Chapter 38
Roksana
Snow crunched under my boots, the high drifts exhausting to push through.
‘Because why not? Why the fuck not. After all, I’m the idiot who thought trekking through the deadly – no, half-frozen swamp in the middle of winter.’ I grunted when another lump of snow from a bare branch landed behind my collar.
My breath misted in the chilled night air as I cursed the weather, my life, and even the gods themselves. I kept talking, desperate to hear my own voice above the relentless cawing of crows who waited to feed on my corpse when I surrendered to my fate.
The last beef jerky strip still lingered on my tongue, heavy with smoke and salt; something I wouldn’t eat unless I were starving. I guess I was, because I’d chewed on the leathery meat with gusto several hours ago.
‘I’m not going to die here, Morana. If you have any decency, Lady of the Winter, you will let me pass. Go, freeze Tivala’s arse. He deserves it.’ I was close to tears, but stopped myself. Water freezing on my cheek was the last thing I needed.
I need shelter, I thought, looking at the full moon brightening the sky with its unyielding elegance. How long has it been? Several hours earlier, I’d lost the trail. Still, I walked, worrying that if I stopped moving, the bitter cold would send me into eternal sleep.
Since leaving the cavern, I’d followed Tymon’s map as religiously as a Tangra zealot.
It helped me avoid patrols and larger dwellings, but once I entered the swamp, my luck ran out.
Between the gnarled trees and brittle shrubs sticking up from the frozen puddles, I could barely identify any orientation points.
The only blessing was that the entire place was frozen solid, or I would have drowned in the muddy water on my first day.
Something in the distance caught my attention – a massive tree perched on top of a small hill. It was different from the twisted black alders that thrived in the water or the willows whose listless branches hung over my head.
‘Come on, Sana. They’re waiting for you.
You promised Irsha you’d return. He can’t spend his life thinking he left you to die,’ I muttered to myself, coming closer and noticing a sizeable gap in the tree’s roots.
I eyed the dark pit with trepidation, taking a tentative sniff.
The smell made me recoil. It’s clearly some animal’s burrow.
‘Perfect. A choice between being eaten and freezing to death,’ I grumbled, looking up at the sky where the moon now glared at me from behind the gathering clouds.
Snow followed, dusting the world with its cold white blanket.
‘You know, fuck you and your pale face. At least the beast’s stomach will be warm. ’
I needed this anger; it was proof I still had hope, that I hadn’t given up.
As if mocking me, as soon as I pushed forward, the moon disappeared, and my leg fell through the ice into the water beneath.
I laughed, no longer caring about the tears flowing down my cheeks as I pulled my foot back, icy water sloshing in my boot while my body shivered.
Inhaling sharply, I wiped the tears away.
‘I’m not done yet. I’ll rest and, if nothing eats me, I’ll carry on,’ I said through gritted teeth, pausing at the gaping maw of the entrance.
The stench intensified. The bones at the threshold suggested a bear burrow or some similarly large predator.
I peered inside, but as far as I could see, the place was empty, sheltered from the wind and free of snow.
‘Leshy, guardian of the forest, we’ve always been on good terms. Please don’t let something make me their dinner,’ I muttered, cautiously walking in.
The den was more spacious than it appeared from the outside. The chamber extended to the side, the roots creating a small nook filled with dry leaves and grass, as if someone had woven a nest there.
And it was empty.
‘Don’t get your hopes up. Just… don’t,’ I muttered, rushing out and gathering as much firewood as I could, ripping dead branches and dry grass from the ice with a ferocity that surprised me.
A few moments and one fire sigil later, I had a small fire crackling away cheerfully while I spread my cloak over the leaves piled in the cosy corner.
I could finally rest, and I was too tired to care about anything else.
I curled up, my body shaking from the cold, as I absorbed the warmth provided by the fire.
I should gather more branches, I thought as my eyes closed.
Warmth still enveloped me when my awareness returned.
Just a few more minutes, I thought, sighing and reaching for the cloak to pull it closer. I grasped something coarser than the rabbit fur trim of my hood. Still, it was warm, and I stroked it gently, my hand tangling in its long hair until my cloak… purred, and my soul jumped out of my body.
