Deafening screams emanated from the largest group of beady eyes beaming from above. Out of the shadows, extended jaws, laced with ivory fangs and sharp teeth glistened in the torch's glow.
Pink, lizard-like tongues flickered incessantly. Still, Caru could not distinguish the grisly demons she and the others were about to face.
One of the mysterious beings dropped to the ground. The silhouette of its forage-camouflaged hide became discernible — a hairless, ape-like animal as best Caru could decipher.
The leathery skin's green and brown colors morphed to gray. The creature's beet-red bridge and nose flared with bright white strips along both sides of its pronounced snout.
It's changing colors! Overwhelmed by the terrifying appearance she envisioned of the devil in her dreams, her body trembled as she squeezed the grip of her sword.
To the side, Mercy's voice split the air. "Baboons!"
Before Caru sucked a quick breath, several of the heinous monsters dropped from the noisy canopies. Two quick shots rang out.
A scarlet spray of blood and flesh erupted from the neck of a beast, while a second crimson shower exploded from the back of another. Both animals collapsed in their tracks.
Multitudes of sharp yellowed fangs charged her and the team. Thoruk rushed the nearest attacker, yelling as he ran. "Kill them before they kill you!"
Another raced toward Caru. Frosty adrenaline exploded through her veins as instincts and training spurred her.
She stepped aside, slashing the neck of the vicious assailant with her blade as it whizzed by. Warm blood splashed across her chest as the dreadful savage tumbled to the ground, kicking and twitching.
Mercy fired a barrage of arrows, striking one, two, and then a third muclone as more rifle shots rang out. Red sprays and mutilated flesh flew everywhere. Heart-stopping howls and squeals filled the evening's air with each death blow.
With teeth bared, a creature sprinted toward Mercy. She lifted her bow, but before releasing the shaft, a battle-ax zoomed past her head and struck the attacker in the chest.
The beast shrieked as it flipped backward in the air and rolled across the ground, collapsing in a crumpled heap. Mercy glanced behind her.
Proto nodded. "Keep firing!" He sprinted, snatched his blade from the lifeless carcass, and pursued another predator.
One of the fierce mutants jumped on Ice's back, biting down on the bear's neck. Ice roared and vigorously whipped her head, tossing the mutant and smashing it into the trunk of a nearby tree.
Blood splattered across the exposed roots and soil. The limp monster slid down the bark, leaving a scarlet smear to mark its demise.
One of its companions screamed and hopped on Ice's back. Like its predecessor, it chomped the cream-colored nape.
Caru took aim, but a white blur soared through the air and clutched the tenacious assailant in its jaws as they tumbled to the side. With a thunderous roar, Ice chased the rolling mass, bit the hindquarter of the perpetrator, and yanked hard.
Pulling, while shaking their massive heads, the twins tore the helpless muclone in two. Crimson streams squirted in all directions as the creature's veins and backbone snapped.
Shifting her sights, Caru noticed a beast chomping Cutter's shoulder. Two more predators joined the frenzy and ripped at his arms with their razor-sharp claws as the warrior's terrorized screams iced her heart.
Thoruk raced to his aid and chopped the head of an attacker. The top half of its severed cranium bounced along the ground spewing gray matter across the dirt.
A searing pain spread across Caru's back as one of the baboons slashed her with its claws. Whirling, she extending her sword and gashed the creature's chest. A river of blood poured from the lengthy slit and cascaded over the fiendish muclone's belly.
Motionless for a second, the beast collapsed to its knees and fell forward. Its listless eyes turned toward Caru as the would-be assassin's contorted face smacked the ground.
She felt a wet spot across her sore back and reached for it but quickly stooped when another monster sped her way. A shiny ax somersaulted past her ear and struck the predator in the gut, knocking the fierce being off its feet.
Writhing in pain, the baboon gasped as it groped at its wound. Caru rushed to its side and thrust her sword through the assailant's throat.
As she withdrew her blade, a bubbly stream oozed from the gash. The creature's limbs shook for a moment then stilled. Thankful for her guardian angel, she whirled and nodded toward her father.
