Praetorian Rising, стр. 27

Weighed down with a handful of weapons, a downward angle tugging on his lips in a perma-frown, and a stoic expression cemented in place, Vesyon was incredibly intimidating—as a much as a full-grown grizzly could be.

"What are we waiting for?"

It was as though the whole earth hushed at her words. The rain trickled to a complete stop. Milky fog obscured their view of the meadow's grass, rising upward as though the ground itself had exhaled its warm breath into the frigid air. Slowly, Camille noticed bright red eyes winking like rubies amongst the fog.

"They can't see us yet, but they will once we enter the meadow. The beasts can smell us. They know we're here," Vesyon said.

"How many?" She only saw two pairs of eyes glaring in her direction, but the heavy mist billowing above the powdered snow was misleading. There was no telling how many Chimera were out there, and Camille's instincts warned her to prepare for the worst.

"Don't know. Let's move," Vesyon mouthed, motioning for Camille to follow his path. He crept along the edges of the meadow, skirting along the tree line, and within seconds the moon emerged to light up the ground with its silvery rays.

Camille gasped.  The field was absolutely crawling with beasts.

Together they edged forward as quietly as possible through the crackling, icy grass, but it was impossible not to make a sound. More eyes appeared at their right, pair after pair, and Vesyon tugged on Camille's hand.

"Run!"

Camille bolted toward the opposite side of the meadow as Vesyon kept pace beside her, the dense trees looming ahead.

"To the left, head for the docks!" Vesyon bellowed, leading Camille through the forest terrain toward the wide belly of the Red River. They dove between the trees and down a rocky hillside. Camille slipped and fell before shoving herself up to maintain speed with Vesyon. The Chimera were closing in on them—she could hear their thunderous steps and smell their foul, reeking breath. It was an incredible feat not to vomit on the spot with them so close.

"They'll catch us!" Camille shouted.

"No, they won't! Keep moving!"

A small boat sat on the edge of the dock, bobbing in the river's current. Vesyon reached it first and yanked the tether free as Camille bounded inside, spinning to stare down the dozens of Chimera emerging from the trees.

They were at least seven feet tall, with matted black fur covering their massive wolf like heads. Multicolored scales glistened like oil down their backs and neck as they moved, hugging the bulky weight of their body. Claws the length of Camille’s forearm gripped at the earth, stamping in frustration, their muddied legs a mess of matted fur and dried blood. Ghastly red eyes watched as Vesyon and Camille drifted along the water, their mouths splitting open to reveal several rows of sharp teeth.

"They don't swim, do they?" Camille asked apprehensively.

"No—Chimera are really only great at doing one thing in the water: drowning."

A nervous flutter gripped Camille's insides. "So they can't follow us?"

"Of course, they can. Chimera know how to use a bridge," Vesyon said, steering the tiny boat through the swiftly moving current.

"Where's the next bridge?" Camille asked, panting as she massaged an aching stitch in her side.

"About half a day’s ride on a horse, but we'll be long gone at that point. We're going to cross here and head the remaining distance to Romeo Village on foot."

Camille didn't question his authority.  After barely escaping a pack of Chimera, she was more than happy to listen to Vesyon's instructions. They quickly docked along the grassy banks on the opposite side of the Red River before taking off into the trees.

After several more hours of intense running, Vesyon finally slowed enough for Camille to catch her breath and take in her surroundings. The rain from Sierra Village had stopped completely, but a slight dusting of snow dogged their movement through Aspera.

Vesyon dropped his bag onto the hard-packed earth with a thud and thrust a small blanket into Camille's shivering hands. "You need to rest a bit; there's a boulder over there you can sleep under. I'd build a fire to keep you warm, but we can't risk it."

"Can't risk what?" Camille asked through chattering teeth.

"They'll eventually find a way over the bridge, and I need you well rested when they do."

Her mouth fell open as he began to walk away. "Wait—you're just going to leave me here alone?"

He stared at her for a moment with an expression that could only be described as bewilderment, before disappearing into the shadows.

This man is crazy, Camille thought as she shook out the musty blanket and curled up beside the massive boulder. How could she possibly sleep knowing there was a pack of bloodthirsty Chimera on the way?

Camille groaned as her exhausted muscles welcomed the little warmth of the blanket, and the moment her eyes closed, she was out.

***

Blurry images of unknown people swayed in front of her eyes:  half-starving, gloomy in presence, and white as death. Bloodshot eyes stared at her ominously, their mouths hanging slack as an oozing black substance drained from their lips to turn their skin into fur and scales.

They advanced on her, hordes of them, their eyes a deep-set red, glowing like embers. It was terrifying, but the person walking shakily at the front of the crowd kept her feet locked in place. It was Lunci, and his skin was transforming before her eyes into black fur and scales, eyes fiercely red and trained on her. He wasn't Asperian anymore—he was a beast, and one that thirsted for the dark red liquid coursing through the meat of her body.

"Lunci," Camille blurted out weakly, but there was no verbal response from the boy, only a menacing growl as he fell to all fours, reaching for her with razor-sharp claws that clenched down on her windpipe—

"Lunci!" Camille gasped as she jerked awake, drenched in a cold sweat.

Soft dawn light filtered through the damp leaves overhead, and Camille felt a distorted fuzziness cloud her mind