Chapter Twelve

Forty minutes later flying lower, closer to the ground, Soranto landed near a huge rock formation that lay in front of a large cluster of navy blue mountains , a few miles to the north. As soon as he was firmly on the ground, she climbed down, then turned and helped the gremlin, too.

"There you go."

"Thanks."

She nodded and then looked around the location, unsure as to whether or not she'd ever been there, until now. Grabbing the magick bag, then digging through it for a long moment, pulling out the small hand drawn map. Curious as to where they just landed, she read the map to see they were near the Casaria Mountains. Then she turned to the gremlin.

"Does any of it look familiar to you?"

" A little of the landscape, there should be a fortress about thirty minutes from here."

"I'd love to see it."

"Me too, but I have to rest, remember?" Shot the dragon.

Ralvania gave him a look, then rolled her eyes.

"We've gone quite far, but still a long way."

"It feels like we're never going to get there," Soranto mentioned before curling into a ball and going to sleep, under a silver-leafed maple tree.

The empress just turned and looked at the gremlin.

"You're going to make me wander the landscape, aren't you?"

"You're getting to know me well, aren't you?" She teased.

"Lead the way."

The empress gave a nod, leading them into the unknown forest. Vamier followed behind her, in panic mode. Walking deeper into the woods, she kept a look out for anything strange or dangerous out here. The trees even looked dreary. Vamier seemed spooked by every little sound.

She listened intently for any dangers in this strange place. Three miles later, they heard something un-natural. Neither of them had ever heard such a blood-boiling howl. It sounded worse than the wail of a banshee, like a demon wolf being stabbed.

Ralvania froze as a burst of darkness hit, then continued in stronger waves, one after the other. The nausea crept up as she stumbled to the ground, putting the gremlin in a panic, again.

"Good gods, are you alright?"

"I'm not sure... I can read darkness... there's enough evil here it's making me sick."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"Rest here a moment, it may help."

Another ten minutes passed by as the howling had finally ceased. Taking a long, slow breath, turning to her traveling buddy.

"Help me up."

He did as she'd asked, then the two walked a little further, when they heard something else howl this time. It was much closer than before, the sound brought on a cursed migraine, feeling as if her head wanted to explode right there. Afew feet in front of them they heard a deeper sounding growl.

"What is that?" He whispered.

"I don't know yet."

Leaping out from behind a giant black fern, a hellhound. It was as fierce and near size of three large werewolves put together. It snarled, barring it's huge fangs, ready to tear them appart. It let out an awful sound, hunkering down, ready to strike. As it did there was the thundering sound of a large black dragon charging into the forest, yelling something in a different language. As he spoke it, the hellhound ran off whimpering like an injured puppy, not an underworld watchdog.