The Carnelian Legacy (8 page)

The company of five large warriors crouched behind the jagged rocks several hundred feet above the valley floor. Two of them carried longbows and quivers full of arrows while the other three harbored shields and long swords. Each man was poised to attack the second their leader gave the command.

The copper-haired leader motioned silently to his men with a closed fist, warning them to remain alert. Hidden from view, the warriors watched as the two men and one woman on horseback made their way along the road toward the Mychen Forest.

One of the younger archers quietly drew his bow and aimed it at the tall, dark man in the lead. From his perched position up on the rocks, the soldier could easily take the man down with just one shot. When the copper-haired warrior saw where he was aiming, he slammed his bow to the ground in anger. He grabbed the arrow and snapped in two, quietly but firmly rebuking the young man.

The band of warriors watched as the three travelers stopped just short of the edge of the forest. They waited in silence for their commander’s hand signal which came a moment later. They quickly retreated down the far side of the hill just as fast as they could run.

The order to attack had been given.

CHAPTER 6

MONSTERS

DARIAN
TUGGED
GENTLY
ON
the reins, bringing his horse to a stop at the edge of the forest. Without a word, he sniffed the air and watched for any movement among the trees but saw nothing. He maneuvered his horse around to address Marisa in a voice only slightly louder than a whisper.

“Marisa, for your own protection, please listen carefully to what I am about to tell you. We will proceed in single file with me in the lead, then you, with Arrie bringing up the rear. You must remain in a defensive position with your horse between mine and Arrie’s.

“Do not speak. You must not make a sound of any kind, but continue as quickly and as quietly through the forest as possible.”

He paused for a moment and scanned the clearing for any sign of movement. When he saw none, he turned back to her.

“If we are fortunate enough not to encounter the rijgen, it should take us about twenty minutes to reach the safety of the clearing on the other side. If we are attacked, run your horse as fast as you can until you are clear of the woods. Whatever you do, do not stop, and do not try to hide in the forest.” He removed a small dagger from his saddlebag and handed it to her. “Please take this and pray that you will not need it.”

Marisa glanced down at the weapon encased in a black leather pouch. She removed it carefully from its sheath. There was an intricate coat of arms engraved in the upper part of the blade.

She looked at Arrie. He was stroking his mustache anxiously but still tried to reassure her with a smile.

“Darian, isn’t there any other way without going through the forest?” she asked. “I mean, if it’s so dangerous, shouldn’t we just try to go around?”

“Unfortunately, this is the quickest way through. There is one other way, but it’s up and over a treacherous pass with its own set of dangers. We just don’t have the time.”

“But is it worth the—”

“We must cross this forest if we are to reach Abbadon by tomorrow,” Darian said impatiently. “Stay close and you’ll be fine.”

He drew his sword from its sheath, bowed his head in a short prayer, and moved forward with determination. He turned, motioning the others to follow.

They entered the forest, and the trio of horses settled into a steady trot. Marisa scanned the forest but only saw tall trees and dense brush consisting of unusually large ferns. The vibrant green moss covered the trees and fallen logs like a thick carpet. She would have marveled at the beauty of the woods had it not been so unnerving.

The deeper they went, the darker the woods became. Marisa felt a chill as the temperature suddenly dropped several degrees. She wrapped her cape tightly around her body and listened to the horses’ hooves hitting the muddy road with a clippity-clop sound. They were making too much noise.

A bird cawed somewhere in the trees, startling them.

She turned to glance at Arrie. He was sweeping the forest with his eyes, back and forth, up and down between the trees. He stopped his scan just long enough to give her a small smile and put his forefinger to his lips, motioning for her not to make a sound.

A familiar fear gripped her. They weren’t alone.

She couldn’t see Darian’s expression, but in the defensive way he held his sword, he seemed prepared to slice through anything that made a move toward them. His tall frame and broad shoulders were tense as he leaned forward on Obsidian.

Darian’s head jerked to the left and then he spun around. He gestured to Marisa and Arrie to increase their speed, and the horses’ accelerated into a bold canter. As their hooves pounded the ground, Marisa winced. Her eyes scanned the brush for anything unusual. At first she didn’t see anything, but then she happened to be looking in just the right place.

Something was disturbing the ferns.

Off to her right a few hundred yards, a dark shadow darted through the forest, moving parallel to them. Her eyes tried to follow it, but it quickly disappeared.

Darian motioned to go even faster. Obsidian broke into a full gallop with Marisa and Arrie following close behind. The horses thundered down the road at a furious pace to escape their predator.

In the corner of her left eye, Marisa saw something accelerating between the trees. The ferns bent and swayed in its wake. Was it the same thing she’d seen before, or was this a different one?

Her heart was pumping as she struggled to cushion her body from Siena’s muscles exploding underneath. She clutched the reins tight and arched her back as the adrenaline coursed through her veins.

So this is how it feels to be hunted.

She spun around to check on Arrie. A wave of terror gripped her as she spotted the frightening monster chasing them. It was a hideous, three-way cross between a wolf, a bear and an ape. The giant mass of dark fur bared its long fangs as its beady, yellow eyes darted around in search of the easiest prey.

Marisa opened her mouth to scream, but no sound would come.

