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    The pages of the book glowed in the firelight as Tycon flicked through each one with his full attention. The crackle of the wood and the distant chirps of crickets echoed through the darkness around them. The days always seemed to last forever, like the sun itself was keeping a watchful eye upon him, not relenting until night came upon the world. The nights, however, seemed to last even longer. His thoughts coiled like a whirlwind in his mind as he would stargaze and listen to Sylaina''s rhythmic breathing as she slept across from him. Tonight, she stayed awake with him and in the corner of his eye, could see her on the other side of the flames as they flickered over her face. She was silent, she had been for a while and was pricking her bowstring with her finger in a monotone tune.


    The book he read was, of course, Ren''s bestiary that he''d been working on. Tycon added the monsters he''d slain in Halcyon to the list, no weaknesses or any crafty means of defeating them. Just simply a description of what they looked like. He hadn''t decided on a name for the creature, he wasn''t particularly creative in that regard, and he''d leave that to Ren once they found him.


    They had been on the road for several weeks, though they passed by slowly. He and Sylaina took odd jobs as they made their way south of the continent. Killing monsters for coin over and over but it never got old, nor did they need the coin. It simply kept him distracted and focused and Sylaina never complained, but the time in between was the hardest. He had no clue what they''d find on the Isles, or even where exactly what they were looking for was. It seemed blindly following instructions was his forte but what choice did he have?


    He leaned back on to the saddle that sat behind him and gazed through the treetops and into the sky, watching the stars shimmer like distant city lights and began to ponder on how many people there were out there looking for the same thing he was. He wondered if he could trust them if they ever crossed paths, maybe forge some sort of alliance. That would certainly raise their chances of defeating Zeke when the time came. Sadly, in his experience, they weren''t to be trusted and he''d treat them as such until proven otherwise. Almost every time he''d chosen to trust someone, it always ended in betrayal or worse - Death. He wasn''t about to let that happen again.


    Tycon heard the swish of a bottle and he leaned up to see Sylaina drinking a dirt-covered bottle of wine as she stared into the flames. Drinking seemed to be the only thing that helped her sleep on the hard ground in the wilderness and he couldn''t blame her. Between six rough nights by the fire, there was one inside a tavern and it was clear Sylaina still hadn''t quite gotten used to being on the road.


    She glanced up and for a moment between the fire, their eyes locked. He tried to quickly avoid her gaze but it was too late, she already caught him looking at her.


    "What''s that look supposed to mean?" She asked with a smile.


    Tycon sighed then leaned back into the saddle and closed his eyes, "Nothing, don''t worry."


    He heard her voice drop, "You don''t talk much anymore."


    "Not a lot to say."


    "So you keep telling me," She replied and he heard her take another sip, "I can''t imagine the pressure you''re under, I get it, but I''m here to help carry that burden y''know? You can let me in."


    "So you keep telling me."


    He didn''t need to open his eyes to know that his reply had stung her. She fell silent again with only the jingle of the bottle to fill it. He instantly regretted his words.


    "Hey, Sylaina I''m sorr - "


    "Save it," She shot back, her tone sharper than a blade, "I can tell everything is getting to you. You must think I''m really fucking stupid huh? I don''t want to hear another word from you until you learn that you can''t carry everything on your own."


    Tycon opened his eyes, "I learned that with Ren and now he''s gone."


    "I''m not trying to replace him if that''s what you think."


    Tycon shook his head, "It''s not that. It''s just that everyone I get close to, I lose. That''s why I didn''t want you to come in the first place."


    "I know that," She rose to her feet and stepped around the fire and to Tycon''s side then grabbed his chin, raising his head up to her, "Look me in the eyes when I say this. You''re not going to lose me, I promise you that."


    Tycon tried to avoid her gaze but sighed in defeat, "I''m sorry."


    "I guess that will have to do," She said sarcastically and stepped back around to the other side of the fire, "We''ll get him back, Tycon. But for now, share the burden with me, don''t shut me out."


    "I''ll try my best."


    Sylaina silently nodded and sipped at her wine again with a small smile lingering on her lips, though her emerald eyes seemed to be full of melancholy. She glanced up into the treetops and then back at Tycon as he leaned back into the saddle again.


    "Dawn is still a long way off. We should get some shuteye," She said softly.


    "Way ahead of you," he replied, settling himself in.


    He heard her give a small chuckle over the crackling wood and he let the warmth and comfort from the fire overcome him like a natural blanket. He listened to the crickets, the snorts of their horses at a nearby tree and the rustling of leaves in the wind until he felt the tightness grasp his eyes and the silence of sleep take him from the world.


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    "Tycon, Do you hear that?" Sylaina''s concerned whisper called to him from the other side of the smoldering fire.


    Tycon''s eyes fluttered open to reveal nothing but darkness and the bright orange embers of the dying fire in front of him. He didn''t answer immediately but instead listened to his surroundings and waited a few moments.


