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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7551808" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 247</p><p></p><p>“Bredan, careful!” Glori warned, but he was already twenty paces away and picking up speed. “Men,” she said to Xeeta as the two women hurried after them. Torrin, frozen by the first sounds, belatedly brought up the rear.</p><p></p><p>The work they’d done earlier to clear the path helped them now, but the dense jungle growth still whipped at them as they ran back to the beach. Glori and Xeeta, being less burdened, had nearly caught up to the men when they burst out of the greenery and onto the narrow stretch of sand.</p><p></p><p>“Oh, damn,” Xeeta said.</p><p></p><p>The source of the disturbance was still present. The largest crocodile any of them had ever seen, almost twice the length of their boat, was lying with its tail still in the water. It was chomping on something that was still vaguely recognizable as one of the sailors, its jaws soaked red with his blood.</p><p></p><p>The other sailor, Kavek, was running from a second, only slightly smaller crocodile. He was clutching his side and having some difficulty, the soft sand hindering him enough for the huge reptile to keep pace. He was headed in their general direction but was still over a hundred feet away.</p><p></p><p>“Kavek, over here!” Glori yelled. Bredan had already summoned his sword and was running toward the sailor and his pursuer, while Rodan strung his bow and had an arrow fitted to it before the warrior had taken ten steps. His first shot struck the crocodile but at a bad angle, bouncing off its armored hide.</p><p></p><p>Kavek had spotted them and shifted his course, but the crocodile put on a sudden burst of speed and quickly closed the distance separating them. But before it could strike Xeeta pointed with her rod and launched a bead of liquid flame that streaked past the fleeing sailor and exploded directly above the charging croc. The reptile let out a shrieking hiss as the <em>fireball</em> seared it. Kavek was knocked down by the force of the blast, but was far enough away that he was merely dazed, not injured.</p><p></p><p>Unfortunately for him, the crocodile was not seriously hurt, and as the sailor staggered to his feet the reptile lurched for him again.</p><p></p><p>Glori strummed her lyre, gathering her magic into another spell. The crocodile and its would-be victim were too close to risk a <em>wall of fire</em>, she judged, but she quickly summoned a <em>major image</em> that materialized along the boundary between the jungle and the beach. It took the form of half a dozen additional sailors that rushed the crocodile, shouting and poking at it with spears. The creature, distracted by the unexpected assault, spun and lunged at these new attackers. It snapped its jaws on one and slashed its massive tail though another, but of course it caught only empty air. The reptile, driven to a frenzy now, thrashed back and forth, raising columns of sand as its claws shredded the beach.</p><p></p><p>“We’ve got to help Bredan,” Glori said as Kavek staggered clear of the melee. Rodan scored a hit with his second shot, the arrow lodging into the creature’s neck just below its jaw, but the missile looked like a toothpick against the sheer mass of its scaled form. He reached for a third even as he ran after Xeeta and Glori to close the distance. Now that Bredan was getting close they could see again the sheer scale of the thing. Torrin, who had finally emerged from the jungle behind them, just stood there staring at the two beasts, his sword hanging forgotten at his side.</p><p></p><p>Glori’s illusions continued to distract the crocodile as Bredan rushed toward it, his sword shining brilliantly in the bright afternoon sunlight. The creature didn’t appear to see him at first, but its wild movements were still spraying sand, and as the warrior lunged a gout of it caught him in the face. It threw off his strike, and while the edge of the sword still clipped its body it was a mere glancing blow, inflicting only minor damage.</p><p></p><p>But the hit still caught its attention, and it spun toward the new threat with a speed that belied its size. Bredan tried to dodge back, but the churned-up sand slowed him enough that he could not get clear before the crocodile’s jaws snapped down and seized him in a crushing grip that enfolded his right shoulder and arm. His sword stuck out from the other side of its jaw, but with his arm pinned he could not bring it to bear. The weight of the creature pushed him to his knees. His armor kept its teeth from piercing his skin, but the sheer pressure from its jaws was squeezing his torso in a manner that he knew would eventually pulverize his rib cage and squash the delicate organs within.