If I’m going to do something, I’d better do it fast! Maybe a small distraction, long enough for the two to escape…if
they were smart enough to flee when the time came.
He slipped from his perch and
dropped, belly-crawling through the spiny undergrowth. Intent on keeping track
of the Deg’Nara soldiers’ positions, he failed to see one of the prickly plants
growing rampant on this planet. As his hand came down, a poison-tipped barb
imbedded in the muscles of his palm. Flaring waves of intense pain raced up his
arm. Cursing his stupidity, he ripped the barb free. Not enough to kill me but more than enough to cause some major
discomfort!
More jeering laughter as the
Deg’Naras found another unlucky soul. Peering through the brush, he gritted his
teeth, biting back a growl of rage as a soldier crushed the victim’s throat
beneath his heavy boot. The stalkers drifted nearer, formed a circle around the
gory spectacle and cheered the executioner to even greater lengths. Strutting
and posing for the benefit of his audience, the thickset mongrel delivered more
blows to the now lifeless form.
The gruesome entertainment sidetracked
the Deg’Naras’ attention but it wouldn’t be long before they renewed the hunt.
He reached back and retrieved a long tube from his pack, ignoring for the
moment the agonizing throb of his injured hand. Carefully snapping off a number
of barbs from the spiny bush, he fitted them into the tube and drew a deep
breath. If he could make the bastards believe the projectiles were natural
hazards of the planet, they might be tempted to leave. He picked a soldier
standing on the far side of the circle and blew. The squat form jerked, howling
in agony as a stubby hand slapped at his fat neck.
He injected more barbs into the
tube and blew. Another warrior screeched, spanking his shoulder where the barbs
lodged. More barbs joined the first two barrages before he melted back into the
brush, working his way along a dry wash. Howls of pain and sobbing curses rent
the air. He kept his head down, inching through the scrub. If the two entities
were smart, they’d be moving!
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