On the Run Again

They had reached land. That should have given them all a thrill. They should have been jumping for joy. Now they could find something to help purify the water and drink. Maybe they could even find something to eat. They did not get the opportunity to feel good about it though. The distant, but far too close, roar let them know they would soon have company joining them. 

Egg shot off the raft and attached to Mollie’s arm. Mollie sat and wiped the sleep from her eyes. Malik already stood, looking into the darkness of the night. There was no way to tell where they were. Abrie had always done most of the navigating. Malik’s extent of navigation was knowing if he had been to a town before. 

“Should we just push back into the water?” Khris asked. 

Malik thought of the merits. They could not see. Aside from the bank of the waters, the surrounding trees, and blackness beyond, there was nothing but imagination. The roar sounded again. 

“If we push back out, we risk the monster holding us hostage on the water. If we go onto the land, then we risk the monster catching us. I say we are not the Saint’s favorites,” Malik replied. 

With every effort, Malik tried to peer through the front line of trees. The only images coming to him were of the steep, muddy banks. Just beyond was a slight shift in the landscape to a small ridge, and then more mud, as far as Malik could tell. The trees along the bank hung down like the hair of a giant into a gigantic bathtub. Malik did not look forward to navigating the terrain even without something chasing them. 

On the other side was the water. It was calm, peaceful even. It lulled him into an even state of mind, but he knew it shared its own risks. Pushing back out into the water meant they may never find shore again. They had to take a risk either way they chose. 

“Sitting here won’t help us,” Mollie said. 

She was right. Whatever route, they chose they needed to choose it before the monster stumbled over them. 

“What does everyone think?” Malik asked. 

Their faces all showed the concern Malik felt. There seemed to be no brilliant choice, only two bad ones. 

“I vote going back out into the water. At least there we won’t be eaten,” Khris said. 

Embre turned to Malik when she answered. “I think we take our chances on land. There, if we get away, we can at least find the other things we need like food and water.” 

Malik thought they both had points. Malik was in no hurry to get eaten by Egg’s mother, but he also was in no hurry to die on a raft in the middle of the Gray Waters. 

“What about you, Mollie?” 

She took a deep breath and looked back and forth between her two options. Malik wondered if she waited for some sign from the Saints to guide her. He doubted she would find any help. Malik knew they were alone. Well, mostly alone, he thought, as the roar echoed through the trees. 

“I don’t know.” Mollie looked like she was being torn in half from the insides. “I don’t want to do either of them.” 

Malik nodded. “I know how you feel.” 

Either way was a risk he did not want to be the reason for taking. 

“We have to choose something, or the monster will choose for us,” Malik said. 

Mollie wrung her hands before her belt. She had strapped on her sword to her back, but no one jumped at the bit to face the monster. 

“Why don’t you make the choice?” she asked. 

Malik had feared she would try to turn it back on him. 

“I shouldn’t be the one to choose.” 

Mollie stomped her foot, settling herself into the opinion. “I think you should.” 

Malik knew then Mollie was scared. Why else would she entrust her life to a coward? Malik had shown repeatedly he was not a brave man. Maybe that was why she trusted him with the decision. She knew he would try to take the coward’s way out. He would be the one to likely run for his life. Malik thought she was probably right, but he did not know which way was the coward’s way this time. Both involved running and both involved potentially dying. 

Malik heard the roar again, closer this time. He imagined the monster ripping trees as it passed. Soon it would rip them if they did not act on a decision. 

“Come on, Malik,” Mollie urged him. 

Malik felt his skin crawling and wanted to curl up in a ball. That he decided was the coward’s way. This time the coward would just curl up and hope to die a quick and painless death. Malik took the first step off the raft onto the land and then turned holding out his hand to help Mollie and Egg. 

Mollie only hesitated a moment before extending her hand. With a grunt and a squish, she stood next to him in the wet mud. Malik helped Embre and heard Khris jumping off the raft without help. All of them stood to their ankles in the soft earth. 

“We have to get to some dryer land. Then maybe we can use the trick Egg did the last time we saw his mother,” Malik said. 

There were no dissenting points of view. Malik took Mollie’s hand and made a few steps running into the small ridge. Malik tried to take it at a running start and slid back down, coming up with only muddy pants for his effort. 

“We will have to work together,” Malik called back to them. 

He looked at the ridge again. 

“If we hoist up Embre and Mollie,” he said, turning to Khris, “then maybe they can steady us as we climb up.” 