My eyes snapped open, all senses on full alert, while I forgot to breathe in fright. My meagre fire had died, the embers not even glowing anymore, but behind me, a furnace purred quietly like a snoring dragon.
I exhaled shakily, keeping my body as still as I could, then looked down. A massive paw, armed with vicious claws, was wrapped around my waist, and I’d been stroking it for several minutes.
‘Right. Good cub… I’ll let you sleep,’ I muttered, pulling away as slowly as I could. Bears shouldn’t be active this time of year. Whatever had awoken it earlier must have gone, as the animal had returned to its hibernation, giving me a chance to escape.
I rolled, letting the giant paw slide off me.
Inch by inch, I crawled away… or I was, until the claws twitched, then wrapped themselves around my calf, pulling me back.
My yelp was so loud in the den that it startled us both.
I turned to face the bear, and my heart sank as a fresh wave of fear spread over my skin, covering me with a cold sweat and goosebumps.
I would trade this beast for a bear, even an angry one. I would stick my head in a dragon’s mouth rather than face a bies, a monster even other monsters feared. My hand slid to my belt; I still had my poisons.
Jagon’s corpse had been a treasure trove of toxins, some even powerful enough to stop a monster, given time.
Not that I had the time or the courage to risk it.
The bies’ large, round eyes with golden pupils drifted to my hand.
There was no aggression in the beast’s gaze.
If anything, they reminded me of the eye of a certain male.
It was still holding me with a curious tilt of its head.
Yes, I’m an idiot for wandering into your lair.
‘Look, I’m sorry. I thought the den was empty. I’m not a hunter, I’m a mage. Look…’ I raised my hand and called on the emerald strands of my ability.
The bies’ pupils dilated, an exasperated huff escaping the bovine nostrils.
I realised far too late that biesy were a vivamancer’s creation.
If Ciesko was right, their entire species came to be because someone like me had played at being a god and blended a bull, a bear, and a stag for good measure.
‘Oh, Sana, you monumental half-wit,’ I muttered, withdrawing my magic whilst observing the beast’s reaction. If he attacked, I’d have no choice but to fight back. I didn’t want to kill the creature whose only fault was having a cosy lair. Equally, I wanted to live.
‘I wish you could understand me. I’m shit scared right now, and if you’d just let me go, I will leave you in peace,’ I said without much hope, hissing when its claws flexed, their sharp tips pricking my skin.
Still, it wasn’t hurting me, just pulling me close before its giant nose nudged my hand.
Again, it nudged me. Then again, this time more urgently.
‘You want something, yes?’ I whispered, observing the beast’s reaction. ‘You want this?’ Vivamancer’s aether, as vibrant as fresh spring grass, curled around my hand, and the beast purred, rubbing its nose against my palm, until a large wet tongue flickered between my fingers.
‘The fates have a sense of humour,’ I said, shaking my head and squinting at the light growing in the entrance.
‘You aren’t the handsomest beast I’ve spent a night with, but you were the warmest. Now, that’s enough of that.
I need to get up.’ I wiped my palm over its fur.
The bies was watching with incredible concentration, tilting its head this way and that, as if trying to guess my intentions… and an idea formed in my head.
‘I wonder, is that why you were created – as a companion animal?’ I said while my hand drifted to its paw.
I unhooked one claw, then another, and it just watched me until my calf was free and I rose to my feet.
There was so much I didn’t know about my power.
Ciesko, bless his heart, did his best, gave me any book I asked for, but they were all biased.
Vivamancy was evil, a corrupted magic wielded by power-hungry maniacs who played with life itself to create monsters for war.
Yet, the creature in front of me wasn’t malicious or evil, and neither was my power.
The aether thrummed in my veins while I pondered how to repay the creature for saving me from death’s embrace. Biesy as a species were omnivorous, eating berries and roots, but not shying away from warm-blooded prey. I couldn’t hunt for it, but fresh fruit in the middle of winter? That I could do.
Emerald power danced between my fingers when I delved into the bies’ nest. I drafted a crude sigil, allowing my magic to filter through it to the bedding, reviving the plants without altering their structure.
Somehow, with the acceptance of the power I wielded came control… and pleasure. I grinned when the spell was completed, and a blackberry bush filled the space with the scent of its succulent berries. The beast stood up, showing no interest in the food I’d provided; instead, it stepped towards me.
