Hunter's Folly

by Josh Vogt

Chapter 1: The Threefold Wager

Aberny chuckled at the sight of the gnome squaring off with the half-elf, paintbrush crossed with a short sword. The campfire cast the dueling partners into bronze-and-shadow relief. Ralynn glowered down his sword, while Tali glared back up at him, both as riled as if one had slandered the other's parentage.

"This is ridiculous," Ralynn said. "You can't seriously believe your brush is equal to my blade. They're leagues apart in use and value."

Tali flourished her brush, spraying azure droplets about. "So! You admit art is superior to swordplay."

Aberny never backs out of a wager.

Ralynn's fair skin reddened up to the tips of his ears. "Not what I meant, and you know it." He twitched his blade, notching the wooden shaft of her brush.

Tali's emerald eyes widened even further, and another flick struck drops of paint across Ralynn's pants. This drew an outraged splutter from the fighter, whose grip tightened on his sword hilt.

Knowing Ralynn's temper, Aberny stood from his cushioned stool, wide hands splayed to separate the two before their verbal sparring came to true blows.

"Friends, might we dispense with the arguing? After all, we didn't come out to hunt one another. And the simple matter is, you're both wrong."

The two turned to him, and he grinned, knowing the firelight would enhance his broad smile and dark, plump cheeks. His jovial demeanor often allowed him to turn even the harshest haggling to his advantage, and he hoped the image he'd cultivated through years caravanning along the Dry Way would work just as well with his companions.

Nothing threatening to see here. Just a common human merchant, arrayed in a colorful robe and adorned with silly trinkets. Don't mind him making off with your coin.

At last, Tali lowered her brush. "Hm? Wrong? What do you mean?"

Aberny gestured to the small dining array his servants had set up. "Let's consider matters with fuller bellies, shall we?"

After another smoldering glare at each other, the two hunting partners went to fallen logs on opposite sides of the campfire. Ralynn began tending to one of half a dozen blades he carried, while Tali adjusted her violet and silver-trimmed dress and plunked down before the canvas she'd been painting on earlier. Aberny gave silent thanks that Ralynn couldn't see her work from his angle, as she began to paint his likeness in a most unflattering manner.

Aberny's servants tended to cuts of venison sizzling on the fire, a contribution from Ralynn, who'd downed a deer on their journey out from Whistledown that morning. A pair of Aberny's caravan guards stood on the edge of the firelight, hands resting on sword pommels, alert to any danger the night held—though Ralynn had scouted the area and assured them no sign of the chimera existed anywhere near.

They'd set a first camp in a bushy grove among the hilly grasslands between Whistledown and Sanos Forest; haunting melodies could still be faintly heard, produced by the popular enchanted wooden carvings that gave the distant town its name. The eerie keening was broken up by the occasional whicker of their horses, which had been tied up nearby for the evening.

"You're both wrong," Aberny said, "because art and battle submit to a greater power."

Ralynn paused in worked a grindstone along an edge. "Like what?"

"Commerce. Profit."

Tali let out a tinkling laugh. "Oh! Of course the trader would think so."

Aberny accepted the mocking with another smile. "Without merchants like myself toiling along the Dry Way, turning coin to goods and back again, neither of you would even have the supplies or equipment necessary to pursue your passions. Profiteers are the lifeblood of civilization."

He accepted a slosh of wine from a skin, and a servant handed him a prepared plate while the other began slicing off cuts for his companions.

Tali hopped up from the canvas and scampered over to the fire, where she began to portion out the proffered meal for herself. "But! Think. Without artists, merchants have nothing to sell. Fighters nothing worth crossing swords. Commerce paves the roads through a city, and fighters build the walls, but art is..." She shut her wide eyes briefly. "Art is the towering pinnacle that defines us."

Ralynn chuckled. "Pinnacle, huh? Take all day to come up with that?"

Aberny raised an eyebrow as Tali piled meat onto her plate. By the time she finished, she staggered under a mound of venison that looked almost twice her weight. How exactly did the gnome intend to devour such a vast repast?

"Some say fighting is an art form in itself," he suggested.

Tali crinkled her nose. "Fighting? Art? If you want bloodshed and death, fine, but I don't see the beauty in it yet."

Ralynn speared a bite of meat and pointed it at her. "Sounds like we got ourselves a blind painter."

"Yet! I said I don't see it yet. I'm not saying it's not there. That's why I cast my lot in on this hunt. To bring greater insight to my craft."

"Yeah?" Ralynn smirked. "Even if it costs you a thousand gold?"

Tali bowed her head, the fire casting half her face in shadow. "I...I'd sacrifice anything for the sake of true art. It can't be faked. It must be lived. But you're only here because—"

"Because I was drunk as slime at the bottom of a wine barrel when you two decided to make a contest of this bounty. I've made worse bets, but I don't back out on a wager." Aberny locked eyes with each of them in turn over the flames. "Ever. Besides, I stand the best chance of winning. Think your gnome trickery will help you beat the beast?"

Tali perked up. "Master Aberny! If you'd read the contract aloud?" She settled back to work on her canvas.

Aberny reached into the pocket where he'd secured the unusual contract they'd drawn up the previous night, when deep in drink back in Whistledown's popular inn, the Azure Cup. Over the years, the three of them had made a habit of meeting there during his stopovers in town. Odd companions, but familiar faces who helped ground him. Still, he never let personal attachments, however fond, get in the way of business.

