32. Colder than Ice

". . . keep your knees bent and lean back. You don't weigh anything, Nikos, so you'll go faster than me and Avocato. Use your body to maneuver. Weave to slow down. You'll figure out how it works. To stop, put all your weight on the end and dig the tail into the snow. If you can't stop, just let go and wipe out."

Kedi kept one foot firmly on the board of the snow sailer as he gave Nikos and his equipment one last check. Nikos clutched the bar spanning the sail with both hands, fighting to stay upright in the stiff wind.

"What if – waaaa!"

Kedi released his foot and Nikos was snatched away by the wind. In moments his shout morphed from alarmed to excited as he raced across the snow.

"Little Cato! You're next!"

Happy to be thrown into the fray, Avocato grinned as he snapped the board's tall sail into place. Instantly the gusts tried to yank the entire rig out of his hands. Kedi gave the strap holding his rifle a final tug as Avocato braced his feet on the board.

"Same rules. You're tall and light – you're your own sail. Go!"

Kedi released him, stepping away, and let the wind take Avocato. The clear plastic sail, twice his height, fought against his hold as he angled across the hilly plain. For a heartbeat or two, he was afraid of falling. Then a laugh rose in his throat as he whipped across the distance, almost flying over the snow. He had gone skiing with his family many times over the years, but this was faster than any slope he had ever gone down. Keeping loose, Avocato leaned this way and that, feeling the light craft move with him. Up and over a rise – for a few breathless moments he was airborne until gravity pulled him down to land in a plume of snow. It was jarring, but he bounced with the impact. A happy whoop escaped him as the wind filled the sail again, speeding him over the plain.

He caught up to Nikos just as Kedi caught him. Laughing, thrilling to the rush of speed and danger, the trio raced before the wind.

"Follow me!" ordered Kedi over the radio, leaning back to angle his snow sailer off to the north in a smooth arc. Avocato and Nikos followed, and though their maneuvering was not quite so neat as Kedi's, managed to stay close behind him. Kedi wove through the low hills, twisting this way and that to let them get used to steering the boards.

"It's like sailing a boat," called Nikos, hid voice betraying his delight.

Said Avocato, "I was going to say it's like skiing!"

"Both right!" laughed Kedi. "Though Nikos, I'll take your word for the sailing. Bad enough you swim!"

"Ha!" barked Nikos, triumphant.

"Kedi," Avocato said, "my rifle is loose again."

A little grumble. "Knew I should have replaced that strap. Slow down, we'll stop here a moment."

Avocato shifted his weight back, dragging the tail end of the board in the snow until he came to a stumbling halt. Instantly he wrestled to keep his hold on the sailer. Beside him, Kedi stopped neatly and immediately folded the sail. Setting his board down, he helped Avocato wrestle his into submission. They had just subdued the sailer when Nikos shot past them with a scream. Even with all his weight to the rear, he couldn't stop and barely slowed down.

"Wipe out, Nikos!" ordered Kedi, laughing. He knelt to fold the sail on Avocato's board. "Fall back and pull the sail down with you."

Avocato stood to watch as Nikos followed instructions, plowing to a halt midway up a snow bank, upside down and breathless and partially buried. Laughing and hooting hysterically, he lay still for a few moments before he stood up, untangling himself from the sail and shaking off snow as he turned to face his friends.

That was when Avocato sensed it: a low, thrumming vibration. It was too quiet to be heard, only felt, like a seismic rumble. It seemed to come from every direction, unaffected by the wind, relentless and discomforting. It felt as if the hum passed right through him. Instinctively, Avocato knew they were in mortal danger.

And then he saw it. On the hill right behind Nikos. Stark white against white, its pale eyes open and reflecting starlight as it fixated on its prey.

A frost lizard.

He had seen pictures. They hadn't prepared him for the real thing. Nothing could.

Ice-hard scales and feathers covered most of the lizard. Its angular head was surrounded by a ruff of long feathers, tapering to smooth down on its legs and tail. From its snubbed nose to its spiked tail, the frost lizard was easily eight meters in length. The legs had extra joints, ending in clawed feet designed to rip prey apart or find purchase on ice. Sharp, curved spines like icicles angled down its back, and it stared at them with yellow-white eyes even colder than the ice and snow surrounding them. Every aspect of this creature spoke of death.

Claws and teeth and spines weren't even the worst of it, however. Depending on its age and if it was a male or female, frost lizards could also be venomous.

And they had stumbled right into its territory.

Kedi tensed as Nikos leaned on his knees, still laughing. "That was fantas . . . tic."

He trailed off in confusion when he saw their expressions, realizing Kedi and Avocato were looking past him, and with looks just short of panic.

"Nikos," Kedi said slowly, and in a tone that forbade disobedience. "Do. Not. Move."

They could see the moment Nikos sensed the presence of the huge reptile, the moment fear gripped him. Nonetheless, he listened and trusted, going stone-still, a small and dark and helpless target.

