A Jagged Adventure

CHAPTER TEN

Beanie and Red were not prepared when Shark unexpectedly took them to the Frost Islands base camp. Way up in the sky, the aurora borealis shimmered and danced through the star-spattered night. Beanie felt like all of her toe beans were falling off from sheer cold, and Red kept having to shake snow off his pelt. In the distance, a low drawn-out moan echoed around the entire locale. Its haunting melody scared Beanie to the core, and she turned to Shark with wide, fearful eyes.

"Oh, that's just the Monksnail." He said dismissively. "Are you two ready?"

"Ready for what?" Red asked irritably. "Because if you're asking if we're ready to freeze to death, I'm pretty sure we're half-way there."

Shark chuckled. The old palamute stepped out of the base camp and into the Frost Islands, leading them down a snow-covered trail to the edge of a frozen valley.

"Today, I want to see what you two are made of." Shark explained. A small herd of Anteka shook their antler and snorted at them from the trail. Red bared his fangs, but Shark redirected him with a tail lashing. "Focus, Red! There are three large monsters roaming this locale right now: Aknosom, Lagombi, and Great Baggi. I want you to kill one of them. Any monster you like. We just need one."

Beanie stared.

"These monsters are stronger..." She nearly whimpered. "And we're not familiar with this land! At least Shrine Ruins was discovered in our backyard."

Red, on the other hand, began pacing with excitement.

"I'm ready!" he growled, and Beanie recognized the look of trauma in his eyes. "I'll kill them all!"

"We just need one," Shark repeated sternly. "Once it is dead, we will return to Kamura Village. Now, this is your quest, but I will be trailing you both in case you two get in over your heads." He glared pointedly at Red. "Now, any question?"

Beanie raised a paw, but Red leapt into the frozen valley, kicking up a sharp spray of ice-cold water as he ran into the Frost Islands in search of things to kill. Shark and Beanie watched him disappear around a bend.

"That stupid hound is going to die." Shark muttered, then turned to Beanie as if nothing had happened. "What is your question, Beanie?"

"Uh..." Beanie hesitated, staring after Red. "What do we do if we engage two or even all three monsters at once?"

"You run." Shark's expression was grim. "These monsters are cunning, ruthless killers. It would be very unusual, but if you encounter all three, and are unable to escape, I cannot jump in after you. If I did, we all would die. You'd be on your own."

Beanie looked stricken.

"We better get moving." Shark knelt down and Beanie, recognizing the position, climbed onto his back. Together, they took off in the direction they had last seen Red. "We need to find Red before one of the native monsters finds him first."

- - -

Red was amazed at the landscape. Sheer cliffs frozen over with ice, massive herbivores with fur so thick he could disappear between the layers, and the wind that whistled through the locale buffeted him as he ran. He wanted to run against it until his eyes were forced closed and his paws scrabbled for a hold. A formidable foe: The wind! He never could have imagined how fun it would be to fight something he couldn't even kill.

"This is amazing!" he howled into the lonely night sky.

Sliding down an icy trail, he came to a stop and whistled. He was exhausted, but that was the best run of his life. Noting the location in his head, he looked forward to many more runs in the snow. But for now, he had a mission to complete.