I rolled onto my stomach and attempted to crawl out from under the monster. The creature let out a pitiful moan and collapsed onto my legs as soon as my thighs cleared the threshold.
My eyes widened, and I gasped as a sharp pain shot up my spine from the weight crushing my legs. I thrashed around, trying to get out from beneath the dying creature’s body, but it was futile. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I clawed at the ground, the loose peachy sand sieving between my fingers.
Was this how I was going to die?
Pressing my cheek against the ground, I lay still and focused on my breathing. Trying to think of a way to get myself out of this situation before it was too late, I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths to calm myself.
To die like this was not an option for me.
The rustling of nearby ferns drew my attention, and dread settled in as I opened my eyes to accept my fate after a long struggle.
An emerald plant-like creature appeared on two legs, carrying a spear, its gaze fixed on mine, a worried expression on its face.
“Help me!”
CHAPTERFIVE
ZYRE
With my spear and utility belt in hand, I dashed in the direction where I last saw the pafeldae stalking the unknown bipedal creature.
In the thick brush, my feet propelled me forward as quickly as they could, as if sending an apology to any plants I may have injured along the way. If I hadn’t been traveling along the paths I’d carved out for myself, which led me to the most important parts of my territory, I would have taken my time tenderly passing by whenever I wasn’t traveling along them. There was no time to take it easy around the plant life because every breath I took could mean another step closer to the pafeldae, who were on their way to meet my unexpected visitor.
Unless I could prevent it, I was not going to allow an unexpected life to be taken away on my property.
The pafeldae were a menace. They set up large webs in the canopy to capture the lives of the unexpected, destroying the ecosystem in the process by killing for sport rather than for survival.
The sound of a roar followed by a loud screech filled my ears, forcing myself to pick up speed. The sound wasn’t like anything I’d ever heard before—no creature within my borders could make such a high-pitched noise.
And I was too late—from what I could tell, they’d already crossed paths. The pafeldae had already discovered its next prey, and I needed to prevent it from killing the bipedal creature carelessly.
Whispers from a nearby tree reached my ears, pleading for assistance from the pafeldae. The threat appeared to have turned its attention to a defenseless tree, knowing that I would hear its cries and feel its pain.
I forced my legs to pick up speed, no longer trying to avoid any underbrush that was in my way, as I prayed to my origin and the mother tree. I would return in time to apologize for any injuries I may have caused. My plants would realize that I would only act in this manner in an emergency.
And one of them was rescuing a visitor from a pafeldae.
The warm, bright sun welcomed me as I burst through the ferns into the clearing near the waterfall, taking in her wonderful rays.
I sucked in a deep breath as I took in the scene in front of me. I was too late.
All the noises I’d heard along the way were the two of them fighting. The stinger of the pafeldae appeared to be stuck in the thick branch and held in place by the sticky sap that oozed over the tip of its tail and held it in place.
A rainbow-haired creature wrapped in a black cloth stared at me from the base of its tail, trapped beneath its body, their rich brown eyes pleading with me to help them. They extended a hand, as if reaching for me, and yelled something that would make the morning birds jealous.
Nodding at the delicate creature, determination flooded me to rescue them as soon as possible and to ensure they knew I would make everything right and save them.
I dashed toward the pafeldae, spear in hand, seeing how the vile creature had been duped into this awkward position. If I had to guess, it was my uninvited guest, and since there were no weapons nearby, it might have been the only way they could come up to defeat it.
Scrunching down, I leapt as high as I could, using my upper vines to grab on to the lower hanging branches and swing onto the pafeldae’s back, landing with its tail between my legs, squeezing them against its side.
While trying to reach me with its claws, the pafeldae bucked its head, releasing the tree and continuing to twist its body in its attempts.
I weaved out of the way without a moment’s hesitation, easily dodging each claw as I waited for an opportunity to strike. Because its tail was wedged in the tree, it was still unable to move. Ideally, I hoped that the rainbow-haired creature would take advantage of the opportunity to crawl out from under the pafeldae while I kept it occupied, exhausting it before I put an end to its existence.
The pafeldae stumbled to the side, attempting to buck me off while being stabbed through the belly by a spear. Surprisingly, the rainbow-colored creature was able to deliver such a lethal blow as the predator slowly bled out, with purple blood pooling around us.
The pafeldae’s movements slowed and weakened as each breath became shallow and unsteady, letting out a pitiful growl as it collapsed on its side.
