The Sin War Box Set: Birthright, Scales of the Serpent, and The Veiled Prophet (29 page)

As they did, they formed a vague shape. Like a constellation, the stars create a half-seen, gargantuan image that, to his trained eye, resembled a beast as mythic as himself.

“It is her brother that moves,” the shrouded figure murmured.
“He
does not. That can only mean one thing…”

And in a voice that would have made even angels pause, the other replied, “
Yes…there will be death…”

Toward the jungles they rode, stopping only when necessity forced them. Uldyssian guessed that they made good time, although since none of them had ever been far from Seram before this insanity, they could judge only by Mendeln’s recollections. Fortunately, Uldyssian’s brother proved again that any map shown to him for a short period remained burned in his memory, for landmarks he told them to watch for started to appear.

The latest was a squat peak on the horizon, what Mendeln said the map’s owner had called a volcano. None of them knew of such a thing, and when it was explained that this was a place where once burning rock had been shot out of the ground like missiles, the rest had looked at Mendeln as if he were mad. He, in turn, only shrugged.

Uldyssian often looked back, certain that this would be the time when he found the people of Partha hot on their trail. However, of the townsfolk there was still no sign.

“The volcano is the last landmark,” Mendeln went on. “It, in fact, lies within the first portion of the jungle.”

That caused Uldyssian to straighten in the saddle. “So, we’re nearing the Torajan region?”

“No, we have quite a ride still, but at least we have reached the lowlands.”

Indeed, they had all already noticed the change in climate. It was warmer and muggier. Uldyssian was covered in sweat and even Achilios and Serenthia showed signs of the heat. Only Mendeln appeared untouched. In fact, he seemed to bask in the change.

The two brothers had not yet discussed what was happening to the younger of them, the harsh journey leaving the entire party exhausted each evening. However, as Mendeln had indicated, the jungles would immediately offer some respite…even if also some new danger. Uldyssian hoped that, once they entered, he might find time to deal with his sibling.

The clothes that they had been given in Partha had begun to fray with overuse. However, since they had purposely avoided contact with civilization, there had been no opportunity to find new garments or at least properly clean their own.

Food and water were not a problem, just as Uldyssian had hoped. Achilios had supplemented their original supplies with game and the others had gathered berries. Most of the supplies from Partha were now gone, but in their place was bounty enough to keep them going for three days. In the meantime, they continued to gather more whenever and wherever possible.

The wooded lands with which they were so familiar had given way the past three days to brush. According to Mendeln, whom everyone assumed was correct, tomorrow would see the first hints of jungle vegetation.

With that in mind, they made camp just before sunset. Uldyssian felt very unprotected without even a few trees nearby, but the only other choices would have been either to retreat back half a day to a small grove or to ride night and day to reach the jungle. The others seemed just as ill at ease, which helped him not in the least. Aware that all he had believed himself to be had been false, Uldyssian knew that he could not help any of his companions should they now be attacked by Lylia or either sect.

Fortunately, the night passed peacefully, so much so that for once Uldyssian slept until dawn without once stirring. He rose refreshed, but also angry at Achilios, who had made certain not to disturb him even when it was Uldyssian’s turn to take watch.

Ominous clouds covered the sky, but there was no rumbling nor did the wind pick up. Uldyssian eyed their surroundings with some trepidation, yet wondering if the clouds presaged something supernatural. However, their day’s journey went so smoothly that, well before the sun fell, they not only reached the edge of the jungle, but, after several anxious minutes’ consultation, the party plunged in.

The jungle both fascinated and repelled Uldyssian. He had never seen such bizarre plants or such lushness. The plant life seemed to be fighting with itself, each species seeking some sort of dominance.

“Everything’s so green,” marveled Serenthia.

Achilios slapped something crawling on his arm. “And so full of bugs. Never seen the likes of that thing.”

“There is more life in one square mile of this realm than in twenty surrounding Seram,” Mendeln declared.

No one asked how he knew, expecting that it was something he had learned from a passing merchant. Certainly Mendeln’s comment struck Uldyssian as truth, especially as he swatted a variety of exotic and macabre insects from his own body. He began having great regrets for choosing the jungles in which to hide.

“Is there a river ahead anywhere?” asked the archer.

Mendeln gave it a thought. “Tomorrow. There should be one by day’s end tomorrow.”

“We should still have enough water.”

The jungle canopy combined with the clouds to make them feel as if they traveled the entire day in twilight. The horses grew restive, not at all used to such terrain. Their tails constantly slapped back and forth as they did their best to also keep free of vermin.

Some of Lylia’s story came back to haunt Uldyssian the farther he and his companions rode. She had said that the world had been created by a band of refugees gathered from both sides of a celestial conflict. Angels and demons together. Such a fantastic combination of power would definitely explain what he still considered an abrupt change in both climate and landscape.

It also reminded Uldyssian of just how tremendous the danger was to him and the rest.

When it finally grew too dark to risk any further movement, they simply stopped. Since the past few hours, they had been making their own trail, no easy task. Gathering their horses near them, they ate what food they had; then all but Achilios retired.

Uldyssian did not go to sleep for quite some time, the jungle continually unsettling in its differences from what he had grown up knowing. Strange creatures called out. Insects sang for mates. There seemed more noise now than during the day.

There came one moment when something of fairly good size passed within a short distance of their encampment. Achilios, still on guard duty, slipped into the jungle, but returned a few minutes later without a word. Still, Uldyssian thought that the archer acted a bit unsettled.

While the night was cooler than the day, it was still very humid. Uldyssian constantly felt damp. His hair clung to his head. The discomfort of the jungle fueled his misery and fears. Once more, he had chosen wrong. He should have kept to the regions he knew. At least the familiarity would have given him some respite.

