Framework of the Frontier, Sain Artwell [read me a book .TXT] 📗

off the chest before it could even settle. “Thanks. The meat roll was amazing by the way. You’re a real treasure, Ember.”

“No.” Ember’s cheeks fired up. She pushed him towards the cabin. “Stop. No more sleepy silly talk that you don’t mean. Go to sleep.”

“I mean it.”

“Sleep!” She shoved his back.

Chuckling, he obeyed. The others were already asleep or close to nodding off. But, as William set out his own bedroll, he noticed a few eyes following him. Orien’s group had an extra watcher keeping an eye on him, Ember, and the kitties — whose race he should ask about at some point. William, however, was far too tired to feel paranoid about being stabbed in the back over his second hand equipment and a few rations.

If I die here at least it’ll be in my sleep…

Dreams led him through endless alien plains that grew thick with people shaped crops. Ember and Lidarein were there on the other side of the crowd as was his old gang. He tried to reach them, but they kept on moving too fast and William couldn’t raise his voice high enough for them to hear. The crowds changed direction and ganged up on him and somewhere far away a man screamed in pain. A panicked face shouted something.

Right in his ear.

William jerked into half-wakedness.

Orien’s dark coppery brows furrowed in concern. “Get up and get ready. Quick,” she hissed, moving to shake Ember up.

It was still night, or early morning.

His brain and body wanted to go back to sleep. Thoughts were a messy slur. William was fumbling with the sandal straps when he heard it, a roar that reverberated in metal and bones.

Suddenly awake, he looked up. “What’s the status?”

“A couple ‘pedes triggered the bell,” said one of the faun brothers pressing a dark blood soaked cloth against his thigh. His face was pale and his arms trembling. “I slew them and was about to redo the wires, but a swarm appeared out of nowhere.“

Another roar paused him. It was closer, much closer.

The man cracked a weak grin. “Good news is the ‘pede swarm’s gone, but something stirred the chimera.”

William drew his blade as he went to the door. Trotto, the eight foot troll, stood there with an ax in hand.

“What’s the plan chief?” he asked the troll.

Trotto sighed with a grim face. “Pray the mommas left the train last month and that’s one of her cubs.”

Another growl. It was closer this time. Heavy thuds on metal grew past the steady clanking of the train.

“Are those baby-steps or mommy steps?” William asked.

Trotto drew a deep breath. “Eyup. It’s the momma.”

By then, the rest of the camp was up and armed. Ember and everyone else with a bow had theirs nocked and ready. Orien rounded them up. “‘Kay, oookay. How many first time chimera slayers?”

Everyone except Nevija raised their hands.

Orien raised hers, turning to Nevija. “Any hot tips?”

“Scout out what it’s parts are and plan accordingly. Those things can be anything from a lion with snake and goat heads to barn sized mini dragons with eighteen ironscale gorilla arms. Hiding can be an option, unless it smells blood.” Nevija looked to the injured faun, offering a look of compassion that wasn’t entirely honest.

Frustration began to show in Orien’s tone. “I need ideas, not problems.”

“I say it the way I see it.” Nevija shrugged. “Look, maybe you could set up a decoy. Raia and I will be hanging back however. We didn’t prepare for large beast extermination this time around.”

Raia’s tail and ears were standing upright and her movements stiff. She clung close to Nevija as the two of them began backing away into the front of the cart.

Orien scowled at them. “The fuck do you think you are going? Come back here pussies.”

“Sorry.” Nevija looked at William, smiling softly. “Come along with your girl. Would be a shame to lose our Ranger before we even reach Nastall.”

William swallowed, looking between her, Orien and Ember, then at the wounded man. Anger burned in his ears for even considering it. He’d received a goddamn cheat body and divine powers to boot. This was his chance to live a straight life he’d be proud to have lived.

“Do you have extra spears? I don’t know how much my knowledge of chimeras is accurate, but I know beasties are better hunted with long pointy sticks than swords,” he said to Orien.

A brief smile peeked through her face of hopeless worry. “We do. Eren, can you get Veren’s spare?”

The healthy brother rushed into the cabin.

William glanced at his faun. “Ember. Any useful encyclopedic info-dumps for this one?”

“Can you hear that?” Her eyes were bright with magic and locked on the torn up barricade at the rear. “I don’t see it. It should be within view. I can hear its steps.”

Metal groaned above them.

“The windows!” Ember shrieked.

Deep green snakes as thick as tree-trunks darted in through both cabin and hallway windows. Trotto lifted his ax up, only to get his arm impaled by its ice-pick-like teeth. Eren in the cabin was not so lucky.

A snake went straight for his neck. Blood oozed from the bites. He writhed in its jaws, screaming in agony.

“Up, up, up!” Ember released arrows as the hatch opened.

Above them loomed a hideous abomination of lion and goat. Four black horns jutted out from its mane framed head. Its eyes shone like the moons behind its enormous frame. Deep in its open jaws, William saw a flicker of verdant flame.

7

Infernal heat poured from the chimera’s maw, engulfing the cabin in sickly green brightness. Duhie’s wand flashed blue and guided a torrent of water from her hip flask, which drove the flames back into the beast’s throat. Steam hissed. Stray splatters of flame bloomed on the ground like napalm.