War Beast

Book Three: Chapter 6

Huntar, Zena, and Torag jumped to their feet. The lion pulled out his board sword while the zebra picked up her battle staff. Torag raised his clenched fists, ready to punch anything he saw.

Jenny picked up a thick stick from the fire and held it up like a torch. "What did it smell like?"

Huntar sniffed as his back faced the campfire. "I don’t recognize its scent, but it isn’t far. Stay close to the fire.”

“I thought nothing comes out in this desert at night?” Zena whispered with a hiss.

Jenny waved her torch in the air. “It might be a rare species that only-”

Red eyes and sharp teeth flashed toward Jenny’s face. She swung her torch, but the thing landed on her face, tickling her. She dropped her torch and tried to slap the thing off her. "Get it off! Get it off!"

Fortunately, Huntar grabbed the creature and threw it to the ground. Then he stabbed it with his sword. "Perish, foul creature!"

Zena rolled her eyes. "Dramatic…"

Jenny touched her face, feeling no sign of cuts or brushes. She peeked at the thing, laying near the fire.

It looked like a bat with webbed wings and a stringer on its long tail. Brown fur with spines on its back, and its hammer-shaped head has buggery red eyes and a sucker mouth with dagger fangs. One bite could rip a chunk of flesh off its prey. Luckily, it didn't bite off Jenny’s face.

"What the hell is that?" Zena asked.

Huntar kneeled toward the manta ray sized bat creature. He sniffed its open, bleeding flesh. "Smells like a wet rock coated in dirt. It might be from a cave?"

Zena glanced at him. "A cave? There are no caves around here."

Jenny picked up her torch. "Who knows. It probably came from another-"

Behind her, another creature grabbed Jenny and lifted her off the ground. It took her so fast; that she dropped her torch as her body ascended through the air.

"Jenny!!!" Huntar's cry barely reached her ears.

Before she cried back, a sharp pain struck her rear, and she dizzied into darkness.

*****

Huntar raced from the campfire to follow the creature’s direction. He won't allow that thing to feast on Jenny.

Suddenly, something else struck his legs and knocked him to the sand. He jumped to all fours and saw one of those furry winged creatures diving toward him.

Luckily, Torag charged into the creature, piercing his horn through the creature’s torso. He slammed the creature to the ground and removed the corpse from his horn. Dark blood dripped across his face. "Torag!"

Huntar smiled until Zena approached him.

"Come on!" She pulled him to his feet. "We have to stay near the fire!"

"But what about Jenny!?" Huntar shouted.

Zena grimaced as strange screams echoed through the night. Those screeches sounded like a swarm was approaching their location. If they stay in the darkness, the creatures will consume them all.

"We have our skins to worry about first," said Zena. "But we will find her after we deal with those things!"

Huntar's heart burned inside his chest, but he nodded. They cannot save Jenny if they are dead.

He followed Zena back toward the campfire. Torag caught up with them as they grabbed burning sticks from the fire.

The shrieks swirled above their heads. It was hard to tell how many swarmed around the three Beastmen. 

With their torches in both hands, Huntar, Zena, and Torag faced the darkness around their campfire. If those things loved the darkness, then light should hurt them. If not, Huntar and his friends will become the creatures' night shacks.

With a loud scream, the swarm charged toward the Beastmen like flying arrows.