Savage (The He-Dog Chronicles Book 2) by Keith C. Blackmore

Author:Keith C. Blackmore [Blackmore, Keith C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Podium Publishing
Published: 2024-12-10T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 30

After showing off the three Slayers’ weapons to the elders, Broska led the men back through the village.

Twice the number of Anoka waited in the road to watch them pass. They crowded the pathway and the spaces between their homes to see the three Slayers. The children once again marched alongside Snaffer, gazing up at him with huge, blazing grins. Until Half Tusk’s men surrounded the three to keep the crowd away.

“Where are they coming from?” Kellic asked in blunt surprise.

“And why don’t they stay there,” Snaffer muttered.

Though he didn’t say it, He-Dog agreed with him.

“They just want a look at you,” Broska said as he walked along with the men. “It’s common knowledge now. They’ve all heard about the shared dream and the three Slayers. You’re special. Looked upon like … like Sunjan Cavaliers. Or those similar from Gheda. Or Sarland. And if you kill the Paw, that removes the curse the Anoka believe they’re under. It lets them travel north, through the mountains and into the valley beyond, to get farther away from the likes of the Iruzu.”

“Broska,” He-Dog said, changing the subject. “What manner of creature is this Paw?”

“I don’t know,” the Zuthenian admitted. “No one does. No one has seen the thing and lived.”

“Perhaps a troll?” Kellic provided, glancing at the villagers around him. “Or an ogre?”

“Or worse …” Snaffer added.

“There are monsters in the jungle,” Broska conceded. “Great cats and lizards that will turn your shite to water if you cross one. But I’ve yet to see or hear of a troll or ogre. Not to say they’re not there. I just haven’t seen any. Creatures like that tend to keep out of sight. The Anoka have told me about monsters that lurk deep in the jungle. Vicious things that can tear a man in two. Everyone avoids those places. And not one Anoka has seen the Paw and lived. Which should tell you something.”

“The thing likes to kill Anoka?” Kellic asked.

Broska nodded, suddenly grim. “And it’s very good at it.”

As the group neared the men’s lodge, Half Tusk and his warriors stopped at the base, preventing the curious villagers from hounding them any further.

“Don’t worry about them,” Broska said of the villagers. “They’ll go back to whatever they were doing before. In time, they’ll lose interest in you. One last thing …”

The three men waited for it.

“Are you well enough to hunt the beast? Speak the truth, now.”

“I can do it,” He-Dog said. “I’m a little weak in the limbs right now, but I can do it.”

“As I,” Kellic said.

Snaffer did not answer.

“Keep resting,” Broska told them. “Move about the village if you want. Get strong again. The Paw leaves signs when it becomes active. A cow kiss here or there. A tree with its limbs snapped off. It’s been … quiet for some time. But everyone believes it will soon leave a trail of activity. Until then … get strong. And prepare yourselves for what’s to come. There may be little warning.”

“What did these people do in the past?” He-Dog asked.

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