</p><p></p><p>Bredan’s companions were keeping up their attacks. He caught a flash of flame out of the corner of his eye as a <em>scorching ray</em> struck the crocodile’s side, followed a moment later by an arrow that quivered in its thick hide. He could hear the sounds of Glori’s lyre over the sounds of the crocodile’s movements, but did not know what she was casting. But the creature refused to relinquish its hold. Bredan suspected it would not loosen its jaws until he was dead.</p><p></p><p>The crocodile turned, dragging its captive with it. Bredan realized that it was heading back toward the water. He knew that if it made it that far, he would have almost no chance of escape.</p><p></p><p>He focused on his sword. Held as he was, he could not hope to move it. But a thought came to him. He closed his eyes and let his mind clear.</p><p></p><p>The sword disappeared.</p><p></p><p>A moment later, it rematerialized in his left hand.</p><p></p><p>As soon as he felt the familiar weight, he planted his feet in the sand and pushed upward. His strength was a pittance against the bulk of the crocodile, but its head came up slightly. That was all he needed. Gritting his teeth, he thrust forward with every bit of effort he could still muster. The crocodile’s head came up just a bit more. He lifted the sword and then let his legs collapse under him.</p><p></p><p>The only thing he felt at first was a soft sigh of air from within the crocodile’s gullet, followed by a hot wetness that flowed over his left hand. The weight of the creature was still pressing him down, but the inexorable pressure of its jaws hadn’t let up any. For a moment he listened for the sounds of his ribs snapping in his chest, but then a familiar face appeared, a look of concern written on her features.</p><p></p><p>“Bredan!” Glori said. “Hold on, we’re going to get you out of there.”</p><p></p><p>He heard a soft squelching sound, followed by a collective grunt of effort, then the jaws popped open and he was free. He fell backwards onto the sand, grateful at last for the soft surface.</p><p></p><p>Glori reappeared at once, strumming her lyre again to summon a healing spell. Bredan let out a sigh as the magic coursed into him. He turned his head to see the corpse of the crocodile, his sword still embedded in its throat. Its jaw lay hacked open, the thick muscles to either side severed. Rodan still stood over it, his bloody dagger in his hand. “The other one?” Bredan asked.</p><p></p><p>“It retreated back into the water with what was left of the other sailor,” Glori said. “Xeeta hurried it along with a few more fire blasts, but I think it was content to take its meal and go.”</p><p></p><p>“Let’s hope it doesn’t decide it wants dessert while we’re making our way back to the ship,” Bredan said.</p><p></p><p>“Can you get up?” Glori asked.</p><p></p><p>At his nod he rose, though he accepted her offered hand with relief. “You know that was crazy, right?” she asked.</p><p></p><p>“In hindsight, yes,” he said.</p><p></p><p>Bredan looked over at the boat, relieved to see that it was still intact. The larger crocodile could have destroyed it with a single swipe of its tail. He looked for the other creature in the water, but while he could see the slithering track it had left in the sand it was already out of sight.</p><p></p><p>He stepped back over to the side of the creature he’d killed. “You like to live dangerously,” Rodan commented.</p><p></p><p>“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” Bredan said.</p><p></p><p>“Next time, let us whittle it down a bit first,” the ranger said. “The sailor was out of danger, there was no reason to rush into close quarters.”</p><p></p><p>“Noted,” Bredan said.</p><p></p><p>“Ah, here comes out fearless leader,” Xeeta said dryly.</p><p></p><p>Bredan turned to see Torrin approaching, Kavek right behind him. The sailor was still clutching his side. “You take a hit?” Bredan asked.</p><p></p><p>The man nodded. “Tail swipe as it went for Gravis. We never even saw them until they were right on top of us.”</p><p></p><p>“Do you think there are more of them?” Torrin asked. “Should we go back to the ship?”</p><p></p><p>The young officer’s desire to command had eroded significantly, Bredan thought. “We’d still need to come back later for the tree,” he said. “Let’s see what we can find, but I suggest we stay together from here on out.”