The First Quest by Nick Storming

Author:Nick Storming [Storming, Nick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fractured Press
Published: 2019-09-16T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Three

B raden, Druska and Leesha left the village and spent the morning hours walking through a story book countryside. Green grasses and giant spreading oaks on hill tops filled the spaces between neat little farms and orchards. The river split the landscape in twain, the occasional barge or fishing punt floating along its placid waters. To the east mountains rose and to the sounds the forest marched off, a dense dark thicket of tangled woods.

They had decided to search for Emma first, Druska worried the trail had already grown cold. Turning off the road at a small trail Betsy had said Emma often used, Braden held out his hand and drew down Scry Bot, smiling as he ordered the little guy to range out ahead and keep an eye out for him. Once they had passed into the forests shadowed interior Druska drew out the bag and took several deep breaths, sniffing the contents. She tilted her head up and sniffed at the air, a frown on her face as she turned this way and that. Braden noticed shadows gathering at the alien woman’s feet, and as the pool thickened, she seemed to catch a small scent, her nose questing this way and that in a small spot.

“The shadows Druska,” Braden said an idea forming in his mind, “see if you can smell her through the shadows.”

Her perfect eyebrows drew down for one second in confusion, then she noticed the shadows dancing along the ground, mottled patterns of light and dark. Holding out her hand she summoned them into her grip, they leapt into it as if that was all they had ever wanted to do. She brought the writhing mass up to her face and drew in a deep breath, her eyes opening wide at once.

“I can smell… everything.” Leaning back down she drew deep again, “She is there, but I’m not sure exactly where, there is too much between us blocking and masking the scent. She is in that direction however, several miles at least.” She pointed deeper into the forest and at a slight angle away from their current path.

“That’s great Druska.” Braden said, feeling a large weight lift from his shoulders, now that they had some actual information on the girls whereabouts. “Let’s keep heading in that direction and hopefully we can get a more precise location the closer we get.”

Druska ranged out ahead and Braden and Leesha kept watch. He questioned her about more aspects of the world as they walked along the trail, Scry-bot flying out ahead, popping into sight now and then. They had gone a couple miles into the woods, the trees growing denser around them. Several times Druska would stop and wait for them to catch up with her, then she would pull out the bag and summon the shadows once more. Emma’s scent remained elusive, but she was able to narrow them in closer and closer.

Near noon they found themselves atop a small hill, with a trickling creek below while Druska walked around the base slowly smelling to see which way to go next.

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