The Heart of Alchemy by James Wisher (i like reading books txt) 📗

way of physical labor, but the constant need to be on alert drained him mentally. They hadn’t even encountered another creature and the birds seemed content to fill the air with a cacophony of calls that would have even drowned out Abby.

When they reached the shore of the lagoon, everyone slumped to the sand. Otto didn’t have the heart to rush them. Sunset was still hours away, so they had time. A little rest would hurt nothing. Just to be sure, Otto kept his focus outward toward the jungle. Damned if he had come this far only to let some beast sneak up on them now.

There was a splash and Cord said, “I swear I’m going to sleep for a week when we’re done.”

Most splashes prompted Otto to turn. The squad was gathered at the water’s edge, each of them busy pouring handfuls of water over their face and backs. He scowled at the noise, but didn’t reprimand them. They had worked hard today, hard enough to have earned—

A shadow moved through the water.

Otto never had a chance to call out a warning or summon his magic, so fast did the huge reptile burst out of the water and snap down on Cord. It dragged him into the water and out of sight before Otto fully processed what was happening.

Everyone was at a loss for words. Everyone but Hans. “Back to the ship! Forget the casks. Move it!”

Otto just gave him a look.

“With your permission, my lord?”

Otto sent threads out into the water and quickly found the creature that had killed Cord. It was swimming toward the far end of the pool, the unfortunate soldier’s body in its mouth. A moment later it dove into a cave and Otto let his threads dissolve.

“It’s gone. Fill the casks and we’ll head back. Be sure to clean the blood off first.” He motioned Hans off to one side. “Did he have a family?”

Hans shook his head. “None of us do, not to speak of anyway. The squad is our family.”

“Then I’m doubly sorry, for the loss of a good soldier and a brother of sorts.”

“Cord knew the risks that come with this job, we all do. Don’t trouble yourself on our account. This is the most important thing any of us has ever been involved in. I speak for everyone when I say we have no regrets.”

Otto wondered if Hans really spoke for his comrades, but said nothing. Done was done and they still had a long ways to go.

Chapter 32

The jungle shade made a welcome change from the blinding heat of the sun beating down on them. Axel had no idea what sort of game they might find, but judging from the constant stream of squawks and hoots coming from the canopy, there was no shortage of life. He slapped the back of his neck and came away with a splattered bug and some of his own blood.

Yeah, there was plenty of life and little of it friendly.

He sliced a vine in half and pressed on. Colten had gone ahead of the main group to look for tracks. The youthful scout vanished into the jungle with the same skill he showed back home. The techniques were the same even if the plants were different.

“What are we hunting for exactly?” Cobb asked.

“Meat. I don’t care what it looks like as long as we can eat it. There must be something around here.”

“Yeah, I just hope whatever we find doesn’t consider us a meal instead.”

Axel seconded that idea. He hacked a frond out of the way. Beyond it he found Colten crouched on a game trail examining the ground. A thick carpet of fallen leaves covered the dirt, but he trusted Colten to make sense of the seemingly random patterns in the litter.

“What did you find?” Axel asked.

“I’m not sure, sir,” Colten said. “Something passed through here not that long ago, something big, with four legs and a long tail. I’ve never seen tracks like it. Truth is I’m not sure if it’s a predator or prey.”

“It’s prey now,” Axel said. “Archers, ready your bows. I assume everyone swapped their mithril arrows for regular steel.”

Everyone had which was good since he doubted Otto would be very pleased if they wasted the nearly priceless weapons hunting for dinner.

They set out behind Colten, everyone now on full alert, their movements nearly silent. A moment of pride washed over him at how quickly his men switched from relaxed to alert. There was a reason they were the best and this just reminded him why.

A quarter mile down the trail, a deep roar followed by a heavy thud filled the air.

Everyone froze and Colten looked back for instruction. Using hand gestures Axel told him to move up and take a look. Colten gave him a thumbs-up, snuck off the trail, and vanished into the jungle.

More bellows filled the air along with the heavy thuds. What in heaven’s name was going on? Axel had never heard anything like those noises.

“I don’t like this,” Cobb muttered.

Axel shot him a glare and he fell silent.

Long minutes later, Colten emerged from the jungle and waved them up. Axel hurried over and said, “Report.”

“Damnedest thing I ever seen, sir. There’re two lizards fighting in a clearing about a hundred yards ahead. They’ve got to be at least forty feet long. If you want to take a look, I doubt they’ll even notice us.”

Axel wasn’t sure he wanted a closer look, but he’d read that reptile meat was high quality and tasted similar to chicken. If they killed the two lizards, that might yield enough meat to last the rest of the trip.

“Show me.”

“Are you kidding?” Cobb asked. “How are we supposed to kill two forty-foot-long lizards?”

“We have mithril swords. We’ll cut their heads off. Now come on.”

They followed Colten through the jungle to the edge of a large dirt clearing. Just as he said, a pair of huge lizards were brawling in the dirt. As he watched, they hissed at