Between The Crystals

Ch 17 Bamboo Trap

After a quick glance around to make sure no Saursunes were present, I ran back to the net and pulled out a small knife. I tried to saw through the mesh but only a few threads parted. My knife wasn't going to work.

"Climb over it!" I exclaimed. The gaps in the mesh were bigger than my hand—perfect for footholds.

The hunters immediately started scaling the netting, only to stop when yellow sparks crackled between beads on the top cable.

I backed up in alarm. There were such cables around some fields and orchards, and there were far too many stories of people who had trouble walking for hours after touching or brushing against them.

A hunter dropped down, pointing at something behind me. I spun around to see two heavily armored Saursunes walking down the path on their hind legs. The bamboo fence extended toward them and formed a perfect bottleneck. My companions weren't the only ones who were trapped.

I dropped my knife and backed against the central post, which was as far as I could get from the two advancing down the path. My companions gathered as close as they could, even though they could have retreated to the far side of their cage.

The hunters quickly threw their bows and knives over the bamboo fence. I fervently hoped it would be enough. I shivered in fear, and I could feel the vibrations of at least two others trembling as they leaned against the netting.

The Saursunes stopped and continued to regard us from where they stood. One looked at the other, and its quiet rumbles and hisses were barely audible. The other replied in their bizarre language and lifted a clawed hand to the armband on its upper arm.

The far ends of the net walls dropped from their anchor points, and I staggered back as the loose netting no longer held me up. The hunters—quick of thought as always—immediately reacted. Two ushered me into the middle of the group, moving to stand between me and the Saursunes. The other two made sure the gatherers weren't left behind as everyone shuffled away.

We desperately scanned the fence for a gap we could squeeze through. There was nothing.

We huddled against the far wall, unable to get any farther away. Two hunters began pushing and pulling on the bamboo stalks, but they had been driven too deep into the soil to budge. They gave up and gathered with us to await our fate.

As the Saursunes slowly advanced, weapons in hand, the four hunters pressed us against the bamboo stalks, standing in front of us. Their rapid breathing betrayed their fear, but they remained between us and danger, ready to sacrifice themselves in case there was a chance of anyone escaping.

"Don't fight," I whispered. "Just run when you get the chance. They need us alive if they want to put trackers on us. I'll check back here later today if you don't reach the crystal in time."

None replied. They knew our odds of survival were slim. Two armed Saursune against seven humans trying to cross four hundred paces? We weren't getting out of here unless they let us, which wasn't likely with a trap this sophisticated. A month ago, I would have had zero hope of surviving a situation like this, but with their determination to track humans the last few days, we had a chance, and that was what I was focusing on.

I peered between the gatherers and hunters crowded in front of me. The Saursunes had stopped and were talking to each other again. Their almost bored stance was unusual; they didn't seem hostile or even overly concerned about our presence. They kept glancing at us, and I had the unsettling feeling that their eyes locked onto mine more than the others.

With an annoyed snort, one raised the weapon in his hand. My heart stopped. A green ball of light blasted into the bamboo stalks fifty paces to the side. Splinters flew as half a dozen stems toppled over, leaving a large hole in the wall. We stared at the opening in shock for several seconds.