Njeru did not mind the long trek that he found himself in. For the most part, he seemed like a baby, just absolving everything he saw others doing.
Before he met with the group, he had not eaten a thing, neither did he feel the desire to. He hadn't felt cold either, despite being without clothing in a dark forest.
The only thing he had felt was anxiety over his lack of knowledge. Now that he was among humans who seemed to know what they were doing, he felt less worried.
He saw them rest up after a long trek, set up a perimeter, and then distribute the food. He observed them eat and did the same.
Moreover, the longer he stayed with the group, the more he began to understand them. The words coming from their mouths bore meaning and patterns.
If one was able to recognize these patterns, then the words and their meaning would become clear. It took Njeru a few days before he could listen in on the conversations.
Some of the things they spoke of, he understood, which others remained a complete mystery. Takes of lords and cities did not make sense to him, neither did quests and adventure.
Long story short, Njeru had tried his best to learn the language, but he still was nowhere near understanding what these people were talking about. Nevertheless, since they were his only lifeline, he made up his mind to follow them without making trouble.
The group traveled for several days across the grasslands and into the forest. They continued to walk through the forest, in a different direction from where Njeru had woken.
After three more days, they came to a mountain range, which was their destination. As they continued ascending the mountain, they found what they were looking for.
It appeared to be a large crack on the mountain rock, like a fissure on the side of the mountain. However, the fissure seemed to be an entrance to a cave.
The cave was extremely ominous, causing the people around to feel a sense of dread. That more than anything else confirmed to them that they were in the right place.
Chege breathed in heavily before stepping through the fissure, which was barely large enough to allow his big body through. The others, seeing this, also sighed heavily before following their leader. Njeru came in last.
Apart from the breathing of the group, there was barely any other sound to be heard. Everyone was on high alert, barely making any noise as they moved forward.
The fissure had led to a pitch-black tunnel. Fortunately, the team had come prepared with torches which they had promptly lit. They then made their way along the tunnel.
All this while, Njeru had not understood what they were looking for. All he knew was that whatever it was that they wanted, it was extremely valuable to what these people called lords.
They could trade the treasure they obtained here for much gold. Njeru understood that gold was very precious as it allowed someone to trade for whatever they desired. He wondered if he could trade for information about himself, but who would he trade with?
"Something's coming!" Jamie whispered. While she was generally the quietest in the group, she was also the most perceptive. With her sharp senses, she had picked up on signs of movement ahead.
In truth, Njeru had also sensed something. The sound of footfalls and the feeling of something coming for them, but he couldn't make out what it was. The thing did not even produce a heat signature for his infrared vision to make out.
"Everyone, stay alert," Chege's survival instinct also told him to get ready.
Suddenly, a gut-wrenching roar came their way, followed by the sound of a monster coming for them.
Instantly, the group burst into action. Arrow after arrow flew from Keshi's bow, each striking the monster accurately despite the limited light provided by the torches.
Even now, the group could not make out the shape of the monster, only that it was more than 3 meters tall and had a body as big as an elephant. Not that Njeru even knew what an elephant was.
However, at the next moment, the group paled in shock. Each of Keshi's accurately shot arrows had bounced off the monster's tough scales, barely leaving a mark. What was worse was the fact that the arrows had sparked off as they rubbed against the monster.
The monster was closing in on them, causing Chege to take the initiative to run towards it. Brandishing his broadsword, Chege intended to slice the monster's head into two, killing it where it stood.
Ting!
Reality proved different. A sharp sword cry rang out, but the sword could make no further progress. Chege felt his hands go numb at the force that blocked his attack was just as powerful.
The monster did not seem phased by Chege's strike. It continued on its attack, striking Chege hard and tossing him against the wall.
Swords, spears, clubs, and even arrows assaulted the beast from every direction. The group he found himself in was capable and strong. It was evident that this was not their first time working together.
They were well trained and they fought like a well-oiled machine. Unfortunately for them, their opponent was better in every way. Just the armor around it was enough to make the monster invincible.
Nothing was able to go cut it or cause it any damage. Keshi even tried targeting the beast's eyes, but they were very tiny compared to the rest of the best, not the best of targets.
Additionally, the best was extremely fast. Its movements were almost phantom-like yet they bore unbelievable power. By now, everyone in the group was sporting an injury from their encounter with the beast.
With a sharp thrust, the beast's tail struck at Keshi as she released her arrow, tossing her against the wall of the tunnel. The bow that she was holding onto was also tossed away, leaving her defenseless.
The beast menacingly walked towards her, licking its lips as if savoring the taste of the meal to come. It was then that everyone got a clear look at it.
The beast looked like a giant lizard, like an iguana that had been magnified a thousand times. The sharp claws and the long tail were also part of its arsenal, a vicious beast bled for destruction.
Even someone as brave and courageous as Keshi was bound to get afraid as they watched the unkillable beast walking towards her.
Her teammates were so heavily battered that they couldn't even offer any assistance. They could only look on with consternation, knowing full well they were next, and there was nothing they could do about it.
Chege tried rising but he could barely move his legs. The others in the team were just as incapacitated.
Keshi watched as the beast crossed the distance between where it had tossed her.
Five steps away …
Four steps away …
Three steps away …
By now, she could even smell the reek of death coming from the monster.
One step away … the monster opened its mouth.
Arghhh!
A panicked scream suddenly shocked everyone, but surprisingly, it was not Keshi screaming, but the monster.
Before anyone could react, an arrow that seemed to come from nowhere suddenly found its mark around the beast's face, causing another panicked scream.
Njeru did not stop there. He quickly grabbed Chege's sword and thrust it with all his might at the screaming beast. To everyone's shock, the sword penetrated the scales and dug deep into the beast's face, instantly killing the fiend.
From start to finish, Njeru had taken less than a minute to kill the beast.