Page 63 of Caveman Alien's Terror

Luna walks ahead of me along the canyon. I’m glad to see her, but even her presence can’t chase away the hollow feeling. Ididn’t know I gave away so much of myself to that dragon that when he’s gone, it feels like part of me was ripped away.

“It looks like you were right,” I tell Luna. “You never liked him that much. You have better instincts than me.”

The sun is just touching the horizon when we get to the place where it’s possible to cross the canyon. It’s a sharp, narrow ridge of black rock that stretches almost the full distance to the other side. It’s about twice the distance as the point where the rope bridge crossed, and that was plainly why it was built there. It was a narrow part of the rift.

The leader of my escort scans the sky. “No sign of irox yet. But they can appear suddenly. We must be quick to cross and get into the woods on the other side.”

The tribesmen stand and mutter between them as they stare at the ridge. It’s thin and sharp and it has an uneven edge that’s going to be hard to walk on. On both sides the chasm is so deep, it just turns into darkness with no visible bottom.

One man walks across, touches the other side, and carefully comes halfway back. “Walk fast,” he suggests, balancing precariously on the edge. “That makes it easier to keep your balance. The stone is not slippery. But it’s too narrow to pass each other.”

“That should be no problem,” the leader says. “You will have one man in front of you and one behind you, Shaman Astrid.”

Luna runs across, fast and sure footed, passing the caveman without any problems. She turns and comes back, stops before she reaches this side, and looks up at me.

“My turn,” I state with all the determination I can muster right now. Having tightened the straps on my sandals, I step onto the thin, knife-like ridge and walk as fast as I can.

Luna trots in front of me as if to show me the way. I’m vaguely conscious of the leader of the escort following behind me, but I’m not going to check. There’s a sheer drop to each side, as well as a hot draft from below that blows my hair into my face.

The caveman waiting turns and walks in front of me.

At the halfway mark an ear-rending screech pierces the air.

“Irox,” the man in front of me says, drawing his heavy sword while trying to keep his balance.

I still look straight ahead, wanting to speed up but afraid to put a foot wrong because it would be my death.

“Can’t see it!” the caveman in front yells.

“Must be in the jungle!” the man on the side we left answers. “Keep going!”

Luna freezes. Then she takes two fast, bounding steps and jumps off the ridge.

“Luna!” I scream in horror as she vanishes out of sight.

Another screech rattles me, and to me it has a note of surprise.

There’s a furious flapping of leathery wings, and then the dactyl comes into view, swoopingupfrom the chasm.

“There!” the cavemen yell. “It was below us!”

I keep walking, but as the dactyl flaps wildly and turns in the air, in a flash I spot the furry green spot on its head. Luna has attached herself to the monster’s head, ruining the attack.

I walk as fast as I can until strong arms grab me and lift me onto the other side. The two other cavemen follow us, pushing me ahead of them away from the edge.

“A devious irox,” the leader says. “And a brave stevik!”

The dactyl has forgotten all about its attack and is now only concerned with getting rid of the menace that’s sitting on its head and clawing at its eyes.

And it seems to me that Luna can never survive that, unless she kills the dactyl and makes it fall to the ground from not too high up. But it might just as well fall down into the canyon, and then I don’t think I’ll ever see her again. She needs my help.

I sprint out into the open before the cavemen can stop me. “Hey! Ugly old monster dactyl! Pick on someone your own size!” I wave my arms to catch the monster’s attention.

And it works. The dactyl spots me with its round, lifeless eyes, turns in the air, flaps its wings in a more determined way, and then swoops down to snatch me.

Two cavemen stand behind me, swords out.

I stand still, ready to throw myself to the ground but wanting Luna to have the best chance to get off.

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