to me so that he could face the island as we approached.
It was not a large island by any means, but the sheer height the trees had managed to attain over the years made it very intimidating. The beach that we aimed for was just a small sliver of sand that the gigantic plants had not been able to find hold on. The boats were dragged a safe distance onto the beach, and the group congregated again.
At an order from Rio that I could not hear to understand, everyone unsheathed their weapons and headed into the jungle. I could see where Levent was, but only because his horns jutted above the heads of the six people that stood between us. I was close to the back of the procession, and it was only Bolivar and the other bearded man that followed behind me.
I lifted my eyebrows at Bolivar. I had assumed as captain he would have been at the front of the line, but his polite smile told me that he fully intended to be hanging back with me. Perhaps his logic was, “closer to the healer, farther from danger.” I did not want that theory to be tested.
I followed the procession as it twisted through the forest. The woods around us were filled with the cries of tropical birds mixed with sounds I had never heard before. Usually being surrounded by living things would have put me at ease, but would have been more comfortable in a desert than this place.
At the sound of a distant howl, I stuck my hands in my pockets, just to feel the cloud-bomb against my fingertips. I hoped that I would not need it, but it was comforting to know it was there nonetheless.
After what must have been at least two miles, we finally stopped. The group in front of me then spread out enough so that I could see ahead of us. We were standing on a ledge, and before us was a deep pit that led to an unnatural-looking cave. Deep ruts were carved into boulders that sat around the opening, and something about the pit’s shape indicated that something large and scaly had been rubbing against it for years. We had reached the beast’s den.
I looked nervously to Levent, who appeared to be receiving a briefing from the half-blood. I got as near as I could without attracting much attention. Bolivar noticed my movement, but did not seem to care as he followed me in silence.
“…your swords, but if you turn on us there will be no hesitation to fill you with darts.” Rio gestured over his shoulder to a severe-looking man holding a crossbow.