Chapter 8
Lowell releases my wrists, falling lazily to his side. He bellows a hearty laugh, his face amused.
“You? A little human?” His tongues fall from his mouth as his head shakes back and forth. “Was the death I promised not good enough? You’d rather be torn to shreds by a Giant?”
Pushing myself onto my bottom, I’m relieved to no longer be a hairsbreadth away from razor-sharp fangs for the second time. I turn to face Lowell, who lies with his head propped up in his hand, his other arm resting casually over his stomach.
My cheeks flush crimson at how Lowell sees me as zero threat, his body language relaxed and prone.
“I’m more capable than you think I am,” I whisper, crossing my arms. “Even for a ‘little human.’”
Lowell raises an eyebrow, his smile crooked.
“You’re clever despite your humanity, I’ll give you that.
But capable?” He shakes his head again in disagreement.
“I pinned you with only a sixteenth of my strength. Any more and your bones would have snapped. How do you suppose you’ll fare against a horde of desert bandits, let alone a mythical Giant? ”
He has a point, but it’s not as if he’d fare better himself. Lizardfolk are not all-powerful, even if he claims that “his species” is.
I scowl. “If I’d had a weapon, our fight would have ended much differently. I can hold my own in combat against any monster,” I emphasize, pressing a hand to my chest. My heartbeat is steadily slowing, but the tingling in my body remains.
Lowell narrows his eyes. “I saw that little crossbow my hunting team brought in alongside you. You had Lizardfolk piercing bolts — aren’t those illegal?”
I flex my fingers into fists at the mention of Grandma’s crossbow.
“Yes, they are illegal.”
Rotating his wrist in circles, Lowell’s gaze is expectant. “Yeah? So why does some lowly government devotee like you have them?”
I wince at the dehumanizing words he uses to describe me. But then again, that’s his point.
“They’re from my personal collection, in case of emergencies,” I reply curtly.
Lizardfolk-piercing bullets and bolts have long been outlawed, but many humans still hoard them due to their glaring biological inferiority. It would take only seconds for a Lizardfolk to rip a human in half, but it would be three or four bolts before a Lizardfolk would even bend a knee.
Lowell snorts, wiggling his brows. “Those would have been pretty useful moments ago, huh?” he teases.
I don’t make a face at his jest.
Rolling his eyes at my lack of reaction, he continues. “Alright, well, how about you tell me why the hell you know so much about the Orageist Giant? No one has ever seen it. It’s practically a myth.”
Rolling my teeth over my lips, I pick at the skin on the sides of my thumbs while dawdling my hands.
I could lie, but he’d shut this conversation down entirely if he caught wind of my deception.
While I don’t wish to reveal any part of myself to Lowell, I have to provide him with some version of the truth.
Remaining careful of my choice of words is a delicate balance.
“My grandma was a monster-hunter. She taught me about the creatures she hunted and gave me her journal logs before she passed,” I begin, monotone.
“I read her entries religiously, to the point where I have them almost completely memorized. Orageist Giant included.” My speech is slow, words fighting emotions to maintain the truth while also toeing the line of a lie.
Lowell’s eyes bore holes through me, domineering and curious. “Monster-hunters used to hunt and kill invasive creatures, correct? Like glorified exterminators,” he asks, his stare snapping to any part of my body that flinches or moves, searching for deception.
“Correct. They were disbanded twenty-five years ago after the last creature classified as an Invasive Beast was hunted down and slain. Most monster-hunters ended up retiring, like Grandma,” I explain.
Part of me is glad these beasts are no longer in this world, but another wishes I could have seen them face-to-face as Grandma had. They seemed like amazing creatures.
“So, am I to believe that everything you said before isn’t complete bullshit?” Lowell asks, his tail slapping against the stone floor to regain my attention.
I look up at him.
His big, goofy grin remains just as I left it.
“I’m telling the truth. Grandma kept detailed records of all beast classifications and how to handle them.
” My voice is pleading. “If my only other option is for you to kill me, please let me at least try to succeed at this. I’m not a seasoned monster-hunter, but I’m well-versed in combat and have invaluable knowledge that most humans don’t. ”
Lowell sighs, his expression still smug as he pushes himself to his feet. “While I’m saddened I don’t get to end you myself, this is certainly a lot more interesting than simply biting your head off.”
My mouth pinches.
He’s thinking about it.
I stand to mirror Lowell, holding my arms close to my chest. “Then you’ll let me try? I’ll need my vehicle since the trip to the Orageist Pass is multiple days long. You can even put a tracker on the bumper to verify that I’m not trying to escape.”
Lowell nods his head. “No need. We’ll take a sandcycle.”
My eyebrows shoot to my hairline. “We?”
A laugh slips past his lips as a cocky grin pulls at the corner of his mouth, wrinkling the corners of his eyes. “Yes, we. I’m coming with you.”