He unrolled the parchment, revealing their three signatures at the bottom, and read the main statement.

"‘With the evidence of a chimera prowling the nearby countryside—reportedly responsible for at least a dozen deaths of travelers and homesteaders alike—a bounty of one thousand gold has been placed on the monster's head. We, the undersigned, do swear to partake in a hunt of the unnatural beast, employing our individual skills and resources toward the ending of its foul appetites. Furthermore, the first of our party to kill or capture the beast will receive not only the publicly posted reward, but an additional thousand gold pieces from each of the other two challengers.'"

The artist flourished her brush. "Aha! Hear that? Kill or capture." She popped to her feet and swept a bow. "And I will capture the chimera."

Ralynn snorted, an indelicate act that marred his fine features. "Sure. Gonna grab its tail for a moment before it gobbles you?"

Tali turned her canvas around, revealing Ralynn's face, painted with his tongue stuck out, eyes crossed, and cheeks puffed. "There. My first victim. I've captured you. You're trapped in my art forever."

Aberny couldn't quite contain a chortle.

Ralynn's ears reddened again. "Oh?" Before anyone could move, he dashed over and slashed through the sketch, leaving Tali holding ragged fabric on either side of her head.

Her face twisted in fury and she flung a hand out. A burst of dazzling lights exploded before Ralynn's face, forcing him to squint and turn aside.

"Brute!" She cast the scraps away and leapt up, slashing her paintbrush across Ralynn's chest, leaving a cerulean streak.

Ralynn snarled and Tali yelped as the half-elf grabbed the front of her dress and jerked her up inches from his scowl, sword clenched in a white-knuckled fist.

Aberny lurched up, scattering wine and food. "Ralynn! Let her go."

The fighter hesitated until the guards shifted, hands on sword pommels. As soon as her feet touched the earth, Tali jumped back out of reach. She brushed herself off and fixed her viridian hair back into its sweeping coif. Aberny held out a silk handkerchief so the half-elf could clean off his face. Ralynn snatched it away, muttering thanks.

"As host of this hunt," Aberny said, "I won't abide violence towards one another." He fixed a serious look on Tali. "The same for you, little mistress, even in jest."

Tali bunched her fists. "Hmph. I take my leave of you barbarians to dine in peace." She hefted her plate, still mounded with meat, snagged a wineskin, and staggered off into the brush surrounding the campsite.

Ralynn finished wiping off the paint and offered the silk back, but Aberny waved it away. The half-elf frowned in the direction Tali had gone.

"She can't just sketch the beast to win."

"She's technically correct, though," Aberny said with a sigh. "Same as my using hired guards to slay the beast for me, since they're personal resources."

"At least they could give me a real challenge—though I doubt it. She's missing the whole point of a hunt."

"Don't worry. Art is subjective. Even if she does manage to paint the monster, we'll argue the work doesn't truly capture its essence and so falls short of the prize."

Ralynn grinned. "You've thought this through."

"I always do."

Tali returned a bit later, plate and wineskin empty, while her stomach strained at the confines of her dress. With a few unladylike burps, she excused herself to bed and crawled into her gnome-sized tent. Minutes later, high-pitched snoring mingled with the far-off music of her hometown.

Claiming a preference for sleeping beneath the sky, Ralynn laid a simple bedroll beside the fire. He stretched out on this, still dressed in his fighting leathers and with multiple blades strapped to him.

Aberny then retired to his own tent, almost a small home in itself with a portable bed, desk, and chest of select personal items. When one spent countless weeks traveling between anything resembling civilization, investing in personal comforts paid dividends in return.

He spent another hour going through a ledger of contacts back in Whistledown, evaluating how he might invest the reward he fully intended to collect for the chimera's demise. Not that he believed Ralynn or Tali immediately possessed a thousand gold. But their debts would add to the many he'd accrued from others over the years and he'd inevitably find a way to translate them into profits. After all, why have friends if they didn't add value to one's life?

As he pondered snuffing the lamp for sleep, a scream tore the night's peace in two. Shouts rang out from the guards, followed by a defiant cry from Ralynn.

Aberny raced out of the tent just as the body of one of his servants flopped to the ground before him—missing a head.

Coming Next Week: A fireside attack in Chapter 2 of Josh Vogt's "Hunter's Folly."

Josh Vogt is the author of the Pathfinder Tales story "The Weeping Blade." His short fiction has been published in such venues as Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show and Shimmer. For more information, see his website at jrvogt.com.

Illustration by Glen Osterberger

Hunter's Folly

by Josh Vogt

Chapter 2: Foes by Firelight

Aberny gaped at the body for a moment, blood staining the earth at his feet. Then the scene around the campfire snatched his stare away.

The chimera crouched on the far side of the fire, a guard pinned and twitching beneath its massive forepaws. One of the servants crawled for the trees. Entrails dragged from a horrible gash along his side.

Leathery wings tucked back along the chimera's body as muscles bunched for another attack. Its three heads wove independently—a maned lion's, a horned goat's, and a green dragon's. Each set of eyes gleamed with a putrid yellow-green light, alive with vicious hunger. Triple maws drooled in anticipation of a feast. The lion snarled, while the dragon puffed an emerald haze that sizzled as it plumed over the fire. Acid, Aberny realized.

