Chapter 3: Coral Sea

Caden stood at the edge of the Coral Sea, what had once been a sloping shore giving way to a vast expanse of desert that resembled a canyon. It extended as far as the eye could see. The far side must be over the horizon, whatever it looked like. He unfurled his map and checked it, making sure that he was indeed where he was supposed to be.

From this vantage point, he could make out the spires that the Dweorh had described. They looked like chimneys of stone, their surfaces covered in what resembled colorful moss, but was actually discoloration in the minerals. They were uneven, bulbous, no two of them exactly alike. They sprouted from the ground in clusters, many of them seeming to emerge from the same formation of rock. They were far higher than he had imagined, some of them looked to be skirting a hundred feet. Many had collapsed under their own weight, but there were plenty still standing tall.

Surrounding them was the coral that gave this place its name. It was so abundant that the Coral Sea could scarcely be referred to as a desert, the ancient growths creating massive shelves where they had built atop one another over eons, like a petrified botanical garden. They took on such varied shapes. Some bore a close resemblance to fungi, like giant mushrooms that sprouted from the rock, while others were more plant-like in their appearance. There were even corals that had taken on an uncanny resemblance to trees, rising from the ground on stout trunks, branch-like formations creating a sort of table that cast shadows on the land beneath then. Unfortunately, the vibrant colors that they must have sported in life were long gone, time having made them as lifeless as the stone that surrounded them.

Between the clusters of spires and outcrops of coral, paths formed in what had once been the seabed, filled in with sand that bore a striking rust-red color. Caden began to descend the sandy incline, dropping down into the maze of spires and reefs. It would be easy to get turned around in here, and although he might have an infinite supply of water, the same was not true of his food. He would have to make sure his path remained straight.

His heart began to race as he walked between the towers, the jagged formations casting deep shadows in the harsh sunlight. He was glad of the shade, but his mind played tricks on him, insisting that monsters could be lurking wherever the darkness pooled. The story told by the Dweorh had rattled him, but he couldn’t turn back now, he had no choice but to press on.

He marveled at the strange structures as he made his way along the path that had been carved out by the sand, like a red river that snaked between the rock formations. A sudden movement caught his eye, startling him, but he quickly realized that it was just a snake. The creature had been basking on the hot stone beside a cluster of bulb-shaped corals, its orange scales patterned with black diamonds that ran down its long spine. When it saw him, it darted into the corals, winding its way into the holes in their sponge-like surfaces. There must be all kinds of wildlife down here that had made their homes in the rocks.

Caden proceeded ever deeper, craning his neck to admire the tall towers that surrounded him. The colors that stained their uneven surfaces were quite beautiful, streaks of greens, reds, and oranges discoloring the mottled stone. As he rounded a corner, he faltered, coming across a grisly sight. There was a relatively flat outcrop of rock, creating a sheer wall directly ahead of him, its surface stained with some kind of red pigment. It was clearly man-made, or at least, made by something with intelligence approaching that of men. It had been painted over with some kind of white, chalky substance, crude figures and strange runes adorning it. The figures stood upright, with two arms and two legs, but their features were decidedly bestial. Although they lacked any real detail, little more than stick figures, he could make out their winding tails and their elongated faces. In their hands were clutched spears and axes, and at their feet lay the bodies of what were obviously supposed to represent people, broken and dismembered.

That wasn’t what turned Caden’s stomach, however. Arranged in a neat row at its base were five spears that had been driven deep into the sand, and at the tip of each one was a head in varying stages of decomposition. The oldest was little more than sun-bleached bone, its lower jaw missing, the tip of an obsidian spearhead jutting from a crack in its crown. The others were covered in desiccated flesh, their sunken eye sockets empty, jaws that were only connected by rotted strands of muscle and sinew hanging agape as though they were screaming silently. Clouds of insects buzzed around them, crawling across their flaking skin, and inside their...

