I stood there my boots on the concrete. It did not crack under the pressure. Instead it felt like it was vibrating with life.SCRAPE—A huge claw made of bone came into view. It was dragging itself over the edge of the pier. The claw had pale ivory knuckles that locked into the concrete.. It did not leave any stain of ink on the concrete. Where the bone pressed against the stone, a thick golden fluid started to seep from the joints. This fluid was hissing as it met the salt water of the tide.The shadow that followed the claw was enormous and lean. It looked like a predator that had been waiting for the moment to strike.Maeve shouted at me to get back from the edge. Her boots were skidding on the gravel as she reached into the back seat of the white sedan. She was searching for anything to use as a weapon.I did not step back. The golden light that was coming from the scars on my forearm was burning now. It felt like a heat that was spreading through my body. The interlocking crest u

The engine of the sedan did not just start it roared to life.VROOM—The sedans engine was so powerful that it made the whole car vibrate. I could feel this vibration in the steering wheel. It even made the golden crest on my forearm tingle. The headlights of the car shone brightly cutting through the air near the coast. The light from the headlights was an amber color that lit up the road ahead.. The road did not stay intact. Soon as the light touched the road the black surface of the road started to break apart. It was like a page that was being torn away to reveal a huge concrete ramp that went deep into the earth.This ramp looked very similar to the loading bays behind the garage at the Abusoro Centre. It even had grease stains. Faded yellow lines on the walls just like the loading bays.I shouted at my friends to get into the car. My boots were already inside the car. I was pushing the door shut with all my might.Elara quickly got into the passenger seat. Her torn white suit go

The hood burst open with a rip, like old paper tearing apart.CRUNCH—The white paint on the sedans frame cracked down the middle as a huge metal jaw made of gold-plated iron and bone teeth shot out through the engine. The golden liquid from the shore wasn't oil or paint—it was a melted fluid that broke the radiator sending a cloud of scalding steam right into the mechanics face.The powerful jaws snapped shut in mid-air the bone teeth crushing the iron bar in two with a crack.SNAP.The man in the apron stumbled back dropping the handle of the tire iron on the concrete floor. The deep purple liquid leaking from the broken metal didn't stain the ground; it was instantly sucked into the furnace of the creatures jaw sizzling away into nothing."The Chimera didn't disappear " I growled, my hands flying off the steering wheel as the dashboard cracked in half. The golden emblem on my arm flared with a blinding light that matched the beasts furnace. "It just changed its form to fit the gara

The sound of the water was not loud it was like a heartbeat. It was like someone was pounding on a drum. THUMP-CHUG. The dark water was moving in waves. The big machine under the market clock tower was starting to work. The machine was covered in iron. It had big gears and rollers. These rollers were making shadows in the water. Every time the machine moved it was pushing water up from the floor of the market. This was making a current that was going up to the surface.Our vehicle was like an animal. It was made of gold and iron. It was also a broken car. The current was pulling us up. The gold jaws of the vehicle were trying to grab something. They were not working. We were moving past the roofs of the market stalls. The golden mark on my arm was getting hot. It was so hot that it was boiling the water around it. I could see the bubbles rising up."Mikhail! The rollers!" I heard Elaras voice. She was talking to me from inside the vehicle. Her voice was not clear because of the water.

The market didn't stay quiet for long.BEEP-BEEP!A big yellow bus slammed on its brakes two inches from our crumpled rear bumper. The driver leaned out the window. Slapped the side of his door. "Hey move this car out of the way friend! You're blocking the line!"like that the surprise of our sudden arrival wore off. The hundreds of people staring at us went back to their goods, arguments and morning routines. The strange strong pull of the four outlines disappeared into the bustle of a Sunday morning in Akure.I opened my door. Stepped out my boots landing on the dry dusty gravel at the edge of the asphalt. The air smelled like woodsmoke, roasted corn and real earth. It didn't smell like ink, graphite or old paper all."We need to get this car off the road " I said, looking over the hood where the radiator was still hissing a little steam.Elara stepped out from the passenger side her canvas jumpsuit fitting right in with the mechanics and drivers working near the market square. She