Free Neverwylde (The Rim of the World Book 3) by Linda Mooney Page A

you’ll get a better explanation.”
    Dox halted a second time, but his attention was focused on the tablet in his hand. He pointed directly in front of them. “Ship is there.”
    Mellori peered into the distance but couldn’t make out anything. “How far, Dox?”
    “Eighteen hundred meters. We have to run,” the little man remarked and took off.
    “What? Wait!”
    Both Mellori and the Seneecian tried to stay even with him, but the going was tough in the loose soil.
    “Why are we running?” Mellori managed to yell.
    Dox didn’t reply, but glanced behind them. Mellori tried to spot what Dox was looking for, when it hit him in the gut.
    “Oh, shit.”
    “What? Why are we running?” Kleesod repeated.
    “It’s under us!”
    Was it his imagination, or was the ground starting to shake?
    They poured on the energy. Another hundred meters going full tilt and Mellori’s legs began to drag on him. Breathing was like inhaling fire and he started slowing down. Dox saw him lagging and reached out, grabbing his arm.
    “No! Keep going!”
    “I…can’t…Dox.”
    The little man snagged his arm with both hands. Suddenly, Mellori felt a hand in the middle of his back. There was the sensation of being lifted, and he realized Kleesod was helping him to stay upright.
    They’d barely taken another dozen steps when they went soaring into the sky. The ground rose beneath them, throwing them into the air with a hard push. Mellori flailed his arms and struggled to get his feet back under him. When he came down, he landed on his left side, his hip and shoulder hitting the sand. Throwing out his hands, he continued to roll down the slope.
    Something fell beside him, narrowly missing landing directly on top of him. Dox gave a yelp of pain as he slid partway down the rise and tumbled into Mellori’s lap.
    The creature continued to emerge from where it had been tunneling underground, following them. It’s narrow, elliptical head swung from side to side as it tried to locate the source of the vibrations it had sensed on the planet’s surface. Opening its slitted mouth, it gave a high-pitched whine.
    Mellori wrapped an arm about Dox and pulled him close. Pressing his mouth to the young man’s ear, he shushed him, warning him to remain absolutely still and silent.
    What they could see of the creature’s body was long and flat. Its outer hide was covered in large, overlapping scales the same color as the sand, giving it perfect camouflage.
    From where they lay, Mellori couldn’t see where Kleesod had landed. The monster continued to sway from side to side. It repeatedly closed its mouth, making resounding clapping sounds. When it lowered its head to nose the sand, it enabled Mellori to see there were no visible eyes atop the thing’s face. He figured the creature hunted purely by feel, sensing vibrations coming from the surface. If that was the case, any sound would alert it.
    Kleesod, wherever you are, don’t fire your weapon at it. Don’t antagonize it. And for God’s sake, don’t try to run from it!
    The sand snake rubbed its chin across the surface, taking several swipes over the ground. The fine granules sprayed over them, forcing them to cover their noses and mouths to keep out the particles. At one point, the head stopped mere centimeters away from Dox’s left leg. Both men waited with nervous expectation. Finally, it withdrew, slowly sinking back into its underground chamber, until it disappeared from view.
    “I don’t think it’s gone,” Mellori barely whispered into Dox’s ear. “Which way to the ship?”
    Dox pulled out the tablet from where he’d cradled it against his body. Checking it, he pointed in the direction they should go.
    “We’ll move slowly. Put each foot down carefully, and try not to make any sound or unnecessary movement. I think that thing’s going to hang around and try to track us. Can you walk?” He noticed how Dox appeared to be favoring his hip. The young man nodded, and they gradually