Twenty-six
The path was a sea of mud, and it pulled at Brice’s boots with every step. They’d never make the landing pad in eight minutes. Even ten was optimistic.
The trees crowded the path, far too close for comfort. Those creatures had long limbs and sharp claws.
Another one jumped from tree to tree, its hiss angry as it smoldered in the torch beams. Brice followed it with a torch, the burning-flesh stink tasting far better than their normal rancid odour. But then the creature was gone, into the shadows.
The ground rose, and Brice trod through running water now, brown and thick with mud. Tris stumbled a few times, but that wasn’t too surprising. He wasn’t cut out for this. Gym training only went so far.
This was Brice’s speciality, and he had to hep Tris. Even if he had to carry th
