The Soul Eaters (The Thin Hex Line Book 1) by Gwyndolyn Russell (100 best novels of all time .txt) 📗

“What happened?” I asked, snatching the wheel up with both of my hands.

“Your eyes started to glow, then you let go of the wheel. You spaced out.” Nostradamus said.

“I…” I took a deep breath to collect my thoughts. “I think I was looking through Fenris’ eyes. I think he’s eating.” My stomach twisted up. “Man...I’m starving. Could you pass me one of the MREs?”

FORTY-THREE

Fuck! What the hell was going on?! My life was normal. As normal as it could be. A good, loyal soldier. No debt. No obligations. Things were great for the most part. Now everything was getting turned upside down. What I thought I knew was wrong. Things should have been simple. Facts written in stone. It should have been as sure as gravity. That must have been where I was wrong. In reality, the only thing set in stone was the assurance of a chaotic nest of fabric we called reality.

I had no idea what was happening. I didn’t even know what to believe in anymore. I didn’t feel like myself. I was possessed. This voice was calling my name. I didn’t know that I had been following it this whole time. Not until that other voice spoke to me.

What did it mean?

Don’t stray into the Abyss.

There was no abyss here. There was nothing of the sort.

“Lieutenant Jackal,” Nostradamus said. “Are you listening?”

I blinked and looked over to him. I must have spaced out.

“I said the map just updated.”

“How long has it been?”

“Twenty minutes since the previous update.”

“By the Emperor…” Yaaranam gasped. “Look at those things!”

“So, we’re getting closer?” I looked out the window. Light was beginning to breach the horizon. The sky shifted from the black speckled cloak to royal purple and pink.

A series of long stalks broke through the colors, silhouetted against them.

I slowed to a stop at the top of the hill so we could see down into the valley below.

We watched the stalks as they moved from one side to the next. As more light breached the horizon, the stalks were lit up.

Massive necks, thirty some feet long with the tiniest head possible at the end. Their bodies were hidden among the trees that they towered over. Even at this distance we could see something metallic hanging over their backs.

“Christ…” I exhaled.

"What's that noise?" Yaaranam asked.

"What noise?"

She was focused on the sound whatever it was. I turned the engine off. It clicked a few times before falling silent.

Then I heard it.

A whale's song. A dozen of them singing back and forth. It must have been those long necked creatures.

"The map updated. The valley is fully drawn." Nostradamus announced.

"We must be close."

Yaaranam tapped on the roof of the truck. "Trees are moving. Something big is down there."

Sure enough. Those trees were shaking like a bulldozer was rolling through at high speed. The shaking made a path right for us.

The hair stood up on the back of my neck. Whatever it was, it came with the intent to kill.

As soon as we felt the ground shaking from the thumping feet, I turned the key.

Click-click-click.

Fuck.

I tried again.

Click-click-click.

"Come on, don't do this!" I hit the wheel with my palm.

Turned the key again.

It clicked again.

From the tree maybe a hundred meters ahead at the foot of the hill came a beast larger than life. A big head with conical teeth and a bite that could probably swallow half the truck in a single gulp.

It stopped briefly, crimson eyes glaring at us. Four...six eyes? Each with the lights from inside focused on the truck. It stomped on the ground with one of its three-toed feet. The dirt crumbled and cracked from the pressure. Its mouth fell agape, the lower jaw splitting in half with a thin sheet of flesh between them.

Its roar blended the marrow in my bones. I felt weak at the sound. Like a thousand souls screaming from the depths of hell.

The trees behind the theropod shook more. A grumble from out of sight.

I started to curse over and over again trying to get the truck to start.

Yaaranam shot at the creature, nailing it right in its fat nose. That only served to piss it off.

One more key turn. It clicked, then roared to life. The truck rumbled. I never felt so much comfort before in my entire life; that idle vibration of the bustling engine. I hit the gas. It whistled. We moved and thank god we did. Those insane jaws snapped shut right where we had been.

The creature hit the back end of the truck, making us bounce as we went down the hill the way it had come from.

Reversing wasn't an option. This truck had no speed rolling backwards.

We neared the trees, narrowly dodging the other beast that erupted out of the shadows.

I caught a glimpse of its head. Scarred and mangled, but nowhere near as bad as the first which was missing some eyes on one side.

"Wait! Wait! What are you doing?!" Yaaranam shouted.

"I'm getting us the fuck out of here!" I shouted back.

"Into the woods?! You're gonna kill me!"

"I hope your flexible then." I turned the wheel, taking a skidding turn around a boulder twice the size of the truck. I wanted in the trees where it would be hard for those giants to maneuver. They were right on our ass, keeping up with long strides.

That turn slowed them down. Their heavy weight kept them from turning too quick.

Still they could catch up. I couldn't go at top speed in here. The terrain was rough with bumps and pot holes. Dead trees and rocks littered the ground.

This ride was unpleasant. At some turns we were against the side of the truck. Yaaranam cursed, dodging branches. She tried to huddle against the hatch, but she was still stuck up there.

"Hey," I glanced at Nostradamus. "Give her that tank back there."

"Ah! The flamethrower! That will scare them!" He slipped over the center console and into the backseat, lying beneath the gunner's seat. When he grabbed it he