Beauties and Beasts

Chapter 20: brought to you by dinosaurs!

What do you get when you cross a snake, a leopard, a panther and an eagle? Nothing; they're just cross.

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Shay was not returned to a comfy place to finish sleeping off her cold. Rather, Curtis held her to his chest and sped off on his swerving snake tail and into the night.

"What's a horde?"

"It's a group of collosals."

"Um, I don't mean to sound stupid but...collosals?"

His eyes still flickered to her in surprise before saying, "They are large and ferocious beasts, monsters really, that roam in large groups. They eat any moving creature in their path. Thus, they are very dangerous. Usually I can deal with them well enough on my own, but I'd rather you not go near them."

Shay tucked her clenched hands to her stomach. "I'd rather not go near them either."

"Don't worry, you shan't. I know a place where you will be safe and can rest."

With those questions answered, she tucked her head back beneath his chin and allowed herself to doze as best she could with his swaying movement.

The morning sun rose not too long later, shining through her eyelids. With it came her hunger, thirst, and a dire need to pee.

Just as she was about to demand Curtis pull over from his shaky back and forth snake run, the trees gave way to a stoney cliffside, peppered with bushes clinging to the vertical climb.

"Huh," she said, instantly thinking of a canyon she'd visited back home.

He brought her around to a crack in the cliffside just wide enough for his shoulders to squeeze through. On the other side was an opening made of stone, with another narrow crack that led to a lazy river. Against the stone wall was a soggy pile of grass. The only other opening was far above them.

"Even if some should pass by here," he said as he set her down. "They'd have to work hard to get through to us, and the effort wouldn't make us worth it when there are far easier prey. It's drafty, though, so I'm sorry for the cold, especially when you're still sick."

"It's alright," she said. "Safety first."

He gave her one of his soft smiles, patting her head.

"So sweet," he murmured.

Shay took her chance to do her business next to the river. She had just finished and stepped back inside when a loud, cat-like yowl burst in to jump up the stone tube's walls. She clamped her hands over her ears from the noise.

"Shay!"

She lifted her hands off her ears. "Parker?"

Sure enough, standing bare as could be at the other end, golden tail swishing madly, was a delighted leopard Parker.

In a flash Curtis had her in his coils. He melted back into a full snake, cocking back his bared fangs for a strike.

"Wait! The horde is coming in this direction! I'm here to protect Shay, so let's have a truce!"

The snake and Parker stared each other down. After a few breaths where Shay pressed her knuckles to her teeth, Curtis shifted to his half-human form and lifted her up, acting as though the leopard didn't exist.

"Come, Shay, you're still sick and the grass nest is filthy. Sleep on me."

Her cheeks warmed a bit as she wondered how Parker might have heard that since he was standing right there.