The Cavalry is Dead

Chapter 10: The Forest of Nightmares Turns Out to Be a Vibe?

"Enough," Asa said tightly. "You've made your point, Bird-Boy." He pulled out his compass. "Now everyone shut up. I'm trying to navigate."

The stone path split into two. Asa turned toward each branch, staring hard at his compass. Xander was scanning the treetops, his brow slightly furrowed beneath his red bandana. "Does anyone else see that? It's a—"

"If this is another bird fact," Asa said, without looking up, "I will actually hang myself."

Xander looked exasperated. "It's not a bird fact." He paused. "And even if it was, I think you'll find most of them are very useful and interesting."

Asa jiggled the compass. "Whatever you say, Bird-Boy."

"I told you," Xander said, with a long-suffering look. "I'm an ornithologist."

"You're a hobbyist with a niche interest."

Xander cast his eyes upwards. "Ornithology is a very extensive scientific field, Asa."

"Please," Jax said. "Back to your point, Xander."

"I was going to say," Xander said, with great dignity, "that the path we're on has a lot of silver residue." He gestured to a tree. "Do you see that? It's left behind by squidarium monsters. There are at least three of them in the area, judging by my calculations."

Jax squinted up at the trees. He could just make out the glint of shiny silver liquid, like melting knives dripping down the tree trunks. Although that was not, Jax thought, a particularly comforting mental image.

"Right," Jax said slowly. "And that's... bad?"

Xander looked genuinely astonished. "Do none of you know what a squidarium monster is?"

All three of them exchanged looks.

"Do they eat tears?" Romes ventured.

"All monsters eat tears," Xander said patiently. "But these are a specific form. They're shape-shifting invertebrates that exist only in the Forest of Nightmares. They identify your worst nightmare, and then transform into that object."

"Brilliant," Asa muttered.

"It's really very fascinating," Xander added.

Asa shook the compass. "I think you'll find it significantly less fascinating when the monster is trying to rip your head off."

"Oh, no," Xander said cheerfully. "They paralyze you with fear and then consume you whole. It's an ingenious pursuit strategy."

He looked delighted by the prospect. Asa muttered, poking at the compass. Jax closed his eyes. His right shoulder ached, and he could feel the beginning of a migraine coming on. How long had they been hiking? Six hours? Eight? He hadn't slept much last night — only about an hour or two — and his dreams had been haunted by images of black waves and velvet skin.

"Shall we stop for the night?" Romes suggested.

Jax opened his eyes. She wasn't looking at him, but Jax could feel that she had been. Part of the siren magic, he supposed. Asa frowned.

"Here?"

Romes shrugged. "I don't see why not. It's not like we're getting anywhere."

Asa muttered something. Still, he must have decided that Romes was right because he stuffed the compass back in the bag. "Fine. Let's make camp."

Things moved very quickly. Asa pored over maps. Xander went to find water ("It's easy," he said, looking surprised. "You simply have to study the bird flight paths."). And Romes waded into the woods and returned with three dead rabbits slung over her shoulder. Jax — who'd been fiddling with the fire — looked away as she skinned them, the metallic tang of blood heavy in his nostrils.