| |
––––––––
The arrow struck the lead monstrosity in the mouth, its razor tip penetrating all the way to its brain. It was dead before it flopped on the ground at her feet. At the same instant, Yar rose from his crouch and struck the second beast, his fangs sinking into the animal’s neck, his front paws grasping the beast’s sides and sliced through them. The stink of rotting blood spraying from its neck and sides filled the night air with the stench of decay.
They fell to the road, rolled once, twice, and before the third time, its entrails spilled onto the road. Yar gained his feet: the beast did not. But above Yar, a third beast was charging him.
Ailish shot two more arrows. Each arrow was deflected, allowing the remaining contradiction of life to charge forward.
Screaming defiantly, she dropped her bow, drew her sword, and leapt forward. She timed her swing to the exact instant the beast launched itself at Yar. The metal blade arced through the air, but the beast shifted at the last instant. The tip of her sword missed its neck, striking deeply through its shoulder instead. The beast screamed, hit the ground, and rolled over. Thick and oily, its malignant blood gushed out of the long gash.
The mutated gorlon lay there for a moment. Yar turned to it, ready to pounce, when it shifted, growled, and got to its feet. It backed away, growling as it did.
The last two beasts stood still, watching. Ailish knew Irret was restraining them. The black witch was waiting until she worked out the best way to kill them. The malevolent sorceress would sacrifice all of them to attain Ailish’s death.
The wounded beast continued to back away until it joined the other two. Then the three separated and encircled Yar and Ailish. She glanced behind her, hoping to use the kraal to help fight, but both kraals were gone. Their fear had overcome Ailish’s commands to stay.
She kept her eyes locked on the beasts slowly circling them, waiting for an opportunity. She turned her back to Yar, who was still joined with Ailish. He pressed lightly against the back of her legs as he tracked the beasts. They acted as one, turning in a tight circle, following the movements of the three creatures.
As she moved, her powers regathered within her. She pushed a thought to the wounded one and was stopped. It wasn’t a shield, it wasn’t a block, it was Irret using her own powers.
Come face me, you rotting bitch! Come face me, you coward! The laugh dancing through her head enraged her, but she kept tight control.
Poor Ailish. Shall I tell you how I enjoyed watching your mate, your lover, your husband die? Shall I tell you how I poisoned him? How it was I who made him writhe in pain for days before he died?
Before Ailish could say or do anything, Yar roared. The sound coming from the rantor surpassed anything she’d ever heard before. He rose on his back legs, and swiped his paws at the air as if trying to kill something.
Then she realized they were still joined, and he was trying to kill Irret. She saw, over his shoulder, one of the beasts slinking forward. She cut off the joining. Yar stopped, turned, and spotted the slinking coor-thing. The instant his eyes met the creature’s, the huge beast stopped dead in its tracks.
Coward! she pushed to Irret.
Smart am I, Irret retorted and withdrew.
Ailish shook off the lingering remnants of the sorceress’s aura and stared at the beast across from her. Its burning eyes were locked on her. A half-breath later, she sensed it readying itself to charge. Black blood dripped from its shoulder. They come, she pushed to Yar.
Ailish drew up her most powerful weapon, the sword in her hand forgotten. Her free hand turned bluish green. She fisted the hand and drew it back. On the third beat of her heart, she punched her fist forward: a bolt of blue fire hit the creature. The weapon struck, flared, and faded. The creature stood unharmed.
Think you I would leave them unprotected for you to kill? No, Queen Mother of Nothing, you cannot use your magic on them. Die!
The three beasts, black bubbling malevolent saliva dripping from their mouths, inched forward. Growls from deep in their throats filled the air with sounds of rumbling thunder. From three directions, they inched closer and closer to Ailish and Yar.
While the three sure-footed bringers of death closed on them, Ailish gripped her sword with both hands. Irret’s mad laughter echoed in her mind.
<><><>
On the Island’s far Landing, The Speaker and the former leader of the Circle of Afzal joined their minds and formed a single entity. Their powers, so intensely different, flowed together twisting within each to create something neither would, nor could have ever contemplated.
In an instant, it was as if they stood in the ancient city, watching the battle between Irret’s creatures and Ailish. The very second the three hellhounds charged, Jalil and The Speaker reacted by projecting their combined energy to Ailish. A beam of white light burst through the midnight darkness, surrounding and filling Ailish with power. Within this shaft of power, they saw Ailish freeze. Everything around her stopped. Then, slowly, she raised arms. Her palms were open and pointing at the first of the beasts. The shaft of light went out. The creature flew forward. In the exact instant it jumped at Ailish there was an explosion of light and sound. The Speaker and Jalil were blinded and sent hurtling back to their bodies on the Landing.
<><><>
The wounded beast charged. When it was within a dozen feet, it launched itself directly at Ailish. When its back paws left the ground, the badlands exploded. Blue flashing lightening, sparks of yellow and red, and a blanket of white turned the darkest of nights into the brightest of days.
Caught in the explosion of light driven powers, the beast froze in mid-air. A micro-second later the light suddenly coalesced around Ailish in shimmering flowing bands.
Within the envelope of light, her most basic instincts demanded she accept this strange energy. Her heart pounded, her blood turned to steaming liquid fire, and her mind sucked in every drop of this unfamiliar new energy.
From deep inside her a burning fire spiraled through her body, carried by her blood, filling her organs, and moving ever upward until her hands were encased in pure white fire. Without hesitating, she released the full force of this strange new power. The creature suspended in midair disappeared.
She spun, faced the second beast, and did the same. The third was rooted to the spot. Its red eyes glaring at Ailish. Next to her, Yar stared at it, his growl echoing through the ruins of the badlands. The lone monstrosity turned and ran.
Irret! Ailish screamed silently, pushing the name ahead of a stream of power she sent flying through the ether—a lance aimed at her darkest enemy. It reached the black-hearted Afzaleem sorceress in her cavern, turning back and striking her with all the rage, fury, and hatred the black sorceress herself possessed for Ailish and for everyone in Nevaeh.
Before Ailish could tell if she had destroyed the woman, a dark wall dropped between Ailish and Irret, and her connection to Irret was severed. Ailish fell to her knees, exhausted by the battle now so sharply ended.
Yar came to her, pressed his side to hers, and shared his energy with her. As she drew in the comfort and strength of her aoutem, and tried to understand what had happened, she sensed The Speaker’s unmistakable presence in her mind.
No longer is time your friend! Move to the Landing, now!
