The croc was roasted.
The golden-brown meat and the juicy oil dripping out of it made Balmar salivate. He cut a slice and eat it from the tip of his blade. It was dangerous, but he couldn't help himself.
The meat was kinda chewy. It was hard to break it down, but he only cut a small slice so he could swallow it with no problem.
The taste… Well, he didn't have to say anything except it was a little salty and sweet. It had some similarities to fish except for the chewy part. Everyone took a slice of their own. Since the meat was cooked and the scales were removed, the squires and coachmen could use their own knives to take a slice.
They happily sat down and ate. Some brought a wooden plate and enjoyed themselves. He recalled how happy he was after every hunt. They would eat just like this. Sitting down, talking about stories, or simply bragged how they got the last shot.
That reminded him. "Where's Honear?"
"He is dead, sir. I saw the bird take his helmet and he died after killing a dozen croc."
"I… see." He was a good lad. Now he died.
For nothing.
The meat inside his mouth turned bitter and he didn't feel like eating. He stood, went to the edge, and stayed. The sun was high. It should be bright but the dark clouds were still there. Wind always blowing. It never end since he entered the moor.
"Still looking?" Goras asked, not looking at him. He stood a few meters to his right. With both arms on his back, he gazed forward. "We'll return tomorrow. With less than half the men we brought. Hax will be disappointed and kick us out of the Man Hunter. Then we'll go back to hunt deer, and whistle with the birds in the treehouse. Sounds like fun, don't you think?"
"We come here to trai—"
"We come here to die," Goras interrupted. "This is not training. Our supplies can only last us against one more attack. The birds took the rest. If I am not afraid that the beasts are still out there, I would have brought all the men out of this moor immediately."
"I have found my purpose," Balmar said. "Hunting animals in the forest will change nothing. I want to help the norms. I believe with Hax we can achieve it."
Goras nodded. "I believe too. But you won't be there to see it." He walked away.
Leaving Balmar with his own thoughts.
The army had finished eating the croc and was currently roasting another one.
Lunch lasted till midnight when they cook another croc. They finished dinner and went inside their tents. The camp was silent, but Balmar knew that they prayed and prayed for a peaceful tomorrow.
Tomorrow came.
The army prepared themselves. This time the Prime Soldiers tied bag ammunition to their waist. The squires lay prone on the ground. The supplies were scattered around. Some of the wagons and carriages were even dismantled last night and their parts were all over the ground. He even had replaced armor now. It wasn't as good as new but it would last another battle.
Hearts thumped.
Silent. Waiting. They were wary. But fully prepared with guns and swords in hand. Their sights went to the distance. Wind blew. Nothing moved.
Where are they?
Then they heard footsteps.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Balmar looked around. Nothing.
It got louder.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
And louder.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The ground started shaking.
Shadows loomed over them. The army froze, then they slowly turned behind.
It was something dark, something incomprehensibly huge. It rose from the ground below and stood taller than the cliff itself.
It raised a claw, covering them with shadows.
"RUN!" Balmar shouted and shot the creature.
The bullets ricocheted against its hard scale. It looked like plate of armor interlocking with each other.
The squires and the rest ran away down the hill. The Prime Soldiers didn't have that privilege. Stood rooted on the spot, they fired their weapons madly at the gigantic creature.
The creature slammed the cliff. It boomed, shook, throwing the soldiers away, and smashed the cliff to rubble. Men screamed, rolling down the cliff.
Balmar grabbed the ground, stopping his descent from the hill. The Prime Soldiers did the same. They gathered around him.
The creature stared down with its golden slit eyes. It stuck its tongue like a snake. But it had claws! How could a snake have claws?
"Men!" Balmar stood up, staring at the snake. "We will charge forward and buy time for the rest to escape. That is the plan. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir!"
Balmar threw his gun away and raised his sword. "Charge!"
The Prime Soldiers charged towards the beast, moving with speed and fineness that no norm could possibly do. They leaped over the broken cliff, flying, soaring towards the snake. The creature bit down and dozens burst into blood mist. It swept a claw and metal parts scattered in the air.
The rest landed on top of the snake, some slipped down its scale and fell down.
"Attack its eyes!"
Balmar sprinted towards the edge, about to strike at its eye. But then some kind of wind wanted to pull him away. He stabbed the scale and held it in place. The snake shook its head. More of his men fell from the height that would shake the bravest man.
He pulled out another sword and stabbed the head. It must be a tiny needle for the snake, but Balmar wasn't done yet. He cut the sides of the scale and yanked it out. Then he sliced and dug the flesh, making the snake roar and shake its head more fiercely.
He saw a few Prime Soldiers rolled from the scales and fell.
After digging deep enough, Balmar entered the wound and stabbed the inside to keep himself in place. He could feel the head shaking left and right even more fiercely. He didn't know how many men died, but he had to kill this snake. Using one sword to balance himself, and the other to cut, Balmar produced slice after slice of meat. Blood flowed endlessly, covering his face.
He planned to reach for its brain and kill it. This was the only way. The snake shook its head around like a wheel. It made him bump against the roof and slammed against the floor. He didn't give up. Continued to dig deep inside the flesh.
As he cut another layer, he met a Prime Soldier who did the same thing. They must have seen him digging inside the snake and followed. With a companion beside him, the digging became easier. They would bash against each other when the snake shook its head, and sometimes almost came out of the wound as the snake raised its head.
They stabbed the floor and ceiling, stuck in place. This was a great opportunity to kill the snake. There was no way they would let it pass. As forward became up, they started climbing by stabbing the sword one after another. The snake roared, and up became forward again. This time, they ran as quickly as possible, passing through all the blood and meat that they cut.
"This won't be easy."
"You got that right, sir."