38 Harvest, 385 - Source of the Puugnixi River, Midlands, Charan

Dawn crept over the horizon like a fog, blurring the lines between light and dark. Salidda sat by the banked fire and watched the plains below as the light slowly stole over them. The tall grasses of the Midlands’ open plains seemed to stretch forever. The Strangers said they would be leaving this morning, most of the camp was already packed up, the bright colorful tents the only things left out. They had invited her to go with them.

“Is it fate?” She mused aloud in the language of her people. “Have the Gods put me here in their path for a reason?”

There was no answer, not that she had expected one. The Gods didn’t seem to be listening anymore. Was she truly a devil?

There was a ripping noise and one of the tents opened, disgorging first the dog and then the woman that the dog followed like a shadow.

“Morning.” Cora’s voice was rough with sleep and she rubbed her eyes in the brightening light.

“Good morning.” Salidda began to stoke the fire up, knowing that the Strangers would all wake up shortly after one another. “Sleep well?”

“Yeah, you?” Cora started walking toward the latrines they had dug away from camp.

“Well enough, I’ll get breakfast started.”

She thought Cora called a thank you out over her shoulder as she disappeared into the trees. By the time breakfast was ready, alligator eggs that Salidda had foraged the day before, and dried meat, everyone was gathered around the fire. Jet was quick to eat and quicker to begin dismantling the tents. While Sophie and Cora were packing their own tent, Kat sat next to Salidda near the fire.

“It’s time to decide.” She said gently. “Are you coming with us?”

“I am.” The words were so simple, but the action was so much harder. She had already left behind her home, been chased out, but this seemed like a much more important move. As long as she stayed near here, she would always have that possibility of going back. Always have the dream of it at least.

She looked out over the plains again, taking a deep breath. “There is nothing left for me here.”

Kat’s expression was concerned, dark brows drawn close. “Is it dangerous for us to bring you with us?”

That gave Salidda pause. Would her people attack the Strangers if she were with them? Would they be safer for her presence? For the magic she couldn’t control that had led to her expulsion. The dark woman’s expression grew graver the longer that Salidda didn’t answer, changing from concern to true worry.

“I had not considered your safety,” She answered, “Only my own. I apologize.” She fumbled for the words, her brown eyes searching as though she could pull them from the air. “My people would kill me if they found me. I’m not certain that they wouldn’t kill you too.”

“Your own people?” The worry didn’t ease.

“My own.” She rubbed her shoulder where her own father had shot her and ducked her head. “I will understand if you do not want me along.”

“Sweetie,” Kat began, her voice soft, “I wasn’t asking you to stay behind. You’re with us if you want to be, but we need to know the risks. We’re not afraid of the risks, but we need to be aware of them.”

“My people are nomads, but they rarely come this far south. I doubt they will be chasing after me, I’m certain they would have caught me already. Still, we should be alert for them.”

“I’ll tell the others, you should gather your things. We’ll leave within the hour.”

The Strangers moved almost as though in a formation. Jet took the lead, his spear in his hand and his eyes constantly moving over the grasslands. Wide to the flanks were Sophie and Kat, both using their spears almost like walking sticks. In the center of that triangle, walked Cora, spear tied to her pack. Tillie ranged around them, sniffing and chasing, but always coming back to check on Cora. Salidda walked with Cora, wondering what was so important about the woman with the honey-blonde hair.

When they stopped for lunch, in the shade of a stand of trees, Cora stood watching while the others rested for a bit. “You’re awfully quiet.” Cora observed before popping another piece of gator jerky in her mouth.

“We are taught to move quietly.” Salidda said. “There are many dangers in the Midlands.”

“That’s reassuring.” Jet said, his eyes closed as he lay back against a tree. “What should we be watching for?”

“There are so many dangers out here. If you see sign of a living thing, assume it will eat you.”

Jet’s laugh was a bright rumble. “My God. Is it really that deadly out here?”

Salidda shrugged. “Perhaps not quite so dangerous, but better to be cautious than to be dinner.”

All of the caution in the world would not have changed a thing. Jet thought it as he rolled out of the way of a set of massive teeth. His spear skittered off the tough hide as the massive reptile turned to follow him again. Kat ducked below its swinging tail, and stabbed up toward the stomach. Salidda had her ragged bow and was taking careful aim from a distance.

It looked like some sort of dull colored tyrannosaurus, though like no dinosaur he had ever seen the fossils of. It stood on two massively clawed legs as thick as small trees. A pair of wings spread wide for balance and a flexible tail nearly as long as it was tall stretched behind it. The head, atop a long thin neck, seemed almost disproportionately large, filled with tall teeth and a tongue that tasted the air like a snake.

It reared back, unleashing a roar that trembled through Jet’s bones, as it bore down on him again. This time he wasn’t fast enough to get out of the way. The teeth were looming on either side of him. There was no time. His spear, wedged between its jaws, prevented them from closing, but the shaft was already bowing. He stumbled backward as it lifted its head and strained against the spear. The tip bit deeply into the thing’s tongue, thick blood flowing freely.

“Withdraw!” He called out, backing away, unarmed.

Kat’s spear burrowed into the scaled hide and stuck fast. She tried to wrench it free to retreat. Salidda took her shot and the arrow deflected off one of the monster’s brow ridges. Jet cursed. The huge jaws snapped closed with an echoing crack and bits of the spear shot out like shrapnel. One buried itself in Jet’s cheek, dangerously close to his eye.

The massive wings flapped down once, kicking up dust, and then again, lifting the beast off the ground. Kat lost her grip on her spear and fell to the ground, rolling out of the way. Sophie threw her spear with all the might she could muster. It flew high and the monster tipped its wings to slide out of the way.

“How in the hell do we fight this?” Cora asked as she handed her spear to Sophie and the dark haired girl took aim.

“We should not.” Salidda said as she aimed another arrow. “Some tribes sacrifice a member just to get away. Wyverns are one of the most dangerous creatures in the Midlands.”

“Shit.” Sophie said, weighing the second spear in her hand. The wyvern continued to climb into the sky. “We can’t outrun it.”

“No, they are quite fast.” Salidda confirmed. She fired again, the arrow skipping off the wyvern’s scales.

Kat and Jet returned, both unarmed now. “What do we do?” Cora asked them.

Jet’s dark eyes traveled from face to face, almost like he was looking for an answer. “We split up.” He said at length, watching as the Wyvern circled overhead. “We split up and we run.”

“No.” Kat’s protest was immediate. “We can’t split up. How will we find each other again?”

Jet touched his wife’s face gently. “We meet up in Ward if we can’t find each other on the plains, but we have our whistles. We might be able to find each other out here.” The wyvern rode a thermal up, circling around again, likely preparing to dive.

There was a moment where the four Texans looked at one another as though memorizing each others faces. They had come so far and been through so much, would this be the last time they saw one another?

Tucking its wings close to its enormous body, the wyvern dove at the cluster of people. Without another word, the cluster exploded outward, each person running in a different direction, packs jostling against their backs.