Page 101 of A Kingdom so Crimson

A deafening crash and screech of falling rock thundered through the air as I emerged back into the watery sunlight, leaping over boulders and dead brush.

The Breva loomed before me, its massive body dwarfing the one that Kaizen sliced in two. Its black form was peppered with a sickly grey, and several of its legs were limp with atrophy from chunks torn out of it. The rumble of its jerking movements shook the very floor of the mountain as its clicking grew louder, the sound echoing off the canyon walls.

I caught up to Zephyr, who stumbled over her boots while Osric's blonde hair disappeared farther down the hill. With a cry, I grabbed her, hauling her with me as we tumbled faster down the mountainside, our bodies sliding over the sharp rocks and brush that littered our path.

Osric reached a flat landing and darted for a narrow path wedged between the two mountains.

"RUN!" Osric's voice pierced the chaos, drowned out by the thunderous cascade of boulders and bits of rock raining down upon us. Its clicking increased, diluting my head with a sharp agony of noise.

Osric plunged into the narrow gap, his movements urgent as he pushed his body through. Without hesitation, Zephyr followed suit, throwing herself into the tight space, and Iswiftly followed behind. The coldness of the mountain bit into my ripped suit as smoky tendrils of air escaped from our hot breaths.

"GO!" Zephyr shrieked, her voice echoing through the narrow passage.

"It's too tight!" Osric hissed, his struggle tangible as the Breva crashed into the mountain behind me, dislodging small rocks that rained down upon us.

Zephyr's scream pierced the air, her hands shielding her head as the Breva relentlessly battered against the narrow opening again and again. Black blood sprayed from its broken, grotesque body mere inches from where I stood. I pressed against Zephyr's trembling body as more rocks pelted down upon us.

The air around us became thick with dirt as the mountain shook, fear slamming into my heart and suffocating me as I gasped for air. Osric slipped deeper into the heart of the crack just as the Breva's attack abruptly ceased, leaving an eerie stillness in its wake. Dirt wafted up, clouding my vision.

We stood in tense silence, hearing only the sounds of our racing heartbeats and labored breathing. The dirt around us gradually settled into an ominous quiet.

"Is it gone?" Zephyr hissed, shoving me toward the opening of the crevice. I shot her a sharp glare before I forced my feet to move.

I am in control.

Sliding cautiously along the stone walls, I held my breath, straining to listen for any sign of the Breva. There were no telltale clicking's or even the faintest rustle of movement. I inched my head out of the crack and peered out, nothing caught my attention until my gaze was drawn to the giant claw marks carved into the mountainside, the black blood still warm in the dirt below. Leaping over the viscous liquid, I crouched low and scanned the surroundings.

Nothing. There was nothing.

I stepped out cautiously, my eyes darting around, analyzing potential hiding spots, escape routes, or makeshift weapons among the scattered rocks. Glancing back, I waved urgently for Zephyr and Osric to join me, but I caught movement twenty feet above before they emerged from the crack.

My heart stopped as I beheld the Breva's sleek form clinging to the mountainside. Its blackened body was stained with blood, and its tail curled up with its stinger ready.

"NO!" I screamed, leaping to them just as Zephyr stepped out with Osric. My voice echoed throughout the mountain range, and the clicking resumed, louder and more ferocious. The massive body of the Breva leaped, hitting the ground with a bone-rattling quake.

Zephyr and Osric hurled themselves over fallen rocks, but the Breva instantaneously struck its stinger, piercing Zephyr's shoulder. She screeched, collapsing to the ground and clutching her wound. Osric hesitated, terror etched across his face, before rushing to my side. He cursed my name as blood pooled around her, soaking into the cold, dry dirt.

The poison worked swiftly, her screams turning into gurgles as the Breva's clicking grew more frenzied.

"You killed her!" Osric cried, watching the Breva slither up to her. Her foot twitched once, then went still, her chest barely rising. "You killed her!" He shoved me aside, rage and grief contorting his features, before sprinting down the hill.

My feet were leaden as I watched the Breva click up to her, its mouth lengthening wider. Kaizen's voice echoed in my mind:Whatever you do, do not let one take you.

Swallowing my fear, I spotted a sharp, broken branch jutting from a dead trunk. I gripped the branch, yanked it free, and charged toward the Breva before the fear sank in.

Its gaping mouth stretched wide, ready to swallow Zephyr whole as I hurled the branch. It pierced the inside of its throat and sprayed black blood over Zephyr's limp body.

The Breva let out a high-pitched shriek that resonated painfully in my ears as it clawed at its mouth. I lunged toward Zephyr, hauling her up by her arms and dragging her away. She was heavier than I expected, and with my feet sinking into the cold ground, I heaved her toward where Osric had fled. The Breva thrashed, trying to dislodge the branch, its blood pooling beneath it.

"OSRIC!" I yelled, praying he was still nearby. "OSRIC!"

I couldn't drag her much longer before the Breva found us again, as it successfully dislodged part of the branch. Desperation clawed my insides as I scanned the area, spotting a large jumble of rocks clinging together with a small hole at its center. I tugged harder, praying it was big enough for us to hide in.

The Breva's high-pitched scream ceased, replaced by a thunderous crash. I glanced up to see its massive body poised at the top of the hill, oily blood oozing from its maw. Its depthless eyes gleamed with a vengeance as if it had feelings and would not leave empty-handed.

I pulled harder, every muscle straining.

"Tyran,please! COME ON!"

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