The three of them stood in a circle, back-to-back.
“How many items are left on the list?” Abel asked hoarsely.
“Only one,” Ethel answered. “The Hasifuss.”
A roar shook the Woods around them. They cringed and pressed closer together.
“We could split up,” Ethel suggested.
“Bad idea,” Abel squeaked.
“We could go back to town,” she said. “No one would blame us in this blizzard—”
“I’m not giving up,” Barclay said determinedly, and Abel nodded. No matter what wild Beasts attacked them, they weren’t helpless. They could still finish this.
Then a silhouette took form through the falling snow. The Beast looked like a mountain lion, only giant, with gray fur and two heads. Each face bared its fangs, growling menacingly.
“It’s amazing,” Ethel said in her usual awe.
“It’s terrifying,” Barclay corrected.
“Barclay, we’re going to distract it with a mirror,” Abel said. “Then we all run.”
Barclay nodded, grateful they’d settled so quickly on a plan.
Another long mirror appeared among the trees, so sudden and clear that Barclay didn’t notice anything had changed until he saw his reflection staring back at him.
The Beast ran forward, striking the mirror and shattering it. Barclay, Abel, and Ethel screamed, their hands over their heads. A sharp piece fell and sliced Barclay on his wrist, making him shout out in pain. But he was so scared, no sound even came out.
The Beast raced toward them, and the three of them took off running. Normally, Barclay could have run faster, but his legs suddenly felt heavy, like something was tugging on them. Yet when he looked down, there was nothing there.
So intent on fleeing the wild Beast, Ethel and Abel didn’t notice him lagging as they charged ahead.
They ran.
And ran.
And ran.
Suddenly Barclay lost sight of them in the distance.
“Ethel! Abel!” he tried to call, but no matter how loud he shouted, no sound came out.
He froze. He remembered that Lore.
He turned around and faced the Ischray, its smoky white body barely visible in the whirls of snow. Barclay’s scream wisped through the air, and the Beast ate it whole.
Then Barclay looked down and saw rusty chainsmaterialize around both of his feet, as though they’d been there for a while, invisible. No wonder it’d been hard to run, with them dragging him down. His eyes followed them to where they ended, and he saw them shackled to the legs of the mountain lion.
Barclay had not noticed earlier, but all four of the eyes on its two heads were a cloudy white. It was blind.
“It’s impressive, isn’t it?” a voice asked. “Lore that plays with your senses.”
Another silhouette appeared from the trees, only this one was not a Beast.
“Hello, Barclay,” Soren said, smiling viciously.
In his hand, he carried a scalpel.
