of its
throat, making it shriek. Elden took his two-handed ax and brought it down on the
beast’s back, while Conven and Conval each threw a spear, lodging on each side
of its throat. Reece regained his feet and plunged his sword into the beast’s
belly. Thor regained his feet and swung his sword at another of the beast’s
arms, chopping it off. And Krohn joined them, leaping into the air and sinking
his fangs into its throat.
The
beast let out shriek after shriek, as they all did more damage than Thor
thought possible. It was incredible to Thor that it was still standing, its
wings still vibrating. This beast just would not die.
They
all watched in horror as, one at a time, the beast reached over and pulled out
the spears and swords and the axe lodged in it—and as it did, its injuries all
healed before their eyes.
This
beast was undefeatable.
The
beast leaned back and roared, and all of Thor’s Legion brothers looked up in
shock. They had all given it everything they had, and it wouldn’t even dent it.
The
beast prepared to lunge at them again, with its razor sharp jaws and claws, and
Thor realized there was nothing else they could do. They were all going to die.
“OUT
OF THE WAY!" came a sudden scream.
The
voice came from behind Thor, and it sounded like the voice of a boy. Thor
turned to see a small boy, perhaps eleven, run up behind them, carrying what
appeared to be a jug of water. Thor ducked and the boy threw up the water,
splashing it all over the beast's face.
The beast
leaned back and screeched, steam rising from its face, reaching up with its
claws and tearing at its cheek, its eyes, its head. It shrieked again and
again, the noise so loud that Thor had to hold his hands over his ears.
Finally,
the beast turned and darted away, back into the jungle, getting lost in the
foliage.
They
all turned and looked at the boy with a new sense of wonder and appreciation. Dressed
in rags, with longish brown hair and bright-green, intelligent eyes, the boy
was covered in dirt, and he looked, from his bare feet and dirty hands, as if
he lived out here.
Thor
had never been more grateful to anyone.
"Weapons
won’t hurt a Gathorbeast," the boy said, rolling his eyes. "Lucky for
you I heard the shrieks and was close. If not, you’d be dead by now. Don’t you
know that you never confront a Gathorbeast?”
Thor
looked at his friends, all at a loss for words.
“We
didn’t confront it,” Elden said. “It confronted us.”
“They
don’t confront you,” the boy said, “unless you intrude on its territory.”
"What
were we supposed to do?" Reece asked.
"Well,
never look it in the eye for one," the boy said. "And if it attacks,
lie face down until it leaves you be. And most of all, don’t ever try to run.”
Thor
stepped forward and laid a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"You
saved our lives," he said. “We owe you a great debt.”
The
boy shrugged.
"You
don't look like Empire troops,” he said. “You look like you came from somewhere
else in the world. So why wouldn’t I help you? You seem to have the markings of
that group that came from the ship some days ago."
Thor
and the others exchanged a knowing glance, and turned to the boy.
"Do
you know where this group went?" Thor asked.
The
boy shrugged.
"It
was a large group, and they were carrying a weapon. It seemed heavy: it took
all of them to carry it. I tracked them for days. They were easy to track. They
were slow-moving. They were also sloppy, and careless. I know where they went,
though I didn't track them much beyond the village. I can bring you there and point
you in the right direction, if you like. But not today.”
The
others exchanged a puzzled look.
"Why
not?" Thor asked.
"Night
falls in but a few hours. You can’t be outside after dark.”
"But
why?” Reece asked.
The
boy looked at him as if he were crazy.
“The
Ethabugs,” he said.
Thor
stepped forward and looked at the boy. He liked this boy immediately. He was
throat, making it shriek. Elden took his two-handed ax and brought it down on the
beast’s back, while Conven and Conval each threw a spear, lodging on each side
of its throat. Reece regained his feet and plunged his sword into the beast’s
belly. Thor regained his feet and swung his sword at another of the beast’s
arms, chopping it off. And Krohn joined them, leaping into the air and sinking
his fangs into its throat.
The
beast let out shriek after shriek, as they all did more damage than Thor
thought possible. It was incredible to Thor that it was still standing, its
wings still vibrating. This beast just would not die.
They
all watched in horror as, one at a time, the beast reached over and pulled out
the spears and swords and the axe lodged in it—and as it did, its injuries all
healed before their eyes.
This
beast was undefeatable.
The
beast leaned back and roared, and all of Thor’s Legion brothers looked up in
shock. They had all given it everything they had, and it wouldn’t even dent it.
The
beast prepared to lunge at them again, with its razor sharp jaws and claws, and
Thor realized there was nothing else they could do. They were all going to die.
“OUT
OF THE WAY!" came a sudden scream.
The
voice came from behind Thor, and it sounded like the voice of a boy. Thor
turned to see a small boy, perhaps eleven, run up behind them, carrying what
appeared to be a jug of water. Thor ducked and the boy threw up the water,
splashing it all over the beast's face.
The beast
leaned back and screeched, steam rising from its face, reaching up with its
claws and tearing at its cheek, its eyes, its head. It shrieked again and
again, the noise so loud that Thor had to hold his hands over his ears.
Finally,
the beast turned and darted away, back into the jungle, getting lost in the
foliage.
They
all turned and looked at the boy with a new sense of wonder and appreciation. Dressed
in rags, with longish brown hair and bright-green, intelligent eyes, the boy
was covered in dirt, and he looked, from his bare feet and dirty hands, as if
he lived out here.
Thor
had never been more grateful to anyone.
"Weapons
won’t hurt a Gathorbeast," the boy said, rolling his eyes. "Lucky for
you I heard the shrieks and was close. If not, you’d be dead by now. Don’t you
know that you never confront a Gathorbeast?”
Thor
looked at his friends, all at a loss for words.
“We
didn’t confront it,” Elden said. “It confronted us.”
“They
don’t confront you,” the boy said, “unless you intrude on its territory.”
"What
were we supposed to do?" Reece asked.
"Well,
never look it in the eye for one," the boy said. "And if it attacks,
lie face down until it leaves you be. And most of all, don’t ever try to run.”
Thor
stepped forward and laid a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"You
saved our lives," he said. “We owe you a great debt.”
The
boy shrugged.
"You
don't look like Empire troops,” he said. “You look like you came from somewhere
else in the world. So why wouldn’t I help you? You seem to have the markings of
that group that came from the ship some days ago."
Thor
and the others exchanged a knowing glance, and turned to the boy.
"Do
you know where this group went?" Thor asked.
The
boy shrugged.
"It
was a large group, and they were carrying a weapon. It seemed heavy: it took
all of them to carry it. I tracked them for days. They were easy to track. They
were slow-moving. They were also sloppy, and careless. I know where they went,
though I didn't track them much beyond the village. I can bring you there and point
you in the right direction, if you like. But not today.”
The
others exchanged a puzzled look.
"Why
not?" Thor asked.
"Night
falls in but a few hours. You can’t be outside after dark.”
"But
why?” Reece asked.
The
boy looked at him as if he were crazy.
“The
Ethabugs,” he said.
Thor
stepped forward and looked at the boy. He liked this boy immediately. He was
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