IRON GOD | 1: Peripeteia

[19] Kolo: Naughty Nack's

            Kolo fidgeted with her necklace. As she twisted the cord around her fingers, she wondered who had given her the talisman to begin with. It hadn't always been hers, surely. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice Azvalath calling her name until he elbowed her.

She recoiled. "Hey!"

"What's got you so distracted?" Azvalath cocked his head. "We're almost there. Don't space out now."

"Um...the lift was terrifying." She looked back at the mountain looming behind them. "I don't ever want to do that again."

The man shrugged. "Would you rather scale that hell of a slope on foot?"

"Not in the slightest." Kolo's eyes lit up as a flurry of snow blew over them. "Where are we headed, exactly? Isn't the Wash a pretty big village?"

"More of a town. Largest human community that currently exists." Azvalath tightened a strap on his backpack. "Because no one will be in the town hall this late at night, we're headed for the only place that's ever awake at this hour."

Kolo raised an eyebrow. "Where would that be?"

"Naughty Nack's." Azvalath pulled his hood down farther over his face. "I'm sorry in advance. It's a rather...odd establishment." He looked down, then stopped and crouched. "Speaking of nacks, take a look here."

Kolo crouched next to him. An animal's footprints showed through the falling snow. "Looks like horse tracks."

"Look closer." Azvalath traced his finger along the track. "See how it's a little more pointed here? Wait, hold on a second. What are those?" He looked to one side. "Those are wheel tracks."

"Someone drives a nack?" Kolo couldn't imagine how that would be a good idea. "Don't nacks eat people?"

"They eat fish and carrion, mostly." He looked back out at the horizon. "Town's a long way. Think it's worth seeing if we can hitch a ride?"

Kolo shrugged. "I mean, it'd be nice, but – hey, wait up!" She had to take of running after Azvalath.

The tracks went a long way, so long that Kolo wondered if it were even worth the detour. Eventually, she started to catch whiffs of smoke. They came to a rocky riverbank. The smoke turned out to have come from a nearly-dead campfire. There was a covered wagon parked a short ways from the water. A rope extended from a picket and disappeared under the water. As she and Azvalath approached, the red light from their eyes reflected from another pair of eyes just below the surface.

With barely a sound, the horselike predator emerged from the river. Its mane and halter dripped water. It made a click-clack sound in its jaw and then opened its mouth wide, too wide, revealing sharp teeth. It let out a long and high-pitched cry.

"Hey, what's the fuss?" A woman's voice called from the wagon. "You'll wake half the world keening so loud." She stepped out and beckoned the animal closer.

Azvalath darkened his eyes. "Put your snow goggles on, Kolo," he whispered. Then he cleared his throat. "Sorry to be a bother, madam, but..."

Kolo put her goggles on before the woman saw the red glow. "How do you drive a nack?" She blurted the question before Azvalath could finish.

"Ashcrow is such a dear, I forget she's a predator sometimes." She patted the nack's pale head. "What do you two need? Not like I've got much to spare with seven children."