    "Tyco-"


    He interrupted her with a hush and listened again - Nothing. He was about to sit up when he heard the snap of a twig in the bushes behind him. In a split second, he reached for his sword which lay by his side and quietly pulled the blade from the scabbard then rose to his feet and peered into the direction the noise had come from. He heard Sylaina, who was now behind him, pull her bowstring with a creak as she watched and waited with him for whatever was within the brush to reveal itself. A small part of him wanted to call out but he knew that it wasn''t a very good idea, he might as well have painted a target on his back if he did that, instead, he waited with his sword at the ready.


    The noise had fallen silent for some time and as his eyes adjusted to the darkness and after a few more moments, he was beginning to dismiss it as a small animal simply moving throughout the growth. As he lowered his sword he heard it again, the snap of a twig and the crunch of fallen leaves. Not just one, but two and then three, the sound getting louder and coming towards the two elves at an increasing pace. Tycon raised his sword again and squinted into the darkness.


    In the dim moonlight, he saw a humanoid silhouette rushing towards them. Running wildly as if they were being chased by something - All the more reason for him to be on his guard. Tycon remained silent, hoping the thing coming towards them would pass him by but judging by the straight line the thing seemed to be running in, that wasn''t likely. It soon became clear that the figure had no idea of their presence and wasn''t about to stop moving any time soon.


    Shit.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    "Wai-"


    He didn''t get the words out before the thing slammed directly into him, knocking his sword from his hands and throwing both Sylaina and Tycon off their feet and into the dying firepit, the figure falling on top of them. He smelt the fabric of his shirt being singed and the sudden burning sensation on his back made Tycon squirm. He threw the thing off of him and quickly climbed to his feet, dragging Sylaina along with him. Now that it was closer he could make out the features of the figure and it quickly became obvious that the thing that had run into them wasn''t human or elf.


    Tycon snatched his sword from where he had dropped it moments before and pointed it towards the creature who was cowering before them.


    "What the hell is this?"


    The creature glanced up at him with its black beady eyes and let out a whimper.


    "It seems harmless," Sylaina replied.


    The creature looked to be half-cow and half-man with a human face and horns protruding from the sides of its head in an upward arch. Messy long black hair hung slightly over its completely dark eyes as they stared wide in fear towards the blade pointed at it. Its torso was shirtless and similar to a man but its legs, however, was that of a cow. White fur with dark splotches of black covered the entirety of its legs all the way down to its black hooves.


    Tycon noticed a bag slung over the shoulder of the creature and he snapped a quick confused glance at Sylaina who had her eyebrows raised in surprise.


    "An intelligent monster?" Tycon said.


    "W-Who are you calling a monster?" The creature managed to stutter.


    "And it can speak too," Sylaina added.


    "I am not an ''It'', I''m a Ferian and my name is Dain."


    Tycon lowered his sword and pointed it casually towards the bag on Dain''s shoulder, "What''s in the bag, Dain."


    "Nothing."


    Tycon pointed the blade back at Dain and arched his brows, "I won''t ask again. What''s in the bag?"


    "Okay, okay, just don''t kill me," He tipped the bag and three large white eggs rolled from it and on to the dirt, "I just need to eat."


    Suddenly, Tycon heard another distant twig crack and a ticking sound soon followed. Tycon raised his sword towards the sound and called to Sylaina who already had her bow ready.


    "What the hell did you bring here?" Tycon asked hastily.


    Dain quickly shot to his feet and hid behind the two elves, "I don''t know."


    "I guess we''ll find out," Sylaina remarked.


    Tycon looked into the darkness yet again and when he saw the shape of three large spiders about the size of two grown humans crawling towards them in a hurry, he felt a chill quickly rise up his spine and he tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.


    "Get back, Dain. I don''t want you getting in our way."


    Without a word, Tycon heard Dain rush through the clearing, over the fire pit and into the bushes behind them. Now that he was sure that Dain was out of his way, he could focus his attention on the upcoming battle. It seemed to him that an easy night''s rest was simply too much to ask for and again he was reminded that trouble always seemed to follow him no matter how much he wished to avoid it.


    Sylaina fired her bow with a snap, Tycon heard it pierce through the air at high velocity that culminated into a distant tap as the arrow hit its target. There was now cry or howl of pain and the spider barely seemed to register that it had been hit.


    "Sylaina, I don''t think that arrow pierced the flesh," Tycon called.


    "No shit, the fuckers have an exoskeleton it seems."


    Tycon rushed ahead sword in hand and intent on meeting the spiders halfway as he trudged quickly through the thick brush of the forest. One of the spiders bent its legs as if charging for a jump but by the time the spider had leaped into the air, Tycon had already anticipated its move. He raised his sword high, waiting for the spider to inevitably fall into it but was met with a face full of webbing as the spider shot from its abdomen. Tycon reached to his face desperately trying to peel away the webbing but he wasn''t fast enough, only peeling away enough to see from one eye. The spider had already fallen on top of him as the other two rushed past and towards Sylaina.


    Shit.


    He was sure she could take on one, but two at the same time. She was likely to die and he wasn''t about to let that happen. The spider on top of him lunged at his throat with its pincers but Tycon grabbed them and with all his strength did his best to keep them from clenching down onto his neck. His muscles began to burn and he could feel the hot sweat become droplets upon the silver webbing. He kicked at its front legs frantically, trying to break one but it seemed pointless. All he could do was stare into the eight blank eyes of the creature as he struggled to keep himself from being decapitated.