‘It’s just a little magic; no need to be alarmed,’ I said, taking a step back.
A strange, mournful sound rose from the bies’ throat as it stepped forward, pining for something precious it refused to lose.
I climbed to the pinnacle of foolishness, reaching out and petting it again, solidifying this strange bond.
The three-eyed bovine head, topped with a magnificent crown of sharp antlers, dipped, the wet nose returning to my palm, snorting as it sniffed me. The purr intensified, then the magnificent beast dropped to its knees, calm, submissive… docile beneath the vivamancer’s touch.
I huffed, still unsure what was happening, but the fear had evaporated. Now I marvelled at the monster before me. A monster that, for some reason, chose to be mine. I’d never seen a bies up close. Those who did rarely survived to tell the tale, and I couldn’t help but wonder, Can I ride it?
It was taller than a bison and twice as wide, covered with coarse, thick fur from the muzzle to the hooves of its hind legs.
The front legs ended in huge paws, equipped with sharp claws.
When my gaze landed on the space between its shoulder blades, I couldn’t help but smile.
I can ride it. Maybe the fates have finally provided me a way home.
‘I bet it gets lonely here during the winter,’ I said, scratching the bies behind the ears, making it lean closer, the massive body rubbing against my side still as hot as a furnace.
‘Thank you for saving me… and for letting me sleep in your home.’ I was babbling to the beast as if it could understand, but it was good to talk to someone, something again.
And it was good not to be afraid for once.
After a few peaceful moments that warmed not just my body but my heart, I smiled. ‘Can you take me to the edge of the swamp?’ I asked, gathering my things and pulling the cloak from the nest. The creature observed me, quiet and unmoving, the unflinching focus of its golden eyes prickling my unease.
‘If you don’t want to, that’s fine, but I have to go. My family is waiting for me,’ I said with a deep sigh, walking towards the entrance.
The bies followed me. The massive beast, whose antlers kept catching the tree roots above us, followed me, crying its distress when I stepped into the open. Dark shadows swept across the sky, creating a gust of wind that was so powerful it bent the treetops.
‘What the…’ I crouched, shielding my eyes. Hackles raised, the bies rushed in front of me. Its roar, deep and powerful, bellowed a challenge as it pawed the ground. The creature backed up, trying to force me back into the lair.
‘No, you hide. I can sneak out. I can’t…
Stop it,’ I said, standing my ground while it kept nudging me backwards, nearly knocking me onto the ground.
Shadows swooped past again, sending my beast into a frenzy.
I couldn’t see, trapped between the roots and the bies’ body.
After another roar, hackles trembling with rage, the creature lowered its antlers, preparing to charge, but I couldn’t even see an enemy.
Then came the pull in my chest, sharp and familiar. It wasn’t exactly pain, but the sensation of something yanking at my aether, fighting my magic as if forcing it to reveal its secrets.
‘What the f–’ I gasped, pressing on my sternum, right before a stream of fire engulfed the ground, turning the frozen swamp into a wetland dotted with sparkling water and burning branches. Dragon? Rarog? Why are we being attacked?
There were few species that could fly and rain fire, but none of them liked swamps, and only two were brave enough to attack a bies. It’s a rarog; it has to be. A dragon wouldn’t attack unprovoked, whilst rarogs burned anything and everything, feeding on the fiery destruction. But the pull…
I was barely able to think when whatever tethered my soul grew stronger, expanding, searching, threatening to steal my breath away. Another stream of fire followed, and the bies howled, its fur smoking, singed by the heat.
I pushed him away hastily, tracing the sigil for water, directing the stream first over my beast then straight into the sky. If I was right and the monstrous firebirds were attacking us, I had plenty of water in this forsaken swamp to fight them.
‘Show yourself, you bastards. Show yourself, so I can drown your flaming arses in the mud!’ I shouted, holding the bies’ fur while I directed a vortex of icy water into the heavens.
The shadows were returning, but I couldn’t make much out in the blazing sunlight, just the dark shape of a wing, large and leathery, when it glided across the sun.
My enemy swooped down, rapidly approaching our position. The spell I held fell apart when I saw it, a scaled terror ruling the sky in all its glory.
I was fighting a dragon.
And that was a fight I could never win.