Streams - Book 1

Chapter 12

This band sucks

Jenni shivered in the cool cave air and looked down the tunnel. "How long do you think they'll be?"

Aakil shook his head, "I'm sure that will depend on if they find the Manticore or not."

Everyone was quiet for a moment and then a low hum came from the right tunnel. It felt like the floor and walls were vibrating with the sound. "What was that?" Jenni asked. Cocking her head to the side, she tried to make out the muffled voices that were echoing towards her. She stepped into the mouth of the right tunnel. "Stay here," she called back to Aakil and Lilly. "It sounds like someone is playing music!"

"That's the Manticore!" Aakil said as he pulled his robe up over his head, in hopes he would look more like a coat rack, and less like a terrified Gnome.

"He could use some lessons." Jenni noted. The sound blaring down the tunnels reminded Jenni of the one time she had tried out for school band. The first concert was a loud out-of-tune noise.

"Move!" Lilly screamed, pulling Jenni back into the main tunnel as two energy beams from Tlaloc's gun rickashayed down the tunnel and exploded into the wall beside the group.

"Make it stop," Aakil yelled as the Manticore's cry began to sond like the horn on a large semi truck. Kneeling down between Lilly and Aakil, who was still hiding under his robe, Jenni covered her own ears, as the Manticore's cry grew to a deafening roar. Three explosions rocked the tunnels followed by a flash of light and then all fell silent.

Cautiously Jenni uncovered her ears. When no sound bellowed down the tunnel, she motioned for Aakil and Lilly to uncover their ears. However, right as they did so, Jenni heard footsteps walking down the tunnel. She rose to her feet and placed herself between the tunnel and Lilly and Aakil. "It's them," Jenni said, as Ava, Mia, and Tlaloc rounded the corner and rejoined the group. The twins were dusty from head to toe, like they had been thrown to the ground several times. Tlaloc was not much better and, in fact, was bleeding from a shallow cut on his left arm.

The twins grinned as they pulled out their torches and relit them. "Twins 1, Manticore 0," Ava said as she gave her sister a celebratory high five.

Noticing Tlaloc's arm, Jenni slid her medical pack off her hip and pulled it open. "Do you need anything for that?" she questioned, earning herself a puzzled look from Tlaloc.

"For what?" he asked as he gave himself a quick check.

"Your arm," Jenni replied as she pulled her jacket over her hand and gently wiped away the blood, revealing that the cut was already healed.

"Thanks, but I'm fine, didn't even know he got me." Tlaloc said as he motioned to the group, "Come on. The exit is down this tunnel, past the Manticore."

The group followed him down the tunnel until they got to a space that widened a bit. There Jenni got her first look at the Manticore. The creature had the body of a lion, tail of a scorpion, and the face of a human. The face was outlined in curly red hair and a long beard.

"It's okay," Tlaloc said as he walked around the unmoving form. "The sedative in the collar will keep it deeply asleep until I get him someplace safe, and remove it." He stared down at it, an unreadable look on his face.

"He's not your brother you know," Ava said mockingly.

"He might as well be," Tlaloc replied, "DNA doesn't lie."

"Well, I hope you're not expecting us to help you haul that thing out of here," the twins said, as Tlaloc pulled two poles and some rope from along the tunnel wall.