“Ven, what was in that note?” Wyn asked again.

“There is an aggregation.” Ven’s eyes broke from the horizon as he finally looked at Wyn. “Beasts are gathering in the area ahead, like moths drawn to a flame.”

The wind picked up, and Wyn shivered slightly from the cool autumn air.

Kei sat up. “And what exactly is the flame in this analogy?”

“Likely, it is a dead rootlurker.”

“And that is?”

“Rootlurkers are… Well, they are the largest organisms that live in The Grass Sea, and the only species I’m aware of that is capable of killing an adult veldstrider.”

Wyn frowned. “I thought you said veldstriders didn't have any natural predators.”

“They are not exactly predators, though it is hard to say exactly what they are. Of all the creatures that we know of within The Grass Sea, none do we know less about than rootlurkers. You see, no one has ever actually seen one’s body, they either reside at the bottom of the sea, or under the ground entirely–hence the name. See?”

Wyn nodded slowly. “So, if they don’t come up, then how do we know they even exist?”

“Their tendrils–wait, this is not the important part.” Ven cut himself off. “It is the beasts that gather in its wake we must concern ourselves with.”

“So the rootlurker is dead, and now dangerous things are flooding to the area? Why?”

“To feed,” Ven said. “We think.”

“You seem to think a lot of things and yet not know them.” Kei’s voice was impatient.

“I am no natural historian, and as I said, confirmed root lurkers are rare. Whatever the case, it has been observed that when a rootlurker dies, beasts gather from all over the area. The common thought is that they gather to feed on its corpse.”

Corrin rose and flicked his sword through the air twice. “So the area ahead is crawling with monsters, some of which might try and attack us. Siensa will be safe either way yeah?”

“Grass drakes are known to attack when agitated,” Ven confirmed. “And we will need to be wary of winged creatures as well.”

“Why would flying things come if the root lurker is on the ground?” Kei asked.

Wyn could guess the answer though. “They’ll be hunting small creatures drawn to the area. Or as luck would have it, us.”

Ven grunted affirmatively.

“Can we not just go around?” Kei asked.

“It is… possible,” Ven relented. “But the way to the south would take us through the hazefields, which we are not adequately prepared for. Northward routes would take us far off-course. We could do it, but it must be a decision made by you.”

Wyn looked over at Corrin, who just shrugged. “It’s just spirit beasts right? What would you do if you had a full escort party with you?”

“I would move through. It is dangerous, but with a party to kill the beasts it is considerably less so. There is a real possibility we do not even get attacked. Since the focus of the aggregation hasn’t been found yet, the whole area has been deemed dangerous to be safe. I am merely aware of your lack of experience with confined combat, as well as the creatures that live here.”

“Confined isn’t too bad,” Corrin said. “And monsters are a specialty. Will you fight as well?”

Ven reached over the lip of the saddle and grabbed a bow, holding it up.

“Then I say we just keep going. Udyr told you we would suffice as an escort, and I’ve seen some of the adventurers at the guild. With just the two of you, we have less to protect too. We’ll do our jobs.”

Ven took a deep breath and didn’t speak for what felt like an eternity. Finally, he held up his hands in surrender, a small grin spread across his face. “Then in that case, I shall trust my safety to you. If we die, you will be my servant in the afterlife.”

The corner of Corrin’s mouth twitched. “Sure thing.”

Ven settled in at the front, and the strider began to slowly move once more. Wyn sat down on one side of the saddle and Corrin the other, each with their swords across their laps. Kei moved to the middle, away from the edges, and tapped her finger against the leather nervously.

As they drifted away from the relative safety of the rock, Wyn began to plan. Eia, could you keep an eye on things around us, give me a warning if anything dangerous approaches from below.

Calm reassurance flowed through their bond. Of course, I’ll let you know. He watched as a faint purple light zipped through the grass in the distance.

That was good, they would be less likely to be caught off guard with her watching for danger. Of course, that wouldn’t stop him from watching himself. “Corrin, keep an eye on the grass, I’ll watch the sky.”

“Can do, have you asked–”

“Yeah, it’s taken care of.”

“Good. I’ll be ready.”

