CHAPTER 11:

GAINING NEW ALLIES

The manticore stared at them hungrily, saliva dripping from its massive jaws. After stalking them through the temple, it had finally cornered them. The manticore crouched and leaped at Justin, its mouth wide open. It should have been an easy kill for the manticore, but once again, the boy was underestimated.

Justin leaped sideways, evading a lethal swipe from the beast's paw. The creature collided into the wall, sending the bones of a corpse flying in all directions.

Shaking its head, the manticore then tried to take Mio down instead, but Saki rammed her shoulder against the side of the creature, knocking it to the floor. This, of course, only made it mad, and it delivered a heavy blow to Saki with its paw, sending her flying across the room. It turned back to Mio, and pounced at her.

Mio pulled her stun guns off of her belt, and held the triggers down to charge them up. Unfortunately, she forgot that the batteries had died, and she could only watch as the manticore slammed into her, knocking her to the ground. The beast placed its paw on her chest, pinning her down. Mio watched as the manticore raised its other paw over its head, retracting its deadly claws. She shut her eyes tight, expecting to feel claws ripping through her flesh at any minute.

Nana, seeing her friend in danger, quickly pulled her yo-yo out of her pocket and attached it to her finger. She then flung the yo-yo at the creature's paw, and it wrapped around its wrist. Just as the manticore was about to swing its paw down at Mio, Nana pulled on the yo-yo, immobilizing the lethal paw.

This only annoyed the manticore, and it tugged back at the yo-yo. Being much stronger than Nana, this tug easily pulled her to her knees. Seeing Nana in a vulnerable position, the manticore couldn't resist the opportunity, and instinctively rushed at her, knocking her on her back.

Held to the ground, Nana kicked desperately at the creature, but this had no affect what so ever. She then felt intense pain as the manticore bit down on her windpipe to suffocate her. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. Her vision began to get fuzzier. This is it, she thought calmly to herself.

All of a sudden, she felt air rush back into her lungs, and her vision came back. She could then see the manticore in front of her, doing battle with Justin. The manticore had a deep cut in its shoulder, and there was blood on the blade of Justin's sword.

Justin was gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, while the manticore was baring its teeth at him. The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, neither showing signs of backing down. Then, to everyone's surprise, the manticore turned and ran back down a secret passageway in search for an easier meal.

"Well, that takes care of that guy," Justin told himself. He turned to the sergeants. "You three okay?"

"Yeah, I guess," Saki answered, rubbing the goose egg in her head from her collision with the floor.

"Wh...Why did you do that?" Nana asked Justin.

"Why did I do what?"

"Why did you save us like that?"

"Hey, I couldn't just let that manticore kill you."

"But, why not?" Mio asked. "I mean, we've caused you all that trouble in the past."

"Well, that doesn't mean you deserve to die, does it?"

The sergeants just stared at Justin in amazement. No one had ever shown them kindness in their lives. Ever since they had joined the military, they had almost forgotten what true kindness even was. They had been barking orders at their squads for so long, that their hearts had eventually turned ice cold.

"Come on," Justin urged. "We've got to find a way out of here. But, the only way back out is through, uh...." he turned his head towards the secret passageway the manticore went through.

"Oh no!" Saki rejected. "Not through there! What if we run into that...that...thing again?"

"He does have a point," Mio added. "It's either that, or wait for the manticore to come back."

Finally, Justin had convinced Saki, and he went ahead into the passageway to check if it was safe.

"It's okay!" he called back. One by one, the sergeants stepped through the door after him. They found themselves in a dark corridor.

Nana looked up at the ceiling and screamed.

"What?! What is it?!" Justin exclaimed, wheeling around. Nana just pointed to the ceiling, her mouth in a silent scream. Bats, millions of them, were perched on the ceiling.

"Nana," Justin began, smiling slyly. "You're afraid of bats, aren't you?"

"O...of...of course not!" she stammered, crossing her arms across her chest. "Th...they just gross me out, that's all!"

"There's one in your hair," Mio said to her.

"WHAT?!! GET IT OUT!!! GET IT OUT!!! GET IT OUT!!!"

"Gotcha!"

"Ooh, I'm gonna get you!"

Mio just laughed. "Lighten up, will you?"

"How can I lighten up?! I was almost ripped apart by some monster with looks not even a mother could love! I'm standing in a dark corridor with a million rats with wings!"

"Bats aren't rodents, Nana," Mio corrected her.

"Who cares?! They're still disgusting!! And, to top it all off, I'm also standing knee deep in mud!!"

"I hate to tell you this," Justin began. "But this isn't mud you're standing in. It's the bats' guano."

"What?! Oh, gross!!"

"Hey!" Saki exclaimed. "I can see a light!"

She was right. It was a way out of the temple.

"Come on!!" Justin said.

All four ran forward, and found themselves back where they started, in the ancient city ruins.

TO BE CONTINUED