CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“Really?” Maria asked, staring at the small, oddly shaped, but rather equine looking beasts standing before them. “They’re tiny.”
Zepharos tied the last of their gear to the animals, securing it to the fitted harnesses each wore around their padded saddles. “Do not let the Lamallians’ diminutive stature fool you. They are powerful creatures capable of carrying many times their weight with little effort.”
“You’re kidding. I mean, how?”
“A genetic trick of fate, I suppose. Their joints are particularly robust, and their bones have an unusual amount of metal in them, their digestive systems extracting trace amounts from their food and water throughout their lives. It accumulates in their bones, making the older ones near indestructible. And their muscles are dense and strong. So much so that only the most powerful predators even attempt to take them. For one, they can withstand an enormous amount of abuse while under attack. For another, even if one should fall, few creatures possess the jaw strength to make a meal of them.”
Maria ran her hand over the animal’s faintly speckled hide,feeling the musculature rippling beneath it. It was a solid hunk of a creature, that much was obvious, but she’d never have guessed just now much so if Zepharos hadn’t told her. As with much on this world, looks could be deceiving.
“And we’re riding them too?”
“When we feel the need, yes, though we will walk with them mostly. But they can more than handle our weight in addition to their loads. It will help us cover a lot more ground in a shorter time, which will be of great benefit, given our situation.”
“Okay then. So that’s it. I guess we’re out of here,” she said, feeling a little sad at leaving the first place that had felt like a comfortable home since she’d arrived on this world. They’d already said their goodbyes to the others, all that remained was the path ahead. Or so she thought.
“Not quite yet. We are waiting for Adzus.”
“Why? We already said goodbye when we made our rounds.”
Zepharos shook his head. “That was the formal farewell to the village, but knowing we may very well fall under aerial scrutiny if trackers are indeed as close as Heydar said, Adzus and his hunters have offered to travel with us a ways to mask our movements from any observation from above. So far as any will be able to tell, it is just another Oraku hunting party, the same as any other day.”
“They’re going to be a diversion.”
“More of a moving camouflage. We will be safe ensconced in their ranks. And when they turn back, we will be a long way from here. It protects both us as well as the village. Ah, here they come now.”
Adzus and his band of hunters came striding up to the pair, ready for a long outing. The hunter looked Zepharos up and down as he prepared to give up everything he called home, sizing up the former playboy with new regard.
“You have changed, Zepharos,” he said with an approving nod. “Let us hope this is a lasting one.”
“Nice to see you too, Adzus. And thank you again for doing this.”
“It is our pleasure. Plus, it will be nice hunting in a different area for a change, though the season is not quite right to head that direction.”
“But a change of scenery can be refreshing.”
“That it can.” He turned to Maria, a kind, protective look in his hunter’s gaze. “And you, Maria. You are now a welcome part of the Oraku, and I hope one day you are free to return.”
“Thank you. It means a lot to me.”
“You are a powerful woman. Do not fail to remind this one of that,” he said, glancing at Zepharos with a wry grin. “Now, no more delay. We depart at once.”
And that was that. No pomp, no fanfare, just a group of hunters and their disguised companions making their way out of the village outskirts, heading off into the unknown. At least, unknown for Maria. Zepharos had an idea of the direction he would take her, but it would be a long and flexible journey. Their destination was up in the air, all the better for their safety. And so they walked, endless possibilities stretching before them.
They crossed several smaller streams, eventually arriving at a larger river. It was a little muddy, but not excessively so.
“It is on the decline,” Adzus noted. “There were storms, but their waters are lessening. It is safe to cross.”
Maria had no reason to doubt the man. He’d been hunting these lands longer than she’d been alive. One by one they entered the water, using long branches to help brace themselves against the current until it was finally time to swim. The animals made quick time across, decent swimmers despite the dense muscles and bones, it seemed. The rest of the group required a bit more work, but they all made it across without incident.
From there they hiked through the tall grasses that bordered the river, moving quietly, on the hunt and ready for prey even as they provided cover for the two travelers. Zepharos looked up, noting the ships high above circling the region in lazy arcs. There was no way to tell if any of them were trackers or if these were just regular ships on their way to some other city. It made no difference. The die had been cast, and they were committed to this path.
It was later in the day than Maria had expected when the hunters declared it was time to part ways. But as they casually spent the entire day together, each and every hunter was of the same mindset. They liked this woman and wanted to see her safe. And their own wayward son had stepped up to the challenge in a way they would never have expected of him. As a result, with their leader’s blessing, naturally, they’d stayed with the couple far longer than anticipated and would be sleeping in the wild tonight as there was no way they’d make it back before dark.
As true outdoorsmen, they didn’t seem to mind one bit.
“Thank you all,” Maria said as the hunters took their leave.
