Chapter 44
Seda
“We need to go after him, Benny!” Seda yelled after her brother refused her request for the third time.
“We can’t, Seda. I’m sorry. We need to head further north. If he left at three a.m., he’d be well south by now. He has a nine-hour head start,” Benny replied as patiently as he could.
“Seda, your brother is right. We need to get you to the Wisps,” Roya delicately said from her side.
She looked at Roya, and her anger flared. She was mostly angry with herself for trusting someone so closely only to be betrayed… again.
“I’ve had that necklace for as long as I can remember. Mom said I was carrying it when she found me. It’s gotta mean something, Benny! Why else would Kalon steal it? What would he need it for?”
“Seda, let me fly south to find him,” Elco suggested from the side of the group.
Seda looked at Elco. “The last time I let someone I care about leave me, they didn’t come back for days, and I couldn’t eat without fearing they wouldn’t return.”
“I’ll do as you wish, Seda. But know that I can fly much faster than any of you can walk. I could catch up to him and bring him back here so you can do with him as you please,” Elco replied.
That did sound nice. Maybe she could fry Kalon’s insides and make that silky hair of his crispy?
“Alright, but if you can’t find him by nightfall, please come back to me,” she said, her voice heavy with a sigh as she ran her fingers through her hair.
“If we leave now, we can probably get to the Wisps early tomorrow,” Ferona said.
Seda nodded. “Fine. But if anything happens to you, Elco, I will haunt you even after your death.” She approached him and gave him a firm hug. “Come back to me, please.”
“I would expect nothing less.” He huffed warmth into her hair and then pulled away. He headed to the southern part of town and stopped, turning around to look at Orion. Orion ran up to him, and Elco nuzzled the little boy closely. Seda could see Orion crying, and her heart ached for them.
Elco does deserve happiness.
When they ended their embrace, Elco quickly headed south and found a clearing in the Amanita Copse to take off into the air.
“Thanks, Seda. I know that necklace means a lot to you. We will get you to the Wisps and then figure out how to get it back if Elco cannot find him,” Benny said to her.
She flipped him off angrily and left to find Lucja, Orion, and Vidar to thank them for their hospitality.
It took them hours to traverse through the northern Amanita Copse, but slowly the mushrooms started to thin and shrink in size, giving way to the majestic, pillared redwoods once more.
The air was fresh and laced with thick fog again, and the ground creaked with their steps through the deepening snow.
Seda was very thankful to Lucja for her warning of the changing environment they were traveling in, and for the insistence on wearing the leather boots.
Her thoughts drifted to Elco, and she hoped he was safe. He had promised to return at dusk. She looked up at the slowly setting sun, knowing he would keep his word.
Benny was right next to Roya the whole time, gently touching her hand or offering her help to cross tall logs.
She gave him multiple scathing looks at his offers for help, but would always accept them and have a slight smile on her face afterward.
The three Corvids took to the air once they were able to do so again, and played through the tops of the trees, landing on branches and staring down at the group, dropping snow onto their heads below and laughing through the air at their own trickery.
“The sun is setting quickly,” Ojore said as he looked toward the reddening sky. “We should stop soon, Benny. It is about to get really cold, and we should start a fire.”
“Just a little further. The snow is deep here.”
They continued until they came upon a large river, like a silver monster itself; the waters were rapid and volatile, and appeared to be a hundred feet in width. Chunks of ice and forest debris rushed through the current.
“How do we get across?” Benny asked loudly to the Corvids as the loud waters drowned out all other sounds. “Do you see a way?”
“No. We must pick a direction and travel the length. It is bound to thin eventually,” Roya shouted back and flew up into the air, flying west.
The group followed.
It was pitch black, and the group was having a tough time getting around.
Seda unleashed her power, lighting up her arms to help them navigate the fallen trees and the muddy, treacherous shoreline.
Benny raised his hand to halt the group and yelled, “The waters are still too wide. We need to set up camp and keep going in the morning.”
Ojore and Askold set down their bags near the shore on a dry patch of land and began gathering loose sticks to build a fire.
