War Beast

Book Three: Chapter 31

Eera jumped toward Jenny’s attack. The energy ball hit her stomach and exploded, pushing Eera into the pedestal.

After her body landed on the ground, the time stone fell off and shattered next to her. Eera glanced at the pieces in shock. “This can not be!”

Above her, white lightening flashed around the blue watery energy sphere. The portal roared with a thundering tone like an angry monster. The floor quaked while pieces of rock fell from the crumbling ceiling.

One bolt struck the demon goat woman, instantly zapping her into a smoking skeleton. She didn’t have time to scream.

Jenny widened her eyes at the portal. It went berserk, and it seemed to expand. Without the time stone, the portal was destabilizing itself.

“We gotta get out of here!” Jenny dodged a bolt and raced toward her friends. “Come on!”

Huntar and the others caught her attention, and then they followed her up the stairway. The cultists retreated too. One of them got vaporized by the portal’s plasma bolts.

Once they reached the top toward the exit, Jenny stopped and turned around. The portal grew bigger and bigger, engulfing half of the ritual chamber. Obviously, the expanding portal won’t stop. If it keeps growing, it might shallow the entire oasis, or worse, the entire world. Both results will be catastrophic.

Jenny glanced at her hands. Perhaps she could use her powers to stop the time portal from growing. If her power created the portal, then she could undo it. For the fate of the world, she has to be the one to stop it.

Huntar grabbed her arm. “Come on! We must keep going!”

Jenny gazed at him and pulled her arm from the lion’s grip. “No! Go on without me!”

Huntar widened his eyes. “What?”

Jenny pointed her finger at the portal. “I have to stay and stop that thing! It might engulf the entire world!”

Zena and the others ran back toward Huntar. 

“How can you stop it?” The zebra asked.

Jenny held up her left glowing white hand. “With my power. I can undo what Eera took from me. It might be the only way to stop it.”

“But what if it doesn’t work?” Rani asked.

Jenny pursed her lips. Her eyes glanced at the floor in sorrow. “I just have to try…” She glanced back at her friends. “No matter what happens, I have to stop it.”

Huntar moaned. “No! I can’t bear to lose you, Jenny. You are like a sister to us!”

“Torag!” The rhino agreed.

“There must be another way!” Zena exclaimed.

“I wish I know.” Jenny grimaced. “But deep in my gut, I know it is the only way. Let me do this.”

Huntar glanced into her eyes as he frowned. “You are truly like your father. He gave up his life for all of us, too.”

Jenny smiled, remembering the great sacrifice her father had made. If it weren’t for him, Jenny and her friends wouldn’t have escaped with their lives. Like him, she was ready to make the same sacrifice for her friends. "If anything happens to me, I want you to know I still love you. You have always been loyal to me since I arrived here. Without you, I wouldn’t be alive today.”

With tears in his eyes, Huntar hugged her with all his might. She embraced his warmness as her head rested against his furry board chest.

Zena and Torag joined the two’s embrace, giving more love to Jenny. Only Rani and Basju watched them behind.