I didn’t know what that was but I cast my gaze wildly around the clearing. We hadn’t ventured far into the forest, but far enough that it was dark and cold. That was when I noticed it was dead silent. There was no sound, no insects buzzing or wildlife scampering across the floor or creatures crooning in the trees.
That was when I saw them. Black, unblinking eyes that glittered like jewels from the darkness. A set of eyes that made my heart speed, that made me want to recoil in horror.
They were just ahead of us. The horde king had said there was apack? Which meant there were more?
A slight whispering sound across the forest floor came from our right. Before I realized what was happening, theVorakkarunsheathed his sword and, with a quick blurring arc of his arm, plunged it into the head of a giant black beast that had leapt towards us out ofnowhere.
I cried out in alarm. And then I heard thepyrokibelow us make a horrible keening cry before we were both thrown off its back. Another of the beasts had attached itself to thepyroki’sflank, digging its massive clawed talons into its side, and the impact had dismounted us.
When I fell, I hit the groundhardand all my breath rushed from my lungs. I gasped, trying to get air, my gaze flying around the clearing, trying to see how many there were.
“Get to the tree!” theVorakkarordered, already rushing towards hispyroki, who was trying to buck the blackjrikkiaoff its flank. The horde king swung his bloodied sword at the beast and cut through the joints of its claws, which were still imbedded in thepyroki. A loud, anguished growl echoed as thejrikkiathudded to the ground and then the Mad Horde King plunged the tip of his sword into its head, its body going slack.
When I looked back to thepyroki, two of the dismembered claws were still hanging from its flank. Black blood poured from the horde king’s creature, thick slashes decorated its flesh.
“Nillima,kassim,” theVorakkarordered, jerking his head towards me. Thepyroki, even with her terrible injury, followed her master’s order and sprinted towards me, vibrating the forest floor.
I had somehow scrambled to the trunk of the nearest tree, had pressed my back to it, and thepyrokistopped before me, pounding the ground with her claws.Protecting me?Her eyes were wild with pain, flickering from side to side.
Anotherjrikkiaflung itself from the darkness and I watched as thepyrokireared back, going onto two legs, and smashed her front talons into the body of the creature.
It fell with a shrill cry and the horde king’s sword followed, cleanly slicing its head from its body.
Then came two more, jumping from the darkness and the shadows of the trees, one in front of the horde king and one at his back. They circled, prowling on all fours, their long necks and even longer snouts perfectly still.
“Watch out!” I cried when the one at his back sprung first.
Right when he spun, the one at his front attacked as well. So fast it was a blur, he cut a line across one of thejrikkia’sabdomen, spilling blood and making it stumble. But the other crashed into him, snarling, taking him down to the ground with a heavy thud.
I heard the horde king’s roar and then thejrikkia’shead snapped to the side. It dropped, heavy and still. The horde king had broken its neck with a sharp twist. Then I watched as he lunged for the last remaining injured creature and drove his sword deep.
My heart felt like it was in my throat. TheVorakkarhad moved so swiftly. His expression was grim, focused, as his gaze scanned the shadows, looking for morejrikkia.
Only after a long moment did he look at the carnage across the forest floor. Four deadjrikkia, their black blood spilled, sickeningly shiny in the low light. Was this why the Ghertun avoided the Dead Forest? Because of these creatures? I had never seen anything like them before.
Then his gaze came to me, red and otherworldly and infinitely terrifying. His words returned to me. That he’d been made to kill. The dead creatures around him, the memory of his speed, his unflinching certainty as he dispatched every last one of them…now I knew he’d spoken the truth.
He wiped his sword on the fur of one of the fallen beasts before sheathing it. Hispyrokiwas still hovering in front of me, her breathing labored. She was in pain.
The horde king went to her, stroking her snout, murmuring soft words to her in Dakkari that I didn’t understand. Then he came around her side, looking at the injury, his jaw tight. He plucked the dismemberedjrikkiaclaws from her, dropping them to the ground without a second glance, leaving five deep gashes in their wake.
I finally found my voice. It shook as I asked, “W-will she be all right?”
His voice was guttural, husky as he said, “Lysi.”
His chest was streaked in blood. “Are—areyouall right?”
The question made him turn. His eyes seemed brighter after the attack. As if the battle hadinvigoratedhim, but I knew that couldn’t be right. It would be a horrible realization if he’d enjoyed that.
“I would like to believe that Kakkari would not end me with a mere pack ofjrikkia,leikavi.”
It was chilling to think that just a moment before, we’d been speaking of death.
“They would’ve ended me,” I said quietly, wrapping my arms tight around my torso, shivering, “had you not been here.”
He didn’t say anything to that.
Instead, he broke my gaze to look over his shoulder, at the dead creatures scattered across the floor.