He nearly ducked back inside, but he'd not built his reputation on cowardice. Taking up a knobbed walking staff from beside the tent flap, he emerged and grasped it in both hands. A gasp drew his glance aside to Tali, who'd poked her head out from her tent, and sketched furiously on a parchment.

Then the chimera—roaring, screeching, and bleating—lunged at the second guard, who'd tried to circle around to flank it in the brush. A sweep of a paw and wing knocked the man back and the sword flew from his hands.

Ralynn dove in from the other side, a wordless battle cry erupting from him.

Ralynn combines the ferocity and grace of his half-elven heritage.

Aberny never knew such an immense beast could move so fast. It snapped its lion fangs while trying to gore the fighter with its goat horns. At the same time, the dragon head curled back around to spew another stream of acid onto the hapless guard. The man's screams wrenched Aberny's guts, but there was nothing he could do.

Wielding two short swords, the half-elf had to get in close to do any damage, putting himself within range of wings, talons, and fangs. The chimera lashed with its bared claws while snapping at Ralynn from several directions at once. The fighter evaded the bites, but one claw stuck him across a shoulder and sent him tumbling.

Ralynn rolled through the blow and back up to his feet, swords readied. The dragon head clamped down on the guard's body and flung it through the air at the fighter.

Even as Ralynn dodged, the beast pounced, leaping through the flames of the campfire. The stink of burning fur filled the air as its hind legs trampled the blaze, and the beast's roar shook the shadows themselves. Burning logs scattered about, casting just enough residual light to limn the fight in a red glow.

Ralynn hurtled forward, swords raised. As the chimera pounced, he tucked and rolled, trailing a slash at its belly. The chimera yowled and threw up chunks of grassy earth as it dug in and reversed course.

Aberny lunged and swung his staff, trying to distract it so Ralynn might get in a solid blow. The unsatisfying thump on the creature's hind side only served to irritate the beast, which sideswiped with a paw, while the goat's head jerked toward the merchant. He threw himself aside, almost crushing Tali, who yelped and rolled out of the way at the last instant.

She hurried to his side and tugged at his robe. Aberny lurched to his feet, fearing the chimera might decide to eliminate the two unarmed party members.

But Ralynn had reengaged, combining the ferocity and grace of his mixed parentage. Blades flashed in the light of dying embers as he turned the chimera away from the others, expertly rushing in and twisting aside before it could land another blow. However, he couldn't maneuver for any serious strike.

The horses had already gone near-mad in their proximity to the chimera, and their efforts to escape only grew more frantic as the creature dove into their midst. In a frenzy of teeth and talons, the beast laid several of the hapless pack animals low, while two others at last tore loose and galloped off.

Then the poisonous green gaze of all three heads locked back on the companions, who could only watch in dismay. Three voices spoke in unison, each a bestial utterance that tortured Aberny's ears. He'd traveled widely enough to recognize the language of dragons, but didn't speak any of it.

Ralynn winced as well. "What's it growling about?"

Tali perked up. "It says to be happy it's already feasted tonight, but it'll be hungry again tomorrow and has our scent. Also, it called you a weakling coward."

Aberny raised an eyebrow her way. She knew its language?

Ralynn flourished a sword. "Drop in for lunch and I'll have your heads for trophies."

The chimera snarled at Ralynn's challenge. Then, with a final chuff, its leonine head snatched up the one of the servants' bodies. The creature spun about and charged into the darkness. Moments later, a flap of enormous wings indicated it had taken flight.

The survivors studied the starry sky for several minutes, ensuring the beast didn't intend an immediate return and ambush. Then Ralynn glared at the few dribbles of blood on his blade and headed for the nearest brush where he wiped it clean.

"Well, you two were useless," he said over a shoulder. "Try running screaming into the night with the horses next time and at least provide a distraction."

"Useless?" Tali shot back. "I interpreted its warning, didn't I? That's doing plenty. Want me to fight for you? Then offer me your share of the reward. Didn't you say there was no sign of the creature around when we camped. Piss-poor tracking! Certainly let our guard down. How'd it know we were here?"

"Beyond our fire and earlier noisy arguing?" Aberny shook his head. "It must've caught detected us while prowling about." He frowned at the corpses. "It took the most vulnerable first."

Ralynn scowled at Tali. "Then why's she still here?"

"Because!" Tali lifted her chin. "Even a chimera is more perceptive than you when it comes to strength of spirit. Maybe if you had three heads, you'd have enough brains to—"

Aberny flung his arms wide. "Enough. The beast caught us off guard and marked us for later. Can we focus on that?"

"Dumb boasts," Ralynn said. "In a fair fight, it doesn't stand a chance against me."

"Chimeras don't fight fair," Tali said. "And they're wickedly cunning."

"What do you know?" asked Ralynn.

The gnome tapped her cheek with a silver-painted nail. "Much! Most chimeras live in prides, hunting in groups to outnumber prey. This one could be a younger male or an outcast, and hunting more aggressively as it tries to establish dominance of its chosen territory. Oh, and they like shiny things!"

Aberny eyed her. "How've you learned all this?"

