Goslin watched in horror as the creatures burst out of the long grass. It was the stuff of nightmares. The creatures ran on four legs, like dogs, and were about the same size as Daisy, but the similarities ended there.

“What are those?” Hart yelled, pointing with his sword. The creatures looked skinless, only raw sinew and muscle glistening in the sunlight. Though, Goslin originally thought they looked like dogs from a distance, when they got closer, he stifled a scream at the sight of their faces. Instead of snouts, they had human faces. Their jaws protruded grotesquely, and when they yelped, Goslin saw the sharp teeth lining their mouths.

Goslin gagged at the stench of them, like rotten eggs and decomposing flesh. He stepped forward to meet the attack, propping his shield and bracing himself. “Hart, Kax, hold the line!”

The creatures were fast, too fast, and they yelled eerily like humans, as they sprinted past Goslin, Hart, and Kax and rounded on Emeryn. A few of the creatures launched themselves into the air and landed in the wagon where Anicetus cowered.

Goslin barely had time to swing his sword up to impale one of the creatures as they fell upon Emeryn. A blast of earth threw one away, but a second one took its place, sinking its horrible teeth into her left forearm. Goslin and Hart hacked at the creature, but it would not let go until Goslin decapitated it with one desperate swing. Even then, Emeryn screamed as she pried the jaw open, and the creature’s severed head fell to the ground. Goslin watched as Emeryn staggered back, her face pale, gripping her wound.

More of the monstrous creatures swarmed, darting in and out, snapping their teeth. Tomford beat down upon one with his fists, but it shrugged off his attacks.

Tomford’s combat instructor kicked at the creatures that came for Anicetus but was quickly becoming overwhelmed. The old man screamed when one grabbed hold of his leg, and another his shoulder. Lana jumped into the wagon and stabbed the creatures in the face with her dagger and knife. They did not cry out in pain, not even a whimper, just excited yelps as they closed in again.

The group warded off the initial attack, but the monsters circled the wagon, yelling their wordless hunting cries as they searched for openings.

Sarien jabbed with his spear and Goslin joined him with his sword, but neither of them landed a strike. The speed of the creatures proved too much for them. They only seemed interested on the group’s magic users, excluding Sarien.

Tomford kept close to the wagon so they couldn’t surround him, and Emeryn frantically threw up walls of earth to protect herself even as her knees buckled, weakened by the injury. Goslin couldn’t understand why, but they all ignored Sarien. No, not ignored. They shied away from him and kept their distance.

“What do we do?” Kax yelled over Anicetus’s relentless screams. “They’re fast little critters!”

Emeryn whimpered. Goslin saw that she had hastily wrapped her arm with the torn edge of her shirt, but it was soaked through with blood. “I can’t catch them either.”

Lana threw a dagger, but it missed despite her usual accuracy.

“Goslin!” Hart yelled. “What do we do?” The remaining creatures turned and charged the end of the group’s caravan and fell upon the servants. Tomford screamed to Anicetus as he ran past the first wagon. “Heal yourself, Anicetus! They’ll need our help!”

A chilling cry came in response. “I can’t!”

The servants huddled under a canvas tarp in the bed of the second wagon and screams of panic rose when the monsters mounted. The horses tied to the wagons whinnied and tossed their heads, trying to pull free.

Goslin raced to their aid, slashing and stabbing at the creatures, desperately trying to get them to focus their attacks on him. This time, he actually hit a few, and the creatures pulled back without breaking through the servants’ protective cover. Instead, they charged the horse, snapping at its legs. The horse bucked wildly, before taking off with the wagon. Goslin watched as it jostled violently down the road while two monsters peeled off and chased after it.

“Can you do something, Sarien?” Goslin yelled. They needed magic to stop the beasts.

A burst of black flames enveloped Sarien’s spear. Goslin and Hart herded one of the beasts with their shields, and Sarien stabbed at it. The spear barely graced the creature’s exposed flesh, but it was enough. The monster fell over, dead.

