Chapter 226 - Howls in the Valley

Rehk, Tokdaar, and the horses were nowhere to be seen when Hump returned. He searched frantically, briefly fearing the gnolls had run off with their horses and gear, or worse, something had attacked them.

Tok’s head emerged from below a slope nearby, a goofy grin on his face. Nisha was out of her pouch before Hump could stop her, jumping at Tok’s leg until he lifted her onto his head. She hung on ecstatically, mouth agape, tongue hanging out. A few moments later, Rehk came up behind the small gnoll, the horses fighting her as she dragged them with her.

“What are you doing there?” Hump asked, hurrying over and taking the reins of both horses. They visibly relaxed at his presence.

“Oh thank the gods you’re alright!” Walt shouted. “We feared the worst. Well, Rehk did. I was always confident in you kid. Never doubted you’d pull through. I knew you had it in you.”

“Heard noise,” Rehk said. “Not sure if you, giants or other. Better hide than find out.”

“Good call,” Hump said.

“What happened out there?” Walk asked. “Sounded like half a mountain came down.”

“Evil spirit no quiet,” Rehk said.

“I told you I have a name you giant furball. And I’m not evil. Talk to her, Hump. She threatened to feed me to the Raknuf, whatever that is?”

“There isn’t time,” Hump said. “Walt, shut up. We need to move. Our fight caught the attention of some flyers. They’re coming. Nisha, back in your pouch.”

He held it open and she hopped deftly inside, using her wings to help lift her off the ground.

“Giants dead?” Rehk asked.

Hump nodded. “Yes. And the wolf. The way is clear for now.”

Hump led the way along the winding path, quickly coming to what had previously been the giants’ camp. Now, large stones and dirt covered most of the path, forming a giant heat at the base of the mountainside. It didn’t actually look as bad from the ground. There was a way around to the left of the mound, so they’d be able to get the horses past at least.

“You really did bring down half the mountain,” Walt murmured.

“I didn’t mean to,” Hump said.

“You mean you accidentally brought down a mountain?” Walt asked. “That might be more impressive.”

“I just wanted to bring down a little bit of that ridge up there. Things got out of hand.”

Walt laughed. “Ugly beasties though, aren’t they?”

The body of one of the giants was partially uncovered, his chest sliced open where Celaine had removed its heartstone, its body crushed from the rockslide. She was still at work on the second—heaving a rock half the size of her aside and squatting down, carving a heartstone free of its chest.

“Have you seen the flyers again?” Hump called to her.

Celaine stood upright, bloody knife hanging at her side. “They’re a long way off. And I think they’re just scouts. They don’t seem big enough to put up much of a fight.”

“We should still move on from here quickly,” Hump said. “If they’re scouts, then the real threat is likely on foot. We need to stay ahead of them.”

While Celaine worked, Rehk took out her long knife and started carving at the body of one of the giants, stripping off muscle. Hump turned away so as not to gag—it was too human-like.

“Now that’s just awful,” Walt said.

“Giant meat good,” Rehk said.

Tokdaar let out an approving snap, jumping circles around her.

Excitement radiated through their bond, and Nishari’s head shot out of her pouch. She stared after Tok eager. Play. Play.

“Not now,” Hump said. He sent her an image of the flyer he’d seen in the sky, and a sensation of nervousness with it. “It’s dangerous here.”

Nisha let out a huffed breath. She climbed out of the pouch and onto Hump’s shoulder, unable to take her eyes from Tok.

“We eat giant in Drakalyn too,” Celaine said, walking over and taking Thistle’s reins. “Monster meat can’t be wasted if you want to survive the Fallen Lands.”

Hump grimaced. “Isn’t it a bit weird eating something that looks so human?”

Celaine frowned. “Guess you don’t really think about it when you grow up with it. We eat people too, so that might be it.” I told you, no meat goes to waste.”

Hump stared at her with wide ears, heart thudding. She’d never mentioned her people were a bunch of cannibals.

