Season of Sacrifice (Blood of Azure Book 1) Jonathan Michael (red novels .txt) 📖

I have to do to gain your trust!” I shout, not expecting an answer. But mutterings of syllables echo through my thoughts. Not my own thoughts, but something foreign.

I contemplate whether I should chase after him up the tree but quickly decide against it. I know how that will play out. Instead, I attempt to imitate the beast by howling as apishly as I can muster. It works. I suspect it isn’t because my howling is free of imperfection, but rather the opposite.

Coloss repels down the tree, pausing on each branch to beat his chest and either grunt or howl, until he finds the forest floor yet again. His skull-crushing fists raise high above his head with a grueling facial expression and menacing wails bellowing from his lungs. However, my instincts tell me I am out of harm’s way. I stand my ground.

I display the fruit basket and tenaciously make eye contact with his commanding evergreen eyes. The beast holds still without conceding the fruit. I, too, hold my bearing. So long that my shoulder burns with pain and feels as though it will fall off from the weight of the basket. Eventually, I flinch the slightest, and Coloss bellows a massive roar, rips the basket from my hand, tossing it high above, and shoves me to the ground before leaping back into the tree.

Several curses explode from my tongue. “I don’t have time for this,” I mutter to myself while climbing back to my feet. My temper flares. I presume this tree will further my journey, but Coloss is expendable.

Hopelessly coveting the advice Zoie gave me about always carrying my bow with me, I instead reach above my head and snap a small branch from his tree.

As expected, the siamang crashes through the branches to get to me. I accrete the small branch into a much larger and robust weapon emulating a crowbill. I stretch the organic spike straight into the air in anticipation of the attack. To my surprise, the ape carelessly leaps straight down upon me, and the crowbill pierces his bicep. It was a rash decision. And not a good one. Coloss goes into a frenzy.

My only weapon is torn from my hands and tossed into the ravine as the frantic ape waves his arms ferociously and pounds on his chest. His teeth glare and they look rather carnivorous. I have not a chance against this beast. I run without a destination in mind. I run and run, afraid to look back. Thundering footsteps crash behind me. My heart beats wildly, ready to burst within my chest, but the terrifying sound helps me focus on sprinting faster, one foot in front of the other.

I near the village and see several organic ladders hanging from the treetops in the distance. Only a few hundred paces to safety. I hope. One hundred paces. Fifty paces. The thundering footsteps sound as though they’re getting distant. I leap into the air at full sprint and latch onto a ladder, swinging violently as I struggle to climb. Nearly there. Then a paralyzing blow hits me in the back, sending me spiraling away from safety.

I manage to retain my grip on the ladder with one hand. However, two big, black, hairy arms are squeezing the air from my lungs.

Suddenly, another blow sends us careening from the ladder. Coloss loosens his grip just enough to allow me to distance myself so I am not crushed under his weight when we hit the ground.

I’m allowed a moment of recovery before I scramble to my feet and realize why I haven’t been torn to pieces yet. A single mass of orange and black fur rolls about on the forest floor. Helios and Coloss, two equally sized beasts, both with teeth that can divide a man in two. But Helios will not win this one. His strength is no match for the Redcliffe Guardian.

I gave Stone my word Helios would be safe by my side. And Jay would never forgive me if anything happened to him. I must do something to stop this, but what? My father would know what to do. Or Stone, or Jay, or anybody.

Without an inkling of a plan, I grab the first lousy stick at foot and rush to the tangling mass of orange and black fur. When the opportunity presents itself, I leap onto Coloss’ back, ignoring the fact I could be crushed. I wrap the stick around its neck and pull tight.

The two beasts continue ripping into each other, neither aware that I’ve skirted myself into the struggle. My leg snaps, possibly a few ribs, when I descend underneath them. As soon as I’m free from their weight, I roll away to a safe distance. There, I lie on the ground in agony watching Helios slowly get torn apart by the giant simian. Helios is noticeably getting slower and weaker. Soon he will be lying on the ground next to me. Then, I notice a fatigue in Coloss. But it appears more than just fatigue. His movements are unnaturally slow as if he were doused in molasses.

A feathered missile darts past the two of them. A near miss, almost piercing Helios in the neck. There isn’t anyone in sight.

Coloss slumps to the ground within moments. Helios soon after. I frantically look around. I would flee, but every movement is excruciatingly painful.

“I don’t miss,” a confident young voice says from behind me.

I roll onto my back, not without scowling, to see Zoie looking upon me with disappointment strewn across her face. Behind her stands Graytu, Fairview, and several of the Redcliffe Warriors, all with the same look of disappointment. I gander toward the ape lying on the ground, then back to Fairview. She remains silent. I look to Graytu. He remains silent for the first time since he boisterously introduced himself.

“What?” I ask ignorantly.

“I told you he wasn’t worthy.” One