Chapter 7 Scarlett Insists on a Great Quest #3
Just as they were about the reach the peak of yet another summit, a howl rippled through the air. She froze, the terror in the cry raising goosebumps on her arms and legs. A shiver worked down her spine. The call held such anguish and pain. Her hackles rose, every sense warning of danger.
Scarlett hustled to catch up with Ransom, figuring they were stronger together.
A second mournful howl came from ahead. Scarlett pulled up her memories of Ransom’s map.
“The howls are coming from the village,” she said. A preternatural instinct sparked to life and fear blasted her again. Danger.
“Yes,” Ransom agreed.
“Has someone attacked the village?”
“My best guess is the prince is using them as a food source, and he isn’t careful about it.”
“Prick,” she muttered. “I’m lucky he hasn’t tried to infiltrate my mind. Hopefully, I’ll stay under the radar.”
“Daenys suspected the Maphra were feeding on the Trolleris. She told me they were a peaceful race who kept to themselves but came to the Elevenoss tribe when they required the use of healers. I believe they trade with them too, but mostly live off the land.”
“You two had quite the chat when I was elsewhere.”
“Grata, Daenys is correct.” Ransom stared into the valley below.
Thirty or more stone cottages perched on a slight rise above an open square where the residents might chat and negotiate over market goods while their kids played.
Nearby sat a placid turquoise-blue lake.
The water shimmered in the whitelight, and the waterfall that tumbled over the rock wall above the lake produced colorful rainbows.
A peaceful place of breathtaking beauty, yet right now, a village full of pain-filled screams and horror.
“I count at least twenty bodies,” Ransom said.
He what? Scarlett dragged her attention off the lake and waterfall to concentrate on the village and its residents. A Trolleris lifted his or her head and released a rippling howl. It echoed through the valley, full of sorrow and anger and terror.
“We will take this prince down,” Scarlett stated in quiet fury. “No one should suffer this much.”
“It’s survival of the fittest,” Ransom said.
“If the prince is an example of the fittest, why does he require us to journey here to unlock the cage his own people made? Why didn’t they manufacture some way of ending their long sleep?”
“I don’t know the answer to that, but you’re right. We might learn more when we arrive at our destination.”
Scarlett eyed the Trolleris people and watched several shamble across the open courtyard. “What will we do?”
“We have to walk through the village to continue our journey.”
“Frying fungus,” Scarlett muttered, shock knifing through her chest and stalling her breath. “They’re feeding on each other.”
A high-pitch scream resounded and bounced from rock wall to rock wall until the pain in it surrounded them and made her want to clap her hands over her ears.
“Did the prince cause the cannibalism, or is it something else?”
Ransom dragged in air and shrugged his pack off his shoulder. He grabbed his pills and swallowed one down with a few gulps of water. Then, he opened his backpack and removed a small blaster. “Have you used one of these before?”
“Take off the safety, point, and shoot.”
“You keep this one. I have another.” He belted a holster around his thigh and pulled out another blaster, checked it, and shoved it home again. “We might need to shoot our way through the village.”
“I have a bad feeling,” Scarlett confessed, anxiety making her stomach lurch and spin.
“You’re not the only one.” Ransom scanned the village common and straightened his shoulders. “Let’s do this.”
Scarlett trailed Ransom down the narrow track leading to the village. The entire time the danger prickling at her nape continued while the screams and cries increased in intensity. She pressed her hand against her churning belly, willing her trepidation to take a back seat.
They used a narrow swing bridge to cross the rushing stream.
Not even the roar of the water concealed the anguished howls coming from the village.
As they grew closer, the picture became clearer.
Someone had infected the larger creatures with a disease or a virus, and they were attacking and eating the smaller, weaker Trolleris.
Scarlett choked back a cry of protest when a big being grabbed another smaller one.
As the captor chomped on its prize, the captive Trolleris wailed.
A child?
Anger surged through Scarlett. Helplessness.
Ransom signaled her to skirt the square. Scarlett saw the sense in this decision. They couldn’t do much to help. Heck, they understood none of the circumstances and interfering might make the situation worse.
One of the larger Trolleris lifted his shaggy chestnut head. He bore a prominent nose, twice the size of a human’s, and furry ears that jutted out like a pair of handles. His nose twitched, and he lumbered two steps, turning his bulky body in their direction.
His scarlet eyes glittered with malice.
The creature’s big nostrils flared. His head cocked, and he shuffled toward them, his pace slow and onerous.
“They’re zombies,” Scarlett muttered. “Don’t let them bite you.”
Ransom shot her a searching glance. “You have seen this species before?”
“Only in the movies, and things seldom end well.”
The creature froze. He threw back his head, his agonized scream rippling around them. The Trolleris clapped his hands to the sides of his head and cried out with such pain that tears formed in Scarlett’s eyes.
She took half a step forward before Ransom grasped her upper arm and dragged her to a halt.
“It’s best to keep our distance.”
“But they need our help.”
The creature clawed at his head, ripping out chunks of fur, his screeching distressed and ongoing. The other Trolleris retreated, both large and small. They cowered as if they understood what would happen next.
The screams broke off mid-shriek, and the large Trolleris expanded as if someone was filling him with air. His entire body—it grew bigger and bigger until his shell could no longer contain him. Finally, he exploded.
“D-did you see that?” Scarlett asked, her gaze on the spot where the Trolleris had been. “Exploding zombies. That’s a new one.”
“We should leave,” Ransom murmured. “The prince has caused this. His feeding. We can help best if we stop the prince.”
