Fire Islands: Chapter Ten: The Battle

Chapter Ten

The Battle


    The Venom-Spitter was a snake. It was so long that its visible part was fifteen yards outside the cave, and yet it still trailed into the blackness. It was as thick around as Tsunami's neck, and a deathly copper patterned with black diamonds, and an enormous hood flung out defensively around its head. It seemed to laugh at the two of them, revealing two-foot long fangs. The fangs' tips were the bright green color of the venom which was now sizzling on the rocks. Tsunami realized just in time what it was about to do and twisted in midair as more venom shot up past her.

    "Three moons!" she yelled to Flicker. "How high can that venom shoot?"

    "The highest recorded is twenty to twenty-five yards straight up!" Flicker yelled back, twisting as another jet shot at them. "Did I mention it can also talk?"

    "I think you neglected to tell that to me!" Tsunami yelped and tucked her wings in in a dive as the Venom-Spitter shot again. "You! Giant snake thingy! Why are you trying to kill us?"

    "There are many thingsss you do not underssstand, visitor from the mainland." The snake's voice sounded like rusty metal scraping on the rock below. It sprayed venom again and continued. "Like why I hunt the SsssunWingssss. Why I make them live in terror their entire livessss. And why I try to kill you. Which I will."

    "Not while I still have breath in my body!" Flicker shouted back.

    Venom-Spitter laughed. "That issss the only way, SssunWing." It reared even higher and shot venom straight at her.

    Tsunami, still below her, rocketed up and pushed her out of the way. Something landed on her tail and she screamed.

    "Are you all right?" cried Flicker desperately.

    Tsunami flung her tail around. Part of it was sizzling, but it didn't seem to be spreading. "I think I'll be fine."

    Flicker nodded thankfully. "We have to get back to the village!"

    "No! Are you crazy? It'll follow us!"

    Flicker slapped her forehead. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that? What do we do?"

    Tsunami looked around desperately. All the mountains were out of range. And they couldn't keep dodging forever. She met Flicker's eyes, shrugged helplessly, and dove downwards. The Venom-Spitter kept his gaze trained on her, mouth open, and then sprayed venom. Tsunami curled into a ball, closing her wings by her sides, and rolled to the side, the venom missing her by an inch. She kept rolling until she could feel the ground zooming up towards her, and abruptly flung out her wings and talons, catching the Venom-Spitter on part of its long body, barely scraping its scales.

    The Venom-Spitter hissed in surprise and annoyance and struck again. Tsunami swerved abruptly, her claws scraping against the rock, causing a screech that made shivers run down her spine. Tsunami twisted around. There. Flicker was swooping down back to copy Tsunami's attack defense.

    Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. The Venom-Spitter's enormous head turned to face the SunWing, Flicker momentarily distracting him. Tsunami lunged down in a move she had seen peregrine falcons do. The Venom-Spitter tried to turn back to her, but its lightning-quick reflexes were too slow. Tsunami twisted and buried her talons deep into its flesh. The Venom-Spitter only had time to look startled before the light in its eyes faded and its head fell against the rock. The Venom-Spitter was dead.

    Tsunami circled back into the air. "Yes! Flicker! Did you see that?" She grinned and scanned the air, her grin quickly falling away. "Flicker? Flicker!" She looked down and screamed. Flicker lay writhing on the ground in a pool of bright green poison.

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