Page 50 of Orc's Possession
Unheard of, and yet the beasts are pulverizing our settlement before my eyes.
My sword severs the heads of four beasts as three of my warriors and I struggle to turn the horde away from the mountain. They’ve decimated everything in sight, from the fire pits to the tanning frames, but that is a concern for later.
Off to my left, Verig remains on his gorja as he swings at the beasts. He’s taking a huge risk. Even with his sword swinging low to keep the yengas from reaching his gorja, if one makes it past him, the horde will cut down his mount and then him. But this is why I chose Verig as my second. He lets nothing stop him.
My sword finds no relief as beast after beast charges at me. Blood colors the ground, our bodies, and our swords as we battle the yangas. As I kill three more, Ossa runs from the safety of the tunnels.
“Get back inside,” I yell at her.
“Evve’s missing! And the hooman ran off.”
I can see the path cleared by the rampaging yengas. Trees of all sizes, including ones that survive the worst winds and rains, have been toppled and shredded like they were saplings. No one could have survived this stampede. My heart sinks at the thought of losing not only Evve but my mate too.
“Evve!” Ossa yells again as she reaches my side, her ax drawn.
I push Ossa behind me as I sever the head of a yenga. “I will find her.”
Rage fuels me forward as I race past the remaining yengas,leaving them for my warriors to kill. The chance that Evve and Paloma are still alive is slim. I have to find them.
The path of trampled brush and felled trees leads toward the lake. I pray neither Evve nor Paloma entered the water to avoid the yengas. Though if they became trapped between the yengas and the lake… I cannot even imagine such a deadly choice.
When I reach the lake, Evve, my little niece who I can still throw in the air and catch with one hand, swings a branch at a yenga. I cannot allow myself to mourn the fact that I don’t see Paloma, that she is likely dead. I must save Evve.
Five of the beasts border the lake, edging their way toward her. She stands in the shallow end where the racanna cannot reach her, but the yengas can if they are determined enough. Yengas won’t enter water higher than their ankles but even an animal in the throes of hunger will risk its life to reach its prey.
One by one, I slice through the five yengas, narrowly missing the horns of a sixth that charges me from behind. With two more swings, I behead the sixth and turn to my sister’s youngling.
Evve stands in the water, not moving, fear in her young eyes.
“They are dead, Evve.”
She shakes her head, as if she doesn’t believe me. When I step forward to pick her up, she points to the middle of the lake. “The racanna took Paloma.”
Hope and fear twist within me. Paloma may still be alive, depending on when the racanna took her. I don’t have time to waste asking Evve.
“Don’t move from this spot,” I order as I place a knife in Evve’s palm. There are more yengas in the woods and she may have found the ideal spot for avoiding both yengas and racannas.
I plunge my sword into the dirt by the lake, so any warrior who approaches will know I need help. Then I draw a knife and dive into the cold, murky water. The low visibility means the racanna has stirred from its nest.
Once I reach the bottom, I drag my hand on the lake floorsearching for my female knowing I may find the racanna instead. Something grabs my wrist, but I don’t feel scales, only flesh. Paloma!
I grab her arm and pull, but she doesn’t move. As the dirt settles, I see why. The racanna wrapped its tail around her waist and holds her under the water waiting for her to drown.
The terror in her eyes as she claws the racanna’s tail shoots fear through me.
I cannot—will not—lose her.
Repeatedly, I stab the racanna’s tail, gouging as deeply as I can. Clouds of black blood darken the water.
One last air bubble escapes Paloma’s mouth.
Too late! Too late!my brain screams.
I keep stabbing the racanna’s tail. I will not lose my female!
Finally, the monster loosens its grip.
Paloma’s body floats free of the racanna. Her eyes are open and she’s not moving. There’s no air left in her body.