Sarien’s face was pale, his body trembling. One of the beasts turned and leapt for Sarien and his black flame extinguished as he fell back and hit the ground. The creature crashed into his chest.

Goslin thrust his sword deep into the beast’s ribs, but it didn’t seem to notice. All its attention was on Sarien, who stared back up at it with wide eyes, bringing his left palm up between its forelegs. White flames burst from his palm and the beast disappeared.

Goslin stared, dumbstruck. “What did you do?”

“I-I think I sent it away somewhere. An island, maybe?”

“Well, do it again!” Goslin pulled Sarien to his feet. Before Sarien could steady himself, fire erupted all around them.

The beasts shrieked in pain as hot blistering flames blackened their flesh and they dropped midstride in anguish before withering in on themselves.

Goslin spun to find an older man tossing flames around with a pointed finger, killing the beasts like it was nothing more than directing servants at a ball.

Was that a yawn Goslin saw?

“He’s killing the creepy dog things!” Kax yelled. “That means he’s a friend, right?”

“He’s a pyromancer,” Lana hissed. In a few moments, all the remaining human-faced nightmares lay smoldering on the ground. Anicetus was still screaming up on the wagon. Tomford hurried to his mentor and tended to his wounds.

The stranger walked up and muttered something about inelegant magic before turning to Sarien. “What do you think you’re doing?” He ran a hand through his long white hair and glared. “Where did you send that luison? Not somewhere populated, I hope!”

Sarien stammered. “I—”

“Never you mind,” he barked, looking at each of them. “Who are you, and what are you doing out here?” He wore leather and fabric in patterns of brown and gray, not unlike the clothes Heylien wore to blend into the forest. Despite his obvious age, there was a youthful glow to his face.

“My name is Goslin of House Steerian,” Goslin said.

The old man waved him away and pointed at Sarien. “I’m talking to this one.”

“You know what it is I did?” Sarien asked. “Who are you?”

Emeryn walked up. Her face paler now than before. Blood trickled down her arm despite her bandage. “The other wagon. There are still more of those things, luisons?”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

The old man’s face brightened when he turned to Emeryn. “A beautiful woman always lifts the spirit. Never you mind about the others. I have dealt with them for you. Let me introduce myself.” He took Emeryn’s hand. “I am Heradion the,” he looked away for a second, as if wracking his mind for the right thing to say, “pyromancer?”

“Emeryn of the Fourth Circle, from the Kinship of Jordfaste.”

“A mouthful,” Heradion mused, then he looked at Sarien again. “And what about you? What is a wayfarer doing here?”

“A what?” Sarien asked. “I’m Sarien Wald.”

Goslin watched as Heradion peered into Sarien’s eyes for a long moment, then pulled back a little, as if shocked. “Sarien Wald.” The old man’s eyes flickered to the guild seal around Sarien’s neck. “And you’re a fellow pyromancer then?”

Sarien nodded and was about to speak when Tomford yelled from up the wagon. “The healing isn’t working!”

Tomford and Lana were holding Anicetus down against the floor of the wagon, desperately trying to get him to stop flailing. Blood splattered their clothes.

“Anicetus!” Tomford yelled. “You have to heal yourself!”

The others scrambled into the wagon while Goslin remained behind with Emeryn. He heard Heradion mutter, “Too far gone.”

“What do you mean?” Goslin asked.

“The old man up there died the moment it tore into his flesh. With the bite that close to his heart, there’s nothing to be done. A luison bite is venomous.” There was hard edge to the pyromancer’s voice, and Goslin could see Heradion’s jaw tighten.

Emeryn glanced at her own arm, trembling. “One bit me.”

“Let me try healing you,” Sarien said, jumping down from the wagon. “My white flame healed a friend back home who was severely injured.”

Doubt clouded her face, but she glanced up at the wagon where Anicetus’s heels thumped erratically against the floor of the wagon and nodded. “Go ahead. It’s not like you can make it worse.”

