Page 21 of Reaper

“I wonder what they are discussing,” Reaper suddenly said while observing the two creatures. “The psychic energy around them is intense,” he further explained before my confused expression.

“The others aren’t coming,” Madeline said to Doom with a frown.

I realized then that, although the platform had lowered, it hadn’t come back up yet. Brees’s head jerked towards Reklig’s mate, then she quickly ran to the entrance of the cave. She emitted a sharp, short growl that I recognized as the call she always used to tell the others to gather around. Of course, as the leader and protector of the pack, she would have come scouting first to make sure it was safe for the others.

Turning back around, she finally seemed to notice me and came running. I fell to my knees and hugged her, laughing and crying as she bombarded me with too many joyous images for me to process them all. She then bumped Reaper with such affectionate enthusiasm, she almost knocked him on his behind. He laughed and drew me against his side when Brees folded into a ball again and started spinning around the two of us, completing three rotations before stopping.

I squirmed and cast a nervous glance at Reaper who continued to smile at my childhood friend. He didn’t seem to know that when a Creckel circled a potential couple three times, it actually was their way of branding said couple as a mated pair. To my complete shock, Stran rolled over and repeated the motion, earning us a knowing grin from Doom who clearly understood what had just happened. My cheeks burned with embarrassment. But instead of pulling away from Reaper, I instinctively pressed myself even more tightly against him.

To my relief, Grol coming out of the base drew everyone’s attention away from Reaper and me. One by one, fourteen of the nineteen mature Creckels came out, before they finally sent out the young, three at a time on the platform. Although it might have looked as if they had wanted enough adults to defend the young in case of foul play, it quickly became clear it was, in fact, to control the little brats.

Trug, reckless and impulsive as ever, ran around like he’d lost his mind, rolling, jumping, growling, and hooting as if he was possessed. It was not only hilarious, but also contagious. In no time, the other young were imitating him, while the adults struggled to contain their own joy. Watching Stran roll onto his back, his belly exposed in a Creckel’s most vulnerable position while the young climbed all over him, brought another wave of tears to my eyes.

The Creckels eventually all started running in circles around the ship on an increasingly wide radius, Stran amongst them. They had needed the exercise. They were wild creatures that needed to roam free.

And then something went wrong.

I heard a faint clicking sound. At the same time, Madeline looked at the interface of some kind of bracer on her forearm.

“THE TRAP IS ACTIVATING!” Madeline shouted.

I had no idea what she was talking about, but her tone boded ill. Everyone immediately burst into action. The human females all raced towards the ship, energy shields appearing in front of the armband on their wrists. I yelped as Reaper picked me up in his arms and suddenly took flight. I never even noticed when he’d summoned his wings.

I broadcast the image of danger to the Creckels, hoping they’d hear me in their euphoria. Thankfully, they all folded into balls without slowing down from their run. At the same time, the ground began to shake while emitting a loud, rumbling sound. Then hundreds of at least one-meter-long spikes shot out from the ground on a two-hundred-meter radius around the entrance of the base.

The Creckels that had been right on top of a spike when it came out were thrown up in the air instead of getting impaled, thanks to their impenetrable scale armor. Doom, who had climbed onto the pile of rocks and debris they had removed from the entrance was unscathed, as were Reklig and Madeline who he had carried onto the hovering platform of the entrance shaft.

But the women who had just made it onto the ramp of the ship didn’t fare so well. The tips of the spikes stabbed at the underbelly of the ship. But it was the ones under the ramp that caused havoc, sending it flying upwards. The women screamed as they were propelled forward into the ship without quite making it inside. From the distance, hovering at least ten meters in the air, I couldn’t quite make out who was who with my still imperfect vision. However, relief washed over me when the women all immediately stumbled back up.

The spikes reabsorbed into the ground. After a beat, a series of glowing dots appeared all over the terrain, seconds before the spikes came out again. They were spaced enough that some of my Creckel friends weren’t struck again as they’d been in a safe spot. But the spears didn’t miss the ship.

“They’re going to destroy it!” I whispered in a panic, realizing that unless we made the trap stop, our only means to leave this wretched place might be destroyed.

“Do not fear, my darling,” Reaper said in a soothing voice. “Thanh is running to the bridge to take off.”

Let’s hope she’s not too late.

Once more, the spears vanished underground. Moments later, the luminous dots appeared before the spikes came out again.

“I know what this is! It’s the warning!” I exclaimed.

“What?” Reaper asked, clearly confused.

“The light dots on the ground before the spikes come out, they say where they will come out!” I replied.

“What light dots?” he asked, looking around us.

“There!” I shouted, pointing my index finger at the ground when the spikes shot out again.

Thankfully, they barely missed the ship that had finally taken off.

“I don’t see anything,” Reaper said, giving me a strange look. “Could it be your implant?”

It probably was the case as it enhanced my defective vision. But I didn’t answer him, too focused on protecting my friends. Broadcasting as far as possible, I mentally warned the Creckels to move away from the lights I would shortly project to them and to head straight for a patch of rocks to shelter from the traps.

A triumphant cry escaped me when all the Creckels, including Stran, moved out of the way from the lights as soon as I telepathically shared the warning with them. It was almost like a dance watching them roll around the spikes, which kept shifting, until they all safely made it to safety. The spikes stopped their attack as soon as the last Creckel was no longer on the ground. Somehow, my companions had likely set off the trap while racing and some sensors were tracking ‘unauthorized’ movements outside the base.

“Amazing!” Reaper whispered. “You did wonderful getting them to safety. You truly are of the Vanguard.”

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