"Besides everyone around town talking for the past few weeks since the first deaths?" Tali drew herself up. "I always—always!—study my subjects in-depth. It's the only way I can properly convey their essence through my pieces."

"You learned the tongue of dragons in a few weeks?"

She sniffed. "Of course not. Languages are a form of art. I've immersed myself in many of them over the years."

"What of you, Aberny? With your investments..." Ralynn indicated the bodies with a flick of his eyes, "not paying off, want to renegotiate?"

Aberny hitched his shoulders back, trying to project his usual confidence, which had alarmingly fled. He'd thought himself sturdier than this. "The hunt continues." He slumped again. "But first, let's respect the dead."

They found a patch of soft earth and Aberny procured a small shovel from the supplies his deceased servants had brought along. Ralynn dug four shallow graves, and then they dragged the fallen over one by one. Tali surprised them by joining in, though she took care to only grab the bodies where blood or bile hadn't marred them.

Aberny and Ralynn took turns shoveling dirt over the holes, even though it proved more manual labor than the merchant had experienced in a long while. He'd sweated through his robe by the time he stopped to pray Desna's blessing, wishing the dead good fortune in the afterlife for their loyal—if short—service.

Ralynn rebuilt the fire and claimed the watch for the rest of the night, but the other two didn't return to their tents. Tali claimed inspiration for a piece she called "Foe by Firelight" left her too roused to sleep, though Aberny noted she kept well within the circle of firelight and sat a bit closer to the fighter than before.

For himself, Aberny settled on his stool and sipped wine to soothe his nerves, while pondering this ill turn of fortune. How could he, bereft of his guards, expect to triumph over such a vicious beast? He'd underestimated the creature, since reports had it picking off one or two victims alone. Now it appeared emboldened and loath to spare any threats to its territory.

Yet he'd always found a way to turn even the most dire circumstances to his benefit. This time, though, it wasn't just about recouping losses. If he considered the chimera a bandit as well as a beast, it put things in the proper perspective. It hadn't just attacked their party. It had robbed him, specifically; and no merchant worth his abacus allowed thievery without consequences.

He slugged back the last of the wine in silent oath to himself. So be it.

The scratching of Tali's sketching nibbled at his ears until just an hour before dawn, when she gave an enormous yawn and slumped, snoring against Ralynn's side. The fighter sighed, but didn't push her away. As the sun lit a candle on the horizon, Aberny rubbed his eyes, wishing he could follow the gnome to rest, but knowing it'd be a futile effort.

Once morning rose in full, he made them a quick, cold breakfast. Ralynn gulped his down and then jostled Tali awake for her portion, which she took with a grimace. Then they debated what to do with the tents and equipment.

"Leave it," Aberny decided, "except for any food we can carry. If the creature plans to return, we might not need to go far before picking up its trail. And we don't want to be overburdened if it ambushes us."

As the others prepared to head out, Aberny retrieved his staff, and then—after a moment's thought—took up one of the swords from a fallen guard.

Ralynn raised a slim eyebrow. "Planning to use that?"

Aberny gave an experimental swing, trying to awaken long unused arm muscles. "I was a caravan guard once, long ago. I didn't leave that profession entirely unscarred."

"You?" Tali asked, goggling.

He grunted. "During a trip through Cheliax, our caravan was ambushed by orcs. I alone survived, managing to get most of the goods to Kintargo in the aftermath. I then established my name based on my former master's reputation. Turned out I had an even better knack for it than he ever did." He tucked the sword into his robe's belt and thrust his staff toward the hills. "Onward?"

Ralynn smirked. "Still willing to brave the danger?"

"By all means. When it slaughtered my men, the chimera made this business rather... personal."

Coming Next Week: On the trail of the beast in Chapter 3 of Josh Vogt’s "Hunter's Folly."

Josh Vogt is the author of the Pathfinder Tales story "The Weeping Blade." His short fiction has been published in such venues as Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show and Shimmer. For more information, see his website at jrvogt.com.

Illustration by Glen Osterberger

Hunter's Folly

by Josh Vogt

Chapter 3: Lures

The trio hiked along the base of a scraggly knoll under the midday sun. Tali had at least stopped complaining about the dirt soiling her dress, and now joined Aberny in eyeing the skies for any sign of their foe. Ralynn kept an easy, if steady, pace ahead, one blade always out as he scanned the wild brush and every dip and curve of the earth in case the chimera crouched in wait.

When the others weren't looking, Aberny wrung a pinky finger in either ear.

How did he still hear Whistledown's fluting charms in the distance? Even if they remained closed enough, normally they only played at night, when the lake breezes blew through the village. Had the chimera's attack jarred him more than he thought?

He tried to distract himself by scanning the rolling landscape, with its high grasses, occasional groves, and streams. How did such a verdant area host such a deadly creature? Where did it lurk? Chimeras often holed up in their dens between meals. Yet this stretch of land lacked any significant caves he knew of, having hastily studied a few maps before they set out.

Vicious hunger gleams in each set of the chimera's putrid-yellow eyes.

Not more than half an hour later, Ralynn crouched and touched a patch of earth. Aberny and Tali hesitated, checking all about until the fighter waved them closer.

"Sign?" Aberny asked.

Ralynn shook his head and displayed fingers stained with mud. "Water nearby."

Aberny nodded, but Tali pouted in confusion.

