stones. The snarling began again. Sam looked around wildly. He was surrounded.
The other beasts were more cautious to attack and kept their distance at first, making sure there was a circle around him. Every now and then one would dart forward to snap at him and Sam would tense ready to use presence and they would dart away again. Then one came too close and Sam had to use his presence, this time he was barely able to toss the animal a few metres. The others saw this and became bolder and angrier but still they prowled warily. Then, suddenly, they all turned as one at some unheard sound and with their strange yelping cry they scattered.
Sam did not relax. He did not know what had scared them off. He held his breath, his back to a stone, silent as he could be. Then he heard a sound which sent ice into his blood. The howl of a garoul. It approached him in full view, slowly, on two legs like a man, eyes fixed on him. It walked towards him boldly, dropping to all fours as it came. The smaller chupacabre gathered around it, yipping excitedly, following it towards where Sam stood. One got too close and the garoul snapped viciously at it, not even breaking its slow stride. It’s bite opened a great gash in the creature’s flank. It screamed in pain and darted away. The other chupacabre immediately fell upon it, tearing it apart in a flurry of excitement. The garoul watched the chupacabre feast as it padded slowly towards Sam and then it turned its head back towards him. Sam readied his presence and prayed he would be able to call on it.
A few metres away the garoul stopped. Within seconds the chupacabre had finished eating the injured one, like piranhas they had flensed the flesh from its bones. They gathered back around the garoul at a respectful distance. Suddenly, Sam heard a snarl behind him. He whipped his head around. Three more garoul had him surrounded. He hadn’t even heard them approach. Then, as one, they attacked.
At first, Sam’s presence came fluidly again. He moved easily around the inside of the stone circle. For what felt like an age Sam was gloriously like his old self in the battles he had had with Weewalk, Kya and Hadan by his side. He span and pushed, attacking the beasts, killing where he could get a firm enough mental grip. But still they came as though his presence attracted them like a magnet and Sam began to tire. Eventually, he felt himself really weaken and his presence began to stutter. He suddenly realised that in his present state he didn’t have it in him to win.
He was going to die here and no-one would ever know. These creatures would pick the meat from his bones and then probably eat those too. He almost laughed. He had once almost believed that he was special in some way and that he might be the hero of some prophecy. As his last bit of energy went into pushing away a garoul that snapped towards him he wondered what his death would mean to the future. He was supposed to have survived and eventually, in some distant time, have had children who would have eventually brought about Ferus at the end of a long ancestry. Was that all a lie? Another of Tarak’s tricks? Would the future just change and morph to heal itself around Sam’s premature death? Would it be better this way? Finally, he sank exhausted to the grass.
A dark shape leaped high into the ring of stones landing in front of Sam. Sam closed his eyes and readied himself for the attack. He expected that the first thing he would feel was teeth or claws at his throat so he was surprised to feel something touch his shoulder, although he could not suppress the flinch.
Sam’s eyes flew open and he found himself looking into a terrible face. He pushed himself backwards in shock. The face was close to his own. Partly shadowed by a Riven style black cloak Sam could see a bald head under the cloth and a network of scars, puckered lines across a pale face. Only one eye stared at him, the other eye was welded shut by a criss-cross mess of
The other beasts were more cautious to attack and kept their distance at first, making sure there was a circle around him. Every now and then one would dart forward to snap at him and Sam would tense ready to use presence and they would dart away again. Then one came too close and Sam had to use his presence, this time he was barely able to toss the animal a few metres. The others saw this and became bolder and angrier but still they prowled warily. Then, suddenly, they all turned as one at some unheard sound and with their strange yelping cry they scattered.
Sam did not relax. He did not know what had scared them off. He held his breath, his back to a stone, silent as he could be. Then he heard a sound which sent ice into his blood. The howl of a garoul. It approached him in full view, slowly, on two legs like a man, eyes fixed on him. It walked towards him boldly, dropping to all fours as it came. The smaller chupacabre gathered around it, yipping excitedly, following it towards where Sam stood. One got too close and the garoul snapped viciously at it, not even breaking its slow stride. It’s bite opened a great gash in the creature’s flank. It screamed in pain and darted away. The other chupacabre immediately fell upon it, tearing it apart in a flurry of excitement. The garoul watched the chupacabre feast as it padded slowly towards Sam and then it turned its head back towards him. Sam readied his presence and prayed he would be able to call on it.
A few metres away the garoul stopped. Within seconds the chupacabre had finished eating the injured one, like piranhas they had flensed the flesh from its bones. They gathered back around the garoul at a respectful distance. Suddenly, Sam heard a snarl behind him. He whipped his head around. Three more garoul had him surrounded. He hadn’t even heard them approach. Then, as one, they attacked.
At first, Sam’s presence came fluidly again. He moved easily around the inside of the stone circle. For what felt like an age Sam was gloriously like his old self in the battles he had had with Weewalk, Kya and Hadan by his side. He span and pushed, attacking the beasts, killing where he could get a firm enough mental grip. But still they came as though his presence attracted them like a magnet and Sam began to tire. Eventually, he felt himself really weaken and his presence began to stutter. He suddenly realised that in his present state he didn’t have it in him to win.
He was going to die here and no-one would ever know. These creatures would pick the meat from his bones and then probably eat those too. He almost laughed. He had once almost believed that he was special in some way and that he might be the hero of some prophecy. As his last bit of energy went into pushing away a garoul that snapped towards him he wondered what his death would mean to the future. He was supposed to have survived and eventually, in some distant time, have had children who would have eventually brought about Ferus at the end of a long ancestry. Was that all a lie? Another of Tarak’s tricks? Would the future just change and morph to heal itself around Sam’s premature death? Would it be better this way? Finally, he sank exhausted to the grass.
A dark shape leaped high into the ring of stones landing in front of Sam. Sam closed his eyes and readied himself for the attack. He expected that the first thing he would feel was teeth or claws at his throat so he was surprised to feel something touch his shoulder, although he could not suppress the flinch.
Sam’s eyes flew open and he found himself looking into a terrible face. He pushed himself backwards in shock. The face was close to his own. Partly shadowed by a Riven style black cloak Sam could see a bald head under the cloth and a network of scars, puckered lines across a pale face. Only one eye stared at him, the other eye was welded shut by a criss-cross mess of
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