With his eyes gazing up at the blue sky–becoming more cloudy as time went on–he noticed a flock of birds flying in the direction they were heading, deeper into The Grass Sea. Threats both above and below, which would strike first?

The waiting game began.

***

The first attack came from the skies.

It had been hours since they first entered the danger-zone, and the afternoon sun was dim behind the thick cloud cover, leaving the world washed of color–dull and gray. Corrin and Wyn were still alert though, mana and spirit fire filling each of their bodies with different strengths. Kei had eventually gathered herself, and now sat at the back of the saddle watching behind them as Ven smoked a reed in the front, humming a tune Wyn didn’t recognize.

A sweet smell drifted through the air, the product of a burner Ven had lit as they crossed the threshold. He claimed the incense within was valuable for discouraging attacks on the sea, as it smelled similar to grassward, which was readily avoided by many predators.

The attack came suddenly, three black shapes diving down from the sky, but Wyn’s eyes were sharpened by his blessing. He reacted as quickly as if he’d known it was coming, shooting to his feet and hefting his sword. Only a moment later, Corrin did the same on the opposite side of the saddle, reacting to Wyn’s movement.

The first shape streaked towards them, blisteringly fast from its dive. It was an enormous raptor, with a wingspan longer than Wyn was tall. There was no screech, no sound of air, the predator was silent as its claws stretched out to grab him.

Still, it was too slow.

Wyn’s sword flashed as he ducked to the side, and the bird’s claws were severed from its body like a knife through butter. Before it could even cry out in pain, it had reached the other side of the strider, and Corrin sliced clean through its neck. The body fell into the sea as silently as it had approached.

The other birds abandoned their attack immediately and broke off to the sides of the strider, missing them by only a dozen or so feet, the wind from their passing tousled Wyn’s robes and hair, but they didn’t attack. Instead, their wings flapped furiously as they began to ascend back into the sky, heading away from the group.

Wyn breathed out and flicked the blood from his blade, but he did not sheathe it, there would surely be more to come. Instead, he simply sat back on the lip of the strider and his eyes once more gazed up at the sky. Oddly, he actually felt a bit more relaxed after the attack, the tension of endless waiting having been broken.

Corrin did much the same, settling back into the spot opposite Wyn and yawning. Kei on the other hand, was staring at where the bird’s body had fallen into the grass, her face white. Ven looked back and forth between the two of the boys and nodded.

“I see,” was all he said.

***

“This stuff is disgusting,” Corrin groaned, unable to move as Wyn wiped the gray goop from his face.

They’d been attacked several times over the past few hours, but the last had been particularly bad. Not because they were injured, but because the giant flying insect had spat a slime across the saddle that seemingly had paralytic properties. It hadn’t affected Wyn of course, so he’d been able to kill it without issue when it drew closer to feed, but it had left everyone covered in slime and generally unhappy.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“I hate to say it, but some rain would actually be nice,” Wyn said, still feeling the stickiness in his hair.

He’d left Corrin for last when wiping everyone off, as he was less affected than Kei or Ven, who had both described feeling light-headed after a few minutes, but thankfully after the slime was removed, both began to slowly regain control over their limbs, and the symptoms faded.

As Corrin’s arms began to move again–much quicker than the other two–he stretched his stiff limbs and looked at Ven.

“You seemed surprised about the slime, have you not been attacked by one of these before?”

“I have,” Ven said. “But most escorts have a mage or archer with them, so they’ve always shot them down before they got close. Now I see why.”

“Lucky us,” Corrin grumbled. He held out a hand to the open air and concentrated for a second before his eyes widened. “Nope, going down.” He fell face-first onto the saddle.

“Still trying to project it?” Wyn asked, taking off his outer robe and tossing it into a pile at the edge of the saddle.

“Yeah,” Corrin said. His voice was muffled against the saddle. “He’s right that it’s a bit of a weakness of ours that we have to let them get close.”

Wyn sat down and hummed thoughtfully, “You’re not wrong. Considering we don’t know so much of what’s out here, it won’t hurt to play it safe. Hey, Ven?” He called up to the captain at the front.

“Yes?”

“Hand me that bow. You can have it if we get into a real fight, but I’ll take it for now so you can focus on guiding us.”

“You know how to shoot?” Ven asked.

