Zach stood opposite the once thought slave as he eyes sparkled, "my name is Auro of Sohell a knight in the kingdom of the north, Creed, captain of the ghost-watch division" he spoke standing tall as he looked at Zach.
"Four day ago I disappeared, that didn't mean I was dead, I was scouting" he picked up the cape of a dead mangled body stained with blood, Zach brows furrowed as he heard those words.
"Scouting?"
"Yh I've been tracking this beast for the past five days, or rather it had been tracking us" he continued.
"When the kingdom of creed collapsed during the war, our people were captured, enslaved or killed. I hid my identity, Because escaping as a knight would draw blades but pretending to be someone insignificant draws arrogance and indifference. Auro tossed an animal hide cape at Zach, "you must be feeling cold" he said.
"Yeah..." Zach took the cape, as his fell Into his thoughts.
"I intended to escape when we reached the west. There I could contact the surviving merchant network that still remember the houses name" Zach reached the boot of a dead solider, snapping it off his feet as he wore them.
"I thought I could vanish without blood shed, but.." He glanced around the carnage, his tone darkened, "that changed when that thing arrived".
"The beast was a stealthy one cloaking itself blending in the blizzard", by now the onslaught of the blizzard had reduced to drizzling of snow, "it charged in, decimated the guards within seconds.. , I could react in time if not I could've saved a few more slaves.. but.." he sighed...
"That's for another day, any questions?" He asked. Zach in response raised his hand, "what does all this have to do with me?" He asked, it was true, Auro did t have any reason to leave Zach alive, Zach was sure that he'd be a liability, instead of an ally so why was Auro helping him?.
"Your sharp" he remarked, " I've been watching you, the way you orchestrated your escape I saw it.." he turned around, "And I think you will be useful to me".
"Besides.." he turned around, "I've seen that look in your eyes... I was once like you.. struggling for survival and fighting against people above me, only difference is I won", he smirked.
His Tone softest briefly then hardened, "but liste carefully. This isn't about pride, it's about survival".
"This isn't just a beast it an astryx predator spawned from an existence stones. And if it's here.." He gestured to the snowy burnt and charred trees "Then more will come, and of we don't get moving, we'll both be corpses before the next blizzard.
He spoke as he sheathed the finally piece, the sword into the scabbard behind his waist.
Auro stood majestically, his ragged clothes covered by the cape, his blue eyes shown with indifference as he began walking.
Zach in reflect followed closely behind, they took nothing from the carriage, not even food, not even water.
****
The rest of the days were constant strides, the snow sank under Zach's feet, as he headed to god knows where, Auro was in front of him, walking as if he knew where he was going, Zach hoped the handsome knight knew what he was doing.
Zach caped got stuck to a tree bark and he forcefully yanked it out.
They've walked so far that Zach wasn't able to see the shadow of the carriage, his feet burned, the've been walking for so long... Zach could tell how long due to the constant ashen skies that surrounded them, no food no water nothing, Zach had a few training to control his hunger but his Patience was going to run out soon, his feet frozen and burned under the boots.
Unlike him Auro seemed to be doing fine, he maintained an indifferent air around him as he walked through the snow.
"I think we can stop here for now", Auro said as he looked ahead, a cave nestled in the distance, dark and eerie, Auro, unbothered walked towards it's entrance.
Zach watched from a distance.
Zach head played footage of a huge monster popping from the cave and swallowing Auro whole, although that would be highly unlikely but Zach had to entertain even the most outrageous outcome because in the unforgiving plains of the astryx anything is possible.
A few minutes later, Auro stepped out, blood smeared all over him, his sword dripped with red blood, as he held why would be described as a worm the size of a coffin.
"Come on coast clear", he gestured as he raised the dead creature in his arm, "And food is ready..."
Zach spent the next few hours gathering wood with was quite a hassle as fresh wood in this region was very rare, it looked like the forest was burnt down, covered by snow.
Zach and Auro sat opposite each other as the bonfire lit up the narrow cave, jagged rocks and an enclosed space, this cave were only a few meters long, but the smaller the hiding spot the more untraceable it I'd be to the enemies.
Atop the bonfire the meat of the dead worm sizzled.
Zach sat hunched near the fire his hand outstretched towards the open flame, the sizzling worm meat crackled above the Flames letting out a sweet savory aroma that betrayed how grotesque the monster looked earlier.
Hunger bit at him and when Auro handed him a charred chunk on a sharpened bone Zach didn't hesitate.
He bit into the meat.
Zach eyes widened in surprise, it was soft, chewy but flavourful, slightly a bit salty which was a surprise since no seasoning was added.
"Not bad" Zach muttered between bites, his voice low. Auro smirked from across the flames a bit of blood still smirked on his lips, "it's a burrower" he stated taking a small chunk of his own, "Carnivores. Hides in caves thrives off blood and body heat, that why the insides were still warm probably because it very fed recently"
*****
A few kilometers away in the expanse of the endless snow and charred trees, a grotesque horror, sniffed the snow, it moved... much like smoke and bone, gliding just above the surface, limbs too many and mismatched, it's form constantly shifted as of the beast nature was unsure of what shape to take.
It's elongated skull twitched, sniffing the windless air, no eyes, just a jagged slit where a mouth should be, breathing in the cold exhaling steam filled with faint whispers..... trails.
The snow hissed where it's breath should be , melting instantly. It draged itself forward claw raking blackened bark,.. toungue slithering out off a mouth the splits it's head in half. The sent was faint but distinct, humans.... two of them... fire, blood and.
It stopped.
There, tangled on a splintered tree bark, was a scrap of torn fabric, wooly deep gray almost black.
The beast reached out a limb that looked more like a melted hand, caressing the piece of clothing.
It sniffed, and let a a screeching cry.
The smell of Zach was embedded in its mind.
It wont lose it again.
[Authors note: can't believe I spent half the day on the description of a monster ]