Chapter 28: Twenty six

Crouching in the chariot, I peered over the side, staring in shocked horror as Markion’s body floated motionless in the river, surrounded by at least a hundred crocodiles. 

The moment Markion approached the bank to pick up my wagasa from where it laid in the mud, three crocodiles had lunged out of the water. Swinging his double-bladed axe, my brother bellowed out a deafening war cry as he separated the first crocodile’s head from its body. In response to his war cry, dozens of crocodiles lunged out of the water, and among them was one I’d decided to name ‘The Beast’. 

The Beast was over three times the size of the other crocodiles, which weren’t small by any means. The enraged bellows of the Minotaur, and the equally loud roaring sounds made by the crocodiles were terrifying enough to have me cowering in the chariot, as waves of intimidating power swept through the area surrounding the battle. Before the fight, Markion warned me that he had a skill called intimidating aura, but I didn’t think much of it until an aura of fear knocked me off my feet. 

He is going to be so mad when he revives. I thought as I stared at the Minotaur’s horns, which were now only one horn and a half. 

Hopefully, he doesn’t blame me for the whole getting killed thing. The memory of Markion’s angry shouting accusing me of not telling him I’d been killed in a den, brought a grimace to my lips. 

How was I meant to know it was a den? I was killed so fast, I didn’t even see the momma beast. Now Markion is dead, and I’m stuck here because Basher won’t listen to me. I don’t want to leave him here to die, and Markion said the chariot isn’t bound like Basher is, so if I leave and something happens he might lose the chariot. 

It took what felt like an eternity for the mana to flow out of my brother core, and his body to fade from sight as a blue light shot up into sky from where he’d been floating in the lake. Surprisingly the moment it did so, Basher began to move. The rhino still wouldn’t listen to me, or respond to my tugging on the reins, and simply began trotting along through the forest on his own whim. I contemplated jumping out of the chariot, but worried that I might lose my brothers mount in the process. 

Fortunately it seemed Basher was making his way back to the city, as once we reached the road he turned back in the direction of Caruan. Tired of standing, I sat down on the floor of the chariot sitting with my knees pressed against my chest as I attempted to force the images of Markion’s horrific death from my mind. 

He’s okay, it’s not real. Markion is safe, and soon he will be back at the guild hall throwing a tantrum over his broken horn. 

As the sun disappeared over the horizon, I felt the chariot slow as Basher shifted from his trot to a cautious walk. Can he not see in the dark? Normal rhinos have bad eyesight even in daylight don’t they? Was it the same for Basher?

Focusing on the air above the rhinos head, I called forth the largest ball of flame I could produce, which had grown from a flicker to the size of a golf ball. It was large enough to light up the area directly ahead of the rhino, and after a cautious glance up at the hovering ball of fire Basher started trotting down the road again, once more resuming his faster pace. 

After an hour, I replaced my conjured fire with a candle that I melted onto the rhinos metal helmet, as I’d run out of mana to sustain the light. Luckily, Basher seemed to understand I was helping him, and allowed me to put the candle in place then waited for me to get back on the chariot before resuming our trek back to the city. 

I’d just begun to see the lights of Caruan in the distance, when the thunderous pounding of hooves on the road set both Basher, and I on high alert. Crouched in the chariot, clutching my enchanted dagger I peaked over the side, as a group of horses rounded a bend in the road. The front riders holding lamps atop poles to light their path. 

“Whoa,” a familiar voice called, causing me to let out a shaky sigh of relief as the guild leader brought his horse to a halt next to Basher.

“It’s Basher.” I heard him call out, and I rose into a standing position as the rest of the group rode closer. “Kadia, glad to see you’re okay. We waited for awhile to see if the crocs got you after Markion died, but when you didn’t appear, we decided to head out to find you.” 

“I’m fine, they didn’t move past the river bank, and when Markion’s body faded, Basher started heading back to the city.” I told the guild leader, scanning the group of six riders for my brother. 

“He is following on a wagon, we rode on ahead.” Darius told me, seeing my searching expression. 

“You might want to take that candle off Basher’s head before he gets here.” Noctus commented with a snicker as he looked at the rhino who seemed content to take the time to rest. 