Silence filled the air. Breathing heavily with her weapon poised for action, Caru scanned the area. "Whoa!"
More than a dozen muclone carcasses scattered the ground in a sea of red. By far, most were killed by arrows — at least six.
The largest beast looked more like a pincushion with five shafts protruding from its torso and legs. A smaller sucker had an arrow through its skull.
She stared at Mercy in disbelief. I need lessons from my aunt! I could never kill so many with a sword.
Writhing in agony on the ground, Cutter groaned. Caru turned to find Proto studying the injured warrior's wounds. His shredded clothes were drenched in crimson.
Her cousin shook his head. "He's hurt bad!"
Mercy raced to the victim's side and checked his pulse. "Very weak. We better get him to Doc's quick."
While tending to the largest slashes, she glanced at Thoruk. "Better say some prayers. He's gonna need them."
Meanwhile, Proto rushed to his pet's aid. Bloody lesions splotched Ice's fur as she whimpered in pain.
Squeezing her eyelids shut, Caru blocked the vision of the gory scene. Never had she been so scared when fighting muclones. Her hands still trembled as the smell of blood and death filled her nostrils.
A gentle touch lit her shoulder, and her father's tender whisper filled her ear. "You did well, Caru. Let's take care of that wound on your back."
Opening her eyes, she smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek. Thankful to be alive, she'd forgotten the pain for a splinter of time, but the searing sting returned with a vengeance.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Snapper's Slingshot
Thursday ~ August 6, 2093 ~ 9:15 am
Turning in his saddle, Thoruk looked at his daughter. Usually quite talkative, she hadn't spoken a word during the ride into Ukkiville.
"You okay?"
Caru mumbled. "Just tired and sore. Couldn't have gotten more than a couple hours of sleep."
She shook her head. "Seeing Cutter like that got me thinking. That could have been you — or Aunt Mercy — even Proto for that matter."
"You're right, but it wasn't. We're still here, and hopefully, Cutter will be fine with Doc's help."
Approaching the physician's cabin, Thoruk tugged on the reins and stepped out of his stirrup. "Now, come on and cheer up. You don't want Cutter seeing you like this. Smile!"
Half an Hour Later
After checking on the injured warrior, Thoruk and his daughter walked next door to Queasy's place. A wide path of blood led from the porch to the front entrance.
Thoruk looked at Caru. "They must have found the muclone."
A large red area on the wooden deck marked the spot where he'd left the carcass after rushing Cutter to Doc's near midnight. Awaking a man as long-winded as Queasy would have meant getting less sleep.
Besides, who knows what he would have been wearing at that hour? Trying to blink that thought from his mind, Thoruk rapped the door with his knuckles.
The scientist's voice squeaked from within. "Come in, unless you mean to kill me."
Thoruk chuckled as the hinges creaked. "Your life is safe for another day. I see you found the muclone."
"Actually, Teli drug it in this morning. He got here early and was grumbling about not getting much sleep last night."
Queasy tilted his head toward Caru. "Hmmm, I see you brought Taz along."
Thoruk's head jerked back. "Taz?"
His daughter rolled her eyes. "It's an inside joke."
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The scientist smirked. "I thought I heard a noise outside the door last night."
Thoruk nodded. "I didn't want to wake you. It was late after we rushed Cutter to Doc's."
Teli's mentor crinkled his brow. "Is he okay?"
Caru slowly shook her head. "Doc says he'll live, but he's tore up pretty bad. His hand's crippled. He might not be able to use it again."
She pointed at the carcass in the corner. "Fangs, there, and some of his buddies attacked him."
"You guys were lucky to make it out alive." Queasy walked over and lifted the beast's head. "Those were baboons, mixed with something else, probably reptilian from the looks of the tongue."
Caru strolled toward her brother. "We had to fight off about 15 of 'em. At first, we couldn't see the blasted suckers. Their green and brown colors blended in with the trees, but when they jumped to the ground, their colors changed to what you see now."
"Peculiar, but it makes sense if it is part-reptile. Probably some kind of chameleon."
