The Ranger's Apprentice a New Era

Darkness Falls

"What is that horrid ringing?!" Max and Jack both covered their ears when they came into range of those horrible stones. "The Stone Flutes. A place I promised myself I would never return to. Yet, here I am." The flute's noise seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. And it kept getting louder, and louder, and louder until... It seemed to drain their minds that any other sound had existed. And right there, some 2 kilometers away, the flutes. They rode past them and the noise continued to grow louder and louder. They passed the flutes but that ringing just kept running back and forth through their heads. Until finally after the flutes had been out of sight for time, the noise was only a whisper. Then an echo. "GLAD THATS OVER!" Horace was still trying to get his hearing back. So were the rest of them.

They rode until the sun was just on the horizon. "Max get a fire going for dinner. And make a pot of coffee while your at it." Horace laughed. "I swear if there was a trap with coffee as bait there is no way you wouldn't get caught." Will laughed with him. "I would go gladly." Max made his semi-famous stew. Famous to them at least. He was able to make it in 10 minutes with the simplest ingredients. But it tasted as if Jenny, who was one of Will and Horace's old ward mates, cooked it herself. Jenny had her own restaurant in the village outside of Redmont."Jack take first watch. When the brightest star is at the top of the sky wake me for watch." Jack found a spot in a small bush a few meters away. The night wore on. Everyone took there own shift on watch.
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The day wore on. Full of sore rear ends and small dry meat strips. Finally they had crossed the plains. And reached a hulled area. With cool shade to spare for breaks. Everything was fine. A little too fine. Then came the night, and then began the screaming. The kind of screaming that twists the stomach into knots. Which to Will, was all too familiar with the sound. "Will are you alright? You seem a little off." Will seemed to come out of a trance. Like someone who has just been half asleep, had water poured on them. "I'm fine, thank you Horace. It's just the screaming. I never thought I would hear it again. And this one even more ravenous than before." It was true. The screams seemed horrible. Like a bear that bays at the moon like a wolf. And the pain of another animal seemed to mix with it. All together at once is enough to freeze a grown man in his tracks. "We have an upper hand on the beast. We know it's weakness. And also how it should attack. Everyone carry an unlit torch. We'll make a false camp for it to try to attack us in. We will hide in trees, and wait." Will lit the fire and slithered up his tree. They all had their torches in hand ready to light in one swift jump and roll. They waited, for hours on end. Luckily Horace was mostly able to keep his fidgeting under control once it came around. After 45 minutes of just waiting and watching the fire. It finally came, and that's when they literally rolled into action. Horace jumped and took a swing at the beast, lighting his torch at the same time. He trie to throw it but the alpha was fast and jumped almost as soon as Horace threw it. Following Horace almost immediately, the two younger boys did similar moves. Rolling by the fire and lighting their torches. Max held his torch fast. Jack swung his wildly, him being closer to the beast. Will jumped in and took up his saxe with the torch in the other hand. Then the most surprising and frightening thing happened. Another beast stepped out from the shadows. "What the..." Max started but was cut off by Will. "Don't look either of them in the eyes. A normal Kalkara takes an enormous amount of strength to break out of its gaze. But these are alphas! It would be impossible." Max closed his eyes. Remembering where the first one was standing. He pulled back his arm, torch in hand, and e took aim. A slight turn to compensate for it jumping, and he threw it. A horrifying scream of pain came. When he opened his eyes, Jack held up his torch, and ran to the second one. He slid underneath the legs, barely being missed by the fast monster's powerful claws. The torch grazed it and set it ablaze immediately. They won. "What the hell were you thinking! Running at that beast! It could have killed you with one hit!" "I'm sorry! I didn't think I just ran! I just felt like I needed to run."
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The ride back was somewhat better. It was a lot more painful, with the chafing already in their legs, and the long ride only making it worse. The ride back took a total of four days. Taking it slow, took it's toll. Horace, having not ridden for a time before the trip, complained the most. "I wish there was something that didn't make your undersides hurt, but was faster than a wagon." " You sure are a big dreamer Horace. But I'm sure that isn't possible."
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They arrived at castle Araluen 8 hours later. They all went to see the queen. "Will! There you are! And these must be your apprentices. You're back so soon. Did you kill the beast?" Will spoke. He knew Cassandra well from their adventures. She even saved him from death and a dazed drunkness for the rest of his life. "Yes we killed it. But as it turned out there were two of them." "Two?! Well, tell me about it." They all pitched in telling what had happened. "So, you two killed them." She gestured towards the two boys who sat adjacent from her. "That's right your majesty." Max and Jack weren't about to get on their queen's bad side. "Well thank you very much for that. You may rest here for a few bights. And build up strength for the ride back. I know from personal experience how bad constant riding is. Will should know." "Thank you your majesty."
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A/N sorry this chapter took so long. My phone lost the app until the update and so I couldn't write. Thanks.