Eva squashed her alarm, knowing the fire fox wouldn't have endangered her without reason. She took a moment to study the creature.
His skin was mottled with grays, browns and greens. A moss-like plant covered his back and hands. White flowers similar to daisies sprouted from his head.
From a distance he would resemble a boulder.
Despite his large size, his features were kind. Gentle even. This wasn't a creature who would do harm. Eva got a sense of peace from him. A bottomless well of serenity and warmth.
Eva took a step toward him only to stop as Drake blocked her with his arm. He watched the creature with a frown as he assessed the level of potential threat.
The fire fox trotted up to the creature and stopped. He laid his kill down at the base of the tree and sat before wrapping his tails around his feet.
The fox's gaze was knowing as he watched Eva in silent demand.
"What is that?" Jason breathed.
Eva held a finger to her lips, signaling for quiet.
The fire fox was acting as if they needed to pay tribute to the rock creature. It was Eva's job to find out why.
Jason nodded to show he understood.
Eva pushed Drake's arm out of her way and stepped around him.
"Eva!" Drake hissed.
Eva paused, knowing if Drake felt she was placing herself in danger he was liable to act. And not necessarily in ways she would agree with. She wouldn't put it past him to grab her and make a run for it.
In the Broken Lands where even a rodent could pose a threat to your life, it was easy to view anything strange or unexpected as an enemy.
This was the drawback to having elite warriors shadow your every move. Explanations were needed lest they take matters into their own hands.
"He's a mythological; I can feel it."
She wasn't quite sure how, but the creature gave off the same feeling as the fire fox. Like there was more to them if you took the time to look beneath the surface. A deep well of possibility lurking. It felt different than what she’d get around a beast, though she'd be hard pressed to explain exactly how. Just that it was.
It was a feeling in her bones. A knowing, if you will.
As a Caller, mythologicals were her responsibility—and she took her responsibilities seriously.
Drake held her gaze, his stubborn need to protect warring with his frustration over knowing she was right. Moments passed before he relented.
Drake stepped aside, allowing her to continue unhindered.
"Be careful," Jason whispered.
"Afraid you'll have to deal with Caia on your own?"
Jason snorted. "Damn right I am. That mare is a devil."
As if sensing they were talking about her, Caia butted Jason in the back, making him stumble forward a few steps. He swatted her head away with an irritated look on his face.
"When did you get over here?" Jason whisper yelled.
"She's been following us since we started," Drake said in a low voice, not taking his eyes off the creature.
Eva crept forward, careful to keep each movement slow and non-threatening. In one sense, Drake was absolutely right. This was dangerous. It always was when approaching an unknown mythological. You never knew if they'd be accepting of human presence or seek to destroy.
Human/mythological relations was a relatively new concept and there was a long history of the two not getting along. Some might even say they were natural born enemies.
