The Last Beacon

VIII

Sascha didn't have to think twice.

As soon as the snarling had begun, her horse had begun to panic; the ebony creature rearing and whinnying, leaving the girl to cling helplessly. As soon as it had all four hooves on the ground, she urged it to move, whipping the reins and pushing it to run.

Laurenz had gotten a head start, the distance between them growing. He didn't look back.

Sascha's horse bolted, encouraged by the gnashing of jaws and razor-sharp claws just behind them. As the animal galloped on, Sascha gathered herself in readiness to steal a momentarily glance back at the Crocottas.

She wrestled free the glowing lantern that was tied to the saddle and used it to see the animals. The first thing she saw were pairs and pairs of glowing, hungry, red eyes. As the flickering light illuminated further, she snatched glimpses of the muscular build as the creatures gave chase.

They were larger than she imagined. They seemed the size of mules, which was almost twice the size she had anticipated. Their fangs were visible, and she imagined them dripping with saliva and stained yellow and red. Their fur was mottled with hues of brown and black, and the tails were thin and agile. The creatures were built of pure muscle and madness.

They were the perfect killing machines and their numbers were fifteen or more.

And they were getting closer as the chase wore on.

Laurenz was back in sight now. It wasn't as if he was waiting for her - more like her horse was faster. Both animals streamed across the plains, stirring up dust that disappeared into the night. Sascha willed her horse on to catch Laurenz and to regain some sense of protection.

The Crocottas remained hot on her heels, snapping ever closer to her horse's ankles. The ebony animal whinnied and yelped as the beasts lashed out. She flicked the reins vigorously, while furiously trying to think of a way to get rid of the predators. Howling and excited yipping grew into a chorus that told Sascha how thoroughly they were enjoying their hunt. It fuelled her horse with a brief burst of energy, but Sascha wasn't sure for how long as terror enveloped her.

Balanced carefully, she frantically searched her pack, trying to find something she could throw. She found nothing useful and cursed. Her eyes eventually landed on the lantern - the little glass chimney with a wick that was already lit.

Maybe the fire will scare them off.

Sascha snatched the lantern that was tied to the reins and threw it to the dry grass behind her. She heard the sound of the glass shattering and surprised yelps. She whipped her head around to see that her plan had, in fact, succeeded. The animals paused momentarily at the growing fire; the flames spreading outward rapidly across the dry plains, blocking their path.

The Crocottas were running to and fro behind the fire front searching for the safest passage through. The animals were driven by a frenzied rage to get beyond the flames and resume the chase again.

Although Sascha was putting plenty of distance between her and them, she still heard the pained shrieks reverberate across the land from a Crocotta who must have gotten too close to the flames. Despite the strife that the beasts just put her through, she winced at the cries of the injured or dying creature.

The thundering of the hooves in the dust became all she could hear as she stormed onward. The rhythmic galloping echoed in the wide valley, her path lit only now by the moon. The faint glow of Laurenz's lantern in the distance slowly grew as she tore across the open landscape towards him. Sascha could feel every part of her body seizing up from the jolting movements that the horse made below her, but she couldn't stop now. She was now within one hundred paces of Laurenz, and a sense of relief began to wash over her.

"Laurenz! Wait up!" She hollered to the man ahead of her, and the response was immediate. He slowed his horse and turned around on the spot to allow her to catch up.

"How did you lose the Crocottas?" He asked when she reached him. "I set the land on fire," she admitted breathlessly.

"Ah, that explains the lack of your lantern." He observed.

Sascha chuckled. "At least they're not a problem anymore." They paused to allow the horses a brief rest before setting off towards the silhouette of the forest on the horizon, horses matched stride for stride.

A chorus of howls suddenly broke behind them, drawing ever closer.

Sascha cursed. "It seems I spoke too soon."

Laurenz rolled his eyes. "Doesn't matter, go!" The pair then both whipped the reins and were off again, sprinting at top speed.

Red eyes and pulsing bodies began to litter the landscape surrounding them, snorting and wheezing in excitement as their prey was in reach once again.

"How are we going to get rid of them this time? We can't risk throwing your lantern too." Sascha called to Laurenz over the commotion.

"I have a plan. Just keep going," he replied. Then, under his breath he muttered, "God, I hope this works."

The dry grassland slowly morphed into wetter, greener shrub as the chase wore on. The shadow of the forest grew larger and closer, and the moon had shifted in the sky since the last time Sascha looked.

The night was slipping toward the early hours of the morning when they reached the treeline. Sascha's horse had stumbled a few times from being nipped on the ankles by the Croccotas, but she urged the animal onwards. She was amazed and thankful in equal measure at its fitness and stamina. Worth every penny I paid for it she thought to herself.

She heard the predators behind her skid to a halt as they dashed into the trees. She glanced back, to check on where they were. There they were, circling about but not daring to come into the trees. She slowed her horse and came about to observe more closely. They really weren't following them into the forest, as if there was an invisible barrier. And then in an instant they were gone, darting off as if the loss of their prey meant nothing to them.

Laurenz slowed his horse to a gentle trot, and Sascha caught up to him. He weaved his way through the vines and undergrowth, with Sascha trailing close behind him in a single file line.

"How did you know that would work?" Sascha asked, somewhat confused.

"There are things in these woods that strike fear into animals like that. If you think that the Crocottas are the most dangerous thing you'll come across on this journey, I'm so sorry. There are far worse things in these woods." Laurenz replied.

Sascha's heart skipped a beat after he spoke, and awareness of the old forest seeped into her senses. She heard every twig snapping, every rustle of the leaves. A light sweat began to form on her forehead, fear clenching her stomach.

What could possibly be in these woods?

Sascha eyed every shadow nervously, plagued by the echoes of Laurenz's words in her mind.

The woods around her fell silent aside from the hooves crunching the forest debris below them.

The silence was soon shattered when a whining howl broke out somewhere in the forest.

Sascha whipped around to see if she could see what made the sound, but she saw nothing. When she turned back, her stomach dropped.

Laurenz was gone.