Chapter 64

Our mad dash back towards the rest of our group was exactly that. Mad. The gorilla chasing us was fast. Faster than fast. It had closed the distance between us, and it, in a blindingly short amount of time at the beginning of the initial chase. Luckily, we’d not stayed around long enough to let it catch us, and it’s short burst of inhuman speed slowed as it continued to chase us.

Still, just as I’d witnessed during the Reaping, it was painfully clear there was no outrunning the creature in the jungle. We were moving through unfamiliar terrain, having to worry not just about the four hundred plus pound monstrosity chasing us, but also the slick muddy ground, fallen branches, leaves, and all sorts of other threats. Meanwhile, the gorilla, ambling after us on all fours, propelling itself powerfully forwards with its massive forearms, was right at home. Without any interference on our part, there was no doubt in my mind we wouldn’t make it back to Quill and the others. We’d die, or at least one of us would fall, before then.

Luckily, we had tools at our disposal to help, at the very least, slow the beast. Even if they weren’t extremely effective, they could, in theory, buy us extra time to keep the distance between us, and the gorilla, a little comfortable.

The first attempt to slow the beast was a hasty one. I summoned another throwing knife in my hand, turned slightly as I ran, and chucked the object at the rampaging mountain of muscle and fur. I didn’t have the time to watch it impact, but the enrage roar behind me told me, at the very least, that I’d pissed it off more.

A few moments later, Nyle tried to slow it with his own knife throw. This time I saw the weapon hit, but it didn’t pierce the creature’s thick hide. Instead, it bounced harmlessly off of the gorilla, falling into the muddy ground. It was painfully clear all the knives were doing in this instance, was keeping the gorilla mad. And while we were fast, and fit, turning to chuck useless knives at the gorilla was counterproductive, and did little more than slow us down with every hasty glance backwards.

“Thank you Alexandra,” I muttered a I mentally went through my inventory while we ran. It was at her suggestion we’d even grabbed the throwing knives, and there was no doubt in my mind they’d served their purpose. Allowing us to get the gorilla to follow us, in as safe a manner as possible, without disrupting the other creatures of the troop. More than that though, it was another of the items she’d suggested to us, that had me singing her praises.

A heavy rope appeared in my hand, with three metal weights attached to it. I began swinging the weights as I ran, using the portion of the rope that split off into cords attached to the weights as the fulcrum for my swinging. The weapon picked up pace, and as I reached a respectable speed with the weapon, I stopped running for a split second, sliding to a stop on the muddy ground just long enough to turn and throw the weapon. The gorilla, barreling through the jungle towards me, quickly closed the distance as my bolas flew towards it. I grinned as the rope caught its forearms, the weights circling around the fur, the gorilla’s own momentum, and the weight of the bolas drawing the arms tightly together.

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My victory was short lived as the gorilla fell to the ground, its forearms entangled. It let out a massive bellow and heaved. The heavy rope ripped apart after a split second, and the gorilla was free.

“Oh shit.” I immediately turned and ran, noting that Nyle, my good friend, had taken the opportunity to get further ahead of me. Making me the sole, logical target, for the gorilla’s anger. My legs burned as I scrambled to pick up my pace once more, the gorilla clearly further enraged by my efforts to slow it. Ahead of me, Nyle was laughing, the efforts causing him to wheeze a bit. Ass.

Still, the bolas had, at the very least, slowed the gorilla for a moment, and thrown off its rhythm. The creature, obviously capable of incredible bursts of speed, did at least seem to have a slower normal pace than I did. And, its massive bulk, even as muscled as it was, took more energy to get going. Because of this, while uncomfortable, I was able to continue ahead of the creature.

I continued to run as fast as possible with the gorilla on my heels, until thankfully, blissfully, I saw Nyle run past a clearing, leaping over a log as he did. That log was a marker for us, signaling the zone we were to lead the gorilla. On either side of the log, a thin metal cord had been carefully laid. I knew the others were laying in wait there, Alax and Lyn on either side of the log, waiting to pull the wire taut when the gorilla passed through. Past that, a few more traps had been set up, with Quill himself taking shelter high in the trees, his bow at the ready.

My legs burned as I reached the log, the gorilla only ten feet behind me. I leapt with everything I had, but the distance I covered was pathetically short. My foot caught on the log, and I half tumbled, half fell on the jungle floor, sliding in a manner that was the exact opposite of graceful, as I hurriedly tried to right myself. More laughter from Nyle, who was further ahead of me, and snickering in the direction of who I could only guess was Alax.

I turned just in time to watch the gorilla barrel right through the log. One muscled forearm knocked the log to the side, the other pushing it forward. A whistle, like that of a bird, sounded from above. The signal for Lyn and Alax. Then, only visible because I knew it was there, I saw the metal wire lift from the ground, pulling tight. The gorilla’s own momentum carried it forward, the knuckles of his forearms, digging into the ground as he rocketed towards me, his speed increasing as he saw his prey in sight.

I saw red, as the cable sliced deeply into his arms. The gorilla’s momentum stopped as the wire cut roughly a third of the way into his fur and flesh. He bellowed in rage, and then, displaying the same strength I’d seen on the first day, reared backwards, ripping his arms upwards. The motion was so sudden, so abrupt, it caught Alax and Lyn off guard. I heard startled exclamations as the wire they were still holding was ripped from their grasps, yanking them from hiding. The creature pulled the cable from one arm, then the other, and beat its chest, sending red droplets spraying from wounds that barely seemed to bother it.

Another whistle from above was the only signal, the only warning I got to remind me this was just the start of the plan. I dove forward, just in time to feel the heavy weight of the next trap soar over me, my hair rustling from the wind as the spiked log from high above was cut loose, swinging like a powerful ram towards the gorilla.

In my mind, the hunt was over. Yet as the trap swung rapidly towards the gorilla, giving the enraged beast no time to get out of the way, it became extremely clear to me I was completely wrong. Another of Commander Phyr’s lessons echoed in the back of my mind, as the gorilla caught the heavy, extremely large projectile between his hands, stopping it just before it could reach his muscled chest.

To underestimate the Tower, and the creatures within, is to guarantee your own death.