The journey to the capital was a long, dusty affair, the battered truck groaning under the strain of the uneven road.
For the first few days, a heavy silence hung in the cab, thick with unspoken regret. Chinakah's hands were clamped tight on the steering wheel, her gaze fixed on the endless stretch of ochre-colored dirt ahead.
Finally, she spoke, her voice low and tight. "It feels wrong, Gethii. Leaving him in a place like that."
From the open truck bed where he sat, his back against the cab, Gethii let out a slow breath. "I know it does. But that orphanage, as grim as it is, is safer than this road. Safer than being with us while we walk into the King's den." He ran a hand through his locs, the wind whipping stray strands across his face. "We don't know what we're facing. Leonotis is better off there, for now."
"For now?" Chinakah's voice was sharp. "And what if this audience with the King isn't the simple meeting you expect? What if we can't come back for him?" The fear she'd been suppressing since they drove away from Stylwater was a raw, palpable thing in the cramped cab.
"We will come back for him," Gethii said, his voice a low, firm promise, as much for himself as for her. "This is just… a necessary detour. A problem we have to solve before we can truly keep him safe."
His words, meant to be reassuring, hung in the air, offering little comfort against the vast, indifferent landscape. The sun beat down, turning the world into a shimmering, hazy mirage.
The quiet was broken by a sound, faint at first, then growing closer, a strange, chittering laughter.
Gethii was on his feet instantly, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Chinakah, speed up."
She didn't need to be told twice. Her foot slammed down on the accelerator, and the old truck lurched forward with a protesting roar.
But they weren't fast enough. A pack of hyenas, their bodies lean and mangy, emerged from the tall grass alongside the road. They moved with an unnatural speed, their powerful legs eating up the ground, easily keeping pace with the rattling truck.
But it was the sight of their backs that made Gethii's blood run cold. Sprouting from their matted fur were the same sickly purple mushrooms he'd seen on the fox demon.
"By the Orisha," Gethii muttered, drawing his sword. The blade hissed as it left its scabbard.
"How many?" Chinakah yelled, her eyes glued to the road ahead, her hands wrestling with the wheel.
"Too many! Six, maybe seven!"
One of the hyenas, its eyes glowing with a feverish, unnatural light, leaped. It sailed through the air, its jaws wide, aiming for the tailgate.
Gethii moved, planting his feet on the unstable, vibrating truck bed. He met the creature mid-air, not with his sword, but with a powerful kick that sent it tumbling back onto the road with a pained yelp.
"Left side!" he roared.
Chinakah wrenched the wheel hard to the left. The truck swerved violently, its tires spitting gravel. One of the hyenas, caught off guard, was clipped by the rear bumper and sent rolling into a shallow ditch.
The others, however, were undeterred, their chittering laughter growing more frenzied. Another one lunged, its claws scrabbling for purchase on the metal tailgate. Gethii's sword flashed, a blur of silver in the harsh sunlight. The hyena's head fell from its body before it even had a chance to complete its leap.
The fight was a chaotic, desperate dance on a moving stage. Chinakah drove with a focused fury, swerving and braking, trying to throw the creatures off balance, to give Gethii an opening.
Gethii, in turn, moved with a deadly grace, his powerful form against the snapping jaws and grasping claws. He was a whirlwind of steel, each strike precise, each parry perfectly timed. But for every beast he struck down, another seemed to take its place, their mushroom-addled minds impervious to fear or pain.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the last of the creatures fell back, its leg broken by a well-aimed swerve from Chinakah. They watched its limping form disappear into the grass, its mad laughter fading on the wind.
The truck slowed, the engine sputtering. Gethii stood panting in the truck bed, his tunic splattered with dark, viscous blood. Chinakah slumped over the steering wheel, her entire body trembling with adrenaline and fear.
They exchanged a long look, the unspoken question hanging heavy in the air. What was that?
Gethii leaped from the truck and approached one of the fallen hyenas. With the tip of his sword, he nudged the fungi on its back. They were identical to the ones that had corrupted the fox.
This wasn't a random blight. It was spreading. And its presence here, so far from their village, was a deeply unsettling omen.
He looked up at Chinakah, his expression grim. Their trip to the capital had just become even more urgent.
The shuddering silence that followed the frenzied hyena attack felt louder than the battle itself. Gethii stood in the truck bed, wiping viscous black blood from his blade with a practiced efficiency, his chest still heaving.
Chinakah slumped against the steering wheel for a moment, her knuckles white, before taking a deep, steadying breath and putting the truck back in gear. The engine coughed, but it caught.
"What was that?" Chinakah asked, turning the key in the ignition again. The only response was a sad, clicking sound.
"A mere mechanical hiccup," Gethii announced, hopping down from the truck bed with a confidence he didn't feel. He popped the hood, peered into the dusty, steaming engine with the air of a man who knew exactly what he was looking for, then slammed it shut.
He walked to the side of the truck and unscrewed the gas cap, peering into the dark void within. He tapped the empty metal tank. It echoed with a hollow, mocking finality.
Chinakah leaned out of the window, an eyebrow raised. "Well?"
Gethii cleared his throat, avoiding her gaze. "It appears we have a… fuel-related logistical issue."
"It's out of gas," Chinakah translated flatly. "Right. So we walk." She started to open her door.
"Nonsense," Gethii said, puffing out his chest slightly. "The capital can't be more than a few more miles. We'll push it."
Chinakah stopped, her hand on the door latch. She didn't say a word. She simply turned in her seat and fixed him with a look.
The legendary Kingsguard, the man who had single-handedly fought off a pack of demon-crazed hyenas on a moving vehicle, withered under that gaze. A long, defeated sigh escaped his lips.
"Fine," he grumbled. "I'll push. You steer."