The pitch of the vibration shifted. It was still inaudible, but it hurt the ears as it seemed to draw tighter around them. Like a noose. The tension the thrum created was meant to induce terror. It was effective to say the least. Nikos stared at them with wide eyes, willing them to do something, fighting the instinct to look behind him and see the nightmare for himself.

Kedi, still kneeling at Avocato's boots, softly said, "My rifle. Shoot it in the eyes." He was not in a position to free his gun and shoot, but Avocato was. There was a small click as Kedi released the buckle that strapped his weapon across his back.

Carefully, slowly, Avocato leaned down just enough to close his hand over the rifle. He knew he had one shot at this. If he missed, they were all dead. His motion agitated the frost lizard, and he felt the pale, hard eyes watching as he lifted the weapon, but he did not dare stop. He had the rifle almost in place when -

The vibration stopped.

Somehow, its absences was worse.

In that a split second of silence, Avocato braced the gun against his shoulder and brought the rifle to bear. Suddenly a deafening shriek drowned out all other sensation save absolute dread, hitting like a physical blow. The lizard rose up high on its legs to strike, the feathered ruff fanning out to frame its head and make it appear even larger than it was. Long teeth against a dark blue maw flashed in the moonlight. Avocato opened fire, the beams striking the creature's eyes, its head, its open mouth. The sound cut off for a moment, to be replaced by a roar of anger and pain. Kedi dove forward at a dead run, tackling Nikos out of the way as the frost lizard, shaking its head and lashing its tail, charged straight at Avocato.

He kept up his fire, striking both its eyes. Blind and furious, it barreled onward in a twisty path, forcing Avocato to dodge. He dove, rolled, came back to his feet. More laser fire joined Avocato's barrage as Kedi laid hold of Nikos' rifle. Bluish blood stained the snow and the lizard thrashed about in a frenzy before breaking away. It darted behind a berm of snow and ice, trying to circle around Avocato. He moved with it, keeping the rifle trained on it as he waited for a shot. Off to the side, he could hear Nikos frantically calling the Far Reaches for assistance.

"Behind you!"

Something struck Avocato a sharp blow to the side in passing. The tail. He was knocked flat to the hard ground, stunned at both impacts and the blinding speed of the lizard. There was no time to stop, though. To stop was to die. The frost lizard squared off against him again. Avocato scrambled upright, feeling a cold burn against his ribs as he aimed for the eyes again. The frost lizard had slowed, clearly injured, but far more dangerous for it. There was blood on its head and it kept its ruined eyes tightly closed as it abruptly stopped, sniffing the air. The wind had died down, and clouds blocked some of the moonlight. Panting, Avocato could not imagine what it would take to stop this beast. Much of their laser fire had been deflected off the scales or absorbed by the thick feathers. Through the filters on his helmet, Avocato could smell singed feathers and blood.

Suddenly the vibrating sensation returned and the frost lizard slowly turned, zeroing in on Avocato where he stood off its flank. Kedi and Nikos were to the rear, out of its immediate strike radius, and Avocato was the closer target. There was no cover he could reach before the lizard would catch him. Even though it was blind, he could not outrun it. He wouldn't stand a chance. So when it charged, he did the only thing he could.

He stood his ground.

There was no time for fear or flinching. He shot so hard and fast that the red-orange bolts of the laser rifle almost formed a solid beam. Right at the lizard's head, he drained the battery of the gun. Shot after shot as his target raced nearer until -

Two meters from where Avocato stood, the frost lizard staggered and collapsed. It twitched and shuddered, and then stilled.

Avocato stared. He had been hunting since he was a child, but he had never before been the hunted. It was . . . new. Different. A situation and sensation he had never confronted. He couldn't articulate his emotional state right now. He could feel the heat of the rifle through his gloves. His left side ached, cold and burning at once. His head hurt. He was trembling. Faint. Freezing. He was exhausted and thirsty and frightened and -

"Cato!"

Suddenly Nikos grabbed him in a tight hug, a cry of relief and nonsensical babbling escaping his friend as he looked between Avocato and the lizard, as thrilled as he was rattled. Kedi ran right up to the frost lizard, a long knife in his hand. Without hesitation, he drove the blade through the creature's neck at the base of the skull. Only when he was sure it was safe did he join them.

He took the rifle from Avocato's hands and steadied his friend, looking him over.

"You're bleeding!"

"Oh." Avocato looked down as Nikos gasped and stepped back, realizing he was covered with Avocato's blood. That explained his discomfort. A series of three slashes on his ribs, each as long as his hand, oozed red against blue fur and black snowsuit.

"Was it claws?" demanded Kedi, deathly serious.

He shook his head, faintly saying, "Tail."

Nikos and Kedi exchanged an alarmed look before Nikos turned away, shouting into his comm unit.

"Hurry faster! We have injured!"

A strange, aching lightness was overtaking Avocato. He looked at Kedi, surprised to realize he was sitting on the ground and his friend was holding him upright. Weakly, he gestured at the heap of dead reptile. "So . . . tell me again, which ones are venomous?"

"Immature males," Kedi immediately responded, concern building.

"Ah." Avocato smiled, well pleased with their success. "Well. We killed an immature male frost lizard."

Then he collapsed.