Caden turned away, covering his mouth with his hand as he gagged. The warning was obvious enough. These creatures did not want anyone trespassing in their domain, and the fate of those who ignored the gruesome display was death. Had the party of Dweorh prospectors come across such warnings and ignored them?

He looked back at the shore, doubt overwhelming him. He should be sitting in the tower library with his nose buried in a book right now, he had no business being out here, no business fighting off wolves and savages. What had the Master been thinking, assigning him this task? Even a company of the King’s most seasoned knights would be hard-pressed to make it through this unscathed. A monster could be lurking behind every rock, waiting for the right moment to chop off his head and impale it on a pike as a warning to others.

“This is folly,” Caden muttered to himself. He turned his back on the severed heads, trudging his way through the sand, following his own footprints as he returned the way he had come. It was a struggle to suppress the urge to run, his imagination conjuring monsters on his heels. The Master would have to find another candidate to make the perilous journey, as he should have done from the beginning. He hadn’t known the extent of the danger, he needed to employ a company of sellswords, or maybe petition the King for an entourage of guards. A single traveler would never make it through this place alive. So what if time was running out? If Caden went home, or if he died, the outcome would be the same. He would still fail to retrieve the artifact. Even if it meant that he had come all of this way for nothing, he would at least return home with his life.

He eventually reached the shore, starting to climb his way back up the incline, digging his staff into the ground for purchase. With every step, his boots seem to grow heavier, a new tension rising up inside of him as he neared the top. It wasn’t fear, it was shame...

Caden stopped again, bowing his head as he leaned his weight on his staff, the sweat that dripped from his brow sizzling as it hit the hot sand. He collected himself, catching his breath, glancing over his shoulder at the expanse of eerie towers.

There was nobody else. That was the only reason he was out here to begin with. Either he completed this task, or the world would die, along with all of its inhabitants. The green hills and forests of his homeland would look just like this place, the dead trees surrounded by sand dunes, the merciless sun beating down on a lifeless hellscape. Going back was just as much a death sentence as going forward.

Cursing under his breath, he began to slide back down the slope, resolving to see his quest through to its end.

Caden walked until the sun began to set, then took shelter beneath the shade of one of the large table corals, its branches spreading above his head like those of a strange tree. If it had endured this long, he surmised, then there was little chance of it suddenly collapsing on his head.

He hadn’t come across any more of the gruesome warnings since the one that he had encountered at the shore. The monsters probably placed them near its border to dissuade trespassers, there would be no reason for more grisly displays deeper inside.

So far, he had come across no lizards in the shape of men, merely a few small reptiles that had been basking in the sun, quickly dashing into cover when he had disturbed them. This place was not completely devoid of plant life. There were cacti and succulents that sprouted amongst the petrified corals, creating an odd contrast between ancient and modern, land and sea. They were scarce, however, clinging to what patches of soil they could find. An ecosystem existed here, albeit a desperate one.

The food that he had bought at the trading post provided no small measure of comfort, Caden enjoying some salted pork as he took in the alien landscape that surrounded him. As he ate, he heard what sounded like loose stones rolling down a rock face, echoing between the spires. He reached out to grip his staff, pausing his chewing so that he could hear more clearly. After a good few moments, he set it back down, glancing around suspiciously as he continued his meal. There were animals out here, it could have been a snake or a rat, but he wasn’t about to let his guard down after seeing those decapitated travelers.

When he was done eating, he set down his bedroll on the rock beneath the coral, keeping his staff close by as he lay down. He felt so exposed, but without a campfire, he could hopefully avoid drawing attention to himself. If the savage inhabitants of this place randomly stumbled upon him while he slept, then he could only conclude that the Gods wanted him dead, there wasn’t anything to be done about it.

Come to think of it...

Caden sat up, pulling the heavy, leather-bound spellbook from his pack. He searched the index, glad that the setting sun was still providing enough light to read by, locating a likely page. Why hadn’t he thought of this before? Had his mind been so clouded by fear?

