A Flight of Marewings by Kristen S Walker

Author:Kristen S Walker [Walker, Kristen S]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781492989189
Publisher: Kristen S. Walker
Published: 2013-12-29T00:00:00+00:00

22

Korinna VII

Korinna marched at the end of the rank, stretching her legs to keep up with the other recruits in her unit. Ahead of them, some kind of monster was attacking a farmstead, and their final test was to hunt it down and kill it. They didn’t know what they faced, so they brought a selection of weapons and supplies with them, which weighed them down. They would have to evaluate the threat and decide how to take it down on their own.

She’d seen farmsteads taken by the wyld before. When the magic got a foothold, the forest encroached at a rapid pace, weeds and brush swallowing up crops and houses alike. A family’s entire livelihood could disappear overnight.

The full transformation hadn’t happened in this location yet, but Korinna recognized the signs as they approached. Branches reached across the road to snag at passing recruits. Vines climbed over the fences, obscuring the structure underneath. Weeds grew across the crop fields, which were fortunately lying fallow during the dry summer, so there was no grain to be lost.

Zephyros halted them in the field just southwest from the farm house. “There’s something ahead. Who thinks that they can get a little closer and check it out?” He looked around the group. He’d barely had time to learn their names.

Korinna knew the strengths of every member of her unit from months of training exercises. Herokha could scout, but she wouldn’t volunteer if Korinna suggested it. So she nudged Orivan, who had grown out of his early clumsiness.

Orivan set his pack and weapons down on the ground. “I think I can sneak in without being seen. Those trees on the south side can give me cover.”

Zephyros nodded. “Alright, then. Be careful.”

The rest of the unit hunkered down in the field to wait. They watched as Orivan crept forward, keeping the trees between him and the house. He disappeared into the brush.

Up ahead, there was a strange mass in front of the farm house. To Korinna, it looked like a huge bouquet of pale pink flowers. Was it just another plant grown by the wyld magic?

There were no signs of any other life in the area, whether human, farm animal, or monster.

Suddenly, one of the enormous flowers opened. An enticing sweet smell wafted to them on the breeze.

“What’s that?” Yulina whispered. “Is it something your farmers grow here? It smells good.”

Korinna shook her head. “I’ve never seen anything like that before. We’d better be careful.”

After a while, Orivan emerged from the trees and returned to them. “It looks like some kind of enormous plant,” he reported to Zephyros. “There’s fruit growing inside of those buds. It opened up when I got closer. But it’s not natural. I think—” He glanced back at it over his shoulder. “I think that might be the monster.”

Herokha snorted in derision. “A plant that attacks people? That’s crazy. I don’t even see any damage. The farmers must have freaked out and run away over nothing.”

Zephyros shook his head. “Sergeant Yoren said that some of the farmers were still here.

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