Tales of the Golden Judge: 3-Book Bundle - Books 7-9
Page 7
He found the source of the cry after almost half an hour of searching, and to his surprise and his relief, the person uttering it was still alive.
On a small tussock of grass in the middle of the lake, he could see a baby otter, it's small round face pointed at the water and practically shaking with fear.
“Who are you? What's wrong?” he called, and the otter pup looked up in surprise. For a moment he thought it was just a normal animal, though one born ridiculously late in the year, and then it called to him.
“I'm lost,” the child called. “I wandered away from home, and I hurt my paw. I can't come close to the water or the thing will find me.”
“Stay where you are, I'll come for you.”
He didn't dare sweep down on the otter. His talons were too sharp and too deadly for him to risk it. Instead he flapped a little higher and descended on the otter in ever narrowing circles, letting the wind off the lake carry him straight down to where the otter pup stood. With painstaking precision, he managed to land on the tussock lightly, and he realized when he did how small it was. It barely had enough space for him and for the pup, and he nodded at it.
“Are you related to Marisol?”
“She's my sister,” the pup said. “How does she know you, sir?”
“She came to me. She said that there was something here hunting your people.”
The pup nodded, and his eyes were wide and frightened. He showed Benedict his paw.
“It tried to get me, I think.”
Benedict thought that the cut looked more like the pup had tangled with some vicious wire, but he nodded kindly.
“Let's get you home, and I can come back and look for the killer, yes?”
He offered the small pup one of his talons, and after the pup sniffed the claws carefully, Benedict wrapped one large talon around the pup's body, careful not to pierce the skin or squeeze too hard. He could snatch a whole salmon out of the river, but with the little otter pup, he was as soft and gentle as a spring breeze.
With one sweep of his wings, he was up in the air, but that was as far as he had got.
As the darkness closed in, Benedict realized that it was too dark, and he was too slow. He hadn't seen the ripples in the water, and he hadn't heard the gentle splashing that now turned into a tumult. He had been too slow, and now he and the screaming otter pup were going to pay the price...
***
Marcie kicked off her clothes and, in the wet suit, she waded out into the water before she started to swim. The advanced fibers of the wet suit kept her warm even in the frigid water, and though her hands and her feet burned with the cold, she knew she would be fine. She was a strong swimmer, and she did not hesitate in swimming straight for the cries.
As she swam, she felt something large brush against her. At first, she thought it was her imagination, but when it happened again, she knew that it was not. Her heart in her mouth, trying to truly believe everything she knew, she stopped and treaded water. For a long moment, all she could think about was the idea of her toes dangling into the dark depths, vulnerable and enticing to a predator, but she reminded herself again that that wasn't what she was dealing with.
There was another brush of something huge and heavy against her body, and the water in front of her broke.
The thing's head was twice as large as a horse's, and the eyes, set to either side, were dark and deep. It wasn't swimming, because if it was, it could have hurt her. Instead, it floated with only a few strokes of its tail and its flippers to keep it in place, and the thing brought its nose close to her face, sniffing carefully.
“Oh, there you are,” Marcie said dumbly, and she took in the full import of what she was seeing. Here it was, tucked away in a lake in Colossal City, hidden for centuries and eons. It was prehistoric, a descendent of the dinosaurs that had once roamed the land. Somehow, its ancestors had survived the fiery doom that ended most of the ancient behemoths, and now it was nuzzling her. Its skin was soft and velvety under her hands, and she could feel the large muscles roll underneath its skin.
It nosed her again, and she could see the intelligence in those dark eyes. It was the find of a lifetime, and she could feel her throat close up with tears and emotion. This would change everything that scientists thought they knew about the world.
Then she heard the scream again, and she knew that she had delayed, perhaps too long. She started to swim, but then she realized that the beast was still there, her precious prehistoric miracle. Those eyes were looking at her with intelligence and kindness, and Marcie decided that she needed to take a chance. It could very well have ended with her getting hurt or even killed, but that was less important than the fact that it might work.
Taking a deep breath, she leaned her weight against the beast's back, and then, when it didn't snap or swim away, she slung her leg over its back. It was enormous, and it was a little like sitting sprawled on a table, but she was erect, heart beating fast.
“All right,” Marcie said. “Let's swim to the rescue!”
***
Afterward, Benedict couldn't remember quite how it happened. One moment, there was an enormous aquatic animal blotting out the sky, its head sharp and draconian, looming above him. He hit the water, and all he could do was let the otter pup go, shoving him aside in the hopes that his instincts would kick in and he would start to swim.
There is nothing as awkward as a bird in the water, and though Benedict flailed with his deadly beak and talons, all he could do was delay the inevitable. He thought with despair about Marcie and her search for this monster. He thought of how much he loved her and how much he needed her safe, and then, as if his thoughts had summoned her, there she was.
The animal she rode was different, larger, more muscular, with a head more like a horse's than a lizard’s, and it struck Benedict's attacker hard.
The animal that was attacking Benedict squalled angrily, turning, but Marcie was far quicker. She struck the animal with a length of wood she had likely grabbed up from the lake, and when it only made the animal roar, she stabbed the sharp end toward its eyes. Then her mount reared up, roaring like a lion, and Benedict's attacker had had enough.
Faster than the golden eagle would have thought possible, the animal sunk into the depths, turning away and melting into the darkness. After a few moments, Benedict clambered back onto the little tussock of grass, turning back into his human form.
“Marcie?” he gasped, and the monster she rode carried her closer.
“Meet our new friend,” she said softly, and when Benedict looked at them mistrustfully, she laughed.
“The teeth. The last time, I saw that this beauty has flat teeth, like a deer or a horse. Nothing with teeth like that can eat meat. It was just defending its territory. And now that we're here, I think it's been watching me as long as I've been looking for it.”
Benedict watched in shock as she stroked its neck, and the prehistoric animal made a thrumming sound that was close to a purr.
“Should I be jealous?” he asked, and she turned the full force of her smile on him, visible to him even in the dark.
“Never, ever,” she said warmly. “You're the one I love.”
***
A week later, dressed in his best, Benedict sighed as Marcie straightened his tie.
“I'm grateful, don't get me wrong,” he muttered, but he quieted when Marcie put her hand over his mouth.
“You're grateful and this is essential,” she said firmly. “This needs to happen.”
They were guests at the Hillman mansion again, and this time, instead of it being a desperate circumstance, they were formal visitors. Behind Marcie and Benedict were Carson and Kiya, two other shape-changing judges from Harrispont, and behind them was Morgan, the fourth and newest judge to the area.
In the sitting room and waiting for them were the heroes of Colossal City, Lynxar, Bellaron, Archer, and Bryan.
It was going to be a meeting for the history books, and Benedict shook his head, leaning down for a
quick kiss.
“I love you,” he whispered, and she smiled. She had every intention of staying with her golden eagle for the rest of her life, and she knew that this historic meeting was just the start.
TO BE CONTINUED IN BOOK TEN: Innocent Days – Volume 10