Chapter 17 — The Wrong Territory
The trees began to thin, frost giving way to a shallow marsh where mist coiled low over the ground. Every step made the earth groan, sucking at boots.
The noble glanced around nervously. "We're past the hunt's borders. This isn't safe ground."
Kael didn't slow. "Neither was the last forest."
A distant rumble rolled through the air — not thunder. Something heavier. Closer.
—Footfalls, Side murmured. Bipedal. Weight class… dangerous.
Kael's hand rested on his sword. "How dangerous?"
—'Don't let it hit you' dangerous.
From the fog, a shape emerged — towering, hunched, its pale skin stretched over a body like living stone. Two curved horns jutted from its skull, and its eyes glowed faintly orange.
The noble whispered, "That's a Marshbreaker… they're not supposed to come this far north."
The Marshbreaker's head tilted, sniffing the air. Then it charged.
Kael sidestepped, but the ground exploded where the creature's fist landed, spraying mud and water. He countered with a slash to its ribs — sparks flew, the blade barely biting through.
—Armor under the skin, Side advised. Aim for the joints.
Kael shifted his stance. The Marshbreaker swung wide, its massive arm cutting the air like a falling tree. Kael ducked under, pivoting low to slice across the back of its knee. This time, the cut went deep, black ichor spraying.
The creature roared, swinging a backhand that sent Kael skidding through the muck. His boots dug in, absorbing the impact.
He surged forward again, space bending in his wake. One blink, and he was at the creature's shoulder, sword thrusting into the gap between its neck and collar.
The Marshbreaker bellowed, staggering. Kael twisted the blade, forcing it deeper before pulling free.
The creature collapsed to one knee. Kael drove his sword into its chest, pushing until the hilt struck bone. The roar cut off.
The Marshbreaker's corpse sank slowly into Kael's shadow, vanishing like a bad dream.
The noble looked around the mist-shrouded marsh. "We… should leave. Now."
Kael scanned the fog. "Agreed."
They pressed on, the mist swallowing their tracks. Somewhere behind them, the marsh rippled — and another distant, heavy step shook the ground.
—You're being followed, Side noted calmly.
Kael's grip on his sword tightened. "Then we make them regret it."