Seeing the look of shock on her face, Arrie followed her gaze and glanced behind him. When he turned around again, his face was as white as a sheet. The beast snarled, lunging at Arrie with his razor-sharp claws and only narrowly missing him.

From out of nowhere, a second animal raced toward them and tried to slice Arrie’s head with its claws. Arrie ducked just in time and shouted something to Darian who spun around without breaking his lightning-fast pace. He saw the two creatures racing behind the horses as their vice-like jaws took turns snapping at Arrie’s head. Arrie unsheathed his half-sized sword and swiped at them as they growled and hissed at their prey.

Completely numb with fright, Marisa shut her eyes and ducked her head flat against Siena. From somewhere out of the depths of her memory, the image of her mother praying with her as a little girl flashed through her mind. She hadn’t prayed in years and wasn’t sure if Garon even existed. But she felt utterly helpless and it was the only thing she could do.

Dear Garon, if you are out there, please save us. Please help us make it out of here alive and away from these horrible beasts. Please... help us...

She lifted her head and spotted a sliver of light up ahead in the distance. Galvanized with fresh hope, her heart immediately sank when she turned to see four creatures chasing them. When she saw another two running parallel on either side, she knew their chances of being able to outrun the racing monsters were slim. The terrified look on Arrie’s face only confirmed her fears.

Rising up in his saddle, Darian lifted his saber high, preparing to attack. A creature lunged at Obsidian’s legs, but it howled and fell away after Darian sliced off its arm. Marisa forced herself to look away as the bile rose in her throat.

When she looked back again, another creature was rearing up on two hind legs to run just like a human.

This is my worst nightmare, but I’m actually wide awake!

At least nine feet tall, the beast turned its ugly head toward her and snarled. It was agile and fast, and the monster’s sharp claws looked as if they could sever a man’s arm as cleanly as a knife through butter. Its hellish, yellow eyes glowed in the darkness of the forest as they locked on hers. The creature raised its snout as if it were smelling something.

It
smelled
her fear.

Her shaking fingers curled around the handle of the dagger. She slowly unsheathed it, praying all the while she wouldn’t be forced to use it. She glanced down at the blade and prayed silently once again.

Without warning, the beast pounced through the air and flew directly toward them. Marisa’s scream penetrated the forest just as something whizzed past her ear. She felt a rush of cold air. The animal’s body slammed against a tree and fell onto the road, dead.

Stunned, she looked around, puzzled as to what killed it just as it was about to attack her. But with all the other monsters still on their heels, she didn’t have time to stop and think about it.

Ahead of her, Darian stabbed repeatedly at the creature running next to him, but each time he missed. With one final grunt, he sliced through its midsection with a broad, sweeping motion, and the beast shrieked in pain.

Now there were only two beasts still chasing them. Arrie had managed to stave off the remaining two behind them using only his small sword. As the horses thundered closer to the edge of the forest, the slit of light became bigger and brighter.

Suddenly a man screamed in pain.

Marisa whipped around just in time to see Arrie tumbling off his horse. She watched in horror as he fell to the ground and rolled a few times before finally coming to a stop in the middle of the road.

She shouted to Darian and pointed behind her toward Arrie. He was lying in the mud on his stomach, crumpled up and not moving. Darian shouted for her to get to safety as he pointed toward the clearing. In a flash, he wheeled Obsidian around and thundered away toward Arrie.

Siena bolted on with tremendous speed toward the gap in the trees now less than fifty feet ahead. She glanced back and saw Darian stabbing at the two beasts as they circled around Arrie and hoped they would make it out alive.

Just before Siena reached the clearing, a creature leapt out onto the road right in front of her, poised for attack. She shrunk back in fear, knowing it had her right where it wanted her.

Game. Over.

Shhhh
wwwoooooop
!
An arrow pierced the creature’s chest right below the heart.
Marisa yanked Siena’s reins hard to the right to sweep around the animal as it writhed on the path. Her eyes darted around the forest, searching for the arrow’s origin, but she didn’t see anyone.

Once Siena broke through the opening and had reached a safe distance from the forest, Marisa steered her toward a grassy meadow where she dismounted and fell to the ground. She gasped, fighting to catch her breath and struggling to focus on her next move.

She glanced around the sunny, peaceful meadow as worry began to consume her. She thought about Darian and Arrie still back in the forest. Should she go back and try to help them? No, Darian had told her to get to the clearing and wait for them there. But what if they’d both been killed by those horrible creatures? She didn’t even want to think of that possibility. If both of them were dead, then she soon would be too.

Without warning, a man’s scream erupted from somewhere in the forest. Recognizing Darian’s voice, tears formed in Marisa’s eyes.

Think—think!

She had no clue of where they were headed. The sun was already beginning to set, and Darian had said there weren’t any more villages until they reached Abbadon. Although Marisa had aced the mandatory outdoor survival class way back in sixth grade, she doubted she could survive even one night alone. She was on her own.

With nothing to do but wait, she wiped her tears and tried to collect her thoughts. She rolled over on her back into the soft grass that had been warmed by the sun. With her arm resting across her eyes, she didn’t see the giant warrior glaring down at her.

He didn’t look happy to see her.