“Of course,” Wyn chuckled. “I’m no expert, but I can hit a target.”

He and Corrin had trained in all sorts of weapons. Swords were their choice in the end, especially considering their usefulness in the dungeon, but they could still use bows, knives, spears, or anything else if they really needed. Wyn had been into the woods with the hunters when he was younger many times, and he could keep up with them no problem.

Ven shrugged and pushed it across the saddle to him.

Wyn looked over at Corrin. “Where were we? Oh yeah, I’m just saying, chicken is the best meat, it goes so well in so many dishes.”

Corrin waved a hand. “You know what you are? You’re up on your chicken high horse, it’s obvious beef is better. Do you remember that steak Irym made for your twelve birthday party? Best meal I’ve ever eaten, and don’t tell me you’ve had better.”

“Maybe if we’re talking peaks,” Wyn countered. “But you just can’t go wrong with chicken. Honestly I could eat chicken every single day of my life, you couldn’t do that with beef.”

“You couldn’t do it with chicken!”

“I totally could! You can make it in so many–”

“How in the name of the kings can you two talk about food at a time like this?” Kei asked. She was scrubbing her bare arms with a cloth, trying to get even the remnants of the slime off of herself.

“What? Oh because of the slime? Meh, I’ve never been one to lose my appetite like that,” Corrin said.

“No! Well, yes that… But I meant because of the danger! Aren’t you worried?”

Corrin raised an eyebrow. “Should I be? Either we get attacked or we don’t, no use worrying about it right Wyn?”

“Sure. I mean it was tense at first, but I’m over it now. Honestly it’s a bit nostalgic.”

“Right?” Corrin grinned. “That bit of tension totally reminds me of the dungeon. Monsters around any corner, exploring the second floor… Good times.”

Ven chuckled from the front of the strider. His hair had yet to be tied back into the bandana, likely due to the slime still sticking to it. “You two are some monsters yourselves.”

“Didn’t you almost die in that dungeon?” Kei raised an eyebrow.

“See, the key word there is almost.” Corrin pointed a finger. “Besides, nothing that’s attacked so far has been half as dangerous as a claw-beast.”

Wyn. Eia suddenly spoke in his head. There’s a hoard of beasts down here. You’ve just entered a huge gathering of them, hundreds of them, maybe more. I’ll check deeper.

No, Wyn thought to her. Stay close. I’d rather have you able to potentially catch one approaching.

“Corrin, get ready.” Wyn got to his feet, holding his blade again. “We’re over a huge group of them right now.”

“How can you tell?” Ven asked, eyeing him suspiciously. Wyn had called out two of the attacks from the sea before they’d come. He didn’t think his excuse of instinct would work much longer.

He decided to just be honest about his deception. “I’m not going to say, but my method is reliable. There’s hundreds below us right now.”

“We must have reached its body,” Ven spoke quietly. “Like a watering hole in the desert, herbivores and carnivores alike are drawn to the corpse. They all seem to gain from it, though I can’t imagine how that could be true for both. Still, I would expect to hear more from below if they were fighting. They must be eating. That’s good, we may have the chance to–”

Wyn! South!

Wyn spun to his right as a creature the size of a horse lunged out of the grass, moving with a speed that belied its frame. He swung his blade in its path, but the beast was heavy, and its hide was thick. He wasn’t able to generate enough power to cut it, and the mass of scale and fur slammed into him as claws pierced shallowly into his side, causing pain to flare up before spirit fire burned it away.

They tumbled towards the other side, hitting on the lip of the saddle and stopping just before going over the edge. With the beast pinning him down, he could make out its features. It was some mixture of lizard and wolf, with a fur mane by its head giving way to a long, scaled torso and tail. Its long, flat jaw was filled with razor sharp teeth which snapped at him as it tried to bite his neck, but he was able to hold it back, driving both arms into its neck while its claw slid deeper into him.

He heard Corrin shout a battle cry, and a blade drove through its neck, dripping blood onto Wyn’s face as the body fell into the sea.

“Shit,” Wyn spit out the blood, sucked in some air and put pressure on the side of his wound. “Thanks. Be careful, that thing was strong, heavy too.”

Corrin nodded, eyes scanning the sea.

