With noses raised to the air, all three Giants caught a scent in the wind, "Geneoshi," their fingers clutched tightly to the clubs in hand and immediately scanned the surrounding area.
They were the Ahkongsa, Aleric's scouts he sent ahead through the Nomen tunnels. Cog was the biggest and leader of the three. Maw and Koff were under his command.
"I smell Nomen and woman flesh," Maw said. "I haven't had women flesh in centuries," he licked his lips.
Yuliah felt a chill across her skin; her hands wrapped even tighter around Ryas' arm like a vine.
"Nomen?" Cog growled. "What would a Nomen and Geneoshi be doing together? This far out?"
"We have an agreement with the Nomens. You - spent too much time in that tunnel of theirs," Koff smacked Maw.
Maw retaliated with a club to Koff's head, and the two started to tussle. Their bodies slammed into the surrounding trees and ground; breaking twigs and stirring up dirt everywhere.
Ryas dragged Yuliah with him as the two Ahkongsa's fought, he crouched from bush to bush. "Hurry," he whispered. "Take the horse and ride south. Don't stop. I'll catch up with you."
"No," Yuliah clung to his arm but before she could even resist a cracking sound broke out behind them.
"Shut it!" Gog swung his club back, and it smashed into the trunk of the tree again, splitting pieces of bark. "I can't hear shit with you two fighting over there like a bunch of Grackles. He's close by I know it."
Ryas moved even faster and dodged behind more bushes and trees, "Don't worry about me. I can't fight all three and keep you safe," he yanked Yuliah by the arm and moved her along with him until they reached the horse.
"Smells getting faint. Those two must be running. Check the bush ahead!" Cog barked at Goff and Maw.
Their clubs whistled through the air then plowed into the bushes that Yuliah and Ryas hid behind earlier, scattering wood and leaves in the air.
"Nothing over here," Maw confirmed.
"Keep looking you, two fucktards."
Yuliah hated how little she could see in this dark forest. With the ability to only make out shadows, Ryas dragged her behind him like dead weight.
"These beasts travel in fours, and I only see three," Ryas lifted Yuliah onto the horse. "There's another one out there. Be careful. They can't see well in the dark but can smell and hear," he smacked the horses hind leg, and it took off into the night.
"Come out Geneoshi," Cog jumped behind a tree, but a branch snagged him in the eye. "Fuck!" He swung his club at the tree, jigging the trunk from its roots. "You're going to pay for that Geneoshi."
"How do you plan to do that?" Ryas stepped out from behind a cluster of trees - a hand around his sword hilt. He could spot the three of them; clearly, they stood about ten paces in front of him. Big, stupid, and loud.
Now that Yuliah left he felt more at ease. He wouldn't be able to keep her safe and fight these three too. He liked her and even cared about her. He wanted to keep her safe. These were emotions he'd done away with years ago; not since Iyna at least. Yuliah's beauty that's what drew him in, the moment that veil lifted. Every Man had their idea of what a beautiful woman would look like and Yuliah was it for him. He shook her from his thoughts and refocused.
Although the Ahkongsa were not smart fighters, each one had the strength of twenty Men. Taking on three would not be an easy feat. Ryas kept his eyes on them, assessing their height, distance, and possible strengths.
"Come you Geneoshi bastard. Make your move!" Cog called out to him and swung his club from side to side.
Ryas sprinted forward sword drawn right at the Ahkongsa. All three of them charged at him their heavy feet hit the ground like a stampede of hooves, shaking the soil beneath Ryas.
He took a deep breath, released his Ethereal Spirit, and sprung from the ground right as Cog swung his club down on him. It missed him by an inch as he sailed into the air and flipped right over Cog. Ryas slid his blade down the Giants back. Cog wailed when the bear pelt he wore for a shield ripped from his body.
Ryas dashed back and forth between the three. Then used each Ahkongsa as a stepping stool to propel himself into the air and onto their backs. The Ahkongsa swung their clubs at one another trying to hit him and no longer cared who they hit.
The brute force from their clubs knocked the other over. Ryas crouched ready to jump up again, but he underestimated his jump. Maw managed to catch him and hurled Ryas at a group of trees.
His back crashed against the trunk of the tree, but his Ethereal Spirit kept the bones from breaking.
A woman's distant scream penetrated through his hazy thoughts. Ryas scrambled to his feet. It's Yuliah he knew her voice.
The Ahkongsa advanced towards him, "Is that all you've got Geneoshi?" Maw snickered. "You weaklings can't compare to the strength and power of the Ahkongsa," he laughed.
Ryas released his Ethereal Spirit, a burst of energy engulfed his entire body, lighting up the forest around them. He smirked at the Ahkongsa, "Let me show you what true power is."
He moved fast - like a shooting flame full speed ahead right towards Maw. He extended his fist out as it made contact with Maw's chest. It threw the Ahkongsa across the ground tumbling back into the trees and even snapped a few in half before he came to a complete stop.
When Cog flipped him over he had a hole punched through his chest and laid dead. "General Ryas," Cog bellowed. "I'll get you another day," he threw Maw's body over his shoulder and sprinted off with Koff right behind him.