Not far in the distance, a low, throbbing hum vibrated through the darkness, rattling the trees and sending snow cascading to the ground.
Everyone froze, the silence hanging heavy in the air, overwhelming even the crashing waters.
“What was that?” Askold asked.
The low hum shook through the trees again.
Roya and the Corvids flew down from the tree tops and shifted forms, surrounding Seda. “We cannot see what that is,” Roya shouted over the raging river. “It is too dark around here.”
They extended their claws, ready to strike back at anything that came at them suddenly.
Something vast and menacing slipped through the trees behind them and crashed into the water.
“Whatever it is. It is in the water now,” Ojore said as he slowly turned toward the rapids with his sword drawn.
“Do not make any sudden movements,” Roya advised, her eyes slanted as she peered into the darkness.
whoumm-whoumm-whoumm
Seda felt the cold realization that another monster was hunting them. She immediately activated her power, and the purple glow surged up to her shoulders, lighting up the fierce waters ahead.
She practiced for this. She would be brave. She would help protect her friends.
A quick movement and loud splash in the water startled them. Everyone turned toward the sound. They searched for the source, but it had disappeared.
whoumm-whoumm-whoumm
“This fucker is playing with us,” Ojore yelled.
“Everyone, be prepared for this thing to come out!” Askold shouted.
Like a fierce storm, a silver stream of wet flesh erupted from the water and surged toward Seda. She fired her magic at it. Purple lightning erupted from her palms, but she missed the object, hitting a nearby tree instead.
Feich quickly stepped in front of Seda after her failed shot and sliced through the tip of the flesh with his claws.
Their ears were filled with a loud, grinding roar.
The air thickened as a slippery nightmare emerged from the water, its pulsing silver form now visible.
The monstrous creature, with eight long, waving tentacles, let out another deafening roar in the purple glow of the darkness. It slammed its limbs into the river, sending icy water crashing into the group. It had a single, opalescent eye and a snapping beak at the center of its face.
whoumm-whoumm-whoumm
whoumm-whoumm-whoumm
whoumm-whoumm-whoumm
The Corvids soared into the air and began attacking the beast. They scratched at it with their long claws, causing red blood to trickle into the rushing water. Their strikes were precise and swift. The beast shrieked and reached out to grab them, narrowly missing.
Askold and Benny used swords to cut into the massive tentacles extending onto the shore, causing more thick blood to gush out.
Blue light flashed out, and Ojore transformed into a massive brown bear.
Askold did a double-take as he thrust his sword into the creature’s tentacle. Ojore charged forward, biting down on the slick limb and tearing off a thick chunk.
Seda gathered her strength once again. She concentrated her anger over Kalon’s theft and unleashed her furious storm on the beast’s round, gelatinous head.
Lightning hit it, sending electrical shocks rippling through its soft, silky skin.
Its limbs jerked outward, and the electric current traveled through the surrounding waters and onto the snow on the shore.
Askold, Ojore, and Benny scrambled onto a log as the purple electricity nearly struck them.
“No, Seda! Not with the water!” Ojore yelled.
She didn’t know what to do since her only weapon was her power. She looked around for something to use or grab, and her eye caught a pointed stick in the snow. She picked it up and held it as she’d seen the others grip their swords, sturdy and poised for action.
The beast’s screeching grew even louder now, clearly pissed off by Seda’s magic. It ceased its convulsing as it narrowed its eye on her. It flung a tentacle in her direction, and she prepared her stick to defend herself.
Feich quickly swooped down from the air and slashed at it, but the beast didn’t flinch from his strike. It wrapped its tentacle around Feich, squeezing him tightly.
Feich immediately went limp and vanished. The beast pulled its tentacle toward its beak and snapped a few times, biting itself in the process.
It roared in anger.
With loud caws, Roya and Ferona swooped down from the air, clawing at the beast’s face and eye. The beast squinted and flung its tentacles around itself. They almost got hit by the flying limbs when a roar echoed from above.
