Starless Skies: Zodiac Group CYOA (Archived)

Chapter Four: Please do not pet the Piasa (thank you for your cooperation!)

*The picture above is of the monster they're fighting (no I didn't draw that).  It's called a Piasa*

*I apologize in advance:  Some characters got significantly more screen time than others this chapter, for plot reasons.  Sorry*

Shit, thought Candon.

The creature roared as it charged, Candon's legs felt like jelly. It's too fast, he thought, desperately trying to scramble to his feet as the creature came closer and closer, towards him.

Agi slammed into his side out of nowhere, knocking them both to the ground. The creature snarled and snapped its jaws at them, but was moving too fast to slow down, and there were plently of other people about. It snapped towards Lei, and for a moment it looked like it had swallowed her whole, but Lei reappeared on the other side, scrambling quickly out of the way.

As Agi fell he rolled over his head and landed on his feet, it seemed the quickest way, and he managed with perfect balance. It must be the adrenaline, he thought, reaching to help Candon to his feet, but Candon was already standing.

Everything had happened quickly, everyone had acted instantly and independently. When Lei ducked under the monster, Ari began yelling and trying to yank her out of the way, Scar was taking a similar approach. Luna grabbed a branch off the ground, and tried hitting the monster with it, while Santi threw rocks. Off to the side, Ricon and Nic were jumping up and down and throwing rocks, yelling, but the monster was ignoring them. Travis watched intently, careful to stay out of the way, thinking quickly.

"We have to get everyone out of here, fast," panted Candon.

Pierre ran up to Candon and Agi. "Yeah," he nodded. "But we have to do it in a way that doesn't leave one person in the back."

"We need people distracting it and ready to run," said Agi, forcing his brain to think instead of sending him continuous messages saying hey bud, this looks dangerous! "You guys tell everyone the plan and get them out," said Agi. "Me and... and... some others will keep it distracted."

"Right," nodded Candon, running off.

Agi ran in circles around the monster, yelling. The distraction by him and the others was working, Lei was able to dodge through a whirl of claws and talons, and finally get out of the monster's range.

"What is this thing, the ghost of build-a-bears past?" gestued Ari, sounding pissed.

"No clue," said Luna, holding a pair of branches, and trying ot hit it on the nose. It caught one of the branches in its mouth, and snapped it in two. "Crap, that was my fourth one." I should get insurance.

Agi ducked under the monster's tail as it swung around. "Guys, keep it distracted!" he yelled. "We're getting everyone away!"

But the monster seemed to notice what they were doing. As Candon and Pierre tried to crowd up people to run, the monster leaped into the air, flew several yards, and landed on the other side of them, blocking their exit.

"This isn't working!" yelled Scar, as she and Santiago bolted towards the monster, as it swiped its lion paws over Pierre's head. "We gotta do something else!"

Santi nodded, and looked around. "We're in the middle of a clearing," he said. "But if we can get it to the trees, we could try to jump onto—"

"—onto its back," finished Scar.

"Stupid and dangerous, but potentially fun," grinned Santiago.

"Maybe not the time for jokes," said Scar, but she smiled. It faded as she glaced back towards the monster. Luna had fallen to the ground in front of it, her shirt torn at the shoulder, but she staggared to her feet as Lei and Ari yelled to distract it. "The others will take care of each other until we can get to it. Let's go." They ran for the trees.