Cloudchild

Chapter 8 - Monsters

While the miners fought, one of the creatures wobbled into Annani's lighting.

Strangely, the monster's extensive arms naturally went upwards from the tops of the shoulders, elbows bent with forearms downwards, used like walking sticks or as if to crawl while standing. The monsters kept their extreme legs bent, knees up to their chests, neck left hanging behind the forearms and shins. Double-jointed fingers from hands and feet continuously swept the cave floor, claws clicking against earth while the digits wriggled.

The creature's movements were twitchy and sometimes zappy, tendons popping while its body made sloshy noises. Cracks in its exoskeleton leaked goo.

The monster stopped, four sets of fingers tapping earth. The curvature of a lengthy neck arose then slowly straightened between the forearms and knees. A head emerged, shaped somewhat like a horse's skull. One huge eyeball behind a lens-like tendon organ, positioned where the forehead should be, gazed to and fro.

Electricity flashed out of the monster.

Don't let him see you! Annani ducked and listened.

Several defiant shouts and grunts boomed over yonder. The noise degraded to bloody sounds.

The peacock returned limping and huddled against Annani.

"Look what you've gotten yourself into! You shouldn't have been so lazy, then we wouldn't be in this mess!"

The beast's hinged jaws opened and closed, teeth clicking aloud while blood and drool dripped. It slowly grabbed the overturned minecart, immense fingers nearly reaching Annani.

A barbed, tubular tongue flicked out, almost a metre long, slithering through the air and along the cart. Annani and the bird leaned away. The monster loomed, all its grotesque features visible as blood dripped upon Annani's gelatinous cap.

Annani and her bird looked at each other. "I think we can both agree...he is really ugly." The monster sucked its tongue in and stared in Annani's eyes. She waved. "Hi."

The googly-eyed peacock extended his neck and gave the monster a little peck. The monster wetly snarled and reared—a peacock tail erupted. Startled by the feathery mass, the monster fell over.

The peacock angrily honked, pecking furiously while his talons bicycled against the monster. The monster rolled over, peacock tossed into darkness. The other monsters twitched forth, bodies making sloshing noises, movements revealed whenever they lit up with electricity, their teeth and claws bloody.

Annani's heart thumped, eyes wide. Her stomach churned, legs losing strength. Her Magna Bulla just remained on her head and...existed.

The initial monster regained itself, tongue whipping through the air. The peacock honked, ducking as the gross muscle went over his head and flicked around Annani. She squeaked and darted off—the tongue overextended and whiplashed her. Annani's bristly head and gelatinous rider smacked against the ground like a mop.

She groaned, undoing her hat's tentacles. "Save yourself, you fool" The jelly floated then flopped down. "Ughh..."

The monster's tongue retracted, dragging Annani through the darkness, rocks scraping against her face and teeth. Dust snorted and coughed, Annani's mouth and nose bled, teeth knocking against the earth.

Annani pushed her arms against the ground, feeling her body slightly lift. "Oh, that was easy! Wwuh—" The monster sucked its tongue in—and Annani's head. An avalanche of stink swarmed her. She gagged, "You have bad breath! Oh-whoa!" The monster's tongue and jaw moved her around.

Munch, munch, munch.

Protracted quills interrupted the monster's chewing, clogging its throat. Annani wriggled as monstrous teeth clicked against her scales, ripping her robe. Another monster swallowed Annani's legs; she kicked teeth while she was chewed from both ends.