These small humanoid creatures were nothing like the first one they'd encountered.
The others had only two short horns on their foreheads, and their tails — much shorter — barely dragged behind them.
They were agile, leaping from tree to tree to surround the trio, then dropping to the ground without the slightest hesitation.
Despite their size, they landed almost silently — as if they'd done it their whole lives.
Bit by bit, they tightened the circle around Dylan and his companions, creeping forward like little macaques.
But their laughter...
Their laughter never stopped.
A sinister giggle, punctuated by sharp cracks — like a whip — every time the one with the long horns snapped his tail through the air.
Dylan was starting to believe that tail was more dangerous than all their claws combined.
He exhaled slowly, a wave of heat pouring from his body.
Then he spread his legs, planted his feet into the dirt — ready to take the first hit.
