“What kind of freakin’ monster is that?” Trey finally broke the silence.

“We need to wake up. Now!” Morgan hissed.

“A wolfosaurus,” Spence said softly. This creature was even too exotic for Warcraft. His body felt heavy, as if he were another stone statue on the dais. He watched as the monster raised its head and sniffed the air, swinging it slowly back and forth. Then its glowing eyes halted on them. It sniffed again and then emitted the bone-chilling roar. “Dream or not, that thing is going to try to eat us.”

“He’s right. We might as well end the dream fighting. They say you can’t die in your dreams, so we should wake up soon,” Caleb said. He strode around the pillars and statue to the edge of the dais.

“Well, I can’t let Rambo outdo me,” Trey said and walked over to join Caleb, swinging his ax.

Spence reluctantly joined the others, holding his staff tightly in front of him with the orb pointed at the monster. Morgan appeared on his other side, nocking an arrow on the bowstring.

The beast growled and then charged. It was a hundred yards away but quickly closed the distance. “See if you can hit it, Morgan,” Caleb yelled.

“I don’t kill animals,” she replied.

“First of all, it’s going to kill all of us. Second, that monstrosity isn’t an animal. Third, you don’t have to eat it. Now shoot it!”

Morgan pulled the string to the corner of her mouth. She paused for a moment and then released the arrow. It sailed high over the beast’s back and stuck in the ground behind it.

“Nailed it, Katniss,” Trey growled.

“Bite me, ogre. It’s the first time I’ve shot this bow.” She nocked another arrow. Now, the creature was just fifty yards away. She drew the string and shot again. The shaft struck the right side of the monster but bounced harmlessly off its rock-hard scales. “Damn it!”

Spence squeezed hard on his staff, but nothing happened. He thought his heart would beat out of his chest and kill him before the monster could. His entire body trembled now but not from the cold. He didn’t know whether his legs were weak from lack of use or fear. The ground, including the dais, also shook from the thundering charge. They were no match for a creature like that; they probably couldn’t kill a regular wolf, much less a dinosaur-size one.

“Let’s spread out. If it attacks one of us, the others attack from the sides. Morgan, aim for its head. Shoot its eyes out,” Caleb ordered. He rushed down the stairs to the ground and moved to the left of the platform.

Morgan ran down the stairs and scurried to the right. Trey strode down the middle and stood in front of the dais. Spence descended the first few steps and then stopped, well behind Trey. The creature slowed its charge momentarily as it analyzed its prey changing positions. It then resumed its charge straight ahead, toward Trey. Trey started swinging his ax back and forth, seemingly unfazed by the enormous monstrosity rushing toward him. Then he inexplicably lowered his ax when the beast closed to twenty yards. He stood motionless, staring straight ahead.

“Trey! Get ready! Morgan, now!” Caleb shouted.

Spence was still frozen, helplessly waiting to watch Trey get shredded by the foot-long wolf teeth. He was too frightened even to relish the prospect. He desperately wanted to move and tried to think what he would do if he were Anniswind—only Anniswind had powerful spells and a magical staff. He had a stick with a glass tip and a dagger.

The beast slowed as it neared Trey. It didn’t want to trample him, Spence realized; it wanted to eat him. It issued a deep, long growl that vibrated in Spence’s chest, despite it still being thirty feet away. The monster sniffed the air again, and its red eyes glowed brightly, transfixed on Trey. It walked the final steps, stopping a half dozen feet from the frozen teenager. It raised its head high—its mouth hanging open, drool oozing from between its teeth and striking the ground with a hiss. Trey still didn’t move.

Caleb charged from the beast’s right side just as Morgan loosed an arrow from its left. The shaft missed the eye but struck the beast’s cheek. It roared in shock and pain and swung its head to face Morgan. Then Caleb’s sword flashed and sank into its front leg. The monster howled and jerked its head to the right. Its snout struck Caleb before he could retreat, sending him tumbling backward. He landed ten feet away on his back with a dull thud but somehow still clung to his sword.

