Sekali, "The Sister City"
Chapter 86
The light of day was blinding. Sekali made camp and a fire just inside the entrance to the mountain, for it was bitter cold up on the high ledges overlooking the view of a great valley shrouded in foglike mist. They spent that afternoon and the night within the cave, bundling up within their cloaks and bedrolls.
That evening, they all huddled closely together, for warmth, plagued by a strong wind that smote the mountain-side and threw mists of snow at their feet. The winds brought in a winter storm, leaving a heavy blanket of snow just outside the cave within a few short hours. It was as if the icy fingers of winter were trying their best to grip them in its cold clutches from without the mountain. Finyat did not mind; he seemed to have taken a liking to Aria, and looked for every opportunity to be near her and talk with her. Even with a fire burning, they were cold that evening, the night creeping on as each of them took their turn at the watch.
It was on Sekali’s watch when the sound of heavy breathing was heard, as something approached from within the depths of the caves they had emerged from. Quickly he shook each of them awake, placing a finger to his lips and pointing into the cave. Soon all were on their feet and listening as the snow blew into the cave.
Aria motioned them to quickly follow her. Leaving the fire burning brightly, they followed Aria; all but Finyat, who had mysteriously vanished again.
Quickly they found a crevice within the cave and slipped into it. Sekali stood nearest the opening and watched as a massive humanoid walked up out of the depths of the cave. It was easily three times his height with broad, muscular shoulders and knotted hands, clad in the scaled hides of what he guessed to be dragon leathers. The most shocking feature was the creature’s three heads, a great eye at the center of each.
As it approached the entrance, it stopped, three heads sniffing, its eyes darting here and there suspiciously. It saw the fire burning and cautiously approached it, two great stone clubs at the ready.
The monster poked at the fire with its finger and jerked back in pain with a growl and shook its hand. It placed a large finger in the mouth of the middle head while the other two glared at the fire angrily. Apparently it had never seen the likes of flame before. With both its clubs it abruptly pounded the fire several times, scattering the coals everywhere and extinguishing the flames, causing a smoke to rise. With a great bellow, it raised its weapons high to the cavern’s roof in triumph.
Sekali watched, carefully staying out of sight, while Aria placed a hand on his arm and peered around his shoulder, watching intently as the monster gloried in its victory over the now dead flames. Aria slowly turned her head and caught his eye as she mouthed in silence, “Triclops.”
He nodded slowly and turned his attention back to the Triclops which was now peering closely at a hand-sized, red-hot coal in curiosity as it cooled, smoking intensely. The large creature caught some smoke in an eye and blinked in pain. Smiting the coal with the gigantic club sent showers of tiny sparks scattering across the frosted cave floor as it bellowed in rage and fury. Dropping the clubs, it grabbed a small boulder and slammed the rock down onto a cluster of smoking coals again and again, until every coal was no more than black ashes strewn and mixed with the snow that had blown in and about the area. Its rage was an incredible display of stupidity and ignorance, which was a deadly combination for them.
After the Triclops’ rage was at an end, the three headed giant retrieved its crude weapons and stepped to the outside of the entrance onto the wide ledge, sucking on a burned finger.
For some time it stood at the edge of the mountain nursing its finger. After a while it abruptly lumbered off to the right, vanishing outside.
They all stayed quietly out of sight for quite some time throughout the day waiting for Finyat to give them word, for they knew he would follow the Triclops. Before nightfall, Finyat came to them, tired, hungry and cold.
“I followed it down a mountain path which leads toward the base of the mountain. I think it hunts in the valley and returns here during the night. It’s headed back up the mountain now, and is carrying something large and black. I cold not see more than that.” He smiled at Aria.
“Then let it come and we will go,” she said, returning his smile warmly. Finyat nodded and blushed at her, averting his eyes downward as she squinted playfully at him. Uther smirked.
“You did well, Finyat. Thank you,” said Aria.
“You are most welcome, m’lady.” He said, suddenly pleased with her approval.
So they waited for the beast’s return, hidden and silent. Just before nightfall, the snow began to fall once more, and the Triclops returned to the cave with an abnormally large black bear hanging across a massive shoulder, its head crushed in. It walked around the ashes and disappeared into the depths of the mountain quickly, intent on its meal.
They waited for a while to be sure it was gone, and then crept out of their hiding place, out of the mountain, and headed down the path which the Triclops had taken.