Blackstone

The Fighting Master

Suddenly, a tall lizard like creature swung out of the jungle on a thick vine and gracefully landed between us and the raptors. The lizard man stood about six and a half feet tall and carried a long wooden staff.

            Lizard Man dropped into a fighting crouch. The Raptors shrieked and charged. Carrie, Thomas, and myself watched with astonished looks on our faces as the Lizard Man waded into the Raptor Pack.

            Moving incredibly fast, Lizard Man's staff flashed and twirled. Crack! Whrap! Crump! One by one by the Raptors went down. I tried to focus, to see what this mysterious rescuer was doing. It was impossible. He moved too fast for us to see.

            Twenty Seconds later, the six Raptors lay stunned at Lizard's Man feet. He twirled his staff over his head, let out a powerful triumphant war cry and turned to face us.

            Standing about Six and half feet tall, Lizard Man's body was a model of physical perfection: bulging muscles that would make any weightlifter jealous, long toned limbs, and broad shoulders. Other than his wooden staff, he only wore a short loin cloth and a rich black and red sash that draped over his shoulder.

            "Man, that was amazing," Thomas exclaimed.

            The Lizard Man gave a graceful bow. Behind him, the Raptors wobbled to their feet. Lizard Man faced them and pointed with his staff, "Go on. There'll be no easy meal for you today." The raptors slunk off into the jungle.

            I stepped forward. This being had saved our lives and Mary had always taught me to acknowledge debts when they were owed. I performed a half bow. "Thank you," I said with as much respect as I could muster.

            "You're welcome," the lizard man said with a deep, booming, gravelly voice. He scrutinized us with a penetrating laser stare that looked as if it could cut through stone.

            "By the Great Gods of Azor, every year they send me scrawnier humans. Do you get feed enough in the Above World? Is there a famine they haven't told me about? Has another asteroid hit?" He walked off back towards the jungle path that led back to the clearing. He turned back towards us, impatiently waved for us to follow him.

            I looked at Carrie and Thomas. "I'd guess, we'd better follow him."

            Carrie shrugged. "It does seem a much better alternative than wandering through this jungle alone."

            "Especially with those dinos running around loose. Bloody hell, where the hell are we? The Land of the Lost?" Thomas said.

            We followed the Lizard Warrior back up the jungle path and into the clearing. Back in the clearing, I was surprised to see 3 MechaNects standing beside the Lizard Warrior.

            "Drink up, young students. The jungle heat will drain the life out of you without water," the lizard warrior said.

            The MechaNects carried canteens and we gratefully took them and drank from them. The cold water hit my parched throat. I didn't realize how thirsty I was.

            "This is great. You don't realize how good water is until it's gone," said Thomas.

            "Don't drink too fast, Thomas. You'll cramp up in this heat," Carrie warned.

            I screwed the cap back on my canteen and handed it back to the MechaNect. The hot sun beat down on my face and I mopped my brow. I shaded my eyes against the sun with my hand and looked into the sky. The sun shone hot in the bright blue sky. Far off in the distance, the tall snow capped mountain loomed. Even as far off as we were, I could still see the black dots that were dragons. I wonder how far away from Blackstone we were.