Book Three Excerpt One

Leading them on for a little bit more, he suddenly stops and points to a spot further ahead of them. “That is what I’m talking about,” he says.
James looks to where he’s pointing and sees a pyramid shaped stack of white stones up ahead. He glances to Jiron who nods his head.
Moving closer, James begins to feel the prickling sensation he feels when magic is being worked. Suddenly he stops as he realizes that it’s not stones that comprise the pyramid, but human skulls stacked in layers.
Backing up, he motions for them to back away from it as well. Once they’ve gotten far enough away that he no longer feels the prickling, he says, “It’s magical in nature, I can feel it.”
“Could this be why the natives don’t come this way?” Miko asks him.
Jiron looks to James who nods his head, “I would think so.”
“What do we do?” Jiron asks.
“Find another way,” he replies. “I don’t know what it’s doing, but I really don’t think we want to go that way.”
“Alright,” he says, once again taking the lead as he tries to find a path around the pyramid. Miko hurries along behind, anxious to put as much distance between them and the pyramid as quickly as possible.
He takes them west back towards the waterway and when they reach it, he turns north again. But the waterway curves and brings them back to the area where the trees are withering. “Not this way,” he says, turning again to the south as he back tracks.
Retracing their steps, they find their way back. Taking them to the east this time, he’s able to find a path where they can walk without having to take the chance of slipping into the fish infested stagnant water.
They move a short ways east when a noise can be heard, like something moving though the undergrowth. He has them wait for a moment while he goes and sees what it is.
He disappears through the trees ahead for a moment and then they suddenly hear a crashing as he comes running back towards them. Bursting out of the trees behind him is a rhino-lizard, charging fast.
Miko screams as he turns to flee.
James also tries to run, but on his injured leg, realizes he’s unable to move quickly enough to stay ahead of the charging rhino-lizard.
He turns to face it and in a flash, releases the magic.
Crumph!
The ground in front of it explodes upwards, causing it to stop its charge. Taking advantage of it being startled, they move further away and crouch down behind some trees, hiding. They wait for several minutes but fail to hear any noise that might indicate it had decided to follow them. Looking out from behind the trees, Jiron says, “I don’t think it’s followed us.”
He motions for them to remain here as he gets up and moves back towards where they’d encountered it. Returning quickly, he says, “I can’t see it anywhere. It must’ve gotten scared and ran back with the others.”
“Others?” asks Miko, nervously.
“Yeah, there were several of them over there,” he tells him. Looking to James he says, “We can’t go that way either.”
“Now what?” asks Miko.
“Seems we are faced with several unpleasant choices,” he says as they gather around.
“East are the rhino-lizards, west is the river which may or may not have those flesh eating fish in them,” he says. “South is the natives, and I’m sure they’ll not welcome us back. Finally, to the north is that odd pyramid of skulls that feels like it’s radiating magic in some way.”
“South and east are definitely out,” Jiron says. “We could never survive unscathed if we take either of those routes. Not in our present condition.”
Nodding, James says, “I’d have to agree with you there.”
“Not the water!” pipes up Miko. “I couldn’t go in there!”
Sighing, James says, “Then we must chance the pyramid and whatever lies beyond it.” He glances at each of them before continuing, “This could prove worse than any of the other choices, you know.”