Khris nodded, and Malik waved Embre over to them. 

“We will hoist you up. You lean back over the little ledge and help us get Mollie up next.” 

With Khris’ help, they hoisted Embre onto the top of the embankment. Mollie went next, with Egg attached to her arm. Malik stood behind Khris and got him as far as halfway before Mollie and Embre extended their hands and pulled as Khris used his legs to climb. It was an effort, but with Malik behind him pushing Khris finally made the last lunge. Malik crawled as far as he could and jumped, Khris caught one wrist and Mollie the other. They hoisted him up far enough for him to use his elbows and forearms to crawl, covered in mud, to the top. 

All Malik wanted to do was sit down and rest. His body did not feel any better than it had in days and now he was exhausted to go with it. The growl woke him up enough to sit back up. 

“Let’s keep going,” Malik said. 

With only a negligible amount of reluctance the others got to their feet, following Malik. It was impossible to run in the mud caked ground. It was almost impossible to walk. Malik’s foot got stuck every second step, and he had to wiggle and pry his foot out of the muck. 

“We are going to get eaten,” Khris said. 

Malik felt the same way, but it irritated him to hear it out loud. 

“Shut up,” Malik replied. 

“If we would have just stayed on the…” Khris did not finish before falling onto his face. 

Malik refrained from laughing. Mollie stopped and turned, reaching to help Khris back to his feet. In the mud, it was an effort. 

“Why does it feel like we are walking on ice,” Khris said, spitting mud onto the ground. 

Malik noticed his entire face covered in the deep black mud. 

“Just keep moving. When we get far enough away from the water, we will find some dry land,” Malik said. 

Malik at least hoped that was the truth. This mud could go on forever for all he knew. He would not be surprised if they got stuck and were found like flies in a trap for the monster. Malik would be the cause for their death. His decision had been the wrong one. 

Malik lifted his boot out of the slurping mud and took a long step, pushing it right back into the gunk. Malik’s legs had been one of the few parts of his body not burning before the walk, now they felt like hundred-pound weights attached to his hips. He looked back to see the others falling further and further behind. Mollie carried egg on her shoulders. Khris slipped and slid on in the slick surface and Embre was just not meant for physical activity. Malik had no other solution and now it would be pointless to return to the water. There was no way to know if the monster had already found the abandoned raft. 

“Come on, not much further,” Malik yelled, trying to encourage them. 

Malik waited, letting the others catch up, and took the time to take a few deep breaths. 

“Where are we going?” Khris asked, coming to a stop next to Malik. 

Malik looked him over, seeing the mud caked mess he had become. Malik doubted he looked much better. 

“Just a little further this way and we will find some dry land,” Malik said. 

Khris looked at him skeptically. “You don’t know that do you?” 

Malik did not, but there was no reason to announce it. “Just a little further,” he said, avoiding an actual answer. 

Malik was wrong. It was a lot further than just a little ahead. He was more mud than human by the time his feet hit dry land. His boots weighed about ten pounds more apiece than when they had started their trek. His once brown pants were now black. Every inch of his skin was now as if he were a mud creature. He flicked his hands throwing mud onto the ground. He longed to wipe the mud from his mouth and eyes, but there would be no point. 

He turned, looking at the others and saw they too were covered head to toe. Malik let out a laugh. “We are a sight.” 

Mollie held out her arms. “That was horrible.” 

Malik had to agree. 

“Where do we go now?” Khris asked, not ready to get in on the merriment. 

“Should we put Egg down?” Malik asked Mollie. 

Mollie looked to Egg who perched on Mollie’s shoulder. Egg was not totally free from mud, but he preened and most of his skin was still the right color. Although his black skin made it hard to really tell if he were dirty. Egg looked into Mollie’s eyes and leapt off her shoulder. When Egg hit the ground its arm shot up, pointing in a direction that could have been random, but it was about as much as Malik could come up with. Egg then glanced over his shoulder and pointed again toward the way he had selected. Malik knew that back there somewhere was still Egg’s mother. They had not moved fast enough to lose her. Malik was surprised she had not caught up with them yet. 

“Best to keep moving then,” Malik said with some reluctance. 

Malik wished there had been somewhere to hide. A cave, a tree, or anything they could gather their breath around before they continued, but there was nothing here. The trees were still few and far between and they provided little to no shelter. Even if they wanted to climb the trees, they could not. The branches hung down like silk with no weight bearing branches available. 