</p><p></p><p>No one challenged his suggestion. Bredan waved an all-clear toward the ship, though it was likely that they’d witnessed the entire encounter from its deck. Without a second boat, however, there was nothing they could do to intervene. That done, they turned back toward the jungle, warier now as they made their way once more into the interior of the island.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7551808, member: 143"] Chapter 247 “Bredan, careful!” Glori warned, but he was already twenty paces away and picking up speed. “Men,” she said to Xeeta as the two women hurried after them. Torrin, frozen by the first sounds, belatedly brought up the rear. The work they’d done earlier to clear the path helped them now, but the dense jungle growth still whipped at them as they ran back to the beach. Glori and Xeeta, being less burdened, had nearly caught up to the men when they burst out of the greenery and onto the narrow stretch of sand. “Oh, damn,” Xeeta said. The source of the disturbance was still present. The largest crocodile any of them had ever seen, almost twice the length of their boat, was lying with its tail still in the water. It was chomping on something that was still vaguely recognizable as one of the sailors, its jaws soaked red with his blood. The other sailor, Kavek, was running from a second, only slightly smaller crocodile. He was clutching his side and having some difficulty, the soft sand hindering him enough for the huge reptile to keep pace. He was headed in their general direction but was still over a hundred feet away. “Kavek, over here!” Glori yelled. Bredan had already summoned his sword and was running toward the sailor and his pursuer, while Rodan strung his bow and had an arrow fitted to it before the warrior had taken ten steps. His first shot struck the crocodile but at a bad angle, bouncing off its armored hide. Kavek had spotted them and shifted his course, but the crocodile put on a sudden burst of speed and quickly closed the distance separating them. But before it could strike Xeeta pointed with her rod and launched a bead of liquid flame that streaked past the fleeing sailor and exploded directly above the charging croc. The reptile let out a shrieking hiss as the [i]fireball[/i] seared it. Kavek was knocked down by the force of the blast, but was far enough away that he was merely dazed, not injured. Unfortunately for him, the crocodile was not seriously hurt, and as the sailor staggered to his feet the reptile lurched for him again. Glori strummed her lyre, gathering her magic into another spell. The crocodile and its would-be victim were too close to risk a [i]wall of fire[/i], she judged, but she quickly summoned a [i]major image[/i] that materialized along the boundary between the jungle and the beach. It took the form of half a dozen additional sailors that rushed the crocodile, shouting and poking at it with spears. The creature, distracted by the unexpected assault, spun and lunged at these new attackers. It snapped its jaws on one and slashed its massive tail though another, but of course it caught only empty air. The reptile, driven to a frenzy now, thrashed back and forth, raising columns of sand as its claws shredded the beach. “We’ve got to help Bredan,” Glori said as Kavek staggered clear of the melee. Rodan scored a hit with his second shot, the arrow lodging into the creature’s neck just below its jaw, but the missile looked like a toothpick against the sheer mass of its scaled form. He reached for a third even as he ran after Xeeta and Glori to close the distance. Now that Bredan was getting close they could see again the sheer scale of the thing. Torrin, who had finally emerged from the jungle behind them, just stood there staring at the two beasts, his sword hanging forgotten at his side. Glori’s illusions continued to distract the crocodile as Bredan rushed toward it, his sword shining brilliantly in the bright afternoon sunlight. The creature didn’t appear to see him at first, but its wild movements were still spraying sand, and as the warrior lunged a gout of it caught him in the face. It threw off his strike, and while the edge of the sword still clipped its body it was a mere glancing blow, inflicting only minor damage. But the hit still caught its attention, and it spun toward the new threat with a speed that belied its size. Bredan tried to dodge back, but the churned-up sand slowed him enough that he could not get clear before the crocodile’s jaws snapped down and seized him in a crushing grip that enfolded his right shoulder and arm. His sword stuck out from the other side of its jaw, but with his arm pinned he could not bring it to bear. The weight of the creature pushed him to his knees. His armor kept