Labyrinth Wall (9780991531219) (20 page)

“Buyus?”

“Dragons, snakes, serpents, or whatever you want to call them.”

“Okay… And?”

“It’s just the legend says that they can hibernate for indefinite amounts of time, these creatures can sleep for a thousand years if needed, and they can only be roused by the scent of Makta.” She pauses like I should know what she’s hinting at.

“Makta?”

She rolls her eyes. “The snakes that were in that pit,” her voice rises slightly.

“Shhh,” I warn her, “the last thing we need is to start a panic.”

She nods. “Right, sorry.”

“Why is it that this legend is vaguely familiar to me, Rase?”

“What?”

“Why is it that I feel like somehow I’ve heard this legend before?”

Her eyebrows tighten. “This isn’t the time, Araina. I’ve been hearing a noise, and I think it could be the Buyu. Those fowl creatures are supposed to be merciless, especially if they’re near each other. Supposedly, they’re very competitive with their killing. We should try to move a little faster.”

“You said yourself the Buyu are just a legend,” I argue.

“Your stubborn attitude is going to get us all kill
—
”

Her words are interrupted by the sudden heightened volume of the hissing. Now it’s obvious the sound is coming from behind us, so we all whip around instantly.

My breathing halts for a moment as my eyes take in the wild creature. A huge serpent hastens toward us. It must be at least thirty feet long and at its widest area about five foot in diameter. The giant thing looks like it could devour our whole caravan in two or three bites. Spiral horns protrude from its forehead, and its face is a dark red color.

“Run,” I tell Keelie as I push her away from the group. There’s no way we can all outrun the massive reptile, but we can at least give her a chance to escape.

Everyone equips their weapons.

“Araina, take to that tree,” Soll motions. “This is when that new bow of yours can come in handy.”

He has a point, so I dash toward the tree, dragging Rase with me. I scurry up fairly quickly but not without some resistance from Rase. After Keelie’s made some good progress ahead of us, I set my focus on my arrows.

Everyone else runs toward the creature in a staggered line, Soll taking up the lead.

“For Grol’s sake, we’re not going to survive this,” Rase insists.

“Shut up!” I tell her.

My arms shake as I attempt to remove the arrows from the quiver on my back. We’re both breathing heavily, and sweat trickles down my forehead then into my eyes.

From my high vantage point, the giant snake-like creature can be observed in greater detail. Its tall spiraling horns look even sharper from up here. The same dark red coloring of its face also covers the rest of its body with the exception of its black stomach. Elaborate, jagged geometric patterns flow across its back. Sporadic rows of inky-looking spikes line its spine, and a particularly large black spike protrudes from its tail. The thing moves swiftly in slithering motions. I can’t find any legs on it.

Terrified to watch but unable to look away, I see the snake sets its eyes on Soll. Focusing my best, I try to aim an arrow for the creature, but it isn’t close enough for me to shoot.

As I wait for it to come within my range, Saige launches one of her two long spears. The spear embeds into the side of the thing’s neck. Blood spurts from the wound. The serpent hisses loudly then stretches out its face toward Saige.

Now it’s close enough for me to do some good. Looking past the arrow head, my eyes fix on its stomach. I take the shot. The arrow races through the air at high speed toward my target, but the creature’s tough stomach diverts it. Useless, the arrow falls to the ground.

Soll, Saige, and Laon hack at the giant thing with their swords and clubs. Their attempts prove ineffective since they can only reach its rock hard stomach. Our swords and arrows don’t even faze the monster.

Finally, it manages to scoop down, almost swooping up Saige in its giant mouth. She dodges and hits the ground near Soll. As it begins to swing its head back into the air, Soll tries to take advantage of its proximity, cutting at its neck with his sword.

Meanwhile, Korun and Rifan have managed to sneak around the serpent and leap on its back. They’re doing some mild damage, stabbing at its flesh.

Saige is now positioned at its other side. She’s clearly trying to assess the most effective location to launch the other spear. As if things haven’t already gotten bad enough, a scream rings out from below the tree I’m perched in. I look down to see Keelie has returned. Curled up in the tree’s huge roots, she screams and sobs uncontrollably.

