Moon's Call (Sample)

Chapter Five

Theresa smiled and turned back to Marise. "It is mad at you."

"It?" Marise raised an inquisitive brow.

Theresa shrugged. "It's a hermaphrodite, so I'm confused of which gender to place it."

"He looks more like a mean little man to me." Marise laughed and Berry suddenly jolted out of hiding and started hauling gibberish insults at her, pointing one of his three fingers at her. Marise flinched and then slapped the end of her tail on the surface of the water, splashing water on Berry who shrieked and scurried into hiding again. Marise stared at Theresa and shook her head. "Very mean indeed." She observed Theresa for a while and asked. "Is everything okay? You look troubled."

Theresa sighed and fingered a pebble between her thumb and her index. "I'm leaving soon, Marise."

Marise's eyes widened in surprise. "Why? Not when I've finally found a non- aquatic friend."

"The Queen says I have to take go to Pragoth." Theresa replied.

"Pragoth?" Marise frowned. "That's far across the seas."

"So I heard." She said sadly.

"The veil is weaker there." Marise pointed out.

"I know that too." Theresa said sadly.

There was a brief silence before Marise finally said again. "May I come with you?"

Theresa stared at her in surprise. "Come along? You can't walk on land, how will you come on board the ship?"

"I'll simply swim along with the ship."

"It will wear you out." Theresa turned away. "I heard it takes five nights to get there."

"I'll hold on to some porpoise, they will convey me when I'm tired. I have some friends at the sea around Pragoth, I'm sure I'll be warmly received."

Theresa smiled then shrugged. "I'll appreciate that, Just stay out of sight from the queen and the crew. The Queen is cruel."

"I'll take my chances." Marise simply replied. "I don't hear your grouchy little friend anymore."

Theresa glanced behind the rock and said. "It is fast asleep."

Marise smiled. "Let's play a game before sundown."

       

          ***
The beast dashed into the bush on its powerful six legs that thudded the earth with its weight. Its large size was menacing and it charged through the bush with the wolves hot on its tail. It was determined to reach its destination while the wolves were however keen on intercepting it and taking it down with their only source of light which was the moon filtering its beams through the canopies of the high trees.

The beast continued running, charging through trees and felling them to create obstacles for its pursuers but the wolves skillfully leapt past the felled trees still after it. The lead wolf ran faster than the remaining four behind him, its eyes locked on their quarry.

The beast suddenly bristled its back and shot out poisonous needles, several of the wolves were quick to duck and dodge from the needles but the last wolf wasn't so lucky. The needle penetrated its furry shoulder and it yelped and tumbled to a stop on the forest floor while the others increased their speed after the beast.

They knew where the beast was headed for and knew that if the beast got away, they were forever doomed for it was going back to bring many of its kind who would wreck havoc and chaos in the realm and the wolves had enough trouble with one, to deal with a herd of them.