    Damn it. I don''t have time for this, I need to help Sylaina.


    As he fought with the pincers, he kicked his legs upward under the spider, hitting its soft spot repeatedly and frantically. It was all he could do to have any chance of escape but still, it wasn''t working. He might as well have just accepted his fate.


    "Hey, you," Dain called.


    Tycon heard his voice come from his side and figured he must have snuck around through the brush to reach him. For a split second the spider raised itself to glance at Dain, releasing its weight from Tycon momentarily and that small window was all Tycon needed to roll from under the spider and grab his sword. He slashed at the soft spot between each leg and in a swift motion, one by one, he had severed four from one side of the spider. It let out a screech as green blood began pouring from the wounds and he silently thanked Dain for his help. Normally he would have finished the spider off but he had to get to Sylaina. He tore at the remaining web on his face and left the spider writhing around in its own blood as he dashed back to the campsite where he saw Sylaina hard at work with her dagger in hand.


    He was lucky she was so nimble, even more so than he was. She dodged and weaved around each attack from the two spiders, trying her best to stall until help arrived. Tycon knew that was the smarter option and he felt like an idiot for rushing ahead, though he hadn''t anticipated that the spiders could shoot web like a cannon.


    "About time you got here," Sylaina shouted between heavy breaths above the whining of the nearby horses.


    The spiders had their backs to Tycon and he used the advantage to slash at one''s legs, severing two of them before it turned its attention to him. At least he was able to alleviate the pressure on Sylaina for the time being. She turned her full attention on the other spider, dodging its legs as they attempted to pierce through her until she managed to grab one and climb onto its head, stabbing her dagger into it repeatedly until the creature fell limp. She was quick and swift, Tycon envied that. He himself was rather nimble but nowhere near her level.


    Tycon slashed each leg as the spider attempted to stab him with them. The creature kept repeating the same mistake and before long its two front legs were gone. Sylaina, using her element of surprise climbed on its back and repeated the same attack as before. The spider arched itself upwards trying to shake Sylaina off and Tycon used the opportunity to get himself under the creature and shove his blade as deep as he could. Spinning the weapon around inside the wound and pulling it away before the creature could fall on him.


    The two elves dropped to the ground breathing heavily, winded by the fight and utterly exhausted. From the corner of his eye, Tycon could see Dain''s horn slightly above the bushes and after a few moments the cow-man peeked out.


    "Is it over?"


    Tycon let out a deep breath and nodded.


    He watched as Dain''s expression shifted from relief back to fear, he looked like he was trying to call out to him and his dark eyes seemed to be looking elsewhere. By the time Tycon realized and turned back towards the spiders, it was too late. Sylaina had been pierced by a stinger from one of the spider''s abdomen and she was lying in the dirt foaming at the mouth.


    No. No. Please No.


    The spider that was barely alive began to web her but Tycon didn''t waste any time and ran over, quickly cutting the thing down before it could achieve its goal. He cradled Sylaina in his arms, her emerald eyes wide as they looked to him in fear and he watched as a tear rolled down her cheek.


    "She''s been poisoned," Tycon cried, "Get the fuck over here and help her."


    "I have a hut nearby. We can take her there," Dain said through panicked breaths.


    "You better help her," Tycon said, "All this wouldn''t have happened if it weren''t for you and for your sake, she better survive."


    "Okay I get it, You''ll kill me. Quickly we don''t have much time, we need to clean that wound and suck out as much poison as we can."


    Dain scurried over to him and the two slung each of her limp arms over their shoulders. There was a chance she could be saved and any chance, no matter how slim, it was good enough for him. They just had to get her to Dain''s hut as quickly as possible before it was too late.


    "Let''s get to the horses."


    Tycon climbed on Nilab and Dain helped him lift Sylaina into the saddle, placing her in front of him. Dain took Sylaina''s horse who momentarily bucked in protest to the unfamiliar rider.


    "Whoa there," Dain blurted as he tried to maintain his balance.


    He patted the mare and whispered into its ear and Tycon watched as the beast slowly settled. He wondered what Dain had said for the horse to completely compose itself with a simple whisper, but now wasn''t the time to ask, nor ponder. Dain tapped his hoof on the horses'' side and Tycon followed after him into the veil of shadow that was the forest, leaving the burnt-out campsite behind.


    The darkness of the forest was haunting as the fear of losing Sylaina engulfed him. With each crunch of the horse''s hooves, he felt as if he were being dragged into a silent abyss where no help would come. All Sylaina had for now was Tycon and Dain and he''d be damned if he were to let her die.


    The night air felt warm over his pale face like a heavy blanket had suddenly settled over him and was getting heavier by the minute. Sylaina was slumped in front of him, her head bopping in rhythm with the horses'' movements. A mix of vomit and blood soaked her cloak and blouse as she let out faint and incoherent whimpers.


    "Don''t worry," Tycon attempted to sound composed, "You''ll be okay, trust me. Just hold on."


    Please hold on.


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