As Seda looked up, she saw Elco come into view, and she let out a relieved scream. He made it back safely and was able to help!
Roya and Ferona moved out of the way as Elco narrowed his angry, red eyes and charged down from the sky, opening his mouth to blast molten fire directly into the center of the monster’s face.
With a screech that pierced the air like a blast of metal, the beast’s body burst into flames, burning like oil-soaked wood.
A large plume of snow fell onto Seda from the tree above, and she quickly scrambled out of it, watching as the monster’s skin was engulfed in flames.
Elco soared back into the air and spun around, preparing for another attack.
With a loud thud, the monster’s body hit the shoreline, reduced to a charred mass. The air was filled with the smell of burnt fish, mixing with the smoke.
Everyone froze and looked around, unsure if the fight was over.
As Roya and Ferona reached the shore, they cried out for Feich and frantically searched for him, struggling to grasp what they saw.
Soft moans began to escape their lips as they searched for him.
As Roya bent down to gather his black feathers that had scattered on the ground, her piercing screams burst out, overwhelming the river’s furious waters.
Both Corvids collapsed to the ground, holding onto each other and crying as they rocked back and forth, their pale bodies intertwined like delicate spider silk.
Seda approached Roya and Ferona and hesitantly embraced them both, grief over their brother’s loss heavy on her heart. She held them for long moments, listening to their cries.
“It is the way he would have wanted to go,” Roya finally said as she watched the flowing water in front of her and wiped her nose. “He died protecting you. He served well. He did well.”
Seda didn’t understand why they wanted to protect her. She felt guilty that their loved one was dead because of her. She angrily wiped her eyes with both hands and gazed out at the river as the quiet of their grief lingered in the air.
“Should we eat it?” Askold asked of the charred beast, breaking the silence.
“What the fuck, Askold!” Ojore shouted at him.
“Moon-flutter, I’m sorry for your friend, and I don’t want to take you away from this moment, but that was a Mungder, and where there is one, there is another. Its mate will be looking for it soon,” Elco said to Seda.
Seda gasped and looked at him, “You said another will be coming?”
“That’s it! We need to cross this fucking river as soon as possible! Can you ask Elco if he would be willing to carry us over?” Benny asked as they all gathered to pick up their belongings.
Elco glared at him and growled, smoke billowing from his nostrils and slowly melting the snow on the ground. Benny raised his hands in surrender.
“Elco, please. We need to cross. We traveled down this river for miles, and it never narrowed enough to cross anywhere. Can you please help?” Seda begged.
He looked at her, then at her glowing arms. He growled again and flew up into the air with a huff, his wide wingspan blowing icy wind around them.
“Guess not,” Benny said, then let out a scream as Elco dove down and grabbed him and Ojore by the scruff with his front paws.
He lifted them into the air and flew across the river, dropping them roughly on the icy ground.
Then he returned for Askold, who covered his head with a yell, and gently picked him and Seda up.
He carried them across the river, set them down gently, and landed behind them, letting out a low growl as he looked at Benny.
“Why couldn’t he have picked me up at the same time as Seda?” Ojore grumbled, massaging his leg where he’d fallen and shifting back into a human. He was naked and quickly rummaged through his bag for some clothes.
“I won’t ask again,” Benny said in defeat. “Thank you, Elco.”
Seda turned around and looked at her fierce friend with awe and love. “Elco, we would have all died back there. Thank you for coming when you did.”
“I did not find Kalon, Seda. I came back as you asked when it got dark,” he replied.
Seda’s heart sank. She sat on the ground and drew a picture in the snow. “Thank you for trying.”
He nuzzled his nose into her and reminded her that they needed to get moving.
Ferona and Roya flew ahead and stayed in their Corvid forms, avoiding the others. Benny looked up, and Seda noticed the sadness on his face over their loss as he watched them fly ahead.
Another hum echoed in the distance, and no one hesitated, quickly heading north through the crunchy snow and among the tall trees. Those on the ground stayed close to a grumpy Elco, letting his warmth help dry their soaked clothes.