ML Bellante Books, LLC
World Encounters: Creatures, Villains, and Natural Wonders
The Raster
"Rasters are filthy beasts, but they can carry more than any other creature I know of. It's because they have six legs to support the weight. They are dumb and only need to be pointed in the direction you want them to go. And they won't stop until you tell them to. I've heard of rasters walking right over a cliff, one after another." Myron, the merchant
The Thrice
"They are thrice. They make excellent beasts of burden. These two have pulled these carts for the past six detzamars over some of the most rugged terrain you can imagine." Sestardi Titus, commander of the king's detachment.
The Gorga
'The gorga came into view, stopped, pawed the ground like an angry bull, and then it charged straight for Coleman.'
The Multipede
"...a colossal multipede skittered out of the undergrowth. It rose half of its body off the ground, towering over the men, its mandibles snapping and its many point-tipped legs wiggling. Coleman faced off against this new deadly foe, slashing with his short sword. His blade struck the huge beast just below its head and glanced off, the giant creature's exoskeleton was as hard as metal armor.'
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The Frizzard
"Watch what happens when that frizzard gets wet." Counselor Idop
The Land-Piranha
'It was now apparent to all, the rumble wasn't coming from the heavens. A mass of snarling, roaring beasts -- Coleman's aptly named land-piranhas -- was almost upon them.'
Terror-bird
On the one-hundred and thirty-sixth day, Coleman and Ayascho prepared for a dangerous hunt, initiated by desperation. They hid in a narrow wadi. They waited quietly for the terror bird.’
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Gangorno
"You have invaded my domain, and I will punish you for your trespass." Gangorno
Terror Tooth
"This looks like a shark's tooth, from one heck of a monster shark...Oy, one thing is for sure, no one is going surfing today or any other day." Coleman
The Terror
"I've seen them. They have a big fin on their back, taller than a man. They are as long as ten men are tall, maybe more, and they can swallow ten men at once." Pontus, king's guard
Regum
'Coleman learned that the realm had three basic coins: regums, bhats, and arjents. Regums were made of zanth, which he knew was gold, and much larger than a silver dollar.'
Teg-ar-mos Wall
'By the end of the second day of travel, they had reached the Teg-ar-mos Wall. It was a stone Barrier more than thirty feet high and ten feet thick. Coleman could see watchtowers fifty feet high at regular intervals in both directions as far as the eye could see.'
The Caver's Mountain
'From a distance, it was hard to tell how high the monolith stood. The closer they got, the higher it seemed to rise above the plain.'
A Morning P'atezas Rise
'...they were on the move just as the first glint of dawn began to lighten the eastern sky. As the firmament began to brighten, the men witnessed an unexpected phenomenon; bands of color stretched horizontally across the eastern sky. To Coleman, it looked like a rainbow that had been laid on its side and stretched. The parallel opaque bands of color were more brilliant and vibrant than any rainbow he had ever seen.'
Crystal Caverns
'The cavern was at least one-hundred feet high, fifty feet wide, and it extended for as far as the eye could see. The crystals collected light from the luminous walls, ceiling, and floor, and seemed to magnify it, making it brighter than light from the p'atezas.'
