Page 61 of Caveman Alien's Terror

“A few thousand paces still to go, Chief. We’ll soon be there.”

“Where?” I frown. Am I going somewhere?

A strange, ugly man looks at me. “The Ceremat village, Chief. Where the gold is.”

“Gold! Give me gold!” The need is so intense it shoots through me like a black spear, making me wince.

“Yes, Chief. Any moment now.”

I pull myself together. If there’s gold nearby, I must be alert for those who would try to take it from me.

In a moment of clarity I ponder that this could be the last stage of gold deprivation. I haven’t touched gold since I started flying through the Void many years ago. And I’ve been getting steadily weaker. It’s what old Nunkapax the Angry must have gone through, lost in his own maze for years and years. So close to his own hoard, but unable to find it.

I prod my chest, finding that the tip of my finger sinks into the scales.

“Soft scales,” I wheeze. “A sure sign. The lack of gold is killing me, Astrid.”

There’s no reply, no soothing sound of her voice, no cool touch of her hands, no mischievous comment turning my own words back on me.

Confused, I look around. “Where is she?”

Tarat’ex has a strange look on his face. “Just keep going, Chief. Soon there’s gold.”

I keep going for more eternities.

There’s the faint smell of smoke. There must be a village nearby.

The two slayers in front stop by a tree and pick fruits from it.

“Keep going!” Tarat’ex tells them sternly. “There’s no time for that!”

“We’re hungry,” the pitiful lackeys whine. “Let us eat!”

Tarat’ex sighs. “Do you mind, Chief? We’re almost there.”

“Don’t tarry,” I admonish as I pass them and walk onto a flat patch of grass. “Stay away from Astrid.” I’m not entirely sure where I am, but there’s talk of gold and I have an excruciating need for it.

Strands of green grass swish past my bare feet.

Suddenly the ground vanishes under me and I fall into a deep, narrow hole, face first.

Immediately there’s a terrible ruckus as many huge logs fall on me from above, pinning me down.

“Tarat’ex!” I roar. “Get me out of here!”

His face comes over the edge of the hole. “Soon, Chief. We’re just waiting for the tribesmen.”

“No!” I tell him. “Don’t wait! Get me out now!”

The three lackeys look down on me. “Not so high and mighty anymore?”

Finally I sense the treason. “You trapped me on purpose!”

Tarat’ex gives me a smile that’s almost apologetic. “I’m afraid so, Chief. We started to have doubts about your promises to make us chiefs. We don’t think you’ll actually do it, especially after you met that female. So we had to look for other solutions.”

He looks down and kicks at a log that didn’t fall into the pit, making sure it drops into place among the others and adds to the weight on top of me.

“I will murder you all,” I promise sincerely, flexing my claws in expectation.

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