The Amulet - Book 1 of The Immortals Trilogy

Chapter 8 - The Edge Of The Cliff

'I told you they couldn't be trusted,' Darian growled. He and Oriana woke to find Jareth and Theron gone. 'We 'ave to get out of 'ere before they come back with their friends to kill us.' He had his sword drawn and was looking all around them for danger.

'They wouldn't abandon us,' Oriana murmured.

He threw up his hands and marvelled at her naivety. 'They're gone, what more proof do you need?'

As a gentle breeze blew over them, Oriana raised her face and closed her eyes. Darian frowned as she took a deep breath.

'They're still here,' she said, opening her eyes, 'I can smell their scent.'

Now that he knew she was an Amorphian, she didn't try to hide her abilities from him. It sent his mind and body into turmoil. The teachings of the church told him it was wrong to love her, but his heart wanted her.

When Oriana trotted off in the direction of the cliff, all he could do was scurry after her. He felt any chance they'd returned to the life they had before slipping through his fingers like water.

When they reached the boundary of the forest, they stopped and stared open mouthed.

Jareth stood next to a fierce looking creature that had the head of a bull, and the body of a man. It stood half a metre taller than Jareth, and its pointed horns came out of the sides of its head, spreading wider than his shoulders before curving up into the air.

Darian's heart thunder in his chest as he blinked thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him, but it was still there. He turned to Oriana, and she looked as stunned as himself.

'It's a Minotaur,' Theron said.

They jump with fright and swung around to face him.

'Where did it come from?' asked Darian, turning back to look at the creature.

'The hills below Zethera. When they saw us leaving the city, they knew something was wrong.'

'I's been in those hills and I's never seen them before,' Oriana said.

'You'll only see them if they want you to,' Theron replied, folding his arms across his chest. 'They're one of the few magical creatures who can make themselves invisible.'

'I take it you don't like 'em,' Darian said.

 Theron's eyes hardened as he watched Jareth and the Minotaur, Akili, talk. 'There's only one I don't like.'

Twenty minutes later, Akili turned, and saw Theron. His eyes were large and black, and were almost lost in the thick dark, brown fur covering his face.

The skin on his right arm was puckered and grotesque from burns which happened the day Theron met Akili.

Akili was going through the Rite of Passage; a test all Minotaur's went through in their twentieth year. The tests measured his courage, fighting ability, tracking skills, and resourcefulness.

Flying overhead he'd seen Akili attacked by an Ikarian hunting party. One of the Ikarians threw an oil lamp at him, and it shattered over his right shoulder, spilling the burning contents down his arm.

Theron swooped down and put the fire out with a spell, but the damage to Akili's arm was too severe for him to heal.

The two of them were friends from that day.

'Theron,' Akili said, in a deep rumbling voice.

Theron turned away without a word and headed back to their campsite.

Akili sighed then left. Jareth, Oriana, and Darian to hurry after Theron.

'Theron...,' said Jareth.