Queasy looked at Thoruk. "You must be keeping Doc pretty busy. You've surely filled my days. I barely have time to take a..."
Pinching his lips together, he shrugged. "I meant to say, 'get some rest.'" In the far corner, Teli laughed so loud he snorted.
Not amused, Thoruk scanned the room. "Have you found any muclones from inside the village or the surrounding fields yet?"
The scientist's jaw dropped. "You've been keeping me too busy in here. The warriors Wolfuk sent haven't found anything yet, but they're not done checking. They expect to complete their search within the next two days."
"Could you use some help to speed it up?"
"It wouldn't hurt. It doesn't look like Teli or I will have any time. Your helpers should get with Fist."
Thoruk nodded. "I'll let them know."
He looked around again. "What about the other muclones brought in recently?"
Lifting his scalpel, Teli stopped investigating a corpse on the table beside him. "We're not done with our research yet, but one thing's for sure: these monsters are getting more deadly!"
Queasy removed a cover from one of the bodies on another table. "This is the specimen you guys found near the cave."
The creature's bloody guts hung halfway out of its cavity, slit from neck to groin.
"Ugh, that's gross." Caru gagged, then pinched her nose.
"It stinks. How can you work in here with that smell?" She opened a window behind her.
Teli chuckled. "Just suck it up, Taz."
She shot him a glare. "Brainy can call me that, but you can't!"
Her twin stuck his tongue out at her.
"Enough of that you two." Queasy pointed to the dissected beast.
"See this? The main body is a lion, and one of the craniums is of a hyena from Old Africa, but the other..." he shook his head, "...this is very troubling."
Thoruk scrunched his face. "What's the big deal? Just looks like a wolf."
"Well, it's not any ordinary wolf. See how large it is? Its jaws are stronger with longer teeth. If I'm right, and I hope I'm not; this is a dire wolf."
"I've never heard of a dire wolf."
Teli looked up. "You wouldn't. It's from the prehistoric period and has been extinct for thousands of years."
Thoruk shrugged. "How could that be?"
Queasy snatched a couple of books from his desk. "We're not sure, but I have an idea. I found these in the library."
He lifted a thin pamphlet. "Right around the start of the World Annihilation Period, paleontologists had discovered frozen remains of prehistoric animals from Old Siberia with blood fresh enough to contain partially viable DNA."
Flipping pages of a thick book, Teli's mentor stopped at a marker. "This article is fascinating. Some of the finer universities around that time were also conducting secretive meetings. They were discussing research results about creating complete sets of DNA structures synthetically using chemicals. They kept their operations under cover to avoid government regulations and the wrath of many who would consider such activities diabolical to the extreme."
Grabbing a picture from the wall, the scientist pointed at their old friend in the photo. "When I asked Intellulka about Zolokt's operation, he told me about a tool from back in his younger years called 'CRISPR.' Geneticists used it to modify embryos of animals so they could generate human organs and other parts. Think about it. Add 75 more years, a little advancement in these technologies, and the devious minds of Zolokt and Angrokt — you've got yourself the makings of lots of trouble!"
He shook his head with a grave stare. "Angrokt could create monsters we'd never dream of — killers of the worse kind."
Putting the articles down, he turned. "Here's an example. Late yesterday, Tradulka and Bartuk brought this muclone to me."
The tutor raised the cover lying over another carcass. "While the torso and legs are from an ostrich, its wings, neck, and cranium appear to be some type of prehistoric raptor. I've still got more digging to do, but from the feathers and coloring it looks like something called a Deinonychus."
Caru eyes widened. "A what? That doesn't even sound like it's from our planet."
Queasy waved his finger. "Believe me, at one time it was. If this proves to be true, we're talking much larger and more dangerous man-eaters. Even smaller prehistoric predators could be fiercer than anything we've ever faced."
Caru gulped as the persistent investigator continued. "We've got to put a halt to this or Angrokt will create something that kills a lot of people before we can stop it."
