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Ep.27 - The Year Of The Bear

ButonflyFeb 24, 2019, 11:08:57 PM

(Start at the beginning)

The shadow remained dark, free of motion, an unsteady silence taking hold of the cavern as all three parties became obscure as the rock in which they were entombed. Julia watched with nervous interest, wondering at the shape and size of the monster she’d seen swim through the shadow, dwelling upon Fareamay and the package, questioning its importance and how it came that her Mistress had ever dealt with such a creature. The Heesh appeared just as nervous, if not more so, than Carmel and the Bears despite their placing themselves forward. The growing length of time since the exchange of Julia’s bag had to be weighing upon their minds as the two warriors whose faces had been so fervently placed upon the ground were now up and throwing hushed, worried questions at one another.

“I wish I knew what they were saying,” Kodiak whispered, shifting his knee and sliding one foot to better make comfort of his crouched position.

Julia wished the same but from just reading their body language she thought she had the gist. “Nothing good.” She answered with a squeaky solemn note.

The Heesh woman lashed out in irritation, belittling then hissing the two men into silence, evidently the pressure felt more heavily by the figurehead of their parlay. Whatever fortune they hoped to garner was about to be dashed. Sweeping from the shadow a long, thick tendril plowed through the air. It scraped along the earth and bowled all three Heesh across the cavern floor. The moment blindsided Julia, cold fear gripped her heart, forcing her to freeze, making her unable to look away.

The light from the Heeshian’s torch had tumbled away leaving the three in a dim light. One of the men cried out in pain, writhing as he cradled an arm, the shock of a break or fracture leaving his sanity frayed. The other Heesh warrior lay still, dead or unconscious, crushed by the mass of tail as he was flicked like a pebble across the earthen floor. The Heesh woman, shaky, battered and bleeding, clawed her way to her knees. She held out her arms, pleading, calling a simple word into the dark that Julia thought might mean either ‘why?’ or ‘mercy!’. Had it been her she imagined she’d have gone for some combination of the two.

The Serpent responded, emerging from the darkness on two great clawed legs. One came down on the writhing man, crushing the life out of him with one final scream that ended in little more than a squeak. The other claw planted softly on the opposite side of the Heeshian woman so that she rested before the Serpents broad scaled chest. It’s long neck and head descended, slowly, powerfully, until it was so close she might have reached out to touch it. The Serpent whispered it’s answer, revealing long sharp teeth, drawing back thick leathery lips, gilded with black shiny scales, it’s eyes huge, sharp with predatory instinct, made all the more foreboding by the long set of spines that splayed the circumference of its head. The woman cried out one final time but the Serpent struck lightning quick, biting down on her wholly and devouring without another moment's thought. As quickly as it came it slunk back into shadow.

Julia shifted away, her back pressed to the tunnel wall so that all she could see were the dim outlines of Kodiak, Carmel, and Dolev surrounded by the rocky outcrop of the cave. The Heesh may have attacked them, beaten her senseless, nearly killed Dolev by all accounts, but that hadn't made the sight of their demise any easier. Perhaps it was the better part of her humanity causing her to dwell, a want for better things, for people to survive, to live long, garner goodness from the world and sow it back. More than likely it was her lesser self, worrying about her own future, imagining a similar fate, sick with the realisation that she was a long way down a dark path, at some unknown depth, trapped in the lair of a monstrous beast with the propensity to eat woman whole. Julia focused on her breathing, a very worried look cast over her face.

Kodiak and Dolev were not faring much better, all now withdrawn to reassess their standing. Carmel, Julia noticed, had for the first time a look of concern about his face, but still the look of determination remained. It seemed to mold to deference the moment Kodiak and Dolev began voicing their opinions.

“No matter the fortune there ain't no fight here for us. We’re on a fool's errand, goin’ out there’s a foley.” Kodiak grumbled looking as displeased as Julia had ever seen him.

“I agree with Kodiak. This creature seems as fickle as it is ancient. There’s no telling how it will receive us. The Heesh seemed familiar with it, and even they misjudged. I say we seek a different path. More libraries perhaps, or some lore master we’ve yet to discover.”

Carmel grunted, “But if the Serpent has knowledge, our answer is right here, right now.” He mused before dropping into deep contemplation. “What say you, Chronicler?”

Julia blinked, roused by the surprise at her request of opinion. Her voice cracked, the sound of her instinct taking immediate form. The answer was simple, they flee, turn their backs on the hill and the monster within never to return. That was safest, that was honest. Yet a thought occurred, a voice in her head, a truth beyond herself that stole the form of her words. “Lady Fareamay had dealings with this creature, and she still yet lives.” Then Julia covered her mouth with her hand, fear, worry, and doubt taking a natural hold. There came another contemplative silence, Dolev and Kodiak offering no rejoinder, and a decisive nod stirring in the forefront of Carmel’s mind. There were no more words to fill the empty silence, just the seed of Julia’s idea, bubbling with all its potential, ready to fulfill their future, or to flesh out their demise.