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Chapter 61: Getting There

  Andy woke early. Arlene’s arm rested across his chest, her face buried in his shoulder as she slept.

  He gently lifted her arm and transferred her head to the pillow as he slid out of the sleeping bag and into his gear.

  “Up early, are we?” said Verin. He stood quietly supervising a metal water kettle suspended on a stick over the fire. “Coffee is coming up.”

  Andy nodded as he strapped on his sword. “How long of a hike today before we get to the cliffs?”

  “Probably the better part of the day,” said Verin.

  “What kind of threats do you expect?” Andy asked, leaning on a tree next to Verin.

  “Well, you know, typical wilderness encounters, wild beasts and such. Big cats, boars, the occasional bandit. Of course, that's just until we get to the caves… where things get… worse.”

  “Sounds ominous…” said Andy.

  “We’ll go over it in more detail as we get closer. I want everyone on the same page. But yes, ominous indeed.”

  “And this chimera… it lives in the caves?”

  “It does indeed,” said Verin.

  Andy let his gaze fall onto the open flames as they danced on the kettle’s base. Soon enough, steam erupted from the top.

  Verin carefully removed the kettle, holding it with a thick rag. He opened it and poured coffee grounds into the top, returning it to the fire. “Only a few more minutes now,” he said with more than a hint of excitement.

  “I thought chimeras flew around in the sky,” Andy said.

  “The sky?" Verin said. “Why no, my dear boy, the Chimera can't even fly. It's a cave dwelling. creature."

  “Oh?”

  “Yes,” said Verin. “I'm not sure where you got that other information.”

  “We have Legends of chimeras where I come from,” Andy said, “but of course we never saw them because they don't actually exist where I’m from.”

  “Is that right? What do they look like in your mythology?”

  “I can't quite remember exactly, but it's a combination of several animals. I think an eagle, a lion and a snake? Something like that.”

  “Interesting,” said Verin. “That's nothing like they are here. The chimera that we're hunting is a fearsome and hideous creature, molding its shape to inhabit its cavernous abode, spawning countless tendrils filled with venom and covered in sharp claws.”

  “Oh…” said Andy. “That is much, much different.”

  “It is not to be hunted lightly,” said Verin, “and it is not to be fucked with.”

  “Coffee?” Arlene asked as she approached the two.

  “You're up,” said Andy.

  “Mmmhmm,” Arlene said. “Thanks for letting me crash your bed roll last night.”

  “Oh, spicy,” said Verin jokingly.

  Andy looked down to hide his blushing. “No problem,” he said, smiling.

  A thin smile crossed Arlene's lips as she looked toward the fire.

  ***

  After Kermit arose, the group had a modest breakfast and set out on their journey toward the cliffs.

  They passed over more grassy meadows, occasionally spotting shepherds with flocks of sheep and other livestock, and passing a roadside vendor from time to time, usually selling fruit or other produce. The region was sparsely populated, with a small village here or there. Otherwise, it was wide open fields and wide open skies.

  “What's to the northwest?” Kermit asked.

  “Where?” said Verin with a hint of anxiety. He grasped the hilt of his sword as he faced the northwestern direction.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Northwest,” Kermit said again. “That's where you said we'd find Milford.”

  “Oh… you mean Northwest of Cresthaven,” said Verin.

  “Yes, that's where we're going to go once we have the chance,” said Kermit.

  “Well strictly speaking, the northwest direction doesn't have a limit, so I'm not sure how far you intend to go.”

  “Well, what's the closest thing?” Kermit asked

  “If you take off from Cresthaven on a boat and head to the northwest, the first thing you'll hit is the Cardinal archipelago, a vast cluster of island city-states that serves as a trade hub for the surrounding continents.”

  “Do you think Milford is there?”

  “I couldn't say.”

  “Well if he were there, what would he be doing?”

  “If he's done well for himself, he could be a respected merchant or perhaps a military leader. If he was more down on his luck, who knows, he could be a pirate or perhaps a laborer of some kind.”

