Talina looked at us in confusion. “They are just protecting you, right?”
I shook my head, hands on my hips. “No way, not on our world. We girls have the right to kick butt as much as the men. We don’t sit on the side-lines for anyone. Come on, let’s go,” I said, waving my arms in a forward motion.
In my experience, men usually got into more trouble than they prevented.
Talina hesitated briefly, but with an almost unheard sigh she pushed her beautiful long hair over her shoulder and joined us.
We stepped around a few female Spurns who were crouched on the ground tending to the injured male.
Before we could set of, our journey was intercepted by the council streaming out of the building. Since we had no idea where to go, we simply fell in behind them, although it was frustrating keeping to the slow pace of the less co-ordinated Spurns. I breathed through my exasperation, taking my time to observe our surroundings.
Lucy must have been doing the same. “Where are the waiters that bring you those little drinks in coconuts with umbrellas?” she asked as we jogged past gorgeous expanses of white sandy beaches. The grains twinkled enticingly in the sunlight.
I sighed, giving her a half-smile. “Yes, why didn’t we land on one of those islands in the ‘Caribbean’ that we read about in the compound. Instead our island paradise is full of blood-thirsty fish-people who want to kill us and use our bones for their soup or something.”
“Word, Abbs. Aunt Frannie has a lot to answer for.”
I thought I heard a tinkling laugh from my other side, but when I turned, Talina was silent. As a group we dashed between huge plantations of trees. They were tall, with thick trunks and a few scattered leaves up high. They reminded me of bamboo but with thicker stems.
The weather was balmy, the sunshine not hot, but everything still felt warm. As we finally burst free of the trees, we could hear shouts ahead of us. We’d ended up at the easternmost point of the land. At first all I could see were endless oceans, where the water looked calm, blues and greens intermingling across the vast expanses.
More shouts drew my attention and I saw a group of men standing waist-deep in the shallows. All around them were ominous trails of what looked suspiciously like blood.
“What’s out there? What are they fighting?” Lucy asked as she stood next to Talina, both of them scanning the scene.
My eyes widened as I caught sight of Brace and Lucas. They were further out than everyone else, towering head and shoulders above them. Suddenly, from the darker depths of the water, just beyond the blood, rose ... well, a freaking monster.
“Uh, Talina. What the crap is that?” I gulped.
In sync, the three of us took a step back.
“I don’t know. I have never seen anything like that in the waters before. It is almost like our water-dragons but ... it has been changed.” She brought up both hands to grasp at her face.
The creature had many limbs, like an octopus, but it was scaly with a mix of colors: dark stormy grays and dirty greens. Its head was massive, with a long snout and rows of sharp and lethal-looking teeth. It was twelve feet tall, and at least that in width. Snaking out one of its limbs, we simultaneously gasped as it wrapped the length around Lucas, its movement so quick there wasn’t time for Lucas to react. As it lifted him into the air, I took off toward them.
Must have taken a crazy pill today.
“Why do you always have trouble remembering to run away from the monsters?” Lucy cursed as she grabbed at me and missed.
I sloshed through until I was thigh-deep in the water, surrounded by four-hair-colored Spurns. In front of me I could see Ladre and Brace working together to free Lucas.
Ladre gripped his trident and dived down to stab at the creature. Its green goopy blood sprayed around, adding another layer to the film of muck surrounding us.
Brace shot off small energy balls. The moment he released one, he already had another gathered in his hands. In a perfectly co-ordinated move, Ladre stabbed in deep and Brace shot an energy ball from his left hand straight at the beast. With a strangled roar, the creature flinched and the tentacle that had been holding Lucas retracted. He dropped with a splash into the deeper water.
“Get him out now,” Ladre ordered over his shoulder.
Three blues disappeared from sight – diving below the surface. They made no ripples as they traversed through the waters. I was amazed and slightly jealous.
The beast turned its attention to Brace. From all sides the tentacles moved forward to surround him.
Something inside me snapped.