The creatures were riding their own energy, winding their way up into the sky faster than Jayson ever wanted to believe such bulky things could move.

“Yeah, c’mere!” Randy hollered. “I burn a hundred of your little brothers in campfires every year, what are you gonna do about it?”

He dived right at them. Jayson’s first reflex was to yell at him to stop, but he was glad someone was doing something. Colleen was still flying upwards, and Ru was as frozen as he was, her vivid blue eyes darting all around.

Randy delivered a kick to one of the creatures that sent it spiraling back towards the ground.