Alex wasn’t fast enough. She knew the fall was going to hurt, but she needed to think fast. If she wasn’t anchored to Chine, that meant the giants had something that would sever their connection. If they could do it once, they could do it again. Alex was going to be fending for herself.
As the dragon anchor flickered, Alex whipped her hand out again and pulled her scythe out right before the anchor cut off. She clutched the hilt tightly as the giants ahead of her watched her fall. “There really aren’t any easy missions,” she muttered.
Chapter Ten
On the ground, Alex felt powerless. Even with her scythe in her hand, without Chine, she felt like she was simply waiting to die. Fear had overcome her faster than any emotion ever had. Dozens of eyes glared at her from what was quickly becoming a haze, those of the giant who had pulled her from Chine’s back burning brightest of them all.
Alex looked upward, trying to find Chine. It looked like vrosks had detached from the ship above and were now attacking the dragon, trying to keep him away from Alex.
Whoever had organized this attack had figured out a vital aspect of the dragonriders. Dragon was the first part of the job title, rider came second.
Alex glanced at her anchor. It still wasn’t up and running. She wasn’t sure if that meant her connection to Chine was broken or not. As far as Alex knew, their connection was mental and based in Chine’s biology, not the tech attached to Alex’s arm. Chine, can you hear me? she called.
Chine’s voice boomed in Alex’s head. Yes, Alex, I am still here. Are you okay?
The giants were beginning to advance, the one carrying the black rod ahead of the rest, his club resting on his shoulder.
Alex took a step back, her scythe trembling in her hand. Uh, I am for the moment. But I’m staring at a bunch of giants. Get your ass back down here, please. As fast as you can.
Chine groaned in pain, and Alex looked up in time to see Chine whirling, trying to get away from the vrosks that were swarming him. Chine! Alex called.
Chine let loose a jet of fire, but he was still being overwhelmed. I can’t get away, Chine shouted. They must have been planning on separating us. You will have to fight alone until I can get back to you, Alex. Fight well.
Alex’s legs buckled as she took another step back, scanning the air for Jim. She hit her comm but heard nothing. The comms were connected to the dragon anchor. She was alone.
The ground thundered as the group of giants took another step toward Alex. Oh my God oh my God oh my God, Alex thought, the words reverberating in her skull. What am I going to do?
The scythe wasn’t large enough. She was too small and not nearly strong enough. There were too many giants and mammoths. What the hell was a dragonrider without a dragon? If this were Middang3ard VR, this would have been an instant game over, but it wasn’t. Here it meant a slow, agonizing death.
The giant with the black rod stepped away from the rest of the giants as thunder cracked above and rain began to pour. “Ah, you are the human we were warned about,” the giant boomed, his voice nearly as loud as the thunder. “What do they call you?”
Alex’s voice stuck in her throat. She knew she was being taunted but couldn’t answer, simply standing in silence as the giant gloated at her fear.
The leader of the giants pounded his chest and shouted, “Are you a mute as well as a cripple?” He pointed at Alex’s robotic hand. “Let me inform you of the name of the one who will bring your death. I am Hulmor, the First Giant of the Dark One. I will grind your bones up after I tear away your flesh.”
Alex knew she should run, but there was nowhere to go. The giants were much larger than her. She’d be caught in a matter of seconds. Where the hell was Jim? What was he doing up there?
Maybe I can stall until Chine can get down here, Alex thought. “How are you going to do that from all the way over there?” she shouted.
“Oh, so the mouse can speak?” Hulmor chuckled. “After we break you, I’ll boil you alive. That way, you will come right apart, and your bones will crack easier.”
“Break me? Are you talking emotionally or physically? You’re gonna have to be more specific because, I mean, I think I might be emotionally broken already. The last few months have been a hell storm. I saw a bunch of kids at my school die. Then my mind got flayed by your boss and his weird son/child thing or whatever. Oh, and I got dragged into a cross-dimensional rescue mission.”
Alex didn’t know why all those words were pouring out of her, but once she started, she couldn’t stop. They just kept flowing. “I mean, I have a crush on two guys. Which is, like, the least of all my problems. But I really wish it was just my only problem. I miss my parents, and I’m worried how upset and terrified they’d be if they found out how dangerous my life is.”
The giants looked at each other, obviously confused by the rant Alex was giving. Even Hulmor looked puzzled by how the situation was playing out.
Alex started pacing, rubbing her temple with her free hand. “I mean, I am exhausted. Like, really exhausted. I’ve never been this tired in my whole life, and I don’t feel like I can get anything right. I mean, it’s not like I’m doing anything wrong. It just feels like it’s not right. Not good enough. Even this! Chine’s fighting his ass off up there,