By the time the light of another overcast day finally poked through the canopy, everyone was more than ready to move on. At the very least, the thought of reaching the river gave them hope. The river meant fresh water and a chance to see something over their heads other than thick leaves.

Again, they constantly swatted at insects. Everyone save Mendeln had welts, the denizens of the jungle for some reason not finding his pale flesh to their liking. Uldyssian’s brother remained warmer-dressed than the rest, yet did not suffer as they.

Near midday, the party paused to eat and deal with other necessities. The four shared what water remained, Uldyssian insisting that he be the last.

However, as he raised the shriveled sack to his lips, his eyes strayed to the surrounding jungle…and something thick like a tree that was definitely no tree.

He immediately lowered the sack for a better look…only to find no trace of the shape.

Serenthia noticed his reaction. “What is it?”

“I thought I saw…I don’t know. I thought it was a tree, but…”

“But it wasn’t?” asked Achilios, his expression unreadable. “Tall and thick of build, was it?”

It was enough to verify a suspicion of Uldyssian’s. “You saw something last night. I thought as much.”

The archer raised a hand in defense against his friend’s words. “Hold on! I saw as much as you, which was little enough! Whatever it is, it’s as much a part of the jungle as these trees and shrubbery!”

“Is it stalking us?” Serenthia asked, looking around.

Here Achilios looked contemplative. “At first, I would’ve said yes, but now…the more I think of it, the more it seems our friend is…
curious.”

“That kind of curiosity, I don’t like,” muttered Uldyssian. “Do you think there’s more than one?”

“I noticed only it. There could be more, but it strikes me as solitary.”

“Like a predator?”

The hunter grimaced.

Their mood more pensive, they quickly mounted and left the area behind. For the rest of the day, the riders kept one eye on the path and the other on the thick vegetation. No one saw so much as a trace, but the consensus was that their mysterious companion had not yet abandoned them.

When at last they heard the rushing of water, Uldyssian greeted the sound with a contradictory mixture of relief and suspicion. He was glad to reach this latest landmark, but at the same time the river was a barrier of sorts. With something now tracking them, Uldyssian began to fear that all they had accomplished was willingly riding into another trap.

Achilios clearly thought likewise, for as soon as he had dismounted, he said in a low voice, “I’m going to find a place to cross quickly, if need be.”

On the louder pretense of hunting, he hurried off. Uldyssian eyed Cyrus’s daughter, who, in turn, pensively watched Achilios vanish into the unsettling wilderness.

“He’ll be fine,” the son of Diomedes said somewhat awkwardly, aware that his friend would not be in this situation if not for him. “Isn’t that right, Mendeln?”

“Yes, he should be.” But Mendeln’s tone was distracted, which did not help the situation any. He seemed interested in something at the edge of the river, but what it was, Uldyssian could not say. Certainly not some huge creature such as he and the archer had noted. The only thing one generally found in rivers was fish.

As they filled their water sacks, Achilios made a swift return. Serenthia had to visibly hold back from running to him. The blond hunter smiled with more assurance as he reached the party.

“There’s a
bridge,”
he announced merrily. “Just a few minutes downstream. Looks worn and there are some planks missing, but the horses should cross over just fine.”

Uldyssian took heart. Without hesitation, he said, “We make camp on the other side, then.”

He received no objections. The four quickly remounted, this time Achilios taking the lead. They followed along the water’s edge as the hunter dictated and very soon sighted the bridge in question.

It had been made from elements of the jungle around it. The planks had clearly been harvested from the local trees, the undersides still covered in bark. The craftsmen had skillfully shaved the other side flat. Three of the planks were broken or completely gone, but if the party guided their horses on foot, there would be little threat.

Strong vines and other long plants had been used to tether the wood together. Some sort of brown substance had also been added in between to keep everything solid. Considering their surroundings, Uldyssian thought that the builders had done the best possible. True, the bridge swayed a little under their moving weight, but otherwise held.

Once they were over, there was debate as to what to do next. Achilios wanted to remain near the bridge, and Serenthia seconded this. Uldyssian preferred a little more distance from it.

Mendeln…Mendeln left the decision to the others. As usual, he seemed lost in thought.

The archer finally pointed out that while Uldyssian was rightly concerned about their unseen companion, it was possible that something of a more immediate threat lurked nearby on
this
side. Conceding this, Uldyssian agreed to their remaining near the bridge.

They kept their campsite as compact as possible, huddling close to the animals and one another. Only Achilios left the vicinity, necessity forcing him to hunt. When he returned, the relieved greeting he received was more for his safety than the bountiful catch he carried.

The two creatures that the archer had brought with him were recognizable as reptiles, but none such as any had ever seen. They were huge—nearly five feet from the tips of their muzzles to the ends of their tails. One look at the terrifying teeth was enough to let the others know that these were generally predators, not prey.

Achilios quickly reassured them. “I was never careless. I assumed that there might be dangers by the river, but also game. I found this pair hiding among some reeds. I don’t think that they were prepared for something like me.”

Uldyssian studied them dubiously. “Are you sure that they’re worth eating?”

“Some of the best meat I caught back home came from snakes and lizards! These, I suspect, will be like a feast in comparison!”

The two dead beasts had done what little else had…drawn Mendeln’s attention. He touched one almost gently. “These are young. Juvenile.”

“I thought as much myself,” Achilios replied. “The big ones are probably three times the size.” To Uldyssian, he added, “These were wet, as if they’d just been swimming. You wanted us to move farther away from the bridge and the river. I’d say that was an idea we should still act on.”

They wasted no time in following the suggestion. Achilios, scouting ahead, located a place he believed far enough from the river reptiles’ normal haunts. Even then, Uldyssian insisted that they ride a little longer, despite the darkness.