The plan was simple if not a little stupid in his opinion. He would distract the beast and lure it into a killing field of sorts.

A clear line of sight would offer Sapphire a clean shot through its massive eyes and into its brain. The hit should scramble its brain and free them of the monstrous pursuer.

The plan was laid out bare before them. They just needed to find the area that it would take place. Clear spaces in a jungle were few and far between and they did not have all day to set it up.

“Oh yeah. How long do you think it will take for it to deal with those crocodile things? It's been a few minutes so I think it'll be finished any time now.” Drew speculated on the timeframe they would have when faint rustling noises picked up in the distance.

“Truthfully, I am surprised it is not already here. The size difference was staggering to say the least and the fuel of anger is powerful, as you might know.” Her musings were interlaced with random branches cracking behind them.

Drew stared into the forest as the noises grew closer.

“Lets get out of here!” Drew turned tail and grabbed his plushy friend. The monster pushed through the trees they had just stood behind and advanced on them.

Its eyes were bloodshot in anger and sent chills down Drew’s spine. He stumbled through the jungle, bobbing and weaving between trees. The murderous parakeet uprooted those same trees and split the canopy to fit itself through the tight gaps.

“Master, drop me off once you see a small clearing.” Sapphire swiveled her head around looking for a gap to exploit.

The pair rushed through the underbrush and burst out into an opening with the beast not far behind it. The grass was matted down like a massive monster had slept there the night before.

Drew hid the plushy around a tree and tried to take the beast's attention once it made its way through the last line of trees.

The beast slowed itself down once he was in sight and attempted to scoop him up in its small tentacles. A shield bash and quick slash with his ax shoed the gripping appendages away.

“Master, I can not get a clean shot. Circle back around for another attempt.” The plushy waved her master away once the opportunity was lost.

He rolled his eyes and stumbled back into the woods. The creature kept a close eye on his movements as it pushed its way closer.

The close trees offered a surprising advantage to the more nimble and small human while adding new dangers with each subsequent log it brushed aside.

Drew bobbed and weaved between the falling limbs during the chase. The stray animal would duck out of the way as he charged through the underbrush. Creatures he had yet to see scrambled away from the charging combo of predator and prey.

The monster was moving too methodically for his previous tricks to work. Its head would dip down to the ground in a bid to snatch up its prey only for it to miss its lunge.

The back and forth went on for minutes while Drew attempted to complete the circle. He almost thought he was lost when he ran into the shattered trees that made up the parakeets' war path.

He turned into the path and picked up speed that was previously hard to achieve. The bird also broke through a few seconds later and advanced on him with its many tentacles.

The sound of rushing air and thrashing from behind pushed him forward with everything he had. The beast was gaining on him now that the path was open, but relief was not that far ahead.

The same large trees that signaled the opening sat split in front of him. They offered the perfect vaulting surface to throw the monster off.

He glanced back to see the bird a few dozen feet behind him and closing in. He slowed down enough to reduce the time the monster had to react and finally reach the fallen logs.

With one large leap, he cleared the massive trees and rolled behind them just in time to see the beast fly overhead and slam into the other side of the small clearing, destroying a few large trees in the process.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Drew ducked under and behind them in the hope of buying some time. The draft behind the most shook the leaves around him and deffenned him to what was happening out of sight.

Silence overtook the clearing. The world took on an eerie quiet that seemed out of place for the jungle.

The apex predator a few dozen feet away made very little noise as it searched the clearing. The air it breathed in and the trees its grappled with for stability made all of the noise.

It was prowling for him. A random crash startled him as the beast eliminated places for him. The same backdraft the beast left seemed to obfuscate his smell, confusing it.

Drew could only hope that Sapphire knew what she was doing. She couldn’t break the shield of the parasite but she thought she could kill this hulking monstrosity? What kind of horse shit is that and now he was going to die without even putting on a final stand.

He should have talked it through more, but where was the time for that in the moment? He just needed to trust her.

The fight might be sad and over in one bite, but at least he could stand proud in the afterlife knowing he actually fought it.

The beast inched closer as sweat dripped from his brow. The cracking and thuds went from background noises to the forefront.

If the plushy did not act now, he was done.

https%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FUMiFVh3.jpg [https://i.imgur.com/UMiFVh3.jpg]

A tentacle snaked its way around a tree to his right before lifting it away and tossing it back into the tree line. The casual show of strength only sank his hope lower.

His time was now. He was done. A tentacle grabbed the tree trunk he was hiding behind and lifted it into the air. He was exposed to the beast like a child lifting a rock to find bugs.

It chirped in glee at seeing its stationary prey, nearly shattering his eardrums. His legs were drained from the run and his nerves were fried from the tension.

“Shoot it now!” He shouted at his sniper and closed his eyes as the monster lunged inwards to collect his hard earned prize.

The massive beak reached forward and the smell of sea water and dirt hit Drew’s nostrils.

A massive crash and rumble startled him out of his fear induced paralysis. He leaned back before breathing out a sigh of relief and opening his eyes to the exposed canopy . No message popped up to confirm the monster's death.

He needs to move right now. He turned over and scooted backwards in a bid to distance himself from the living horror.

The sight was beautiful. The rumbling did not end after what he thought was a Sapphire mystery shot. It had been the slime monster they had seen days prior crashing into the parakeet from the side and mauling it.

It was a battle of the titans and Drew wanted no part of it. They clashed repeatedly, neither side came out without wounds to show for it.

The slime beast had chunks pulled off by tentacles and the massive beak. The bird was developing wounds along its body in the same fashion.

The huge teeth of the slime cut large pieces of tentacle off with each bite. Hundreds of pounds of meat came splashing down to the ground in a shower of combat and violence.

Drew backed as far out as he could while still viewing the battle. Sapphire must have been viewing the battle the same way.

Maybe she even played a part in drawing this monster here to save their lives? He was unsure, but, regardless, the timing was impeccable.

The titan clashes did not happen in real life beyond the deep seas. Now he got a front row seat to watch one go down against his current mortal enemy.

The tentacles leaked blue blood out of its wounds in the gallons. The ground was soupy with mud and blood.

The slime monster merely smoothed out its wounds with each lost chunk. Its size had gradually decreased as the fight continued.

Red flesh appeared under some of the wounds only to be rapidly covered up by the slime seconds later.

The parakeet bit through one of the other beast's legs and caused it to fall down to the ground. The crash shook the forest and sent branches falling in the distance.

It pressed its advantage and wrapped up the other limbs with its intact tentacles. The fight was nearing its end.

It began pulling the remaining legs taught and, in a show of force, ripped it limb from limb. The slime monster sat below it and wiggled its limbless torso in an attempt to gnaw its foe's flesh.

Its vitality was like that of a zombie, without a care in the world for its own wounds.

The bird pinned it one last time and sunk its massive beak into its head before wrenching it off and throwing it into the distance.

The victorious beast reared back and squawked in triumph. It had bested its foe in one on one combat. It lost limbs, blood and feathers and now it wanted its prize.

“Oh shit.” Drew's shoulders slumped down in defeat and he shuffled back as the monster turned its head toward him. “I don’t think I can keep running anymore”

The beast was raggedy from anyone's point of view but it didn’t even out his disadvantage. It was still a massive beast that was now wounded and hungry and he was its preferred snack.

Drew stumbled on a low root and began cursing his luck. His death was now.

It had just moved a single tentacle when something broke the sound barrier and deafened him.