Page 24 of Claimed by the Alien Warrior Triad

Only now, the noise is much, much closer. I stare up at the moons, and I realize thatsomethingis obscuring them. Some huge creature is blocking their light.

It screams again – the sound of primal fear, a roar that rends the air, tearing apart the silence and desecrating it with the fervor of violence.

The darkness overhead suddenly splits open into flames. The sky burns as a stream of molten lava shoots through the air, and I witness for the first time the creature that even those three proud, alien warriors fear.

It’s adragon.

“No!No…” I say to myself, barely believing the sight. The beasts’ wings spread so far they blot out the horizon. Its eyes burn with dark hatred, as it beats those immense wings and screams out a bloody challenge to the universe. I feel puny and minuscule – even more so than in the presence of Stryker, Brigg and Haleon.

With them, I feel as small and vulnerable as a child.

But in comparison to this… thisdragon? I feel like an ant; insignificant, and as easy and inconsequential to crush as any insect.

Far to my right, the huge wolf has killed the deer. The dragon races towards the snarling predator, flying straight past the moons which can again shine their eerie light across the violent scene.

With the moon no longer blotted out, I can see the scarlet blood bathed in silver light. The wolf had been victorious in its hunt – but now leaps away in terror, using its huge legs to flee as quickly as it can; before the mighty dragon approaches.

The dragon lands, its huge claws pounding into the ground and sending chunks of rock and earth flying. It opens its massive maw and gulps down the carcass of the freshly-killed deer, bones and all, in a single bite.

Then it turns and stares at me with cruel eyes, filled with an other-worldly intelligence.

“Aubrey!”

I snap my head behind me, and see Haleon and Brigg sprinting towards me at full speed, their weapons drawn. Haleon’s axe is activated and brutal – but this is no mere dinosaur-sized eagle that he’s facing.

The dragon is a full-fledged emperor beast; a tyrant of the skies that makes even the seven-feet-tall warriors look tiny.

Brigg brandishes his shimmering, black mace – but the spiked head of his massive weapon isn’t not even the size of one of the huge dragon’s steely black eyes.

The dragon turns its head, its eyes leaving me and turning towards the new threat.

Stryker tails his two companions – his legs pounding into the ground as he rushes forward towards me. His veins are pulsating, his eyes glowing bright green and filled with madness as he grabs me and throws me over his shoulder. He sprints with me, rushing away from the danger, leaving his friends behind.

The dragon beats its wings, taking to the air, and it fires a long stream of magma towards the two remaining aliens. Flames sear towards them, and I scream out in terror. Brigg and Haleon dive to the side – singed, but alive as they escape the dragon’s blast with super-human agility.

By then, I’m too far away to see the rest of the battle. Stryker runs with me, carrying me back up the mountain slope and into the cave at an incredible speed. At the top of the mountain, with me still slung over this shoulder, he pushes the boulder aside – his muscles flexing and his veins popping as he groans and grunts in exertion.

Then, frustrated, he throws me angrily inside. I stumble, nearly falling, and when I turn back and look into his eyes, I see no humanity any more. Stryker is now an enraged beast – a demon that wants to kill and destroy everything in front of him. He grunts and groans, pushing the boulder back into place.

It shuts, and I’m finally blocked off from the outside world – almost. This time, he leaves a tiny opening, just narrow enough to slip through, and I realize with horror that this means Stryker isn’t sure if he’s going to make it back alive. He’s sealed the boulder so I can shelter in the protection of the cave, but he’s left just enough room for me to escape; knowing I’d never be able to move that mammoth boulder without the strength of these towering aliens.

Then, giving me a final angry snarl, Stryker takes off in a sprint back towards his battle brothers.

I stand there, alone in the cave, and guilt hits me like a fist.

The three warriors might have abducted me, but they’ve always tried to keep me safe.

Now, they’re all going to die – because ofme.

The warriors might be fierce and able, but there’s no way they can face that horrific dragon on their own. That means I’ve killed them – not by my hand, but by my actions. Though I know they may just be a figment of my imagination, I’ve already started feelingsomethingfor these three incredible men. Ihatethe idea of this deranged fantasy continuing, but not including them.

“Please!Pleasesurvive,” I plead to no one, aching for the three warriors to return safely.

I sit down heavily in the darkness. I’m in the tunnel, leading towards the three alien’s cozy cavern – but I won’t give myself the comfort of their cave, with its warm, comforting furs. I don’t deserve them. Seconds pass, then minutes, then hours…

Ithink. I don’t know, I can’t tell time without a watch, or my phone. My only way to measure its passing is my heartbeat; pounding fast and then slowing as I wait longer and longer.

Suddenly, a crinkling sound from outside makes me jump to my feet. It could be a wolf, or something small enough to fit through the crack…

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