《Storm of the End》Chapter XX.VII: Cracks
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The feline beast roared and I saw its rows of razor sharp teeth begin to move and rotate in its mouth like a chainsaw. It bit down hard on the giant's neck, and I heard its skin tear as chunks of flesh and blood splattered around and onto the two creatures.
Without even looking back at the feline-thing, the giant lifted its left hand and grabbed onto the beast's neck. With a sudden burst of strength, it tore the thing off its neck and threw it into the air. The beast flipped and landed hard on its feet, making the earth crack and creating a small crater on the road.
I don't think any of us could even blink, so focused were we on the incredible scene before us.
The giant was just staring ahead into the rain like it was pondering something, while the beast was eyeing the basket. I saw it lick its lips with a metallic tongue. So... that's what it was after.
It snarled, then let out another roar as it pounced again, this time aiming for the basket. The giant's eyes suddenly widened and became bloodshot, its happy but creepy expression took on an instantaneous shift into one of pure and utter fury. With a slobbering snarl, the giant swung its arm and sent it crashing down like a sledgehammer onto the beast's head. A violent cracking noise echoed through the streets as the beast was sent crashing into the apartment, the raindrops momentarily parting with the quick rush of wind caused by the impact. The beast didn't budge. Its neck had been twisted all the way around and its face was completely smashed in, its own teeth piercing through its brain and lower jaw; the giant had killed it instantaneously.
The victor took a deep breath, and as it did its flesh regrew where it had been torn by the beast. Its smile returned. I heard the people in the basket whimpering and groaning as the giant walked over to the dead beast and began to tear it apart with its bare hands. It took some of the small chunks it had torn up, and tossed it into the basket.
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Was it... using that to feed the people inside? It took one last scan of the area, and as it did we all cowered away so that we were completely out of sight.
"We... we need to save them..." Sarah whispered, her voice shaking.
I looked down at the stick I held in my hand and shook my head, "We can't... I'm sorry... I know... but... we can't..."
Jared looked away.
"But..." her eyes watered, but she didn't press it.
She knew.
We didn't stand a chance against that monster.
None of us moved again until we heard its footsteps fade away into the distance and the pouring rain was the only sound that remained.
Jared stood up, "Shit... never thought I'd see the things in-fighting..."
"But why though?" I asked, "And why was it carrying those people around like that?"
Aaron spoke up, "It was almost like... it was protecting them, or something," he seemed unsure himself, so strange was the idea.
But what else would explain what we had just witnessed?
"Yeah, not only did it fight that other thing, but it even... fed... them too..."
Jared agreed, "Yeah... it even only fought back when the other one went for the people."
Their screams replayed in my mind and I brought my hand to my face, "But I wonder why that other one attacked it in the first place? I guess it was just to get at the people, but we've never seen two of the things fight each other before..."
Jared peered out the window, "Who knows... I don't know if there's even any point trying to make sense of things anymore," he said then stepped out the door.
"You okay?" I asked Aaron.
"Yeah... I'll be okay. I can't wait for us to get to Arthur Street..."
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The four of us went back to the van, I got in the driver's seat and handed the map to Jared. Luckily, we had to go away from the direction the giant had gone.
I glanced at what little remained of the feline-thing: not much.
I pushed on the gas, and were on our way to security.
If we could just make it to Arthur Street and band up with those people, I'm sure we'd be able to make it through Crestland and reach the bunker.
I'm sure of it.
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Inheritors
WARNING: INHERITORS IS RATED ‘R’. IT CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE, AND GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF VIOLENCE, DRUG USE, SEX, AND ABUSE. IT IS NOT INTENDED FOR YOUNG OR SENSITIVE AUDIENCES. Follow Gabe, a clone of the greatest hero ever, as he struggles to survive a world where emotions grant fantastic powers and create cosmic horrors. When he stumbles on a senseless massacre, he sets out to clear his name and help the one survivor - the young Mateo - in finding justice. But as he fights for what he believes is right, he starts to unravel a mystery that could topple the capes forever. PRAISE FROM READERS “A bright super-giant in the constellation of grimy hero stories… would make Alan Moore swoon.” “I was instantly hooked in.” “It’s like a spring being coiled one loop at a time.”“Really vibrant, which only amplifies the darkness lurking within.”“Inheritors grabbed my interest from the first chapter and it hasn’t let go yet.”SERIALIZED AUDIO BOOK ON YOUTUBE - Subscribe here! VOTE FOR US ON TOP WEB FICTIONCHECK THE WEBSITE FOR LORE, CAST, AND MORE
8 118The Vedic Chronicles of Tamari Kapoor.
Military Action in the Land Before Time. Tamari Kapoor is the second child, of the Matron of the Clan Kapoor. He older sister is assassinated, making her the new heir. A second assassination attempt on her family sets her path firmly on the road to a military career, 30,000 years ago in our distant past. The Internal Security Bureau of India discovers an artifact 'Before Time' buried deep in the Himalaya Mountains. The truth of ancient civilizations and the conflicts they fought lay buried in its depths. Thus the saga of Tamari Kapoor begins to unfold.
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Body-counts mean nothing to Known, Nocks, Shine, Dough, and Moan. They live and breathe violence. As agents of the Kalapu, everything they do is illegal and illicit. Unbeknownst to them, the eyes of their victims are watching. Waiting for the group to get their comeuppance, the eyes see all. When one of them receives ill-omens, the thing they've inadvertently summoned reveals itself.
8 61Haladras
A desert planet. A dangerous secret.When Skylar's enigmatic uncle warns him to stay away from the mysterious winged insects that have been sighted on other planets, he thinks little of it; no one has seen the insects on their own planet of Haladras. His uncle knows more than he's telling, though. The creatures are not insects, but machines. And they're hunting for Skylar. Only after Skylar narrowly escapes capture and flees Haladras with his uncle does he learn the whole truth. What his uncle reveals will shatter Skylar's world. Torn from the girl he loves and thrust into the center of a conflict that will consume the empire, Skylar must fight for all he cares for, even as he struggles to know who he can trust.Star Wars meets The Lord of the Rings. HALADRAS is the first installment in a gripping new YA adventure.
8 178Asunder Online [DROPPED]
This fiction is on Indefinite Hiatus, because I feel like the quality is dropping and I need some time to try other ideas and get inspiration. Follow the story of Jacob as he plays the first ever Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online RPG (VRMMORPG) Asunder Online. This will be a bit slow paced at first, but will pick up later on. Now with TABLES! Warning: This series is tagged as Mature because it contains crude language. When the battle scenes start later on, expect some gore too. Note: This is my first written work. English is not my native language. I have tried to correct myself before submitting, but please point out any mistakes, plot holes and inconsistencies. Your comments are welcome! Copyright Notice: Asunder Online (and all its chapters) by fidelc123 (on royalroadl.com) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
8 72Inky Veins is a poetry collection of rhyme, free verse, prose, and haiku. Poems included in this collection are from Andi Leigh's blog: andileighwrites.com.Originally published: May 15, 2022.Paperback copies are available at Lulu.com, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble Online!
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