Into the Danger Zone

Their hands made the final slap onto the top of the rocks. They lifted their heads to only but an inch to peek over onto the other side.

Once both Dayrue and Cronan signaled the coast to be clear they continued their climb until they stood on top of the large boulder wall that continued to stretch around that Domain.

Everything on that side gave off a blue hue. The trees weren't sky-reaching tall, but their barks were ten times thicker than the average tree and their tops were spread out like algae on top of the water. Beyond the treetops far away were mountains with their peaks hidden by thick clouds that seemed to be in the dead center of the Domain.

Instantly they knew where not to go and to avoid those mountains. They would travel to the side to pass it before steering back north to the other side of the Domain directly opposing their current location.

It was the second Domain, and one with more dangerous predacious beings compared to the last one, so they needed to move fast and get out.

They looked down to see a trench filled with sharp barbed plants and spiky things that continued to line the bottom of the walls right down to their disappearing ends. They could not jump down without seriously injuring themselves.

Cronan and Dayrue used their telekinesis to lift not only themselves but the others along with the rattlers into the air until they were over the trench.

The second all their feet hit the solid ground they both took out a sword before rushing off. The others quickly followed behind them, zipping through the dimness, past spacious trees that resembled giant mushrooms and leaping over dried twigs that were the length and size of their bodies.

Everything was giant-sized and silent, except for the faint chirping of bugs and several thuds from large fruits after breaking through the leaves to hit the ground.

They each held their swords and daggers close to their bodies hidden under their mantle. Their heads pushed forward to keep a streamlined form as their red blurs zipped through the forest on light feet. The rattlers followed their speed to stay in the middle of their circular formation.

Rue could not see their faces or turn to look, but she could tell that they all had their serious faces on. Her heartbeat got too loud in her head and she forced her hand tighter around the daggers held in both hands to be ready for anything.

Each wide tree bark they passed caused her to breathe from relief as she expected something to pop out from behind them.

When they reached the end of the trees, they stopped and stooped down to peek out at the uneven landscape before them. Some parts rose too high and broke away to create brown earthy walls at the edge of the cracks, while other parts sunk into the ground to form ponds filled with water. More wide barked trees that were high but not-skyreaching could be seen now and then.

They were in a new territory and now a good distance from the mark of the border behind them. They needed to get new scents as they started rubbing things onto their mantles.

Dayrue and Skinner silently crawled up two trees close to them to overview the land from higher heights. The others below waited for their signal in dreaded silence.

Rue's eyes looked behind and in all directions for anything that could sneak up from the thick trees and giant dark blue leaves.

Not long did they come down swiftly to let them know several large creatures were roaming around. They were persistent in staying in the same region and not moving too far so they had no choice but to fight if they attacked.

Cronan did not speak but signed to them as well to say, "This is where things are going to get ugly. We've already passed one Domain from the six and after this is the Werewolf Domain, but that's the least of our worries for now. All our years of training may come down to this."

They all nodded and waited for his signal to move. Rue noted how odd it was without Skinner's chatter. She glimpsed at him to see if he was signing anything as his voice still had not returned. He kept forgetting to snap his fingers so even if he was saying something she wouldn't know. But she only saw one side of his red hood and black hairs sticking out as he and everyone kept their heads straight.

On Cronan's signal, they scurried three feet from out of the trees and onto low cut lands with rising and sinking parts when a creature jumped down from one of the few tall wide barked trees.

Rue's heart jumped from shock before she held her breath to keep calm.

They had all frozen from motion including the rattlers that were in the center of their formation. They followed Cronan who was in front to lower slightly to the ground as the beast two times his height stumped forward slowly on two thick legs.

Its many black-stained teeth lining the outside of its closed snout began to move apart. Above them were two black eyes on opposite sides of its head. They stood out from its full green body as it glared hard at them.

A low consistent ticking sound came from behind its mouth as if it was counting down its time to attack. Below its long neck were two small arms with sharp claws on each side above its legs that still moved slowly towards them.

Rue knew they were not in a bow-and-it-will-leave situation. She knew it was going to attack as they used the time to observe how to take it down.

She held her breath when the dark red massive blurb of a much larger creature flashed before it until both crashed and dug up the ground with the other creature biting into its neck.

"Move!" he ordered before she and the others rushed off without getting a good glimpse of the creature being ripped open at its neck. Her trembling eyes kept focussed ahead, searching the sinking and dropping lands, and behind thick trees that went on for miles. Both her hands at her side to keep a streamlined position twitched now and then waiting to grab a dagger or a sword.

Dayrue by Cronan's side shot up her hand to create a telekinetic field that stretched over the entire group to stop an icy blast that reigned down from higher grounds on their right. Rocks rolled down the edge of the risen land as the brown thick furred feet that stood there got ready to leap down at them.

"Crap!" thought Rue feeling the sudden trembling in the ground getting harder. She looked back in front to a massive one on all fours shaking the earth as it rushed towards them with its jaws opened so wide the bottom one began to dig into the earth.

The six separated from their group formation when they moved to opposite sides to avoid the beast that shot through them like a charging bull. The hard wind hit them as it dashed behind and snapped its empty mouth shut with rage.

Rue had separated into the smaller group with Dayrue, Ezra, and two of the six rattlers. Before them stood the furry beast that shot the icy blast after it had landed onto their level to block their path ahead.

None had stopped moving as they aimed to get out of the Domain as fast as possible. Stopping to fight would not only waste time but allow more beasties to move to their location.

Seeing it clearer, the giant canine beast with brown fur blowing in the wind to create moving lines over its body, moved its head back as its mouth opened forming a ball of glowing ice that got larger every second.

Its tiny eyes widened and it forced its mouth shut causing the dagger from Rue to lodge into the front of its snout. As the three charged right at it, the rattlers began to steer off and out of its path.

Dayrue's finger snapped loud and she raised her hand to signal to both Rue and Ezra behind her, "Leg attack maneuver--I'll handle its mouth."

"What maneuver?" blurted a confused Ezra breaking their silence.