Aleni feels a sharp sting through her foot, and leaps, roaring terribly. Stalactites crack and clatter through the deep hollow, and her friends who lay among her stir from their communal daze with long, ponderous groans.
She scampers back away from the source of the sting, losing gouts of giantish blood into the black sand.
She couldn't find the words to describe her shock and anguish. She had never been hurt before. Her tantrum shakes the walls and floors, and several giants quickly pull her into a shushing pile of embracing limbs that soothes her and drops her whining into hoarse breathing.
Aleni inspects Aleni's foot- it is stabbed clean through, tissues torn beyond use at a cruel angle. She gestures for Aleni to rest; it is fine. It must be fine. It will get unhurt with sleep.
Solemn, Tequil looks out at the tunnel to the entrance. Did an undead get in?
====
The faint blue light that trickles into the cavern fades into night, and the undead harpies begin their raucous nightcalls outside.
Tequil and Rede talk animatedly, Zilar giving soft grunts every so often.
Could the undead sense them in the caves now? Tequil moans in despair.
No, no, no. Zilar grunts.
Did an animal from the clean-waters do this?No, they water-breathe. Rede gestures.
They cannot reach here.Did a night creature do it?No. Night creatures friends. Zilar rumbles.
The Three sit, pondering in mute frustration.
Then there is another howl, but this one is not physical pain. Aleni clutches at Aleni's body, her hands covered in blood.
Aleni is dead.
Mata grunts: she saw a small thing in the dark. It stood on Aleni's chest as her red came out of her neck and got all in her gross hair. It looked right at her and she looked right at it.
She just thought she was having a dream.
Rede asks her what the tiny thing looked like.
She said it was like a little Giant, but goofy looking with funny proportions. It was holding a sharp looking skinny stick thing, that glowed orange in the dark, or like, whatever.
Rede asks her if she saw which way it went.
She doesn't fucking know, gosh.
Rede rolls his eyes in frustration.
Zotho says that Mata is really smart and pretty and very alert about details. Zotho says if she'd like he would enjoy maybe taking her out--
Dude, come the fuck on. Mata scratches her belly. It's been like a thousand years of telling you it's not gonna happen.
Mata lays down on a rock and goes back to sleep. Zotho pokes at the ground awkwardly.
Vanod thirstily licks the blood off of his hands.
Author
Topic: Adventures on Monster Island (Read 268405 times)