"Lucas and Athur I" by Jason Conrad Ritenour

“You want me to sit ‘ere and wait for that thing to come out?” The shorter man questioned the taller

            “Is that a problem?”

            “How big is this thing again?” The taller man glanced at his shorter companion then with a sigh calmly spoke

            “About ten feet tall.”

             “Ten feet!”

            “Don’t ya worry these things aren’t fast at all” The taller man began to load a quarrel in to a crossbow.

            “How about instead I take that crossbow your loading and shove it up yer….”

            “Hey now this crossbow may save your skin.” The taller man blurted out cutting of his companion.

            “Right…” the short man grumbled “ I had better get my half of the cash”

            “Lucas I have known sense we were kids have I ever cut you short?” The shorter man stared at his friend.

            “There was that one time with dat real purty girl from Gale.” The short man looked at his companion and batted his eyes.

            “You know that’s not what I meant you dolt.”
            “Nah, Arthur, you always been strait with, but man I just don’t want to get me soft head squished in.” Lucas smacked his palms together and rubbed them in a squishing motion.

            “Lucas I have known you for far to long to believe you are anything but hard headed, and besides I won’t even let the thing touch you.” Author stated. “All you have to do is sit there on that rock and wait, and we make a quick 400 cash each.”

            “And you won’t let it get to me?”

            “I have got you covered my friend.” The shorter man, Lucas, walked close to the cave opening that the to men were standing near. His hands had begun shake as he squatted down to sit on the rock at the intrance. A large blast of noise came from the cave opening and Lucas tripped over the rock and fell backwards on to his shoulders. He rocked forward on to his butt just in time to see what to Lucas appeared to be a rather hairy tree with teeth.  A rather angered Forest Taler, due to the fact that it had just been woken, stood at the mouth of the cave. Taler’s were not known for their beauty fur, a forest taler had tan fur with blotches of brown all around it its body. They wore; however, known for their rather long claws and bad tempers. Its slender yet overbearingly strong body stood almost to the top of the caves at least eleven feet in height. Its arms swung low past its waist and from each of its three fingers were long yellowed claws.

            Lucas found him self short of breath as he stared up at the beast in front of him. The shock had left him motionless and when the creature began to move he found it best to turn and run.

            “Oh good earth, Arthur shoot it quick!” He screamed and ran from the mouth of the cave. The taler proved to be much quicker than his friend had led on. In his wild movements Lucas foot had tripped cross a fallen log. He could hear the wood splinter as the taler’s claws drove through to dead tree and snapped it like a thin twig. Lucas rolled to his feet just in time. To see the taler’s other arm swinging for his head. Quickly he lurched forward to his knees and crawled through the legs of the large best. His hands and legs moved as fast as they could across the pebble cover ground. Pulling his left leg up under him Lucas began to push back up on to two feet. He suddenly felt his body lift from the ground and his lungs forced dry of air. The taler had blindly swung backhanded behind it and caught our adventure clean in the ribs. Lucas crashed against a bush and collapsed on the ground. His eyes half opened to see the now painting beast towering above it with arms raised to kill its pray. Lucas squinted his eyes closed and waited for the pain to sink in.

            Twang! A large sound broke through the air. The beast moaned with a sound so horrible the wary and injured traveler drew forth energy to cover his ears. He watched as the beast fell where it stood and its last breath crept out of its lungs.
            “Sorry that took so long didn’t have a clean shot.” Arthur walked from behind the fallen taler. Lucas rolled to his stomach and pushed up on to his feet. He swirled around and his tightly closed fist connected with Arthur’s nose. Arthur’s hands cupped around his now injured face and stared with question at his friend.

            “I get sixty damn percent.”