BK1 Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Rian and I ran through the grass in the morning sun. The rigid green spines reached our waists as we tried to keep our balance traversing the terrain. Our path to finding the brigades trail had led us directly into an overgrown meadow. It screamed dangerous as we could not see the creatures that may lurk within. So we decided to run.

Walking would have given any beasts more time to reach us. We made noise as the reeds snapped in our way. Rian slashed with her sabres creating a pathway as we rushed. There hadn't been a way around the field. It had stretched so far we could not see where it began. We had no choice but to keep going forward, to go through it.

I saw some reeds shake to my left and readied my dagger.

"Left!" I called, and Rian changed our direction.

The reeds grew denser as we moved to the right. They scratched against my arms as seeds scattered with our disruption. I sneezed as some fell into my face, my arms now bare since my shirt was ruined. Only my gauntlets provided protection.

The reeds shook, and a clicking noise alerted us to something ahead. Rian slowed as she readied her sabres and bent her knees. Reeds parted, and a demonic rat beast jumped out. Its two large teeth were hurrying toward us. I swiftly slid beside Rian and lowered my stance to the beast's height, stabbing at its head as it aimed for our legs. My distraction was enough for Rian to swipe her blades down into its torso, killing the small rat beast.

We didn't stay to gather its core. We kept running. More reeds shook as the creatures followed.

Two beasts sprang into our path of destroyed reeds and nipped at our heels. I kicked one and threw an Angel shroom at the other. It fell, twitching in a strangled cry. The beast I had kicked changed its target, jumping onto its friend to devour it.

We continued.

Last night we had decided I would do my best to distract whilst Rian would land the killing blows. Unfortunately, I couldn't wield my Jian, not correctly. This is because I was primarily right-handed and could not lift it alone with my left. My dagger skill, however, gave me the same talent with either hand now that it was initiated. So using all we had, I did my best to keep the beasts away. This allowed Rian to focus on our direction and to tackle any that got too close.

The plan was working so far.

An echo of clicking hummed from all around us. The reeds shook, and the earth under our feet vibrated. I tried to keep my footing steady, but a rock caught my toe, and I slipped as Rian continued to run.

"Shit", I cursed, scrambling to pull up with my good arm. As I did, I saw five of the furry beasts hurry toward me through the gaps in the reeds. They pounced as I rolled, crushing more reeds. Two tried to bury into my chest as they dug at my leather cuirass. A third bit at my arm, taking a chuck of my sling as the others ran our way. I panicked and stabbed at one as it neared my throat, my blade slicing into its eye.

Then Rian was there. She bashed one with the hilt of her blade, knocking it off me. I elbowed the one at my arm and kicked at the one at my feet. Rian grabbed my bicep and heaved me to my feet, dragging me along as we ran into the overgrowth.

She had already sawn many reeds as we ran on a clear path. Rian sliced a rat as it jumped out at us, and I cringed as one tried to bite my ankle. Suddenly, a thundering of feet ahead surrounded our senses alongside a pungent smell of musk as the rat beasts chased us.

The ground shook harder small rocks bobbing in the dirt as we avoided another rat beast.

I screamed in shock as the head of an ox beast burst through the reeds. It collided with a rat beast and stamped it, raising its head to bellow in victory. Unexpectedly dozens of ox beasts sprang through the reeds in a stampede rushing by us. They battered the rats with the horns of their heads a swatted them with their tails.

"What the hell?" Rian stopped and stared as the beasts ignored us

"Kreshna", I breathed in awe. "Wild Kreshna"

***

Rian held her blades high as she twitched anxiously at the Kreshna surrounding us. Wild Kreshna were just like any other demonic beast, but they were sub-servant. That meant they did not attack out of feral instinct. Instead, they only attacked when threatened or in defence of their young.

I placed my hand on Rian's and lowered her arm slowly.

"Don't", I shook my head. "If they feel threatened, they could attack us."

"What? How do you know that" she hissed, her body buzzing with adrenaline.

"Just trust me, okay? I know Kreshna," I said, rolling my eyes at her stubbornness.

The Kreshna slowed their attack as the rats scampered away into the reeds. The bull snorted, stamping his foot three times, and the others responded in kind. Their tense muscles loosened as the hulking bodies regrouped and calmed down.

"See?" I pointed to the bull as he lowered his head and began to graze on the rigid reeds of grass. "If we stay calm, they won't bother us" I sheathed my dagger and rubbed the spot on my right arm where a rat beast had tried to bite me. It had only gotten the material of my makeshift sling, though.

"Alright, I'll trust you" Rian lowered her blades slowly and sheathed them. "How do you know about Kreshna's?"

"I like them", I shrugged. "I didn't get to use horse-drawn carriages, so I took an interest in them."

"Why didn't you use horse-drawn carriages? You're a noble," Rian frowned.

"Not a blood-born noble" I smiled, and she furrowed her eyebrows.

"Right, sorry. I forgot," she sighed. "I never considered that before. I suppose Viscount Heversham wouldn't have let you. He is an advocate for the noble privilege"

"Very much so", I confirmed. Roger Heversham had always believed noble blood was worth more than a commoner. He would never have accepted me as his daughter if it wasn't for Cassandra, who had brought me. He was very devoted to his wife.

"That couldn't have been easy for you. Knowing he thought less of you," Rian stepped closer to me as a Kreshna snorted nearby.

