Bastial Explosion (The Rhythm of Rivalry: Book 3) (43 page)

“Quiet,” he said.

“Do you know what you’re doing?”

“Shut your mouth and give me a handful of the rujins.”

She obeyed, moving back behind Doe as soon as she handed them to him.

Two Dajriks emerged from one of the tunnels, their massive bodies coming to a stop for a glimpse at Doe and Zeti. Shrouded by shadow, all Zeti could see was their size and that it was true—they did appear to be made from rock.

One of them grumbled something that Zeti had no hope of understanding. Doe didn’t seem to, either.

“Eh lo huta?” Doe said, his tone questioning.

The Dajrik seemed to repeat the same thing.

Doe became excited. “Rujins! Rujins lu Dajriks!”

The Dajriks came forward, and Zeti tripped over the uneven ground without even realizing she was backing up.

The Dajriks stopped when they were within reach of Doe. There was some sort of conversation between the three of them, though Doe needed the Dajriks to repeat many of their questions. This was the only thing Zeti could understand besides that the Dajriks were interested in rujins for some reason.

What did Paramar tell me about the rujins?
Zeti tried to recall.
There was something about these giants suffering from nightmares and the Slugari being able to cure them with rujins.

Doe’s claws glowed brighter as he melted the rujins before the Dajriks. He poured the substance into one Dajrik’s hand and then melted more for the other.

Each Dajrik drank, then the conversation picked up again.

Zeti waited silently until Doe said, “Zeti, come here.”

When she was beside him, he pointed at her and spoke to the Dajriks. He used the word “Krepp” several times. It took all of her willpower not to ask what was going on, her curiosity tormenting her.

Finally, the Dajriks turned and walked back toward where they’d come from. They stopped just outside a tunnel to converse with each other.

“They’re making a decision,” Doe informed her. “But I already know what it’s going to be. They’re going to come with us and fight.”

They’re going to join us?
“They can be controlled?”

“Not so much controlled. But in the same way I’ve brought the Krepps together, I have something the Dajriks want.”

“The Slugari?” Zeti risked another question. Doe seemed to be in good spirits, so she figured she was safe for now.

“No, an end to their nightmares. Haemon and I can make rujin necklaces for the Dajriks so they can finally sleep. But we’re only going to make the rujin substance potent enough for one day at a time. We’ll replace the expired substance as long as they stay with us and fight. Then, when we’ve taken over Kyrro, they’ll get a more potent version that should last fifty years.”

Doe sounded so confident they were going to agree, Zeti found herself feeling it as well.

Sure enough, the Dajriks turned and said something, and soon they were following her and Doe out of the mountain, moving Krepp-sized boulders out of their way as if they were small rocks.

“No matter how many Humans survived Haemon’s attack,” Doe said, “there will be none left soon after the rest of our army gets there.”

Zeti could think of nothing the Humans had that could stand up against the rest of the Krepps, let alone two Dajriks. If they really were responsible for Grayol’s death, then Zeti gladly would see them die. There was just one problem.

Was Zoke going to be there when they struck?

Get out of there, Zoke.
I can’t stop what happens to you if you don’t.

End of Book 3

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The next in the series is
Bastial Frenzy
. It begins right where Bastial Explosion ended.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is coincidental.

Copyright © 2013 by B.T. Narro

Cover art by Ricky Gunawan

Maps by Annette Tremblay: midnightwhimsy.deviantart.com

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