Chickens are terrifying, Holly thought dimly. They are mean, vile birds that we only think are funny because they bob their heads and we eat them. Huh.
This thing, this onion, or whatever the giant dwarf man had called it, had legs like tree trunks. Like, if a tank suddenly grew legs it would still be smaller than this thing. Its head was the size of a trashcan, and its beady eyes were the size of dinner plates. It had the indecency to have teeth inside of its beak, and instead of a feathers, a long snaky tail hovered above their heads. It was a T-Rex covered in rust-colored feathers, a massive engine of disease and talons and malice.
"It's gotta be what? Fifteen, twenty feet tall?" Ben whispered.
"Come on guys," Mark said, pulling on her sleeve. "We gotta go," He whispered, "Hurry, while the thing's distracted."
"We can't just leave that dude there," Ben protested.
"I'm the oldest-"
'By 7 minutes!"
"And my job is to make sure you guys are safe. We're going."
Holly didn't wait for them to finish arguing. Wolfric was going to be munched any minute by a walking advertisement for Chik-fil-A. Darting out of hiding, she sprinted towards the monster, hearing her brothers swear and scramble after her a moment later. The monster paused and looked at her, and Holly realized she was screaming her head off. She threw one of the axes at the creature, aiming for the chest. The throw went wide, but the thing was so big it was kind of hard to miss anyway, and the ax up buried itself in the feathers on the chicken's side. It cocked its head to one side at her, looking puzzled, then nipped at the ax, dislodging it.
"ROOOAAAAAR!" It charged her, and Holly threw myself to one side just as it stomped past.
Somewhere behind her, Holly could here one of her brothers yell, "Come on chickenzilla! Pick on someone your own size!" She rolled over just in time to see Ben throw his spear. Instead of getting stuck in the feathers, the spear got lodged itself just beneath the Honions eye. It shook its head angrily and trumpeted its displeasure, a long, ricocheting noise that set their bones to humming.
Ben ran up to the honion, sword in hand, and the gigantic bird kicked him. Holly stumbled to her feet just as her brother crashed into the tent next to her, completely demolishing it. She ran to his side, but he shook himself, raised his sword, and charged, yelling.
A moment later he was joined by Mark. The two boys circled around the honion, every once in awhile trying to get in a jab with a spear or sword. Ben rolled to avoid a tail swipe and a second later the honion pecked at Mark. He jabbed at its beak with the spear, but the huge beast snatched the spear from his hand and through it away. A moment later it screeched and turned its attention on Ben, who had sliced its tail with his sword. Mark hurried to unsheathe his sword and started laughing. We're going to die, he thought. We're going to be eaten by a giant chicken, and Ben thinks we can win.
Holly ran crouched over to the side of the Wolfric, checking his pulse. The huge bearded man breathed shallowly, and blood ran down the side of his head. Holly managed to undo the straps and carefully pull off his helmet. A large gash was seeping on one side of the head, but it didn't look too deep. Holly glanced back to see how her brothers were doing, and then set to work dragging the dwarf into the darkness of one of the other tents.
Ben was backed into a corner, and Mark couldn't get to him. The honion was merciless, stabbing down on the shield with its beak. Miraculously Ben seemed to be holding up, but it was only a matter of time. Mark swung at one of its scaly legs trying to distract it, but the honion kicked at him, spinning the sword from his hand. Desperate, Mark grabbed hold of the swing tail above him and pulled backwards. The bird squawked and redoubled its efforts at Ben.
A strange bubbling sensation surged through Mark, starting from his feet and flooding upwards. His armor began to steam in the cool morning air. Mark planted his feet firmly, suddenly calm, and yanked. The honion stumbled backwards, crashing to the ground and almost squishing Mark. Ben surged forward, sword in hand, and stabbed at the monster's chest, his face bright red and eyes wild. The monster chicken screamed and clawed at him. The armor kept Ben from getting disemboweled, but the thick claws dented the armor and tumbled Ben from his perch on the honion's chest. Mark scrabbled up and gripped the creature around the neck. The giant creature stood up and tried to peck Mark off its back, but Mark kept his choke hold tight, and the monster couldn't do more than scratch at the back of his armor.
Ben had found Mark's spear, and rushed forward, plunging it deep into the honion.
"Hey, watch it!" Mark shouted downward, wincing at the spear seemed to come straight at him. "Stop attacking its chest, you idiot! Haven't you ever eaten a chicken before? That's where all the wing muscles are! Go for the weak spots!"
"This isn't exactly a videogame, Mark! Stop yelling at me!" Ben weaved to dodge another kick, looking around wildly for another weapon. The bird turned to him and he grabbed hold of the spear he'd plunged into its shoulder, yanking it out.
Ben ran up to the honion, sword in hand, and the gigantic bird kicked him. Holly stumbled to her feet just as her brother crashed into the tent next to her, completely demolishing it. She ran to his side, but he shook himself, raised his sword, and charged, yelling.
A moment later he was joined by Mark. The two boys circled around the honion, every once in awhile trying to get in a jab with a spear or sword. Ben rolled to avoid a tail swipe and a second later the honion pecked at Mark. He jabbed at its beak with the spear, but the huge beast snatched the spear from his hand and through it away. A moment later it screeched and turned its attention on Ben, who had sliced its tail with his sword. Mark hurried to unsheathe his sword and started laughing. We're going to die, he thought. We're going to be eaten by a giant chicken, and Ben thinks we can win.
Holly ran crouched over to the side of the Wolfric, checking his pulse. The huge bearded man breathed shallowly, and blood ran down the side of his head. Holly managed to undo the straps and carefully pull off his helmet. A large gash was seeping on one side of the head, but it didn't look too deep. Holly glanced back to see how her brothers were doing, and then set to work dragging the dwarf into the darkness of one of the other tents.
Ben was backed into a corner, and Mark couldn't get to him. The honion was merciless, stabbing down on the shield with its beak. Miraculously Ben seemed to be holding up, but it was only a matter of time. Mark swung at one of its scaly legs trying to distract it, but the honion kicked at him, spinning the sword from his hand. Desperate, Mark grabbed hold of the swing tail above him and pulled backwards. The bird squawked and redoubled its efforts at Ben.
A strange bubbling sensation surged through Mark, starting from his feet and flooding upwards. His armor began to steam in the cool morning air. Mark planted his feet firmly, suddenly calm, and yanked. The honion stumbled backwards, crashing to the ground and almost squishing Mark. Ben surged forward, sword in hand, and stabbed at the monster's chest, his face bright red and eyes wild. The monster chicken screamed and clawed at him. The armor kept Ben from getting disemboweled, but the thick claws dented the armor and tumbled Ben from his perch on the honion's chest. Mark scrabbled up and gripped the creature around the neck. The giant creature stood up and tried to peck Mark off its back, but Mark kept his choke hold tight, and the monster couldn't do more than scratch at the back of his armor.
Ben had found Mark's spear, and rushed forward, plunging it deep into the honion.
"Hey, watch it!" Mark shouted downward, wincing at the spear seemed to come straight at him. "Stop attacking its chest, you idiot! Haven't you ever eaten a chicken before? That's where all the wing muscles are! Go for the weak spots!"
"This isn't exactly a videogame, Mark! Stop yelling at me!" Ben weaved to dodge another kick, looking around wildly for another weapon. The bird turned to him and he grabbed hold of the spear he'd plunged into its shoulder, yanking it out.
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