The hellhound’s bark continued to echo through the forest. Hearing that warning, all the monsters hastily scrambled back into their holes.

  The ground closed up, and all was silent except for the deep, rumbling breath of the hellhound.

  With its head bowed and its tail between its legs, it slowly walked towards Tex.

  Everyone watched in bewilderment and awe — Tex included.

  He took a step back and raised his club, but the hellhound whimpered and lay down.

  Then it rolled over.

  “Alright, doggy,” Tex said, lowering his club. “I get it… I’m not giving you a belly rub, though.”

  The hellhound got up and trotted over to the trees, disappearing into a hole under the roots of a giant oak.

  The forest returned to its watchful silence. The darkening sky above Norgan’s erstwhile hideout was tinted orange with the setting sun, and the gloom in the surrounding trees grew thicker.

  ***

  “Hail Tex! Hail the Prophesied Hero!”

  Neesha’s words resounded through the spooky forest, and no one seemed to care about the noise they were making.

  Everyone cheered, “Hail the Prophesied Hero!”

  It’s not that they were exactly happy; they’d just watched people get dragged into the Underworld. But each one of them considered it a miracle that he or she wasn’t dragged away along with the others.

  And it was all because of Tex. He was the miracle; the Prophesied Hero! None of them needed an explanation for why the hellhound bowed to Tex. They considered it self-evident. The beast had recognized the truth of Tex’s identity.

  Even Broden was a believer now.

  “It’s true,” he stammered. “You are the Prophesied Hero… Maybe we really can kill Alok!” He made a bow. “Lord Tex! You can rely on me!”

  No one cheered louder than Emi. She jumped up and down, and her eyes sparkled, full of hope.

  But she was already weak from the stress of the fight. A wan look came over her face, though her smile didn’t go away.

  Grendel and Bmimi stood by her attentively, ready to support her.

  Meanwhile, Tex was overwhelmed by all that was happening. He didn’t know what to think anymore. Why would the hound react like that to him unless there really was something… different about him?

  And yet… How could he possibly be the Prophesied Hero? He didn’t have any real magic. Except for the dose of masculine energy the river god had given him — but that wasn’t magic per se. And what could it mean to say he was the father of gods? Was it some kind of metaphor?

  “Besides,” he argued, “even if I was the Prophesied Hero, why would a hellhound care?”

  Emi came forward, speaking breathlessly.

  “A hellhound might care… because… spirit beings can’t just… intervene however they please. They’re subject… to… the Fates, for example.”

  Emi’s chest heaved, and her skin took on a troubling pallor. Everyone fell silent and watched the little elf with concern.

  “Emi,” Tex murmured. “Please --”

  But all the excitement had worked her into a passion, and she continued in the same tone. “This proves it, Tex! You’re the hero of the entire world! I know… you’ll… save us…”

  She fainted into Tex’s arms.

  “Emi! Shit.”

  He cursed himself.

  How could I stand there thinking about myself instead of checking on my perfect elf princess?

  He kissed her fiercely on the forehead and lay her on the moss as Neesha rushed towards her. All the other women gathered around.

  Neesha touched Emi’s face.

  “She’s burning up.”

  She reached into the pouch on the inside of her animal skin and took out the leaf — the same one she’d used to revive Emi when she’d fainted before. Grinding up a bit of the leaf, she rubbed it on Emi’s upper lip.

  After a moment, Emi coughed and opened her eyes. Tex kissed her.

  Her face looked heartbreakingly weary, but when she saw Tex, her eyes brightened.

  “Everything’s okay, baby,” Tex said. “You know I won’t let anything hurt you, right? We’re gonna get you to Shayla’s island soon. Stay strong; we’re almost there.”

  “I know, Tex,” she breathed. “I’ll stay strong… Don’t worry. It’s just the air in this forest, that’s all…” She coughed again. “I’ll be better once we’re out of here, Tex. I… I know I will!”

  The Weevol women smiled at her reassuringly. But some of them exchanged knowing glances and shook their heads sadly.