Goslin took Emeryn’s hand, squeezing it as Sarien manifested his white flame again.

“Careful,” Goslin said. “We don’t want you sending her away.”

“I’ll do my best,” Sarien said, closing his eyes after letting the white flame touch Emeryn’s injured left arm. At first, nothing happened, but then the size of the flame grew to envelop her entire arm. It expanded until it encompassed nearly half of her body, even touching the ground. Emeryn’s eyes widened.

“What?” Goslin whispered to her. “Is it working?”

“Something is happening,” she said, bending her knees and putting her left hand to the ground, almost reverently. “But it isn’t getting better.”

Sarien opened his eyes. “It isn’t working.” His flame flickered and died. “Nothing I tried worked.”

Emeryn looked at her unchanged arm. “You did your utmost, that’s what counts.”

“He’s gone,” Tomford exclaimed. The simple words were full of anguish and pain. “Anicetus is dead!” A wordless cry of grief rose from him, and he fell onto his knees, clutching his hands to his face.

“Keep it together, healer,” Heradion said. “Your work for the day is not done.”

Lana placed her hand on Tomford’s arm, trying to comfort the weeping man. He gripped her hand tightly until he regained himself and climbed down the wagon in silence. Tears streaked down his cheeks, cutting across his freckles.

“Now that the boy is done playing with your arm, dear Emeryn of the Fourth Circle. Please remove that bandage.”

Emeryn looked around, then did as asked. Both dried and fresh blood covered her wound. Heradion brought out a waterskin and splashed its contents over the area. Emeryn winced but didn’t pull back.

The bite was not deep. Not like the ones Anicetus suffered, but it looked painful to Goslin. Blue and black tendrils ran up Emeryn’s arm, and the area around the teeth marks were black. Goslin’s nose twitched at the stench. Putrid, as if rotting.

“How long do I have”? Emeryn asked, her voice flat.

“You’ll be fine, dear Emeryn, but I’m afraid the arm will have to go,” Heradion said.

“What?” Goslin stepped up. “You can’t be serious.”

“As serious as a decaying arm,” Heradion countered. “Amputate it now and she’ll live. You even have a healer here to take care of her wound after.”

Tomford walked up next to Goslin. His eyes were red and filled with tears, but his voice was steady. “I can do it. Emeryn?”

“Are you really going to do this?” Lana asked. Who she directed the question to wasn’t clear.

“Do it!” Emeryn yelled. “If it means I can live, of course I’ll do it!” Her gaze shot to Goslin’s. They were filled with desperation.

Kax unsheathed his sword. “I can do the amputation. My sword won’t catch on anything. It’ll be clean.”

“No!” Heradion exclaimed. “Where did you get that blade? Who made it?”

Kax took a nervous step back and pointed to Sarien. Heradion looked at Sarien with narrowed eyes and said, “Not that blade.”

“Goslin, please. Will you do it?” Emeryn pleaded.

Goslin’s hand shook when he unsheathed his sword and nodded, and his voice sounded distant when he spoke. “I’ll help you, Em. Can’t let you leave me,” he cleared his throat, “us, so soon.”

“There’s a fallen tree you can use over there,” Hart said, pointing. They walked over as a group and Emeryn got down on her knees and placed her injured arm across the log. Even in the short time, Goslin could see that the black and blue tendrils had moved farther up along her arm toward her body. They didn’t have much time.

“As close to the shoulder as you can manage,” Heradion said. “You really don’t want to leave anything that’s already infected.”

Goslin paled. “What if I miss?”

“I’ll help you,” Lana said.

“How?” Kax asked.

“My tempest isn’t strong, but I make up for it somewhat with, I don’t know what to call it, finesse?”

“Can we get on with this?” Emeryn asked, her voice frantic. Drops of sweat beaded her brow, and her tunic was plastered against both her back and chest.

“I’m ready,” Goslin said.

“Ready,” Emeryn said.

Tomford nodded and put a hand on Emeryn’s other shoulder. “Ready.”

