“This is your first rodeo.”
It wasn’t a question. Sawyer speaks quietly to avoid drawing unwanted attention. Just a few moments ago, the group had been running for their lives. A pack of gigantic, barrel-chested creatures with a mask of dark fur across the eyes was hunting the group. They had caught the scent of the team shortly after slipping through the dragon’s barrier. New to the Wilds, Ash had not recognized the animals’ long snouts and the mask of dark fur across their eyes, and that lack of knowledge added to his fear. Sawyer’s relaxed attitude acted as a sharp contrast to Ash’s panic.
Sawyer leads Ash and the others into a cave that barely fits four grown adults. The mischievous grin that crosses their scruffy face belies the very real danger that surrounds them. Sawyer is a Wyldling, a unique being that occurs when the wild magic melds animal and human. Their lean face is full of dangerous angles. Their form is lithe and athletic.
“Those are coybears.” Sawyer gestures with one hand towards the exit. Their hand is remarkable; the fingernails are long, black, and pointed. Blood drips from one of them, probably from swiping them across the mask of one of the pursuing creatures. “At least that’s what I call ‘em. They’re what happens when wild magic settles in on a canine and a bear.”
Ash brushes a hand across his face in an attempt to wipe away the grime of the panicked run. He nods, still a bit breathless. “First time… yeah…”
Sawyer nods. “We’re safe, for now. Take a few minutes… catch your breath.”
Ash settles against the rough rock and tries to control his breathing. He pauses for a moment to inspect a gash in the back of his calf.
“Shit,” Ash murmurs barely above a whisper. On instinct, he puts his hands on either side of the wound to magically illuminate the wound. Before the crystal rings on his fingers could begin to glow, Sawyer roughly smacks his hands away and thrusts a first aid kit at him.
“Stop squirming, kid. We need to wrap this up before your blood attracts more critters,” Sawyer snorts, as they direct a flashlight on the back of Ash’s leg. “And for chaos's sake, don’t use magic. That only attracts every blasted magic-eating creature outside the six cities.”
Ash grumbles but pulls up his pant leg to wrap his calf with the medical gauze. He glances over towards the cave mouth, where a pair of young humans, Travis and Teresa, prepare what looks like a trap and camouflage netting to cover the cave mouth. Ash’s eyes follow the twins as they do their work.
“They don’t use magic, do they?” he asks as an aside to Sawyer.
Sawyer controls a burst of laughter. “Nah…” They raise their voice just slightly. “Oie, Travis, come ‘ere.” Travis moves over towards Sawyer. With a sudden movement, the predator-touched lashes out towards Travis with a hand glowing with electrical power. As Sawyer’s lightly furred talons close around Travis’ arm, he flinches and swears under his breath. However, no harm comes to the young man.
Travis punches Sawyer. “Stars, Sawyer! I hate it when you do that!” From across the cave, Teresa’s eyes shoot daggers at Sawyer.
Sawyer’s light laughter belies the seriousness of the situation. “The Terrible Twins are Nulls,” they explain. “They suck the magic out of a place. With them around, I can ride under the radar and get what I need done without attracting tunnelers, storm-eaters, coybears, and other creatures who want to eat my magic, or are attracted to it.”
“Once, I traveled with one of those chatty Masques,” they continue. “Nearly had a platoon of draklings on us. You know those magic-eating tunnelers with triple jaws, one reaching out after another. I swear a dragon had a bad dream and sent it out into the Wild. The demicats find the hatchlings of these draklings super tasty. It makes the perfect bait for what we need.”