  “Alright,” Tex announced. “Everyone, get ready to head out! I don’t think anyone wants to spend the night here.”

  “Excuse me, Lord Tex,” Broden said. “We’d better hurry if you want to be out of the forest before dark.”

  Tex made Emi drink some water, and then he picked her up. There was no need to convince her this time; it was a given he’d carry her.

  Walking under the boughs of the watchful oaks, they went as fast as the terrain would allow. But the daylight faded fast.

  “We definitely won’t make it before dark, Lord Tex,” Broden said. “I know the trail well enough. The darkness falls fast here. It’ll be pitch black soon.”

  “Alright. Make a fire. I want six torches.”

  It didn’t take long to find suitable branches and make the torches, as some men and women carried animal fat, which provided oil. Even so, night had taken over the forest by the time they’d lit the torches.

  “It’s not much farther, Lord Tex,” Broden reassured him.

  The party continued down the dark trail in silence, torchlight flickering on the giant oaks.

  Tex often glanced down at Emi. Her head rested on his shoulder, and she seemed to be asleep. But her brow was troubled.

  At length, they finally emerged from the Dark Forest into a windswept plain. The moons shone bright, and the air was heavy with the brine of the ocean.

  Far across the field, a pine forest loomed under the night sky.

  Utu surveyed the landscape, which was bathed in watery moonlight.

  “We’re here,” she said, pointing across the field. “Fimm’s just beyond those trees.”

  Chapter thirty

  THEY FOUND A place to camp on the edge of the Dark Forest.

  Tex immediately took his rifle apart and cleaned every component thoroughly.

  His plan depended heavily on the rifle. If it failed him now, he’d probably be screwed.

  Whatever god or demon brought me to this world... Please, let it work.

  He was sure the rifle was not damaged when Fogu’s club hit it. It was just jammed because it needed cleaning, which was hardly a surprise. He’d taken it into forests, up a mountain, and through a ravine.

  He worked in the field, out in the open under the moonlight, since they certainly weren’t going to light any fires and risk being seen.

  Naturally, Tex’s harem stayed at his elbows all the time. Emi slept beside him with Bmimi snuggling next to her. Every once in a while the cat girl would lift her head and sniff Emi as if to check on her. Then she’d lick her a few times, just like a mother cat caring for her kitten.

  Grendel and Neesha also tried to sleep while Utu and Zila sat in silence, content just to be near Tex.

  Several of the Weevol women also came and sat near Tex.

  “We just want to watch you work, Lord Tex,” they pleaded. “We won’t bother you.”

  But others soon followed, and pretty soon almost the entire Weevol tribe had gathered around. It took some persuading, but they finally went back to the campsite under the trees; Tex didn’t want a big group of people in the open.

  As Tex reassembled his rifle, Zila came and sat close beside him, carrying something heavy in both hands. She put it on the other side of her so he couldn’t see.

  “I find something good.”

  “Yeah?” Tex said, concentrating on his task. “What’dya find?”

  “I not show.”

  He looked at her. Her big, passionate eyes beamed at him, and a grin spread over her face.

  Tex kissed her. “How about now?”

  The Neanderthal picked up the object with a grunt, dropping it in front of her.

  It was a sizeable chunk of flint. Tex put down his reassembled rifle and grabbed the rock.

  “Beautiful!”

  “I find beside campsite.”

  She handed him a chunk she’d already chipped off.

  “Very sharp stone. I gonna make throwing knife.”

  “Excellent,” Tex said, grazing the edge with his finger. “I think it’s about time I made a new axe.”

  “I get more flint! Many more!”

  “Good girl.”

  “I do good job, right?” she grinned.

  “Very good.” He kissed her again. “Can you make more than one throwing knife?”

  “Of course! I make many throwing knife.”

  They worked late into the night, knapping blades as sharp as razors.

  Tex made an enormous axe head and attached it to a long handle. Zila finished a small pile of throwing knives. She picked one of them up to demonstrate.

