Star Killer

Chapter 5

The image above is what a wierzen looks like

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Six orange eyes slice through the darkness and glower up at me, causing my body to freeze up and become as rigid as the ice that runs through my veins. Slowly, the shadow moves towards me until my light illuminates its scales. Teeth glitter into view and a small scream leaves my mouth as they jerk towards me. Almost instantly my eyepiece crackles to life in response and the creature halts in place. Seeming to be afraid of the foreign sounds, it steps backwards and shakes its scaly head in annoyance. I keep my own eyes trained on the hovering shadow as long as I can, but soon my eyelids grow heavy from not blinking and I take the chance at shutting them.

     My eyelids rise and my mouth parts slightly. The eyes have vanished as quickly as they have arrived. I shake my head and give a good look in all directions, but my eyes were right the first time. I'm alone.

     A shiver racks my spine and I can't help but feel like I'm being watched. Six orange eyes refuse to leave my mind as I stretch out my arms and legs and shove off of the ground, successfully launching myself into the open water once more. I kick upwards and increase my distance from the bottom with each uneasy stroke of my boots. Only when the lip of the crater comes into my view do I take a deep breath and my nerves begin to melt off of me.

     My feet connect with the ground and my boots remagnetize to the stone's surface, allowing me to move slowly towards the doorway. The earpiece continues to crackle and let a few words through as the boys try to communicate with me, but I ignore them and focus on exiting the underwater cave as fast as I can.

     Before I can get halfway to the doorway though, a piercing light penetrates the darkness and shimmers on the stone in front of my feet. Ladies and Gentlemen, the boys have arrived. I tiredly wave my arm to signal to the boy in front that I am indeed right here and still alive. One by one the three boys enter atop massive shadows, each equip with their own set of six shimmering eyes that burn in my brain much like the earlier orange ones.

     Ajax himself is perched upon the neck of the largest shadow, its teeth flashing in the dark, ready to fight at any given moment.

"Ajax, I'm over here. Mind giving me a lift babe?" I coo mockingly and smile as his head snaps towards me, and I swear I can see physical daggers in his eyes.

"Yeah well, next time you make me run to your rescue, I hope I'm greeted with the sight of your dead body, asshole." He barks back and kicks the side of his wierzen's neck, causing it to glide over to me and land with its front claws inches from my feet.

     Stubbornly I stand my ground and peer up into the monster's face. It tilts its head to looks down and me and when its slitted eyes make contact with my own flaming eyes, it lets out a bubbly growl in my direction. I snort back at it before stomping over to its side where Ajax is leaning with his hand outstretched to help me up onto its neck.

     Making sure to bat my eyes and give him my sweetest smile, I lock hands with him and swing my leg over the snake like neck. The creature beneath me lets out a rumble and stands up lifting Ajax and I into the air. I grab one of its sensory tendrils and strengthen my hold on its neck by gripping it tighter with my thighs.

     As it turns around, I peer one last time into the crater and squint my eyes. Rising from the darkness are three large bubbles, and I only feel their accompanied fear when the wierzen beneath me whips its large head around and shrinks away from the edge.

     Everything stills and Ajax has gone stiff besides me, his face white behind his helmet's mask.

     For a few moments, nothing happens and we start to shift around, shrugging off the strange bubbles from below. The flesh of the wierzen shivers gently before it stretches out its neck and hops forwards. The others next to us all let out nervous chuckles and we make our way back towards the door. Stopping, we allow the two others go ahead of us while we watch behind us just to be sure.

     My hand finds its way to Ajax's shoulder and I watch as a single bubble rises from the pit and floats its way up towards the cave ceiling, disappearing from sight when it exceeds the range of my headlight.

     Mark's wierzen's tail slithers out of the room and we give him a few seconds before Ajax nudges his forwards.

      Instead of following after the others, it stands completely still and the sensory tendrils on its rump quiver ominously in the direction of the center of the room.

"Ajax, I think it'd be best if we were to go... now." I mutter quietly and squeeze his shoulder in warning.

     He nods and attempts once more to move his wierzen forwards, but it takes a few steps back in response. Its tail thrashes and we have to hold tight as its head turns to point towards the room once more.

"Ajax, we need to get out of here."

     He reaches down and takes out his stun gun, aiming it towards the darkness.

     The crest of his wierzen rises threateningly and its mouth opens to reveal a row of shining needle-like teeth.

      I reach down and take out my stun gun, aiming it towards the darkness.

     The wierzen slinks back into the room and lets out a snarl of bubbles.

     Ajax holds the gun with both hands and squints his eyes.

     The wierzen takes a flying leap forwards and hovers over the center of the crater.

     I hold my gun with both hands and squint my eyes.

     The wierzen leans its head down to look at the bottom of the room. A single bubble moves into view and all three of us lock our eyes on it, our heads following its path all the way to the ceiling.

     The wierzen lets out a snarl that racks its body and Ajax and I make eye contact as the rock above us begins to glow.