Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 83933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Leona whimpered. Patch banged a fist into her temple, as if trying to beat out the terror.
“If you fail to survive this battle after I’ve risked everything to save you,” Jasher snarled at me, stepping up to my side, “I will be displeased.”
“Same, Tinman. Same.”
Closer and closer the monsters came. I breathed deep, bracing for impact, now understanding why he’d intended to save the serpens-rosa. We weren’t coming out of this without injury.
“Keep your eyes on your opponent every second,” Jasher commanded us all. “When a monstra makes eye contact, they can’t look away until you do. It will be mesmerized, unable to harm you or think past getting free of your gaze.”
Twitters of excitement replaced their roars as the beasts spotted us. They swooped low, coasting through the air, gliding closer… The one on the left seemed to smile before unhinging its jaw. The scales covering its throat flared and brightened, as if fire brewed beneath.
I can do this. “Patch,” I screamed. To my relief, she comprehended my order and unleashed a surge of arrows as the monstra sprayed its flames over the dais.
Those missiles hit the underside of the creature’s chin, disrupting his aim, allowing Jasher and me to dive to the ground and roll to safety. I flowed to my feet as if guided by invisible hands. The fire raged, unaffected by the rain.
A glittering golden light pulsed from my ring, and the creature looked my way, as if it couldn’t help itself. Our gazes locked, a surprise to us both. Determination met hatred, and the beast jerked. It passed over us, so close I could’ve reached up to touch it. No more flames escaped it. There was no swipe of its claws. It even spun mid-air to maintain our visual contact.
Jasher handled the beast in the middle, moving with a speed I couldn’t track in my periphery. Leona brandished the whip, successfully winding the end around the neck of the third until it sprayed yellow-green flames across the gravel streets. To avoid frying, she released the weapon and dove for cover.
On my creature’s second pass overhead, I jumped and swung the dagger. Metal sliced into a hoof tipped with claws. Thick, dark green blood spurted from the wound as the beast squawked with pain.
Patch used the last of her arrows, but none met their mark as the monstra thrashed in the sky. I was tempted to focus on the surrounding inferno but releasing my captive meant certain destruction. Then it happened through no fault of my own. Smoke billowed between us, breaking our connection.
Another roar sounded, this one familiar. I tensed as Nugget leaped through the gloom, slamming into Leona’s opponent before it could unleash a second stream. Rabdog and monstra rolled across the dirt, biting and clawing at each other.
The one I’d injured cleared the smoke, spitting fire. Flames consumed me.
CHAPTER 18
FLY, FLY AWAY
Iscreamed, expecting pain. But… I felt good. Better than good.
Looking myself over, I marveled. Shiny golden armor covered me, the metal seemingly poured onto my flesh, one with me. Before my very eyes, the dagger I gripped elongated into a sword. It, too, thrived inside the flames.
How was this even possible?
The monstra swooped down, opening its mouth to consume me with a single bite. But it shrieked and reared back, tumbling from the sky, crashing into the ground.
I didn’t know what happened, but I should probably rush over to remove its head before it recovered.
The thought came, and a split second later, I stood beside the injured monstra. Just boom, there I was. Dizziness, shock, and confusion struck, but I didn’t let the tide stop me. Drawing strength from the ring, I raised the sword and oh, the way I moved! A fluidity I’d never before exhibited.
Sensing my nearness, the creature attempted to rise. I wasted not a second, striking. Metal sliced through scales, fur, muscle and bone like a hot knife through melting butter. Its head separated from its body, its dark green blood spurting from severed arteries.
Satisfaction in a job well done acted as fuel. Now to help my friends. Or not. I stood rooted, pelted by rain unable to tame the flames still crackling over me and flabbergasted. Jasher hacked at a monstra with the ferocity of a thousand soldiers. Unable to fly with broken, mutilated wings, his challenger couldn’t escape his strikes. It, too, died by beheading.
Nugget’s opponent realized its brethren were toast, hurried to disengage and fly away. Well then. No help necessary. Battle won.
To prove it, the tempest downgraded to a light shower. Then the droplets tapered, and the sun materialized, shining brightly.
“Victory!” I raised my fist to the sky and cheered. “Everyone is good?” I called.
Leona sank to her knees and cried. Patch hunched over, attempting to catch her breath, and flashed a thumbs up. Nugget huffed and puffed, the tendons in his neck pulled taut. Jasher stood next to a slain monstra, splattered with blood and staring at me as if I’d grown a second head.