dislikes herself the most.”
Flynn tipped his head, intrigued. “Was she always like that?”
“No, she used to be very friendly.”
“What happened?”
“I do not know. I believe something may have happened to her on the day I joined with my mate, because she came to me distraught.” He adopted a more scientific tone. “However, I doubt the two incidents are related.”
“Were you two close?”
“She was, and is, a good friend of mine.”
“Just a friend?” Flynn arched an eyebrow.
“What are you implying? I have only ever had one mate and it is not Vale.”
“Right,” he backed off, “I was just curious.”
“You are more curious than anyone else I have ever met.” Rolan locked his rifle into place with a metallic click. “It is annoying.”
“Alright, alright, I get the message.” He rolled back onto his belly and studied the entrance of the cave again. “Back to watching the beast den…” he was then suddenly hit by a blast of cold wind that sent shivers to his core, “…and freezing to death.” Flynn took out the energy bar from his pocket and bit off a savage chunk of it, chewing hard and manhandling the wrapper, which caused a great deal of noise.
“Put that thing away! What is wrong with you? Do you want to get noticed?” Rolan snatched the energy bar from him and threw it down towards the beast den.
“My energy bar!”
Rolan held him back. “Now we can use it as bait.”
Flynn slapped his forehead with his hand. “No we can’t, it’ll die if it eats that!”
Although they were yelling in a whisper, they still made enough noise to wake something primal inside the dark place it called home, for it crept out and growled menacingly as it bared its two rows of razor sharp teeth.
It looked angry, and very hungry.
Chapter 4
Feeding the Beast
“Don’t move.” Rolan and Flynn were prone on the ground, still as statues and gripped by fear.
The beast was large, covered in mangy fur that looked smooth in some parts and wiry in others. Strange natural patterns and designs emblazoned its silvery coat. It looked realistic enough; four legs, two eyes, a tail, but it had a skeletal ridge protruding from its back, like a layer of armor covering its spine, except there were bony spikes jutting out from it at intervals that contracted and extended upon stretching and walking. Flynn could feel the animal’s distress; it appeared more disturbed, filled with anxiety, than it was angry.
“Shouldn’t we go back for help?”
Rolan looked at Flynn as if he’d just been insulted. “No, we do not require assistance.”
When it sniffed the air with its nose held high, it discovered the half-eaten energy bar resting a few dozen meters from the den. Pleased by a possible source of food so close to its home, the creature plodded right up to it, seized the morsel in its jaw, and then turned back for a safe place to devour its treat.
“We can’t let it eat that,” Flynn pressed, “we need it alive. Who knows where another one of these creatures is? And we only have one night’s worth of supplies out here.”
Rolan cradled his chin in his hand and thought about how he could prevent the situation from getting any worse. “You go, he cannot eat you.”
Flynn flipped over on his side in shock. “What? Sure he can! I’ll just be the last thing he eats!”
The duo slid down the little knoll they were hiding behind and looked around the empty desert for clues. Suddenly, Rolan’s face lit up and he yanked the pistol from his holster, holding it up to the air. “Flynn, I have a plan; run across the den when I fire my gun.”
Flynn shook his head in profuse disagreement. “What? No! Your last plan involved me being the main course!”
Rolan pushed him hard and yelled as he squeezed the trigger. “Trust me!” The loud crack of the gun traveled far along the silent, distant dunes.
Unwilling Bait
Flynn stomped the sand with great force trying to push his heavily loaded
Flynn tipped his head, intrigued. “Was she always like that?”
“No, she used to be very friendly.”
“What happened?”
“I do not know. I believe something may have happened to her on the day I joined with my mate, because she came to me distraught.” He adopted a more scientific tone. “However, I doubt the two incidents are related.”
“Were you two close?”
“She was, and is, a good friend of mine.”
“Just a friend?” Flynn arched an eyebrow.
“What are you implying? I have only ever had one mate and it is not Vale.”
“Right,” he backed off, “I was just curious.”
“You are more curious than anyone else I have ever met.” Rolan locked his rifle into place with a metallic click. “It is annoying.”
“Alright, alright, I get the message.” He rolled back onto his belly and studied the entrance of the cave again. “Back to watching the beast den…” he was then suddenly hit by a blast of cold wind that sent shivers to his core, “…and freezing to death.” Flynn took out the energy bar from his pocket and bit off a savage chunk of it, chewing hard and manhandling the wrapper, which caused a great deal of noise.
“Put that thing away! What is wrong with you? Do you want to get noticed?” Rolan snatched the energy bar from him and threw it down towards the beast den.
“My energy bar!”
Rolan held him back. “Now we can use it as bait.”
Flynn slapped his forehead with his hand. “No we can’t, it’ll die if it eats that!”
Although they were yelling in a whisper, they still made enough noise to wake something primal inside the dark place it called home, for it crept out and growled menacingly as it bared its two rows of razor sharp teeth.
It looked angry, and very hungry.
Chapter 4
Feeding the Beast
“Don’t move.” Rolan and Flynn were prone on the ground, still as statues and gripped by fear.
The beast was large, covered in mangy fur that looked smooth in some parts and wiry in others. Strange natural patterns and designs emblazoned its silvery coat. It looked realistic enough; four legs, two eyes, a tail, but it had a skeletal ridge protruding from its back, like a layer of armor covering its spine, except there were bony spikes jutting out from it at intervals that contracted and extended upon stretching and walking. Flynn could feel the animal’s distress; it appeared more disturbed, filled with anxiety, than it was angry.
“Shouldn’t we go back for help?”
Rolan looked at Flynn as if he’d just been insulted. “No, we do not require assistance.”
When it sniffed the air with its nose held high, it discovered the half-eaten energy bar resting a few dozen meters from the den. Pleased by a possible source of food so close to its home, the creature plodded right up to it, seized the morsel in its jaw, and then turned back for a safe place to devour its treat.
“We can’t let it eat that,” Flynn pressed, “we need it alive. Who knows where another one of these creatures is? And we only have one night’s worth of supplies out here.”
Rolan cradled his chin in his hand and thought about how he could prevent the situation from getting any worse. “You go, he cannot eat you.”
Flynn flipped over on his side in shock. “What? Sure he can! I’ll just be the last thing he eats!”
The duo slid down the little knoll they were hiding behind and looked around the empty desert for clues. Suddenly, Rolan’s face lit up and he yanked the pistol from his holster, holding it up to the air. “Flynn, I have a plan; run across the den when I fire my gun.”
Flynn shook his head in profuse disagreement. “What? No! Your last plan involved me being the main course!”
Rolan pushed him hard and yelled as he squeezed the trigger. “Trust me!” The loud crack of the gun traveled far along the silent, distant dunes.
Unwilling Bait
Flynn stomped the sand with great force trying to push his heavily loaded
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