The Chronicles of Time - Book 2: The Book of Flames

Chapter XIII: Treehouses and Talking Rhinos

Chapter XIII: Treehouses and Talking Rhinos

The four of us sneaked around the forest in broad daylight. The large green canopies of the trees provided us with momentary coolness fron time to time. Like last night, Alicia grappled my arm steadily. Khael and Lissandra walked right in front of us, Khael checking in on us from time to time.

"Is the bag of bacon really necessary?" Khael asked, wrinkling his nose.

"It is vital for my nourishment," Lisa replied, shouldering the large sack she had stolen from the troll hole. "They come from the best and healthiest ground Bisons of the O-Nyas."

"I wouldn't really think meat from a bunch of trolls is that special," Khael said, pushing aside a lush green vine.

"You wouldn't know until you taste it."

Without warning, Alicia suddenly froze, tightly clenching my arm.

"What is it?" I asked. Khael and Lisa stopped as well, noticing our halt.

"Something's coming this way; fast," she said. A second or two after saying so, a low, deep thundering boom like a pair of drums slowly became audible.

"Run?" Khael suggested, positioning himself to sprint.

Lisa stopped him, however, putting a hand to his shoulder. "I know what this is. Stay put."

"What do you mean stay put?" I asked. Alicia poked my shoulder. Once she got my attention, she pointed in a direction.

"It's coming from there," she said.

From afar, I could see a smoke trail rising up from behind the thing making the sound. Trees bent as it passed through. That was not something I wanted to "stay put" for.

Then, like a pair of speakers slowly being tuned up, a roaring, "Mistresssss!" echoed across the forest. I could see the object stomping and saying mistress by then. It was a gray and bulky rhino. The animal didn't seem to be stopping as it stampeded right towards Alicia and me.

Instinctively, I grabbed Alicia's other hand and stepped side in the last second.

"Quick!" The rhino spoke. I guess it was an Edheros. "You must go, mistress, while your capturers are distracted! I will make them busy!" The big slab of white turned towards us.

"Uh..." I muttered, raising a finger for objection. The rhino charged.

My passive tech kicked in, slowing the rhino's approach.

"It's pretty," Alicia said, looking around us. I couldn't see what she saw, though. But my guess was that she saw Aura from my passive tech, slowing down time around us. I got her by the arm and stepped aside once more as the rhino freight-trained into a boulder.

The rock split in half.

"Vann, that's enough," Lisa ordered. "They are not hostile. They are with me."

"Sheesh, talk about almost getting crushed," Khael said, patting me on the back. "You two okay?"

"I think so," I said. "Alicia?"

She nodded. "I'm okay."

Lisa clapped her hands, calling our attention. "This will make our journey much faster. Vann here is a friend of mine."

"Not your Edheros?" I asked.

Lisa chuckled. "I thought you would know. Guardians of Time only have wolves as partners. Nothing else. Vann here is simply a friend."

The rhino backed off from the rubble like a large dumpster truck. He shook his pointy nose, clearing the remaining dust he got from pulverizing the boulder. "I beg forgiveness, then," he said, turning towards me. "Almost crushing you and your girlfriend."