"It-It wasn't," I said the words alien. I had never openly admitted to hating my life with the Viscount. It was strange, admitting now to Rian Thornfax, the woman I once considered my social rival.

Roger's hatred for commoner blood had been what stemmed the majority of my treatment from the servants in the household. They looked at me with the same disdain he showed, following his example. My tantrums and social embarrassment had only solidified that. I was a plague on the household the servants held dear. So they had felt no social demand to treat me as they should have for my station. Why should they? When my own family treated me so. No one would reprimand them.

"I think I understand why you wanted to join the Army now" Rian's expression gave me pause. "Why you wanted to do something else with your life."

"Just from Kreshna?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

"I catch on quick enough", she smiled, bumping my good shoulder.

"Right, you were always witty" I exaggerated the word, and she shook her head at me.

"Witty enough to deal with you, maybe."

"That's all the wit one needs", I joked, and she laughed playfully.

"Alright, so what are we doing about this?" she waved at the herd of Kreshna surrounding us. We were, in all senses of the word, trapped by them.

"You may not like it, but I do have an idea," I said, and she narrowed her eyes.

"Just what do you want to do exactly?"

"Something crazy" I grinned, and she moaned.

***

"Lynette" Rian whisper shouted as I crouched in the reeds. "Are you sure about this?" she tucked beside me as we hid from the Kreshna.

"Pretty sure", I lied. I wasn't sure in the slightest.

I had always had a connection with Kreshna, but they were already trained and bred for captivity. They were in no way the same as a wild Kreshna. However, something had been niggling at me since I got my blood sign. It never made sense why the captive Kreshna responded to me so differently than others. They were stubborn abrasive creatures who needed wrangling by strong, stable hands. They were not beasts that could be ridden. Yet, I had ridden them multiple times.

"Just…" I paused, trying to think of a way to do this. "Stay here, okay? I will call for help if I need it," I said, and Rian bit her cheek.

"Don't get yourself killed. This is really stupid", Rian tutted, gripping the hilt of her blades.

"Maybe, but I want to try," I said, and she glared.

"I'll be here", she resigned with a heavy sigh.

"Thanks" I squeezed her shoulder to reassure her everything would be okay. But I had no idea how this would go.

Carefully, I split apart the reeds and stepped closer to the bull Kreshna as he grazed. The wind blew onto me, so I was downwind, which was good as I'm fairly sure I stink. I hadn't bathed since we left Talbour, and now I was covered in dried blood. I probably stank worse than the Kreshna.

Stepping lightly, I avoided a stone in my path and crept to the beast. His snout blew hot air separating the reeds as he prodded forward, grazing. Slowly, I reached out my palm, keeping my body void of hostility.

The beast stomped its foot at my approach, and I held back from going any further.

"Shhh", I made a soothing sound to calm his agitation. His floppy ears flapped as his brown eyes watched me. "There, there" I held my palm forward again, but he wafted his head, threatening me with his two curved horns.

I stepped back as he stamped his foot again. He snorted at me, his breath flickering my black hair around my neck.

"I mean no harm", I spoke lowly. "We need your help" I don't know why, but somehow, it felt right that I should bow. It was as though the knowledge of what to do had always existed in my mind. I lowered my head and bent my knees to keep myself low before him. The bull's snout felt closer as his breath shifted at the top of my head. I felt his rough snout nuzzle the top of my head as he inspected me. I stayed there, not moving.

One wrong move, and this bull could kill me.

He could ram his horns into my chest.

I held my breath.

The sensation of his touch lifted away, and I dared to raise my head ever so slightly. He stood before me, watching patiently.

I raised my palm forward again, my hand shaking. He met my palm with his snout. I stilled a little in relief, a little in disbelief. Steadily, I rose from my low position, keeping my hand on his snout, gently rubbing it. He nuzzled me back and nodded his head, whipping a fly with his tail.

"Lynette?" Rian whispered from the reeds in her hiding position.

"It's alright", I replied, being careful not to shout. "Stand slowly, and come over."

"This is crazy", she whispered, rising from the reeds. The bull jolted a little at her appearance, but I quickly patted his snout.

"She's a friend. Please, will you help us?" I asked again, and the bull stamped its foot. It swished its head, and suddenly it bellowed into the sky.

I jumped back, and Rian tightened her grip on her blades as the other Kreshna ran towards us, enclosing us tightly. They all bellowed into the sky in a union, even the young ones.

A tingling buzzed in my skin as the bull approached me again. He turned his body and bucked his head back before lowering his legs to lie on the ground.

Rian and I glanced at one another, and she shook her head in incredulity.

"I can't believe you did it" She stared in dumb shock at the bull as he bobbed his head again inpatient.

"Neither can I" I advanced to the bull and held onto one of his horns.

"What do you mean neither do you? I thought you said you knew this would work!" Rian exclaimed, following my lead.

"I lied" I shrugged, admittedly using the horns of the bull as support to lift my legs around his torso.

"I can't believe you did that", Rian scowled gingerly, taking my hand as I lifted her up onto the beast. She quickly grabbed my waist, her arms holding tight.

"We could have died", she pouted, but her stiff posture told me she was nervous.

"Then it's a good thing we didn't" I gently squeezed my legs, and the bull rose our bodies leaning into his stride as he stood.

"Now what?" Rian tightened her grip some more.

"Now, we ride."