“So, I guess the cannibals know we’re here,” Nakoda said, pointing around with his lance at the three bodies.
“Well, they’re all dead,” Paco yawned, holstering his gun as Turtle carried him on over.
“These ones,” Lilian growled.
“And since these ones are dead, there’s nobody to report back.”
Rolling her eyes, Lilian made her eagle disappear with a wave of her hand and then stormed up the hill, back to her tent.
Nakoda jumped off of me and hurried over to Alton, beaming with pride. Curiously, traces of my magic remained on him despite us no longer making direct contact. While I pondered the implications of this, he hopped up and down like an overexcited child. He told Alton, “You were really good! You didn’t almost die this time! You hit stuff! I’m proud of you!” He stopped hopping and patted the first mate’s elbow. “You’ll make a good Rider of the Wing. We’ll just have to get you a horse or a donkey…Or whatever Turtle is.”
Alton seemed to be only half listening. He was holding his rapier up by his face, watching the bubble-like magic fade from the weapon. “Sorry, Nakoda. Not much of a rider,” he muttered. “Sailing’s always been where my heart lies. Or, well, floats, I suppose. The ocean’s my home.” He lowered the sword and looked over his shoulder, at Seaweed Man. He was searching through the corpses. “Thank you for blessing me.”
Seaweed Man rolled a shoulder. “You showed promise.”
“Would you be able to bless me again during the battles to come?”
Seaweed Man stood, looking disappointed at the dead cannibals and their clear lack of the gems he desperately desired. “If you’re within touching distance.”
Lilian returned with Belkross at her side.
“You missed the fun,” Paco told him. “Trap okay?”
“Of course it is. I was guarding it,” replied the mercenary coolly. He and Lilian also took turns searching the dead men. Nothing of value came of it. The only thing of real interest was how pale these cannibals were beneath their flayed skin clothing. Instead of uniform pale bodies, all three cannibals were spotted. White spots of flesh surrounded by naturally tan, grizzled skin. It reminded me of the Grays and how they’d been mutated and discolored. Was there another fungus god on this island or was this part of the strangeness spreading through the Thrunefang Tribe that Aycenia had mentioned?
It was only then that I realized that it was several minutes past dawn, with the sun shooting rays of light over the treetops. My stomach growled. Lilian heard it and smiled at me. “You said it, Don.” She looked back up the hill, to where Aycenia looked on with a troubled expression. “Do we have time for breakfast before the next batch of man-eaters arrive, Aycenia?”
“There were scouts, I think,” the dryad called down. “The rest are retreating. Your…demonstration seems to have made them rethink a further assault.”
Lilian nodded. “Good. Breakfast now.” Her lips curled into a small smile. “Afterwards, we meet the Shadow at dusk.”
#
Many hours later, with the day spent and dusk fast approaching, I sorely wished I’d skipped out on that breakfast. By this point everyone had taken their assigned positions. Nakoda, Alton, and I were manning the makeshift catapult that’d hurl our vine net. With Aycenia manipulating the trees, we were near invisible behind the tree line without fear of them getting in the way of the net. Paco and Seaweed Man were manning the cannons. They were currently pointed down from the cliff, at Belkross. The mercenary stood at the base of the cliff, mere feet from the pit trap. Despite Nakoda’s objections, Belkross and Paco had set up the cannibals’ corpse all around the trap, turning them into scarecrows.
Or really, offerings.
Bait.
Back up on the cliff, Lilian raised her hand and shot a ball of flames up into the sky. In the dim light, it looked almost like a shooting star. That was the signal.
I’m not sure if the humans felt it when Aycenia put out the call. Unlike the subtle manipulation that she’d been using to keep the animals calm and made it safe for us to walk through the jungle, this was a blast of pressure. I couldn’t keep myself from trotting back and forth with anxiety. My heart pounded in my ears, but that was drowned out by chorus of roars and shrieks that quickly filled the sky. Minutes passed but it didn’t take long before our audience arrived. They kept past the line, but I spotted several eyes in the shadows and there was the rustling of hundreds of bodies gathered in one place. Finding a seat for the battle for the crown.
And, with the final rays of light to its back, the Flying Shadow swooped in from the sky.
Its reptilian-like body was covered in pitch-black skin, with dark membrane between its bat-like wings. In contrast, the beast’s eyes were deep crimson. They bulged with excitement, glancing back and forth before finally settling upon Belkross.
Mouth salivating, the Shadow dove.
“Go!” Nakoda cried. He and Alton set off the catapult. Linked vines flew through the air and collided with the Shadow. A booming howl of rage and surprise burst from its throat as it fell towards the trap below. Unfortunately, it managed to tear a wing through the net. Using it, the Shadow changed it trajectory and avoided the pit. Belkross leapt to the side as the beast rolled across the ground, knocking into and sending dead cannibals flying.
Only now that the Shadow was at ground level, did I realize how big this beast was. Its black-scaled body was forged from lithe muscle, and its claws and fangs looked purposely made to gore and shred apart any and all challengers. That and cut through vines.
My heart dropped into my stomach. The Shadow snapped at the net viciously until it made a hole with its teeth. It’d be free within seconds if someone didn’t do something-
“BOYS!”
I looked up and spotted Lilian standing at the cliff’s edge, directly overseeing the trap, hands clasped behind her back. She looked down upon the thrashing Shadow and, with a smile that warped her face, eyes glowing with raw hunger, called out, “RELEASE HELL!”
Seaweed Man set off his cannon a split second before Paco did his. Two cannonballs tied together by chains spun through the air. In that moment, the Shadow reached a clawed hand through the net and raised it to attack Belkross. Because of that, the spinning cannonballs struck just above its bicep, tearing the limb off and carrying it away. The hit also yanked the Shadow sideways so that it was forced to look straight up.
Planting its head directly in the second blast’s path.
I don’t know if Paco planned it or if it was just dumb luck or divine intervention. Either way, it amounted to the same thing. The gunslinger’s shot hit the Flying Shadow’s neck. The chains wrapped around and around, squeezed and-
POP!
Blood erupted from the monster’s neck as its decapitated head flew away. Like a giant chicken, its body continued to twitch and move, its good arm continuing to claw pathetically at empty air. Finally, inevitably, the corpse collapsed sideways with a wet, heavy thump.
In the silence that followed, Belkross retrieved the Shadow’s head. Despite it being three times the size of his own head, he raised it up with both arms. Blood spurted from the torn neck and all over him, but he didn’t care. He made a roar of victory and every animal answered.
The Shadow is dead.
Long live the Shadows!