Only Lana’s krik remained visible now, and he was still some distance away at the base of the cliffs. He turned his armoured body slowly, confident in his power. The orange exoskeleton was enormous, circling and looping in a twisted shell pattern, the pincers extending beyond the reach of a mere human, the claws muscular. His eyes were a hidden shadow, a darkness sunken inside the bright shell casing of a crustacean, the mouth a gaping slit in the exoskeleton. He moved with menace, a monster disturbed from his meal by something worthless. The five humans were barely deserving of his attention.

Above him on the cliff, the blue-haired woman signalled with her arms again. Immediately the team of fighters rearranged themselves: the two women got their crossbows out and crouched down low, whilst the men unhooked their spears. They waited, ready. For a few minutes there was nothing. No movement from the shore. Above, on the cliff face, the bushes waved gently in the light breeze, and beneath us the Jellyfish shifted, rearranging its tentacles as it sometimes did. But the humans did nothing. They remained, their weapons out, and ready.

It was like we were there with them, right behind them and not just watching. I could feel it, that pretend crossbow in my hands almost itching against my fingers. I wanted to be there so much. Just doing something. Anything. Beside me, Kate let out a sigh. But the others stayed tense; I think we all held our breath.

Then the krik turned his shell, casually, like he was just out for a normal scuttle along the shore. He moved a claw forward slightly. A couple of the fighters on the shore responded by shifting their weapons higher.

And then he lunged.

Faster than I’d ever seen one of them move before, the krik pounded straight towards the humans, closing the distance between them in seconds. The first of the arrows flew, bouncing off the krik’s shell and falling, useless, behind. The krik’s pincers were up, massive and fibrous, each one half the size of the humans’ bodies, and his claws were a haze of speed, springing towards them. And yet they stayed in position. More arrows flew, and veered off, seemingly without a scratch. Then a spear. It hit the krik in the chest and, for a beautiful couple of seconds it stayed, juddering as he ran. But then it, too, fell beneath his feet.

He was closer now, ten metres away, a blur of menace. The humans held their line. He raised his claws further, ready for the attack. Next to me, Kate covered her eyes. More of the useless arrows flew, bouncing off and scattering to the ground.