Chapter 8: The King, the Bird, and the Arrest
The screech came again.
Louder.
Closer.
The cave trembled.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
Kai exchanged a glance with Andre.
Neither looked particularly excited about what was coming.
"Tell me that's normal."
"It isn't."
"Great."
Another screech echoed through the tunnels.
This time it was followed by something else.
Footsteps.
A lot of footsteps.
The sound of panic.
People running.
Then a figure burst around the corner.
One of the bandits.
Or at least Kai assumed he used to be one.
The man's face was pale.
His clothes were soaked in blood.
"RUN!"
The man didn't stop.
He sprinted past them.
Then another followed.
Then another.
The entire group seemed determined to flee from whatever lurked deeper within the cave.
Andre frowned.
"Now that's interesting."
"Interesting?"
Kai pointed toward the fleeing men.
"They look terrified."
"Exactly."
The realization settled over both of them simultaneously.
Whatever was chasing them was worse than the undead.
Much worse.
A shadow swept across the tunnel ceiling.
Kai looked up.
Just in time to see something enormous burst through an opening in the rock above.
Stone exploded.
A creature descended into the cavern.
Kai immediately took several steps backward.
"What the hell is that?"
The monster stood nearly twice the height of a horse.
Massive wings.
Sharp talons.
A long reptilian tail.
The head resembled a giant bird.
Its eyes glowed faintly yellow.
The beak alone looked capable of biting a man in half.
Andre stared.
"Oh."
Kai looked at him.
"You know what that is?"
"Unfortunately."
Andre cracked his neck.
"Cockatrice."
Kai blinked.
"A what?"
"A giant murder bird."
"That isn't helpful."
"It's accurate."
The cockatrice screeched.
The sound shook the entire cavern.
Then it lunged.
The creature moved far faster than its size suggested.
A talon swept toward Kai.
He barely rolled aside.
Stone shattered where he had been standing.
Andre rushed forward.
His fist collided with the creature's side.
The impact echoed through the cave.
The cockatrice staggered.
For approximately half a second.
Then its tail whipped around.
Andre disappeared.
Kai blinked.
One moment Andre was there.
The next he had been launched through a wall.
"ANDRE!"
A pile of rubble shifted.
A hand emerged.
Then a middle finger.
"I'm fine!"
Kai wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or annoyed.
The cockatrice ignored Andre.
Its attention shifted toward Kai.
The glowing eyes narrowed.
Kai suddenly felt very small.
The fight quickly turned into a disaster.
Kai landed hits.
Andre landed bigger hits.
Neither seemed to matter.
The cockatrice was simply too durable.
Its scales deflected most attacks.
Its wings generated powerful gusts.
Its talons could carve through stone.
Several times Kai narrowly avoided being ripped apart.
At one point he accidentally punched its beak.
The result was a fractured knuckle and a very annoyed bird.
The bird won that exchange.
Decisively.
Kai jumped backward.
Blood dripped from several fresh wounds.
Andre wasn't looking much better.
"This thing is bullshit."
Andre spat blood.
"Agreed."
The cockatrice screeched again.
Then spread its wings.
The cave trembled.
The air pressure changed.
For a brief moment, Kai thought they were about to die.
Then came a voice.
"Loose formation!"
The command echoed through the tunnel.
Professional.
Confident.
Immediate.
The cockatrice turned.
Kai turned.
Dozens of soldiers poured into the cavern.
Crossbows.
Spears.
Armor.
Military discipline.
At their center stood a man wearing polished armor and a crown.
A crown.
Inside a cave.
Kai stared.
The man pointed his sword forward.
"Fire!"
The cave exploded with movement.
Bolts filled the air.
The cockatrice shrieked as dozens struck its body.
Not enough to kill it.
Enough to hurt it.
Enough to make it reconsider.
The creature glared at the soldiers.
Then at Kai.
Then at Andre.
As though memorizing them.
A final screech echoed through the cavern.
Then it spread its wings and launched itself upward.
Stone shattered.
Dust filled the air.
Moments later it disappeared into the mountain.
Gone.
The silence that followed felt surreal.
Kai collapsed onto a nearby rock.
Breathing heavily.
Alive.
Again.
Somehow.
The armored man approached.
Several soldiers followed close behind.
The crown gleamed beneath the torchlight.
The king studied Kai.
Then Andre.
Then Andre again.
A slow smile appeared.
"Well."
Andre groaned.
"Oh no."
The king pointed.
"Look who we have here."
Kai glanced between them.
"You know each other?"
"Unfortunately."
"Very unfortunately."
The king laughed.
Andre looked like he wanted to punch royalty.
The king extended a hand toward Kai.
"King Akshay of Yggdrasil."
Kai shook it.
At least this king seemed normal.
Then Akshay immediately ruined that impression.
"You travel with him voluntarily?"
He pointed at Andre.
Kai hesitated.
"Mostly."
"Remarkable."
Akshay nodded.
"I wouldn't."
Andre rolled his eyes.
"Still throwing shade after all these years?"
"Still committing crimes after all these years?"
Kai looked back and forth.
Like watching two old friends trapped in an endless argument.
Eventually Akshay's attention shifted.
His smile widened.
Dangerously.
Andre immediately noticed.
"Oh no."
"Oh yes."
The king turned toward his soldiers.
"Arrest them."
Kai blinked.
"What?"
Andre sighed.
"Told you."
Akshay pointed directly at Andre.
"Known thief."
Then at Kai.
"Accomplice."
"I'm not his accomplice."
"You were standing next to him."
"That's not evidence."
"It is for today."
Kai stared.
The king stared back.
Neither moved.
Then Akshay smiled.
A terrible smile.
The kind that suggested he was enjoying this.
"Besides."
He folded his arms.
"You two were found near a dangerous incident."
Kai already hated where this was going.
"The cockatrice attack."
"The undead."
"The bandits."
The king shrugged.
"I have questions."
Several soldiers stepped forward.
Kai slowly raised his hands.
"You know, where I'm from, heroes usually get rewarded."
Akshay looked confused.
"You fought a giant bird."
"Exactly."
"And?"
Kai opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
Fair point.
Several minutes later.
Kai sat inside a prison cell.
The door slammed shut.
He stared at the bars.
Then at the empty room.
Then at the bars again.
Somewhere nearby Andre laughed.
Loudly.
"Welcome to Yggdrasil!"
Kai dropped his head into his hands.
Six days.
It had taken him six days to reach the city.
And less than one hour to get arrested.
A new personal record.
Outside the cell, guards continued their patrols.
Above them, somewhere beyond the mountain fortress, the lights of Yggdrasil shone brightly.
Kai had finally reached the city.
Unfortunately.
He was experiencing it from prison.