of that tunnel, or if he and the sheriff would survive the trip.
Just then, something caught Dhiraj's eye on the other side of the room.
He tossed a smile in the woman's direction. "I can think of one thing you don't have."
The woman wrinkled her forehead. "What's that, mortal?"
"Eyes in the back of your head."
With a gurgling battle cry, another eight-foot-tall lizard creature came dashing into the office. It was on a collision course with the woman in the center of the room. Dhiraj watched as Natalie and Erica dove off the beast and rolled to the side. The creature lowered its head and rammed right into the woman's midsection. As she flew through the air, the staff bounced out of her hands and the portal beside Dhiraj closed in an instant.
He smirked at the sheriff. "Remind me never to go cliff diving."
The sheriff shook his head before pulling Dhiraj toward Erica and Natalie.
"You guys okay?" Erica trained her eyes on the woman across the room.
"Sure." Dhiraj felt his heart rate come down slightly. "Every day I don't fall into a blue death hole is a miracle." Dhiraj noticed that Natalie's hand was tinted green. "You teach that lizard to play nice?"
Natalie gave Dhiraj the stink-eye. "You know I have a way with animals. Who's the chick?"
The woman stood up. She looked as if she'd almost enjoyed being slammed into by a giant lizard. She then looked Erica square in the eyes.
"Protector. You shouldn't have come."
Erica put her hands on her hips. "What? And miss this inter-dimensional party?"
The lizard had been catching its breath in the corner, but after a full recovery, it made another charge at the woman. All in one sweeping motion, she accelerated rapidly across the room, rolled over to her fallen metal staff and slammed the end on the ground. Another portal opened up in mid-air, and the lizard ran right into it. With another tap of the staff, the portal and the creature were gone.
Dhiraj's shoulders slumped. "Never send a lizard to do a man's–"
Before he could finish, Erica had rushed over to the woman and kicked her in the back. When the woman turned and swung her staff, Erica roundhouse kicked it out of her hands. It clanged against the ground.
"Protector. You have no idea what's coming."
Erica tossed her hair. "Gatekeeper. Shut up and fight."
The woman grinned at the barb and started to swing her fists at Erica. Erica blocked the first two blows easily, but a third one surprised her with a whap to the side of the head. Erica shook it off and went on the offensive with three punches of her own, one of which landed in the gatekeeper's gut. As the gatekeeper started another volley of blows, Dhiraj watched as the fight moved away from the metal staff.
"We've got to keep that from the crazy woman."
Natalie nodded. "I'm on it."
As the athlete ran toward the staff, the gatekeeper sent Erica smashing into the wall with a powerful kick. Before Natalie could reach the weapon, the gatekeeper moved so fast that Dhiraj lost track of her for a split second.
The woman grabbed one end of the staff while Natalie gripped the other. She yanked hard, but Natalie wouldn't give up her position.
Sela scowled. "Kids shouldn't play with toys that don't belong to them."
Natalie returned the look. "You should learn how to share."
The tug of war ended when the gatekeeper lowered her shoulder and slammed into Natalie's chest. Natalie flew backward and landed hard on the ground.
The gatekeeper took the staff back in two hands and held it above her head.
"You made a valiant effort. For your troubles, I'll try to send you somewhere nice."
The gatekeeper slammed the staff back into the ground and opened up a wide portal on the wall nearest Natalie. Dhiraj held his breath, and the power in the building went out. As the room became dim, the blue portal continued to cast a pale blue light in the area around it. Dhiraj could see the woman's blue-tinted face smiling.
"Too bad I'm not afraid of the dark. Show
Just then, something caught Dhiraj's eye on the other side of the room.
He tossed a smile in the woman's direction. "I can think of one thing you don't have."
The woman wrinkled her forehead. "What's that, mortal?"
"Eyes in the back of your head."
With a gurgling battle cry, another eight-foot-tall lizard creature came dashing into the office. It was on a collision course with the woman in the center of the room. Dhiraj watched as Natalie and Erica dove off the beast and rolled to the side. The creature lowered its head and rammed right into the woman's midsection. As she flew through the air, the staff bounced out of her hands and the portal beside Dhiraj closed in an instant.
He smirked at the sheriff. "Remind me never to go cliff diving."
The sheriff shook his head before pulling Dhiraj toward Erica and Natalie.
"You guys okay?" Erica trained her eyes on the woman across the room.
"Sure." Dhiraj felt his heart rate come down slightly. "Every day I don't fall into a blue death hole is a miracle." Dhiraj noticed that Natalie's hand was tinted green. "You teach that lizard to play nice?"
Natalie gave Dhiraj the stink-eye. "You know I have a way with animals. Who's the chick?"
The woman stood up. She looked as if she'd almost enjoyed being slammed into by a giant lizard. She then looked Erica square in the eyes.
"Protector. You shouldn't have come."
Erica put her hands on her hips. "What? And miss this inter-dimensional party?"
The lizard had been catching its breath in the corner, but after a full recovery, it made another charge at the woman. All in one sweeping motion, she accelerated rapidly across the room, rolled over to her fallen metal staff and slammed the end on the ground. Another portal opened up in mid-air, and the lizard ran right into it. With another tap of the staff, the portal and the creature were gone.
Dhiraj's shoulders slumped. "Never send a lizard to do a man's–"
Before he could finish, Erica had rushed over to the woman and kicked her in the back. When the woman turned and swung her staff, Erica roundhouse kicked it out of her hands. It clanged against the ground.
"Protector. You have no idea what's coming."
Erica tossed her hair. "Gatekeeper. Shut up and fight."
The woman grinned at the barb and started to swing her fists at Erica. Erica blocked the first two blows easily, but a third one surprised her with a whap to the side of the head. Erica shook it off and went on the offensive with three punches of her own, one of which landed in the gatekeeper's gut. As the gatekeeper started another volley of blows, Dhiraj watched as the fight moved away from the metal staff.
"We've got to keep that from the crazy woman."
Natalie nodded. "I'm on it."
As the athlete ran toward the staff, the gatekeeper sent Erica smashing into the wall with a powerful kick. Before Natalie could reach the weapon, the gatekeeper moved so fast that Dhiraj lost track of her for a split second.
The woman grabbed one end of the staff while Natalie gripped the other. She yanked hard, but Natalie wouldn't give up her position.
Sela scowled. "Kids shouldn't play with toys that don't belong to them."
Natalie returned the look. "You should learn how to share."
The tug of war ended when the gatekeeper lowered her shoulder and slammed into Natalie's chest. Natalie flew backward and landed hard on the ground.
The gatekeeper took the staff back in two hands and held it above her head.
"You made a valiant effort. For your troubles, I'll try to send you somewhere nice."
The gatekeeper slammed the staff back into the ground and opened up a wide portal on the wall nearest Natalie. Dhiraj held his breath, and the power in the building went out. As the room became dim, the blue portal continued to cast a pale blue light in the area around it. Dhiraj could see the woman's blue-tinted face smiling.
"Too bad I'm not afraid of the dark. Show
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