Chapter 5 #2
“At least you’re not dead,” I call back. “That rock could’ve hit you in the head.”
“You’ll pay for this!”
I don’t engage with him anymore. He’s a grumpy bastard and to be honest I’m slightly happy about the fact I’ve clearly dislocated his shoulder. The prick was quite a dick to several of the other inmates. He was the type who forced his way to the top, battering others out the way with his fists.
Continuing on my own mission, I reset my focus on beating Ninety-Eight to the next marker. Traversing the final bit is the trickiest, as it’s even steeper and with less rocks to grab onto. But the lip of the path is in reach. Until things go a bit sideways once more.
First, another rock slips completely free and tumbles down, this time avoiding anyone below me. But then the rock beside me starts growling.
Scrambling away as quickly as I can without falling, the rock not only growls but starts shifting, all by itself.
Unfurling in front of my very eyes, it stretches out into the most hideous creature I’ve ever seen.
Imagine if one of those smooshed faced dogs had a baby with the monster under your bed.
And then it dressed up as a bat–one of the ones with giant ears and fangs–and dipped itself in wet clay.
Yeah, that’s what this thing looks like.
It growls at me like I’m trespassing on its territory, which to be fair I probably am.
“Nice doggy,” I attempt to soothe the beast.
To my horror the rock next to it starts to change too, a second, smaller creature emerging, looking very much like the first.
“Good doggies. I’m just trying to reach the path, right there.” I point to the lip of the climb where I know the path waits for me. The bigger beast tracks my hand and uncurling its wings, it lunges at my arm, teeth first.
I snap it back and try to move further out of their reach but a giant boulder is in the way. It juts out too far for me to climb over and is too smooth for me to use as a hand grip.
The smaller beasty takes flight but doesn’t go far. It hovers around my feet, sniffing and snuffling at my shoes.
Oh dear god. I need to get out of here now.
Quickly formulating my route, I can be at the top in three lunges if I dart straight past the bigger monster. I have to pray it won’t take a chunk out of me.
But as I move the growling intensifies and it does indeed seize the opportunity to try snacking on my ribs, its teeth missing my torso by inches as I shrink back next to the large boulder at my back.
The little one grabs the bottom cuff off my jumpsuit trousers and begins playing a tug of war, making me eighty-five percent fucked.
That is until two more of the rocks around me start to vibrate. Their surfaces changing into more of the creatures.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Make that ninety-two percent fucked.
Loud bellowing starts below me, and as I don’t want to take my focus off the big beasty in front of me, I’m going to assume those climbing this ledge with me have just discovered that not all the rocks are made of stone.
Two more of the smaller sized creatures now scale the mountainside, their little clawed feet making traversing the surface look like they’re walking across a flat plain.
Keeping their wings tucked in they move until they’re within sniffing distance of me.
From their size compared to the big one I’m guessing they might be young.
And maybe the one currently keeping me trapped with snapping jaws is their mother.
Or their father. Either way, it seems it’s keen to keep me pinned whilst its babies play with me.
The one pulling on my trouser leg manages to dislodge my foot and I almost fall. Thankfully, my strength out ways that of the creature and I can pull my limb back onto the foothold I was using.
I hear more commotion as another one of the climbers makes a dash up the side, heading away from the safety of the path but also away from the two winged animals that are chasing him.
The big one is momentarily distracted by the commotion and I make a break for it.
Scrambling up to the first foothold, I shake off the tiny creature from my leg in the process. Kicking out as I swing my body across, I manage to dislodge it and it goes flying.
The wail it releases pierces the air with an ear-splitting shriek. I almost feel bad but then remember it does indeed have wings and after a couple of seconds I hear them beating.
Unfortunately, that cry is enough for its parent to take real offence.
It pushes off the rock and dives into the air.
At first I think it’s gone to check on its young that I’ve catapulted into the sky, but then I hear the growl the second before it slams into me.
I manage to roll enough that its teeth miss my arse but its claws do make contact with my leg.
The creature flaps its giant wings and pulls back from the rock face once more.
I make a dash for the top whilst bracing for the impact.
On the second attack, the wrecking ball with teeth barely misses my head.
My luck runs out on its third attempt as its claws rake down my back.
