A Conspiracy in Stone, Part II
Pixabay
Otto stared out at the trespasser from behind his rocky castle. He had never seen anything like the invader before. It must be a wild monster. It certainly looked wild. Otto clutched his magical pearl nervously, wincing as a pair of bubbles rode up to the surface of the water and popped. After what seemed an eternity he dared a look over the parapet.
Through the glassy glare, Otto saw the creature pacing before the wall of drawers, alongside the old hidden door of the stone cutters. It had tawny fur covered in black spots, tinged with deep red around the head and mouth. Its face bore the twisted features of a two-leg but with steely black teeth and blacker paws, like those on the giant stone cat under the arch. Dark leathery wings folded along its back, and a long tail draped and dragged behind the monster, tipped in jagged spikes that clanked and sparked when they hit the floor.
Even though Otto would give up a whole bucket of delicious crabs to know what the creature was, only he and one other knew where the beast had truly come from. A pair of two-legs had entered his home, one with long yellow hair, the other encased in fancy metal. A flash came from something in her hand - at least he thought it was a she - and in place of the other was the fearsome beast. It had gone above ground since then and killed many two-legs.
Otto changed his skin color to match the rock castle and hunkered down to wait. He hoped the beast would venture out again soon. His water was getting stale, and he needed to use the special handle to let a few fresh gushes in. Sometimes a little fish came in from the river. He buried himself a bit deeper into the gravel next to the green tinged valve door, distracting himself with thoughts of what the tide would bring.