“Damn it, Keelie!” I yell at her. “Run!”

“No, I’m not leaving you all again.”

There isn’t time or reason to try changing her mind, so my focus quickly shifts back to the fight. The best place to aim is between the serpent’s horns.

As I load up my next arrow, Rifan manages to plunge his sword deep into its back. The creature yanks its body violently, throwing him to the ground. Somehow, Korun manages to keep his grip on one of its spikes and stay mounted.

When Rifan hits the ground, the serpent whips its tail toward him, and fire sprays from the giant spike on the tip of its tail.

Rase was right. This thing isn’t just a large serpent. It must be a Buyu.

Scorched by the flames, Rifan falls to the ground, writhing in pain.

Korun is still hacking at the evil thing with his axe, and Laon tries to pound it with his club, but nothing is helping. By this time, Saige has thrown the other spear, but it didn’t pierce the hide. Instead it has fallen to the ground.

I’ve now shot two more arrows at its head, but one missed and the other hasn’t slowed it down.

“These things are ancient and practically indestructible,” Rase urges. “We should let them distract it and run.”

“Our best chance is to stand up to it together,” I argue.

Soll defiantly marches straight toward the reptile and begins taunting it.

“He’s insane!” Rase shouts.

For once, she’s right. He’s lost his mind. What in the world does he think he’s going to accomplish? Using his dual swords, he hacks at its solid belly, causing it no harm or distress.

“Down here, you big worm,” he shouts. “Don’t I look tasty? Come on!”

The Buyu lets out another loud hiss then lurches down toward him. Its giant mouth gapes open almost four feet wide, and a split slimy tongue writhes within it.

“That’s right. Come and get me!” he yells again.

He crouches down as it nears him. Then he launches up toward it. The tall green-haired man leaps past the creature’s teeth, jamming one sword into the roof of its mouth and the other through its jaw. He proceeds to swing himself farther inside its throat, yanking the top sword, leaving the bottom to prop its mouth open. From his new position at the back of the Buyu’s throat, he plunges his sword up into its head.

The serpent still writhes about, but it wavers its head around sluggishly, trying to dislodge the sword pinning its tongue to the bottom of its mouth.

Korun and I both take advantage of the unique opportunity Soll has provided. Holding an arrow steady, I aim for its left eye. It’s moving so slow now that the chances of me missing my target are slim. I make the shot. Blinded in one eye, the creature hisses angrily.

I can’t tell for sure, but it looks like Soll has managed to stab it a few more times within its mouth. Despite all the damage, it still won’t die.

Korun, by this time, is working his way up its back and toward its head.

“No,” Rase screams at him. “It’s tail. Go for its tail.”

“The tail?”

“The legend says if you cut off its tail, it will die” she responds.

“You better not be lying!” I grill her.

“Why would I lie? I want to survive, you idiot.”

“The tail,” I shout at Korun, “cut off the tail.”

He makes a quick turn and backtracks.

The snake still hasn’t been able to remove the sword Soll drilled into its mouth. It’s trying to bite down and swallow him anyway.

Shooting for its other eye should keep it distracted, but my arrow misses miserably. It’s worth another try. The second arrow bounces off a horn. The arrows are running low. It’s crucial to focus this time. The snake is moving around enough that it’s difficult to predict where to send the shot. Sweat drips sting my eyes, but I shoot, hoping for the best.

The head of the arrow disappears into its other eye, blinding it completely. Blood spills from both its eyes, flowing down its face like red tears.

The Buyu jerks around spastically, somehow still alive.

“It’s blind, and he’s been stabbing up into its brains,” I yell at Rase. “Why isn’t it dying?”

“I told you. The Buyu are ancient creatures. Our only chance is to cut off the tail.”

“Ancient or immortal?” I retort.

She shakes her head as she starts climbing back down the tree.

“Get back here, you selfish coward.” I scratch her arm, attempting to pull her up. I’m forced to fight with her. My battle should be with the Buyu right now.

