A Circuit of Time: Book Two of Spark (A MPHFPC Fanfiction)

Chapter Twelve

"That might explain why this valley is so silent." Emma said, "You can't hear or see anything other than birds."

"You are right," Miss Bittern agreed, "There may be some kind of predator here that scared off all other animals. We need to be careful."

After searching for a while, Ethan stumbled across the first sign of animal life in the valley. Hidden in the overgrown vegetation was a headless corpse of a big mammalian animal.

"Shit." Olive mumbled.

"We are close, I can feel something in front of us." Miss Bittern said.

Olive carefully sneaked around the corpse and pushed through the vegetation to see a giant feathered beast sleeping in front of her. Behind it was an opening that looked suspiciously like a doorway.

"There's some kind of animal in front of us. It's big. The entrance is behind it." Olive said just loud enough for the rest of them to hear, "We will have to go through the gap between it and the rocks. Everyone hug the wall, and be careful don't touch it."

They treaded softly forward, pressing their back to the wall, eyes never leaving the animal. The grass underfoot concealed their footsteps.

Closer to it now, Olive could tell this animal was the same species from the painting in Solnhofen loop. The great beast that served as battle mounts for ancient peculiar warlords whose name forgotten by time. This was the feathered tyrant.

The creature moved its head slightly toward the peculiars.

They froze. Emma raised her rifle.

"Don't," Olive mouthed.

The creature snored lightly, its eyes still closed. It was still sleeping.

Emma lowered her weapon.

They continued forward. Olive reached the opening first and hurried everyone in.

When about half of them had entered the opening, Olive noticed the sleeping creature had disappeared.

"Quickly!" she said, a little too loudly.

A low rumble echoed in the valley.

Then Olive saw the creature's head. It was still lying on its belly, concealed behind the long grass, watching them.

"Get in now!" She shouted.

The only people left outside, John, Blanche and Zack ran as fast as they could. Suddenly, the animal's head pushed through the long grass and clamped its jaws around Zack's waist and dragged him away.

John and Blanche made it into the entrance right as the creature stood up with Zack in its mouth.

His scream stopped a few seconds later.

*

Valeria's soldiers made quick work of the four rebels guarding the loop entrance.

As her troops dragged away the bodies, the ymbryne gave the order. "You come with me," she gestured ten peculiar soldiers she singled out earlier. Her selected soldiers fell in behind her.

She nodded to Lieutenant Wang and gestured at the rest of the soldiers, "They're all yours. Don't let anyone else enter the loop."

"Yes Ma'am," The lieutenant assured her, "We will guard this place with whatever means necessary."

Valeria gave him a reassuring smile, and then, followed by ten peculiar troops, she entered the loop to claim the power of Mother of Birds.

*