  Everyone watched as she flung the knife at a birch that stood about 15 feet away, its bark illuminated in the moonlight. The blade plunged into the middle of the tree, right around the height of a man’s head.

  Tex whistled. “Bull’s eye.”

  “I use throwing knife for hunting many time,” she said, grinning.

  “Well, get some of those knives ready. We’re going scouting.”

  ***

  The scouting party crept towards the pine forest that surrounded Fimm. Tex brought along Bmimi and Neesha, since they had the most advanced stealth abilities, as well as Zila, and Utu.

  He also brought Broden, since he had scouted Fimm twice before with Hurley.

  “It’s not that well protected,” he said. “Alok doesn’t keep enough men around him to guard it properly. The same guards are out the entire night.”

  “Why didn’t you ever get together with the other bachelors and attack him?” Tex said.

  “We went to Norgan about it last year. He was all for it, but his men backed out. They had too much time to think it over.”

  But Broden’s previous scouting trips were not in vain. He’d gathered some very useful intelligence. Both times that he scouted the place, Alok appeared at sunrise and walked to the edge of the pine forest.

  “He comes out with his two most trusted men,” Broden said. “They walked towards the trees, right where we were hiding. I’m thinking. ‘Shit! He knows we’re here!’ But no! They just stand there facing the forest and wait till the sun climbs up behind us, and the pine shadows stretch across the village. At that exact moment, Alok raises his fist to the sky.

  “He says a prayer — we couldn’t hear what it was. And he walks along the edge of the trees as if he was looking for something.”

  Given this information, Tex hoped to take Alok out with a sniper shot. But that was going to be tough. He’d have to know where to position himself.

  Tex led the scouting party into the small pine woods that surrounded Fimm’s eastern side. Moonlight trickled into the forest, just enough that they could make their way among the trees.

  Bmimi proved indispensable here. Given her darkvision and her superior hearing and sense of smell, Tex had her walk alongside him, ahead of the rest of the party.

  After a short walk, the starry horizon broke through the trees ahead, and Tex heard the roll of the tide.

  Signaling for the others to stay behind, Tex and Bmimi crept closer. Peering through the trees, he could see a longhouse and a totem.

  Bmimi stopped. Her ears perked up and then moved to the side as she sniffed the air.

  She grabbed Tex’s hand, and they crept towards some bracken, crouching behind it.

  “Over there,” Bmimi breathed.

  Following her eyes, Tex discerned a man standing in the shadow of a tree just at the beginning of the forest.

  “There are more, but they’re all standing on the edge of the woods. They’re afraid to come in too near the forest — I can smell their fear.”

  They stayed a while, watching and listening. Tex noticed the long grass beside the longhouse did not stir. Nor did the trees. There was not even the slightest breeze.

  Favorable conditions for a sniper hit, Tex thought, and a strange excitement rushed through him.

  Another guard sauntered around the longhouse and nodded at the man in the shadows as he sleepily continued on his beat.

  Tex couldn’t see him in detail, but he could tell he was a big man.

  They waited for some time, until Tex started to get tired of crouching. The strolling guard returned and walked around the longhouse again.

  “We’ll wait for him to pass a couple more times,” Tex whispered. “I want to know what the patterns are.”

  They waited a while. Then the cat girl’s ears suddenly pricked up, and the fur on her tail bristled.

  “What is it?” Tex said, watching her intensely.

  She grabbed his wrist.

  “Shhh.”

  A moment later, Tex heard dry pine needles crunching underfoot as a dark shape moved under the shadows.

  It walked into a patch of moonlight, revealing a tall man with massive shoulders and a long beard. He gripped a spear, and his eyes darted around with agitation. He walked as if he expected something to jump out and attack him at any second.

  Tex’s heart pounded against his ribcage.

  Do they know we’re here? He wondered.

  Was the guard investigating because someone heard a noise? But then, why would they send just one?

