He put the fingers of each hand inside his mouth and pulled his bearded cheeks apart, stretching the skin so far that Ejan thought it would tear. His Adam’s Apple bobbed up and down violently as if something inside the throat scurried up his windpipe. Then his head began to jerk back and forth, his eyes rolled back in his head so far that only the whites appeared and something dark-shelled, almost beetle like scrambled from his mouth. Two large claws pushed free of the white lips and yanked the rest of its body through. It dropped to the floor, landing hard on its many pointed legs.
Ejan felt her heart thumping against her ribs, her mind panicking, yet her body immobile as the large scorpion-like creature, the spliceck, crept closer.
“Tak...tak...tak.”
Nathanial’s body crumpled to the ground in a heap. The aged head making a dull thunk as it slammed against a thick tree root. Small bubbles escaped from his mouth with the blood that ran from a torn lip. Still alive but would be no help.
“Tak...tak...tak.”
The spliceck raised a large claw, snapping the razor-sharp pincers together, then did the same with the other. Snip snip, snip snip. A row of tiny black orbs stared at her from the top of its hideous head, as wet mandibles worked fast beneath it, strong enough to rip through flesh; her flesh.
She could hear herself whimpering, the only noise her voice could produce whilst her mind screamed ‘no’. Needle sharp legs pricked at her own as the spliceck began to crawl up her shin, seeming to take pleasure at her torture, at her pain and nipping her skin with its claws.
“Tak...tak...tak.”
Ejan forced herself to stay calm and not show the spiky little shit any fear, she wouldn’t give it the satisfaction. Her breath came out in short gasps, plumes of white vapour released from her lips in quickening succession, her chest heaving as she fought to stay conscious. Jaygen, I must escape somehow for Jaygen.
The creature dug its pointy legs into her knee, twisted its body down, flicking its tail into her thigh, the bulbous point on its end striking her flesh beneath her britches. Fire erupted where it had struck, like a thousand hot hornet stings, attacking at once.
Tak...tak...tak.
It crouched again, its legs preparing to spring itself towards her face. It spread its claws out either side.
‘Odin’! Screamed Ejan, inside her head and used the pain in her thigh to power the spasm in her foot. It twitched violently out and struck the shaft of the Fist of the North.
“Tak...tak,” began the spliceck, as it launched, like a coiled spring releasing.
The hammer came down, aided by its own weight and struck the creature. The steel head caught against the spliceck’s plate armour, snagging it mid-air, the shadows moving across Elora’s handprint and giving the impression that the fingers gripped the creature and brought it down beneath the weight.
The spliceck crunched beneath the hammer, black gore splattering against Ejan’s leg as its pincers gave a final violent snap. The hammer then toppled onto its side, pulling bits of shell and leg with it, sticky strings of intestines and blood bridging the torn pieces to the rest of the broken body.
The little orbs still stared at her, a row of tiny moons reflecting back, but lacking any signs of life.
She had done it. Killed the creature that murdered her husband yet felt no satisfaction, only emptiness. If she didn’t stop Elora from singing in the church, then she may as well have died. Jaygen and everyone on Earth, on Thea, would suffer. But how was she to reach Aslania when she could barely move her eyes. Two hours away, it may have been two years away for all the difference it made.
Ejan tried to move her foot again but now the imminent threat had passed she felt weaker, even the sting in her leg became numb like the rest of her body. Her breath came out slower, reaching the steady rhythm of a sleeper as she fought to keep her eyelids open, but lost the fight; slipping deeper into unconsciousness.
Chapter 25
God of Chaos
Bray slid off the roof, landing deftly on the cobbled path beside the home Elora had stayed in. He had spent the night sitting beside the warm chimney on the roof of the dwelling opposite, with a clear line of sight into the room where she lay. Watching her chest rise and fall beneath the covers, staring at her peaceful face as she slept, a contented smile etching her lips.
“I told you, she would be safe,” said Diagus, stepping from behind a fish carved water fountain. Bray knew he had been there all night. Watching him, as he watched her. Anticipating them to run away, maybe. The thought had been in Bray’s mind too; to make a break for it, but he knew Elora wouldn’t go back on her word. She blames herself for what happened on Earth and feels responsible for putting it right.
They waited by the door, ready to escort Elora to the church. Bray listened to the movements from within as the two women made breakfast and dressed. Elora remaining silent and only a spare word from the older woman.
Bray thought her features were so like Elora’s that she could be her mother. But then again, everyone in the city was alike, with blue eyes and blond hair.
He spared a glance to his old master, whose face lay hidden in the darkness, yet his one white eye still found enough light to reveal itself, appearing like a ghostly globe floating in the shadows.
“Don’t go thinking I’m not privy to your intentions,” Diagus said, his whisper sounding like drawn steel.
Bray remained silent, averting his gaze from the Pearly White to stare up into the pre-dawn sky.
“Do you think I didn’t see you steal the scroll on Zionbuss’s ship? The chart that leads to the dragon, Grycul,” continued the Shadojak.
Bray almost flinched, yet had the strength to hold it together. Then realised that there was no point in denying it. Somehow Diagus had worked it out. He turned to him, feeling an urge to strike the Shadojak down. Maybe taking him off guard was the only way to best him, but then Diagus was always on his guard.
“How did you know?” Bray asked.
“I know you. I’ve been watching you closely to see what plan you’d come up with. Saw you pocket the scroll; wasn’t hard to work out why.”
“The plan may work.”
“Doubtful. Nobody’s ever gotten close to the dragon, not to mention the Dragon Guard you’d need to fight through before finding a way to slay the beast itself.”
“It’s worth a try.”
Diagus snorted through his nose. “Do you really think the Emperor will grant her clemency for killing Grycul?”
Bray began to feel less hopeful about his plan, as Diagus spoke.
“And what of the Shadojak Supreme, do you think he’ll let her live?”
“He will have to adhere to what the Emperor commands.”
“The Shadojak Superior? I don’t think so.”
