Kiri’s eyes fluttered open and were now dull and unfocused. The whites were tinged with red from fever, but even so, they seemed to light up with adoration as they looked at Monte. Even sick, she took his breath away. Her trembling fingers curled around his wrist as she whispered, “Be careful.”
“Always.” A flash of lightning and deafening thunderclap split the air, its echoes reverberating through him—too close for comfort.
With a resolute nod, he swept toward the door—grabbing his night gear along the way—and flung it open, bracing himself against the torrent.
Rain lashed in bitter sheets, the howling wind threatening to sweep Monte’s powerful frame off his hooves. He squinted through the deluge, fumbling for the heavy-duty flashlight.
With a flick of his thumb, a piercing beam cut through the inky blackness. Monte planted one foot forward, horns lowered as he leaned into the gale. Every step was a battle—the mud sucked at his hooves, branches whipped his face, and lightning cracked across the sky, the roar of thunder shaking the very earth.
He pressed onward, haunches bunching as he forced his way up the treacherous incline. The path ahead disappeared in swirling cloud-cover, obscuring any sense of direction. It was his intimate knowledge of his land, and its surroundings, that kept him on the right path.
Only thevalmora’s life-giving essence drove Monte up that accursed mountain—especially on a night like tonight. He would’ve rather remained within the confined safe.
A blinding burst of lightning forked down, the blast whiting out his vision for a heart-stopping moment. When his sight cleared, the flashlight’s beam revealed the skeletal claws of a deadfall tree, surrounded by bramble bushes, their branches reaching out like gnarled fingers, eager to ensnare him.
Monte swung the flashlight in a wide arc, illuminating the way forward. Baring his teeth in a feral snarl, he dug his hooves into the mud and threw himself over it in one gigantic leap.
Heaving deeply, finally, after what felt like hours of battling nature itself, Monte arrived at the summit. Without a moment to waste, he scanned the peak with his flashlight as lightning flashed above, searching for the healing flower that Kiri needed desperately.
His heart sank as he saw that there were novalmorablooms anywhere in sight—they must have been swept away by theraging storm or recently used by the neighboring monsters for their own ailments.
He refused to give up. There had to be more along the cliffside, facing the lake and hidden in the shadows, from any direct sunlight—or any other light source with the naked eye.
Undeterred, he plowed ahead, hooves finding scant purchase on the treacherous terrain. The craggy incline taunted him, each upward footfall requiring a punishing expenditure of effort. Rivulets of rainwater streamed from his brow, stinging his eyes.
As Monte trudged through the thick fog, his flashlight beam struggled to pierce through the dense mist. The dampness soaked his fur, leaving it heavy and matted against his skin.
There—a faint glimpse of something through the gloom. He angled the wavering beam toward the indistinct shape, revealing a small patch of bright blue amidst the dull rocks.
Thevalmora!
With a victorious shout, Monte scampered in its direction, each step a struggle. As he drew closer, the frail petals fluttered open in a dazzling display, a halo of vibrant fuchsia surrounding the fragile beauty.
With painstaking care, he extended one hand, fingers outstretched in reverence. The flower’s pulsing energies warmed his pads as he gently cupped the precious bloom.
He’d finally found it. The flower with amazing healing powers capable of helping Kiri.
He carefully plucked a few from their precarious perch, leaving enough for others in great need. If Kiri required more, he knew where to find them. He prayed to the Moon Goddess that he would have enough.
Monte let out a raspy howl of victory as he hugged thevalmora'smystical essence to his chest. Turning on his hoofed heel, he fixed his sights on the descent, with a newfound strength buoying his spirit.
Monte turned his broad back to the howling winds, cradling the preciousvalmorabloom against his tawny chest. The delicate petals shimmered with ethereal light, illuminating his path through the shrouding mists.
The storm howled through the trees, pelting him with piercing raindrops that felt like pin pricks against his skin. Each flash of lightning illuminated the dark sky, followed by a deafening crash of thunder that made him shudder. With every step, his hooves sunk deeper into the muddy ground, making it a struggle to move forward as he tried to remain upright on the downward slant. The thick sludge threatened to engulf him as he fought against the relentless storm.
But Monte’s burning determination could not be quelled. Not tonight.
With gritted teeth, he leaned into the maelstrom, forging his way down the treacherous slope with only the thoughts of Kiri and how he’d left her, her feverish brow and labored breaths, propelling him onward through torment that would have felled lesser beings.
Thankfully, he was a minotaur, and these were his lands.
He refused to fail Kiri. Not on his watch.
The wind whipped fiercely at Monte’s shaggy fur, causing him to sway on his hooves. He braced himself, digging his sharp hind claws into the ground and lowering his massive horns in a stubborn stance. He was determined to withstand this raging storm—to be an unmovable force against its destructive power.
As he stumbled through the darkness, her face flashed in his mind—pale and strained, her lips quivering with unspoken words. He could almost feel her small hand clutching his, urging him to keep moving—the same hand that held thevalmorablooms against his chest.
It was this image that gave him the strength to push on through his exhaustion.
