“Just remember to keep your reactions in check. Monitor yourself. It can heighten some senses, and we do not know exactly how your race will react to it.”
She flipped him a mocking little salute. “Noted. Now can we get this over with?”
He looked up at the imposing mountain. It was going to be alotof work. “We can and we will. It’ll just take a while.”
They trekked on, crossing rocky fields where they had to but generally sticking to the cover of the trees. They were sparser inthis area, but given the imposing terrain it was highly unlikely any search team would be wasted surveying in this direction.
On they walked, fording streams and carefully traversing several dangerously deep gorges as they approached the rocky face they would have to ascend to reach the more passable ground above. If they could manage that it would be a long but manageable hike most of the rest of the way. If not, they would have a quick fall to the jagged rocks below, quite possibly ending their story for good.
Zepharos ignored that. He was focused. Determined. Driven.
As for Maria, she’d downed the little elixir a short while back after a particularly hairy balancing act across a fallen tree. She’d crossed the gully successfully, but her legs felt like rubber. She didn’t know if she could keep it together for another exertion like that, so down the hatch it went.
It was pretty sweet and lacking any nasty medicinal taste, quite to her surprise. Also shocking was how quickly her body reacted. The tremors in her muscles vanished almost immediately, as if a lingering blaze had been abruptly doused by a thousand gallons of refreshing water. The sensation was unlike any she’d ever felt before, and it waswonderful.
“I could get used to this,” she said, testing out her newly steady legs with a spring in her step.
“Don’t overdo it. You feel good now, but any damage you do to yourself will still be there when it wears off. Trust me, I know from experience.”
“Noted,” she said, but the feeling was surging through her entire body to such a distracting extent that she wondered if she’d be able to keep his warning in mind.
Zepharos stopped walking and let her bounce around for a few minutes to hopefully get some of the zoomies out of her system. Apparently, this stuffreallyamped up humans. He’dhave to let the elders know when he saw them to ensure no one had any unfortunate experiences without ample warning.
Finally, Maria seemed to calm a bit. She still felt great, but the popcorn-like bounce had lessened to a mere spring in her step. Satisfied it was safe to continue, her guide and savior continued on, the peppy woman at his back.
They walked a few hours, and Maria’s body seemed to be maintaining an elevated level of energy, though it was waning somewhat from when she first took the elixir. Judging by the time it took to wear off, Zepharos figured she had maybe another hour or two before her arms and legs would start to feel tired again. The rest of her would still feel good, but one could only prop up exhausted muscles for so long.
He moved ahead faster, determined to make the most of her energy while it lasted.
They were in a densely wooded area as they approached the rocky face they would soon have to climb. Nutrients washed down and pooled at the base, and that led to very fecund ground from which all manner of plant life sprung. But with vegetation and food came animals. And not only the herbivorous kind.
The buzz of flying insects grew audible. That and something else was in the air.
“Hey, I smell something.”
“Yes. I sensed it some time ago. Do not look.”
“Why? What is—” Maria cut off abruptly.
An animal the size of a small cow had been torn apart, its remains scattered across a small area. It wasn’t quite rotting yet, but the stink of death had settled in.
“It-it looks fresh.”
“It is,” he replied, eyes scanning all around them, ears straining as he searched for any sign of a threat. “We need to get out of here. This is a Luzzip kill. They will not be far.”
“What’s a Luzzip?”
“You do not wish to find out. Stay close, and hurry!” he hissed, speeding toward the closest rock face and not the one he’d originally pointed out for their ascent.
Growls and yelps from the near distance made his reason perfectly clear. The Luzzip, whatever they were, had caught their scent. And they were coming for them.
“Run!” he urged, grabbing up a stout stick as he ran. “Over there!”
He was directing them to a wall. It wasn’t sheer, but it might as well have been. While he’d told her there were plenty of easy handholds to climb where they were planning to ascend, this wasnotanything like that.
“I can’t climb that,” she called after him.
He looked over his shoulder as he ran, already sliding his pack to his chest and pulling out the one piece of cordage he had. He wasn’t carrying any rope—that would have drawn suspicion in the city. But stout cord was the next best thing. Even if not, it would have to suffice.
