made sounds of distress but Kephas calmed him with soothing words and gentle hands. He slid from the horse’s back and approached the fallen creature with his sword ready. It didn’t move, and not until Kephas was close enough to set the tip of his sword to its neck did Giga finally release the horn. Giga dropped to the ground and hissed at the beast before running around Kephas to stand behind his boots.
He looked down at the strange Giga. “It’s dead now, I’d wager.”
Giga peeked at it again. “Dead. Deeeeeaad.” Then it nodded its small head in agreement.
Kephas chuckled. “You’re a might braver than expected, little Giga. Glad to have you along.”
Giga nodded again but didn’t take its eyes off the dead creature before them.
The wind shifted and a horrible stench hit Kephas. “Gods that reeks, whatever it is. Time to go.”
He pulled out a rag and cleaned his sword before sliding it back into its scabbard. Then he grasped Triton’s reins, thankful the stallion hadn’t run off. The horse whinnied in annoyance, most likely at the smell, before letting himself be pulled around the dead creature. Giga trotted along beside them once again as they continued on the trail.
Kephas looked up at the moon with a sigh. “That’s all the excitement I need for one night. Let’s hope that’s all we get.”
* * * * *
Albain watched Princess Theodora sleep as plans formed in his mind. The name change had thrown him for a moment when they’d first met, but he knew better. It had been decades since he’d seen her as a babe in her mother’s arms, but the Queen still looked nearly the same. A shame that lovely woman was dead, but probably for the best.
He’d been the one to show her the way out of Halstrid when she’d set her mind to running, back when he was a wizard. It was pure luck, and the damn aging of his now human body, that had kept her from recognizing him in the fishing village. Now with her out of the way he could lead the Princess down whatever road
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