Creatures Of Sonaria: Sands Of Time

Part 10: Assassin

       After the whole eruption of Molten-Build, the valley that spread was nothing but smolder and ash. The meteors had landed firmly in the ground, looking like rocky lumps nestled in between all the grass and weeds. Glowing, phosphorescent mushrooms grew from the edges of some of them. The sun's rays peeked from the direction of the redwoods. And past that, where Aire is, Dune worried. 

       Dune and Armolten knew they had to go through the wasteland, but they decided to rest by the sandy shore of the water near Molten-Build to map out where they should check next. Dune drew a very rough and inaccurate map of the continent, but it was the closest she could get. Maybe it'd be more accurate if I could fly.

       "So," Armolten started, "We're here, at this end of the Ocean's Mating lands," she pointed her sharp hoove at the area between the Murky lands and Molten build. "We'd have checked the swamp if we hadn't been chased by ravenous, hungry little nymphasuchases. Is it worth going back in and scanning more of the swamp?" 

       She shook her head. "No," Dune said. "There's no big caves, or none at all, that Gher would be able to hide in during the eruption. He would have never survived." Dune used her tail to make a cross over the swamp. "I think we should try the redwoods next. There are caves there he might take refuge in, but only a few."

       "If he's not there then, where else would Gher be?" Armolten pointed out. "He's not at the swamp, you said you checked everywhere in the plains, even the caves in the mountains, where else would he hide?" 

       The two creatures studied the map. Dune stared at the far south of the map, where it was most likely not drawn right. The Uncharted Icelands, where snow and terrible weather would kill any creature with no body fat or fur to keep them warm.

       Because nobody ever goes there, there's probably a chance Gher might be hiding there. But where would he hide if it's all snow? Even a flier built for strong winds would never survive the freezing, blistering cold pounding against his wings.

       Dune pointed a claw at the Icelands. "There might be a small chance Gher would be here," she said. She looked up to Armolten. Maybe with her fire, Dune and Armolten could travel easier without fur. 

       Armolten, however, didn't seem too enthusiastic about the idea. She was too silent, the only sound she made was the flickering of her flaming mane. A few silent moments pass before she spoke, "I've been there, and I know there's a large cave," she stared blankly. 

       "There is?" Dune asked, lifting her head up to look at the ice-capped mountains. It would take all day to cross the plains to get to the base of the mountains, and probably longer to progress upwards. 

       "Yeah, I went there, when I was a juvenile. I wanted to see what was really up there, and I did. Nothing at all other than a large, gaping cave mouth that seemed intimidating. But I wasn't scared to go in, but something kept me from going in, and chased me away."

       Dune was silent. Knowing Armolten's fierce, angry, determined self, she couldn't believe something managed to scare her away. "Do you remember what it was?" She asked, wanting to know what they were dealing with. 

       "No," Armolten said, shaking her head. "There was a blizzard happening, but I remember glowing, yellow lights and being sprayed with golden star rays. I was blinded, but I tried running back down the mountain. All I remember is feeling cold and I couldn't move, but I woke up at the base of the mountain, where the snow and grass meet. Something had carried me back, but I don't know what."

       She sat there with her barbed tail over her feet, absorbing the information. Golden star rays... yellow lights... mysterious hero...

       Dune said, "I think an aeries is up there. A glimmer one, maybe."