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Authors: Marianne de Pierres
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Jarrold!’
The Grotto rang with screams. Dimly, Naif knew Lenoir heard her; too far away to be of help, he remained tense, waiting for the outcome.
Char got ahead of Jarrold and then hesitated again, waiting for him.
‘Go!’ he called up to her. ‘Go.’
She turned and climbed the final tier to join Suki, Naif and Liam. As she did, Jarrold stumbled, the books slipping from his grasp and spreading over the ground.
Without thought, Naif ran down to help him, scooping up the precious artefacts. ‘Get up!’ she cried.
But the Riper was on them. Naif saw its pale face, haggard and gaunter than she remembered any of them looking before. Drool glistened at the corners of its mouth, and the smell from beneath its cloak suffocated her with memories of the dead cart on Grave. Rot and something indescribable that comes with death.
It splayed its hands before her, fingernails long and sharp, ready to strike.
Naif, flee! Lenoir pleaded in her mind.
But she couldn’t move. She was transfixed by how milky the Riper’s eyes had become, and how its skin had roughened to the texture of gravel and darkened in patches under the eyes and cheekbones and around the mouth.
What’s happened to it?
Starvation is causing it to devolve.
This will happen to you?
If I do not eat. Yes.
A picture of his physical perfection flashed into her mind. How terrible to lose such beauty.
Naif, the rogue will kill you. Put your fingers to his throat. The soft part under the jaw. Gouge it and he will bleed. In his weakened state that will stop him.
As the Riper raked her skin, she lunged at its throat, enduring the tearing of its fingernails as she thrust her own fingers up under its jaw and scratched. Almost immediately, its decaying skin tore and she felt something warm and slippery.
The Riper stiffened.
But as Naif scratched harder it began to thrash, throwing her sideways. This time it pounced on her, pinning her arms to her side. Drool and blood wet her face. She closed her eyes against the inevitable.
Lenoir. Keep my friends safe.
Naif! Lenoir’s cry was lost in the bellow that Jarrold let loose as he belted the Riper in the head with a heavy book using every bit of strength he possessed.
The creature stopped, stunned, then turned and lashed out, knocking him down.
But Clash appeared from the other side and the Riper was forced to stand to protect itself.
In that instant, Suki loosed her lasso. It fell over the Riper’s head and shoulders on the first attempt and she hurled herself down the tiers, pulling it tight as she ran.
‘Knock it over. Quick.’
Jarrold and Clash converged to tackle the Riper while its arms were pinned. They sat on its chest and legs until Suki had knotted the rope safely.
She stood up and drew a dagger from a sheath strapped to her calf. ‘Move aside, Clash. I’ll finish it now.’
‘No!’ said Naif. ‘You can’t just . . . kill it.’
Suki squared her shoulders. ‘You tell that to Brenny.’
Naif looked below them. Brenny was where Clash had left him, his neck twisted at an impossible angle.
Suki thrust an angry finger towards the boy’s lifeless body. ‘It slit his neck wide open. And you were a breath from the same fate.’
Naif stayed silent, unable to reply.
Your friend is right. He will continue to hunt. He is starving. There is no place safe from him. Lenoir’s voice sounded so sad that it brought tears to Naif’s eyes.
‘You nearly died, Naif,’ said Jarrold. His face was white with shock and exhaustion. ‘We all did.’
‘I will do it,’ said Clash.
‘No!’ said Suki. ‘The kill is mine.’
Naif left them arguing and slowly climbed the top tier of the amphitheatre. Jarrold followed her, carrying an armful of books.
Liam and Charlonge waited for them there, Char clutching her arms to her chest, rocking gently on her feet. Liam, though, had eyes only for Suki. He watched with pride as she bled away the Riper’s life.
Few words were spoken on the walk back to
The Grotto rang with screams. Dimly, Naif knew Lenoir heard her; too far away to be of help, he remained tense, waiting for the outcome.
Char got ahead of Jarrold and then hesitated again, waiting for him.
‘Go!’ he called up to her. ‘Go.’
She turned and climbed the final tier to join Suki, Naif and Liam. As she did, Jarrold stumbled, the books slipping from his grasp and spreading over the ground.
Without thought, Naif ran down to help him, scooping up the precious artefacts. ‘Get up!’ she cried.
But the Riper was on them. Naif saw its pale face, haggard and gaunter than she remembered any of them looking before. Drool glistened at the corners of its mouth, and the smell from beneath its cloak suffocated her with memories of the dead cart on Grave. Rot and something indescribable that comes with death.
It splayed its hands before her, fingernails long and sharp, ready to strike.
Naif, flee! Lenoir pleaded in her mind.
But she couldn’t move. She was transfixed by how milky the Riper’s eyes had become, and how its skin had roughened to the texture of gravel and darkened in patches under the eyes and cheekbones and around the mouth.
What’s happened to it?
Starvation is causing it to devolve.
This will happen to you?
If I do not eat. Yes.
A picture of his physical perfection flashed into her mind. How terrible to lose such beauty.
Naif, the rogue will kill you. Put your fingers to his throat. The soft part under the jaw. Gouge it and he will bleed. In his weakened state that will stop him.
As the Riper raked her skin, she lunged at its throat, enduring the tearing of its fingernails as she thrust her own fingers up under its jaw and scratched. Almost immediately, its decaying skin tore and she felt something warm and slippery.
The Riper stiffened.
But as Naif scratched harder it began to thrash, throwing her sideways. This time it pounced on her, pinning her arms to her side. Drool and blood wet her face. She closed her eyes against the inevitable.
Lenoir. Keep my friends safe.
Naif! Lenoir’s cry was lost in the bellow that Jarrold let loose as he belted the Riper in the head with a heavy book using every bit of strength he possessed.
The creature stopped, stunned, then turned and lashed out, knocking him down.
But Clash appeared from the other side and the Riper was forced to stand to protect itself.
In that instant, Suki loosed her lasso. It fell over the Riper’s head and shoulders on the first attempt and she hurled herself down the tiers, pulling it tight as she ran.
‘Knock it over. Quick.’
Jarrold and Clash converged to tackle the Riper while its arms were pinned. They sat on its chest and legs until Suki had knotted the rope safely.
She stood up and drew a dagger from a sheath strapped to her calf. ‘Move aside, Clash. I’ll finish it now.’
‘No!’ said Naif. ‘You can’t just . . . kill it.’
Suki squared her shoulders. ‘You tell that to Brenny.’
Naif looked below them. Brenny was where Clash had left him, his neck twisted at an impossible angle.
Suki thrust an angry finger towards the boy’s lifeless body. ‘It slit his neck wide open. And you were a breath from the same fate.’
Naif stayed silent, unable to reply.
Your friend is right. He will continue to hunt. He is starving. There is no place safe from him. Lenoir’s voice sounded so sad that it brought tears to Naif’s eyes.
‘You nearly died, Naif,’ said Jarrold. His face was white with shock and exhaustion. ‘We all did.’
‘I will do it,’ said Clash.
‘No!’ said Suki. ‘The kill is mine.’
Naif left them arguing and slowly climbed the top tier of the amphitheatre. Jarrold followed her, carrying an armful of books.
Liam and Charlonge waited for them there, Char clutching her arms to her chest, rocking gently on her feet. Liam, though, had eyes only for Suki. He watched with pride as she bled away the Riper’s life.
Few words were spoken on the walk back to
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