Grishma (Book One in The Necoh Saga)

Chapter One

Chapter One

Threatening dark clouds rolled in through the thick, muggy air. Ryder’s nostrils flared. A pungent smell permeated the area around him. His heart thumped faster in his chest and the hair on the back of his neck stood straight. He knew he was getting closer to his target.

Come out, come out, wherever you are, he thought with a sarcastic grin. He had been tracking his target for the past two years, and every time he got close to the foul beast it escaped, vanishing into thin air.

Ryder had spent the better half of six months tracking Grishma across most of Eastern Europe. He followed it into Asia, and now here, to Washington, where its horrendous dead fish stench led him.

He needed a new cover story. Europe was easy. All he had to do was say he was backpacking over a school holiday and people tended to leave him alone. America, however, was filled with a bunch of nosy, annoying little bureaucrats with nothing better to do than check every document, I.D., and piece of paper Ryder had on his person. He’d wound up having to spend thousands for forged paperwork that allowed him to pose as a foreign exchange student from Denmark. Somehow he managed to be placed with a wealthy family that seemed to mind their own business. A kid from Denmark wasn’t nearly as interesting to them as their expensive parties, fancy cars, and jewelry, and it made it easier for Ryder to get down to business.

If only they knew the real story, he thought, silently creeping through the woods. He wasn’t from Denmark. He wasn’t even from Earth!

Ryder winced as he thought about his home. He missed it desperately. Necoh was a majestic world filled with heavily wooded forests, an expansive underground network of caves, and dangerous, swirling bodies of water. Although many of the geographical features were comparable to those on Earth, the life forms on Necoh were much different. It wasn’t uncommon to see faeries flickering through his mother’s garden early in the morning or to run into a dwarf while exploring the complex cave system underground. The creatures on Necoh varied greatly. Some creatures, like the faeries, were harmless, while others, like the korbos, were greedy, deadly beings that often tortured their victims for days, forcing them to die a slow and painful death.

Thinking about home caused a flood of emotions and troubling memories. Ryder started to let out a sigh, but he caught himself. If he let his emotions get the better of him he would risk ruining months of hard work.

Ryder’s drive to find and destroy Grishma was a thirst that could not be quenched. He remembered it like it was yesterday, even though it was actually years ago. His mother and sister had gone into the nearby forest to pick wild lera berries for dinner. When they didn’t return by dusk, Ryder and his father armed themselves and ventured into the woods to look for them. As soon as they set foot in the heavy brush, Ryder knew something wasn’t right. A deafening silence echoed through the trees. No creatures stirred, no breeze rustled the leaves, and no signs of life were evident from any direction. It was as if all the living things in the forest were too frightened to make a sound.

Suddenly, they heard a rustling. Ryder’s father put his hand on the hilt of his sword and moved closer. Long, tangled hedges sprawled out in front of him. He crouched down to investigate, looking in and out and left to right through the brush. He stood and turned to look at Ryder.

“Nothing,” he said.

The bushes exploded outward and a gnarled beast slammed Ryder’s father to the ground. His father shrieked and the beast gnashed its hideous teeth. Ryder was temporarily frozen solid with fear and he couldn’t move a muscle.

The beast stood up, revealing itself to Ryder. The sight of this monstrosity was horrifying. His mountainous form towered over Ryder. Suddenly the trees in the forest didn’t seem so tall in comparison. It oozed evil from every pore and blood dripped from its twisted snout. It didn’t have fur like a bear. Instead, it had a thick, scaly hide tenting over a muscular frame. It was speckled green and brown, giving superb camouflage. That must be how Ryder’s father missed it sitting only inches away in the brush. Her razor sharp claws protruded several inches, each was uniquely serrated to do maximum damage and slice through flesh with minimal effort.