- Bridget -

In the forest, the few monsters that approached us were quickly dealt with. Stacy cleaved through the giant centipedes like they were toilet paper. Whereas I was a monster magnet, Stacy seemed to be a monster repellent.

Eventually the forest thinned out into a marshy wetland. We followed one of the few dry paths through the region. The surface of the waters rippled as monsters swam concealed below the surface.

“There won’t be any more tunnel sloth burrows. The land here is too wet,” said Stacy. The glow of dawn was already beginning to show on the horizon.

“Will you be okay? Won’t the sun kill you?”

“Maybe if were a lesser vampire. I’m more worried about you. Sunlight makes me weak, so I won’t be able to defend you as well during the day.” She approached the trunk of a large willow tree. “If we stay off the ground, we’ll at least be safe from the lurkers, and thanks to the shade I’ll be able to keep some of my strength.

After climbing the tree Stacy bent the branches into a makeshift platform. Then she gathered me into her arms and leapt back to the platform.

When the sun came up I saw spots of light on Stacy’s skin. She didn’t burn or turn to ash, but I could tell it was uncomfortable for her. I felt bad. I was clearly slowing her down. If I wasn’t here she probably could have crossed the swamp in just one night.

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I took off my cloak and draped it over the two of us. She instantly looked more relaxed, and wrapped her arms around my waist. I blushed at her touch. I knew what she wanted. I turned my head to the side, exposing neck to her once again.

Before she could partake in my blood though, we felt the platform sinking below us. The branches came undone, sending us tumbling to the ground.

My whole body ached, but when I forced my eyes to open the pain was replaced with terror. Several feet above us in the branches of the tree was a gigantic bird with a razor sharp beak and long red feathers.

“A Roc,” said Stacy, having landed on her feet. “This isn’t good. They’re very territorial.”

The Roc flapped its wings, sending it flying toward us. Stacy jumped in front of me and its talons raked across her arm. I saw her grit her teeth in pain, and she grabbed the monster’s leg with both hands and twisted. There was a sickening crunch as the monster’s leg broke and it fell onto its side, thrashing on the ground.

Stacy wrapped me in her arms and leapt backwards just before the Roc’s wing could smash into the ground on top of us. Stacy landed outside the shade and fell to her knees. Thankfully, when the Roc propped itself onto its good leg it flew away.

“Stacy! Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” she grunted as I helped her to her feet. “It’ll heal. Some blood will help.”

I offered her my neck, and after licking it she drank my blood greedily. As she drank, the gashes on her arm closed.

“What should we do?” I asked. “That thing won’t come back will it?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. It’ll stay away until it recovers, and that will take a few days at least. Instead we should worry about the lurkers. They come out at day to bask in the sunlight.” She pointed at the distance where a fish-crocodile monster with a large sail on its back stood by the water’s edge. It looked towards us with an eyeless gaze, as if it could see us somehow. “I can probably take them, but only one at a time. We’ll be safe in the tree though. There won’t be any other Rocs in the area.

And so, we got back in the tree and awaited dusk.