CHAPTER 017

VEXAROK

Rolec slept soundly while I stole only moments of rest. Every rustle of the underbrush and every jostling branch had my ears twitching in their direction. Most were harmless things; nocturnal creatures going about their business and leaving us to ours.

I closed my eyes again, turning my focus instead toward the sound of the omega's breathing; it was soft but even. He seemed comfortable now. His shivering had since stopped and his body had relaxed.

It would be a few hours yet before the daystar burned away the night, and we could move on. At the very least, the rain had stopped.

With the thought, I tried to move, but my muscles were stiff, having remained locked in the same position for far too long. Rolec did not weigh much, but I carried far more than just his physical body. I also carried the responsibility, as his alpha, to keep him from harm. It meant I did not have the luxury of sleep while we remained in the open. It had been different in the hollow, just as it would be in the village. Those places offered safety, but not here, exposed as we were. If the winds changed, if they carried his scent, I needed to be prepared for what may come.

Perhaps even worse, I was eating less than usual to ensure the omega had his fill; fruit only restored so much of my energy. But hunting for anything more substantial was also out of the question.

Another sound from below tugged at my senses, and I reluctantly opened my eyes. I leaned slowly and silently, peering beneath our nest of branches. I stabilized myself with one arm while holding Rolec secure with the other.

An iridescent sheen in the darkness caught my eye. It moved in long, sinuous motions, sliding over and between the leaves and undergrowth of the jungle floor.

The creature was a matuk, something I recognized near instantly. They were many-legged invertebrates, as long as two gakh when they reached full maturity. At that size, they posed a threat. Matuk had power capable enough of crushing bones and pincers to gouge away chunks of flesh. This one, however, was still small; a lone juvenile was hardly worth my concern.

After a time, it took notice of us and circled our tree, partially lifting its long body as its feelers twitched and groped the mist-heavy air. It just as quickly stilled. After a moment, the matuk came to the conclusion that it would not find a meal here and dropped back beneath the bushes. It scuttled away in a rush.

I looked after the creature as it went, eyes narrowed.

In the early stages of their lives, matuk remained in a clutch and grew alongside their siblings. Yet for some reason, this one appeared to be alone. It must have been out on one of its first solo hunts, and so it was looking for easier prey.

For a long while, I kept an eye and ear out, but nothing more happened. In fact, the jungle had grown quiet around us. Unnaturally so. While it left me ill at ease, I dared not move before I knew what was coming next and from where.

Had the matuk disappeared only to gather its clutchmates? Or had the dakmu managed to track the omega all the way here?

A deep breath filled my lungs, but I scented nothing on the air, save for the omega. So close, he was the only thing I could detect.

But I did not need my nose.

From the distance came a long and low hum. I immediately tensed, knowing in that moment just what stalked the jungle. Somewhere unseen, a zunoda was on the hunt. Its presence explained what had driven away all the other creatures, the matuk included.

Unlike the young insect, this beast was at home both on the ground and in the trees, all in spite of its cumbersome size. It slunk through the jungle on all fours, each flat foot tipped by deadly claws used both for climbing and hunting. All this while its body was plated by thick layers of hide, save for a single line of wiry fur that ran from the top of its head down the length of its spine. That hair continued into a thick tail, ending in a cluster of heavy barbs. Worst of all was the face; the zunoda had mostly dagger-like teeth, multiple rows lining its square jaws. If a zunoda did not kill a gakh outright, its bite would see the job done given enough time. There was no driving out the taint.

A rustling behind us revealed its position. Glimpsing the monster in the shadows, I could see that it was large enough that I did not care to tangle with it lightly.

"Rolec," I whispered into his ear, nudging him awake.

The omega groaned, trying to give one of his customary stretches. I stilled him with a hand. He said something, not aware of the dangerous company lurking just behind us. I gave him another tap, this time drawing his eyes with a careful hand, then I pointed below.

The omega followed the line of my finger, his bleary eyes seeing nothing in the lingering darkness. He rubbed at them, blinking away the sleep as he watched, listened. Then he grew rigid. His long lashes fluttered, as if further blinking would make clear the form of the zunoda.

"Just hold tightly," I told him, easily shifting his weight to my back. Rolec clung there, his arms clasped tightly around my neck.

Testing that he was not going to slide loose, I pushed to my feet. I took only a moment more to adjust my sword and dagger, ensuring that they were both at the ready should I have need of them. Satisfied that they were, I balanced along the sturdy limb that had served as our nest. Once I reached the limit of what would support our weight, I vaulted to the neighboring tree.

We landed upon a thick bough, and with a fleeting glance behind, I eyed the beast.

It had already begun to pick its way up our original tree, twisting through the gnarled trunk in its effort to follow. Despite its size, the creature moved swiftly and without hesitation, another roll resounding deep in its chest; a note of frustration, no doubt.

That was enough to spur me into motion, regardless of the protest in my stiff legs. I leapt from one tree and one branch to another, the irritable rumbling of the zunoda resounding behind us. It would follow, I was certain, but only so long as it had our scent. Unlike the dakmu, zunoda were not persistent hunters. They were simple animals, unable to plot and scheme or lay traps. When it lost us, it would take up new prey to sate its hunger.

Rolec, however, seemed more concerned. His head strained behind as he looked for the monster.

I gave his thigh a squeeze. "It will only give chase for so long. Easy enough to evade." We had only to keep moving and stay in the trees. It would only have the advantage on the ground.

I took another flying leap, the distance between us and the zunoda easily growing.

We traveled until the daystar began to rise, color painting the sky where it peeked between the lingering clouds in pretty pinks and oranges.

At my back, Rolec muttered something soft and sweet. He sounded half asleep, laying heavy against me. I wanted to give him a bed, but we were still days from the village.

We could not reach it soon enough.