Grishma (Book One in The Necoh Saga)

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Streaks of light filtered past the canopy of tall trees surrounding Ryder and his allies as they prepared to leave camp.

Even though he initially urged the group to leave the previous night, Ryder was glad they decided to get some rest before departing on their journey.

He rubbed his neck. Man, am I sore!

Stretching his arms above his head, he thought back to the Nalun attack. Wielding his father’s sword in a bloody frenzy was both frightening and exhilarating.

Dad would have been proud of me, Ryder thought as he looked down at the gleaming sword.

“Ryder, are you ready?” asked Albie.

“Ah, yeah, ready as I’ll ever be,” he replied. Grabbing a sack, Ryder loaded it with dried lera berries, several flasks of water, and a few medicinal plants he had found nearby.

Albie carried a large rucksack filled with additional supplies, including dried meat, fresh picked mushrooms, and more flasks filled with fresh water. Cridifer followed suit with his own small pack and the two guards, Kroy and Lant, pulled a small cart filled with larger supplies and weapons covered by heavy blankets.

As they marched through the tall grass, Ryder wondered, Have I trusted the right Necohians?

They hadn’t made it too far when Albie frantically shouted, “Everyone STOP! Look!” The small furry creature pointed ahead to a field of vibrant flowers.

“No,” murmured Ryder, “it couldn’t be.”

“Lapu flowers. We better cover our faces,” grunted Lant.

“I thought these things didn’t exist anymore?” asked Ryder.

“They’re plentiful around here. The King had fields planted after Princess Sophie went missing. It was supposed to prevent future criminals from reaching the city walls,” replied Kroy.

“And to keep those trying to escape within the grasp of the King’s army,” added Lant.

Albie removed his pack and grabbed a flask of water and a handful of cloth strips. “Good thing we came prepared,” he said as he carefully poured a small amount of water on each cloth and handed one out to everyone.

“Cover your nose and mouth. And make sure to tie it tightly. I don’t want to have to carry any of you through this field,” joked Lant, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Following orders, Ryder and the others tied the damp rags around their faces.

The lapu flowers were stunning. Bright yellow petals dotted with aqua spots and neon pink flowers with orange stripes flooded the landscape in front of them.

“So are they still as potent as before?” asked Ryder.

Albie shook his head. “Yes, even more so in some cases. I’ve heard all one has to do is take one smell and BAM! You’re unconscious!”

They stepped carefully, disturbing the flowers as little as possible. Each step was precise and calculated. By the time they had traversed through the seemingly unending lapu field, the sun was directly above them and burning hot.

“Let’s walk a bit further and then stop for lunch,” stated Albie.

The others mumbled in agreement.

After they were a safe distance from the fields of dangerous flowers, they sat to rest and unpacked a small feast.

Lant dug around in one of the packs and produced several large brown mushrooms with faint yellow flecks on the cap. “Here,” he grunted as he handed them out to everyone. “We better eat these today. If we wait too much longer, there’s a good chance they’ll become toxic.”