Without warning, she flips out of the tree, yanking me down with her. As muscular as she is, her athletic abilities aren’t surprising.

“Don’t make me use those bottles!” I threaten.

“Screw the bottles. If that thing gets me, it isn’t going to matter anyway.” She yanks at the ropes on her wrists, trying to remove them.

“You heartless wretch!”

We fight violently as she pleads for me to let her go. Her fist collides into my cheek, and pain charges up my tongue and across my face. If we didn’t need her help at the wall, I think for a moment I could kill her. She makes me so angry.

I grip tightly on a chunk of her hair, yanking her around. “I’ll do it! I’ll use a bottle!”

My grip on her hair has spun her front side away from me, and she screams in pain. My hand pulls her head farther down, bending her backward. She struggles to gain control of herself. Swiftly, my other hand blindly searches for the liquid in my tote.

A boom sounds from the direction of the fighting.

The Buyu is sprawled across the cooled lava, motionless. Korun stands at its other end, holding up the large spike he cut from its tail. “Think it worked!” he yells at us.

“Soll!” Keelie runs toward the serpent. “Soll’s still in there!”

My grip releases a defeated Rase. Pulling at her ropes, I drag her toward our companions and the giant carcass. Its mouth is still partially propped open with Soll’s sword, but barely.

“I don’t think he made it,” I tell Keelie. “Be careful.”

She doesn’t listen. Her small body propels at full speed toward the giant creature’s mouth. “Soll.” Her petite stature looks even tinier in comparison to the Buyu. “I hear him,” she yells as she gets closer to her destination.

“Okay, okay.” My palm wipes sweat from my brow.

Saige has made her way around toward us now. “Keelie, no!”

Laon is now standing with her at the reptile’s mouth. “Stand back,” he tells Keelie as Korun, Rase, and I join them.

We all work together to prop open the enormous mouth while Korun looks inside. Soll is groaning as Korun inches across the slimy serpent tongue. The nasty smell of the Makta hangs in the air, like old lemons mixed with rotting flesh, and I notice a small snake tail lodged between two giant Buyu teeth. It’s probably not a good time to let the group know the mystery of the missing snakes from the pit has been solved.

Suddenly, something Sir Riddles said to me dances in my brain.

Oh, but there is still something big,

About which I am certain you don’t know.

Its brothers are a snack,

And it’s double a foe.

A difficult thing to kill,

But from its grave, a gift it will bestow.

I had only taken his ramblings for madness, but now it occurs to me how oddly well his description fits the Buyu.
Its brothers a snack
? Was he referring to the Buyu eating the Makta, creatures of a related species? According to what Rase mentioned of the legend, the twin creatures were enemies:
it’s double a foe.
What gift did he think this nasty creature could bestow? He must have been insinuating its death was a gift because it can no longer be a threat.

Our collective strength begins to waver as another minute or so passes. Then Korun emerges from within its throat, dragging Soll in tow. He moves Soll to safety outside the serpent mouth, grabbing the second sword as they exit. The giant mouth falls shut.

Soll points to his ribs. Moaning seeps from his lips. His body shakes in agony. Tensely, he props himself on one arm, scrunching up his face. Korun takes a few deep breaths. Then he places his hands on Soll. A few minutes pass before Soll’s cries start to die down. After that, he lays his head down quietly.

“Think he’s going to be all right,” Korun announces. He exhales loudly and props himself against the textured labyrinth wall.

We drop to the ground, exhausted. Only the sound of our heavy breathing fills the air. Keelie is draped across Soll in tears. Saige sits beside them, an expression of disbelief on her face as she stares at the giant dead snake corpse. Laon is next to Korun against the wall, while Rase and I sit a few feet from the serpent’s head.

It was a costly fight. Rifan didn’t stand a chance after the serpent’s flames got to him.

Soll coughs as he sits up. He looks at Saige, Laon, and Keelie with grim eyes then weakly stands to his feet. They join him. Again, they clasp their hands to their foreheads “We will remember,” they say.

In some strange way, it brings a small measure of peace, like maybe somehow Rifan could hear them.
 

Chapter 21
Stubborn