Goslin gripped his sword in both hands and swung overhead with all the power he could muster. The blade bit into Emeryn’s flesh right at the shoulder and then thudded into the wood below. She screamed through the pain, a horrifying wail that wavered and quivered when Tomford closed her new wound with his magic. Tomford stepped back when he was done and Goslin dropped his sword and lunged to catch the now unconscious Emeryn.

Kax got down on his knees. “She’s breathing fine.” Goslin saw that the skin of her exposed shoulder was smooth, as if she’d been born without an arm. “This is much better than what you did with my leg, Tom,” Kax said.

“Tried my best to make it look decent,” Tomford panted. “In the contest, I just wanted to stop you from screaming.”

“Hey,” Kax said. “My leg almost burned off!”

Hart chuckled. “It wasn’t that bad.”

Kax narrowed his eyes at Hart. “You weren’t even there!”

“Move her away from the tree,” Heradion said. “I’ll have to destroy her tainted flesh.” He nodded to her severed arm on the trunk. To Goslin’s surprise, the black and blue tendrils kept spreading across Emeryn’s former arm, turning the pale flesh black.

Hart and Kax gently moved Emeryn aside, and Heradion turned the infected flesh into a mound of ash with an almost arrogant flick of his fingers. Goslin thought that the fire burned hotter than when he reduced the monsters themselves to charred blackened lumps.

Emeryn was safe, but she’d lost her arm. Sarien hadn’t been able to save it, but it wasn’t his fault. Goslin would make sure he understood that as soon as he was able.

Tomford’s short and bald combat instructor appeared from beyond the trees, silent as a cat. “You ran away, Lien?” Tomford asked.

The man nodded. “At the first opportunity. This was not my fight. You pay me to teach you, that is all.”

“Good man,” Heradion said. “No use in sacrificing yourself, especially not against those creatures. Running is often the best option for those not strong enough to resist.” The pyromancer walked over to the wagon and climbed up. Sarien saw his nose twitch before he climbed down again to unhitch the horse.

“What are you doing?” Goslin asked. “We need that to transport the wounded.”

Heradion shook his head. “That old man up there is a mess of mush and rotting flesh now. I’ll have to burn the whole wagon.” In a matter of seconds, it was ablaze.

Goslin watched as Sarien kept eyeing the old man and eventually gathered enough courage to ask. “Do you know—“

Heradion cut him off. “Later.”

“What do we do now?” Hart asked, scratching behind Daisy’s ear. The dog had made it out of the scrap without getting hurt. Goslin hadn’t even seen Hart’s companion once during the whole fight.

“We go on,” Goslin said. “First, we need to get to the other wagon and make sure those who were on it are safe, then we load up and continue on our journey.”

“You sure?” Hart countered. “Things are falling apart pretty quickly.”

“Where did those things even come from? What did you call them, luisons?” Kax asked, the question directed at Heradion.

“Luison,” Heradion corrected. “They were running from me but couldn’t resist such easy prey as you.”

“You were hunting them?”

Heradion shrugged. “It’s something to do.”

“But where did they come from?” Kax insisted.

“Not from around here, that’s for certain,” Heradion said. He didn’t elaborate further.

Goslin stood and looked at each member of the group in turn with a heavy heart. “I’m continuing on. I’d like for you all to come too, but I understand if you want to go home after all that’s happened. After how I’ve failed you.”

“Enough with the bullshit,” Lana said. “You make it sound like we have no agency. The world does not rest on your shoulders, Princeling.” She looked up at him with her hands on her hips. “I’m coming.”

“I still need to find my father,” Sarien said. “I’m coming too.”

“Of course, we’re all coming,” Kax said.

Tomford stood facing the burning wagon. Everyone fell silent as he spoke. Just a mumble really, barely audible over the crackling flames. “There’s no going back now.”

Heradion glanced at Sarien, then cleared his throat. “I think I’ll tag along, at least for a while. Where are you younglings headed?”