From Ashes and Dust (Book One)

Chapter 7.2

 The lurker rattled its scales, slithering its lower body across the forest floor. Its upper half remained erect, and two, large scales lifted away from its head on either side of it. The scales fanned out like a flower's petals and started to flutter open and closed at a high rate of speed. Lowering its head, the lurker swept its head side to side.

Watching closely, Vatra noticed the scales had lifted away to reveal what she assumed were its nostrils. It made sense to her. The creature's face had no room for its nose.

Thick saliva dripped down from its partially opened mouth; a gaping hole that might as well have been a direct line to its stomach. Flashing teeth encircled nearly its entire throat, too.

Remaining still, Vatra knew the lurker had her scent. Anywhere she went, the creature would be on her heels. Her best option was to fight before it knew she was on the run. Lurkers always liked to hunt their prey.

She crouched down, steadying her grip on her knives, and lunged for the lurker's head. It had lowered it far enough that she didn't even have to jump. All she had to do was take a few strides and swing.

As her right arm came around with the knife toward the soft part under its nostril, Vatra found the wind ripped from her lungs. A force like a car running her down struck her in the back.

Vatra flew through the air before hitting the dirt beneath a thick layer of vegetation. Sprawling out on her stomach, Vatra fought to get her breath back. The world spun around her.

Fingers sprawled beneath her face, Vatra realized she'd lost her knives. The hit to her back had spasmed all of her muscles, and sent her weapons to the undergrowth. Groaning, Vatra rolled to her back in time to see the lurker's tail sweeping over where she lay.

Hundreds of legs clacked together just a few inches above her. Vatra managed to gather her thoughts together long enough to look around for her knives. One of them had fallen not far to her left. Grasping desperately, Vatra gathered a handful of dirt along with the hilt of her blade.

The lurker slammed down its tail. Vatra lifted her legs and caught a majority of the blow with the soles of her boots. She bent her knees as the hit traveled down further, and just as it was about to crush her, Vatra struck with the knife repeatedly into the exposed underbelly.

Yellow goo spilled from the wound, dripping down over her with an audible plop that made her involuntarily gag. The smell was putrid. Like rotten eggs and decaying flesh. Vatra flung off a majority of the liquid before climbing to her feet.

Unsteady legs wobbled beneath her. She would need to sleep for an entire day after everything was said and done.

A screech ripped from the lurcher as it spun around to face Vatra. The injured tail whipped around behind it like a limb hanging from its last threads.

"Oh, you're pissed now, huh?" Vatra questioned. She tossed her knife to her dominant, right hand and gave the forest floor a quick scan. The glint of metal revealed her other weapon just in front of her.

Diving for the knife, Vatra clutched it in her left fist tightly, never faltering a step. The running momentum carried her forward until she ducked down and pushed off with her right foot. Vatra turned in mid-air and swung her left leg around, timing the lurker's attack with her plan to take it down.

Her left ankle hooked around the lurker's jaw, and Vatra found herself straddling the back of the very creature trying to rip her to shreds.

"This isn't like riding a horse," Vatra said. She ducked close to the lurker and found no place to hold a grip. If she didn't act fast, the slick scales would send her flying back down to the dirt.