Chapter One - Spook: Chapter 1

Raoul knew very little about the Edge of the World, or the Wraith, or the strange stryx that were terrorizing the camp they had arrived at. He did know that it was an important job, and even the happy-go-lucky Vino was looking serious as they strode through the wastes. He had taken Ko and Hreggvidr as a precaution; Their talent for sensing danger would come in handy. Felvargs tended to be good trackers at night--or, at least, slightly better than Vino. Still, the dexterity and cleverness of a Felvarg wouldn’t carry them through battle the same way Vino’s talons and fangs would. Without Tazmyn and her stryx, Raoul felt completely alone in the wastes. His magic could only carry them so far, and Vino wasn’t exactly known for his strength.

As they crested a hill, the vast wastelands laid out before them. Hreggvidr and Ko looked at the distant volcanoes with worry. They didn’t want to deal with whatever lurked in that corrupted storm. It resembled a miniature ragnarok, whatever it was. The smog and gasses from the volcanic region were messing with Ko’s and Hreggvidr’s noses, though Vino was completely undisturbed. While he could smell flesh from a mile away, certain other scents didn’t seem to bother him. It was a strange quirk of some stryx, it seemed.

Raoul ushered Vino on with a light kick of the heels. The stryx obediently moved into the growing smog, Ko and Hreggvidr trailing at his heels. As they entered the permanent layer of smoke, Raoul spotted a pair of glowing red eyes. The hackles on Hreggvidr’s neck rose and Ko growled at the creature from afar. Vino eyed it with curiosity and Raoul let his reins go slack. He would trust the instinct of his stryx, for now. The other creature stepped close enough for them to see it. Its plumage was a dark teal, with the tips of its head and limbs lightening into silver. Gray markings swirled on its side and formed loops and rings; It reminded Raoul of a tabby cat and python mixed together. What struck them most of all was the glowing red cracks and the corruption dripping from its mouth, both appearing like exposed blood.

When Hreggvidr spotted the glowing corruption, she barked out a warning. “It’s one of the corrupted dracostryx! This is what we were supposed to look out for!” Beside her, Ko growled and did her best to look intimidating. Despite their displays, Ko and Hreggvidr were still dwarfed by both dracostryx.

The strange stryx tilted its head, glowing eyes swiveling as it weighed its chances against these new foes. Raoul knew they had a habit of leaving large numbers alone--after all, that’s how the Taura-Naji warriors kept the caravans safe--but he didn’t know if that extended to Felvargs. The creature lowered its head and shrieked, extending its claws and opening its beak like a raptor about to pounce. Before Ko could guide them away or Hreggvidr could sound the alarm, Vino had already decided that this stryx was not a friend. He turned on his heels and started sprinting towards the camp, scrambling back up the cliff and making distressed chirping noises. If Vino was bit by the corrupted stryx and had the corruption spread into his own blood, they were done for. Raoul didn’t want to think about what would happen if his dear Vino became a ravenous beast because of the bite. Veronika would be just as heartbroken, if not more. They may not be mates, but the larger stryx definitely had a bond with Vino. Ko scrambled up the hill behind him, similarly wary of the creature. Hreggvidr, perhaps, was most familiar with magic that corrupted the soul. Would it affect a Felvarg? She didn’t want to find out. It wasn’t the fangs or talons or hissing dracostryx that scared them all, it was that blood-red corruption it carried.

Vino reached the top of the hill and quickly scanned the layer of smoke. It was difficult to navigate while running through the smog, but as they temporarily ran above it, he could see signs of the camp. Ko locked on to the direction of the camp. Without her nose, both her and Hreggvidr would have to rely on their sense of direction to navigate. Vino also aligned himself with the caravan, then quickly disappeared into the smog again.

Even pausing for those brief moments had allowed the creature to catch up to them. It hissed and nipped at Hreggvidr’s heels. When it drew too close, Ko gave out a roar, startling it and causing it to lose a few yards. Vino also jumped from the sudden noise, but Raoul carefully kept him pointed in the same direction. His magic wasn’t meant for battle. He had spells for utility and a few parlor tricks, but beyond that, there was nothing in his repertoire that could deal with a literal terror chasing them. Vino huffed and grunted as he reached the limits of his endurance. He had spent so much energy sprinting that he didn’t have his usual energy for a long run. He held out his feathers so that the wind blew over them and whistled; It was his own sign of distress, meant to warn a flock of a predator. There was no way the noise would reach the caravan, but it was instinct that all of them appreciated.

Hearing the whistling call from Vino, the pursuing creature also stretched its wings and made a similar noise, even as it chased them down. Hreggvidr wondered if the poor thing was scared out of its wits. Was it really chasing them, or was the corruption pushing it forward against its will? Ko had a similar line of thinking, but unlike Hreggvidr, the thought didn’t weigh down her feet or conscience. If that thing attacked Hreggvidr, she would bite its neck until it stopped moving, corruption be damned. Vino was fast, but the creature was gaining again. Just what sort of monster was it, that it could keep up with the lightning-fast raptor? It certainly looked like a runner, but all four of its limbs were covered in feathers. Its hooked beak looked unlike a parrot; rather, teeth or not, it looked like it could rip apart even the largest animals. It reminded Raoul of the terror birds he had seen in his wanderings, though with many extra feathers attached.

Sending his rider’s worry, Vino whined again. The caravan drew close enough that they could hear it. Hreggvidr breathed an audible sigh of relief, though quickly sucked the air back up as she put her last bit of energy into a sprint. Vino and Raoul had the lead over the Felvargs, but now that they were close enough to hear the caravan, they slowed down and whirled around. Vino roared at the creature, with Ko sliding beside him and howling. Ko’s howl wasn’t exactly intimidating, but it did do its job. Screeches and squawks sounded from the caravan. Other, non-corrupted, friendly-looking stryx emerged from the smog, surrounding their pursuer. It whirled around, tail trailing in a circle behind it, swapping between enraged squawks and distress chirps. Raoul, Hreggvidr, Vino, and Ko all fell out of the circle. A particularly large Tyto screeched and flew forward at it, talons outstretched. It had no intention of hitting the corrupted stryx, but how would it know that? It fled from the superior numbers--hopefully towards a finished pit trap. The group sighed in relief as the chaser became the chased. They could rest now.