The Emerald Legend (Book 1)

Chapter Nineteen: The Path Without A Face

As the uncommon company made their way to the top of the barren path, Korvon and Calhūn journeyed past the steep incline to the mountain's base. The morning was following them close behind but the world was still covered in night. In their way stood two sheer granite slabs; they were laid in such a way that left but only one path.

Calhūn felt the chill of the mountain air along with another chill—the sense that their journey up the mountain would not be an easy task. He noticed with a chill that the only sound they heard was the clack of their hooved stallions against the rocky path.

Calhūn looked beyond the strange leaves that shone with a dark violet. He heard the small ruffling of the swaying branches as the last gust of wind passed through them. An eerie feeling washed over the two men as the forest became a dead silence. The sounds of crickets and the cooing owls had stopped, and a sound like the quiet of death washed over its borders.

Calhūn became alert and slowed his horse to a quiet pace. Korvon turned his gaze left, then right, and left again trying to find any sign of danger beyond the saplings.

A feeling of being observed filled them with a swirling uneasiness. Calhūn stopped his horse and Korvon followed shortly after. They listened to the darkness beyond, while scanning the inches of visible forest.

As the men turned to gaze upon the path behind them, a figure in the immediate distance startled them. No taller than a child, with smooth pale skin covering its featureless face, each man watched it with a horrified expression, making no sound at all.

Korvon gripped the reigns of his steed and his horse took an uneasy step forward. The sound carried along the chilling air and as it reached the creature a heavy heave came upon the beings chest. The two watched as the skin around the creature's mouth began to tear and rip open like torn fabric. With the tearing of its thick skin, a petrifying shriek flared from the lungs of the fiend.

They watched it, completely mesmerized with terror. The creature brought its face back down and revealed the rows upon rows of shark-like teeth. With a shrilling growl, it stormed forward towards the two unsuspecting heroes. They both gripped the reigns of their stallions and pushed them quickly to their fastest speeds.

They bolted down the dark stone pathway hearing the howling cries of this angered creature closing in behind them. Korvon glanced behind them to see the monster charging with its ravenous gaping mouth.

"What the hell is that thing!?" Korvon yelled slapping the reigns of his horse harder and harder. Cal took a glance back to the no-faced horror chasing them; it kept up surprisingly well with their riders.

Furthering Cal's dismay, another, followed by another, and one more leapt onto the pathway following the first—all with the same flesh-ripped mouths.

"More follow!" Calhūn shouted whilst pushing his horse to her limits. Korvon glanced back and saw that even more were coming from the tree-line, creating a furious tribe of these no-faced beasts.

Calhūn held himself closely to his stallion and watched the road, eagerly trying to see its hopeful end. To fill Calhūn's heart with further trepidation, he watched as beings came out from the right of the forest.

"To the left!" Calhūn shouted, pulling his steed to the left and running into the violet forest. Korvon followed close behind and the beings trailed them in great number. The men weaved around trees and ducked under low hanging branches, always keeping their speed at its maximum.

Korvon pushed his ivory stallion to her limits and her speed began to suffer. As he turned to look back at the onslaught of enemies, one of them leapt from an adjacent tree in front of the prince's path. With his sword, Korvon slashed the enemy down and pressed on. Another being leapt for his stallion, then, and went over the steeds head aiming for Korvon himself. With another slash of his broadsword, he knocked another creature from his reaches.