Between Gates (The Gate Chronicles Book 1)

Chapter 32: Nearly There

Nari stumbled over a rock in the path. Chenn caught her elbow, stopping her from crashing headlong into the ground.

“Thanks.” She smiled at him.

“Do you want to rest?”

“No.” Nari shook her head, pulling out the map she’d been given by a couple they'd come across a few days back.

She had found their route, but it was hard work getting onto it. They’d been off by several miles trek through hard terrain, and with monsters everywhere, it was difficult to get through.

A rustling came in the brush nearby. Chenn and Nari whirled around looking for the source of the noise.

What was it? Another monster? A person?

“Quick, into the bushes!” Chenn hissed in her ear.

They saw a flash of tawny red-gold in the bushes a few paces away. Nari didn’t hesitate to follow Chenn into the bushes a ways away from where they’d spotted the gold flash.

“What do you think it is?” Nari whispered.

Her shoulders and leg muscles tensed, ready to sprint if the source of the noise and the flash proved dangerous. She was much stronger now, and she was ready to run or defend herself. Chenn was similarly tense.

There was another flash, and a nightmare burst into the clearing. She pranced, tossing her head. Her gold mane fluttered in the still air as she spun and whirled, frantic. Something was bothering her, but what was it?

Nari wondered if it was their scent. Nightmares didn’t usually dislike humans. True, they brought the dark dreams to all creatures, but they also brought the peaceful dreams. People often had the wrong impression of them because of their name, nightmare, but it was just because they operated at night that they took that name.

Something else, hairy and gargantuan, burst into the clearing, hot on the mare’s tail. She whinnied, and then struck out with her hooves. It caught the hairy creature in the side of the head, but still it came on.

Nari could see it now. A fanged, furred creature that looked somewhat like a monkey, but had the head of a saber-tooth. She hadn’t seen any of these before. She’d thought they had been banished to the Dark Realms long ago. Her teachers had talked of them with horror. They weren’t supposed to come back. They were supposed to be locked away in a place where no summoning could reach them. How could they escape?

“It’s a Leohinin. Those aren’t supposed to exist.” Chenn whispered, glaring at the creature. "This is going to cause trouble."

“I know.”

Chenn started rummaging around in the satchel. He pulled out the Scepter. “Better hope this works.”

“Chenn! What are you doing? Are you nuts?” Nari murmured, eyes widening.

“Nope. Just making sure this thing goes back where it came from.”

Nari glared at him. “Do you want it to know we’re here?”

The head of the Leohinin swung around, facing their way. It sniffed the air, ignoring the nightmare for a moment.

“It already does, Nari. I need to concentrate. Shut up or it’ll kill us before I can banish it back to the Dark Realms.”

Nari’s face went pale, and she shut her mouth. She watched in silence as Chenn pointed the Scepter at the Leohinin. He closed his eyes and whispered something. Nari tried to catch what he was chanting, but he was so quiet that she couldn’t hear what it was.