Predator: Survivor

Chapter 27

His whole world seemed to stop even as his instincts roared to life. He knew not the depths of fear, nor the sharp pangs of helplessness, until this very instant. The raw anguish etched onto his face was a rare display of emotion for the yautja. A guttural growl rumbled deep within his chest, a sound foreign even to him. The world around him seemed to fade away and narrow down to the disappearing sight of her. Primal fury surged through him coursing through his veins urging him to action.

Izara's scream still echoed in his ears as he launched himself forward into the water. He could see her body with the black tentacle still wrapped around it hit the dark water and Bor shifted his attention fully to the beast coming into view in front of him.

Partly out of the water, the head of the beast gleamed in the purple moonlight. Six shiny black tentacles were undulating on top of the water's surface whipping and splashing as the creature turned its giant eye towards Bor. Without hesitation, Bor released his wrist blade and launched himself in the air at the creature's bulbous head.

Something moved in the corner of his eye, but Bor did not turn his head. He knew without looking that a giant black tentacle was moving swiftly to intercept him. The light from the pod ship glinted off its slick skin. He needed to damage the creature. Izara had been pulled under the water on the other side of its body that was still mostly in the water. She would not last long if he did not act.

The oncoming tentacle was inches away. With one fluid turn, Bor grabbed his spear at his waist and activated it in his hand. Spinning his body midair, he threw the spear at the attacking appendage just before landing on top of the Kraken's head. The moment he made contact with the creature, Bor sank his serrated twin blades into the creature's massive eye.

The eye made a cracking pop before black blood poured from the wound. A shrill screech vibrated beneath Bor's feet as he held onto the thrashing creature. The surrounding dark water began to churn as its tentacles began to thrash wildly. Bor caught the sight of pale flesh in the dim light as Izara's body was raised out of the water.

Everything shifted to her. He never took his eyes off of her as he moved. Bor dropped to his feet into the surf, the sand shifting underneath every step and the ocean sloshing around his knees. Digging his claws into the creature's head and one hand around the base of a tentacle, Bor began to pull.

The Kraken let out another piercing screech that tore through the air. Blindly the creature fought back. More and more tentacles emerged from the water.

Letting go of the creature's head, Bor grabbed one of his swords with one hand and sliced an attacking tentacle in half just before it reached him. But he did not let go of the other tentacle he had in his grip. With all his strength he pulled at the creature, pulling it further towards the shore and away from the water. Again he caught a glimpse of human skin from behind the bulbous head and Bor let out a deafening roar as he threw his strength into dragging the creature out of the water. For a brief second, a droplet of fear entered his mind and the task felt impossible. The heavy boneless creature felt suctioned to the bottom of the sea floor. Black thick blood covered him and the surrounding churning waves as the cut tentacles flailed angrily around him.

Fury burned that drop of fear to dust. He would not let this creature win. He would not lose her.

Dropping his sword into the water, Bor grabbed at the Kraken with his other hand. Hand over hand, he pulled at the massive creature, dragging it out of the water and further onto the shore. He would get her out of the water first. Once Izara was on land he could focus on killing the creature.

Suddenly, the creature jerked to the left, whipping its partially amputated tentacles around to the other side of its body. There was a buzzing noise coming from the other side of the creature. A flash of glowing bright white was all Bor needed to see. He knew what that was. He had heard the sound before, seen it on footage back on Ojibwe.

Knowing he had very little time, he put all his strength back into moving the beast. With two heavy tentacles draped over his shoulders, Bor turned and lunged up the sodden beach. Each step dug into the sand as he heaved the beast forward. Behind him, the Kraken shrieked as it slid across the sand and out of the water.

With it far enough on the beach, Bor let it go and ran to the other side of it and stopped. Kneeling on the ground with her eyes wide and covered in the black blood was Izara. Her eyes were nearly all white. Only the faintest hint of her usual brown irises could be seen through the bright glow. Beside her on the ground were torn chunks of tentacles.

The giant Kraken rolled in a frenzy on the sand, turning itself over onto its other side revealing another eye. Wildly the eye searched until it locked onto both of them.

Bor grabbed Izara and pulled her up, forcing her to run. Dazed and quiet, she complied wordlessly as he shoved her towards the tree line of the jungle.

"Stay here," he commanded.

She did not respond. Still stunned and unseeing, she simply stood there with her palms up covered in the black viscous blood.

The kraken shrieked again. Using its damaged and remaining intact tentacles it moved jerkily towards the water. Pulling out his remaining sword Bor faced the creature.

Behind him, a small, shaky voice called out. "Bor?"

Turning his head just enough, Bor could see Izara's pale face. She looked confused. Bor looked back at the retreating beast with a growl under his breath. He did not want to let it escape, but he did not want to waste any more time with it. It was a few yards away from the water now. He needed to act now.

Sheathing his sword, he ran over to the stone table where his bow lay. Activating the bow in his left hand he flicked his thumb across the newly added sensor and watched as the arrow formed with a crackling blue tip. Halfway into the water now, the large squid-like creature was only seconds from disappearing into the black waters when Bor let off the charged shot. Through the injured eye and out through the remaining good eye, the plasma arrow pierced right through its flesh.

Bor cocked his head and stared at its slumped figure. Satisfied at the creature's sudden silence and wavering body, Bor dropped the weapon back onto the table and turned to Izara.