chattering, making an awful noise, louder than ever, and he knew that they would not let them go.
“What about me?” a voice screamed out, cutting through the air.
Reece turned and saw Centra back there. He was still being held captive, beside the leader, and a Faw still held a knife to his throat.
“Don’t leave me!” he screamed. “They’ll kill me!”
Reece stood there, burning with frustration. Of course, Centra was right: they would kill him. Reece could not leave him there; it would go against Reece’s code of honor. After all, Centra had helped them when they’d needed help.
Reece stood there, hesitating. He turned and saw, in the distance, the Canyon wall, the way out, tempting him.
“We can’t go back for him!” Indra said, frantic. “They will kill us all.”
She kicked a Faw that approached her and it fell backwards, sliding on its back down the slope.
“We’d be lucky to escape with our own lives as it is!” Serna called out.
“He’s not one of us!” Krog said. “We can’t endanger our group for him!”
Reece stood there, debating. The Faws were getting closer, and he knew he had to make his decision.
“You’re right,” Reece admitted. “He’s not one of us. But he helped us. And he’s a good man. I cannot leave him at the mercy of those things.
Reece began to head down the slope, to go back for Centra—but before he could, Conven suddenly broke from the group and charged, racing down, leaping and sliding on the muddy slope, feet first, his sword out, sliding downward and slashing as he went, killing Faws left and right. He was hurling back to where they’d come from single-handedly, recklessly, throwing himself into the group of Faws and somehow cutting his way through them with sheer determination.
Reece jumped into action close behind.
“The rest of you stay here!” Reece shouted out. “Wait for our return!”
Reece followed in Conven’s tracks, slashing the Faws left and right; he caught up with Conven and provided backup, the two of them fighting their way back down the mountain for Centra.
Conven charged forward, breaking through the crowd of Faws as Reece fought his way all the way to Centra, who stared back, wide-eyed in fear. A Faw raised his dagger to cut Centra’s throat, but Reece did not give him the chance: he stepped forward, raised his sword, took aim and threw it with all his might.
The sword went flying through the air, tumbling end over end, and lodged itself through the throat of the Faw, a moment before it killed Centra. Centra screamed as he looked over and saw the dead Faw, just inches away, their faces almost touching.
To Reece’s surprise, Conven did not go for Centra; instead he kept running up the small hill, and Reece looked up, horrified to see what he was doing. Conven seemed suicidal. He cut his way through the group of Faws surrounding their leader, who sat high up on his platform, looking over the battle. Conven killed them left and right. They hadn’t been expecting it, and it all happened too fast for any them to react. Reece realized that Conven was aiming for their leader.
Conven got closer, leapt into the air, raised his sword, and as the leader realized and tried to flee, Conven stabbed it through the heart. The leader shrieked—and suddenly, there came a chorus of ten thousand shrieks, all the Faws, as if they themselves had been stabbed. It was as if they all shared the same nervous system—and Conven had severed it.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Reece said to Conven as he returned to his side. “Now you’ve started a war.”
As Reece watched in horror, a small hill exploded, and out of it there streamed thousands and thousands of Faws, pouring out of it like a mound of ants. Reece realized that Conven had killed their queen bee, had incited the wrath of a nation of these things. The ground shook with their footsteps, as they all gnashed their teeth and charged right for Reece and Conven and Centra.
“MOVE!” Reece screamed.
Reece shoved Centra, who stood in shock, and they all turned and ran back for the others, fighting their way back up the muddy slope.
Reece felt a Faw jump on his back and knock him down. It dragged him by his ankles, back down the slope, and lowered its fangs for his neck.
An arrow sailed by Reece’s head, and there came the noise of an arrow impacting flesh and Reece looked up to see O’Connor, atop the hill, holding a bow.
Reece regained his feet, Centra helping him up as Conven protected their rear, fighting back the Faws. Finally, they all raced up the remainder of the hill and reached the others.
“Good to have you back!” Elden called out, as he rushed forward and took out several Faws with his axe.
Reece paused at the top, peering out into the mist and wondering which way to go. The path forked two ways and he was about to go right.
But Centra suddenly raced past him, heading left.
“Follow me!” Centra called out as he ran. “It’s the only way!”
As thousands of Faws began to ascend the slope, Reece and the others turned and ran, following Centra, slipping and sliding down the other side of the hill, as the ground continue to shake. They followed Centra’s lead, and Reece was more grateful than ever that he’d saved his life.
“We need to make the Canyon!” Reece called out, not sure which way Centra was going.
They sprinted, weaving their way through the thick, gnarled trees, struggling to follow Centra as he deftly navigated through the mist on a rough dirt trail, covered in roots.
“There’s only one way to lose those things!” Centra called back. “Stay on my trail!”
They followed Centra closely as he ran, tripping over roots, scratched by branches, Reece struggling to see through the thickening mist. He stumbled more than once on the uneven footing.
They ran until their lungs hurt, the awful screech of those things behind them, thousands of them, closing in. Elden and O’Connor’s helping Krog was slowing them down. He hoped and prayed that Centra knew where he was going; he could not see the Canyon wall at all from here.
Suddenly, Centra stopped short, and reached out with his palm and slapped Reece’s chest, stopping him in his tracks.
Reece looked down and saw at his feet a steep drop off, into a raging river below.
Reece turned to Centra, puzzled.
“Water,” Centra explained, gasping for air. “They’re afraid to cross water.”
The others all stopped short beside them, staring down at the roaring rapids, as they all tried to catch their breath.
“It’s your only chance,” Centra added. “Cross this river and you can lose their trail for now, and gain time.”
“But how?” Reece asked, staring down at the foaming green waters.
“That current would kill us!” Elden said.
Centra smirked.
“That’s the least of your worries,” he answered. “That water is filled with Fourens—the deadliest animal on the planet. Fall in, and they’ll tear you to pieces.”
Reece looked down at the water, wondering.
“Then we can’t swim,” O’Connor said. “And I don’t see a boat.”
Reece looked over his shoulder, the sound of the Faws getting closer.
“Your only chance is this,” Centra said, reaching back and pulling a long vine attached to a tree, its branches hanging over the river. “We must swing our way across,” he said. “Don’t slip. And don’t fall short of the shore. Send it back for us when you’re done.”
Reece looked down at the gurgling water, and as he did, he saw awful little glowing yellow creatures jumping out, like sunfish, all jaws, snapping and making strange noises. There were schools of them and they all looked as if they were awaiting their next meal.
Reece glanced back over his shoulder, and saw the army of Faws on the horizon, closing in. They had no choice.
