Artemis Child

Monster Earth Ch5

"So what is this?" Kaylyn asked the shaman looking away from the mystic glow of the canyon. "As time goes on. Survival is less promising." She explained, gesturing to all the young Centurides. "A right of passage, the Change is that for our people, and theirs." She then motioned to the tribe across the way. "Many generations of great warriors, survived this Change." She finished pointing to the beings of stone that were glowing more vibrantly as time went on. "However. We haven't seen one die since our Queen had been in the Change." Was what she wanted to say in a low voice, but she seemed to be astonished. "Get ready for a whole lot more." Serena said yelling down the canyon. "Finish them off baby!" She was yelling as loud as possible to Toni.
  Toni rotated his gun slightly, then spun them looking up towards us. Must have been hard to see up here, but at least they could hear us. Slamming his gun onto the rocks with the energized goo he fired rounds of energy bullets which actually made the rock monster flinch.
  Max and Andrew rushed the flinching one. Andrew used his shield to make himself a spring board. Max was launched into the air, the rock monster charging up an attack to goo-ify Max out the air. Toni shot the monsters knee forcing the beam to miss its target. Max slammed his bone sword into the neck of the monster and when the monster stop firing its attack. Max slid down and destroyed its core with his sword. Two now dead and there was one left.
  This one was killing another Serpent-hog ripping the monster apart above its core where the blood dribbled down adding to the being. Its rocky cracks seemed to mold closer as the blood filled it up like an evil demon vase made of rocks. It stomped into the deeper part of the river and submerged itself. The water started to boil and steam. "Not good. Boiled blood." The shaman said looking at the river. "Last time this happened, the canyon was formed." She said and motioned for her people to back up. "Secure the young ones!" She called, and they listened.
   The heroes below had their own own thoughts on this matter.
  A rapid expansion of the liquid rushed at Andrew, he shielded Max and himself against the rushing water. It was spread thin enough to start evaporating after the attack, but they were stuck in that position til it was all gone. A large rock hand grabbed them, Andrew's shield keeping the hand from crushing them but they were still locked in the rocky grasp.
  Toni went to shoot the hand, but I stopped him. "If they drop in that pool, they're dead." Max and Andrew locked in the grip of the monster but the water was receding or at least it looked like it. The liquid started climbing up the monster and filling in the cracks, making the being smoother and more full.
   I hadn't noticed but the tribes had gone quiet as they watched this all happening. The being becoming a giant humanoid with glowing symbols everywhere. It had no reproductive parts, nor nipples but it looked like it was entirely muscle and energy. "Holy fuck. Is that a glowing Mr.Clean?" Toni shouted into the silent night.
  I didn't want to admit it but it actually looked like Mr.Clean now that it had a face and more definite features. "Mr. Clean!" Someone atop the cliff chanted. Across the way another complied and soon the canyon echoed with the chants of "Mr. Clean".
  Toni summoned the solar whip that he used on Leon so long ago. "How long have you had that?" I asked him. He shrugged, with an unsure answer. "I just waited on a good moment to use it." Toni said with a smile and slung the whip grabbing Mr. Clean by the neck. Max and Andrew plunged their weapons into the monsters palm using them to hold on as the monster tried resisted the restraint of the sun whip.
  "Help me with this." Toni said straying against the monster's strength. The whip was snapping its strength but the longer it stayed in the water the stronger it seemed to get. I grabbed ahold of the whip and I could feel how exhausting holding this was. "No. Wonder." I started but grit my teeth as we started pulling more. "You haven't." I continued as the beast came down to its knees. "Used this." Max and Andrew used their weapons to zipline to us as the towering monster started collapsing into the liquid. A large blinding light started shining as a ring on the monsters neck as the whole being and the liquid began to crystallize.
    Dropping from the whip they two zipliners landed onto us in a massive dog pile. "Assholes." Toni said as he grunted trying to get Andrew's mostly muscle body off of his leg. "Well do we win?" Max asked looking around in the darkness that hung over the glowing river that now held a crystal mass in its deeper part.
   Wooping sounds could be heard as vines started coming into our view. Centuarides holding torches in a handmade lift system of some sort skidded against the canyon wall as it arrived to pick us up. "Never has one group killed more than one Sutazu." A woman who was covered in a feather garb said, behind her was Serena who kissed Toni the moment she got off the wooden lift. "You guys passed!" She said cheerfully. She was still smiling rather wide.
  "Did you guys have to do the same thing? I don't remember hearing war drums til today." I asked her while trying to dust myself off. "Uuh I guess you could say that." She said avoiding my gaze. We headed up the lift to see everyone, Lexi gave me a hug when we met again. Gena was looking off into the distance towards the large castle that rested on the highest point of the village.