"Water," the merchant explained, "suggests a spot where animals might come to drink on a regular basis. Tempting for predators."

They crept forward, weapons in Aberny's and Ralynn's hands, a charcoal nub and parchment in Tali's. They crested a subtle ridge and found it sloped down sharply into a rockier area, where a stream funneled in and formed a wide pool ringed by crumbling earth and stones. The place appeared undisturbed, but Aberny well knew appearances deceived only the foolish.

Tali wriggled in delight. "Gorgeous. I must fix this place in my mind."

As she dangled bare feet over the ridge and outlined the geography, Ralynn shifted closer to Aberny, voice lowered.

"I think the beast is close, but waiting to catch us off guard again. How about we use her as bait?"

Aberny narrowed his eyes. "You're that desperate for the bounty?"

Ralynn raised both hands. "I never make a bet I don't intend to win. But I'm not saying we let her get eaten. We'll divert it before it reaches her."

The screams of Aberny's men briefly intruded on his thoughts until he shoved them back. He shook his head. "No. I'll go down with her while you watch our backs."

Ralynn shrugged. "Won't stop you."

Calling Tali to help him refill their waterskins, Aberny led her into the depression, trying not to skid too much on scree and raise a clatter. When they reached the pool, he set his staff down and kneeled to cup a palm of water. As he swallowed, he glanced at Tali's sketch, noting she'd expertly captured the rocky pool, but had added a few embellishments, including scattered animal skeletons and the chimera itself crouched among the bodies.

"Preparing a morbid masterpiece?" he asked.

She held the parchment out, eyeing it critically. "Hm. Are the bones taking it too far?"

He peered at the chimeric figure as she filled in various details. "Are you managing that from memory last night? Impressive."

She pointed with her charcoal nub. "Oh, no. It's right over there."

Aberny raised his eyes and met the triple gaze of the chimera as it stood from its hiding spot across the pool. Its tawny, dappled hide had blended in with the yellow earth and stones, and its goat and dragon heads emerged from where they'd been tucked under the wings until then.

Ralynn must've known it was there the whole time. It couldn't have eluded his half-elven sight that easily.

The chimera's dragon maw drizzled acid, while its goat teeth gnawed a scrap of flesh that Aberny hoped didn't come from any of last night's kills. It began prowling around the pool toward them. Its ears twitched, and it spoke through its lion head alone this time.

"What's it saying?" Aberny asked Tali.

Her tongue darted over her lips. "Oh... er... something about me not being more than a nibble, while you might make a few mouthfuls."

Aberny rose, taking up his staff and drawing his sword. He used the staff to pull Tali along with him as he backed away toward Ralynn's concealed spot on the near ridge. But before they took two steps, the chimera filled the area with a three-throated roar and a great beat of wings propelled it straight at them.

The first leap sent it splashing into the middle of the pool. The second brought it onto the bank before them, where it shook itself like a wet dog, whipping out a vortex of water. In the midst of that half-blinding spray, it rushed in.

Ralynn's yell resounded as he landed on the chimera's back, swords driving down to plunge into its lungs and heart. Its water-slicked fur, though, offered no firm footing. He slipped and what might've been a death blow merely scored across the beast's ribs. The chimera screeched and reared. Ralynn dropped one sword to grab a fistful of fur, holding on as he readied for another strike.

Aberny forced himself forward, spearing the staff at the lion snout while chopping the sword whenever the dragon head wove too close.

The chimera fell back to all fours, and its wings slammed back over Ralynn, briefly clamping the fighter against its back. Then the chimera threw itself into a roll. Ralynn cried out as the creature's bulk crushed him into the earth, and he dropped off to lie stunned in the muddy gravel.

The chimera flipped back to its feet. Fangs slavered drool and acid as it approached the stunned fighter.

Then a harsh keening filled the hollow, painful enough that Aberny almost dropped his weapons to clamp hands over his ears. The chimera's heads swung around to fix on him. The creature growled deep enough to make the waters ripple, and snarled in its own tongue.

Aberny braced as it loped for him. He lashed out when it neared, but a claw struck him across the stomach, throwing him aside. He lost staff and sword as he rolled and slammed up against the base of the embankment.

The keening cut off, followed by a shriek from Tali. Aberny's jarred vision cleared just as the chimera flung itself into the sky, Tali screaming and writhing in its lion's maw. He stared aghast as the chimera made off with their small companion, following the stream as it wound out of sight among the hills. Her cries dwindled into nothing.

The merchant pushed upright, groaning at a clench of pain where the chimera had struck him. His chest would be a mass of bruises, and breathing already proved strained. A quick inspection revealed four tears and shallow cuts across his torso. Seemed he owed Desna, the goddess of luck, a few prayers.

He struggled to his feet and limped to Ralynn, who lurched up, gasping and reaching for his weapons. The half-elf stilled as he realized they stood alone.

"What happened? It fled?"

Aberny gestured to Tali's parchment, abandoned when the chimera nabbed her. It had fluttered from her grasp and landed in the pool, already a pulpy mess. "Maybe it wants to work up an appetite before it feasts."

Ralynn grimaced and rose to retrieve his short swords. Then he grunted and bent over, hand pressed to his side.

"Damn it to Hell. Must've broken a rib."

