Moonshadow (Book 1 of the Torrent Skies Saga)

Chapter Fourteen: The Secret of The Ruins, Pt 1

After some discussion and a general agreement that they would stay together and be more careful, at Fykes' insistence, they found themselves laying just behind the crest of another hill. Similar to the first, but much closer to whatever gathering they happened upon. As they peeked over its edge they saw down into a wide, long meadow.

Small earthen huts decorated the bottom of this hill, blending into the surrounding landscape from a distance. No doors or windows could be seen, only heaps of soil grown over with grass and moss. Two more lizard-folk were visible a few yards away, and they could faintly be heard speaking in their hissing, abrasive language.

Even fainter was the sound of clinking chains.

"What do we do?" Arjiah asked.

"There's only two. We can deal with that," Fykes said, as he crawled backward into the cover the hill provided them.

"There could be more in the huts... I can't tell from here," Katerin said, scooting down beside him.

"Well, we can take them out too." He gave her a grin. "As long as we fight together."

Katerin rolled her eyes and huffed at him.

"Or maybe these will be willing to have some tea?" Arjiah said, her eyes sparkling with humor. "I still think they can't all be so terribly bloodthirsty without some reason."

"I don't think they're bloodthirsty," Katerin said. "I think they only see us as food. They look at us the way Jon might look at a steak."

"We could go around?" Arjiah said, brow furled.

"This is the only clearing we've found. I doubt they're guarding this place for no reason."

Fykes stifled back his laugh and regarded them both sternly. "I'm going first this time. Alright?"

"If you want to be the first one to get poked with a spear be my guest," Katerin retorted, as Fykes crept forward.

Arjiah and Katerin waited several seconds, before rising to a half-crouch and following him. Arjiah held a jagged-looking spike of ice. And a ball of crackling lightning orbited Katerin's palm.

Fykes crested the hill and was down the other side in an instant, his blades glinting in the sunset. His first blow tore cleanly into the unprotected inner thigh of one lizard and his second cut across the weapon arm of the other.

They shrieked and snarled in surprise, whipping around to face him. One wielded a crude, jagged spear, the other a shortsword. The spear tip thrust forward and caught Fykes in the ribs, leaving what would surely be a terrible bruise. He pulled his blades in close, changing his stance into something much more defensive. Lightning and ice swirled around him as Arjiah and Katerin hit their marks.

Lightning burst into the chest of the spear wielder, arcing over its shoulders and down its back. Arjiah's ice shard easily split the unprotected flesh of the other's side. Leaving tiny, broken, and slowly fading elemental shrapnel in the wound.

Fykes smiled and darted forward once again, turning a quick half circle. His blades flashing out just as the turn was completed, and both of his opponents dropped to the ground. One falling away from the sword point in its eye, the other dropping lifelessly as the blade was pulled from its stomach. Green blood splattered his face, and he had no time to react as the quiet twang of a bow released an arrow, that nicked the side of his arm.

*

A short ways away, Katerin watched a pale green female lizard, with jewelry adorning its form. It dropped its bow, before beginning a chant and stepping aside, sheltering halfway into one of the huts. Katerin cursed it, internally. She had not been expecting to encounter anyone magically inclined.