its teeth from piercing his skin, but the sheer pressure from its jaws was squeezing his torso in a manner that he knew would eventually pulverize his rib cage and squash the delicate organs within. Bredan’s companions were keeping up their attacks. He caught a flash of flame out of the corner of his eye as a [i]scorching ray[/i] struck the crocodile’s side, followed a moment later by an arrow that quivered in its thick hide. He could hear the sounds of Glori’s lyre over the sounds of the crocodile’s movements, but did not know what she was casting. But the creature refused to relinquish its hold. Bredan suspected it would not loosen its jaws until he was dead. The crocodile turned, dragging its captive with it. Bredan realized that it was heading back toward the water. He knew that if it made it that far, he would have almost no chance of escape. He focused on his sword. Held as he was, he could not hope to move it. But a thought came to him. He closed his eyes and let his mind clear. The sword disappeared. A moment later, it rematerialized in his left hand. As soon as he felt the familiar weight, he planted his feet in the sand and pushed upward. His strength was a pittance against the bulk of the crocodile, but its head came up slightly. That was all he needed. Gritting his teeth, he thrust forward with every bit of effort he could still muster. The crocodile’s head came up just a bit more. He lifted the sword and then let his legs collapse under him. The only thing he felt at first was a soft sigh of air from within the crocodile’s gullet, followed by a hot wetness that flowed over his left hand. The weight of the creature was still pressing him down, but the inexorable pressure of its jaws hadn’t let up any. For a moment he listened for the sounds of his ribs snapping in his chest, but then a familiar face appeared, a look of concern written on her features. “Bredan!” Glori said. “Hold on, we’re going to get you out of there.” He heard a soft squelching sound, followed by a collective grunt of effort, then the jaws popped open and he was free. He fell backwards onto the sand, grateful at last for the soft surface. Glori reappeared at once, strumming her lyre again to summon a healing spell. Bredan let out a sigh as the magic coursed into him. He turned his head to see the corpse of the crocodile, his sword still embedded in its throat. Its jaw lay hacked open, the thick muscles to either side severed. Rodan still stood over it, his bloody dagger in his hand. “The other one?” Bredan asked. “It retreated back into the water with what was left of the other sailor,” Glori said. “Xeeta hurried it along with a few more fire blasts, but I think it was content to take its meal and go.” “Let’s hope it doesn’t decide it wants dessert while we’re making our way back to the ship,” Bredan said. “Can you get up?” Glori asked. At his nod he rose, though he accepted her offered hand with relief. “You know that was crazy, right?” she asked. “In hindsight, yes,” he said. Bredan looked over at the boat, relieved to see that it was still intact. The larger crocodile could have destroyed it with a single swipe of its tail. He looked for the other creature in the water, but while he could see the slithering track it had left in the sand it was already out of sight. He stepped back over to the side of the creature he’d killed. “You like to live dangerously,” Rodan commented. “It seemed like a good idea at the time,” Bredan said. “Next time, let us whittle it down a bit first,” the ranger said. “The sailor was out of danger, there was no reason to rush into close quarters.” “Noted,” Bredan said. “Ah, here comes out fearless leader,” Xeeta said dryly. Bredan turned to see Torrin approaching, Kavek right behind him. The sailor was still clutching his side. “You take a hit?” Bredan asked. The man nodded. “Tail swipe as it went for Gravis. We never even saw them until they were right on top of us.” “Do you think there are more of them?” Torrin asked. “Should we go back to the ship?” The young officer’s desire to command had eroded significantly, Bredan thought. “We’d still need to come back later for the tree,” he said. “Let’s see what we can find, but I suggest we stay together from here on out.” No one challenged his suggestion. Bredan waved an all-clear toward the ship, though it was likely that they’d witnessed the entire encounter from its deck. Without a second boat, however, there was nothing they could do to intervene. That done, they turned back toward the jungle, warier now as they made their way once more into the interior of the island. [/QUOTE]
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