Granite Chapter 3

The three stumble into some new and startling Fauna

       The two scientists stood and brushed themselves off.
     “Well, jeez Anderson. I didn’t know you could do that!” Harvey exclaimed, looking after the hydra. Anderson shook his head, looking at the glove. “I guess these things are pretty good weapons. Damn thing can manipulate Electricity.” Lizz flexed her hand, watching the sparks shooting from one finger to another. Harvey set off towards the river, then turned back. “Well let’s go, we have sciency type things to do. Don’t want to keep our grossly mutated overlords waiting.” Anderson chuckled. “Ahaha, I think I’d like to meet whatever human’s flying around up there in space. Might be neat.” Lizz shook her head, following Harvey down the river. “I’d rather not know, I think.”
     Further up stream, a small clearing dotted by lichen-grass came into view. In it, grazing, was what appeared to be a shelled Squid. It walked on 6 legs, was about 2 ft tall, and used the front two to manipulate its surroundings. It had a spiraling shell and an almost star shaped black patch covering the eye region. It mulled around the clearing, occasionally picking up a small fruit for inspection. If it did not meet the creature’s standards, it was tossed. When it finally did find a suitable fruit, it was moved to the mouth beneath the body of the Cephalopod.
    Harvey creeped slowly towards the clearing, hiding behind a lichen shrub. He waved the glove over the creature, then inspected the display screen on the back of his glove. “Chemmonite” it read. Harvey assumed it was related to the nautilus, another shelled Cephalopod from his time.
    “Now.. what confuses me, is how that cephalopod is completely terrestrial, but looks like it could have just hopped out of the water.” Lizz snuck up next to him. “What do you mean?” Harvey squinted, inspecting the Chemmonite. A bush rustled from the right of the Chemmonite. The cephalopod stopped what it was doing and stared. It reached over for a stick lying on the ground and held it like a weapon. Harvey’s eyes widened. Out from the bush sprinted a bird of similar size. It too was terrestrial. It screeched as it lunged at the Chemmonite, extending its jaw far out, the razor sharp beak wide open. The Chemmonite swung at the Bird, smacking it square in the face. It retracted its jaw, and began circling the Cephalopod. It hissed. The Chemmonite turned with it, watching carefully. The Bird Charged again, this time dodging the swings of the Chemmonite, and biting off one of the cephalopod’s arms. The Chemmonite wobbled, unbalanced, as the stick fell from its grasp, only one hand able to support it. The Bird lunged again, biting off a large chunck of the Chemmonite’s central mass. The Chemmonite fell, defenseless. And the bird descended upon the carcass, ripping and tearing flesh.
    Impressed, Harvey waved his hand over the Bird. The display read: Grotto. Distant relative of Herring. Harvey was stunned. “Herring!? A FISH!?” He stood and shot a stunning bolt of electricity at the feasting Grotto. Harvey walked up to it, and crouched. Inspecting every feature. It had a beak, birdlike darting eyes, and wings. Er, fins. It’s skin was scaly and smooth. Like a snake’s. Larger scales surrounded the facial region, likely armor. It’s thin, muscular legs ended in two sharp claws on each foot. The tail was long, almost fishlike. Almost, though not quite. The Grotto retained the extending Jaw like so many fish have. Contempt, Harvey retreated back to his hiding spot, then un-stunned the little Grotto. Un-fazed, it continued to eat. “What was that all about!?” Anderson asked. Harvey shrugged. “Looks like fish stepped up to fill the Niche of birds.”

Reviews

[Rebecca James age 10]

really cool i hope i see a book of yours up in the store because you really should publish this