Biting my lip to stop the scream escaping, pain sears up my body.
It launches away from me once more and I have mere seconds to haul myself up the final lunge and over the lip of the climb.
With a herculean effort I roll onto the path at the top, not caring that I’ve landed straight on the wounds on my back, and pull several deep breaths into my lungs as I fight the agony.
Turning my head, I see the silhouette of the creature against the bright sky and as it dives for me again. I’m totally exposed. I only have time to pull my arms up over my head and brace myself for further injury.
Only the impact I’m expecting doesn’t come.
A shadow crosses my eyelids and the presence of another person steps over me and swings something with a roar.
Chancing a peek, I see Ninety-Eight standing astride my body, arm outstretched like she’s just thrown something.
Turning back to the sky, I see the creature looking dazed and a rock falling to the ground below.
It lets out a shriek but doesn’t attempt to maul me again.
Lowering my arms to the side, I take in the wonderful, lethal beauty standing over me.
Her legs go on for days and from this angle–because of her cropped boxy top–I can see the mouth-watering curves of her waist and chest. Her tits look delicious in the black sports bra.
It's the same one all the women are issued here, but she makes it look like couture. Her tits look magnificent, like they’d be big enough to fill my hands, overspilling just a little.
She steps back so she’s no longer astride my beaten body and looks down with a hooked eyebrow and a facial expression I can only define as you’re a total idiot.
Sitting up, I greet her with my signature beaming grin and say, “What a beautiful day.”
Her look of disdain turns confused. “You consider nearly being mauled by a protective gargoyle a beautiful day?”
A gargoyle? Is that what that thing was? How does she know? Saving those questions for later, I go with a safer answer instead.
“It is when you’re saved by a beautiful woman.”
She huffs but I see the upwards twitch of her lips. I’m melting this ice queen if it's the last thing I do.
“That was badass!” Looking beyond the rainbow haired object of my current fantasies, I find the blonde one, standing a safe distance away.
“Well, I didn’t want the gargoyle feasting on his ass, it would’ve blocked the path for the next several hours,” Ninety-Eight shoots back.
Seffy joins Tacita and they begin to walk ahead of me. I immediately jump up, pausing only momentarily as the scratches on my back pull painfully, and skip after them.
“I’m pretty sure you saved me because we’re just getting started, Ninety-Eight, and you didn’t like the thought of not having me around.” Yes, I say it to goad her. I’m pretty sure anger is her favourite form of foreplay, so I smile when she rounds a glare on me.
“Believe what you like.” She dismisses me and carries on, so I take a couple of jogging steps to fall in line with her.
“Come on, I know you regret turning me down each day. And when you saw me getting maimed you realised your mistake and had to save me so when we get to wherever it is we’re going you can rectify that.”
“Can’t you just thank me and move on like a regular person?” she asks, her tone showing her irritation.
“Oh, I know plenty of ways to thank you, Mo Stór.” Several of them flash across my mind, all of them involve both of us being naked.
“Just say thanks and leave us alone, we’re not even halfway yet.”
“The time will go much quicker with some good conversation.” We all hop up a few steps that have been carved into the path before squeezing through a gap in the rocks that now line the pathway.
I note the little yellow streak about shoulder height on the far side, showing that we’re still going the correct way.
“I highly doubt any topics you have in mind will fall into that category.”
“I happen to be a great conversationalist.”
“Sure.”
“I am. What’s your favourite way to finish someone?” I ask. Beside Tacita, Seffy snorts.
“Is sex really all you think about?” Tacita asks back.
“Who said anything about sex? I was talking about killing.” I knew exactly what I was doing with the double entendre question.
“Oh.” She pauses to look at me once more.
Her assessing gaze bores right through me and I hold my composure tightly.
This woman is a completely closed book. Baiting her with the sex question was in part to get a rise out of her, and in part as I genuinely wished to know if she is indeed an assassin like I’d thought.
“Well?” I push.
“I’m not sharing any tips with you.” She marches off again.
She may not think she’s revealed anything but she has.
She’s just confirmed my theory. Finally, I might have someone on my level to play with.
Ninety-Eight just got even more interesting to me as I follow her and her friend over the ridge line.