The stench of rusted iron wafted in the air. There was no rusted iron in sight. There was just blood, lots of blood. It covered the saddles, the horses' backs, and spilled over them like red wine.
Yuzan's words were true. There were indeed bits of bones and organs still left but they were almost indistinguishable. It was as if a butcher had left in a hurry. His only trace were two bloody pools of blood, and some bits here and there of flesh and bones.
The female guard, Ashka, was bent over by a tree, puking out whatever she had eaten in the morning. The smell of her puke made Azmir queasy.
"Clean this up. The two of you, drive with care. If you see a beast, call for help fast," Azmir said to the two male guards.
The two guards nodded in silence, with tight jaws, and eyes that seemed to have already accepted death.
Azmir, Yuzan, and Ashka boarded the stagecoach again. They were silent. Each one trying to hear more than they could, listening for any indication of a beast to kill off more of them.
The hours passed by painfully slow. Azmir wanted to talk to Yuzan. He wanted to know more about him, about his sister, and anything that would explain his strange calmness in the face of death. But it was no time for idle chatter. The stench of blood was still in the stagecoach, making them all aware that any of them could be the next pool of blood.
Night arrived in Vyridian Woods, its arrival long announced already by the darkness even in daytime. Azmir had already prepared magic crystals to light their way but the shadows of the woods were stronger than the light. Fog curled up on their stagecoach, the lights from the crystals made even duller than they already were.
The stagecoach stopped. It was time to make camp, to eat supper, and to sleep. The two guards ventured off to look for dry wood to start a fire. The female guard stood in front of the stagecoach, her back to its exterior, guarding it from unseen beasts.
Azmir and Yuzan set up the sleeping bags. It was an invention Azmir got from an adventurer he had spoken to before. It was made of scraps of clothing for softness and animal hides from deer skin to preserve warmth.
"Are you regretting coming with me?" Azmir finally asked.
Yuzan blinked, as if he had just awakened from a long dream. "No."
"There is a safer route to go to Aderlan as I've said. You would be better off there," Azmir said.
"Safer but longer. I have to see her as soon as possible," Yuzan said.
"Why?"
"So I can stop mourning for her."
The guards arrived, carrying chopped wood with them. Azmir wanted to ask Yuzan further but he stopped himself. For some reason, he wanted to be the only one to hear Yuzan's words.
The fire crackled and blazed in front of them. The flames danced delicately on the chopped wood, eating it away bit by bit. They roasted the meat Azmir had prepared over the flames.
Azmir had prepared dried meat and fish, some herbs and spices, and even a few unripe fruits for the journey. They would be able to eat for a couple of days without worry but after that, they would have to hunt.
The meat's aroma filled the air. They ate voraciously. Azmir had not noticed before but now he could feel that he was utterly hungry. It was not the best of meals he had tasted but he ate it with gusto. He could only smell the scent of roasted meat, blocking out the stench of blood from the stagecoach.
The guards were to take shifts in sleeping and guarding. Yuzan and Azmir went to their sleeping bags.
Azmir was about to go sleep when he felt someone shaking his shoulder.
"Mir."
Azmir opened his eyes and a hand clapped over his mouth.
"It's here."
Yuzan removed his hand on Azmir's mouth and pointed towards where the stagecoach was. Azmir turned his head to look at where he was pointed at. His eyes widened in horror. A shiver ran up his spine. The ends of his hair stood on end.
The most gigantic snake he had ever seen in his life was slithering towards their stagecoach. It was bigger than any human and wider than a tree. It could swallow all of them whole in two blinks.
Azmir's eyes quickly searched for any sign of their guards. The two male guards were gone. The female guard was sleeping, ignorant of the monstrous snake making its way towards them.
"I need to know. Are you able to kill that?" Yuzan whispered.
"No! I can't! That's why I hired guards! I can control water but there's not enough water around us and that won't do a thing to that snake!" Azmir whispered back.
Yuzan nodded calmly. "I need you to do me a favor."
Azmir wanted to shake Yuzan so badly and knock some sense in him but he remained quiet.
"I'm going to try something to kill that snake but you have to promise me something."
"Promise you what?!" Azmir asked.
"Promise not to tell anyone of my ability," Yuzan said.
Azmir frowned in confusion. "You're an adventurer! Everyone knows you have some kind of ability."
Yuzan shook his head. "Just promise not to tell. If I'm successful, tell everyone it was you who killed the snake."
"If you're not successful?"
"Then you will not even have the chance to tell."
Yuzan got up on his feet and slowly walked, taking care not to make a sound.
The snake noticed him. Its gigantic amber eyes as big as a human, stared straight at him.
Yuzan stood still.
The snake slithered towards him with the speed of an arrow being shot through the air.
Azmir held his breath, as if he could hold time, as if he could stop the clock from ticking forward to impending doom.
The snake opened its mouth.
Yuzan leaned his body and extended his arms towards the coming snake as if he was going to push it off as it comes.
Yuzan's hands came in contact with the snake's fangs. He held onto them. The snake's force pushed him backwards, his feet making lines on the ground. Yuzan held onto the fangs, his face in deep concentration.
The snake stopped moving.
Yuzan breathed heavily, his face etched with sweat and exhaustion. He let go of the fangs.
The snake suddenly fell to its side with a loud thud. The trees shook from its weight.
Yuzan walked back towards Azmir unsteadily then collapsed beside him.
"Yuzan! What happened? Are you all right?" Azmir asked frantically.
A small smile formed on Yuzan's lips. "It worked."
"What worked?"
"Poison. I poisoned it," Yuzan said with a satisfied smile with a hint of amusement.
"What in Fey's name?! Are you unharmed?!" It was Ashka. She had been awakened from the loud thud when the snake fell over.
She looked at Yuzan and she looked even more horrified. "Are you hurt? What happened?"
"It attacked me but Mir killed it," Yuzan simply said.
Azmir's eyes widened but he quickly adjusted his expression. "Yes, I . . . used my magic. We're safe now."
Yuzan smiled at him. His smile was like honey, sweet and trapping. No one would expect it to be poisoned.