Celaine snorted. “I’m just messing with you. You should see your face!”

Nishari wriggled on his shoulder, excited by Celaine’s laugh.

Hump let out a breath, more relieved than he wanted to admit. “Not funny.”

“You need to stop thinking about us as savages!”

“That’s hardly my fault,” Hump said. “If anything, you can only blame yourself for giving off that perception.”

Celaine rolled her eyes. “Just wait. When you see the Temple of the Everflame, you’re going to be stunned. We really do eat giant though.”

Hump wrinkled his nose. “Lovely. Get anything good?” He nodded toward the giants.

In the end, she’d come away with the two giant heartstones, the great wolf, some gold, and a number of other heartstones the giants had in their possession. If not for giving away their position, it would have been a worthwhile haul.

Rehk finished while Hump and Celaine navigated the horses over the degree.

“What do?” Rehk asked.

“First priority is to get away from here,” Hump said. He looked to Celaine. “What do you think? Find a place to hide out for the night?”

Celaine nodded. “I think so. It’s a big mountain—hopefully they won’t find us. If we keep going at this rate, we should make Fire Pass late tomorrow. Beyond it, there’s a thick forest—we won’t be so easy to find there.”

“The mountain doesn’t feel so big with undead monsters after us,” Hump said, eyes turning to the partly clouded sky.

“I’ll keep an eye out from above,” Celaine said. “The rest of you keep following this pass.”

She leapt back up to the ridge Hump had collapsed using Spring Step, then proceeded along it from above.

There was no increasing their pace from before. They were already going as fast as they could, with the threat of the shape shifter lurking somewhere in the mountains. With any luck, he might get caught up by the undead too.

Their camp that night was a damp cubby under a rock, smoothed out by years of water erosion. It wasn’t pleasant, but there was space to mostly hide the horses, and it kept the rest of them out of sight. That night, Hump awoke to the screams of monsters above. His heart hammered.

“They missed us,” Celaine whispered from the cave entrance. “Go back to sleep.”

That was all the convincing Hump needed. He was exhausted, both from the essence use and the hike. Sleep came easily. At least for now, they were safe.

Most of the journey would be downhill from there on out. It was always one of those things that was a relief at first for Hump, but quickly became its own kind of pain. What was before hard on his thighs on stamina, now hammered at his knees and ankles. He’d work on some impact absorption enchantment for his boots when he had the chance. It was a simple enough job that he thought he actually might manage something serviceable.

Throughout the day, the screech of the flying monsters became frequent company. Mostly in the distance, but often enough close by to make Hump nervous. More than a few times they’d had to hide below trees for shelter.

It was a couple of hours after noon when the pass was clearly in view. Finally, it seemed they would have some luck. Hump searched the skies behind him and saw nothing. From here though, they’d be leaving the rocky ground and venturing out into the open. A steep, rocky grassland was all the stood between them and escape. They waited on the edge of it for Celaine’s say-so. Hump stared up at her as she searched the sky, a hand shielding her eyes from the sun.

He fed and watered the horses in a small stream nearby. Cleaned their hooves, adjusted their saddles, and made sure there was nothing that could go wrong on the last stretch. When she jumped down to join them, it was time.

They raced toward Fire Pass, following a winding route downward, navigating steep hills and rocks. At times, Hump and Celaine rode horseback while Rehk and Tokdaar ran alongside them. The two gnolls slowed them down, but they’d come this far together, and Hump wasn’t about to abandon them.

“Flyer above!” Celaine called, coming to a stop. She readied an arrow and loosed it.

Hump glanced over his shoulder as a bat-like creature flew overhead. It was much smaller than the sanguine stalkers they’d encountered before, more like a ratter dog in size. Its body were frail, the sun shone through its webbed black wings to reveal the veins inside. The creature let out three distinctive screeches—an alert.

The arrow struck part way through the final screech, silencing it, but too late.