“Agreed,” Scarlett said, although if the prince held these powers already while he was asleep, she hated to imagine his strength once he awoke. “Quick. They’re coming to investigate. At least they don’t move fast.” She hastened after Ransom as he picked up the pace.
He came to a halt, and she thudded into his rear, slamming her forehead against his pack.
“Ow! Did you have to stop so abruptly? You couldn’t have warned me?”
“Trolleris.”
Scarlett peered around him. “Oh.”
“Yeah,” he said, his tone dry. “Any suggestions?”
“They look hungry.”
“We’ll shoot our way out,” Ransom said.
“What if we tossed them food?”
“We’re not sure how long our journey will take.”
Scarlett agreed with his assessment and what he left unsaid. They had no idea what lay ahead. Besides, Ransom needed regular meals to keep up his weight. “What if you threw down flames to distract them?”
Ransom nodded and shrugged off his pack. “Keep them back with the blaster. Don’t let them close enough to bite you. I don’t want you to turn into a zombie.”
“Me neither. I won’t be able to manage both packs.”
“Just keep watch while I’m shifting. Once I shift, I can carry it in my dragon form.”
Ransom ripped off his clothes and boots, and Scarlett rolled them up and tied them to his pack while keeping watch.
The Trolleris edged closer. Some foamed at the mouth, and their ponderous ambling was zombie-like.
She fired the blaster once. Twice. Three times.
The lead creatures—the larger amongst the group—stopped.
Their heads bobbed. Not all of them had red eyes.
A Trolleris screamed, waved his arms, and clawed at his head. An instant later, he expanded and burst.
“Ransom, the ones with the red eyes are the ones that explode,” Scarlett said.
Ransom never answered. Instead, his dragon surged from him. Black and gorgeous, his scales glittering in the whitelight. Seconds later, he spewed flames at the Trolleris, although Scarlett approved of the way he attempted to scare them rather than injure.
He paused and glanced at her with his slit-eyes.
Intelligent and sexy. The inappropriate thought bloomed and tempted her.
Scarlett wished they had time for her to touch his scales and study him at her leisure.
Instead, she lifted his pack onto his outstretched claws and followed him as he edged around the courtyard to a path she hadn’t noticed.
The Trolleris chattered amongst themselves, and again, the larger aliens took the lead. One of them glowered at Scarlett with flashing red eyes. It snarled in a display of jagged teeth and charged before pulling up so fast that it fell. Seconds later, the creature exploded.
Scarlett gritted her teeth and searched her peripheral vision. Sorrow filled her along with anger. If this prince had caused this pain and suffering, she’d gut his royal personage herself.
No one should have such power.
No one.
There had to be something they could do to stop the prince from waking and taking over this planet. Some way to halt this despot in his tracks.
Ransom let out another blast of flames. A younger Trolleris stepped forward instead of retreating. The flames licked his fur. He shrieked, and several others raced to him to pat out the fire on his shaggy coat.
“He’s okay,” Scarlett shouted when Ransom hesitated. “They’ve put out the fire. Keep moving.”
In answer, Ransom sidled past the biggest group with Scarlett scurrying behind him. The Trolleris remained in position, although another one disintegrated, spitting chunks of chestnut fur and flesh everywhere.
Scarlett swallowed hard as the Trolleris fell upon the flesh. Horror filled her as she realized they were contagious. Each Trolleris that shoved tissue into its mouth shrieked, and their eyes shifted from nutmeg-brown to a glowing red.
A smaller creature made a break. It carried something in its arms and ran toward them. Desperation filled the Trolleris. It darted around a lumbering giant and burst between two other infected creatures before he or she tripped. The thing it had been carrying moved.
A baby?
Frying fungus.
Scarlett was running before she even issued the command to her brain. She didn’t measure pros and cons. She didn’t hesitate. The Trolleris child was in danger.
She sprinted for the youngster, determined to save it. Several creatures had already grabbed at the fallen Trolleris who’d been carrying the child. They snapped and snarled at each other, grasped her limbs, and…
Scarlett ripped her gaze away, not having the stomach to watch this barbarity. She reached the child just as another Trolleris grabbed it. Scarlett snarled, letting her feline sound in her voice. The Trolleris—a male, since he was so big— growled at her, froth splattering from his mouth.
Somehow, she had to get the child off him.
His eyes were glowing traffic-light-red, and this did not bode well.
Committed now, she grabbed the child and yanked.
Yes! She glimpsed big brown eyes when she glanced at the child, yet he or she didn’t make a sound.
Scarlett retreated as Ransom breathed out some of his fire and stopped another group of foaming, snarling Trolleris creatures from cutting off her retreat.
In the instant she took her attention off the big, male Trolleris, he grabbed her and hauled her close.
The fetid stink of him churned her stomach.
She swallowed convulsively, kicked, and snarled.
Bloody hell, he was strong. For a moment, she thought she’d make it because she landed her boot in his groin.
He let out a bellow. Oh! Seemed they didn’t enjoy that.
She kicked out again, but he grasped one arm, his sharp black claws snagging on her tunic.
Scarlett almost dropped the child, but he or she clung like a vine, leaving her free to punch and strike the Trolleris.
In retaliation, the creature bit down on her biceps. Scarlett released a shriek of pain.
“I’m not your friggin’ chew toy,” she snarled, slapping and struggling.
Somehow, she kicked the Trolleris in the balls again. He fell to his shaggy knees with a pained groan, and several other creatures were on him instantly. Scarlett backpedaled, part of her amazed she still had the child.
“Run,” Ransom shouted.