Aberny rummaged through the satchel of food and supplies he'd brought. While several had been smashed in his tumble, one healing potion had blessedly survived. He considered his own minor wounds and chances for survival. Then he handed the vial to Ralynn, who nodded gratefully and downed it.

As the fighter recovered, Aberny went to where Tali had been standing and closed his eyes to whisper a prayer of protection. Desna smile on the gnome, and may she be lucky enough to live, despite all odds.

When he opened his eyes, his gaze fell on an item where Tali had been standing. He bent over to investigate and found... a Whistledown charm. The wooden carving formed a complicated spiral, the tip secured with a metal hook where it was meant to dangle from eaves or doorways. She must've had it altered to produce the music on command, rather than just at night. Had she brought it thinking to actually mesmerize the beast or use it as a distracting weapon, as she'd just done?

He tucked this into a pocket, inert for the time. Then he turned to Ralynn, who stretched and twisted to test his healed ribs. "We have to go after her."

Ralynn frowned. "Actually, I've been rethinking my rule about never backing off from a bet."

Aberny strode over and grabbed the half-elf's collar. Ralynn stiffened, but didn't draw a blade.

"You sent us straight into its grasp just now, and her potential death is on your soul. You want to leave this hunt a coward?"

Ralynn jerked out of his grip and brushed himself off. "Better a coward than dead! And since when have you cared about someone's fate unless they put coin in your pocket? Oh, don't look surprised. You act so friendly, buying us rounds all night long—but only because we're spilling gossip you can use to get better deals. I know how it works."

"That was... that was idle business. This is life or death!"

"Thought it was all the same to you."

Aberny threw up his hands and spun away, sick of them both.

Ralynn's voice softened. "Look, there's no shame in knowing when to cut your losses. The biggest payoff doesn't mean a thing if you aren't alive to collect it. Even if we find wherever it's hauled her off to, we'll be walking straight into its territory. And it has a hostage."

Aberny stared into the water as if it might offer a solution. Then he focused on his reflection and realized he still had certain resources available. Best use them.

He turned back to the fighter. "I'll make you an offer."

Ralynn eyed him in suspicion. "Like?"

"Help me rescue her, and the bounty, plus a thousand from me, is yours. You don't even have to kill the chimera. Just as long as she lives."

The half-elf blinked. "You're serious."

"Entirely."

Ralynn scowled, looking like a trapped beast himself, sleek figure coiled as if ready to sprint for freedom. Then he sighed and straightened. "Fine. You've got a deal."

Relieved, if slightly, Aberny pointed out the direction the beast had flown. He and Ralynn followed the river, finding it broadened farther up and cut through a ravine that would've been invisible from their trek up in the fields.

At last, Ralynn crouched and pulled Aberny down with him. He pointed ahead. The stream poured out from a wide crevice, not a hundred paces ahead. Half-hidden by overgrown grasses, the opening led into the earth beneath a large hill.

They split up and approached the crevice from opposing angles. One sword readied, Ralynn eased up and peered inside for a moment. Then he slipped in.

Aberny held his breath until the half-elf leaned back out and waved him on.

Once beyond the low stony lip, the ceiling quickly rose enough for standing room, and outside light reached past to show a natural tunnel leading into the depths of the hill. They paused, listening.

Tali's voice echoed from somewhere deeper in, indistinct. A guttural murmur followed, as if she conversed with the chimera.

Aberny's heart rose. Alive! But not for long if they bungled this.

Ralynn took the lead, using his heightened sight to guide them. After creeping through a darker section, light once more appeared ahead. After ten paces, the tunnel ended, exiting onto a wide ledge that curved around the edges of an earthy cavern.

The chimera's den lay within the hollow hill, the walls all root-snaked dirt and rock. Several wide cracks allowed shafts of sunlight in, illuminating the scene below as the pair sneaked to the edge.

Tali stood before the chimera, which lay basking in a narrow splay of sun, forepaws crossed, tail twitching. All three heads watched her, cocked as if fascinated by this odd creature it had brought back.

All around them lay spines and skulls and femurs of a dozen different creatures, including at least a few humanoids by Aberny's estimation. Tali had gathered a pile of bones and now worked them together, linked and stacked into a grisly sculpture—a fragile spread of ribs that evoked wings.

"See?" she said, as she crafted the piece. "Even in death, there's beauty. Think of it! If you let me live, I could craft you a gorgeous necklace out of nothing but vertebrae and finger bones. I don't suppose you have any gems lying about? Those could be socketed to enhance your natural glory. No? Pity. But one must work with what one has."

Ralynn and Aberny drew back while the chatter continued below.

"I don't suppose you'd let me paint you? Trap your essence for all to admire?"

Ralynn made several circling and grasping gestures with one hand. Aberny shook his head, not understanding. Did he think to try and sneak down the ledge without drawing the beast's attention? Or attempt another leap onto the chimera's back?

"Oh! Have I mentioned how I love the way your fur absolutely traps the light? Divine."

At Ralynn's impatient pushing motions, Aberny edged along where the ledge sloped toward the cave floor. The half-elf nodded, moving the opposite direction.

"I once saw a chimera trapped in a menagerie, you know. Such a horrible thing to do to such a magnificent beast."

A snuffling made him freeze. The chimera's gravelly voice rose, the words alien, but the tone unmistakable. It had detected the intruders.

