Page 45 of Caveman Alien's Bride

I slash aimlessly up at it, but I hit only air.

The irox turns quickly and is already on the way back down, its beak open to show the terrible teeth. This is a wily one. Again it comes out of the sun, making it impossible for me to aim a proper stroke with the blade.

To my horror, Bryar is running away from me, bent over.

“Come back!” I yell in desperation. But she throws herself on her clothing.

The irox comes at me fast, wings folded against its body to make it harder to see with the blinding sun behind.

I slash my sword blindly into the air, knowing that only luck will make me hit this attacker.

The irox screeches and wildly flaps its wings, sending a strong gust of wind over me. Then it shoots back up into the air without finishing the attack.

Bryar is on her stomach, the metal disk in her hands.

It takes me a moment to realize that she blinded the irox so much that it broke off its attack. And still she’s harassing it.

I run over. “My wife is incredible.”

She doesn’t look at me, just concentrates on the irox. “Coming more.”

Indeed the irox is setting up for a new attack, this time from a different direction.

I put one leg on each side of Bryar and stand up straight over her, presenting an obvious target. “Wait until the last moment, my wife. Then blind him good.”

She’s too focused to reply.

The irox comes down, thrusting its talons out in front and opening its beak in anticipation of tasting prey. It grows bigger and bigger until I see the details of its yellow skin, the small brown spots, the deadness of the yellow eyes.

“Now,” I growl. It’s unnecessary; Bryar has already directed her disk at the irox. I can see the bright spot as it swipes across the Big’s head and settles in one big eye.

This time the irox is prepared. It doesn’t dive right in, but skims close to the ground, beak open as it comes straight at me.

But I’m also prepared now. And I know the flying horror is planning something new, so I step away from Bryar to make it obvious which target the irox should go for.

When the irox suddenly veers to the side and goes for Bryar, I’m ready. Pouncing forward, I stab my blade straight up. It hits the irox, and the enemy eviscerates itself on my sword.

It screeches from pain and anger before it tumbles through the air, trailing long innards. It hits a tree and breaks the trunk on impact, then slides along the ground, sending a spray of dirt and blood skyward. It stops against another tree, screeches and kicks and flaps its wings, but it will never fly again.

The tree slowly falls over and lands right on top of the irox.

I help Bryar get up. “Your first irox.”

“Thatwas an irox?” she asks, voice trembling.

“And you won.”

She touches my shoulder and shows me the blood on her fingers. “It got you.”

I touch my head and wince. The irox did more than just tousle my hair. “You know, I thought he was being unusually affectionate.”

“Are there many?” Bryar asks with a small voice, just like a boy who sees an irox for the first time.

“Many,” I tell her. “But this was only one. A bad one. Now you must take its teeth and talons.”

She looks up at me, face pale. “I don’t want to.”

“We’ll go together.”

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