“That was a grass drake,” Ven said, his face pale. “Do not let your guard down, there will be more. They always hunt in packs.”

“Do you know numbers?”

“Anywhere from six to twelve usually, but I don’t know if it will be different with the gathering here.”

Deep below the surface, sound began to bubble up through the grass. Movement, growling, an odd clicking noise, all growing louder. Soon, it had become a cacophony of screeches and howls of all different types, and the noise grew in intensity as more and more of the horde joined in. Each blade of grass for a hundred feet in every direction began to tremble and bend wildly under unseen weight.

Ven inhaled sharply. “A frenzy. Whatever truce existed is broken.”

“Kei get down!” Corrin yelled, shoving Kei to the floor and ramming his sword into a grass drake that sprang up from the green. She screamed as blood spewed out across the saddle, drenching her and it in a deep, slick red. The beast thrashed wildly, and Wyn had to stop its tail from knocking their provisions off of the saddle. After a brief struggle, it fell back off the strider, injured but alive.

“Ven get us the hell out of here!” He shouted, hoping the captain had his wits about him. He couldn’t check, but a sudden lurching of the strider as it sped up told him his message had been received.

A wave of panic flooded through his bond with Eia as more beasts began crawling out of the grass. Most weren’t even looking at them, attacking each other indiscriminately instead, but the drakes were chasing them, and now that they were no longer directly below, Wyn could make out their shapes tracking them through the darkness of the grass, about a hundred feet away and closing quickly.

“Firestone!” He called, falling back on his and Corrin’s tried and true method for killing swarms of monsters.

A moment later, Corrin was throwing the deadly object that they always kept on them. The red crystal sailed into the grass–and vanished. A few seconds later, a resounding boom echoed off the ground layer. Wyn cursed himself for his stupidity–without a solid target, the firestone wouldn’t explode until it hit the ground, they’d need a direct hit if they wanted to kill any monsters with it.

“Get to the front, Kei!” He yelled, stepping to the back of the strider as two more jumped out of the sea. He and Corrin intercepted them mid-leap, trying to block them from the saddle, but swords weren’t long enough, and their weight was enough that the beasts landed on the back of the strider anyway, knocking both warriors back. Their claws caught on the leather as they dragged themselves up halfway onto the saddle, neither wound fatal.

Wyn and Corrin rose from a crouch, and Wyn let spirit fire blaze in his body. The world sharpened and then fell away as his breathing grew steady.

Corrin wiped blood from his lips. “We’re not in the dungeon anymore Wyn, I think pikes would be nice for next time.”

“Definitely.”

They had seconds to kill the drakes before more leapt out of the grass and overwhelmed them, so they charged. Man and beast rushed each other, each determined to tear the other apart.

The world shook.

Even through his spirit fire, Wyn stumbled, having to catch his footing as the quaking brought all of the frenzied fights to a halt. The grass drakes struggled to keep their footing as well, legs slipping off the strider's back as they clung on their claws. The shaking continued for what felt like an eternity, and Wyn fought to stay standing against its immense force. As the shaking slowly subsided, a brief silence fell over the battlefield, each beast and human not daring to move.

Back in the direction they’d come from, a yellow-white, tendril, thicker than a tree trunk emerged from the grass. It began to thrash, knocking aside nearby beasts like they weighed nothing at all. Wyn felt his heart skip a beat. If that had emerged near the strider…

If his heart had skipped a beat at the emergence of the first, it stopped with the second. Another tendril surfaced closer to them, this one was thinner, but as it began to thrash, it swatted beasts like gnats all the same. Then another shot up, and another, and another. All around them, the monstrous limbs sprouted into the air, each accompanied by the crash of cascading dirt and the tearing of roots.

Wyn watched in horror as just fifty feet away, one emerged from beneath one of the drakes. The beast's body was launched hundreds of feet into the air, and from the lack of a cry, he was fairly certain it had died the moment it was hit. His legs shook again, it must have been a lingering effect from the quake. Next to him, Corrin’s eyes were wide, and his sword hand was shaking as well.

All of this had happened in only moments, and of all the creatures present, human or otherwise, Corrin was the first to make a sound.

“What the fuck is that?”