The Riximas Saga: Path of Finding

Chapter 10: Orders

Getting comfortable wasn't terribly difficult. The bed was larger than I was expecting but I guess it would have to be to for Olfin to fit. I know I'm short but I never thought I was that small. I heard Olfin's name so the towering figure went back upstairs to check on what was going on. The flicker of the candlelight was just enough light up the place without keeping anyone awake.

Eventually I begin to drift and feel relaxed enough to fall asleep. Half-conscious I hear a shuffle upstairs and the door slams which wakes me up with a jolt. I sit up fast and look over where Tex was curled up. She was still laying there but at least she wasn't snoring anymore. I creep over to the edge of the bed and peer over. I hear a whisper coming from her lips as I get closer.

The stairs above her seem to rattle as dust falls between the slats of the wood overhead. There doesn't seem to be anyone upstairs, maybe they all went outside? I slowly walk up and towards the door we came in. The door rattled in place meaning something was going on outside. Something big was out there.

Reaching for the handrail I hear a strange silence around me. The clinking of the door handle upstairs made my skin crawl. The door is blasted off its hinges, flying by me and slamming into the wall on the other side. I almost fall over from the powerful gust of wind that hit me. If I wasn't holding onto the bedpost I would be back downstairs. The screaming of the townsfolk through the door is unnerving.

I run over to the door to see what's causing everyone to panic. Fire had engulfed the Ifrit's hut and collapsed claiming the life within. Several of the shops were toppled and pieces of what they held were scattered and strewn all over the street. Bits of flame could be seen licking the the ivory wall reflecting the light inward focusing on the center of town.

"Olfin!" I call out. Trying to see through the smoke billowing from the center of town I repeat my call for him. It's getting hard to breathe through all of this. As I near the center of town the smoke suddenly disappears from another gust of wind that nearly knocks me over. The ear piercing screech that followed was gruesome, almost ghostly, and lasted far longer than expected.

My eyes are still burning from the smoke but I find what made that hideous noise. Face to face with the creature that destroyed an entire town on a whim. Well, more like eye to eye, which was bigger than me as it was. Its head larger still hovering over me blocking out a good portion of the sky. My fear kept me still, I couldn't even breathe. It blinks and I see a secondary eyelid, like my own, close before the tough outer hide covers it up.

It sees someone running for cover nearby and lunges toward it, clasping it in its jaw a lifeless body falls instantly to the ground while a ghostly image is devoured. "Verschlinger Kotavro" I whisper to myself. It must be, There is no other explanation. Another screech is bellowed by the great creature as it extends its wings.

Another gust of wind is just enough to remind me that I need to find a place to hide myself. Looking at all the destruction, there isn't much that I could call shelter. Although the barracks remained untouched I just needed to get back there before I become its next morsel to munch on.

It turns its head in a way that loses sight of me so I take my chance. Dashing as fast as I could I end up back inside the barracks in no time. I could hear the rumbling of the giant footsteps hitting the ground behind me. I run back down the stairs in the corner of the room and find Tex's dagger lying on the ground before her.

The simple dagger had one odd thing about it. There was a peridot gem fitted to the pommel. This gem was glowing and whispering something that I couldn't discern. The murmurs were familiar, as though I have heard them before. Back in the jungle when we first started this journey there was someone calling out but... could this be the same call?

"Grimmmonnd" The creature upstairs said my name with a power unlike I have ever heard before. The call was so strong it rattled my bones in terror. I covered my ears and tried to yell but couldn't get it to leave my mouth. My voice was replaced by the same ear shattering roar made by the beast upstairs.

I drop the dagger where I stood. Hearing a loud rumbling of the doorway upstairs sends more chills down my spine. The door bends under the pressure of the monster outside. A powerful blow comes through and the entire wall comes down before me, destroyed and thrown around in pieces across the room.

The monstrous reptile rips up the wooden flooring above me, exposing me to the falling debris. The stairs were left intact and Tex is still somehow asleep on the dirty linens. The creature seems intent on devouring more souls as it goes after her. "NO" I yell out of instinct lunging forward in attempt to stop it from killing her.

And it does. It stopped right when I said too. Tex rolls over on her other side unaware of the danger a few feet from her shivering body. The great beast immediately closes its eyes and withdraws back outside. A few large bursts of wind throws more debris around as it flies away.

Still in shock from what just happened I remain standing there for what feels like hours, I can't find a reason to move, motionless. A piece of rubble falling brings me back just long enough that I find the sheath for Tex's dagger and place it by her side. I stumble over to the bed given to me and sweep the dust out of a spot big enough to sleep on. But after what I just went through I could barely do that.

At least the rocks behind me are soft and warm. Trying to get back to sleep still isn't easy. Every time I close my eyes I feel needles stabbing me in the back. The pain grows with a soft rumbling sound behind me. I decide to ignore the pain but it's difficult. The noise grows again and begins to lull me back to sleep.

Morning comes in a blink. The covers are lifted off of me and I can still hear the soft rumbling behind me. A rather loud yawn is heard in the same direction. I roll over and find Ana has decided to make herself at home on the bed I was in. She seems to be grasping at nothing until she lifts her hand to my nose and sinks in her claws, "OW" I exclaim jolting back.

Ana instantly jumps out of the bed and takes the whole blanket with her in her claws. Holding the blanket to her chest, her puffed tail was whipping back and forth. Meanwhile I was left lying on the bed rubbing my nose making sure it wasn't bleeding.

Ana quickly kneels back on the bed "Sorry! Sorry, did I hurtcha?" she says patting my face down with the blanket still wrapped in her hands. I have to grab the blanket and pull it off my face to make her stop. "I'm sorry, can't control it. When I'm having a good dream I just can't stop myself." she says looking down and rubbing her hands together.

The look on her face has a small smirk to it. She must still be thinking about her dream. "I saw you were having a bad one so I thought I could comfor'cha a bit." she says to the ground.

"Thanks... I guess." I respond trying not to make her feel bad. "But why are you not wearing anything?"

"I get too hot under the covers." She says turning around to pick up her pants off the hook on the wall. "And besides the fur covers most everything up anyway"