Trey finally came to life. He moved forward and swung his ax at the side of the beast’s mouth. It sliced the lip open, instantly coating the gray fur with a stream of blood. The wolf head jerked around to face Trey. This time the monster retreated a few steps to reassess the three threats. It raised its head and emitted an ear-splitting roar, followed by a howl. Morgan used the pause to release another arrow. This time it struck its left eye, half the arrow embedding in its skull, with the other half still protruding.

The creature yelped loudly and spun to face Morgan, the greatest threat now. It swung its spiked tail, striking Caleb as he regained his feet. He barely managed to block the spikes with his sword but was tossed high into the air, landing on the grass twenty feet away. This time he lay still.

Trey charged forward with his ax, attempting a blow to the other side of the beast’s face. Without looking, the monster raised its lizard leg into the charging boy. Trey managed to strike it with his ax, but the impact sent him crashing onto the stone steps just below Spence. His ax remained in the monster’s leg. He moaned softly once and then fell silent, motionless.

Morgan retreated and desperately tried to nock another arrow. Spence finally realized he had to do something, or they would all be dead. It might already be too late for Trey and Caleb. He slowly moved, his limbs weak and heavy. “Come get me!” he shouted, his voice made louder from adrenaline and fear. Dear Lord, please help us all survive this. He hadn’t prayed much since his prayers to walk again had gone unanswered. But now, since his paralysis was cured, it was as good of a time as any to find faith again. He tried to back up the stairs to the level surface of the dais, but his right foot caught the edge of the step behind him. He slowly and helplessly collapsed onto the stairs. He still clutched the staff with both hands and instinctively thrust it behind him to help cushion the fall.

As soon as the staff struck the base of the step behind him, a surge of heat and electricity raced up its length. The crystal tip glowed a bright white. Then part of the shaft slid open beneath his left hand, and his fingers touched three buttons in the exposed compartment. The wolfosaurus, distracted by the light from the staff, stopped its approach on Morgan and turned its massive head to face Spence. Spence’s knees would have buckled beneath the evil red gaze if he still stood. The beast licked its lips and slowly walked toward him.

Spence lowered the staff and pointed the glowing tip at the creature’s mouth. Hopefully, he could at least fend it off for a few minutes while Morgan hit it with another arrow. As he squeezed the staff tighter and braced his body against the hard stairs, his left forefinger pressed the top button. He heard a click, and then the staff began to vibrate violently. The beast had reached the bottom of the steps, almost to Trey’s prone body. It stretched its neck out far enough for Spence to feel and smell its hot, reeking breath.

Then the lightning bolt surged out of the staff. The bolt and its many jagged forks of light struck the monster’s head, shoulders, and chest. A huge roar of thunder erupted after the strike. The recoil pressed Spence hard into the stairs, with the back of his head striking the edge of the top one and the staff nearly flying from his hands. The concussion from the thunder knocked Morgan to the ground.

The beast staggered back a few steps while the lightning enveloped it and penetrated its tough hide and scales. Its body convulsed as it wobbled momentarily and then collapsed onto the ground. Once the lightning finally subsided, the creature slowly rolled over on its side. The red glow disappeared from its eyes, and its long tongue hung out the side of its mouth. The smell of ozone and burning hair hung over the arena.

***

“They made quick work of your wolfosaur,” Artemis said.

“Impressive,” Ra agreed.

“Interesting that the weak one chose the staff,” Enki added. “The spinal repair went well too. It was good you could reverse the muscle atrophy in his legs.”

“The weak shall inherit the earth…or Nibiru,” Artemis answered, grinning. “I told you this group would have some interesting dynamics and skills.”

“Perhaps we can finally find our champion out of this group,” Odin said.

“Or possibly multiple champions,” Artemis replied.

“Interesting. We have never believed that possible. That could offer the best results,” Enki said.