Page 53 of Saving the Alien Chieftain

A small sense of confidence grows within me, hearing how injured he is. As I carefully place a foot, retracing my original steps, I notice on the ground green blood droplets.

I’m going to hunt you now, you big shit head!

Quiet as a mouse, I stalk him, following the trail of green blood. Moments later, I spy the green-haired Prospect with his back turned to me. He limps badly as he casts his head from side to side, looking for me. One arm clutches his stomach, which leaks blood, while the other swipes, cutting the tall grass with his extended claws.

I crouch down, aiming my bow and arrow towards the back of the hulking Klendathian, trying to calm my nerves.

Come on, Roxy, just like in practice.

I tell myself, trying to steady my breathing. As I’m about to release my arrow, the Prospect turns. Suddenly noticing my presence, he comes roaring after me, his eyes full of murderous intent.

I gasp in panic, releasing my arrow; I watch with bated breath as it flies towards him, my life hanging in the balance.

“Yes!” I cry in joy as the arrow juts out from the chest of the green-haired Klendathian.

He stops, looking down in shock, slowly examining the arrow, before his eyes roll back in his head, collapsing to the floor. I’m unsure if it’s the arrow that finished him or the poison, but either way, I breathe a sigh of relief before rushing over to inspect him.

I almost feel sorry for the Klendathian. He’s a mess of wounds. The armor around his stomach has four vast holes punched into it, stained with copious amounts of green blood. His armored arms are torn open, gashes spilling with yet more blood. And his face is something from a horror film, etched with a network of deep intersecting cuts.

As the adrenaline leaves my system, I’m suddenly overcome with sadness that I have taken a life. Seeing his lifeless eyes staring blankly and broken body nearly brings me to tears. I almost laugh at how absurd it is to feel sympathy for a murderous lunatic who was sent here to kill me. Despite that, I can’t shake off this nagging guilt. I bring my hands together and whisper a quick prayer.

“Great Goddess Machsin, please forgive me for taking the life of one of your sons. May he rest easy among the stars with his ancestors.” Saying the words helps ease my guilt a little.

I’m amazed I took down one of the young warriors, a feat that seemed impossible not too long ago. However, the arrohawk did most of the damage. I cast my eyes on the Prospect, but I’m disappointed to realize he’s lost his plasma pistol when he fell from the sky.That would have been very useful!Momentarily I’m tempted to go back and search, but opt against it.

What if another arrohawk sweeps me up while I’ve my eyes glued to the ground, looking for a needle in a haystack?

Getting back to my mission, I continue heading north, following my compass, sticking to the tall grass wherever I can. Every time I glimpse a shadow moving, I crouch down. The shadow is usually followed by the sight of an arrohawk hovering, searching for unsuspecting prey to descend upon. Each time, my heart races in panic when I see one swoop down to an area close to me. Only to breathe a sigh of relief when I see it return to the sky carrying some squealing animal in its claws.

Eventually, I see steep cliffs not far in the distance, looming closer. Soon, I’ll have to climb them. The thought brings a cold sweat imagining what might happen should an arrohawk notice me upon the cliff-face. For now, I concentrate on my current terrain as I dart into another tall patch of grass.

These blades of grass seem different somehow. They’re tipped in yellow and bend over more as if weighted down. I pause fora moment, unsheathing the knife at my waist, straining to hear anything out of the ordinary. I’ve learned to take nothing for granted out here. Hearing nothing concerning, I continue.

From the corner of my eyes, I see something yellow flutter. Instantly I pause, my stomach twisting in knots, unsure of what to do. I step carefully forward, noticing one of the yellow tips on the grass unfurl itself to reveal some stick thin winged mantis type creature. The shock nearly causes me to drop my knife.

Suddenly, my ears are abuzz with the sound of thousands of wings fluttering.

I look frantically. The air is thick with thousands of these flying yellow creatures circling me. The collective sound is almost deafening. In a panic, I flee the swarm, but they follow, swooping down, raking me with their tiny claws.

I lash out with my knife swinging wildly as I dash through the patch of grass, eager to escape the little yellow shit heads. Thankfully, they aren’t doing much damage through my armor, and with my other arm shielding my head, I stumble out onto the plains, leaving behind the angry sound of wings buzzing as they return to perch upon the tall grass. I take a moment to catch my breath and survey my new surroundings.

The mountainous cliffs loom large ahead, like the wall of some monstrous giant’s home. Deep black with flecks of sparkling purples and greens catch the eye. High above, the summit is obscured, covered in a layer of thick fog. In a different time and place, I might’ve stood admiring such natural beauty, but now all I want to know is if it has sturdy holds for my hands and feet.

As I head towards the cliffs, I hear a soft rustle behind me to my right, the distinctive sound of tall grass being disturbed. I slowly turn my head, my heart already pounding in anticipation, as my next predator steps out.

The venefex is sleek, its muscular body reminiscent of an enormous lion, swathed in a glistening white fur coat, albeitmarred by scars and wear from countless battles. It lets out a bloodcurdling roar, showing its formidable saber-toothed fangs jutting out from its massive jaws like deadly ivory scythes. One eye is lost to a savage battle, the absence marked by a gaping scar that runs across its face.

The beast moves with an eerie, silent grace despite its colossal size, stalking towards me with an air of lethal intent. Carefully, it places its massive paws bearing razor-sharp claws, each one a promise of death. I tear my eyes from the majestic beast, the adrenaline flowing through my veins, propelling me towards the cliff wall as fast as I have ever run in my life.

I dare not look back at the venefex, the sound of its enormous paws pounding the ground behind me as it leaps after me. My armor drives me forward towards the cliff at superhuman speed, but what is superhuman pales compared to the speed of a venefex. My legs and lungs burn with exertion as I pump them with every ounce of strength in a desperate bid of maintaining my headstart toward the cliff face.

The heavy panting of the venefex, dangerously close behind me, sends a shiver slicing down my spine. Summoning every ounce of strength, I launch myself upward toward the cliff-face, my hands and feet scrabbling for any hold they can find. Panic clenches my chest as my hands struggle to latch onto anything, compelling me to punch forcefully with my armored fingers into the unyielding stone.

Thankfully, I manage to find some footings to hang precariously from. I peer downward as the venefex springs from the ground, its colossal claws gouging chunks from the cliff just below my feet. Frustration consumes the beast as it snarls, pacing back and forth before hammering its massive front paws against the cliff, attempting to dislodge me.

With effort, I scale the cliff face quickly, wanting to put as much distance between myself and the colossal terror below. If I was a second slower, I would be venefex dinner.

Looking up the cliff, it reveals I’ve a long climb ahead of me. The dense fog clinging to the top will at least make excellent cover should an arrohawk be on the lookout. I ascend carefully, attempting to catch my breath and steady my nerves from the recent frantic chase. Out of all the monsters Xandor warned me about, the venefex is the deadliest, the apex predators of Draxxi territory, well except for Xandor himself, as he kept reminding me.

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