“I needed a way to light up the path for him.” I defended, glancing at the candle attached to Bashers head.

Moving his horse forwards so that it sat alongside the chariot, Darius dropped the lamp pole he was holding into a hole in the chariots side. 

“That’s what the lamp holders are for.” He commented with a chuckle as he took a lamp from one of the unknown men with him and rode to the other side of the chariot to drop it in the second lamp holder. 

“I didn’t have any lamps.” I grumbled, jumping down from the chariot to blow out the candle on Bashers head and pry off the wax which had dripped on the metal helmet. I didn’t even know those were for lamps, I thought it was to hold spears.

“How mad is Markion?” I ask the group who’d gathered their horses around the chariot. 

“Absolutely pissed,” one of the men said with a chuckle, his face covered in red scales, distinctly reptilian in nature. He must be some kind of lizard folk or other reptilian race.

“He’s sworn vengeance on the entire den, hence why there is a hunting team with us.” Darius informed me with a chuckle before pointing to the red scaled lizard man.

 “Kadia, this is Roderick, he is a Draekin, Kaledon’s version of the Dragon born race. He is the captain in charge of this hunting team, starting to the left of you we have Killian a wood elf archer, Conrad who is a high elf water mage and Bastian a dwarven fighter. The last member of their team is on the wagon with Markion, his name is Dorian and he is a human healer. Everyone, this is Markion’s sister Kadia.” Darius introduced.  

Waving my hand in greeting to the gathered riders, I awkwardly shifted around in the chariot, not really sure what to say or do. Luckily, I was saved from needing to say anything as the trundling sound of a wagons wheels bumping over the rough dirt road drifted towards us as a horse-drawn wagon rounded the corner. 

The wagon appeared more like a farm cart than a wagon. Seated at the front of the wagon was a man with short curly blond hair, and sitting behind him in the back of the wagon was a very unhappy looking Minotaur missing half a horn. Should I start running?

“Kadia!” Markion called out, leaping out of the bed of the wagon before the horses pulling it came to a stop. 

“You’re okay! I knew Basher wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” He exclaimed, wrapping an arm over the rhinos head in an affectionate one-armed hug. 

“He started back towards the city once your body faded.” I told my brother as he smacked the rhinos side before moving around to jump into the chariot. 

“Well, then. Let's go kill some crocodiles.” Markion cheered, using the reins to get Basher to turn back the way we came. 

“You… You’re not angry?” I ask tentatively, as I pressed myself against the side of the chariot. 

“I’m fucking pissed, that damn croc took my horn.” He snarled, his muzzle scrunching up to reveal a flash of teeth. 

“I meant with me.” 

“Why would I be mad at you?” Markion questioned, looking down at me in surprise. 

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“Because I got you killed?” I reminded him, and he laughed shaking his head. 

“I got myself killed Kads. I shouldn’t have run in, and used intimating aura to stir up the crocs without knowing how many were there. It’ll be different this time. If I’d known it was a den, I wouldn’t have gone alone.” 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was a den, or even what a den is.” I told him and he nodded. 

“A den is an area where a high level creature resides, and typically the area around a den has a high density of lesser creatures that are drawn to the area by the higher level creatures presence. Do you remember what I told you about scorchers being in caves with fire drakes? It’s the same premise here with the lesser crocodiles sharing the river with the Sarcosuchus.” Darius interjected from atop his horse beside the chariot. 

“Sarcosuchus? Why does that sound familiar?” I mused, furrowing my brow. 

“It’s a prehistoric crocodile from the early Cretaceous period.” Markion informed me, and I looked up at him in surprise at how smart he sounded all of a sudden. 

“There are a few different creatures running around based on prehistoric animals from earth. They haven’t stuck to one period either, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The raptors are a damned pain, little shits are everywhere, each area of the continent seems to have a different type of raptor running about.” The guild leader added, looking over at Noctus with a chuckle.

“Yuki has one as a pet, you probably haven’t seen it yet as she isn’t allowed to bring it into the inner city. It’s a Bambiraptor, and it’s an annoying little fucker. They’re all over the forests around here.” Noctus chimed in. 

“It hates Noctus. Likes to chase him around biting his ankles.” The red scaled Draekin named Roderick informed me with a chuckle. 

