War Beast

Book Three: Chapter 16

The elephant in a white robe gazed down at Basju. About eight feet tall, he has long white tusks, thick leathery gray skin across his long trunk, and a round cap rested on his bald head. His small eyes glared into Basju’s soul.

The monkey shivered until he noticed Jenny’s unconscious body in the elephant’s arms. He pulled out his sword and pointed it at the elephant. “Drop the human, now!”

The elephant snickered and pointed his trunk at Basju. From his snort, he blasted purple gas into the monkey’s face. Basju shielded his eyes and coughed.

His throat burned as his eyes watered through his fingers. A strong spicy pepper scent overwhelmed his senses. He dropped to his knees and rubbed his eyes hastily.

Once he stopped, his vision cleared as strange dizziness invaded his head. “Huh?”

All he could see was purple haze surrounding him like a mist. Tall black mountains rose where the city buildings formerly stood.

Basju shook his head and looked around again. “Where the hell am I?”

The elephant and Jenny were nowhere in sight. Did the stranger send the monkey to a different world?

The sand still felt familiar below his prehensile feet and the air smelled a little different. Fresh dusty air with a little charcoal scent as if the purple mist burned like wildfire. Where ever he was, he has to find the others so they can rescue Jenny. The creepy look in the elephant’s eyes told him the elephant has a wicked plan for the poor girl. Slavery? Torture?

Elephants don’t eat people, but that doesn’t mean they don’t hurt people for their own pleasure. Any Beastman can be vicious, and Basju must stop him.

He raced toward a large square mountain, which might be the hotel. If the mist was an illusion, he has to snap out of it.

He entered a cave, illuminated by the purple haze. The chamber shimmered clearly, but Basju couldn’t see his friends.

“Huntar! Zena!” the monkey cried. “Rani! I need your help!”

Around him, four dark figures rose from the misty floor. Basju sighed in relief until he noticed something wasn’t right.

The dark figures didn’t appear to be his friends at all. Their eyes glimmered in light purple colors above their long snorts. Sharp fangs, long claws, and no tails were behind their muscled black furry bodies. They rose extremely taller than the monkey, and they growled like ghostly bears. Could they be bears?

Somehow they appeared to be unnatural. No ears skeleton heads and they smelled like corpses left in a swamp.

Basju’s legs rattled as a cold shiver ran up his spine. “Who… Who are you!?”

The bear-like creatures on two feet only replied with bone-chilling snarls. They sounded very hungry, not caring about the monkey's question.

Basju pulled out his sword and held it up, shaking his blade. He never felt so scared as this before. Sure, a few creatures spooked him before during his travels, but these monsters boiled through skin like poison. When fear comes to you, you know something isn’t right. “Stay back! I am warning you!”

The creatures stepped forward, raising their long claws up. It was no use. They will not listen to him!

Basju waved his sword around, screaming at the black creatures. He cut one of them through its leg. The creature roared in pain, red blood spilled from its wound. The others lunged for him, but he jumped past two of them and slashed their backs.

Before he could finish them, something struck behind his head, knocking him into darkness.