There, a concealment spell. He read through the incantation, poring over the instructions as his eyes scanned the looping text. This spell could bend light around the sorcerer or an object in his possession, making him functionally invisible to onlookers, and it seemed to block the transmission of sound as well. The only way to discover him would be physical contact.

It wasn’t an especially complex spell, and before long, there was a small pocket of invisibility shrouding his hiding place. Wanting to see how effective it was, he rose to his feet, stepping off the rock and onto the warm sand. After a few paces, he turned to see that his campsite had vanished. He should have been able to see his bedroll lying on the rock beneath the shadow of the towering table corral, his pack and staff sitting beside it, but the rock was bare. There was a slight shimmering in the air if he looked closely, but it would be unnoticeable to someone who wasn’t looking for it. He reached out a hand and pushed it through the bubble, watching it vanish up to the wrist, strange reflections glittering like the shards of a broken mirror around the breach.

Satisfied that he could sleep in relative safety, he stepped back inside, his possessions reappearing. Pleased with himself, he lay down on the bed, draping his cloak over his eyes to shield them from the sunset.

Caden was roused by the sound of something large shuffling around nearby. He opened his eyes groggily, his vision slowly adapting to the darkness. It was night, the stars twinkling above the splayed branches of the table coral, the crescent Moon providing just enough light to see by. He turned his head, and had to cover his mouth to stifle a gasp of alarm.

Lurking at the foot of the rock, not ten feet away from him, were two figures. They were hunched over, appearing to examine the red sand. Their features were hard to make out in the twilight, but he could be certain that they were not human. Their long, winding bodies were coated in a layer of fine scales that reflected the moonlight, like the tiny tiles in a mosaic. They were patterned with blotches of orange, black, and yellow that camouflaged them against the desert backdrop. Long tails trailed behind them, as though giant serpents had joined to their bodies at the rump, as thick around as a human thigh at their base.

One of the beasts lifted its head, perched atop a long, slender neck. The sight reminded Caden of a cobra rearing up as it prepared to strike, filling him with primal dread. There was something leathery wrapped around its throat, clinging to its contours, but he couldn’t make out what it was. Some manner of protective collar, maybe?

As its face caught the moonlight, he saw that it was elongated, ending in a dull, rounded snout. Its eyes were set wider apart than those of a man, their color that of amber, its slitted pupils scanning its surroundings with a palpable malice. It had no ears that he could see, its lips made up of tiny scales instead of flesh, a forked tongue the color of blueberries flicking past them to taste the air.

The reptile rose up to its full height, Caden examining its seven-foot frame in silent terror. Its long legs had two joints, more like those of a dog or a horse than a person, the thighs and calves packed with muscles that shifted beneath its smooth hide as it moved. The toes were long and uneven, splayed wide across the sand, each one ending in a claw. Its midsection was lean and muscular, proportionally slimmer than that of a human, its shoulders comparatively narrow. The creature had arms that were longer than those of a man, its four fingered-hands sporting blunt claws. It was brandishing a spear, the same as those that been used to impale the severed heads, the obsidian tip glinting in the starlight.

They wore little in the way of clothing, this one’s modesty preserved only by a loincloth that had been dyed to approximate the tone of its scales. He noted that there were no nipples on its chest, no navel on its belly, its scaly body completely devoid of hair. There were elaborate patterns painted onto its skin with some kind of colorful paste, adorning its torso and face in shades of red, blue, and white.

It spoke to its companion in a language that sounded like the hissing of a viper, the other creature brushing its fingers across the sand. With a start, he realized that they were investigating the footprints that he had left the night before. The tracks had led them straight to him! If it hadn’t been for the invisibility spell that he had cast, he would probably be missing a head by now.

The second creature stood up, its tongue flicking at the air as it looked right at his hiding place. Oh Gods, could it smell him? It seemed confused, narrowing its eyes, even their lids covered in scales.

