smoke. She popped her head above the bush and raised her palm up beside it. An arrow of flame slowly extended from her palm and hovered in the air. A second later, it hissed through the air, passing through the deer’s neck and the tree behind it as if they were as light as air.
The deer fell to the ground, wildly bleating in pain. Nyset rose from behind the bush and three more flame arrows burst to life beside her head, zooming through the air and into the deer, putting it out of its misery.
“Nicely done,” Baylan said, putting his wizened hand on her shoulder.
She took a deep breath, pressing down the urge to cry. It was never easy killing anything but those Death Spawn beasts. This creature was innocent, just going about its day and trying to live out its life in peace.
“Uh, thanks,” she said wiping the beginnings of tears from her glowing eyes, doing her best to hide it from Baylan. “Let’s eat, shall we?”
She turned around, letting the Dragon melt from her veins, scanning for Juzo. “Juzo, think you can lend us some of your strength?” she asked, followed by a sniff. He wasn’t by the tree anymore, or anywhere for that matter. “Juzo?” she shouted, hands cupped around her mouth to project her voice.
“Do you see him?” she asked.
“No. I swore he was right behind us,” Baylan said, adjusting his red sash. They both looked at each other with growing concern. Nyset hurried to the tree where she last saw him and Baylan followed. A hard gust swirled down through the trees, ruffling bushes and shrubs, blowing debris into her eyes. She spun around, not seeing any sign of him.
“Maybe he went back to camp, seeing the majority of the work was done,” Baylan suggested.
“Or maybe he went hunting for something more to his liking,” she said, her lips forming into a disapproving frown.
Nyset turned around, heading back for the deer. “I’ll get to the quartering then. Keep an eye out, would you?”
“Certainly,” Baylan said, fingering his silvery dagger’s hilt.
She parted bushes and weaved through shrubs with leaves the size of her body. The deer’s tongue had flopped out the side of its mouth and one of its legs twitched. Something closed over her with a squishing sound, casting the world in green.
“What—” She placed her hands on the green walls, fibrous veins running across them. She tried to lift her foot to move and it was held in place by something clear and sticky. Realization crept over her with mounting horror. Sand Buckeye! There was movement to her right. Red tentacles slithered towards her in syrupy motion from a hole the size of her fist.
“Baylan! Baylan!” she screamed, her mind blank and hands wet with sweat. She could hear him pounding on her green prison from the outside. The tentacles hovered before her, tiny holes at their pink ends sucking air up and down her body. The tentacles snapped around her wrists, pulling her arms wide with vicious force and tearing something in her shoulder, causing her to shriek in pain. They encircled her ankles, spreading her legs and another wrapped tightly around her neck. She started gasping for air, her eyes bulging and lips trembling. Baylan was yelling something, but she couldn’t make out what it was.
“Baylan! Help!” She managed to get out before the tentacle clamped down tighter, cutting of her breath. Another tentacle hovered before her face, then started prying her lips apart, forcing its way into her mouth.
Something shiny stabbed into the green wall, which was tough as leather, slowly carving a hole in it. Baylan’s mouth appeared in the small hole. “Use the Dragon, Ny! The Dragon!” he screamed. How could she have forgotten? The tentacle in her mouth worked its way into her throat and she started gagging. She chomped down on it, squishing sour liquid around her mouth.
Six flaming discs materialized in the air, hovering and bathing her face in their deadly warmth. They flicked from side to side, slicing
The deer fell to the ground, wildly bleating in pain. Nyset rose from behind the bush and three more flame arrows burst to life beside her head, zooming through the air and into the deer, putting it out of its misery.
“Nicely done,” Baylan said, putting his wizened hand on her shoulder.
She took a deep breath, pressing down the urge to cry. It was never easy killing anything but those Death Spawn beasts. This creature was innocent, just going about its day and trying to live out its life in peace.
“Uh, thanks,” she said wiping the beginnings of tears from her glowing eyes, doing her best to hide it from Baylan. “Let’s eat, shall we?”
She turned around, letting the Dragon melt from her veins, scanning for Juzo. “Juzo, think you can lend us some of your strength?” she asked, followed by a sniff. He wasn’t by the tree anymore, or anywhere for that matter. “Juzo?” she shouted, hands cupped around her mouth to project her voice.
“Do you see him?” she asked.
“No. I swore he was right behind us,” Baylan said, adjusting his red sash. They both looked at each other with growing concern. Nyset hurried to the tree where she last saw him and Baylan followed. A hard gust swirled down through the trees, ruffling bushes and shrubs, blowing debris into her eyes. She spun around, not seeing any sign of him.
“Maybe he went back to camp, seeing the majority of the work was done,” Baylan suggested.
“Or maybe he went hunting for something more to his liking,” she said, her lips forming into a disapproving frown.
Nyset turned around, heading back for the deer. “I’ll get to the quartering then. Keep an eye out, would you?”
“Certainly,” Baylan said, fingering his silvery dagger’s hilt.
She parted bushes and weaved through shrubs with leaves the size of her body. The deer’s tongue had flopped out the side of its mouth and one of its legs twitched. Something closed over her with a squishing sound, casting the world in green.
“What—” She placed her hands on the green walls, fibrous veins running across them. She tried to lift her foot to move and it was held in place by something clear and sticky. Realization crept over her with mounting horror. Sand Buckeye! There was movement to her right. Red tentacles slithered towards her in syrupy motion from a hole the size of her fist.
“Baylan! Baylan!” she screamed, her mind blank and hands wet with sweat. She could hear him pounding on her green prison from the outside. The tentacles hovered before her, tiny holes at their pink ends sucking air up and down her body. The tentacles snapped around her wrists, pulling her arms wide with vicious force and tearing something in her shoulder, causing her to shriek in pain. They encircled her ankles, spreading her legs and another wrapped tightly around her neck. She started gasping for air, her eyes bulging and lips trembling. Baylan was yelling something, but she couldn’t make out what it was.
“Baylan! Help!” She managed to get out before the tentacle clamped down tighter, cutting of her breath. Another tentacle hovered before her face, then started prying her lips apart, forcing its way into her mouth.
Something shiny stabbed into the green wall, which was tough as leather, slowly carving a hole in it. Baylan’s mouth appeared in the small hole. “Use the Dragon, Ny! The Dragon!” he screamed. How could she have forgotten? The tentacle in her mouth worked its way into her throat and she started gagging. She chomped down on it, squishing sour liquid around her mouth.
Six flaming discs materialized in the air, hovering and bathing her face in their deadly warmth. They flicked from side to side, slicing
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