Felix Let Loose (The Slayer Book 2)

Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Elusive Presence

A few days later, and they were slap-bang in the middle of a very hostile swamp.

'You're a bloody idiot you know that?!' Sumaey was howling at Waltz. 'This is all your fault.'

'I don't know what you mean' Waltz cried defensively back, 'I followed the map exactly.'

'That's the problem' Sumaey protested.

Waltz gritted his teeth, fighting through the hanging vines, Graham nearby was wading through the mud, his slender legs sinking into the muck and his white coat filthy. Loxus was struggling the most, his spindly spider-legs were all but consumed by the mud, and the creature was only just about able to keep up with the others and keep above the surface. Only Spirit seemed to be doing fine, he was a water element, and although he didn't live in bogs, his kind had always thrived where it was damp.

'We have to get out of here soon' Sumaey huffed, pushing back the foliage around her. 'We only seem to be getting farther in. Maybe we should turn around.'

Spirit glanced behind them, suddenly tense. Clearly, he sensed something the others did not.

'We can't turn back now' Waltz was saying. 'We're over halfway through the swamp; to turn back now would only take longer.'

'So says your map' Sumaey snapped back at him angrily. 'How do you know we're not going to die?'

'Oh give me a break' Waltz huffed turning away with a grimace.

At that moment Graham roared in displeasure.

'Shut up!' Waltz snapped at him.

'Listen' Spirit hissed suddenly.

The others instantly froze. They would listen to Spirit's order, for he talked so little, he only talked when he had something to say, when it was important, and his tone was watchful.

'What is it Spirit?' Waltz whispered nervously to him. 'Do you sense something?'

Spirit only turned back to Waltz, placing a finger silently to his lips.

Waltz swallowed the lump in his throat nervously.

And then the water/mud around them began to move.

'Oh balls' Waltz managed to utter, before all hell broke loose.

Several tentacles shot up from the muddy waters at once, bizarre and grotesque they were as they writhed around in all directions, whipping through the air. Graham instantly ran away as fast as he could as Waltz was struck in the gut by one of the tentacles that barrelled into him, doubling him over. Before Waltz had time to think or act the appendage wrapped around him, hauling him into the air.

'HAAAAAAAAAAALP!'

On the ground the others barely noticed him, they were fighting their own battles now. Loxus had quickly been subdued, struggling to move in the thick mud the mechanical contraption that he was, was an easy target. His tail waved helplessly back and forth as his legs moved feverishly through the mud, splashing everywhere, while nearby Spirit and Sumaey fought together.

Up in the air Waltz called forth his magic, placing his hands over the tentacles that wrapped around his chest, and growing tighter as the monster squeezed the breath from him. He used his magic to burn them.

The tentacles instantly dropped him, a high-pitched scream emanated all around as Waltz fell back down to earth, pushing himself up hastily with a deep gasp.