There was no way to tell for sure if the Abhorrent woman was still interested in them, but Captain Ishki traveled under the assumption that she was.

The atmosphere was tense throughout the morning. There was little conversation. No singing. All the soldiers wore full armor and kept their weapons ready. There were no further reserves of golden henbane.

Around the lunch hour, they spotted a village. Captain Ishki called for a short rest, and at the same time, sent Sergeant Tamharu into the town to see if he could send a message ahead of them. He came back thirty minutes later to report that it wasn’t possible.

“Local constables don’t have any fast horses,” he reported. “No reports of anything strange going on in these parts. Though they said travelers brought rumors of trouble in the capital.”

“When was that?” Captain Ishki asked.

“Yesterday. The travelers who brought the gossip left north early in the morning, so… no way to question them.”

Captain Ishki frowned. “Once we get past Asnu Gorge, we’ll have plenty of chances to send a messenger ahead to the capital.”

After lunch, the atmosphere lightened a bit, as they left behind the horror of the hilltop battle. By dinner, the soldiers even managed some singing.

Just after dawn, Captain Ishki led the morning prayer, asking the Pontifarch for guidance and protection. There was more singing on the road. Things almost seemed like they’d gone back to normal, at least as the traveling was concerned.

I guess the worst is over, Xerxes thought. But then he started thinking about the monstrous creature they’d fought. And as his mind wandered, something occurred to him. Looking over at Gandash and Bel, who were riding next to him, he said, “What do you think she wants? Or… wanted, I guess.”

Gandash shook his head. “I wish I knew. I can summon the things, and control the ones I summon. And Buhhu mages do have a lot of information about the Abhorrent. But… I don’t remember hearing of any kind that looks like that.”

“I’ve been thinking about it, Xerk,” said Bel. “Do you remember what she said when we first saw her?”

“Not really,” he answered. “Her language is… weird. I mean, the mere sound of it makes my breath catch in my throat.”

She shuddered. “Me too. But… I’m pretty sure I heard her say the word melam. More than once.”

“Hmm.” Xerxes thought about it for a bit. “You might be right. What do you think it means?”

“What if…” she said, then trailed off and bit her lip.

“What if what?” Gandash asked softly.

“What if she’s after us?”

“Us?” Xerxes said. “You mean the three of us?”

“Yeah. What if she senses the melam in our chambers of energy? What if that’s what she wants?”

Xerxes thought back to the frenzy of the initial battle, and midnight fight, and he realized it was definitely positive. A chill ran down his spine.

“Should we tell Captain Ishki?” Gandash asked.

Xerxes was hesitant given it was just a random theory, but knew that they couldn’t keep such an important detail from the captain. “I’ll do it,” he said.

He rode further up the line to where the captain and Sergeant Tamharu were.

“Captain?” he said.

“Yes, Seer?”

“We have an idea….”

The captain didn’t seem convinced. However, the mere possibility that the monster was targeting mages was something she didn’t want to take lightly, so she changed the marching order. She didn’t explain the reason to the soldiers, who by this point were returning to high spirits.

But now that Xerxes was thinking about a monster out there looking for mages, he kept his eyes on the horizon. On the shadows beneath trees. On the spaces between boulders, and where hills rose and ebbed.

He was convinced that, at some point, a flash of movement would appear.

What if it ran right toward him? He didn’t have the thick armor worn by the heavy infantry. There was almost nothing to stop those undulating fingers from stabbing into his soft parts. He had a sword, and he had Singular Lethality, but neither would be particularly useful in the circumstances.

About a quarter league from Asnu Gorge, Xerxes actually did spot movement some distance from the road. His heart jumped into his throat until he realized it was only a deer.

You're being too jumpy, he chided himself.

Eventually, they reached the gorge. It was a steep valley that formed one of the primary borders of the true interior of Isin. Once past it, farmlands, villages, and towns were everywhere, such that it was virtually impossible to travel for an hour without seeing signs of civilization.

The bridge was made of stone, and had a single arch. And it was relatively narrow. Based on what Xerxes had heard the soldiers saying, the thing was old enough that it predated Isin. Wind rushed through the gorge, making it seem vastly colder than it really was. Everyone wrapped cloaks around their shoulders as they started across. Looking over the side, it was possible to see the rocky floor of the valley.

Squad Three led the way, with Sergeant Nozar in the front. After them came Captain Ishki, the prisoners, and the mages. Squad Two, the light infantry, followed. Bringing up the rear was Sergeant Tamharu and the three surviving members of Squad One.

Xerxes remembered his awe upon crossing this bridge weeks ago. The idea of leaving the crowded interior of Isin and entering the wilder lands beyond had filled him with a sense of adventure. Now, he was just glad to be returning alive.

Halfway across the bridge, Xerxes sniffed something noxious, but by that time, it was too late.

The Abhorrent woman had been lying in wait in the shadowy recesses under the bridge. Whipping white fingers killed three members of Squad Two before anyone realized what was happening. Pale spidery legs clicked on the stone as she crawled out, unleashing death with impunity.

The soldiers reacted quickly. The archers retreated while Tamharu led his soldiers forward.

“Free me so I can fight!” shrieked Ligish.

“I’m going in,” Bel said.

“No,” Ishki said. “Bel, Gandash, back up. Squad Three, form a line.”

Xerxes felt nearly overwhelmed with terror. However, his horse seemed even more frightened, as it reared, throwing him before bounding away, taking his sword with it. He landed flat on his back on the mossy stone surface of the bridge. The wind wasn’t knocked out of him, but it sure hurt.

As he scrambled to his feet, he saw the Abhorrent grab a soldier and throw him screaming off the bridge. Then she turned and looked at him. Before, she’d had a face and breasts like a marble statue. Now, her features were marred by the blow from his fist, from poison arrows, and from the noxious slime of the spawn Gandash had summoned.

“Grk ba’ya melam,” she said, lips parting to reveal her sharp teeth.

He crawled to his feet and reached for his component pouch.

One of Tamharu’s Squad One swordsmen tried to slash at her legs, but she batted him away. He slammed into the side of the bridge so hard Xerxes heard the cracking sound as his neck broke.

“Captain, they need my help!” Bel said. “I can—”

“No, and that’s an order!”

The Abhorrent began moving toward Xerxes.

His nose flared. At the same time, he grabbed some crabnickel powder and started drawing the Asgagu Isten rune.

The Abhorrent said something else in her weird language, then lifted a hand.

Xerxes finished drawing the rune, and felt the rush of energy through him. Melam surged to his hand, and light shone as his hand became a living weapon.

“Bring it on,” he growled, settling into a fighting stance.

The Abhorrent woman’s fingers shot out. Xerxes dodged them easily. Too easily. That was when he realized her attack was a feint.

Looking to the left, he saw that her fingers had arced over the heads of Squad Three and were closing in on Gandash. Two white, hose-like appendages pierced his thigh and side, while others wrapped around his neck and leg.

All Gandash managed was a choked yelp as he was dragged off his horse and toward the monstrous woman.