  Maybe more are coming from another direction…

  They ducked behind the bracken. The guard kept walking at the same pace. Tex could hear his nervous breathing.

  He passed by them without stopping.

  No, they don’t suspect anything. He’s just afraid of the woods, like Bmimi said.

  “We’ll see how long he takes to come back,” Tex whispered.

  Without a word, Bmimi sat down on the moss, curling her legs underneath her. She sat with her back straight and her ears alert, her tail flicking back and forth. She seemed oddly content.

  “You’re a born hunter, aren’t you?” Tex whispered.

  She raised her hand, stretching her fingers out straight. It was a pretty hand, very feminine. Tex had the urge to kiss it, but her claws suddenly shot out.

  He remembered how she used them to cut open men’s throats and disfigure their faces.

  “I like the way hunting makes me feel.”

  “You enjoy it?”

  “I suppose you could say that.” She tilted her head. “It… makes me feel good.”

  “Yeah?” Tex said, intrigued. He knew little about Bmimi. “Describe it.”

  “Well… It makes me feel powerful… and it gives me a thrill... and...”

  She sighed and looked up at the trees. A sad, far-away look came into her eye.

  “There’s something else,” Tex said.

  Bmimi smiled. “Yeah. It also reminds me of my dad and my brothers and sisters. He used to go hunting, and we would all play and pretend that we were hunting, too.”

  “You remember that? I thought you were just a baby when Randaval found you.”

  “I was a kitten, yes. That’s… the earliest memory I have.”

  They waited in silence for some time–-it must have been 15 minutes. Tex wondered if the guard would do another round or not. Maybe it wasn’t a routine thing.

  But Bmimi suddenly got into a crouching position, peering over the bracken. The same guard returned and passed by them again, following the same route.

  “It must be a big beat,” Tex said. “Maybe he walks the entire perimeter of the village.”

  They waited once again just to be sure. The guard returned in roughly the same amount of time.

  Tex signaled for Broden to come forward. Crouching beside them, the bruiser pointed out the spot where Alok had stood in front of the trees.

  “Alright,” Tex said. “Let’s go try to get some sleep.”

  ***

  A hint of pale morning light tinted the sky beyond the Dark Forest as they crept into the pine wood.

  Tex hadn’t slept. It was impossible. He kept thinking over the plan in his mind, imagining all the ways it could go down.

  Strangely enough, he felt a kind of relief when they finally set out. They proceeded much like the first time, except now the bachelor groups followed them into the pine wood.

  They hunkered down deeper in the woods, awaiting a signal, while Tex went ahead with Bmimi, Utu, Neesha, and Zila.

  “Can you take us to the same spot we were at before?” Tex asked Bmimi.

  “Easy,” she said, and soundlessly led the way.

  Tex recognized the spot as they approached the bracken where they’d crouched a few hours before.

  “Perfect,” he whispered. “We’ll wait here until the guards pass by, and then we’ll move in closer.”

  Crouching behind the bracken, they marked the guard stationed on the edge of the forest. He stood in almost the same spot as before, yawning continuously.

  They waited there for at least 15 minutes.

  The other guard sleepily came around the longhouse, following his accustomed route for the millionth time. Finally, the third guard walked through the woods in front of them, looking like he was too tired to care anymore about being in a haunted forest.

  “This is my chance,” Tex whispered once the guard had passed. “Gotta get closer. Bmimi, Zila. Come with me.”

  The guard under the tree was on the right, so Tex went left.

  Creeping through the trees, he saw a patch of ferns under the shadows of heavy pine branches. It was almost on the edge of the forest, so there were few trees beyond it to block his line of fire.

  “Perfect spot.”

  Bmimi grabbed his arm.

  “Tex. There’s someone —”

  A shadowy figure grunted and stepped towards them.

  Chapter thirty-one

  BMIMI SPRINTED FORWARD, but Zila’s dagger was faster.

  The Neanderthal’s weapon rotated through the air and landed with a wet thud. The man collapsed face-first onto the ground.