“Shit,” Celaine muttered.

“We keep moving,” Hump said.

The pass was below them. The grassland turned to a valley there—a narrow route through the centre of steep slopes on either side, striking a path out of the Charred Heights. Beyond, Hump saw the forest. They were so close.

It was another half-hour when the second sign of trouble arrived. Shadows stirred far behind them, just now entering the ridge. Beyond them, dark clouds formed in the distance, slowly blotting out the sun. There was something sinister to them, and Hump knew them to be no natural occurrence.

“Wolves,” Celaine said. “Maybe ten of them. From the missing flesh and visible bones, I’m guessing they’re undead.”

“Zombie wolves. Just perfect,” Hump said. “Do you see the lich?”

“Don’t think so.”

“They catch us,” Rehk said. “Is still too far.”

Hump couldn’t help but agree. They had more than an hour’s lead on their pursuers, but it would take them at least that long to reach Fire Pass. Which meant they’d likely need to turn and fight, but Hump would rather do that in the valley where it would be more difficult to be surrounded than here.

“Keep going!” Hump ordered. “If they catch us, well, we’ll figure out what to do then. Celaine and I can handle a few zombie wolves without much trouble.”

They raced for the pass. It was a careful contest of speed against risk—too rushed, and the horses might be lamed and they’d need to leave them behind. The open ground made for easier travel but it was impossible for Hump to leave any traps or obstructions to slow down their pursuers. All they could do was keep moving forward.

Things never went easily though. Soon, the ground started to narrow as they approached the steep slopes surrounding the valley, more mountains on either side of it. They were funnelled in by the terrain, rocks and sheer drops making the ground on either side impassable. They were so close, but the raspy snarls of zombie wolves reached them. The gap was closing fast. Another few minutes, and Hump and the others would reach the pass. By that time, it would be too late.

Wizard’s bloody luck, Hump thought.

Not everything had turned against them, however. They might not be in the pass yet, but their flanks were covered by the difficult terrain. Surrounding them wouldn’t be easy.

“Rehk, take the horses and go!” Hump shouted. “Celaine and I will buy you some time.”

There was no argument. She took the reins, and she ran.

Hump and Celaine both turned to face the beasts. He withdrew his spellbook in his left hand and planted his staff into the ground with his right. Wolves rushed them, forming a half circle in front of them. There were almost twenty now, and more were approaching in the distance. This close, he could make out their parted flesh, revealing bones within. In one, its entire rib cage was visible along with what remained of its rotting innards, all of it illuminated by a pulsing purple essence—the lich’s magic.

Beyond them, the sky was growing darker still, storm clouds blocking out the sun and casting the land in shadow. Skeletal horsemen and spectres crested the hill, not leaving the protection of the darkness, but they would be upon them soon too.

Scared, Nisha thought, her fear jolting Hump and making his stomach sink. He wouldn’t let harm come to her.

“This doesn’t look good, kid,” Walt said.

“Just let us focus,” Hump said. “Celaine, you see that narrow bit in the pass behind us?”

“Yes.”

“We take out a bunch of these wolves and then pull a fighting retreat to there. I think I can block off most of the path there with Magma Pit if I have the time. If things get bad, take Nisha and get her out of here.”

“Most of that plan sounds good,” Celaine said. “We can work on the last part later.”

Hump wanted to argue, but the moves started to move. One tried to get around them toward the gnolls, the creature stumbling along the steep slopes to the side in an attempt to slip by. It was met by one of Celaine’s shadow arrows piercing its heartstone. It died quickly and silently, only for the quiet to be broken by the haunting howls of the other wolves.

The creatures rushed forward all at once. This time there was no holding back. hump needed to win fast if his plan was to work.

He manifested his soul, essence forming around him, the world turning purple. He felt power at his fingertips as the winds of essence throughout the region swirled to him. He glared at the approaching monsters, the aura of a dragon descending around him.