HE BREATH RUSHED FROM OLAND’S LUNGS AND HIS head filled with a terrible icy weight. He was transfixed. These creatures that they had only ever thought of as myth stood before them, dark and grotesque: ‘One mythic beast was four engulfed: vulture, bull, bear and wolf’. In the flesh, they were beyond their worst imaginings. They towered over Delphi, stamping their sinewy, hoofed front legs, their eyes small and shining, casting a hazy silver light in front of them in the darkness. Their long snouts were covered in short sharp spines that looked like a thousand tiny needles..

Oland, stirred from his paralysis by the drogues’ snarling and grunting, began to run towards Delphi.

“Delphi!” he roared, the sound muffled by his mask. But right before him, Delphi disappeared, screaming, into the circle of beasts. He could scarcely make out the shapes and shadows ahead, but he ran desperately towards them. It was too dark for him to see what was happening, but he was overcome with a terrible sickness at the rawness of the sound. If the drogues were everything it was said they were, Oland knew that there was no way they would make it away from this alive. Overhead, a dark cloud drifted from the charcoal moon and, for an instant, he watched as one of the drogues reared up on its hind legs and dived into the circle. Oland heard Delphi roar. A cloud of dust exploded from the earth, engulfing her, engulfing the beasts.

“Delphi,” Oland shouted. “Delphi!” All he could hear were her cries, and the desperate howling of the drogues. As quickly as the violence erupted, it ended. There was an eerie silence, followed by the sound of the creatures darting from the scene towards the top of Curfew Peak. Oland ran to where Delphi lay, her small body limp and covered in blood.

He knelt by Delphi’s side. Her cape was twisted around her, one of the sleeves was ripped and her hood was pulled to the side of her head. Her hair was matted and stuck to her face. Oland turned her head towards him, smoothing the hair gently back. Her eyes were closed. The material that had covered her mouth was in shreds on the ground beside her. But Oland could see that her chest was moving up and down. She was breathing. They were shallow breaths, but she was alive. She was still alive. Suddenly, her eyes flickered open. Oland jumped, and staggered backward. Delphi sat up. Her face was filled with terror. As she looked down at herself, she cried out, wiping at the blood on her face, streaking it with her panicked fingers.

“Quick,” said Oland. “Don’t breathe in any more dust.” He ripped off more of his tunic and wrapped it around her mouth.

She twisted and turned, searching her body for wounds. They both gasped when they saw one of the drogues, lying still behind a huge boulder beside them.

“What happened?” said Oland. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” said Delphi. “They must have turned on each other.”

“How strange,” said Oland. “According to the stories, they don’t to do that.”

“I don’t know why they attacked each other,” said Delphi, “but I’m grateful they did. I… I can’t believe I’m alive.”

“Are you sure you’re not hurt?” said Oland. “Stand up… slowly.”

Delphi stood up, and Oland turned her around to see if there was a wound that she had missed.

“Your oilskins may have saved you,” said Oland, trying to smile. He could barely look at her. He took a flask of water from his bag. “Do you want to wash your face?” he said.

“Thank you,” said Delphi. She held her breath, then pulled off her mask, and stared at the ground as he poured water over her hands and she washed the blood away. Oland helped her put on her mask again.

“Do you still want to go on?” he said. “We can go back, if you like. I’d rather that you were—”

Delphi shook her head. “Let’s go. Let’s keep going.”

“I should go first,” he said. “If I had gone first the last time, you wouldn’t have been in danger…”

“You can barely see where you’re going,” said Delphi. “That’s the only reason I went first. I’m used to the darkness of the caves; my eyes have adjusted.”

Oland again followed her, almost kicking her heels as he walked. Despite his covered mouth, he was trying desperately not to choke on the terrible stench of the drogues’ blood that Delphi was trailing behind her.