Revin’s gallimai stepped through the tall grass, flattening it with its three-toed feet. Birdy sat on his shoulder, chirping cheerfully. Revin looked out at the wet fields and shallow hills around him. Omrai had said the giganotos were so nomadic and elusive their current place of residence was always hard to find.

He ran his fingers through his hair, wondering where to go. He winced at the pain that caused in his cheek. The moist air made it difficult to keep his bandages dry, so he just tried to keep them tight, wrapping a thin strip around his head to hold it in place.

He’d have time to heal when this was over. For now, he needed to figure out where to go next. The gallimai’s sense of smell was nearly useless.

He got down off his mount, grunting in pain at the impact and how it hurt his knee. He’d mounted and dismounted as little as possible. But for this, he felt he needed to kneel. He knelt on his uninjured knee and offered a prayer to Father God, asking for direction.

After a moment of silence, he felt inclined to use one of his more subtle abilities. The ability to sense nearby animal minds, even if they hadn’t been mastered. It was hard to understand those sensations, but if he focused, he might be able to find something.

He concentrated, and at first felt nothing except for Birdy and his gallimai. He pushed. A headache bloomed, rippling out from one corner of his brain. He grunted and pushed through regardless.

He found, far away, a pulsing nexus of saurian thought. It was… familiar. Like the giganoto which had “sought him out before”.

His gallimai honked at him, sensing the giganoto through Revin’s thoughts and obviously scared of what he was seeking.

He patted it on the nose.

He kept traveling despite the rain. He couldn’t afford to wait. Besides, moving would help him stay warm. He held Birdy to his chest, under his cloak. He hadn’t packed much, just his walking stick, food, some clothes, and his mastersuit.

His gallimai half-tripped in a puddle. Revin grabbed hard to keep from falling. He looked down and realized what they stood in. A massive footprint with three huge pointed toes. He could almost take a bath in that footprint.

He smiled. It had been days, but he was getting closer. Were they avoiding him? Maybe they were avoiding Narazoth.

He still didn’t have a plan for when he reached them. How could he master them without getting killed? Regardless, this was the way he had to go. As if something pushed him.

But something also pulled him.

He smiled and kept moving.

The hills and vales marched past him slowly, the rhythm of the gallimai’s feet turning into a steady beat. If he focused too hard on it, it would have driven him mad.

Revin heard a roar up ahead. The ground rumbled, and saurians took flight from wet trees.

Revin gripped the gallimai’s reigns, his hand drawing his sword almost without prompting.

The gallimai’s fear echoed into Revin’s mind, and he felt a great concern for its safety. If there were a pack of hungry giganotos, would they resist a morsel like a gallimai?

He got down, grunting again at his knee. He grabbed his pack from the gallimai’s back, touched its neck, and looked into its eyes.

Go , he thought, head back to camp.

It scrambled away as fast as it could, feet hitting the muddy earth with a series of soft slaps.

He turned toward the roar. The plains ended in a grove of trees arrayed on higher hills, at the foot of the mountains. He limped toward it, leaning on his walking stick. Birdy followed close behind. He remembered the last time he’d been on a hunt, alone. Ismander had been right, that serpent was small in comparison to the giganoto. And Birdy was not nearly as combat-capable as Blackfire. In this endeavor, he was practically alone.

He wished he had friends with him.

He shook his head and marched forward. He reached the top of a steep hill and looked down. A large stego glanced frantically from tree to tree, honking in terror.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Revin hid in the brush, watching. The earth thundered with mighty footsteps, rattling his stance. A giganoto ran past the foliage he’d hidden behind, letting out a mighty roar. It dwarfed any sound he’d heard before. Even the tyranno’s were not nearly so terrifying. Dark gray spikes jutted from its back, glistening softly in the morning sun. It jumped down the hill, sliding down and landing at the bottom with a thud of its mighty three-toed feet.

He let out a sigh of relief it hadn’t decided to snack on him when it had passed. Something told him it wasn’t the same giganoto he’d met before.

