“Careful.” Whispen sighs, stepping out of the way of the creature as its light skin reflects the moonlight. “This one’s teeth shreds.”
Fucking gnat.
The ax no longer feels heavy. Not after the amount of times I’ve had to use it. New calluses form where the handle’s gone rough.
I’ll have to sand it down later.
If there is a later after these damn creatures.
I swing the ax and aim for its neck.
“Well done!” Whispen bends down to look at the creature’s head as it pauses its roll. The face settles staring at the star-filled sky. “Oh, it is ugly this one.”
He leans down, going nose to nose with the thing. He’s been doing this since we started traveling together. I did have to talk him into an older form.
The childlike form freaked everyone out. Especially me. And after a month of traveling with this pest I needed something that didn’t terrify me in the middle of the night.
When he’s bored.
And staring at me. Because he doesn’t sleep.
Never. Again.
The tip of my ax thuds into the soft earth and I lean on it. I’m hungry, thirsty, and tired. And I’d like to get to our destination before we both die.
“They’re all ugly, Whispen,” I remind him.
“You are seven for seven, flame lord!” He says this as he remains staring at the creature eye to eye.
He’s done this with each of them. And each of them he finds fascinating.
“Come on now. We can’t be far.” I stretch out my back, the cracks echoing through the Dark Forest.
“You’re right, the borderlands aren’t far.” His head finally snaps up. His blue body has taken the shape of a young man, though his tipped ears are too pointy for even a Fae.
Whispen is still terrifying. Just taller now.
“Let’s go.” I shoulder my ax, stretching my neck. “Stay vigilant.”
“It’s not me that needs to stay vigilant,” he says, trailing beside me. “I’ve already died.”
I pause on the game trail and turn back to Whispen. “You died?”
“Well, yes.” He blinks at me, then frowns. “Why are you staring at me?”
“You just said you died.”
“I did?” His eyes widen, terrifying smile stretching. “What else did I say? This is fascinating.”
“I thought you were born this way.”
He gets right in my face. “I was born?”
And this is why I might kill him.
Never mind that Ash would never forgive me. But I may kill him.
It may be the biggest fight we ever have and that is saying something.
