Chapter 9Twohours later nothing had changed. Astrid has flown off and nowwalkedwith two other soldiers near the site. There was a preternaturalsilence in the area. A dead calm stretched over the land.
Therumbling came from below the surface. An odd noise, unlike anyotherI’d heard. A heavy, grating whirling sound, almost like a giantblender. The ground under the body churned. Sands, grass and weedstwisted, whipping violently in a counter-clockwise motion. A smallfunnel formed and stretched down into the ground, and the rumblingsbecame louder. A crevice widened under the body and opened slowlyatfirst, then with quickening speed.
Theground split open, but instead of dirt, the gigantic maw came intosight. Huge teeth on each wall of dirt. The body slipped down, andthe maw closed.
“Ithought s
