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I just hope Aria will forgive me.
Chapter twenty-one
Frack
Igor
Thereceptionofmehas shifted a little the past few days. Zod was right. Though many still don’t like me, I earned the respect of a few when I spoke.
I arm myself as I prepare to leave. It is around midnight and the camp is quiet. Most are either asleep or out on patrol.
I leave my hut and go look for mykaraji. I utilize stealth in my steps as I don’t want to alarm anyone. The past few days Hettar has had an eye out for me, but I needed to prepare. The journey to Ragu, the dragon lands, is a long one. On foot it could be a month but with a reliablekaraji, it will be 2 weeks.
Kabana, mykarajimakes a noise as I am freeing him, and I turn to the footsteps. Five silhouettes make themselves known and Zod, Faz, Kaja, Joha and the young bono soro who lost his friend on the last attack—Obani—reveal themselves.
“Isn’t it awfully late to be petting your karaji, cousin?” Kaja speaks first when he sees my eyes narrowed at them.
“You will go back to your huts. I am going alone.”
Zod whistles and his karaji wakes from slumber. “I’d like to see you stop us,” he says as he nears his animal. The others go to theirs.
“You are too young. This isn’t a journey for the young.” I prevent the young soro from following behind Joha.
“I can’t stay here and do nothing. If I die like others, then I’d rather die fighting or doing something, not sitting here waiting for them to come get me.” He squares his shoulders, standing a little straighter.
I don't need a young to look after out there but I feel his spirit. I was the one who wanted us to fight. And he may have been young, but he was one of my best.
“There are unknown beasts out there, you might not make it, and no one is going to be sitting you.” I say.
“I am ready.”
I turn from him and finish freeing my karaji. I unloosen the rope from his large horns, and he shakes his neck to loosen the rest. Kabani is an old friend. It was good that even after all this time, he still remembered me. Even though he had a new rider. I had left him with Jani, but he lent him to the soros who used him in hunting. But Kabani was a warriors karaji.
We pulled our karajis to the gate. Everything at camp was eerily quiet. I nod to the gate keeping orcs, and they open. I had already talked to the one who was coming on shift today.
We start slow, riding away from camp and the border first. We have to duck other scouts in the neighboring areas and ensure we don’t cross into Bono territory.
We ride all night and morning, resting at noon to pick our journeys for night when it is better to travel without the sun. Night is still warm enough that we have no need for much of the winter furs.
In the afternoon, we set our karajis for the way once more. This time it would be red desert for long stretches until we reach the white mountains of Saho. A journey that in itself is a week and a half.
We had already encounteredjubas- land squids - that have nails covering their tentacles and one of the most dangerous creatures found in this realm.
Luckily, they are delicious, keeping us stocked on food. The water was a different issue. We were running on just enough. Our realm was not abundant on clean water sources. And with the abundance of other predatory water creatures, not many were safe.
“I think they were here,” Zod says as we near a rock formation that has underground caves we have been looking for.
“There were borojas in this area. Swords at the ready.” I announce. Our karajis needed rest. And we were still a week away from Ragu.
“I hope not. I have no—” Kaja doesn’t finish.
The screech is accompanied by a sneak attack of three borojas bursting out of a hole in the ground.
They look like spiders in the human realm in appearance, but they have four eyes, one on each side of their face for an all-round view. They were lethal and if you weren’t careful, their sharp appendages would get you, or their acid.
We jump back before we have our weapons out.
As if practiced, we separate. I take one.
