cascade | kotlc

EXILE

 "I still can't believe we're tracking Bigfoot," Sophie whispered as she stared at the giant footprint in the muddy soil. Each massive toe was as wide as her arm, and the print formed a deep, mucky puddle.

June and Dex laughed. "We should be almost there," June said. "I caught sight of it around here when I flew."

Thunder cracked overhead and Sophie jumped.

The thick ferns in front of the rustled and a brawny gray arm grabbed Sophie from behind. Her feet dangled above the ground, and she got a face full of musky goblin sweat as her bare-chested bodyguard shoved Dex behind him, drew his curved sword from the scabbard at his side, and pointed it at the wall of leaves. June ascended into the air, wielding a thin, long saber Dex built for her that could extend and retract at will. It was sharp but flexible, and June excelled at using it. Out of everything her sister liked, Sophie would've never expected sword fighting to be a hobby.

"Easy there, Sandor," Grady said, backing away from the glinting point of the black blade. "It's just me."

"Dad," June said. "Please don't sneak up on me again. I almost stabbed you."

"I didn't recognize your scent," Sandor said, dipping a slight bow.

"That's probably because I just spent twenty minutes crawling around a sasquatch den." Grady sniffed his sleeve and coughed. "Whew, Edaline's not going to be happy with me when I get home.

June giggled. She snapped her fingers, and the wind picked up, blowing away Grady's stink.

Sophie was still trying to wriggle free from Sandor's viselike hold.

"You can put me down now!" As soon as her feet touched the ground she huffed away, glaring at Sandor and struggling to remove the giant wedgie he'd given her. "Any sign of the sasquatch?"

"The den's been empty for a while. And I'm-"

"Shh!" June said, frowning at the air. Since she was a Guster, she could somewhat control the flow of sound, which meant she picked up noise easier. "There's something over there." She took off and flew further into the forest. Sandor growled.

"What is it with you all running-"

Sophie heard the sasquatch's thoughts, and she sprinted into the forest, everyone chasing after her. She burst through foliage and weeds.

The beast ran so fast its thoughts turned to a blur. Sophie concentrated on channeling energy from her core into her legs, but even witht the extra strength she could still feel the sasquatch pulling farther ahead. It was going to get away.

June yelled something in the distance, and Sophie could hear the wind howling. Was she fighting the sasquatch, or was she chasing it?
Sophie shoved the warm energy humming in teh back of her mind into her legs and felt her muscles surge with a tremendous burst of power. She threw Dex, Sandor, and Grady behind them.

"I'm not going to hurt you," June shouted. "Please, stay."

Her sister had caught up.

I'm almost there, she transmitted to her.

Sophie dashed through the forest, trying to track the creature's mind. She found it. It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you.

The sasquatch froze.

"Sophie, hurry up! It's not a sasquatch!"
It's not a sasquatch?

Sophie burst into a clearing and found the most majestic horse she'd ever seen.

Sophie's gasp echoed off the circle of trees, and she blinked to make sure her eyes were working.

A few feet in front of her stood a shimmering pale horse with outstretched feathered wings. It wans't a pegasus. This horse had wavy silver hair that strailed up its neck and parted around a horn of swirled white and silver that jutted from its forehead like a unicorn. But the unicorns she'd seen didn't have wings.