“I wish I knew what we were looking for.” Malik sighed after about twenty minutes of nothing. He felt a little better knowing the monster was no closer. He had not heard the roaring for quite some time, but that did not mean they were in the clear. Egg still guided them in the same direction, but the landscape did not change. Malik glanced at the moon, it was curling toward the horizon now and soon the sun would replace it. 

Malik knew the sun rising did not mean much to them. The only thing it would change was the temperature and that would not be any favor. 

“I wish there were something, anything,” Malik said aloud. 

“We just have to keep moving.” Mollie sounded tired. 

Everyone sounded tired. Malik knew for sure he was on the verge of collapse if something did not change soon. The only one who seemed to have any energy left was Egg, who kept looking back over its shoulder to make sure the others still followed. Malik had to convince himself not to sit down several times. Eventually his legs moved on their own accord. 

“What is that?” Khris asked. 

Malik looked up, following Khris’ outstretched hand. Far off into the rising sun Malik could see a dark black blot. Malik squinted his eyes, trying to see it better. 

“Probably just a tree,” Malik decided. 

Malik could not take his eyes off the blot as they walked forward.

“What is it, Egg?” Mollie had stopped and bent to the creature. 

Egg was frantically pointing off to the distance. Malik thought it looked afraid of something. Malik glanced back up at the black dot. It was bigger now. Malik looked back to Egg and saw its claws pointing off to where the black dot was. Then it clicked to Malik. The reason the dot looked strange and why it appeared to be getting larger was rather simple. 

“We need to run!” 

Malik raced over to Mollie and pulled her to a standing position. Egg tried to scurry up her arm, but Malik caught him. 

“You ride with me.” 

Egg did not look pleased, but he also did not fight back. 

“What is going on?” Embre and Khris both asked. 

Mollie searched for what had scared Malik into his frenzy. 

“The black dot is not a tree!” Malik yelled, trying to get everyone into gear. 

Then it clicked with everyone else. The beast had stopped roaring. It tracked them and had not bothered to alert them to how close it was. Now it was in sight and Malik figured if they could see it, then it may could see them. 

Everyone followed when Malik ran. He could not remember which direction Egg had been taking them. He just tucked his head and ran. He kept watch to make sure no one fell behind. He did not move fast. His legs and the added weight of Egg made sure of that, but he still ran with all his strength.

He breathed heavily after only a few yards. Malik wondered what it would feel like to be ripped in half. He hoped it would be quick. He knew it would not be painless, but he hoped it would at least be quick. When he stumbled over the outstretched root of an old, long dead, tree he did not bother getting back up. The others whirled passed him, but all came to a skidding halt when they noticed he was not moving. 

“Get up!” Mollie yelled. 

Malik could not move. His body revolted against him. His arms and legs were dead weight and his body gave up.  

“Malik you have to get up,” Mollie stood over him. Her face screamed panic, but Malik was just too tired to rise to her level. 

“Go on without me,” Malik said. He was drained. He wanted to get up and run, somewhere in his thoughts. His body just refused to obey his commands. 

Mollie reached down and grabbed his limp arm. It was a dead weight in her grip. “Malik, I am not going to leave you. If you refuse to go, I will stay with you.” 

Malik’s body had refused to move for him, but at Mollie’s words it woke up enough to wiggle. 

“Just run,” Malik pleaded with her. 

“I will sit right down,” Mollie threatened. 

Malik knew she would. Mollie was not a liar. He pushed his fingers hard into the ground and pushed himself up. His body screamed in defiance, but it moved again. With the momentum, he rocked to a seated position. Then he allowed Mollie to hoist him to his feet. She put his arm around her and helped him walk. 

“Is something broken?” 

Malik thought nothing was broken. It all hurt, but it all still worked if he willed it hard enough. Embre came over and tucked under his other arm. Khris looked around nervously. Malik figured Khris would have left him to die. He would have left Khris to die though too, so he could not judge him. 

They only made it a few more steps before Egg hopped off Malik. Malik had forgotten he clung to him. Egg scurried over to a small tree and stood beside it. 

“That won’t hide you,” Malik said. 

Mollie and Embre stopped moving. They struggled under Malik’s weight, but he could do nothing more to help them. His lungs felt like they would explode, and his legs burned. 

“What are you doing, Egg?” Mollie asked. 

