CHAPTER 24

They rushed her, and she got off two more shots before they were on her. She lashed out with her legs, and then grabbed one and smashed its skull into the rocks. The creature didn't die, but the others fell on it almost immediately to tear it apart.

"Fuck this," she muttered, then snatched up Emery, who had gotten knocked off. She leapt over the slab of rock and tumbled head over feet down the other side before dashing off into the woods again. Behind her, the sounds of pursuit became louder.

She knew the woods around her like the back of her hand, and she dashed off toward a deep ravine to the west. Once there, she jumped, crashing through dense pine-covered branches before landing nearly thirty feet below.

"That should—" she began, but two of the creatures landed in front of her. She fired the Sig two more times, dropping them both. Up above, the trees had become loud with the sound of crashing bodies, and Velvet dashed away. When she looked over her shoulder, there were maybe ten of them in hot pursuit.

Up ahead, she spotted more movement in the trees, but it was something far larger than the squat humanoids. She ran past a thick Ponderosa Pine and was relieved when the figure stepped into view.

Standing almost nine feet tall and covered in thick fur, Bigfoot let out a roar that startled birds out of hiding, then grabbed one of the creatures before it could stop and smashed it into a tree so hard that the trunk splintered. The others were undeterred by this new development, and moved to attack him.

Bigfoot slammed a massive fist into one of the creatures, launching him through the trees and out of sight. Another got kicked hard enough that its head was on backward by the time it landed, its eyes already rolling up in its head.

"We need to go," he growled, then wrapped his arms around Velvet and pulled her behind a tree. They were instantly out of the ravine and over half a mile away, teleported by his magical ability to walk between the trees. They could hear the creatures hooting in the distance. In just a few steps, Velvet and Bigfoot were another mile away.

"What the hell were those things, Uncle?" She looked back over her shoulder.

Bigfoot's face scrunched up, which was impressive to behold, as very few things rattled him. "They went by many names once upon a time. Teihiihan. Others called them Nirumbi. They were a blight on the land. Murderous little cannibals nasty enough to unite the human tribes. I thought they had been wiped out."

Velvet smirked. "I bet people think that about all sorts of cryptids."

"Yeah, well, these ones were an odd lot." They traveled another hundred yards and were now ten miles away. "Even if they were still around, this isn't where they normally live."

"Did they migrate?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. But we need to get you home first, and make a plan. They will be looking for you, and will have the advantage at night."

Velvet sighed. "Wish I still had my sword."

He chuckled. "I'll sharpen a stick for you."

The clearing around their home appeared almost as if by magic, and relief filled her body once she saw the log cabin and the nearby barn. They walked along the overgrown path that no longer saw any use from her father's jeep.

"I'm glad you found me," she said.

"I came running as soon as I heard the gunshots." He stopped next to the barn and raised a massive arm to lean on it. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to you."

She smiled. "You would do what you always do—keep being Bigfoot."

He squinted at her, then laughed. "Because that's what Bigfoot does." It was an old joke that he had told her as a child. He and her father had gotten in a disagreement that involved alcohol, and her dad had told Bigfoot to get a job. This had caused Velvet to pester him endlessly about what sort of job he was going to get.

"C'mon, let's head inside and see if there's anything to eat." She knew there wasn't, but there was always the hope that her sister had stashed a raccoon or a pair of squirrels somewhere.

When she opened the front door of the cabin, she realized that Bigfoot was still out in the yard, his face concerned.

"Uncle Foot?"

"Velvet, I—" Bigfoot stumbled, and his pupils dilated. He let out a groan and tipped over as if in slow motion, his heavy limbs thumping on the ground.

"Uncle Foot!" She was at his side in an instant. When she rolled him over, she noticed an arrow sticking out of his shoulder. It came free easily and had only barely penetrated his fur. The wound wasn't deep enough to hurt him, which could only mean one thing.

"Poison," Bigfoot muttered as she dragged him toward the cabin. He was heavy, and it took several minutes before she even had him up the stairs.

Just as she got him inside and closed the door, the nearby forest came to life with the sounds of chirps and hoots.

It was almost noon when a small retinue of rats tracked Mike down at the bench by the back gate with Cerberus. Cerberus, in human form with a spectral chain around their neck, bared their teeth at the rats. They stopped when Mike patted the center head. He had discovered a few months ago that the center head was like the alpha of the pack. The only reason they were grumpy was that they knew Mike was leaving.