As far as I could tell, the span was intact on the other side. That meant that if I could somehow get across the nine-meter gap, I’d be able to get to the other side of the river. I couldn’t be sure, but it looked like there was a clearing on the far side of the river, with a more defined path leading away into the jungle.
If I could gather some of the vines that were plentiful around here, and some long, thin trees, I’d probably be able to make a ladder or something I could use to bridge the gap. Hell, even a long enough pole might work. I could pin it to the span with some rocks to steady it, then make my way across the pole, hand over hand. Or I could—
Something whizzed by my shoulder. What the hell?
And then something else flew past my head.
I whipped around and saw seven or eight humanoid creatures advancing on me. They were half a head shorter than me, with thick sloped skulls, beady eyes, and great pig-like snouts with nostrils big enough to inhale an apple.
Although they were partially dressed in animal furs and rough cloth, it was clear that the creatures were thickly-muscled. They were also well-equipped with primitive weapons, including javelins, spears, and clubs. The lead creature bellowed at me in a language I had never heard before. But the meaning was clear nonetheless. Die, naked human!
Another volley of javelins came at me and I threw myself down to the ground just in time to evade the missiles.
My heart pounded against the stone as I flattened myself. Thankfully the arch of the bridge provided a bit of cover. But I knew it wouldn’t last long. The creatures would just move closer until they could take me out at close range.
I chanced a look behind me, at the gap. Vegetation hung on the far pillar. Even if I couldn’t jump fully across the chasm, I might be able to catch onto some of the vines below. It was worth a shot, since my only alternative was to die here up here on the bridge. I did some mental calculations, involving angles and velocity, but just figured out that I needed to run as fast as possible and jump as far as possible. Maybe the lesser gravity would make this less of a suicide mission than it seemed.
As I turned back and flattened myself again, I noticed that the barrage of javelins had stopped. Maybe the creatures had run out of ammo. Or it meant that they were going for a close quarters attack.
Movement in front of me caught my eye, and, acting purely on instinct, I rolled away—just in time to evade a massive wooden club as it smashed into the space I had occupied a half second before.
Looming above me was the largest of the creatures. He roared as he yanked his club up for another blow. This time I had nowhere to go.
But I wasn’t about to just bow my head and let him smash it in.
I grabbed his ankles and yanked with all my might. It barely budged him. He just laughed at me and brought his club down.
I thought I was done for—and expected the next thing I’d feel was my head being smashed like an overripe melon.
But something weird happened.
The creature flew away from me—almost like he had been hit by a very intense gust of wind.
I watched in amazement as he tumbled over the side of the bridge and plunged to his death on the rocks below.
There was no time to savor my victory—as odd as it was. Three more of the brutes charged me, brandishing clubs and sharpened sticks.
Heart thundering in my chest, I backed away, looking for some way past them. But they fanned out into what looked like a well-practiced battle formation. And four more of the creatures moved into position behind them.
The closest brute taunted me in a guttural language, while another swung some sort of sling-like weapon around its head. Instinctively I ducked back, but it was too late. Pain ripped through my upper arm.
I was shot!
Then, suddenly, the other two charged me.
I felt something whoosh past my head again, and I jumped away. But I wasn’t hit again.
I couldn’t say the same about my attacker.
A good part of his skull exploded in a splash of blood and brain matter.
Before I could process what was happening, a high-pitched whine cut through the air and another one of the creatures jerked back as something punched a fist-sized hole in his chest.
The brute with the sling momentarily froze in fear, right before his head jerked back in a spray of blood.
I crouched down low, trying to get out of the line of fire. More shots whizzed past me, but the remaining four creatures beat a hasty retreat into the jungle.
A voice called angrily from somewhere behind me. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
I turned to see a woman with a rifle standing on the far edge of the broken span. She was dressed in loose-fitting expedition gear with a pack slung across one shoulder. Her dark hair fell to her jawline and partially covered her face, so I couldn’t get a good read on her expression.
“So?”
I didn’t know what to say, other than “Thank you.”
She looked my naked body up and down and said, “I have so many questions, I don’t even know where to begin.”
“Uh—”
“You do know that west of the river is Bondril territory, don’t you?”
“I didn’t—”
“And that it’s generally not very smart to go skinny dipping in a body of water infested with cothiwa eels?”
“I wasn’t—”
“Well?” She cut me off.
“Well what?”
“Are you planning on standing there all day? The Bondril will be back, and I, for one, have better things to do than stick around to save your skinny ass again.”
Wow. This girl was infuriating.
“I’d happily join you on