Egg pawed at the tree and waved them over. Mollie and Embre carried Malik with them, and Khris followed. The tree was not special. It was just another long-branched tree, hanging down far enough to touch the ground. It would not provide enough coverage to hide them from the monster or anyone else bothering to look. 

Malik figured Egg had resolved to die as well. Maybe now they would just leave him behind. But Egg pointed over the flat land and Malik saw riders approaching. From one side the riders galloped toward , and from the other the monster ran for them. They would meet each other around the same time. Then they could fight over who would kill them. 

“I know that horse,” Mollie said. 

Malik looked up from his pity party and really looked at the riders. Sure enough, he knew the horse. There was no mistaking the tall beast. On its back was the very man they were looking for, but trying not to be found by. 

“How did he find us?” Malik almost whispered. 

“Is that Sweet Tongue?” Khris asked. 

It was Sweet Tongue. It was the Tempre Warrior with a band of about seventeen mercenaries. Sweet Tongue would not need the mercenaries to kill them, but he had them. 

“We should keep running,” Embre said.

Malik looked behind them. There was nothing beyond except more flat land. This tree was the lone piece of coverage they would find. Even then, it was pointless because a blind man could have spotted them in the morning sun. 

“I don’t think we will make it very far,” Malik said. 

“We did not think we would make it very far the other day either,” Khris started, “the day when we wound up at the old man’s house. That day we should have died twice, but we survived,” 

Malik wished everything ended that luckily, but he knew life rarely gave that much luck twice. 

“You can run, I won’t stop you,” Malik said. 

He would not stop them. He urged them to try. Maybe he could provide a distraction. If they could get to some protection, then they had a shot to live. Malik could give his life for a good cause. Without his parents, his village, or Abrie, he had little left to live for anyhow. 

“I already told you, I am not leaving you,” Mollie chimed in. 

“I will stay too,” Embre said. 

Malik said nothing. He did not want to die together. It may sound heroic in someone’s mind, but in all reality, it was horrifying and very unpleasant. Malik did not argue with them though. He did not want them to die, but selfishly he did not want to die alone either. 

Malik guided his attention from the monster to Sweet Tongue and back. He wondered who would meet them first. He also wondered if Sweet Tongue would see the other threat of the monster as a bigger priority. He doubted that the monster cared much who she killed first. Then Malik wondered who would win. Would Sweet Tongue be able to kill the beast with his mercenaries? Or would the beast rip through them like a wolf to a flock of sheep. Malik hoped that they would both end up killing each other. He decided that was his favorite of the possibilities. If they both died, then Malik and his friends could get out with their lives. Then they could go to this cave, find this relic, and bring it back to the old man; an old man who had never told them how to get the relic back to them even if they got it. 

The monster arrived first. Mollie drew her sword from her back. She did not bother telling Malik to get his bow. She knew better than anyone by now Malik would just freeze up anyhow. 

Mollie’s sword glowed. She took up a pose and waited a few more heartbeats before the Monster jumped to within a few feet of her midsection. Mollie was just barely able to dodge the attack. Malik doubted she could do that too many more times. 

If she felt nearly as tired as he did, then she could swing the sword more than a few times. The brighter the sword grew; the harder Mollie swung. It came to where Mollie moved as if she were a fresh fighter. The fatigue of the last few days faded from her body and she thought of nothing else but the fighting. 

Malik said nothing to distract her. Embre and Khris huddled around the tree. Even Egg, who was always by Mollie’s side, hunched by the tree behind them. Malik thought about lifting his bow. He could do the same thing Abrie had done for Mollie the first two times they had come across these monsters. He could fill the monster’s body with arrow after arrow and hope Mollie could score another killing blow. Malik was not as good as Abrie, though. He could not afford to over or under shoot and accidently hit Mollie instead. At least that is what he told himself. If he did not have to shoot, then there was no way for him to become a coward when the time came. 

Even Khris did not bother to encourage him this time. Malik was not sure why Khris had bothered saving the bow and arrows. They would have done just as well to stay in Bently’s cupboard. 

Mollie brought up her sword and swung, but it missed by a hair. The monster let out a gigantic roar and Mollie stumbled back. Malik had heard the creature’s roar before, several times. However, this one felt like something different. The roar shook Malik to his very foundation. He could still feel his bones clattering together a few seconds later. Mollie was already moving back on the attack. Her sword out in front of her, she swung it lazily. Malik knew she tried to find her distance. But it seemed there was no perfect distance to keep the creature at bay. Mollie was about to swing again when the riders finally made their appearance.