Page 61 of Shifter King
Bad. Unnatural.
These creatures were usually so much slower. But this one moved as if summoned by a great force. A large wall of cold ashy dirt kicked into his face. Cursed insect!
Something grabbed him by the leg and dragged him out, lifting him up into the air as if he were some fish pulled out of the waters.
"What!" he snarled.
QueQoa pointed toward the ground ahead of them. A depressed line was forming, jagged slashes of earth beneath the grass and fallen leaves. "It's making the walls cave-in as it goes. You follow top side. I've got the earth. And—" QueQoa gestured toward him, then shook his head as if embarrassed to say more. He shrugged. "If I catch them, I can grab her and not change back." He dove into the pit. The heavy grunting and clawing that followed confirmed he'd shifted into one of his tunneler forms. Likely the iron badger. Dirt kicked up as the line across the earth became more pronounced.
Naatos growled. Yes! QueQoa was right. If he grabbed onto Amelia in this state, he'd never keep an altered form. And if they were underground like this in a cave-in, well— he thrust his hands through his hair, shaking off the excess dirt. QueQoa was right. He didn't want her to die right after he caught her. He'd find out why she was out of the rels, then he'd kill or chew her out, whichever was more appropriate.
He leaped forward and slammed his arms down.
He nearly crashed into the earth before the black plague lion form tore through him. His first true form and one of the fastest. It ripped him apart and remade him stronger and capable of great speed and battle but incapable of going beneath the earth. Still, that goliath tunneler would struggle to match his pace above ground and QueQoa's iron badger beneath.
Lunging forward, he bounded alongside the collapsing soil. The green and grey plague spores drifted out from his thick mane. They were only toxic for a few moments at most, but they left an unmistakable sulfur-like scent that would be as clear a trail as anything he could leave his brothers. His claws ripped into the earth, throwing back chunks of soil and grass and leaving large paw prints behind.
Faster and faster he went, keeping pace with the tunneling goliath tunneler. Its tunnel so far had not strayed or diverged from this essentially straight line, but it seemed to have chosen one that had to be exceptionally challenging to follow as it dove beneath trees and under trunks and great rock formations.
Yet he followed. Who knew how far they would go? They could travel miles and miles. But he would not stop. Even if it felt as if all of Ecekom opened up its forces to make him cease.
He dodged a casket weaver. It hissed and dropped its web, almost snaring a curious mantis instead. Adrenaline poured through his veins, intensifying his focus and his speed. That bitter taste from the toxic spores grew stronger with each pulse and breath.
He dove beneath a branch and then cut up along a chiron oak before lunging down. The line continued, rumbling and expanding. There was only one reason a goliath tunneler would be kicking in its own tunnel and moving this fast, and as soon as he found the source of that reason, he was going to tear that Bealorn to shreds.
Eventually the beetle had to come up or be caught. From the looks of it, QueQoa was fast on its trail. He'd catch up soon. And then—
The ground tore apart as QueQoa emerged, shaking dirt from his black and white jaws. He flung a dead goliath tunneler out of the earth. It struck a boulder and rolled into a patch of briars; something farther in the forest scrambled away. "There's at least five down here. They're single file. I saw enough. Coordinated. Careful. They might crush her!" He dove back down, the dark earth swelling over him.
Naatos didn't stop, but inwardly he cursed.
These Bealorns were smart. And if there were multiple goliath tunnelers, that meant— he sent out another roar, calling for WroOth and AaQar. They had to be close. Had to be on their way. At least of the remaining goliath tunnels were diversions. How much longer before they split?
And when that happened—no—he wouldn't make the wrong choice. They weren't going to take her from him.
He ran even faster. The tunnel collapse moved beneath a rotted log. The log cracked open with the movement, spilling out the grey-blue eggs of a rock crab. The mother scuttled out, waving her claws and lunging at him. Growling, he leaped over her and then scaled another fallen tree. The mantises he disturbed stabbed at him, their forelegs sinking into the rotting wood and chipping the bark. One nearly sliced into his back leg.
He leaped off and charged up the leaf-strewn hill.
Four raptors cut out, studying him.
The larger of the raptors shook its head as the plague spores struck it. Its nostrils flared as it called out a retreat cry. The youngest of the quad nipped at the air, then turned and fled as well.
Nothing wanted to deal with him; they were wise to avoid him. He could keep pace with these beetles for however long it took. If they'd hoped to beat them through endurance, that was a joke. None of them would tire before they caught up. Then they'd see just how good goliath tunneler armor was!
Up above the trees crashed. A shadow descended, then a bright red streak flashed over head. WroOth transformed mid-flight from a red fire dragon into a much narrower and more agile red eagle. "What's happening?" he shouted down. "What are we chasing?" His nostrils flared with disgust as the plague spores hit him. Even though his brothers were all immune to it, none of them liked it when he made the scent that strong.
"Bealorns got Amelia," Naatos shouted up. "Multiple goliath tunnelers."
WroOth swore and swooped beneath a branch. "The ones here last time?"
"Probably."
"How did they find us that fast?"
Who even knew? They'd sort that out soon enough.
WroOth narrowly avoided a titanaboa. The massive serpent then struck at Naatos. Snarling, he leaped into the air, struck it with his paw, and resumed running. The stunned constrictor dropped away, then coiled inward as a larger silver-blue serpent with horns on its brows and crest shot through the underbrush.
