FOREVER KNIGHTS: #15 Insatiable Beasts

Merwood, Dread Hideout

RHYERS

“Acharius!” Rhyers was shouting. As he slid barefoot into Acharius’ den. Sloshing a puddle over the wall. “It’s back! Bloody wake up!”

If he’s not already on it, he’s dozed off.

Acharius had summoned Rhyers to watch over the artifacts but he’d already been so exhausted when Bast heard him that Bast had suspected he wouldn’t be able to stay alert much longer.

The hibernation can hit quickly. Rhyers knew from experience. Though he lived a more leisurely life and could often regulate his rests enough to ensure it didn’t catch him off-guard, there were still occasions it did.

And that’s when we’re vulnerable.

“What?” Acharius snorted blearily.

“The beastie is back!” Rhyers had spotted its tracks headed off the trek through the Netherlands into the Merwood.

The all-fours creature. He’d learned that track well. Standing at the entrance he was roaring the viking’s name now.

“Wake up!”

Acharius was grunting and fumbling for his bow as he stumbled from his chambers. Startling the thing that was only a faint white glow in the distant blackness.

Rhyers shifted at the entrance, unwilling to open his animal eyes. Here at the entrance, I’ll be blinded if I have to turn and face the sun.

It could get away. He locked his feet as he heard artifacts clanging as the thing rummaged through them.

“Out!” Acharius roared.

Eliciting a storm of movement. The tiny edge of something, Rhyers could see around the curve in the wall in the distance, began to flail. It took Rhyers a moment to register it was the four-legged man running at him so rapidly he was moving like a spider. His back legs occasionally folding up over his shoulder as he slid his arms between them to scamper at an inhuman pace.

How old is this thing? Rhyers knew instantly for a Firoque to be this comfortable in his skin, he’d been around a long time. Too long.

As he drew near the entrance at tremendous speed, Rhyers lowered to his center and prepared to do battle with the creature. But to his shock it didn’t even hesitate, heading up the side of the ridged cave wall until he was running near the stone ceiling shifting high and low so fast that Rhyers couldn’t gauge what level he’d come out at.

“Rhyers!” Acharius warned just before a shower of arrows flew toward Rhyers who crouched to the ground and threw his arms over his face to avoid the hailstorm of pointed tips.

Essius launched out like a spear. Pointing his body and diving over Rhyers’ shoulders. Twisting as the arrows moved around him.

Watching him go over, Rhyers saw the small bit of wood swaying from a strip of leather which hung from Essius’ teeth.

The Fragment. Again! Rhyers swore. Rounding he pursued it. Seeing the arrows littering the trees around him.

How could he have missed? Acharius almost never misses.

But as Rhyers tried to keep up with the albino man scrambling on all fours, Rhyers realized the impossible truth of it. He’s too fast for us.

Even at Rhyers’ tremendous speed, barefoot running the Merwood, black hair trailing behind him as he leapt on the side of trees to clear shrubbery and hopped logs with the smooth grace of a deer, he couldn’t catch the creature which looked to move so clumsily.

I can’t keep pace with him! Rhyers was running out of steam. Slowing his jaunt. Finally drawing to a stop, he watched the thing escaping into the trees in the distance.

“It got away?” Acharius huffed.

Rhyers swore again.

Acharius put a massive hand on his shoulder. “Don’t feel bad. I couldn’t sink an arrow into the thing either. Too damn fast. We’ll need Teverius to have a chance of catching him.”

“Perhaps his Demon Dogs…” Rhyers shook his head in aggravation. Fixing to turn back toward Acharius’ den when a surge of magic pouring through the woods caught his attention.

They both turned and stared fixedly.

The trees were leaning in. Every leaf straining in that direction.

“Do you feel that?” Rhyers asked.

“Sure do.” The Viking said a bit more cheerfully. “Maybe we’re not out of this game yet.”

And they waited.

Just as Essius skid from the edge of the Merwood toward the road where it smoothed enough he’d be able to travel faster, there was a feral cry and the black panther leapt from the trees and tipped the white man sideways as feline teeth sunk into his shoulder. Chomping upward toward his neck.

Bast slapped a clawed paw to Essius’ back to hold him in place.

“Hold him there!” Acharius bellowed.

But Essius squealed in desperation and rolled onto his back. Dragging his small, squared claws into Bast’s vulnerable middle. Wrenching open his belly and catching skin to try and rip flesh. Bast roared in pain.

Rhyers jumped sideways off another trunk and landed as the brown and white wolf with the slashing stripe across his green eyes. Beelining at a high speed to reach them.

Acharius turned mid-step. Back folding down as he began running on all fours already in the form of the black and silver wolf.

They reached Sebastian at nearly the same time.

A swarm of Firoque were emerging from the woods. Their dulled gazes intent on the two wolves and the hurt panther.

Too many. Rhyers knew.

Rhyers bit at Bast’s scruff and began roughly dragging him from the other beast’s reach.

Bast rolled onto his feet, ripping from Rhyers’ grip to walk on his own. Bleeding badly from his stomach but managing to walk with Rhyers.

Acharius was behind them. Snarling rabidly at the gray skinned Firoque which had stopped in a semi-circle facing him.

Waiting for him to blink. Rhyers knew.

Rhyers stayed at Bast’s side as they backed up while Acharius held the enemy at bay.

Beyond them, Essius was whining shrilly as he limped across the road and into the distance on his strange four-legged gait.

We’ll meet again, wretched creature. And you’ll not be so lucky. Rhyers vowed. Green eyes narrowing on the thing’s retreat.