Above and Below

Glad you could join us for the next tangled episode of Elliot’s Adventures. If you’re new here, you can catch up by returning to the beginning, and reading really fast…

The gluey silken lattices fell like a curling wave, spreading across the battlefield as the Alliance Flyers approached the Hive. Enemy land troops ran, but the smothering webs overtook them and trapped them where they stood. Arids Flyers, circling low after the retreat sounded, tangled in the ropey strands and fell, unable to escape. Webs continued to rain across the clearing, blunting the impotent struggles of the doomed, advancing toward the Hive.

Still on the ground, the vulture clamped his beak onto one of the owl’s wings and yanked his head sideways to snap the bone in two. As his talons ripped at Avery’s stomach, the Captain hooked his beak into the buzzard’s and tore it off like a rotted branch.

Two more taloned Arids Flyers set their claws into him and held him down so the vulture could finish him off.

High above them, Captain Harper drew back her rubbery wings to plummet to Captain Avery’s side. Biting and scratching, she freed Avery from their attack as Barry bounded up to pull him off the field.

A voice yelled, “Heads up!”

Atop a circle of webbing, Trevor descended to enmesh the attackers, then leaped off to help remove Avery, bleeding and unconscious, from the web Flyers’ path.

Arturo and Vernon met them at the battlefield’s edge.

Captain Harper saluted them. “Sir, is Queen Lilian safe?”

“For the time being,” Vernon answered. “She’s in the Hive, moving the larvae from the damaged section. I’m glad you arrived when you did.”

“I wish we had arrived earlier.” She knelt to find Avery’s pulse.

Barry knelt beside her. “Is he gonna make it?”

Harper sighed and barely shook her head. “Even if a medic were nearby…”

The owl’s eyes fluttered open. “Leave me… Save the Hive…”

“We will,” Captain Harper promised. “For you.”

His eyes closed and his head rolled from side to side. “No… for Fen… to save the Queen…” He spoke no more.

From across the field, muffled cries rose through the blanketed deathtrap, rising on a surge of movement that rolled beneath the surface. Trevor searched for an explanation as it swelled toward them.

To be continued. . .

Previously, on Elliot’s Adventures ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Next time . . .