“Really? I haven’t seen anything other than the crocodiles while I was riding today, I could hear some birds, and small creatures running about, but only the crocodiles attacked me.” I told the group, and Markion chuckled. 

“The Bambiraptor’s make sounds like a bird. You may not have seen them, but I guarantee they saw you. They are small, so wouldn’t have attacked you unless there was a large enough group of them, they probably didn’t get their chance before the crocs got you. I bet they were stalking you the entire time.” My brother informed me with a grin.

“There’s about thirty of em stalking our group now, but don’t worry lassie, they won’t be attacking us. They be cowards, and our group be too large for em to brave an attack.” The dwarf of the hunting group said, his voice thick with a strange accent that sounded like someone pretending they were Scottish. 

Is he one of those players who likes to role play their race? I thought as I tried to focus on the surrounding sounds. 

Soft chirping, and chittering calls could be heard from the trees on either side of us. They were the same bird calls I’d been hearing most of the day. Now that I knew they were some kind of prehistoric dinosaur, those sounds sent a chill down my spine. 

A louder bird cry suddenly pierced the air, seemingly from directly behind me, and I almost screamed as a dark form swooped down towards me. My brain processing the familiar cry of Zosimos just in time to choke down the fearful sound as my avian companion landed on my shoulder. 

“Fuck, where the bloody hell did that come from?” The dwarf cried out, his fake Scottish accent falling away to be replaced by a British one. “I mean, ack where did tha’ wee beastie come from.” 

“Cut the bullshit Bastian, you’re not fooling anyone.” Killian, who’d been introduced as the groups archer called from where he was riding beside the wagon at the rear of the group. 

“Foolin? I don’t be..” 

“Enough,” Roderick snapped, craning his head around to scowl at the dwarf. “Just give it up already, we are all sick of hearing it.” 

“Well ya don’t have to be so mean bout it.” The dwarf mumbled, still not dropping his fake accent. 

Listening in amusement as the group argued over the dwarfs play acting, I reached up to stroke Zosimos’s feathers and got a gentle nip to my ear in response. 

“I’m glad you’re okay Zos, I don’t know what would happen if you died.” I murmured. 

I was pretty sure Zosimos was part of my blessing from the god of alchemy, but I had no clue if he was bound to me, and could be restored like Arion or not. 

Caw.  

“Darius, I’m going to send Killian ahead to scout the area around the den. He should be able to follow Bashers tracks.” Roderick called to the guild leader, as he split off from his squabbling team and moved his horse up to ride beside the chariot. 

“Noctus, you go with him. See if you can get a head count.” Darius advised, but I interrupted before the vampire left. 

“A hundred and twenty six. Twenty seven if you count the big one.” I told the guild leader who jerked his head around to look at me in surprise. 

“My alchemic insight lights up the crocodiles because they have alchemic uses. Basher wouldn’t leave until Markion’s body faded, so I had long wait with nothing to do aside from stare at the water.” 

“Damn, that’s a lot of crocs.” Roderick said, letting out a slow whistle. 

“Why are we going back now? Wouldn’t it be better to wait until morning?” I finally asked, glancing at the dark shadows of the trees around us, and wishing I was in my fox form so I could see what was out there. 

“Because we don’t want someone else stumbling upon the den and stealing our prey. We can make a lot of gold culling a den this size, and one this close to Caruan is bound to be found soon. I’m surprised it’s manage to get so big without being discovered. We’ll wait until dawn to start hunting, but will be nearby to keep others away.” Noctus explained, and I swear I could see him mentally counting all the gold they were about to make. 

As Killian and Noctus departed from the group to scout the area around the den, I crouched down on the floor of the chariot to shield myself from the wind, and pulled a cloak from my bag to wrap around myself as the night air grew colder. The idea of camping out on the river bank wasn’t an appealing one, but the thought of riding back to the city alone was even worse. 

Maybe I can convince Darius to have the hunting team ride along the river to look for the siren lilies after they’ve finished with the den. I thought to myself as I rested my head against the wall of the chariot. 

Fighting back a yawn, I let my eyes drift closed intending to rest them for a while as we continued the bumpy ride back towards the crocodile den. 

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