The Quest for Flight: ch 4 part I

Clumbo shone his light over the dead animal. This must have been what had killed the soldier back along the path. It had three big black eyes and was totally grey. It tail made up half its body and had lots of white spikes on it. The beast had been stabbed through the stomach and was covered in blue-black blood, blood that matched the blood on the sword. Further along the path, they found two more beasts which had been killed. They kept on walking, when suddenly something moved in the shadows, something big. They carried on, constantly turning to see if any of these beasts were following them. As Clumbo turned back to face the way they were walking, he tripped over.

“I always knew you would live up to your name!” Luke told him as he helped him up.

“Shut…” Clumbo was stopped mid sentence as one of the beasts jumped in front of them, Clumbo had dropped the sword, and the beast had seen its chance.

“What business do you have here” it said in an airy and snake –like voice

“You, you can talk” This time it was Shifty who spoke. He had turned himself into a kind of Minotaur.

“As can you little shape shifter, although neither you or I are supposed to” the beast replied

“Can you all talk? Said Shifty

“Can all Shape shifters talk?” The beast asked

“No” Shifty replied

“Then there is your answer, we both belong to a dieing species, we are both hunted by our own cousins just because we can talk, and thus, are abnormal. I have a name as well, something no other Preaver can have…”

“Preaver?” Luke interrupted

“Preavers are those dead animals you saw back along the path, they were killed by that soldier you saw, but brave as he was, he was overrun. You made a wise decision to pick up his sword, which I believe you have dropped, young Clumbo.”

“What! How do you know my name?”

“I am six hundred and fifty seven years old, and still not half way through my life, but for many of those years I was hunted, as I ran I saw many things, heard many more and became very wise, there is a prophecy about you young Clumbo, and I would be able to tell you and your brother apart from two thousand other penguins.”

“So what is your name?” Shifty asked.

“I was named by a Sailor when I was a year old, hiding on his ship, he fed me until I was old enough to feed my self, he named me Chattolemowin, which means ‘ the fighter’ in his language, but you can call me Chat. I can help you through the cave of Preavers, and out of the Bruma wood, as I know you wish. But there are at least two hundred Preavers in this Cave, which might make it slightly, difficult…”