Thoruk's neck warmed. "We're working on it. Drew's down in Texas to get help as soon as possible. Until they return, we've got to kill what we find. Angrokt will get what she deserves soon enough."
Even in his wildest dreams, Thoruk hadn't imagined a threat greater than Zolokt, but the dead Skalag's daughter was proving to be more devious.
Before Lunchtime
Deeruk enjoyed the sweet fragrance of tiger lilies along Dream Creek as her young son and daughter skipped ahead. Inside of Ukkiville near the north end where the wide, bubbling brook entered beneath the village's wall, she spread a blue and green checkered blanket.
Recognizing neighbors who were also enjoying the pleasant temperature along the water's edge, she waved and smiled. I just love this time of year.
While Deeruk continued to set up the picnic area, she kept an eye on her children. Her eight-year-old son searched the gravel border along the pine-log barrier. Retrieving a slingshot from his belt, he picked up a small rock.
Deeruk shook her head. That boy is going to be the death of me yet. "Snapper!"
The curly-haired boy spun around with both hands behind his back. "What, Mom?"
"Don't be hitting any birds or pets with that thing!"
A wry grin spread from cheek to cheek. "I wouldn't think of it." He pivoted and strolled in pursuit of more projectiles.
"Don't you go too far! We'll be eating lunch soon."
"Okay."
A tug pulled at the backside of her shorts. She turned.
Her daughter, Chirp, looked up and held out her cupped hands. "Mommy, look what I found."
Not knowing what to expect, Deeruk slowly spread the six-year-old girl's palms for a peek. Something flew up and hit her in the nose.
"Yikes!" Jumping back, she tripped over a woven basket and almost fell to the ground.
With her eyes scrunched together, Chirp pleaded. "It won't hurt you, Mommy. It's just a grasshopper."
"Don't you worry. I'm fine. It just scared me to death."
Chirp's sad eyes blinked a couple of times. "I didn't mean to scare you."
Deeruk smiled. "I know. Go ahead and play a little longer. I'll call you when it's time to eat."
"Okay, I'll catch some more grasshoppers."
"You do that."
As the excited youngster pranced along the shoreline, Deeruk picked up a notepad and sat with her legs crossed. She grabbed a pencil and held it between her lips for a second, then
scribbled on the blank piece of paper.
At the top of the first page, she wrote, "Ideas for Ukkiville's Annual Picnic."
I pray it's not too hot that day. She gazed up at the sky. Please let the weather be like today. I hope I can do as well as Mercy always did, now that she let me do the planning.
Seconds Later
Spotting a field mouse in a clump of grass near a tree, Snapper dipped into his pocket and pulled out a handful of rocks. He selected the most colorful one with light blue and pink swirls.
This ought to do. Snapper pinched the smooth pebble in the leather pouch of his slingshot and pulled back, stretching the thick rubber bands.
Steadying his hand, he aimed his trusty weapon at the target and let go. The stone bounced three inches to the left of the unsuspecting creature.
Startled, the gray rodent scampered into the narrow entrance of its burrow. Blasted! I'll get it next time!
As he scanned the area for another potential trophy, a strange hum drifted from behind a tall maple. Similar to a beehive his grandfather tended, the more peculiar buzz drew him closer.
He followed his ears and cautiously stalked the source on his tiptoes. While he rounded the weathered tree with a wide berth, his eyes followed the trunk higher to a large hollow.
Two wiry antennas popped from the black hole, followed by a pair of big, dark eyes. A long, skinny spike protruded from just below its peepers. Stilted, jointed legs emerged, and a huge winged-insect crawled out onto the bark.
Snapper's eyes widened. He'd seen plenty of mosquitoes before but never so big. Larger than most birds, its wingspan stretched almost two feet.
He stepped back and fumbled around in his pocket. Grabbing the heftiest stone, he placed it in position and pulled hard on the sling.
A little more to the right this time. Snapper held his breath and released his hold. The rock splat the creature.
"Yeah! Got it!" More antennas and legs emerged from the hollow.
Snapper gulped. Oh nooo!
The New World: Blue Moon Generatoin Page 13
