Artemis opened her eyes and gaped at the view ahead, she was twenty feet up the in the air, and facets of buildings vanished before her eyes. She glanced at her rescuer, an owl-faced punk with salt-and-pepper feathers. She grimaced when she found out he was half-human. "Ew.""You're welcome. It's coming for us." Maks said looking for a new route, the plant roared and crept swiftly gaining on them, and he dropped Artemis. Artemis squealed landing on a red canopy, she bounced steadily and slipped, gripping the fabric until she dunked into a cask full of apples. The shopkeeper squealed taking to her heels. Artemis looked drenched, she spat up an apple. "Things could get worse."Maks turned his head 360° to view the casualty on his back. The sight of spikes on him looked even more painful than the actual pain. "Ouch!" His new skill from defeating Lord Hu was [ Zoocephalic Shapeshifting: The ability to shapeshift to a human body with an animal head only. ] The plant roared and he found i
Maks wrestled with her. "Give it!" "Oh, don't tell me you were that infuriating bird ruining our dance_"He turned pink and his lips pursed."I'm just asking for help." Her eyes tilted when he crumpled it. "Please." She passed him a photo and he folded his arms gazing at them. She was in the midst of at least twenty of them on a field without tails. With a big grin on her face. "You honestly want me to believe that these girls..." He snorted. "Are Hulijing?""Yes! They don't go on expeditions for more than a week. They come back even if they're empty-handed. This one's different_""Oh, they hunt too." He said sceptically."Yes. Regular hunting to be clear and they're after this lady who they think wants them gone. A soil serpent killed 13 of them." "Not clear enough."Maks flipped the snapshot. He wondered if she meant dragon. "Hmm. And do you have any idea where they went?""I have no idea. But we can start digging."... He groaned and shoved his hands into his hunter-green cargo
...Harry planned to build a chain factory along the plains of Algeria and she freaked out. It's a desert. She turned into an eco-loving person. My dad tried to call her back into the light and everything. They had a presentation to get to, they wanted to impress the ambassadors before they were given a license to build a chain industry there. She vetoed. There were a lot of delays. My mom and dad had to leave on their own without their successor. I was just 17 and I had little or no knowledge about the corporation. They died in a sandstorm on their trip to Qacentina. And that project on the desert and the field my girls used to live in died with them.""Damn." He said. "I was only asking about the Huli jing, but nevermind...that's rough...Did Rosie come back?" He slouched on his chair and she kept her eyes on the road. "Oh, she came until that awakener feud. I lost all contact. I don't know what else to do."He watched her hiss and tap on the wheels straining her eyes."Maybe I should
He rushed over to her side. "What? What is it? Let me see."She was as pale as a ghost sobbing. "I got bit by a snake."He looked up. "Oh great! Just what I was hoping for." They moved to another spot where there were no logs or shrubs where snakes could hide. Her hand trembled. She was pale and took deep breaths.Maks searched his rucksack for a first aid kit. He was in real trouble. He checked again and found it in her bag. "Got it.""Hurry.""Look, the best thing you can do is relax." He frowned."Snakes of the rain forest are well adapted to an arboreal or tree-dwelling existence. Many have long thin bodies with angled scales for climbing trees.""What are you doing? Are you trying to scare me?""Trying to remember my lessons." "Please tell me you were a scout."He was hyperventilating. "No." For venomous snakebites. He was warned never to suck a wound or even use a suction tube, "put heat or ice in it." The best option was to find a hospital. Which they were lacking at the mom
"Reeeeyna! Something's messing with us. This forest is alive.""Are you kidding? Don't you remember those vines back in the city?She probably knows we were coming for them or something. I knew this was not a good idea_""Excuse me!?" Artemis turned to him, her notched eyebrows furrowed poking his chest. "We came over here to find them and what I say goes, understand? We'll worry about escaping with our lives later!"Maks grimaced. "Yes ma'am.""And quit calling me ma'am."... They reached an open field. Artemis was not in a good mood. However, she tried to uplift her mood rather than hold a grudge. "Look at these." She touched a plant with orange and scarlet stripes. "Isn't it neat?"The chameleon uncloaked itself and made its escape away from her. She snorted. "Nevermind." The hooded person watched them hiking from the trees and clenched her fist.Maks stopped and spotted the shadow standing by a tree. "Hey!"She disappeared into the trees.Artemis frowned racing after her. "Oh no
A man in a red face cap took a picture of them clapping. Yang turned to the other spectators gathering at their astounding performance whistling and applauding them. Maks chattered again and she jumped into a tree, they materialized in the basin again. She yanked him away from her face and dowsed him in the pristine pool. He shrieked. "Die you, condounded creature!" He cried out, air bubbles escaped from his lungs, he gurgled and struggled until he sank."No!" Artemis cried. Yang reappeared, she spotted her and caught her by the throat. "You really think that trick was going to work on me you defenceless little_oomph!" Artemis kicked her in the shin. Yang dropped and rolled over holding her leg. "You lying cheat." She wore shoes with metal soles. Maks magnified into his human form, drenched, the gills on his neck closed. Yang looked astonished when he stood up. He smirked running, he gripped her foot swooping up into the air finding an opening in the trees. He screamed gaining mor
Maks returned home, he thought he would be happy but his sore muscles and fatigue caught up to him. He hung his rucksack, Elvis watched him enter and slouched. He dropped his bag in a basket.Bernard, Doreen's father beamed at him."Hey son. Why don't you come give your old grand pappy a hug?" Bernard had a soft-spoken voice, he was his late seventies, with grey hair, a bald spot, deep-seated brown eyes, and an average figure. He wore a grey sweater and brown pants. "Not now." He marched upstairs.Suzanne rasped in disapproval. She had a grey bob haircut and brown eyes behind cat eyeglasses. She wore a purple jacket, a black turtle neck dress. She draped an arm over Jessica's chair. "What's his problem?"Doreen filled her cup. "He's just tired." "Sure he is."***There were caravans were moving into Phoenix, Frank Goddard, a well-known leader of the Moving Godhead Entertainment Company, a tamer of beasts and magician watched as the red train moved along the streets of Phoenix. A cit
Maks scrolled through the channels. He crossed his legs and flicked to the news channel."Man sustains lethal injuries, claims to have been attacked by a prehistoric creature no bigger than a person, while on duty." He sat up at the news, he didn't trust the media to give a plausible account without saying 'his words not mine', the man had deep cuts on his face."Hmm." Suzanne picked out Jessica's clothes for the fair. She was too excited to let them live it down. She reviewed the Godhead Entertainment Company merchandise and their snacks."$12.99? Well, I never, I'll pack you lunch, Jessica, you're gonna be all right." She said hastily while Jessica protested. "Maks, are you coming?" He dropped the remote. "I've been to that fair a couple of times, nothing is interesting to look forward to."She covered Jessica's ears. "You should be a little more considerate with your kid sister, don't you think?" He grunted. "Besides, your grandparents will be leaving first thing on Wednesday