Page 22 of Possessed By the Alien Guard
I gulped in air even as I kept moving, small rocks hitting the back of my head as my passage disturbed the mass above.I didn’t trust the opening, not completely, and Fin’s insistence told me he didn’t either.My muscles, already burning from two days of hard labor, protested, but I fought on, shoving forward until I tipped down the outside slope for a few meters before pulling myself to a halt, even as the loose rock around me continued to slide.
The openness of the valley barely registered as I climbed back up to the hole.“I’m through!Send Billy.”
Another clatter of rocks as gravel slid.I eyed the slope above me uneasily, my heart skipping as a jolt of fear ran through me.Billy and Fin still needed to get out!
A loud bleat, and Billy scampered through the opening and into my arms.
“Now you!”I yelled at Fin.
More rocks slipped and fell from above.One sliced into my forehead, and I jerked, Billy squirming in my arms.I backed away from the hole to give Fin room and sat the goat-lope down.
Please, please, let Fin be okay.I couldn’t find him—and whatever this was between us—just to lose him immediately!
His sword and scabbard flew out.Then a hand grasped the edge of the opening and pulled, but the rocks shifted.Fin grunted.Was that pain?Had something bigger collapsed inside?
I climbed closer, gravel slipping and sliding under me.He’d risked so much making sure I got out first—and Billy too!—that I wanted to do anything I could to help.
Fin’s other hand emerged, and he heaved his body forward, the muscles and tendons of his fingers standing out in stark relief.One shoulder cleared, and a spurt of rocks fell, hitting the back of his head.Instead of pushing through, he stopped.
“What are you doing!Keep going.”
“I am stuck.”
Fin’s hand disappeared, and the entire mass of rock moved.
What the hell?
A guttural yell echoed from the opening, and the top half of Fin’s body shot out.
God, just how strong are these guys?
A rumble filled the air, changing my awe into horror as the rocks right over the opening moved in a gray blur, covering Fin’s legs.
A couple of tiny pieces struck my calves, then a larger one hit in a flare of pain.
He grunted and pushed with his hands, but the unstable surface didn’t provide any purchase.
I moved farther up the slope and began to dig at the rocks on top of his legs, tossing stones to the side with repeated crashes.
Billy bleated an alarm and dashed higher up the slope, even though none of the rocks came near him.His little hooves were surprisingly steady on the uneven ground.
Fin grunted and strained, and horrible pictures of his legs crushed and bloody filled my head.“Hold still,” I choked out.“You’ll hurt yourself.”
I kept digging, abrading my fingers in my haste.My breath came in pants as my heart raced.But no matter how fast I went, more rock just kept sliding down onto his legs.The landslide was infinite.
Spots of blood dotted the stones I flung aside, but I kept going.My left hand cramped, and I used it like a club to bat rocks out of the way.Nothing would stop me!
I slipped, the stones I stood on moving beneath my feet as I pivoted to throw another larger rock aside.My palms slapped onto the ground as my whole body slid down away from Fin.
“Jillian!”He went mad, grunting and straining and tearing at the side of the mountain like a man possessed.
But it worked!He moved forward a few centimeters, then gave a mighty heave and spilled out of the rock pile, sliding down the mountain until he stopped beside me.He was head down to my head up, but we turned toward each other to meet in the middle.I clung to the wide strength of his shoulders and buried my face against his neck.Trembles wracked me, and his hands were gentle as he stroked my back.
When I’d calmed and caught my breath, he said, “I am well.”
I lifted my head to get a look at his legs.They were nice and thick with muscle, no squishing to be seen.
A grin stretched my cheeks.“You Varool really are tough.It’s not just a bunch of talk.”
