The Soul Eaters (The Thin Hex Line Book 1) by Gwyndolyn Russell (e reader txt) 📕

could, backed by the momentum of his swing. He slammed his boots into the creature's head, knocking it back and onto the ground.

Reaper took the chance to grab Ruby's ankle and pull. Together they managed up and away from the dirt.

Reaper jumped off on solid ground only to be tackled down by one of the beasts. He grabbed hold of its oversized canines and pushed, using every ounce of his strength to keep it from biting his head off.

Unable to reach Ruby still hanging from the vine, one of the beasts backed up. It lowered its chest to the ground, dug its claws into the firm soil. Head low, it peered up to the dangling human.

"Oh, shit…" Ruby squeaked.

The lights on the barrel lit up in succession towards the end.

Just as the last pair of lights lit up, the end of the barrel exploded in flames and smoke.

Ianisse pulled the vine as hard as he could, lifting and swinging Ruby in the nick of time. He let go, forcing him to hit the ground near Reaper.

"They have guns!" Ruby screamed. "They really have guns!"

The largest beast bulldozed into the one atop Reaper, knocking it off him. With a yelp, it rolled across the ground and hurried to its feet.

The scarred one went after Reaper, going in for the kill.

Ruby grabbed a broken branch and swung it as hard as he could into its head.

It hit the ground for only a moment. It was long enough for Reaper to get up.

The beast snorted and shook its head. The others snorted back.

A scream came from above. Then came a distant howl. It must have only been a mile away. That otherworldly song of anguish.

The smaller beasts cried out softly, hesitating in their posture. The bigger one snapped its jaws and growled.

The howl started again, this time closer as if it were directly over their heads.

The beast scratched at the dirt. The others turned tail and ran in the opposite direction.

Alone, the scarred creature slowly backed up into the shrubs. It disappeared into the shadows.

"Fucking hell," Ruby collapsed onto the ground. "Thank God they ran away."

"Was that...Fenris?" Ianisse asked.

"It must have been." Reaper looked around. "Ruby, where's your weapon?"

The color flushed from his face. "I...uh...might have...dropped it in that...quicksand…"

"Goddammit, Ruby! Where's your sling?!"

"I had it!"

"Weren't wearing it?" Reapers brow furrowed.

"Y-yes, sir…" his head dropped.

The boy screamed again.

They looked up. That same bird was perched upon the branch, looking down at them. While they watched it, it made a call. The boy's scream.

"What...have we been following a bird this whole time?!" Ianisse exclaimed.

"Fuck…" Reaper sighed.

The bird dropped from the branch. Arms and legs splayed out sideways for the metallic feathers to catch the air. It soared down over their heads and landed on the ground. It mimicked Johnny's cry and took off as fast as a road runner. Up the trunk of a tree.

"I think it wants us to follow it?" Reaper suggested.

"Yeah, but it called those things, too." Ruby said.

"It's our only lead."

Reaper followed it. The bird could only glide, but it did so skillfully. Branch to branch, it took the lead. Stopped every so often to scream.

"I can't believe we're doing this." Ruby said.

"When you come up with a better plan, feel free to tell us." Reaper grumbled.

They looped around the jungle for what felt like ages. With Fenris in hearing range, the other creatures went into hiding. After crossing a stream, cutting their way through another wall of vines, and walking across a fallen tree over a small valley, they finally came to a stop in a small clearing.

Another tipped over tree. Its roots still held their shape as if it had been ripped straight out of the ground. Wide enough to turn into a house, the tree rested on its side against a boulder. A small hole dug into the dirt just under the roots.

The bird perched on one of the roots and looked to those following it. Its arms flailed out and it hopped around in a circle.

"Hello!" It called. "Hello!"

They stared at it, unsure what to do next.

"Hello?" Came a softer voice out of sight. "D-did you come back?"

The loose dirt in front of the hole shifted.

Out came a young boy not quite ten years old yet. A rifle strapped to his back. He was covered in dirt and mud. Small flecks of blood from minor scratches and scrapes.

"Hello!" The bird called and danced around.

"Johnny?" Reaper said.

The boy looked over.

"Captain?" The boy’s face lit up. "Captain, it's you!"

"Oh, thank the heavens you're all right!" The boy ran to him, hugging him around his waist.

"What are you doing with that rifle?" He asked, holding the boy.

"I..I got scared. Those weird bats attacked and I was with my brother. He got scared, too, I think. I wanted to help so I grabbed it, but one of them came after me! So I ran away. Then I got lost."

"You're safe now. Let's get you home."

"C-can he come with us, Captain?" He pointed to the bird.

"What?"

"Please? He saved me from those monsters! He howled just like Fenris and they all ran away!"

"All right. He can come home with us, but you need your mother's permission to keep him."

"Thank you, sir!" The boy smiled. "Come on, Tahoe! Let's go!"

"Hello!" The bird called and swooped down from the roots of the tree.

"Sir," Ruby whispered to him, "are you sure? That thing could be an eos."

"It’s small and it not only saved him, but helped us find him. It saved us, too. If he's right and it mimicked Fenris' howl, then it could be of use to have at the campgrounds."

"Yes, sir," Ruby sighed.

FORTY

With nothing coming up from trying to reach Fenris, we moved on. We still had a mission at hand. All we found for food was nuts, berries, and fruits. We still needed more. We wandered through the jungle with no real direction in mind. The further we went, the thicker it got. Trees grew out of trees