War Beast

Book Two: Chapter 4

Jenny looked back and saw Huntar's body trembling across the ground. Her eyes widened in shock. "Huntar!"

"What happened to him?" Zena asked.

"He fell! I think he tried to attack that chief!"

"Torag!" The rhino cried.

Zena's ears lowered. "Damnit!"

"We gotta go back for him!" Jenny cried.

"Then turn the Tyrant around!"

"How?"

Zena rubbed her eyebrows. "Let me ride it!"

"But you're behind me!"

Zena grabbed the ropes while her head leaned over Jenny's right shoulder. Jenny sat still as Zena turned the Tyrant around on the dirt path.

The Tyrant raced past the hyenas' Rammer and approached Huntar's body. After the reptile stopped, Jenny slid off the mount first and rushed toward the lion. "Huntar!"

She kneeled and shook his chest. Red marks covered his dirty fur, but he breathed still. "Huntar!"

Zena approached behind her. "How is he?"

Jenny sniffed. Her heart raced with so much anxiety. "He's breathing, but he is unconscious."

Zena glared with determination. "We can carry him if we can-"

A spear flew past Zena's head, but the blade barely scratched her right cheek. Jenny spotted the hyenas braking their Rammer as they stopped.

"Give me back the ruby and the human!" Borga shouted.

Zena and Torag faced him, giving Jenny and Huntar some cover. The zebra twirled her battle staff while Torag held up his fists.

"You'll have to kill us first!" Zena shouted.

Borga held up his mace. "So be it!"

When he pointed his mace at Zena, the rider charged. Torag bent his head down and sprinted toward the Rammer.

Jenny widened her eyes. She couldn't believe what Torag intended to do. "Torag! No!"

The Rammer could tremble over Torag or stab its horn into him. What was he thinking?

As Torag reached the reptile mount, he grabbed the Rammer's horn and pushed it back. While pushing back, he swung his fist into the Rammer's right eye.

The creature tipped over to the opposite side as Borga and her warrior fell off their mount. The large fat hyena landed on her rider and quickly crawled off him.

Borga rose and picked up her mace. "Grrrrrrrrrrrr, you will pay for stealing my ruby and slave!"

"I am not your slave!" Jenny shouted.

Borga chuckled. "I actually meant food!"

Jenny gulped.

A large Beast woman like Borga could swallow her hold like a fat guy shoving a pickle down his throat. She won't let that nightmare happen.

Borga charged toward Zena and Torag. Before she reached them, she stopped, gazing past them in shock. When Jenny looked back, she saw a herd of Striders, racing toward her.

They were giant flightless birds with long necks and sharp hooked birds who looked related to ostriches. Dirty white feathers long bony legs that helped them run very fast. They were good for riding, but hundreds of them could tremble over Beastmen to death.