ground.
Underlings, jungs, and striders were toppled. Dusty smoke filled the air, and the roar of a hundred thunderstorms followed.
“Mah-Rooooooooo!”
Tarcot’s bug eyes blinked. His praying mantis-like face spoke. “Slat.”
CHAPTER 13
Axe in hand, Venir said, “Then leave.”
A blast of rays shot from Scorch’s eyes.
Venir jerked his shield up.
The blast hit it with ram-like force and knocked him over.
Like a cat, he was back on his feet again. Jaw set. Axe ready.
Blink!
Eep appeared behind Scorch and tore at his backside.
Venir barked out orders. “Kam, get Erin. You and Joline find safety.” He saw an argument in her emerald eyes. “Now!”
Kam took Joline by the hand, scooped Erin up, and muttered something. The three of them vanished.
“What about my safety?” Melegal said to him.
“Save your own skinny arse.” Breathing easier, Venir focused on Scorch.
He had Eep by the wings and had started to tear one of them off.
The imp let out a glass-shattering screech.
Trinos found her way to her feet. Her arms stretched out like mystic tentacles and wrapped around Scorch’s ankles. She jerked the man out of the air and into the planks with a crack. The bright blue tendrils encompassed Scorch’s body. His waist and neck were encircled. The bright tendrils started squeezing, and Scorch’s face turned purple.
“Kill him!” Trinos yelled to Venir. “Now!”
Brool hefted over his shoulder and poised to strike, Venir charged. In three giant strides he closed the gap and brought the devastating axe down like a sickle.
Scorch winked.
Blade inches from Scorch’s face, Venir’s limbs became stone. Bish! Fighting against the unseen force, Venir’s muscles bulged and strained. Sweat dripped from his body. Blue veins rose up under his skin like snakes. He didn’t budge an inch. Noooo!
***
Scorch started to grow and squirm free. His face was anger and power entwined into a perverted and celestial being. “I said, I’ve had enough of this!”
Trinos’s face filled with strain and wrinkles. She held on, hoping someone could take Scorch down. It wasn’t happening. Scorch was clever. Hard fought. Far from soft like the other celestial beings she remembered. His will was iron. With a heave, she slammed him into the planks again, causing many to splinter.
“Give it up, Trinos!” he fired back. “I’ve been around so much longer. You have no power over me! Your will is weak!” His body turned to molten fire.
Trinos screamed again. “Aiiieeeeee!” Faltering, her tendrils faded, and she staggered back and away from the scorching flames. Mind numb from the excruciating force, she tapped into Bish’s power and summoned everything she could from its depths. Narrowing her eyes, she made an uncanny beam of power rip through Scorch and spin him around.
“Aargh!” Scorch cried out. Fingers clutching, he fell to his knees gaping at the wound that went straight through his chest. A clear hole was there. Small but significant. He poked his finger through it. “That’s just nasty.”
Trinos crossed the room and slugged him across the jaw.
Whap!
His head snapped back. Teetering forward he said, “Oh, a little salt in the wound, eh? So very unkind of you.”
Eep dropped from the rafters, one wing hanging, and chomped deep into Scorch’s shoulder.
The eternal being grimaced and said, “Now you’re just being annoying.”
Trinos drew back and punched him again.
Whack!
The blow broke his nose. Something like blood dripped out. “Oh come now, Trinos. You won’t kill me. It’s not in your nature.”
Whack! Whack!
“Will you stop hitting me! You aren’t going to kill me that way. Use a sword or something, not that it will do you any good!”
“I hate you!” She punched him again and again and again. Scorch had ruined everything. Her world. Her people. Yet he was right. She had doubt. He was mortal—all powerful, but still mortal. But did she have what it took to
Underlings, jungs, and striders were toppled. Dusty smoke filled the air, and the roar of a hundred thunderstorms followed.
“Mah-Rooooooooo!”
Tarcot’s bug eyes blinked. His praying mantis-like face spoke. “Slat.”
CHAPTER 13
Axe in hand, Venir said, “Then leave.”
A blast of rays shot from Scorch’s eyes.
Venir jerked his shield up.
The blast hit it with ram-like force and knocked him over.
Like a cat, he was back on his feet again. Jaw set. Axe ready.
Blink!
Eep appeared behind Scorch and tore at his backside.
Venir barked out orders. “Kam, get Erin. You and Joline find safety.” He saw an argument in her emerald eyes. “Now!”
Kam took Joline by the hand, scooped Erin up, and muttered something. The three of them vanished.
“What about my safety?” Melegal said to him.
“Save your own skinny arse.” Breathing easier, Venir focused on Scorch.
He had Eep by the wings and had started to tear one of them off.
The imp let out a glass-shattering screech.
Trinos found her way to her feet. Her arms stretched out like mystic tentacles and wrapped around Scorch’s ankles. She jerked the man out of the air and into the planks with a crack. The bright blue tendrils encompassed Scorch’s body. His waist and neck were encircled. The bright tendrils started squeezing, and Scorch’s face turned purple.
“Kill him!” Trinos yelled to Venir. “Now!”
Brool hefted over his shoulder and poised to strike, Venir charged. In three giant strides he closed the gap and brought the devastating axe down like a sickle.
Scorch winked.
Blade inches from Scorch’s face, Venir’s limbs became stone. Bish! Fighting against the unseen force, Venir’s muscles bulged and strained. Sweat dripped from his body. Blue veins rose up under his skin like snakes. He didn’t budge an inch. Noooo!
***
Scorch started to grow and squirm free. His face was anger and power entwined into a perverted and celestial being. “I said, I’ve had enough of this!”
Trinos’s face filled with strain and wrinkles. She held on, hoping someone could take Scorch down. It wasn’t happening. Scorch was clever. Hard fought. Far from soft like the other celestial beings she remembered. His will was iron. With a heave, she slammed him into the planks again, causing many to splinter.
“Give it up, Trinos!” he fired back. “I’ve been around so much longer. You have no power over me! Your will is weak!” His body turned to molten fire.
Trinos screamed again. “Aiiieeeeee!” Faltering, her tendrils faded, and she staggered back and away from the scorching flames. Mind numb from the excruciating force, she tapped into Bish’s power and summoned everything she could from its depths. Narrowing her eyes, she made an uncanny beam of power rip through Scorch and spin him around.
“Aargh!” Scorch cried out. Fingers clutching, he fell to his knees gaping at the wound that went straight through his chest. A clear hole was there. Small but significant. He poked his finger through it. “That’s just nasty.”
Trinos crossed the room and slugged him across the jaw.
Whap!
His head snapped back. Teetering forward he said, “Oh, a little salt in the wound, eh? So very unkind of you.”
Eep dropped from the rafters, one wing hanging, and chomped deep into Scorch’s shoulder.
The eternal being grimaced and said, “Now you’re just being annoying.”
Trinos drew back and punched him again.
Whack!
The blow broke his nose. Something like blood dripped out. “Oh come now, Trinos. You won’t kill me. It’s not in your nature.”
Whack! Whack!
“Will you stop hitting me! You aren’t going to kill me that way. Use a sword or something, not that it will do you any good!”
“I hate you!” She punched him again and again and again. Scorch had ruined everything. Her world. Her people. Yet he was right. She had doubt. He was mortal—all powerful, but still mortal. But did she have what it took to
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