Demonworld by Kyle B.Stiff Page B

were far too big to cut down with their tools, and none were strong enough to throw a weighted vine to the other side that could be used to pull them across. “We’ll have to move along the river,” said Marlon, “and see if there’s a better place further down.”
     
    Wodi nodded.
     
    “ Hey, listen,” said Peter, suddenly speaking loud enough for the others to hear. “I don’t mean to speak out of turn, but we’ve gone through two-thirds of the nutrimilk already. If we keep going at this rate-”
     
    “ We’ll worry about that later,” said Marlon. He drained a nutrimilk packet and threw it into the river. It sped away from them, and Peter and Iduna exchanged a look with one another.
     
    They walked downstream for over an hour. Marlon was hampered, for while he carried a new spear and knife, he also refused to get rid of his club. Because it had proven effective against Saul, he felt it would be a shame to abandon it when it might prove useful later. It hung on his belt and knocked against his boots.
     
    Eventually, they smelled decay.
     
    They quietly skirted around the stench. However, their route took them far from the river, and the darkness of the forest in that area prevented them from seeing the sun.
     
    “ Stop for a minute,” said Marlon. “We can’t tell east from west. We’re going to lose our way.”
     
    “ Can I scout it out?” said Wodi.
     
    Marlon nodded quickly.
     
    “ You be careful!” Peter said gruffly, and it was not obvious whose safety he was more concerned about.
     
    “ Hell,” said Marlon. “I bet this kid could sneak up on a cat and take the milk from its titties. We’ll be okay. Just yell if you need someone’s head bashed in, alright Wodi?”
     
    Wodi flashed a toothy grin and darted into the darkness.
     
    * * *
     
    Long minutes passed before Wodi emerged from the black to join the six. “The hell took you so long?” said Marlon.
     
    “ An army of ghouls,” said Wodi.
     
    Everyone choked on their surprise, then gathered close.
     
    “ There’s a large clearing ahead,” said Wodi. “It’s full of them. I couldn’t get an exact number, because they all look the same, but I think there’s over thirty ghouls there.”
     
    “ A community?” said Saul.
     
    “ Ehh...” the boy shook his head. “They’re all armed. Spears, knives. I think they were males. It was like a hunting party or something like that. There was a big one with them, as big as you, Marlon, but twice as ugly, and I think he was their leader.”
     
    “ So, we go around them,” said Peter, and Marlon nodded.
     
    “ Wait. There’s also... there’s a ferry there. It was sitting on this side of the river.”
     
    “ Doesn’t matter,” said Peter. “We’ll keep going and find a better place to cross downriver. Right?” He looked at Marlon, said, “Right?”
     
    “ Let me think,” said Marlon.
     
    “ What’s there to think about?”
     
    “ Tell me about the layout,” Marlon said to Wodi.
     
    “ The clearing went right up to the river, but there was dense wood all around the clearing. The trees went... I think they went pretty much all the way to the river, plus there was a high bank over the water.” Marlon said nothing, but stared at the ground. The boy said, “I think we could... I mean, it’s possible we could sneak to the ferry. If we go around the clearing.”
     
    “ What were the ghouls doing?” said Marlon.
     
    “ Goofing off. Eating, chasing each other, like that.”
     
    “ Draw it for me in the dirt. The area.”
     
    “ Marlon,” said Peter. “What’s there to think about?”
     
    “ You said it yourself, we don’t have much food left. We need to cross the river sooner rather than later.”
     
    Marlon bent over Wodi as he traced lines in the dirt. Peter opened his mouth to say something but, seeing the others discretely move away, he moved to join them.
     
    Wodi finished his map, and Marlon stared at it and nodded