One moment Cam was walking, wondering if the road he'd stumbled upon - framed by a marching line of trees - would lead to a village that might have something of use, and the next, something swooped and knocked him to the ground.
"What the f**k!" he bellowed as he rolled and jumped to his feet.
The flying beast had disappeared from sight, but he had a feeling it would return. Let it. He hadn't lived this long by panicking in shitty situations. In a moment, he had his big gun raised and ready as he waited for it.
The ash made it hard to see. The animal swooped, appearing suddenly, and he shot wild, missing the damned thing. He whirled to try and track it, but the agitation of the ash meant it hung thickly around him, an effective curtain that hid all from sight. The next thing he knew, t