  “I'm sure he's done well for himself,” Kermit said. “He always knows what to do.”

  “Then the first thing I would do is establish contact with the merchants guild of the Cardinal Islands. If your brother has done well for himself, and if he is indeed residing among the Cardinal Islanders then they will know of his existence.”

  Kermit practically squealed with excitement turning to Andy and Arlene. Did you hear that? We have a lead!

  “I heard!” said Andy, attempting to mirror Kermit's excitement.

  “We're going to find him,” Arlene said with a smile.

  After a few more hours, the sun began to sink lower in the sky .

  “We're approaching our spot for the night,” said Verin. “We're a few hours walk from the entrance to the caves, so let's start looking for a place to set up camp.”

  Andy found a perfectly flat clearing in the midst of some brush, obscuring the site from the main road. “How about that?” he said, pointing at the potential campsite.

  “It's perfect,” said Verin

  ***

  Andy held a stack of logs in his arms as he approached the campsite. Dinner had been served with tea. The group sat around the campfire, which was beginning to die down.

  “What exactly are we up against tomorrow?” Arlene said as she took a final sip of tea.

  Andy threw a log on the fire, taking a seat beside Arlene.

  “Well, I suppose now is the time to strategize,” said Verin. “Let's go over the threats we're likely to encounter, and let's also review our capabilities.”

  Andy nodded.

  “There are three main threats. First, the crawfish.”

  “Those are tiny” said Kermit

  “Well,” Verin said, “not really”

  “What do you mean?” Kermit asked. “We used to catch them all the time in the creek.”

  “I think the word ‘crawfish’ might mean something else here,” Andy said.

  “I think so,” said Verin. “The Crawfish is a giant arachnid with powerful claws and a venomous stinger.”

  “Oh,” said Kermit.

  “They have nearly impenetrable shells, so the only way to kill them is to get a blade or arrow through a gap in their exoskeleton. Usually around the joints, in the back of the head, or in the underbelly will work.”

  “And what does their venom do?” Arlene asked.

  “Paralysis,” said Verin.

  “Lovely,” said Arlene.

  “But the crawfish isn’t even the biggest threat,” said Verin. “We also have to worry about the sirens.”

  “Do they sing?” Andy asked.

  “Not really,” said Verin. “They screech. And their screech can also cause paralysis.”

  “What are they like?” asked Arlene.

  “Goblinoids,” said Verin, “a little bigger than Kermit, I’d say, only they don’t have eyes. They hunt with echolocation. The sirens don’t have much in the way of technology. Usually, spears, swords, crude shields and such… but they have domesticated the crawfish and often use them as steeds and hunting companions.”

  “Great…” Andy said.

  “You’ll notice as we approach the cliffs, you will see very few dwellings in the area. The sirens come to the surface at night to hunt. Nobody bothers trying to develop the area as long as the nearby cave systems are full to the brim with sirens.”

  “And you’re going there willingly?”

  “Well, it's the only cave system said to harbor a chimera on the whole continent.”

  A hush fell over the group as they stared into the dying fire.

  Kermit went to sleep first, followed by Verin, leaving Andy and Arlene.

  “I’m screwed,” said Arlene.

  “What do you mean?” Andy replied.

  “Well, the it sounds like our main threats don’t rely on visuals. The sirens… or whatever they’re called… they use echolocation. So it seems like Blend into Shadow is useless.”

  Andy fell silent. She had a point. Blend into Shadow had been one of Arlene’s most used feats, and it had been quite effective on their enemies thus far. How would they have fared if their enemies were immune to the feat?

  We’re about to find out, I guess.

  They spent a few minutes looking into the dying fire before standing up to retire.

  “Can I, um… sleep with you again?” Arlene looked at the embers under the now-dead fire to avoid making eye contact.

  “Of course.”

  Arlene looked up with a gentle smile.

  Andy unsuccessfully tried to hide his.

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