The Ethereal force tore through him awakening every cell inside his body. Ryas struggled to shut off his Ethereal Spirit and stopped to catch his breath. Closing his eyes he retracted it from each part of his body until it coiled up into a tiny ball, hidden inside his soul. Then he took off in Yuliah's direction.
------------------
Yuliah raced through the woods headed in the direction Ryas sent her. She needed to harness her Ethereal Spirit quickly, but the beat of her heart and hooves of the horse pounded in both ears. Yuliah took a deep breath and tried to sense the Ethereal Spirit, but the pounding only increased.
With one hand clamped around the reins and the other around the sword Ryas gave her earlier she closed her eyes this time, breathed deeply, and tried to see it instead.
Suddenly the horse reared onto its hind legs and squealed. Yuliah rolled backward and landed flat on her stomach. She coughed and tried to catch her breath.
"What do we have here?"
Yuliah flipped over and screamed. She was not a screamer, but lately, it had become a habit.
It stood over her covered in fur and large claws that stretched towards her. She quickly hurried back, but it caught her with one swift hand and wrapped his claws around her waist.
She tried to wedge her body free from his grip, but he was too strong.
The creature growled and looked up into the sky. His head turned from side to side and after a few moments his face returned to her and laughed.
His arms were so large that he held her by the waist with only one hand. All his fingers clasped around her hip bone tightly that her right side throbbed. She kicked and hit him, but her fists hit like baby punches.
"Ummm. A woman," he laughed. "I'll take you as my mate," he said. "I can't see you clearly in this dark, but I can smell you," he buried his nose into her thick, tousled hair. "You smell sweeter than anything I've had before," the smell from his breath burned up through her nostrils and she veered her head sideways.
He carried her over towards a tree where the rays of moonlight passed through the treetops and shone down. She caught a glimpse of the creature as they passed through the scattered light. It stood four times bigger than that of a Man and wore the hide of a bear and its claws.
He pinned her up against the trunk of a tree. "Let me see what I caught?" And pushed her head back. Then flicked her hair aside.
Stop! I'm a Nomen," she yelled. "You have a treaty with the Nomens. So let me go."
"No your not," he sniffed her. "You smell like a human, and you're too little to be one," he brought his face closer to hers. "If you're a true Nomen who's in charge of your people?"
Oh no! She had no idea who ruled the Nomens. The only one she knew was her Father. "King Basaa," she blurted out.
The creature laughed low and loud. His voice echoed into the night. "King Basaa's been dead for years. I knew you was a fake!"
"NO, I am," Yuliah pulled her sleeve down, and the crescent indent on her arm began to glow. "See it's the mark of the Nomens," she pointed to the indent.
"I don't see shit but your arm. For all I know your probably a crafty little human wench," it smacked Yuliah's hand away. "I like human wenches," and a wet and gritty tongue scraped up then across her soft cheek.
"Don't touch me," she threw a punch at his face, but he caught her fist and squeezed it.
"I like it when they fight me. It excites me," he hooked his finger onto her collar and pulled.
Her dress stretched as he pulled harder and she heard the ripping of a seam. Yuliah kicked him, but he only seemed to enjoy it more.
"I'm going to cut your tongue out for that," a voice called from behind them.
Yuliah watched his giant head turn around, and then he burst out into a laugh.
She peeked from above the beast's shoulder, "Ryas!" Yuliah could make out his form through the light that came down from the treetops. "I can't move," her head slumped back against the tree trunk. "He has me pinned."
"I'm going to kill your boyfriend and then fuck you right next to his dead body," the creature spewed in her face.
Before Yuliah could even digest his words, she heard the rustling of leaves and then a squelching sound. Warm blood splashed across her face, followed by a few blinks from his eyes, then his head rolled away and made a thud as it landed below her dangling feet.
Yuliah's mouth sprung open, but nothing came out. Just a guttural noise.
What's left of the creature and her both followed the head to the ground, his hand still clutched around her waist.
Her scream finally bursts from her throat, and the body slumped over her. Immediately she felt a pair of strong hands flip the corpse over and freeing her from underneath.
Ryas had her in his arms and held her there.
She broke out in sobs that felt trapped in the back of her throat.
"I didn't want to scare you, but it was the only way," Ryas pressed her head to his chest. "I'm sorry. I came so late."
"It happened so fast," She swallowed. "I lost your sword and the horse. Yuliah felt like a complete failure if Ryas hadn't shown up what would have happened to her. Who knew what else she would run into before they reached the Southern Kingdom.
So far if it didn't try to kill her, it wanted to rape her, and if that wasn't it, it tried to drink her blood. Enough already! She needed to protect herself.
Ryas whistled and listened for the sound of hooves, "The horse will return to me when I call for him and the sword I found it on my way here," he set her down and began to wipe the blood from her face. "Did he hurt you?"
Yuliah shook her head. Ryas moved a bit slower than usual. "What's wrong?" She asked him.
"I was worried about you," he stroked her cheek. "We should go before more of them come."
She had to tell him the truth, that she possessed the Ethereal Spirit; it was the only way to protect herself, because she didn't know how to access the Ethereal Spirit only he could teach her. "Ryas. I have to tell you something," she held his hand.