Chapter 23: Unexpected Friend

I try to rouse him, yelling his name and shaking him. Blood pools around his injured arm, darkening the dirt. My voice grows hoarse from screaming, and nothing I do is waking him. I touch his skin, and it begins to feel cold.

“I need to find help,” I say breathlessly, looking around. But as far as I know, there’s nowhere close enough for me to reach them today.

Panic sets in, my hands shaking. I press my fingers against Dominik’s neck, and can just faintly feel his heart beating. He’s still alive, but I can’t be sure of how long he has. My mind spins, trying to figure out what I can do, when suddenly I hear a rushing of wind above me.

A long, silver creature flies through the air. It has a long, snake-like body, with two clawed arms towards the front of the body, and two wide legs towards the end. Its face is squat and squared, and its black eyes pin me in place as it suddenly dives to the ground.