Tali sighed. "For Shelyn's sake. It's a fools-be-damned trap. Run!"

Coming Next Week: Three-headed horror in the conclusion of Josh Vogt's "Hunter's Folly."

Josh Vogt is the author of the Pathfinder Tales story "The Weeping Blade." His short fiction has been published in such venues as Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show and Shimmer. For more information, see his website at jrvogt.com.

Illustration by Glen Osterberger

Hunter's Folly

by Josh Vogt

Chapter 4: Essence of the Hunt

At the warning cry, Aberny looked back and noticed the crude frame of branches that propped a large rock pile above the tunnel they'd emerged from. Even as he did, a scrabble of talons alerted him just before the beast burst upward, jaws snapping every which way. It clamped onto the ledge with one claw and swept the other out.

Ralynn jumped away, but the claw tore out the supporting branches instead, dropping the pile in a dust-raising crash and sealing off any escape. The chimera fell back to the floor, crunching Tali's bone sculpture beneath its feet as she scrambled for cover.

Ralynn leapt to the ground after it, whipping out a second sword. He kicked a skull at the chimera and ran in after, blades leading the way.

Aberny hurried to see if he could dislodge the rock fall and give them a chance to flee. He threw aside several smaller rocks, but realized the boulders would require massive effort to budge.

Tali's view of the hunt is nothing if not unique.

The chimera bounded all about the cavern, with plenty of room to maneuver despite its bulk. It flapped up to the far wall, clung there for a moment as its claws dug in, and then dropped to crush the fighter. Ralynn somersaulted aside, and the chimera landed with a boom that shook the whole place.

Aberny grabbed up a larger rock and lugged it to the edge. He took aim, and then flung it down at the chimera. He howled and raised a triumphant fist as the rock smashed into one of the beast's wings, preventing another leap-and-crush attempt.

Ralynn darted in, using the distraction to gouge the creature's flanks. Aberny went for another rock, as yowls rose from below. Right as he reached the edge a second time, the chimera lunged up, abandoning Ralynn to attack him instead. He threw the rock, but the dragon's head snapped it out of midair. At least now it couldn't spew acid in his face.

The other two heads drove forward. He fell back, grabbing for his weapons as fangs and horns strained inches from his feet. Then the chimera bellowed and fell back. Aberny leaned over to see what had happened.

Ralynn had hacked off a hind paw, and the chimera now hobbled after him while trailing a ragged, gore-soaked stump. The fighter grinned and flicked blood from his blades.

The chimera stumbled forward and Ralynn thrust for the kill. However, the dragon head rose and spewed a wide stream of acid. As Ralynn twisted desperately to dodge this, the chimera threw itself forward. A claw snagged Ralynn's leg and pinned him to the ground. The chimera leaned in, all mouths gaping.

Tali's voice rang out. "Ralynn, shut your eyes!"

The half-elf squeezed his eyes closed right before a flash of dazzling lights burst before the chimera's faces. It reared and staggered on its remaining hind paw.

Freed, Ralynn rolled up and raised both swords as the chimera dropped back in front of him. He brought the blades down on the neck of the nearest head—the goat. The head gave a gargling bleat as it was hacked off to splatter at Ralynn's feet.

A frenzied wing beat knocked the fighter back, while the lion and dragon roared and screeched in pain. The chimera hunched and launched itself toward one of the wider cracks in the cavern walls.

The crack must've been formed in soft earth, for it burst wide under the chimera's impact, raining roots and rock all about. The creature shoved most of the way out. Its hind leg gave a last kick to free itself, and then only its fading cries could be heard as it fled.

Tali emerged from her hiding spot behind an oversized ribcage, while Ralynn caught his breath and Aberny made his way to the chamber floor. By the time he got there, the half-elf and gnome were inspecting the paw and goat head.

Ralynn probed the head with the tip of a blade. "Poor trophy. Might as well have killed an oversized goat."

Aberny eyed the hole in the cavern wall. "Even if it survives that wound, I doubt it'll return to let you claim the rest."

"Just in case," Tali said, "maybe we should get out of here?"

The three climbed back to the ledge and began the arduous job of clearing the path out. Before they left, Aberny made sure to retrieve his sword, feeling an odd desire to never travel without one close at hand again. Ralynn grabbed up the paw and head, while Tali chose a few blood-speckled rib fragments.

Once they emerged into sunlight and fresh air, Aberny leaned on his staff, suddenly more weary than he'd ever been. "I've a proposition."

The two looked to him.

"Since our contract was hastily made and without the clearest of wits, what say we mutually dissolve it and let survival be its own reward? We can tell whatever version of what happened here that we wish."

Ralynn lifted the chimera parts. "So long as I keep these." He caught Aberny's eye. "I'm not as stuck on our original deal."

Tali glanced between the two, curious, but shrugged when neither was forthcoming. "Good enough for me."

Aberny smiled, pulled out the battered parchment, and tossed it back down to languish with the bones.

∗ ∗ ∗

Aberny entered the art gallery, double-checking the card delivered the previous day to make sure he had the right time and place.

Master Aberny,

It would be the greatest honor if you would attend the opening exhibit of "Horrors of the Hunt," under the patronage of the Gilvreau Gallery. We feature the finest paintings and sculptures ever to grace our town, being a testament to Whistledown's continued contributions to the pinnacle of society that is artistic inspiration and craft.

