Did Deimos ever regret being right all the time?
It was a question for Tal to ponder in the following hours and days; for the moment they stood their vigil and in time a thick, viscous V cut through the nearbly lava pool, nearing the shore at a leisurely pace. It subsided at the edge of the molten rock and stillness - broken by the thick, wet glopping noise of lava bubbles popping - returned for several long minutes.
And then fiery hell splashed everywhere as a large crocodilian shape lunged out of the water for the nearest sacrificial bird. It caught it in its jaws and shook its head, scattering feathers and blood in equal measure before flipping the shredded ningo up and raising its head to catch it and swallow it whole.
Which was when the second, larger lial, more stealthy in its approach, came out of the pool, bringing a wave of lava with it as it crashed into the first and clawed at it, hissing deadly threat. Territorial dispute? Hunting rights? Mating display? Who knew! But the result was two lials locked in combat at the edge of the pool, too distracted by each other to follow the ningo trail further inland.
Tal looked frantically for Deimos, seeking his more experienced friend's advice--
But the General was nowhere to be seen, and the courier swallowed hard and turned back to watch the epic battle unfolding.
Which was when he saw the third lial, much smaller than the first two robust specimens, slowly making its way across the cracked ground towards the second ningo with all the stealthiness a red-hot lava gator could muster. Looking from the fighters back to the sneaker, Tal found himself silently cheering the little guy on.
Even if he was going to try and stab him once he reached ningo #3.
It was a question for Tal to ponder in the following hours and days; for the moment they stood their vigil and in time a thick, viscous V cut through the nearbly lava pool, nearing the shore at a leisurely pace. It subsided at the edge of the molten rock and stillness - broken by the thick, wet glopping noise of lava bubbles popping - returned for several long minutes.
And then fiery hell splashed everywhere as a large crocodilian shape lunged out of the water for the nearest sacrificial bird. It caught it in its jaws and shook its head, scattering feathers and blood in equal measure before flipping the shredded ningo up and raising its head to catch it and swallow it whole.
Which was when the second, larger lial, more stealthy in its approach, came out of the pool, bringing a wave of lava with it as it crashed into the first and clawed at it, hissing deadly threat. Territorial dispute? Hunting rights? Mating display? Who knew! But the result was two lials locked in combat at the edge of the pool, too distracted by each other to follow the ningo trail further inland.
Tal looked frantically for Deimos, seeking his more experienced friend's advice--
But the General was nowhere to be seen, and the courier swallowed hard and turned back to watch the epic battle unfolding.
Which was when he saw the third lial, much smaller than the first two robust specimens, slowly making its way across the cracked ground towards the second ningo with all the stealthiness a red-hot lava gator could muster. Looking from the fighters back to the sneaker, Tal found himself silently cheering the little guy on.
Even if he was going to try and stab him once he reached ningo #3.
