Chương 19: The First Steps
Chapter: 18
It took us nearly seven hours to reach land, and by the time we finally did, the sky was still cloaked in darkness. We didn't dock at a port; instead, we'd chosen a remote beach sheltered by a towering cliff face. I hopped out of the boat, my feet sinking slightly in the cool sand. Abeni tossed the bags at me before following suit, landing lightly beside me.
"So, where are we going to hide this?" she asked, nodding at the boat.
I considered it for a moment, my eyes scanning the cliff face. "We can carve out a cave in the cliff and hide it there with earth magic," I said.
Abeni shrugged, giving a slight nod of approval. "Makes sense."
"Alright, give me a hand," I said, raising one hand toward the boat.
Working together, Abeni and I manipulated water magic to lift the boat, encasing it in a thick layer of water to lighten the load. Once we reached the cliff, we combined our efforts, shaping the rock to form a small cave entrance. Once the cave was hollowed out, we gently set the boat inside, hidden from any wandering eyes.
"So, what's the plan from here?" Abeni asked, brushing off her hands.
I reached into the bag of clothes, pulling out two dark cloaks and tossing one to her. "We head to the nearest town."
"What's in town?" She slipped on the cloak, pulling up the hood.
"Information, supplies, and weapons," I replied, fastening my own cloak.
Abeni gave me a confused look. "Weapons? Can't we just…you know, make them with magic?"
I shook my head. "We're in British territory, Abeni. We don't know if they have magic users here, or if they're monitoring it somehow. Using magic unnecessarily might get us caught. Having a regular weapon will keep us under the radar."
She blinked, a sheepish look crossing her face. "Right. Fair point."
"Now, let's go," I said, heading out of the cave and glancing up at the cliff.
We still had the cover of night on our side, so we jumped up the cliff face, one ledge at a time, until we reached the top, facing a dense forest stretching out before us.
"Alright, let's—" I stopped mid-sentence, a sudden spike of Mana signatures hitting my senses from within the forest.
Abeni stopped as well, noticing my sudden shift. "Kael, what's wrong?"
"Can't you feel that?" I asked. "Try sensing the Mana around us."
"Alright…" She closed her eyes, sending a pulse of Mana through the forest. When her eyes opened, they were wide with unease.
"Did they already know we were here? Is it the British?"
I shook my head. "No, the energy signatures don't feel human. There's something…off about them."
"So, do we still head in?" she asked.
I took a final look at the dark stretch of forest. "No. Let's head back to the cave for now and wait until morning."
She nodded, and we jumped back down to the beach. As we walked toward the cave, I felt a strange tingle run down my spine, the weight of something watching us from the forest's edge. Unbeknownst to us, a pair of crimson eyes glinted in the shadows.
"A fresh meal," a low, guttural voice whispered from the darkness.
Abeni and I settled into the cave, using our fire magic to start a small flame that crackled and cast flickering shadows against the stone walls.
"So, what now?" Abeni asked, tossing her bag to the side as she sat cross-legged by the fire.
"We eat and get some rest," I replied with a sigh, rummaging through the sack. I pulled out some beef, onions, bell peppers, and potatoes, which I'd managed to keep fresh with ice magic. "We'll wait until daylight to head out again."
She nodded in agreement and dug into her own bag, pulling out a small iron pan, which she set over the fire with a slab of stone I conjured to keep it stable. She handed me a small knife, which I coated with wind magic to make it sharper. With practiced efficiency, I minced the beef, diced the onions and peppers, and peeled and cubed the potatoes. I added them to the pan, letting the smell fill the cave as Abeni stirred, sprinkling a pinch of seasonings here and there.
We ate in comfortable silence, savoring the rare warmth of a good meal. Abeni looked up from her bowl, glancing at me appreciatively.
"This is actually…really good," she said, trying to sound nonchalant but failing.
I smiled, modestly shrugging. "Glad you like it."
After we finished, we settled down, each of us curling up on opposite sides of the fire. The warmth of the meal and the long night's journey slowly coaxed me to sleep.
In the middle of the night, I was jarred awake by a distant sound—a low, haunting growl and the unmistakable clash of something heavy scraping against rock. I shifted, trying to ignore it, but it came again, closer this time, followed by a flare of dark, menacing Mana.
My eyes snapped open, and I jumped to my feet, summoning a sword of crackling lightning in my hand. Across the cave, Abeni was locked in a deadly struggle with a towering figure, each of her blows meeting resistance against its monstrous form.
The creature was grotesque, at least ten feet tall with limbs that stretched far too long for its body. Its skin was a mix of earth brown and shadowy black, its face obscured by a deer's skull mask. It let out a bone-chilling growl, reaching for Abeni with elongated fingers tipped in claws.
"Is that a…Wendigo?" I muttered, momentarily frozen by the sight.
Abeni glanced back at me, frustration evident in her eyes. "Kael! Stop staring and help me!"
I snapped out of my stupor and vanished in a streak of lightning, appearing to the creature's left and swinging my lightning sword. The blade connected, sending the Wendigo stumbling back out of the cave and onto the beach.
"What is that thing?" Abeni panted, backing up.
I kept my eyes on the Wendigo as it slowly rose, shaking off the blow. "I'll explain later. Right now, let's just survive this."
The creature hissed, its crimson eyes narrowing as it set its sights on us, crouching down, preparing to strike.
It had chosen the wrong meal.
Chapter 18: End
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