Surviving Zombies Was Easier Than Raising Beast Cubs

"MONSTEEEEER!"

Miko’s scream ripped through Ironwood Basin.

Birds exploded from the trees.

Several adults dropped what they were holding.

Swanly nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Miko!"

Kael was already gone.

Black fur swallowed his body before he even cleared the cave entrance.

Soren moved one breath behind him, white scales flashing as his body lengthened across the ground.

Swanly grabbed her bow and ran after them.

"Why is it always the children?!"

Because apparently peace offended her sons personally.

At the edge of the settlement, Miko stood inside one of the enormous footprints.

Or rather, he had been standing.

Now he was on the ground.

A gigantic creature towered above the cubs.

Its head rose beyond the lower branches. Thick gray skin covered its enormous body, broken by darker plates along its shoulders and back. Its arms were long enough that one claw could probably cover an entire sleeping mat.

And that claw was reaching toward Miko.

Miko’s eyes became enormous.

His tiny mouth trembled.

Then he threw himself at Kairo.

"Brother!"

Kairo had exactly enough time to shout, "Wait!"

Miko wrapped both arms around him.

His weight knocked them backward.

Both cubs hit the mud.

Kairo immediately began struggling beneath him.

"Get off!"

"Monster!"

"I protect!"

"Miko protect too!"

"You sitting on me!"

Miko hugged him harder.

"Stay down!"

Kairo’s little legs kicked uselessly.

"You making me die first!"

Nilo stood beside them, perfectly still.

His ears flattened.

Lumi grabbed the back of his clothing.

Tavi had already hidden behind her.

The enormous claw lowered.

Miko squeezed his eyes shut.

"Mamaaaaa!"

A black shadow struck the giant’s arm.

Kael.

His claws sank between the creature’s thick plates.

His roar shook the trees.

The giant jerked backward.

Not from pain.

From shock.

Its huge eyes widened.

The strange little black creature was attacking it.

Why?

It had not touched the small ones yet.

It had only wanted to see them.

Kael climbed higher, claws tearing at its arm.

The giant made a confused booming sound.

Then it shook its limb.

Kael refused to release it.

The giant shook harder.

Kael flew.

"KAEL!"

Swanly’s heart stopped.

He slammed through a young tree and rolled across the ground.

The giant froze.

Its eyes widened even more.

That had gone farther than expected.

It leaned forward.

Kael rose instantly.

Blood touched the corner of his mouth.

The giant tilted its head.

Still alive.

Good.

Kael clearly did not share its relief.

He charged again.

The ground suddenly turned white.

Soren arrived.

His massive snake form swept between Kael and the cubs.

His almost-healed core burned beneath his scales, but there was no weakness in the movement.

His tail struck the earth.

His enormous body surged upward.

He coiled around the giant’s reaching arm.

Once.

Twice.

Then tightened.

The giant stared down at him.

Another small creature.

Longer this time.

Very angry.

Soren’s silver eyes became ice.

Touch them.

Try.

The giant lifted its arm.

Soren went with it.

The snake tightened harder.

The giant shook once.

Nothing.

Soren’s coils constricted.

A low hiss rolled from his throat.

The giant’s expression changed.

That one hurt.

It tried lowering its arm carefully.

Kael launched again.

"STOP!"

Swanly’s voice cracked across the clearing.

Everyone froze.

Almost everyone.

Miko was still crushing Kairo.

"Let go!"

"No!"

"My tail!"

"Miko scared!"

"I scared too!"

Swanly climbed onto a stone ridge and raised her bow.

"Kael! Soren! Stop attacking it!"

Kael shifted halfway, black claws still extended.

"It reached for Miko."

"I saw!"

Soren did not release the giant.

Swanly pointed at him.

"You too."

His head turned slightly.

"No."

"Soren."

"It reached for your cub."

"I know, but look at it!"

The giant was no longer reaching for Miko.

It was staring at Kael.

Then Soren.

Then the cubs.

Its enormous face held something almost painfully obvious.

Confusion.

It had enough strength to crush Kael between two claws.

Instead, when Kael attacked, it had merely thrown him away.

Even now, it was holding its restrained arm unnaturally still, as though afraid that fighting Soren properly might hurt someone smaller nearby.

Miko opened one eye.

He saw Kael standing farther away.

His mouth dropped open.

"Monster steal Papa!"

The giant looked at him.

Then at Kael.

Then back at Miko.

Its eyes widened.

No.

No stealing.

The enormous creature immediately lowered its arm.

Soren nearly lost balance from the sudden movement.

Then the giant very carefully placed Kael back on the ground.

Kael stared at it.

The giant removed its claw.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

Like setting down something fragile.

The entire tribe went silent.

Raku arrived at the edge of the crowd.

"...Did it just put him back?"

Tilla clutched Tavi against her chest.

"I think it did."

Mora stared upward.

"It could have crushed him."

Swanly lowered her bow slightly.

"But it didn’t."

Soren finally uncoiled.

He remained between the giant and Swanly.

Kael immediately moved between the giant and his cubs.

Neither male relaxed.

The giant looked miserable.

It glanced toward Miko again.

Miko gasped and hid behind Kairo.

Kairo pushed at his face.

"Stop using me shield!"

"You eldest!"

"That not mean shield!"

The giant watched them.

Then looked around.

Its gaze stopped on a nearby tree.

Large red fruit hung from the highest branches.

The giant reached up.

Everyone raised weapons.

It paused.

Slowly plucked one enormous fruit.

Then crouched.

The earth trembled beneath its weight.

Miko peeked around Kairo.

The giant extended one claw.

Kael growled.

It stopped immediately.

Then placed the fruit on the ground several steps away from the cubs.

And pulled its hand back.

Miko stared.

The fruit was almost as big as his entire chest.

He looked at the giant.

Then at the fruit.

Then back at the giant.

His fear vanished suspiciously fast.

He crawled out from behind Kairo.

"Miko," Swanly warned.

He ignored her.

Of course.

Miko waddled toward the fruit.

Kael caught the back of his clothing.

Miko’s legs continued walking in the air.

"Papa!"

"No."

"Fruit!"

"No."

"Monster give!"

"That does not make it safe."

Miko twisted until he could look up at the giant.

The creature remained completely still.

Waiting.

Miko pointed at himself.

"For Miko?"

The giant blinked.

Then slowly nodded.

Miko’s entire face lit up.

He slapped both tiny hands together.

"For Miko!"

Kairo climbed out of the mud.

"Maybe poison."

Miko hugged the enormous fruit.

"No. Friend fruit."

Nilo came closer and sniffed it.

"Normal."

Lumi peeked from behind him.

"Big."

Miko puffed out his chest.

"My big fruit."

Kairo frowned.

"We share."

Miko hugged it tighter.

"No."

"Miko!"

The giant watched them begin arguing over the fruit.

For the first time, the terrifying creature’s mouth lifted.

Just slightly.

Swanly stared.

"Oh my God."

Kael looked at her.

"What?"

She pointed.

"I think the monster likes the cubs."