87
THE BLUE FEATHER
“Yes,” Bardala said.
“Well, these are the real thing. Think of a cross between a
giant hawk, and a young T-Rex on a bad day,” Mahucutah said.
“They are a species of what is known as a Gigantoraptor.”
“Why can’t we see them? They sound so close,” Tital asked
in awe.
“No, they are more than four kilometers away, plus they can
adapt their coloring to match the background cover. You have to
be quick even to see their yellow eyes. They hunt in groups of up
to thirty. Fully grown, they stand up to twelve meters tall, and
can run much faster than any animal back on your home planet,”
Zotz told them.
“Faster than a cheetah?” Bardala asked.
“With their size, and powerful legs, they can run twice as fast
as a cheetah, and they do not get winded easily, so they can run
for long distances in pursuit of prey,” Mahucutah said.
“How can we defend ourselves against something like that,
and keep these villagers safe?” Tital asked, totally puzzled w ith
this information overload.
“Mah Col is pushing them toward us. We have sent for Ah
Tabai, a Spirit that can train you to hunt and kill the Rocck.” Zotz
said.
“How are we going to have enough time to learn to kill a
Rocck, when they are this close to our camp and these
defenseless villagers?” Tital asked.
“Not just one Rocck, but many,” Mahucutah reminded them.
“We will need to stretch time for you.”
From out of the jungle ran a tall, well-muscled man, with a
long bow in his hand and a quiver of arrows on his back. He