The river couldn’t have been more than nine feet away, but it felt twice that far. Before Ghent had a chance to heed Elayra’s warning, the vine caught just above his sneaker. He tripped and flew forward, hitting the ground so hard his teeth clacked together. The fall cost him precious seconds, placing him in harm’s way yet again.
	Elayra wasn’t any better off. Still grounded, Ghent witnessed the injured beast’s retaliation. Its tongue caught Elayra around her neck, doing what it could to restrain her. It then charged with the aggression of an angry bull, leaving oddly shaped footprints with each step.
	Ghent couldn’t seem to catch his breath. It was hard enough to save his own skin, but now he had Elayra to worry about. If he didn’t move fast, things were about to get ugly for both of them. 
	Spurred by the desire to survive, Ghent quickly rolled over, jerking his foot away in fear of being snared. He clambered to regain his footing, only too aware that he and Elayra were right where the monsters wanted them. Somehow he had to avoid their attacks while also helping to free her. 
	Elayra acted before Ghent had the chance to spout off another focus word. Thanks to her quick reflexes, she narrowly avoided the collision, but the vine was still wrapped around her neck.
	What happened next was a blur. The river stood in the path of the monster, and the beast was moving too fast to change course. It lost its footing, tipping dangerously. Ghent’s eyes grew wide, his brain connecting the dots before the scene could play out. 
	The monster toppled into the water, and it took Elayra along with it.  
	"[i]Elayra![/i]" Panic set in. Ghent didn't know how deep the water was, but if she was anchored down…
	Terrified she’d drown, the boy forgot his surroundings and ran blindly after them.