The stego honked and turned to run, but several other giganotos appeared from the trees on the other side. Growling hungrily.

The stego prepared its spiked tail for the attack.

One giganoto moved as if to bite the stego’s head, and the stego stepped back and whipped its tail in defense. Another giganoto faced the stego, glaring it down and roaring. The stego took another step back.

As the two in front taunted the stego, the third charged it from the side and rammed underneath the stego’s belly. The stego moaned and tried whipping its assailant, but it was too slow. The giganoto underneath it lifted its head and flipped the honking, terrified stego onto its side.

Revin couldn’t tear his eyes away as they dove in. Eating fiercely. Revin heard some rumbling again as, a moment later, from the other side of the clearing, several other large and some very small giganotos stepped out. After a few bites, the hunter giganotos stepped away and let the young eat.

Despite the blood and gore, they were beautiful creatures. All but their heads and legs were covered in feathers of turquoise, blue, purple, and green. The dark gray spines sticking out of their backs had an odd metallic sheen to them.

A giganoto turned and looked straight at him. It was the largest of the bunch, bearing many scars running along its body that made it stand out from the consistent feathering of its fellows. There was a scar from a bullet wound on the side of its face. The same one he’d met first in the north, and then again just recently.

Revin’s heart jumped. He found himself gulping. He forced himself to his feet and looked it in the eyes. Birdy was still scared and wanted to run, but Revin kept him close. The giganotos’ various heads snapped up and looked at him, they breathed excitedly, mouths dripping with saliva. Several broke into a charge, running for him. He turned to run when he heard a deafening roar.

The pounding of feet stopped and Revin looked back. The large scarred giganoto glared at the two who had charged. They lowered their heads in submission. The scarred one stepped forward. Revin faced it, his heart thundering. It stood in front of him and slowly lowered its head until they were almost eye to eye.

It looked sad.

He slowly extended his hand. The giganoto moved closer.

“Let’s see what thoughts trouble that mind of yours,” Revin said.

He touched its snout and entered its thoughts.

He felt a series of impressions. Hunger, pain, distress. This giganoto was young when she’d met Jebuthar. Jebuthar had been in Ateya before the war, in disguise as a wanderer. He and Narazoth tried to master this giganoto’s mother, but when he couldn’t, he killed her. This giganoto was still young not more than six feet tall, and she had tried to fight. That was how she had received the scars on her back. From Jebuthar’s blades. Scarback was the closest thing to a name she had.

She had witnessed much death over her life, of family and prey alike. She ultimately became the matriarch of all giganotos. When Jebuthar returned, she was afraid. She searched for something she felt in her mind. She searched for help. When their food started to disappear, she got desperate. She felt Revin’s mind in the north and went to find him. She tried again as Revin traveled south, each time failing. She came to believe her mission was hopeless.

She led several attacks against Jebuthar’s metal abominations, destroying some, but despite her efforts, their prey continued to disappear. She feared Jebuthar would catch her pack eventually. She couldn’t let that happen.

Revin tried to soothe her, to tell her he was here to help, that they could help each other.

Revin suddenly felt tears and opened his eyes, still maintaining the mental connection, but now looking into her mind. He reached deeper into the giganoto’s consciousness. Not to master, not to control. But to speak. To understand. That was what his ability was for. Not for dominion, but for connection.

A realization dawned on him. In the holy books, Sephitaro never referred to it as mastery… Only as beastspeaking.

He looked deep into Scarback’s dark eyes. They would go to any end to protect their loved ones. Revin, his monks. And Scarback, her family.

Before he realized it, he had Mastery. Mastery over the greatest carnivore in the world.

No… he had communion.

The others bowed their heads to him, nods of respect and gratitude.

Revin patted Scarback on the nose and looked out to the setting sun, the gold and red light streaming through the hills and trees. He let out a wide smile.

“We’re coming for you, Narazoth.”