to draw the attention of the mammoth monster in our midst. I was even tempted to hold my breath, fearful that it would hear my ragged breathing or even the racing of my heart.
I was so focused on the monstrosity in the sand that I didn’t see the bravest of the warriors make his first attack. His battle cry sprang from the depths of his soul as he ran head on toward the sand sylph. The creature flexed back on its legs, snapping its claws as the warrior got closer, its speared tail bobbing forward and back. What was this guy doing? I felt myself wanting to shout at him, tell him that a frontal attack was probably the worst thing he could do, but I remained silent. I didn’t want to interfere, but I also didn’t want to draw unwanted attention to myself. How fast were these beasts anyway? Could I make my escape before it reached the top of the stadium and stabbed me like a kabob?
The sand sylph raised its tail just as the man was steps away from its claws. I watched while in slow motion he dodged the grasping claws as the tail descended from above. I closed my eyes knowing what was going to happen and not wanting to witness it, but the cheer of the crowd made me open them. At the last minute the warrior had dropped to the sand and slid underneath the beast. Its tail speared the earth where the man should have been before it shrieked with rage, clearly disappointed that it had missed its mark.
Having built up their courage, the rest of the warriors ran toward the creature, their weapons at the ready. They easily dodged its tail as it pierced the earth with every blow. A gasp escaped me as I watched several humans get flung across the arena by the sand sylph’s claws. Two landed several feet away on the sand and they quickly got back up, while the other two who landed on a rock didn’t. They were still for several minutes and I was sure they were dead, but they slowly rose to stand on wobbly feet before they rejoined the fight.
Three of the burliest in the pack had managed to lasso the sylph’s tail and were tugging on it to keep it from impaling any of their group. At least they were working together. I imagined it was probably the only way to beat this thing. It reminded me of our plan to defeat Baal. The only way to win was to work together.
More of the human warriors joined together, tugging on the beasts’ tail to control its movement. I latched onto Arrick’s arm as the suspense of the battle rattled my nerves. A ruby-haired warrior woman climbed atop the nearby boulder, her massive great sword raised above her head. Nearing the edge of my seat, I watched as she screamed a battle cry before leaping from the rock and slicing straight through one of the sylph’s claws. The creature shrieked an ear piercing bellow as ooze spewed from its wound.
At the sight of the sylph’s injury, the warriors joined in a cheer, renewing their hopes for victory. Losing its claw only made the sylph angrier, and its screams only grew louder. I almost felt sorry for it; knowing the tale of its existence. Maybe they were true, maybe this creature was once a beautiful, fairy-like angel, or maybe it was nothing more than a nightmarish fiend.
With seemingly little effort, the fighters made quick work of the other claw. Leaving it a mangled mess that hung on by oozing sinew and bits of the beast’s hard exterior. Having only one weapon left in its arsenal the sylph swung violently around, flinging the men who lassoed its tail across the area. They flew like dolls, landing in a heap beside the interior wall of the stadium.
In mere seconds I thought the battle had taken a turn for the worst. With its tail free, the sylph stabbed at the nearest warrior. His reflexes were just seconds too slow, and the barb pierced the flesh of his thigh. A shout of rage and pain ripped from the man’s lungs as the sylph thrashed him about. I closed my eyes, turning my head away. I couldn’t watch, but the cheer of the crowd yanked them open again. The injured soldier had managed to latch onto an abandoned spear and rammed it into the sylph’s pincered maw. I