Closing the Gap

When Alaron had announced his plan to heal the Nymph, Eira had instinctively stood on guard to keep the others safe while the elixir had a chance to work. She was no use at medicine, but she knew how to serve and protect…

However, there seemed to be no need.

The few abominations that had not been drowned or washed down river were in a very sorry state. No matter which shore they crawled onto, they looked beaten and worn out.

Their eyes held a very human look as they scattered, unsure of a safe place to hide. None wished to engage the heroes on the shore.

If anything, they were eager to avoid the ones with seemingly incomprehensible power. For now the small group was safe.

Suddenly a bright light engulfed them, along with an all too familiar earth shake. Unlike the last time, the reaction was encouraging to the stalwart soldier.

Having anticipated the side effects, Eira managed to stay on her feet…barely. Her sword nearly cut into her cheek, but she recovered without drawing her own blood.

Water splashed in every direction, temporarily emptying the river before the flow refilled it. Wai herself was engulfed in the light, bathed in the brilliant glow of the Guardian's elixir.

When it finally faded, the lovely nymph lay motionless on the ground except for small ripples through her watery skin.

"Is she?" Mairwen couldn't finish the statement. Her eyes searched earnestly for any sign of life.

"Get her feet in the water!" Renat noticed how empty Wai looked.

Alaron lifted the lady and placed her along the water's edge. The wavelets caressed her toes, welcoming them into their embrace.

Wai gasped, or rather gurgled, convulsing as the fresh water entered her body and revitalized her spirit.

"Are you alright?!" Mairwen reached for the Nymph, but her hands passed through the creature.

Wai waved and smiled weakly. She was alive. After a moment of soaking in the river, the lady was able to sit up and push her body back into the flow.

"Don't overdo it," the Guardian advised.

Wai gave a response which caused the silver-eyed man to scratch his head and look away.

"What did she say?" Renat tilted his furry head.

"Nothing important. The point is that she is fine." Alaron brushed the question aside and turned his attention to Eira. "The enemy?"

Eira scanned the landscape once more before sheathing her sword. "All dead or fled."

Although the young Guardian believed her, he could not help but give a cursory glance of his own to confirm. Not a single abomination was within sight: almost as if they had been erased from existence.

'If only…'

"What do we do now?" Renat asked Alaron quietly.

While the nymph was as spunky as ever, it was clear that she would not be able to carry them like she had been. Wai looked, for lack of a better word, weak.

"We will go on foot." The Guardian announced. "Wai has helped us more than we deserve. We cannot impose upon her kindness any longer."

Mairwen immediately understood. She curtsied to the nymph. "Thank you for all your help. We could not have done this without you."

A heated discussion in the ancient tongue began between the nymph and the Guardian. Wai was deeply offended that the others would think to leave her behind at this point.

At last it was agreed that they would walk along the river bank with her until they reached their destination. It was a mutually beneficial agreement in the end. Wai could make sure the humans made it safely and the others would make sure Wai made a full recovery.

As they continued their journey, the mood was somber. The ordeal left them all a little shaken. While they had heard about how Hanna had been injured by a wolf, seeing a previously invincible nymph be injured was worrisome.

That was not even considering what happened to Renat when he was scratched.

It set them on edge. It filled them with questions. The prospects were horrifying.

If even the most powerful beings in the world were able to be taken down by the abominations, what real hope did the mundane humans have of defeating these monstrosities?

"What's that?" Eira drew her sword and stopped them. Across the river, something large in the distance caught her eye. However it did not seem to be moving. So they continued towards it along the opposite bank.

As they got closer, more and more unmoving masses came into view. It finally dawned on Mairwen what she was seeing.

Bones.

Piles of bones and other carnage littered the ground. Some bones were picked clean while others were closer to their original state. A few were left in their original shape, but most of them were tossed clumsily into whatever pile was nearest the scavenger.

The further they went, the more carcasses were added to the count. An entire herd of boars lay exterminated and eaten in the grass.

"The monsters did all this..." The princess held her hand to her nose. The smell of death hung thick in the air.

"I wonder if the boars attacked them like the other pack did to us?" Eira at last lowered her sword. Her mind was trying to envision how the battle might have gone.

"Does it matter? The result is the same. I imagine we will see far more carcasses before we reach our destination. If Renat is any indication, those creatures like to eat." Alaron pressed his lips together.

"They didn't even cook the meat..." Renat felt a knot in the pit of his stomach. There was no sign of a fire or any way to heat the food at all. Like Livie had suggested when the scientist first transformed, the abominations preferred their meat raw.

Would he soon suffer from the same animalistic desire? Not as long as he could help it. But what when he couldn't help it any longer. What about if he..

Mairwen placed her hand lovingly on his furry arm. As if reading his thoughts, she shook his head. "You are not them, my love. You have something they don't have."

"You." Renat placed his paw over her hand. He was very lucky indeed to have such a beautiful and caring wife.

"More than that." The princess prodded him. When he tilted his head and cocked his ears back in confusion, she decided to continue. "They are filled with hate and anger. They seek to destroy. You might have let it in so you would not die, but you didn't do it out of hate or thirst for power. So, why did you do it?"

Renat froze for a moment. His elongated nose wrinkled and his teeth shone in a menacing display. "Love," he answered softly. "I did it because I didn't want to die without making sure you were taken care of. I became a monster because I loved you too much to leave you."

"That is what makes you different." The princess's blue eyes brimmed with admiration. Renat was stunned by the lack of resentment in her expression before he realized that she loved him as well. Love covered more and healed more than the monsters could taint.

"Thank you." Renat pulled the princess close to him.

Although his fur did not smell pleasant, he was far superior to the stench around them. Mairwen buried her face in his chest for a moment, trying to forget what she had just seen.

Wai rose from the water and took a closer look at the devastation. She hung her head, clearly bothered by the ugliness before her.

"Be careful!" Alaron warned her.

Wai nodded and lifted her hands. With the least amount of magic she could, the nymph rerouted the river to cleanse the shoreline. The bones, meat and blood began to be filtered away by the rushing water's flow.

Although the nymph could not give them a proper burial, she could at least give the land some peace from the wrong that was committed. When the small reserve of magic she had built up was spent, the land was finally clear of the crimson stains.

With the work complete, Wai lay flat in the river, almost completely disappearing from view. She was exhausted.

"You did well, Wai. Thank you," Alaron dipped his head.

Mairwen looked at the world around them. It was as if nothing had ever happened. But she knew it had. She would never forget.

"We cannot let these creatures treat the world in this manner. They will ravage it until there is nothing left!" Tears pricked the corner of the princess's eyes.

Had she helped to contribute to this problem by helping Dania? She hoped not, but deep down there was a feeling of guilt that she could not shake.

"We must find Dania, and quickly."

The others agreed. The female scientist was only a day and a half's walk from where they were. Yet after what they saw, the distance seemed like an eternity away.

It was time to close that gap.