fella.”
As Darrios continued to pet the ralapet, it began making a soft purring-cooing sound. Laughing a little, I moved closer.
“Go on,” Darrios urged.
I reached out, gingerly touching the softest thing I’d ever felt. Softer and fluffier than any animal, stuffed or real, that I’d ever encountered. I raked my fingers through the ralapet’s hair, smiling.
“It’s wonderful. I’ve never felt anything this soft,” I marveled. It blinked its eyes at me and I swear it smiled back.
“I know. It’s soothing, almost hypnotic. Once you start petting, you don’t want to stop.”
“Exactly.”
“Sorry, Maggie, but we need to get moving. We don’t want your scent lingering in one place for too long.”
Reluctantly, I stood up and waved at the strange little ralapet. Darrios pitched the rest of the leftovers far off into the bushes. I watched as it scampered in after it.
“What did you do that for?” I asked, puzzled.
“Remember, I told you they’re perpetually hungry?”
“Yeah, so?”
“I meant it literally. We have to get out of here before he finishes that. That was the last of the food, but he’ll want more.”
“What happens when there is no more?”
“He’d follow us, whining non-stop, and as cute as his happy noise is, the whining is ear-splitting agony. Trust me when I tell you it isn’t something you want to experience.”
“I’ll take your word for it. You know it’s funny, Darrios. When we were in the Outer Rim and even when we got to Midland, when you told me about the scabras and viocomen, all I imagined here was death and monsters. I didn’t even think about harmless creatures like Rufus and the ralapet.”
“Don’t be fooled, Maggie. Until we get to Inland, we are in danger. There’s far more to fear out here than there is to pet and play with.”
I nodded solemnly. We continued our journey, my eyes darting around checking my surroundings. I checked Darrios’ body language frequently, watching for him to tense up or move more quietly. He trudged along casually so I began to lighten up.
Just when I started to relax a little, I heard what sounded like a whip from behind me. Like before, Darrios whirled around, grabbing me. He pushed me behind him before I even had time to look.
I peeked around him to see the strangest creature we’d encountered yet. It stood at least a foot taller than Darrios, but it was extremely thin. It didn’t have so much as a hint of hair anywhere I could see and its smooth, shiny head was much too large for its body.
Its beady, black eyes truly emanated a sense of evil. Sharp, dagger-like teeth and tiny, pointy ears gave it the demeanor of an overgrown, depraved elf. It curled up its lip in a hideous smile, emitting a piercing, high-pitched wail so shrill it caused me to wince.
It reached out toward Darrios, using its rail-thin arm in a quick, sweeping gesture with what looked more like a callused claw than a hand. I gasped, realizing this must be one of the viocomen.
Darrios studied it carefully, not making any sudden moves, never breaking eye-contact. It looked away from him just for a second...sizing me up. It licked its lips with its scaly tongue. I shuddered.
It was in that second that I saw Darrios draw his knife and drive it into the chest of the viocomen. I turned my head away, but I knew the sounds I heard were the sounds of flesh being ripped open, organs being torn apart, and finally, the death scream of the viocomen. I also knew those sounds would stay with me for a long, long time.
I didn’t look back again until I heard the thing hit the ground. Darrios wiped his knife off as he’d done before and put it back in its sheath. He came over to me, taking my chin in his hand. He turned my head up toward him, drawing my eyes to his.
“Are you with me? Maggie, listen to me. You’re safe now.”
I lifted my hand, staring blankly at my trembling fingers. I could feel the tears trying to well up in my eyes. Squeezing my eyes
As Darrios continued to pet the ralapet, it began making a soft purring-cooing sound. Laughing a little, I moved closer.
“Go on,” Darrios urged.
I reached out, gingerly touching the softest thing I’d ever felt. Softer and fluffier than any animal, stuffed or real, that I’d ever encountered. I raked my fingers through the ralapet’s hair, smiling.
“It’s wonderful. I’ve never felt anything this soft,” I marveled. It blinked its eyes at me and I swear it smiled back.
“I know. It’s soothing, almost hypnotic. Once you start petting, you don’t want to stop.”
“Exactly.”
“Sorry, Maggie, but we need to get moving. We don’t want your scent lingering in one place for too long.”
Reluctantly, I stood up and waved at the strange little ralapet. Darrios pitched the rest of the leftovers far off into the bushes. I watched as it scampered in after it.
“What did you do that for?” I asked, puzzled.
“Remember, I told you they’re perpetually hungry?”
“Yeah, so?”
“I meant it literally. We have to get out of here before he finishes that. That was the last of the food, but he’ll want more.”
“What happens when there is no more?”
“He’d follow us, whining non-stop, and as cute as his happy noise is, the whining is ear-splitting agony. Trust me when I tell you it isn’t something you want to experience.”
“I’ll take your word for it. You know it’s funny, Darrios. When we were in the Outer Rim and even when we got to Midland, when you told me about the scabras and viocomen, all I imagined here was death and monsters. I didn’t even think about harmless creatures like Rufus and the ralapet.”
“Don’t be fooled, Maggie. Until we get to Inland, we are in danger. There’s far more to fear out here than there is to pet and play with.”
I nodded solemnly. We continued our journey, my eyes darting around checking my surroundings. I checked Darrios’ body language frequently, watching for him to tense up or move more quietly. He trudged along casually so I began to lighten up.
Just when I started to relax a little, I heard what sounded like a whip from behind me. Like before, Darrios whirled around, grabbing me. He pushed me behind him before I even had time to look.
I peeked around him to see the strangest creature we’d encountered yet. It stood at least a foot taller than Darrios, but it was extremely thin. It didn’t have so much as a hint of hair anywhere I could see and its smooth, shiny head was much too large for its body.
Its beady, black eyes truly emanated a sense of evil. Sharp, dagger-like teeth and tiny, pointy ears gave it the demeanor of an overgrown, depraved elf. It curled up its lip in a hideous smile, emitting a piercing, high-pitched wail so shrill it caused me to wince.
It reached out toward Darrios, using its rail-thin arm in a quick, sweeping gesture with what looked more like a callused claw than a hand. I gasped, realizing this must be one of the viocomen.
Darrios studied it carefully, not making any sudden moves, never breaking eye-contact. It looked away from him just for a second...sizing me up. It licked its lips with its scaly tongue. I shuddered.
It was in that second that I saw Darrios draw his knife and drive it into the chest of the viocomen. I turned my head away, but I knew the sounds I heard were the sounds of flesh being ripped open, organs being torn apart, and finally, the death scream of the viocomen. I also knew those sounds would stay with me for a long, long time.
I didn’t look back again until I heard the thing hit the ground. Darrios wiped his knife off as he’d done before and put it back in its sheath. He came over to me, taking my chin in his hand. He turned my head up toward him, drawing my eyes to his.
“Are you with me? Maggie, listen to me. You’re safe now.”
I lifted my hand, staring blankly at my trembling fingers. I could feel the tears trying to well up in my eyes. Squeezing my eyes
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