Fates of Grenora: Return of the Night

What would have taken them around 2 weeks coming from Lor-Vold had shortened to a week thanks to the Vampiric warhorses. They turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The group had found out the hard way about what they ate when they had camped one afternoon to stretch out the cramps their muscles screamed for.

A pack of Mornbeasts had decided they would be easy prey. They had two narrow, slitted amethyst eyes to look at their surroundings from their enormous sockets. A mangled snout that rested above its shallow mouth. A mouth that was shaped to have a constant shy smile, revealing rows of curved fangs and an enormous tongue that lapped the air. Broad pointed ears, much like a dog, sat on each side of its small, rounded head, which was covered in rows of small horns starting from two thick spiraled horns protruding from the top. Two beefy, muscled arms dangled at its sides, ending in broad hands with curved claws, of which it had 12 in total. Their bodies, which were long and hefty, could alternate between walking on all fours or standing upright. The legs were muscular and bent much like a frog, ending in skinny feet with pointed claws. Its shoulders were broader than its pelvis, giving it a slim aquatic look.

Unfortunately for the Mornbeast and fortunately for the group, the warhorses saw them as lunch. As soon as the warhorses caught their scent, they turned to them and ran at the pack of five. Trampling them beneath their weight. They danced and kicked. The screeches of the creatures were short-lived as the warhorses ripped them apart with their mouths. Sharp cracks resounded every time they kicked a Mornbeast that attempted to flee. Aldrin witnessed one warhorse take a fleshy bite out of one the Mornbeast's spine. The Mornbeast watched helplessly from being paralyzed as the warhorses ate it alive.

That afternoon, ‌everyone wasn't hungry from watching the warhorses gorge themselves on the corpses of the Mornbeasts. Aldrin had felt their contentment once they were done as they trotted back to them. Blood was smeared and strings of flesh hung from their muzzles when they approached Aldrin, nudging him for attention at a job well done.

Evie cleared her throat. "Well, at least we know what they eat now, right?" she teased.

Cannor was rubbing his neck as he looked at them fearfully. "I'm next," he whispered to himself.

Jared came around and swatted him on his back. "They just saved us from a pack of Mornbeast. I think you're good, buddy."

"Anybody get a look at their levels before they were eaten?" Pierre asked, still watching the warhorses from a safe distance.

"No, and besides, you have seen worse with me," Aldrin said.

Pierre stared at him. "Right… It's different with you. We know Humans can do some real dirty stuff, but it's different seeing something you've known to never be carnivorous on either planet eat meat without batting an eye."

"Not even bones are left! And they missed a piece!" Cannor called from the carnage, pointing at a scrap of meat.

The warhorses turned to race each other for the last drop. Cannor rushed out of their sight once they reached it, vying for dominance in a game of tug'o'war. It proved fruitful when the flesh tore away, equally splitting in half.

Once they were done, they trotted directly back to Jared, who greeted them with open arms. He led them back to the carriage to hitch them in order to get back on the road. They were close to Folos because of the floating boulders that were dancing in the clouds.

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Cannor warily eyed the floating boulders that blissfully levitated upwards. "Do you think those ever fall?" he asked.

"No, the magical field that Folos generates expands outwards little by little with each passing year," Evie answered.

Pierre watched the floating boulders gently flow along with the breeze in the air. "How long do you estimate for the field to reach a nearby village?"

Evie pursed her lips and thought for a moment. "Probably in another five or six years, give or take."

A looming shadow covered them as they made their way along the road. "Whoa..." Aldrin heard Jared whisper. He peeked his head out of the moving carriage, first looking down at the massive shadow, then upwards at what was casting it. Aldrin's eyes went as big as saucers when he pieced together that he was looking at the bottom of a flying ship.

It was a massive galleon that floated in the air. Rainbow sparkles trailed softly behind it as it fluttered along the wind currents. Evie poked her head out next, an enormous grin forming across her face. "We are close!" she giddily yelled.

"What is that?" Jared asked no one in particular.

"Folos' air navy," Evie answered.

Not a moment did she say that the clouds clear revealing a large fleet of ships floating through the air. "The High Elves of Folos have mastered their enchanting and transcribed their discoveries onto their fleets."

"That's amazing," Aldrin whispered in awe, watching the various ships of differing sizes slowly drift by.

"We should get this carriage to fly or at least make it more suitable for long-distance traveling," Cannor grumbled.

Evie slapped Cannor on the shoulder. "That's a great idea!" she beamed at him.

They all watched as the ships lazily drifted along the wind currents, paying no mind to the upcoming town that tethered the floating city of Folos.

"Uh, guys," Pierre called to get their attention. "I think we made it," he breathlessly said.

Aldrin tore his eyes away from the ships and looked forward, seeing the town built atop robust hills with giant chains that linked to the tops of the hills. Above the small town, as their eyes followed the large chains, they could make out bits and pieces of a large floating landmass the chains connected to. Each rattle of the chain dimly lit up with runic enchantments that ran along them as the wind moved them.

Aldrin had heard stories of Folos being a floating city, but to see it in person was another thing altogether. He had to tear his eyes away from trying to peek through the clouds that covered most of the landmass as they neared the lower part of the city. The High Elves had incorporated their building into the hills, building alongside nature like most of the Elves do. They made the buildings of rock with rounded domes and spires. Flying boats and ships dominated the open edifices of the structures. Earthen bridges connected ‌the spires to one another, resembling a spider's web.

With his enhanced vision, Aldrin could see people using them, mostly the High Elven merchants and sky sailors that were unloading cargo into the spires. Further down the spires, towards the middle, more earthen bridges connected to a market area that was bustling with activity from the mixed group of Elves, Humans and Dwarves. As they neared, the natural hills acted as walls for the settlement, which allowed it to perfectly blend into its surroundings.

"This is Lower Folos. The fun stuff is on the upper island." Evie pointed to the few ships that were beginning to elevate towards the landmass, disappearing among the clouds.

Jared whistled in appreciation. "Hopefully Aldrin doesn't destroy this city like the last," he joked, earning chuckles from the others and a glare from Aldrin.

"I'm more excited about getting some real gear this time. Lor-Vold had decent stuff, but it'll be nothing compared to Folos and the Dungeons here." Pierre said.

"From the few times I have been here, we first have to teleport up to the main island," she pointed at the landmass hidden by the clouds. "Then from there we can either take a skyship or another teleporter to one of the other islands that are marked for dungeon delving."