Fleas - Songs of the Gnolls I

THE GREAT WALL 5.2

The cart rocked back and forth. The seat was hard and his hindquarters took the punishment. Beside him, the coachman made no sound except for his breathing. Dannke had been grateful for that at first, but it was the second day of the journey and he was bored with listening to the chirping of birds and nothing else. Behind him, along with all the equipment and products ready to be exchanged at Lea Beranta, was Fleas with his nose in the air. As he said, the scent of Surly was drifting through the thicket of the forest, which was gaining more and more confidence. At least his bestiality was of some use.

"I can't feel my buttocks anymore, my good man. Perhaps we could rest a while, stretch our legs and eat something."

The coachman gave him a sideways glance. He shook his head.

"Bad place. Bad."

Dannke looked in all directions. The shy, almost wintry sunlight crept through the branches of the trees. Vines wrapped around the trees like green cobwebs. A snake or two hung here and there, blending in with them. Otherwise, he saw nothing wrong with the place. He asked the coachman to elaborate.

"They say fairies bewitch travelers and then devour them. Bad place. We're not stopping."

Dannke snorted. First a naiad, now fairies. If he had known that his progress would be so clumsy, he would have accepted the help of Kris and Yolti, the Imperial Knights. After all, he had regained the alliance with Turquena. If he could win over Lea Beranta as well, the Empress would have the two most influential houses of the Empire in her favor. It was a pity that the reward he had won had to be spent to compensate for the damage Surly had caused.

The little one tapped him on the shoulder. Dannke was startled, for in his imagination it was a snake that had just fallen.

"Damn, fleas. What is it?"

"It's close."

Dannke turned around and looked at him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, it passed this way a while ago. He went that way."

Dannke ordered the coachman to stop, to wich he refused again. Resigned, he told him to let them off, took his belongings, the sword he had given to the little one, and they set off on foot. The leaf litter was wet and soft, and underneath the mud was a paste that groaned with a moisty sound at every step. Fleas stepped forward and lay down on the ground, sniffing at something. Dannke observed what it was. A hoof print. It seemed to be smaller than Surly's, but bigger than a normal deer's.

"It's not his, but it smells like him," Fleas concluded.

Dannke looked at the sun through the branches, curled his lip, and wondered if it would have been better to continue in the wagon.

"We still have half a day until sunset, let's explore a bit and then look for a place to sleep if Surly doesn't show up."

The farther they went into the thicket, the more uncomfortable he felt, as if he were entering a world that was not his own, that resisted him with all its might and urged him to flee, as suggested by the hissing of the snakes, the aggressive whistling of the birds of ill omen, the insects that bit him angrily where his skin was exposed.

Fleas also seemed uncomfortable. He looked in all directions as if a thousand ghosts were hovering around him, threatening his very existence. For a moment, Dannke wondered if those were the fairies the coachman had been talking about. He stopped, asked for the sword, and handed him one of his two knives.

"Stay close to me. Don't take a step in the opposite direction or we might get lost," he warned him, for the little one made no sound as he walked. He had noticed it the night he had slipped out of the ship's cabin.

"They won't attack us," Fleas said, optimistic despite his nervousness.

"How do you know? Who are they?"

"I can tell by the way they smell. They're like Surly, but different. They're watching us right now."

"Are we surrounded?"

Fleas nodded. The knight took a step forward. There was a whistle and an arrow fell at his foot. He stepped back, sheathed his sword, slung it across his back by the strap, and showed his hands.

"I am only looking for my mount. If you have it, please give it to me. Otherwise, I will be on my way."

He waited for an answer that never came. He decided to leave Surly for the moment and continue on the path. With a bit of luck, they would reach Lea Beranta before nightfall.

"I wonder who they were, rebels? Bandits?"

"They weren't human," said Fleas. "They smelled tasty, like prey. And Surly was with them. I'm sure of it. Should I carry the sword?"

"No, little one, I haven't carried my own weapon for a long time. I've forgotten its weight. Here's the knife's sheath. Keep it. When facing an enemy, use your stealthy steps to sneak up behind him and stab him in the back. I think that's the best strategy for you."

The little one looked at the blade, wagged his tail, and said:

"Like the Wind Paws."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Oh, look, here we are."

Before them was the magical city of hanging flowers. The vines of the jungle wrapped around the entire city of Lea Beranta, painting its buildings green, strewn with thousands of flowers in all the colors of the rainbow. At this sight, the little one was speechless and opened his mouth in amazement. The way the city was laid out was also strange. It looked like a kind of labyrinth, where, the locals said, no matter which direction you went, you would get to where you wanted to go. It was an ancient city, built by a lost civilization and rebuilt by people from Balabia. This could be seen in the runes engraved on certain walls, unintelligible to the human eye and preserved by the vegetation that had covered them. Dannke did not know much about history, nor was he interested in it, but this city had always attracted his attention. One could get lost in its labyrinthine streets and not care, and somehow end up in the beautiful and immense green temple that captured the view even before leaving the vault of branches and leaves. No doubt the little one would have much to draw.