Sincerely,
Steward Feles, on behalf of the Gilvreau Gallery

He scanned the main room. Humans, gnomes, elves, and others crowded the hall, where at least a dozen paintings hung alongside another dozen sculptures and carvings. Some of the pieces even combined sculpture and painting, with molded bronze, steel, and silver interwoven with canvas to give the work a surprising depth and substance.

In one painting, a shadowy beast loomed over a trio of figures, framed against a background of vivid firelight. There, fighters engaged a chimera on the edges of a rocky pool. And there, random bones had been wired together to create a miniature model of a chimera skeleton, wings spread, looking ready to leap on viewers.

Never had Aberny seen such raw depictions of dread and violence. Not only had the artist captured the chimera's bestial qualities, but also the underlying terror and imminence of death it evoked. Many of the scenes even gave the impression of the hunters being the prey.

After perusing the selection for a while, he found Tali chatting in a ring of admirers. A month had passed since the ill-fated hunt, and her attire had taken a turn for the fashionable. Adorned with a gem-studded tiara, she wore a dress of blue and crimson. When she spotted him, she excused herself and rushed over to grasp his hand.

"Master Aberny! So glad you could make it."

He smiled and they exchanged pleasantries, such as her rise in society and how his sword-fighting lessons progressed. When they found a corner beyond the press of the crowd, he cleared his throat.

"I've been thinking a bit since we last saw one another. Reflecting on a few oddities of our time in the grasslands."

One of her emerald eyebrows twitched. "Such as?"

"Such as how the chimera tracked our scent so quickly. Why it took off with you when it had the upper hand with Ralynn. And how you knew enough of its nature—even its language—to appeal to its bestial vanity."

Her lips tweaked at the corners. "Quite strange."

"As I recall, a large portion of our first dinner went... well, not missing, but perhaps unaccounted for would be the better description. Now, I'm not one to doubt a voracious appetite, but for a gnome, such a repast would've likely split his or her stomach wide—if it was actually devoured at all. And then there was a particular item that would've drawn the creature's ear from a goodly distance."

He drew out the Whistledown charm she'd dropped when the chimera had taken her beside the pool. "A memento of our little hunt and congratulations for your success."

Tali licked her lips as she squirreled the charm away. Then she glanced about, no doubt looking for a particular half-elf.

"Are you going to tell him?" she asked.

He chuckled darkly, suspicions confirmed. "I haven't decided. He's not in town at the moment, either way. While the head and paw weren't exactly the trophies Ralynn wished, they worked well enough to boost his reputation—especially after an alchemist confirmed the chimera blood. He left two weeks ago with a band of treasure hunters."

Then he shed all mirth. "But I want to know how you managed to come to an agreement with the chimera."

Her nose crinkled. "Agreement?"

"How did you get the creature to act as a model for your art? An offer of safety in exchange for leading it to us?"

Her eyes widened. "No! I might've aggravated the situation a bit, but we had no dealings. It wouldn't have been real, if so. I had to live it. The struggle had to be authentic, or else it wouldn't mean anything."

"You understood it. Spoke with it."

"Languages are art, like I said. Each one I can converse in adds to my palette of comprehension."

"But why? What possessed you to tempt our deaths that way?"

"Oh! This, of course." She wobbled her head, indicating the gallery. "My art can now be infused with unparalleled passion and perspective."

"You got my men killed."

"We all accepted a certain amount of risk, didn't we? I faced the same dangers as everyone else."

"You could've told us. We could've set an ambush from the start."

"That would've been just as bad as if I'd collaborated with the beast. It would've undermined the reality I needed to experience."

He sighed, trying and failing to summon fury at the deception. Sadly, he understood all too well the lengths one might go to for personal advancement. Should he reveal the deal he'd struck with Ralynn? Or perhaps scrawl another debt in his ledgers?

Aberny rubbed his chin, as if pondering the virtues of the piece they stood before. "Perhaps Ralynn will never find out, so long as certain steps are taken. A favor paid, say, to avoid dark rumors besmirching the reputation of a promising young artist."

Tali squared up with him, thin arms crossed. "So! What's the bargain, then?"

He waved at the surrounding artwork. "Your work should be admired by lovers of art far and wide. I would... politely... request an exclusive contract as distributor and representative of your craft beyond Whistledown. Sole purveyor, receiving a significant percentage of every sale for my efforts."

Tali grinned. "Ah! I'll have to talk to the gallery owners, but I'll be as persuasive as possible for an old friend." She stuck out a hand. As his engulfed hers for a brief squeeze, she held it a moment longer. "Good fortune, Master Aberny. Of course, I say that hoping you'll funnel some of that my way in the end."

His laugh drew a few askance looks. "Be careful what you hope for, dearest Tali. In the end, fortune makes fools of us all."

Coming Next Week: Viking-style adventure and the return of Jendara in a sample chapter from Wendy Wagner’s new Pathfinder Tales novel, Skinwalkers.

Josh Vogt is the author of the Pathfinder Tales story "The Weeping Blade." His short fiction has been published in such venues as Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show and Shimmer. For more information, see his website at jrvogt.com.

Illustration by Glen Osterberger