“I highly doubt that,” Benny replied and shook his head.
“Do you think they’re okay? Do you think they’ll be able to get the stone from the monster?” Askold asked of the others, his voice taking a serious tone.
Benny was silent for a moment before he admitted, “I really hope so.”
Sephyr suddenly flew down and shifted into her small human form. She pointed to the far distance.
“Unipacas,” she said.
A few miles away, they could see bright blue lights streaking through the darkness.
“W-What’s a Unipaca?” Askold asked as he stood and reached for his sword.
She held her hand over his, lowering his sword. “Magical beasts with two-toed feet. They have a horn on their head. Not known for attacking unless provoked.”
Benny watched the glowing blue lights streak across the distance. “We need to sneak past any Jotnar we come across. We’re not strong enough to fight them,” Benny said, shifting the focus back to their journey.
Sephyr nodded in response and sat between the two men, offering a hesitant smile to Askold. He perked up and puffed up his chest, readying himself.
“Don’t,” Benny said, holding up his hand. “I don’t want to hear it anymore.”
Askold deflated and muttered something like “jerk,” then lay down in the dirt and rolled over to face away from them.
Sephyr chuckled and shook her head.
“I can only imagine how you feel,” Benny said to her.
“I can hear you,” Askold responded with a groan. “I’m literallyright here.”
Sephyr smiled at him and looked across the distance, watchingthe Unipacas move across the land. A bright beam of light made the darkness of night abate for a brief moment.
“What did it do?” Benny asked as he pointed.
“Who knows. But you don’t ever want to be on the receiving end of that,” Sephyr said.
He nervously watched as the light receded into itself, and darkness once more descended around their camp. But before the light was gone, a dark shadow in the far distance moved.
“Fuck,” he said as he stood. “There’s a Jotnar out there.”
Vira swooped down from the sky and shifted forms, quickly stamping out the campfire. “Jotnar in the distance. No fires,” she said.
Askold shot up and looked around warily. “Are we okay here?”
“Maybe… It was far off. One was fighting against the Unipaca herd and went down with that light. But another was closer to us. It’s concerning that they’re over the wall.”
“FUCK!” Askold shouted.
“Shhh!” Sephyr scolded through a seething whisper. “We need to be quiet. The campfire might already have given us away. We’re moving.Now.”
They quickly grabbed their belongings and moved away from the blazing embers, quietly heading closer toward the wall.
Chapter 34
Seda
The cold breeze brushed Seda’s cheeks as she opened her eyes to the brightest full moon she had ever seen. Its amber light spilled through the trees’ branches in a waterfall of golden hues. She pulled the cloak tighter with a shiver and scooted closer toward the warmth of the campfire. Cahir was sitting next to her, chewing on his inner cheek. He glanced at her and offered a hesitant smile. The luster to his skin had returned, radiant against the firelight.
She sat up and glared at him, the memory of the fight with the Lobisons coming back to her in waves.