This one was much like the first, if not a little taller, its figure just as lean and athletic. Its stout thighs were dimpled with muscle, its wide hips tapering into a powerful core, so toned that he could see the chiseled muscles in its belly flexing as it moved. Its hourglass waist and the pair of breasts that were obviously contained within the sling across its chest suggested that it was a female. Their tribal body paint was different, too. This one sported pigment in a striking shade of red that circled its eyes, trailing down its cheeks like tears.

The two appeared to argue, alarming Caden with their hissing and snapping. The female suddenly lunged at the male, that leathery structure that he had noticed around their necks flaring, opening up like a parasol to frame her head. It flushed with blood to take on a crimson hue, revealing a pair of intimidating eyespots. The male recoiled, seeming to give in, following behind her meekly as she stalked off into the spires.

Caden realized that he was holding his breath, slowly lowering his hand from his mouth, his eyes as wide as saucers. Monster was an apt name, they were like nothing he had ever seen. They had the features of a lizard or a snake, yet they retained an uncanny resemblance to mankind that had taken him off-guard.

Again, the desire to flee reared its head, but he forced it back down again. They hadn’t been able to find him, he could rely upon his magic to see him through this. He must be meticulous, always on his guard, because a single mistake could cost him his life.

Did they only hunt at night? No, Alberich had said that the sun was still up when he and his party had been attacked. There must be a way to get through his...

He sat up, scratching his chin as he mulled over his options. The invisibility spell could not be cast fast enough to shield him from a pursuer, and it was a purely stationary affair. Could he stay on the rocks, avoiding the sand altogether? No, many of them were too far apart. He might be able to blow away his footprints by conjuring wind, but it wasn’t practical to do that for every step that he took, it was far too time-consuming.

There must be more spells that could give him the upper hand, he would have to do some research when the sun rose.

Armed with a new repertoire of spells, Caden made his way through the sand, following the weaving path as it led him between the spires. He knew that he would be found. Confrontation was inevitable, these beasts probably spent their every waking hour hunting and tracking, but he had to trust in his magic. Misdirection, illusion, those were his best options now. Caden’s affinity for study and academia had allowed him to memorize a handful of the spells, meaning that he could cast them without having to reference the book, which would save precious time.

Before setting out, he had cast a spell that allowed him to sense the presence of living beings so that he might be forewarned of their presence this time. All things that were alive were imbued with some measure of magical energy, from a mouse to a flower. Those who had more than the average person might find themselves sensitive to its currents, they might experience it as intuition, as a kind of sixth sense. Those who possessed it in great abundance had the potential to become sorcerers, to understand and harness that energy, while the average person might be ignorant of its existence altogether. But if he could sense its presence, amplified by the spell, then he would know if anyone was near.

As he walked, he examined the rocks and corals that surrounded him, the presence of small lizards and hardy plants betrayed by wisps of those silver strands, seen through a sense beyond mere sight. The sun beat down on him as he marched, Caden pausing only to take draws from his waterskin, every mouthful a relief. He was losing so much water through sweat that he had to refill it three or four times a day. With so much practice, he was becoming quite proficient, able to recite the relevant spell by heart.

It wasn’t long before his prediction came to pass. He had been walking for a few hours when he was alerted to the presence of something behind him. Two large lifeforms were making their way towards him, their line of sight blocked by the corals. They shone as bright as beacons, brimming with magical energy, the swirling currents flowing through them. They were no sorcerers, but they were more attuned to magic than an average person. Whether that was because of their nature, or a result of their purported shamanistic practices, he couldn’t be sure.

Caden quickly slipped into a crevice in a nearby reef, hiding amongst the corals as he watched them emerge into view. It was the same two hunters from the night before, a male and a female, their eyes scanning the ground at their feet as they followed his tracks. They would pause to examine the surrounding terrain as they went, their forked, lizard-like tongues darting forth to taste the air.