In Stone

Prologue: "I didn't know I could do that."

Prologue: “I didn't know I could do that.”

The jagged edge of the slippery rock sliced through his hand making Caspian cry out in pain as a single trail of blood flowed down his arm, mixing with the rain and mud that already coated him. The chill of the air and the cold of the rain washing down the cliff side were making his hands numb. He felt the warmth of his blood like a trail of fire burning down his arm.

A quick flash of lightning exploded in the distance, briefly illuminating the long climb he still had ahead of him. It was the quickest, most dangerous path to his goal. He didn't care about his safety so much in this moment. All that mattered was reaching the top and killing the thing that waited, perched up there like a vulture.

So he placed his blood and rain slicked hand back on the rock and continued pulling himself up, refusing to let the cold or exhaustion slow him down.

His muscles were burning with the effort. His hair kept falling into his face, into his eyes. Every time he wiped them away, he spread more dirt across his nose and forehead.

He was dirty from head to foot anyway. The long hike through the forests around the cliff face then the longer hike to get to a place where the creature waited on the cliff had already worn down his body. But he couldn't afford to give up. Admitting defeat to this enemy could mean the destruction of all of his people, of his entire town.

The hilt of his sword clanged against the wet rocks with each painful surge up of his body. The weight of the metal pulled down on him as did the shield he had strapped to his back. He dared not drop either one. The creature was powerful, merciless, and eager for blood. He would need both if he was going to defeat it.

He tore his nail, ripping it back on the rock and groaning with the pain. He didn't stop, he kept climbing. He could worry about pain and healing later. Later, when his people weren't in danger. When his friend's lives didn't hang in the balance. When he had claimed his revenge against the dark, horrific thing that waited at the clifftop.

Caspian looked up just as another bolt of lightning flashed. He couldn't help himself. He gasped at the large, imposing shadow that was looking down at him. He couldn't see it's face. He could only see that it was easily taller than two men and it's enormous figure almost blocked out the sky.

When the next lightning flashed, the thing was gone.

He gritted his teeth, snarled at it, and continued climbing. Caspian wasn't going to let that thing scare him away. He was getting up there and slaughtering the monster. For his people. For himself. For the souls it had already taken.

The sight of the shadow only spurned him on. He tried not to go too fast. He didn't want to slip and fall to his death, not when he was so close. But it made him better able to ignore the sharp pains in his fingers and hands. The scraps on his legs and body that cut through his leathers to the soft flesh underneath, the cold of the rain and wind, the sheer exhaustion that made him want to turn back and give up. He ignored it all and forced himself to continue.

His eyes were forward now, focusing only on the next step and pulling himself just a bit farther. So he missed it when he reached the top of the cliff. He extended his hand but encountered only air. Then he looked up to see the edge of his destination.

Grinning painfully at his victory, he placed first one hand then the other at the top of the cliff and pushed one last time to move himself over.

No sooner than his feet found solid ground again than he was up, drawing his sword and pulling his shield around, prepared for any attack.

None came immediately. The storm continued to rage, the wind gusting up from below the cliff and tossing his water darkened, shoulder length hair around.