Amara and Rath's Tale
This story is rated for Readers Over 16 for sexual situations and violence
The trip to the mountains was a repeat of the journey for Zarra. Since they were going deep in the lands across the mountains, protection was needed. Apart from Amara and the three demons, a dozen cats and three cat demons went along. It was decided that the cats would go instead of the wolves since they were more powerful. Again, they wanted their group to be protected but not seem aggressive. Kala was not happy with the number; he felt that they should have doubled the number of cat demons, but if they took more, it would take away from the protection of Prospect and the surrounding farms.
This time we dressed for cold weather; each of us were given long coats with wool lining and heavy boots. These clothes were packed up until they would be needed and the large cats doubled as pack animals.
It was a long climb over the mountains. I had not realized but we had just reached a little beyond the foothills when we found Zarra; now we would have to cross them. The peaks were not that high and the cats proved invaluable. Zarra tied ropes to them and they hauled us up, their claws finding purchase where they seemed to be none.
It took us two days to scale the mountains. The one night we spent was terrifying to me. I got no sleep at all, perched on a narrow ledge with the chill wind seeping into my very bones. I sat shivering between Rath and Kala, but even their body heat was not enough to keep the cold at bay.
When reached the other side of the mountains, I don't know what I expected but I certainly didn't expect what I found. The land for miles was bleak and dreary, with sparse scraggly bushes filled with thorns the only vegetation as far as the eye could see. The land was hard dirt and loose stones and very hard to walk on. I stepped wrong and turned my ankle and Zarra put me on one of his cats. I felt like I was not carrying my own weight, but Rath reminded me that in the end, it was all up to me whether or not this journey would be successful or not.
On the third day we were attacked by what seemed to be hundreds of spiders, spiders the size of the wolves! They came from nowhere and leapt at us, poison dripping from six-inch long fangs. I was still on the cat and at a command from Zarra, it leapt high onto a nearby rock, taking me to safety. From this vantage point I watched the terrible battle. Rath drew his sword and flames licked its length, but there were too many spiders for any of them. Two of the cats were bitten and as the poison took effect, they were dragged away by the spiders.
A huge spider, perhaps the leader, jumped on Kala, reaching for him with those terrible fangs. Zarra pulled him off and threw him aside, but Kala had deep scratches from those fangs. The wolf demon staggered from the poison in those wounds and Rath called everyone to his side. They made a tight circle which was quickly surrounded by spiders. I bit my lip not to cry out - knowing that drawing attention to myself would serve no purpose. Oh! for my foolish idea - now all of us would die!
Rath began make sigils with his sword and then he touched the point of it to the ground. Fans of flame spread from the tip right into the spiders, engulfing them in seconds. He made a circular motion and the flames circled around the group. Soon only the charred bodies of the spiders remained.
But we had lost two cats and Kala was desperately sick. Rath poured precious water on the ground to make mud, and put in herbs from his pouch, and packed Kala's wounds in mud. This would draw out the poison.
Kala was put on another one of the cats and we quickly made our way away from this terrible place. He needed rest, but this was not the place for that. We traveled more than half a day more until finally Rath decided that it was safe to stop. Kala was lying limp over the shoulders of the cat and when Zarra lifted him off, he was barely conscious and burning with fever. We made him a bed of blankets and Rath gathered some of the thorny bushes and make a small fire. I had a feeling if he were not a fire master, those bushes would have never burned.
All through the afternoon and into the night, Kala tossed and turned with the fever and the poison. Rath changed his mud potion several times, trying to draw out the poison, but still it raged through Kala's body. I uncovered his burning body to bathe it with cool water, even though water was at a premium in this harsh land, but it seemed to have no effect.
I was in despair -- if I lost Kala! I had never thought about what losing a bound male would do to me emotionally, but now I knew firsthand. I would not be able to bear it! My heart would break and I would never be able to pick up the shattered pieces. I could not sleep, I would not leave his side, and my feelings communicated themselves to Rath and Zarra and made them fretful.
Finally, just as the dawn's first rays appeared, Kala's fever broke and he fell into a deep, healing sleep.
We stayed put for two more days while Kala regained his strength. Our water was almost gone and our food was getting very scarce. This adventure had taken a turn for the worse and I deeply regretted my decision to go into the forbidden lands over the mountain.