Chapter Ten
by Wormskull

"Squall! You blasted chimp, where is my watch?" the heavyset carnival master yelled as he searched through his small room for the slippery little hytril. "I am going to feed you to the rhino-buffa... gyyaAAHHH!" Squall's little face and big bulbous eyes suddenly appeared upside-down in front of the carnival master, as the monkey lowered himself from the ceiling into the portly man's face. The man leapt back in surprise, falling across a table and knocking a glass of wine upon his bed.

High pitched squeals came from the hytril as he began laughing hysterically at Myph's start. The caravan master quickly gained his composure once realizing what had happened, and shot a look of bloody murder at the mischievous primate. "Squall you little bastard, I will redden your hide for that", blinded with rage and alcohol, he lunged for the little guy who simply raised himself up out of harm's way. Myph managed to knock over his dresser, which in turn fell into the one window he had, and shattering it into little pieces.

Seeing his chance for escape Squall flipped over, and landed onto the obese caravan master's back. He then launched himself out the broken window, his loud howling laughter resounding throughout the carnival wagons and forest. Myph made one last grab for the little beast, but missed with awkward movements. He was left looking out through the window shouting curses at the scampering hytril, who was standing outside his window mocking him. He called back at the potbellied man through the window, "Do you have the time?" He then began mimicking a human by putting the carnival master's gold watch up to his ear and turning the dial to wind it as if the contraption had stopped.

Suddenly, there was a loud roar which drowned out the monkey's squeals of laughter and delight. The animals of the carnival began going crazy. The horses neighed wildly, and one which had not been bound properly for the night broke his bonds and took off into the forest.

Squall's instincts told him to find somewhere safe though his curiosity told him to get a better look. The agile little thing leaped to the nearest tree and swung himself up. Within seconds he had reached the top and looked back at what was the source of the disturbance.

At the far end of the carnival wagons was a massive ugly creature with huge leathery wings, and a wide toothy maw. The beast walked hunched over yet still it's back easily reached higher than the tallest carnival tent, and each step shook the tree which Squall sat in. On its right shoulder was a man clad in black and red robes, holding on with one hand to a large spike jutting out of the monster's shoulder. He laughed a loud maniacal laugh which the hytril found himself shivering at. Around his neck was a large dark amulet, from which a strange black mist seeped forth.

Squall quickly scampered down to hide behind the tree's foliage though still maintain his view. He watched on in horror as the beast took the carnival's rhino-buffalo in both hands and tore the head from its shoulders in a gruesome display. The primate watched on, entranced by the entire spectacle.

There was suddenly shouting as the carnival master raced from his home carrying a large plasma ejector. He aimed it at the beast's head and fired an expertly placed shot straight into it's eye. The creature howled in pain while grasping its face, the man on its shoulder barely managing to keep from falling. He quickly yelled out something to the monster, and it turned towards Myph, thick black liquid dripping from where its eye used to be.

There were two more shots, followed by a horrible scream cut short by a strange sound, like a carton of eggs hitting the pavement. Squall watched the entire thing, his eyes not blinking for hours afterwards.