Once Kiri rejoined them, Rex pulled her aside.“What did you do with Carey?” he asked, looking around Kiri as if expecting him to be restrained and following her.“I did what was necessary to gain information,” she replied, looking to the spot Rex had seen her earlier, the only thing left now was a large pool of blood.“Well, I hope it was a fruitful endeavour?”“I got enough from him before he lost his life, I planned on sharing what I learnt when we returned to camp,” Kiri replied, smiling wanly. Rex could see something was haunting Kiri which he thought strange for her, he had started to consider her emotions near on impregnable besides her said declarations when it came to himself.Nodding, Rex turned back to the calamity inside Smarluuten’s garden. He was in two minds about offering to help them clean up the mess around them, but the Drakken got in before he could make up his mind.“After a night like tonight,” He hissed, appearing beside Rex, forgetting his arm was missing once
Rex turned to face the person standing to his side, Dilo grumbling as her fingers released her hold on him.“I’m sorry, do I know you?” Rex asked as he stood and closed half of the distance between himself and the visitor.“We have never met,” the man dressed in shiny black armour said, removing his helmet to show jet-black hair a few inches long, a short stubbly beard and a prominent nose. The man was medium height, thick-set through the arms, shoulders and chest, telling Rex he was a warrior and the way he moved was graceful, smooth and purposeful telling him the man would be well trained. “My name is Invictus Damen. I have been dispatched by the lady of blades from the capitol to find the people who came through the portal, and my search has finally led me here, and after some questioning of multiple sources, the path finished with you.”“I’m curious how you know the person who went through the portal was me,” Rex asked, a small smirk creeping onto the edge of his mouth as one of h
Once the meals were distributed between everyone in Rex’s group, plus the addition of Damen, the topics of conversation were light and unimportant.After an hour, Damen rose, thanked Kiri, Kealy and Venya for the amazing meal and then turned to Rex, “Can you walk me out?”Nodding and rising from his seat, Rex turned to the three women who had prepared the meal, “Amazing as usual.” He had just turned to follow Damen when a hand grabbed his wrist. Looking down at who had stopped him, his head tilted slightly seeing Dilo’s scowl toward Damen’s back.“I think he has recognised me, please be careful,” Dilo growled in a low voice, her tone more worried than usual.“If he has, I think he would be able to see how different you are compared to who you were, like we all have,” Rex smiled reassuringly, patting her white knuckles that were gripping his wrist with his free hand.Grunting her response, Dilo inhaled a deep breath and exhaled loudly, turned and walked over to where Kiri had begun to
Once Rex’s eyes finally opened, he found out he was fully sprawled out in the middle of his bedding. The weight from Kiri and Dilo pressing on his body was gone, so after his vision cleared, he looked from left to right. Not seeing either woman, he sat up and groaned slightly as he pulled his body upright, then after a few light stretches to help get his body going, he threw on his shirt and wiping the sleep from his eyes, he pushed open the tent and walked into the light just breaking over the horizon. “About time,” Dilo growled, looking up from her warm cup. “Here I thought someone was going to have to come and wake you,” Cassius said, raising an eyebrow as he stroked a whetstone along the edge of his blade, stopping to apply a tiny drop of oil onto the stone before continuing. “I was unaware everyone was waiting for me,” Rex sighed, doing his best to stifle a yawn. “YOU were the one who said to wake for training before breakfast,” Kealy said, “So shall we begin so we can finally
Rex whistled in surprise at the sight that beheld them when they followed Smarluuten to the town stables. Five freshly groomed and saddled horses stood ready, all tied by their reigns to a post, the three largest of the five had medium-sized saddlebags over their rumps. “Not to talk bad about a gift as extravagant as this,” Rex said hesitantly, counting the horses, then his companions, “But we seem to be one beast short?” “I have realised Kiri will travel in the locket you have,” Smarluuten hissed, waving to Rex’s neck, “But for you, I have something more worthy of your higher blood station.” Rex’s head cocked slightly, then went to confused as Smarluuten’s massive maw split into a broad grin, showing off his many rows of teeth. He was about to say something to the drakken when Smarluuten’s throat bulged out, and then a strange hissing, an almost wheezing sound emanated through vertical slits running down his neck. “That almost sounded like a call,” Kiri said, scrunching her nose
Rex’s companions were just about to draw their weapons to begin assaulting the pogona, but Smarluuten stepped between Rex and his companions, with his stump and good arm raised.“Please do not attack him, this is part of the bonding process, we cannot interfere,” he hissed, projecting his voice so he could be heard by everyone.“The f**king thing is going to bite off his arm!” Kealy yelled, starting to draw her daggers from their sheathes, the rasping of steel against leather following her words.“Everyone stop!”All members present, Smarluuten included turned to face Rex, who had now calmed completely and was looking at his group members.“He is not hurting my arm, his teeth aren’t even biting into my arm. There is a strange dangly thing tickling my hand though,” Rex said, turning back to face the pogona with a curious expression on his face.“If he wanted to cause injury to you, your arm would look like my own,” Smarluuten hissed, lifting the stump and showing it to Rex. “Soon you w
With the improved speed of the mounts, Rex and his companions covered much more ground, reaching a town called Ghordan, which Kiri said was only half a day’s trip away from the capital. Stopping the group just as the sun had touched the horizon, Rex turned to his group, “I think we can camp out of town for the night, we have a good elevation to see what is around us in all directions, guards close by with the town and a stream within easy reach for clean water.” “I like the sound of that,” Kealy groaned, not wasting any more time in dismounting, and stretching her legs, “This bloody beastly thing rocks back and forth so much I don’t think I’ll have any more skin left on the inside of my thighs when we arrive.” Her complaining earned her a glare and snort of hot air mixed with spray to the face from her horse. “I think he has grown to like you,” Venya said, stretching her own legs, coming up next to Kealy and bumping her playfully, she leaned in close and whispered something to her t
It took another hour for Dilo and Grub to finish getting the campsite set up enough for Karinna and Kiri to bring a now barely conscious Rex into the tent, Kealy and Venya arrived shortly after the last tent was erected, a large waterskin carried under Kealy’s arm. “Take it into Kiri and Karinna,” Dilo directed, pointing to the largest tent at the centre of the camp. Kealy dashed into the tent, and a few moments later she was ushered back out, “How is he?” she yelled, Kiri’s hand quickly closing the tent flap before answering. “Grub is sure wonky leg will be ok,” Grub said, laying his hand on her shoulder. “He is strong.” “Thanks,” Kealy said, her voice low. She turned to Venya, who laid her arm over her shoulder, and they walked away, Venya turned back to Dilo, “We will have the fire and seating arrangements done in a moment.” Dilo nodded and then took a step back, Grub was staring at her, a strange expression on his face. “What?” she growled, raising one eyebrow. “Wonky leg wil