The Wishing Tree - Book Two [Completed]

Heart of the Matter - Part 8

Acid hits the rock behind me and I dodge again, running in circles around the quillore, using the poisoned arrow to jab at it as the others fire repeatedly. His tail swishes, and I'm tossed end over end towards a pile of rocks. I scramble to my feet. The quillore reminds me of a giant cobra, but without the ability to lunge forward. To compensate, it's capable of twisting its body one hundred and eighty degrees without compromising its position. It's hard to fight and I'm pretty sure I'm going to get burned beyond recognition trying to get this thing's heart. 

"Hannah!" Mason yells, and I duck instinctively. I hear the acid hit the rocks and sizzle in the heat of the day. It's like we've been fighting this thing for hours.

I jump behind one of the larger boulders and take the bow from Riven. He grabs a new poison-tipped arrow and leaps into the fray. Acid spews out of the quillore's mouth. It roars with rage as Riven plunges the arrow into its tail over and over. Mason yells at the quillore to get its attention and fires another shot. The beast looks like a pin cushion and a brief moment of sadness mixes with the adrenaline. It's putting up a hell of a fight. Mason motions to Rocco who has crept around the back of the quillore and is preparing to scale the beast's back as our last stand.

"Now!" Mason yells. He and I fire the last of our arrows. Riven plunges the poison arrow into the beast's side and Rocco scrambles up its back. When he reaches the beast's head, he pulls a long sword out of his back and thrusts it into the top of the beast's scull. A whimper escapes from its mouth along with one last burst of acid. The quillore goes limp, crashing to the ground.

"Riven!" I yell and immediately leave the safety of my boulder. Riven is partially trapped under the tail of the quillore. I squat down to get some leverage under the tail and heave with all my might. I manage to lift the tail off the ground, but I can't pull him out and keep the tail elevated.

"Mason! Mason! Pull Riven out," I yell, frantic.

I look over to my left, and Rocco is sliding across the body of the quillore. He grabs Riven's legs and pulls him out and away from the quillore. I drop the tail with a thud and my arms throb.

"Rocco, is he going to be okay?" I ask.

Mason is kneeling beside Riven and running his hands down Riven's legs. Riven is awake and grimacing in pain. Mason looks up and meets my gaze. Indecision is clear on his face. I move closer, wondering what I can do.

"Can I get something to help? A branch for a splint, anything?" I ask.

Mason sighs, puts his hands on his thighs, and focuses on Rocco. "What colony are you and Riven from?"

Rocco glances at his friend and then at Mason. "Are his legs broken?"

"Yes. What colony are you from?" Mason persists.

"The Mutatty." Rocco says as he and Mason exchange a knowing look.

"I can help him. But, it would go against your beliefs," Mason says.

Rocco's face hardens and he nods. "Help him. He'll die if he can't walk. They'll kill him at the colony."

My eyes flick from Rocco to Mason. "They'll kill him if he can't walk? His legs would heal!"

Rocco narrows his eyes at me and then turns a watchful gaze towards Mason. "What is she? She isn't from this realm. You can bring people down, too?"

Mason shoots an annoyed look in my direction. "She's not important. I can heal your friend, and we'll help you haul the body back to your colony. I'll need a few things for the spell if you and Hannah can grab them quickly." He pauses for a moment and then amends his statement. "Actually, it would be best if you just grabbed what I needed."