Chapter 7
Marcus flew around for several hours without any luck. They passed through the air until he found a good place to sleep. He flew around the area to look for any form of undead “life,” but there was no movement. Marcus landed in what he guessed was a zoo and Liz jumped off his back. She landed with a thud and Marcus lent her his talon for her to grab onto. He looked around and found that they were in a pen for a herd of bison. The only indication was the large information board next to them, as the animals were nowhere to be seen.
Marcus could smell the animals and he stood from his resting place to hunt one of them down. Liz followed him; she did not want to be alone. Marcus jumped into the air and came down upon the herd. They were all pressed into a small barn house, where they would be safe from most predators. Marcus was not most predators, and he found picking one of them off to be easy business. Liz jumped upon his leg a split second before a resulting stampede flew past them.
Marcus walked back to the small area where there was no dung for them to sleep in and took the bison out of his mouth. He skinned it with a single claw and was careful not to spray the blood over Liz. After gutting it and swallowing the organs when Liz was not looking, Marcus placed the remains of the beast in his mouth and summoned a steady flame to cook it like an oven.
He dropped it on the ground before Liz. She reached forward, but hesitated when she felt the heat coming off it. Marcus cut off a small piece with his talon and used a light breath to cool it. He gave it to Liz, who ate the entire pound of meat. Marcus asked for her opinion and she said, “It’s a little over cooked, and the meat has the flavor of dragon breath stuck to it.”
“I’ll take that as a complement.”
When Liz was satisfied, he swallowed the rest and said, “Mmm, charred enough to make it crunchy, but soft enough to chew.”
Liz started to shiver, but Marcus turned to his side, revealing his warm underside. She sat next to him and he ripped down a nearby dry tree. He lit it with a single breath and she basked in two warmths at once. Marcus said, “Sleep, little one. We may have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow.”
“But what if those things attack us again?”
“These creatures know when they cannot win. They stay away until I sleep, and I do not require sleep. Sleep without fear, as I will watch over you the entire night.”
Liz placed her head on the ground and nudged closer to Marcus. He let his wing fall over her to block out the light of the fire. Despite the delay, Marcus was happy to not be alone. Marcus loved his sister and he knew that she was happy as well. Marcus wanted to do as he said and watch over her, but his head started to feel heavy. He pressed it to the ground, but he kept his eyelids open. Marcus kept his eyes open and watched the fire slowly dwindle away. His mind drifted to the future, and his plans for the rest of his life. Marcus heard a twig snap, and he came to alertness. Then his fears came true. It was dark. His eyes were closed. And he had no idea how long they had been closed for.
Liz screamed, meaning that she was alive. Marcus looked off into the distance as a large mouthful of teeth with no apparent owner charged at them. Marcus did the first thing that came to mind and dropped is jaws over Liz. He used his tongue to pull her the rest of the way in and closed his jaws around her.
Marcus could smell the animals and he stood from his resting place to hunt one of them down. Liz followed him; she did not want to be alone. Marcus jumped into the air and came down upon the herd. They were all pressed into a small barn house, where they would be safe from most predators. Marcus was not most predators, and he found picking one of them off to be easy business. Liz jumped upon his leg a split second before a resulting stampede flew past them.
Marcus walked back to the small area where there was no dung for them to sleep in and took the bison out of his mouth. He skinned it with a single claw and was careful not to spray the blood over Liz. After gutting it and swallowing the organs when Liz was not looking, Marcus placed the remains of the beast in his mouth and summoned a steady flame to cook it like an oven.
He dropped it on the ground before Liz. She reached forward, but hesitated when she felt the heat coming off it. Marcus cut off a small piece with his talon and used a light breath to cool it. He gave it to Liz, who ate the entire pound of meat. Marcus asked for her opinion and she said, “It’s a little over cooked, and the meat has the flavor of dragon breath stuck to it.”
“I’ll take that as a complement.”
When Liz was satisfied, he swallowed the rest and said, “Mmm, charred enough to make it crunchy, but soft enough to chew.”
Liz started to shiver, but Marcus turned to his side, revealing his warm underside. She sat next to him and he ripped down a nearby dry tree. He lit it with a single breath and she basked in two warmths at once. Marcus said, “Sleep, little one. We may have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow.”
“But what if those things attack us again?”
“These creatures know when they cannot win. They stay away until I sleep, and I do not require sleep. Sleep without fear, as I will watch over you the entire night.”
Liz placed her head on the ground and nudged closer to Marcus. He let his wing fall over her to block out the light of the fire. Despite the delay, Marcus was happy to not be alone. Marcus loved his sister and he knew that she was happy as well. Marcus wanted to do as he said and watch over her, but his head started to feel heavy. He pressed it to the ground, but he kept his eyelids open. Marcus kept his eyes open and watched the fire slowly dwindle away. His mind drifted to the future, and his plans for the rest of his life. Marcus heard a twig snap, and he came to alertness. Then his fears came true. It was dark. His eyes were closed. And he had no idea how long they had been closed for.
Liz screamed, meaning that she was alive. Marcus looked off into the distance as a large mouthful of teeth with no apparent owner charged at them. Marcus did the first thing that came to mind and dropped is jaws over Liz. He used his tongue to pull her the rest of the way in and closed his jaws around her.