Welcome to Stories from Among the Stars.

You're listening to Legends and Laute's by Travis Baldry.

For anyone who wondered where the other road led, Prologue.

Viv buried her great sword in the scalvert's skull with a meaty crunch.

Black blood thrummed in her hands, and her muscular arms strained as she tore it back

and out in a spray of gore.

The scalvert queen gave a long, vibrating moan, and then thundered to the stone in a heap.

With a sigh, Viv slumped to her knees.

The persistent twinge and her lower back flared up, and she dug in the knuckles of

one huge hand to chase it away.

Wiping sweat and blood from her face, she stared down at the dead queen.

Shouts echoed from behind her.

She leaned closer.

Yes, there it was, right above the nasal cavity.

The beast's head was twice as wide as she was, all improbable teeth and uncountable eyes

with a huge, under-slung jaw, and in the middle the fleshy seam she'd read about.

Jamming her fingers into the fold she prided open, a sickly golden light spilled out.

She slid her whole hand into the pocket of flesh, curled her fist around a faceted organic

lump, and yanked.

It came free with a fibrous ripping sound.

Fenness moved to stand behind her, she could smell his perfume.

Is that it then, he asked, only a little interested?

...