Free To Claim the Elvin Princess: Apprentice by Jack Bessie Page B

fine, even being hidden,” she explained, while looking around warily.
    “What will we find on the next crossing?”
    “A world called Mierinoc ar Darin , the Place of Death!”
    “I assume it isn’t a big tourist attraction?” Rasten teased.
    “Hardly! It was once a place filled with good and honorable beings, who were friendly to the Elvin kind. But then several thousand years ago, something made them turn away, and become evil. They mostly destroyed themselves. Because they understood the Gates, and tried to spread forth, we and others came there to...finish them off. It was a long and bitter struggle, and many of our people died in that place. All that remains are the wild creatures. Of course, some of those are dangerous! I saw none when I passed through, but we won’t take any chances.” she sighed.
    “How long must we stay there?” Rasten wondered.
    “A few moments...just long enough for the Gate to realign. It is the next transit that will be much more dangerous. We arrive at one gate, and must hike over two leagues to a second Gate!” Amein sighed.
    “What’s there, that we need to worry about?”
    “Fire demons.”
    “You’re kidding?!”
    “You won’t think so, once you get there and see one!” she scolded.
     
    While they waited, Rasten unslung his backpack, which he had filled with protein and energy bars. He also had stashed several bottles of water. They ate sparingly, and only drank a partial bottle of water, sharing it.
    “Keep them...we can find good water in a couple of places,” she instructed.
     
    They waited impatiently, keeping themselves positioned so the could jointly watch all directions. They glimpsed several Na-wolves in the distance, but none approached. Rasten thought this good, until Amein burst his bubble.
    “They’ll wait until dark to attack!” she sighed. “Once we activate the gate, you don’t dare step away to hack at one, or worse, let one leap into the gate circle!”
    “If I stepped out, I’d get left behind?”
    “You’d get ripped in half!” Amein declared harshly. “I’d not be too thrilled to see that happen!” she added, and giggled at Rasten’s shocked look. “Just stay put, with your butt against mine! Then be ready to fight like a wild man when we appear on the other side.”
    Dusk brought no sign of any Na-wolves, and they waited, hoping they might get lucky. Amein watched the emergence of the stars, privy to signs she felt disinclined to advise Rasten of.
    “Need to pee?” she asked finally. “It’s almost time!”
    “I’m good...how about you?” he asked, having trouble seeing her expression in the near total dark.
    “No...get ready...here...get your butt against me!” she instructed.
    “What do I do if we have something waiting for us?”
    “Chop it like it’s a piece of firewood, but don’t stray! We have less than a hundred heartbeats before we transit again!”
    They stood ready, touching firmly. Amien again chanted something incomprehensible to Rasten, before he felt a slight lurch. They were blind for what seemed many moments, before they had a trace of light greet them. Rasten scanned wildly, seeing something moving off to his left, but he could not make out what it had been. He felt Amein make a swift contortion, as if she was ducking from something, and simultaneously heard the tortured scream of a wild beast, likely struck by her sword.
    “Watch out!” she shrieked, as a dark and large animal sailed over his head, to land a half dozen paces in front of him, The creature seemed to make a u-turn, and leaped straight at him, before he could even think. He swung his sword as hard as he could, like he was batting a baseball, and he hacked halfway through the animal, which seemed to have an impossible number of teeth in its large and open mouth. It landed awkwardly beside them, and Amein drove her sword through its neck, before turning her attention to Rasten.
    “Get ready!” she screamed, before repositioning