Waiting Shapeless

Chapter 56. Gnumus

Tyler: Human

Tyler stumbled back in surprise as the green Pardos rose up and quickly enveloped himself in his shape-shifting gun.

As it grew, several patches opened up revealing heavy cannon-like barrels that extended quickly from the body.

It took only a few seconds of the gun folding and unfolding itself for the now metal alien to get just as large as Arbol was.

Everything about the gun enveloped Pardos machine radiated power.

It maintained a similar shape to the Pardos, with its muscled body and bipedal posture. But the head was different. It had a sharper but smooth angle to it, like a vehicle designed to overcome air resistance. It had two blazing eyes and underneath them, sprouting from what looked like should have been a mouth was instead a large cluster of the thick cannon barrels.

Even larger cannons pointed forward from thick metallic shoulder pads, and each of the machine's fingertips were barrels as well.

As Tyler stood and gawked at the creation, it seemed to her for a split moment that the machine almost looked feminine.

She quickly pulled her attention to the other monster in the cave. The flare in Arbol's eye was still flashing, its bright pulsating red light was obviously making it hard for him to see clearly.

She quickly ran to Jirabi and Bai to check on them. To her surprise, they were still sound asleep.

"Jirabi!" She called, trying hard not to draw attention to herself.

Jirabi remained in his deep slumber.

She pulled on his thick arm, then when that didn't work she smacked his face.

Jirabi didn't move.

She bagan to panic. Was he dead??

No, he was still breathing.

The same thing was true for Bai when she examined her. Maybe Ishnook was still pushing exhaustion on them?

She needed to get them out of here. Tears came to her eyes again as she tried to push her thoughts away from Heva and Bryalnus. She couldn't stand to see any more of her friends die.

Tyler had no time to cry. Gridding her teeth, she stood up and grabbed at Jirabi's jump suit. The best thing she could do now is get them out of this place.

She pulled at Jirabi with all of her strength, straining to pull him towards the new hole the Pardos had opened up.

Jirabi was incredibly heavy.

She was only able to laboredly pull him a little ways before she changed her plan. If she couldn't get them out of the cave, she just needed to get them out of the way of danger.

Tyler changed her direction and pulled Jirabi over to the nearby edge of the cave wall. There was a small alcoved area she could try to tuck both him and Bai into.

She finally pushed Jirabi under the rock wall, and laboredly did the same for Bai, grunting with the weight of the large lizard.

They would be safe for now.

There was a deafening clash of metal from behind her and she grabbed at her ears and spun around quickly.

It was the two gigantic metal beings. The Pardos machine and the Bovase insect had begun their battle.