Mistlyn

Chapter 28: Clot Creature

There was a well that sat ominously right at the second town's border. It was black and shiny. When I touched it, it felt mushy.

"Ugh," I pulled away. "That's disgusting."

Cogaje scowled, "Looks like blood clots."

I nodded, looking around the town. Everything was made of black and red clots.

Prince Cogaje pulled up a bucket form the well, pouring the fluid out. Fresh blood wet the ground around him.

"This stuff smells horrible," he said, backing away.

The smell of rotting blood attacked my nostrils. I waved at the air in front of my face, trying to disperse the smell. Karakulak whined, backing away from the well.

"Even she thinks it's disgusting." I said.

A bloody howl hooted above our heads, landing in a tree black and rotted. "I just want to get out of here," I said, holding my sword in front of me.

"We will, don't worry," Cogaje said. "This is just another empty town, nothing to be afraid of here."

"What if it's not empty?"

"Let's hurry up and get through it, then. I don't feel like fighting anything that's already dead."

I pointed with my sword to my left. "Get ready," I said, "Because we're fighting."

Cogaje held up his sword and stepped in front of me. "Stay behind," he growled, "I have more sword experience than you."

Karakulak stepped in front of the Lizsard Prince, baring her teeth at the creature that had formed out of a pile of clot logs.

The clot creature lumbered toward us. It groaned as it picked up speed. The stench of carrion rolled over to me in waves and I buckled over, gagging.

"Get ready!" Cogaje charged towards the clot creature, his sword pointed in front of him. Karakulak jumped out of the way, her eyes wide as she stared at Cogaje.

The weapon ran right through the clot creature. It moaned and gasped before opening its mouth to laugh. The sound was a cackle, making my skin curdle. It sounded like crows cawing at a scarecrow they were making fun of.

Cogaje pulled his sword out of the creature, the blade black. He stepped away, his stance defensive. The creature lumbered forward, its mouth in a wide grin that oozed festering blood.

Karakulak charged towards the creature's leg, sinking her teeth into its clot flesh. The caracal's jaw only went through blood, causing no damage.

The creature cackled again, throwing its head back.

That's when I saw it. A string wound around its neck, a piece hanging down.

"Cogaje!" I yelled, "Distract it."

The Lizsard Prince hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Come over here, you bloody creature!" he mocked, waving his sword around. The creature turned its bloody eyes on the Prince, moving towards him. Karakulak growled and distracted the creature away from Cogaje. Cogaje then tried to direct the being's attention back to himself, and so back and forth the two went, confusing the bloody being.

Sneaking up behind, making sure that my sword didn't reflect any light that would give me away, I crouched behind the creature. Just as Cogaje was running backwards, throwing clot rocks at the creature, I pulled on the thread hanging down by its neck. It felt slippery and sticky, making me want to retch.

The thread was really a thin ribbon of drying blood. I kept pulling, and the thread kept unraveling.

The creature screamed, clawing at its neck, but I kept pulling on the thread, winding it on the ground like a rope.

Cogaje ran up to me, helping me pull at the clot thread. As we pulled, the creature became thinner, losing more substance. It screamed and clutched at its beck, trying to pull back on the string, but with Cogaje and I yanking together, the creature couldn't stop us.

We unwound its body, ribbons of clots falling to the ground. With a final tug, the creature fell apart completely. Cogaje and I slipped to the ground, panting.

"I wish we could burn it," I said, trying to catch my breath.

"No pint," Cogaje said breathily, "It's gone, out of our way. And besides, a fire might attract other things we don't want to meet with."

Karakulak growled at the pile of clot ribbons, kicking some dirt onto them. She then came over to us, a concerned look in her eyes. She tugged at Cogaje's leg.

"We're going, we're going," the Prince stood up. He gave me his hand, helping me up. "Ready to move on?"

I nodded, picking up my fallen sword. He picked up his and clutched it in his right hand.

Karakulak ran ahead of us.

The King's mountain looked closer than before.