If you read this, I did something right!

To celebrate the start of my Patreon I will give a small teaser of another novel I am currently working on.

The story of old man Durkin

Screams echoed across the square. People rushed from the direction of the screams, shouting and yelling and trying to leave as fast they could. 

Dripping blood from its maw, a giant bipedal lizard gazed at the crowd. Hunger was apparent in its blood red eyes, and it lowered itself before rushing into the masses ripping into anything that it could.

It took less than ten minutes for the entire square, that had been filled with happily drinking and shopping people, to be abandoned. Well almost abandoned.

Sitting silently at one of the tables while gazing around with milky grey eyes was an old man. He had been observing the panic and massacre from his chair without moving. He had mottled brown skin with large spots on his hands and neck. His white, stringy hair was stuck to his damp and sweaty head. This was not because he was scared though, but because of the heatwave that had been hammering the population for almost a month now.

“So, I guess that’s how it's gonna be then.” The old man croaked, his voice barely audible. It was likely he had been drinking for many years. 

It wasn't so much that he didn't want to run with the others, but more that he couldn't. He had not run in over forty years and was pretty sure his best speed would probably not help a lot. So he had just stayed, he didn't even care that much if he was eaten. But the monster, or whatever it was, had only glanced at him for a moment before leaving, apparently disgusted by the idea of eating something like him. He couldn't really disagree with the sentiment, he felt that way every time he looked in a mirror, but at least he was alive, right? 

Looking around the now empty square, he sighed and leaned forward. Putting his hands on the table he shakily got to his feet, pushing the chair as best he could to get some space.

Taking his cane from the nearby table, he started walking, unsteadily, towards the end of the square. Managing not to trip, he was wondering if things were looking up for him. However, as soon as he reached the road that led away from the square his good luck ended. Standing in front of him, was a three meter long, two meter high… thing. He wasn’t sure if it should be a dog or a reptile, but it was something in between. The reptile, he decided, looked at him and its eyes started gleaming. Sighing in resignation, the old man figured his end had arrived. The reptile rushed him and raised its head to take a bite when it got hurtled back by a new arrival. 

Standing twice as tall and having wings that spanned more than five meters was something that looked like a winged chicken glaring at the reptile.  Not waiting for a second, the reptile jumped the chicken, apparently deciding it wasn't getting its easy snack without a fight. Tumbling across the ground in front of the old man, they ripped into each other with great abandon.