The Witch; Stronghold; Underworld

by Ky Tyrand

  Not biting, he kept his helmet on. “And I see you’ve brought a couple fragments of them to clobber me with,” he chuckled, while swaggering toward her.

  Looking down to the rocks in her hands, the girl admitted, “I will fight you with anything I can find.”

  Why isn’t he opening his helmet?

  Ki’ara wondered if he thought the dark headpiece frightened her more than his despicable face. If so, he was wrong.

  “That doesn’t surprise me, Little Princess,” said the man. “I must admit that you have far more spark than I would have guessed. That is what will make this so much better. I would hate for you to give up too soon. That would take all the fun away.”

  The girl continued toward him, hoping to keep Sylor as close to the far end of the bridge as she could. She banged the rocks together with a loud CLACK, and swore, “I promise that I will fight you until my last breath.”

  Sylor’s helmet suddenly snapped open, bringing his smug grin into view. “Oh, I hope that’s true.”

  He had no idea that somewhere across the crevasse, from a perch far down a long ridge, a little girl squeezed the trigger of a big gun.

  35

  Je’nna did her best to control her breathing and slow her heartrate. She’d never had a problem calming herself; always able to gently squeeze the trigger between both breath and heartbeat, while she was completely motionless. As incredible as her rifle was, it still required skill.

  But there was something about Sylor that rattled Je’nna to the core. Enough so that, even from so far away, just the sight of him was enough to speed her pulse and send chills up her spine.

  Nevertheless, she fired her long gun the moment his face-shield slid open.

  Je’nna was confident that her shot would land true, but Sylor’s head suddenly lurched, turning away with a quick snap as something caught his attention from behind.

  The particle pulse slammed into the side of his open helmet, tipping his head and knocking him to the side.

  Through the zoomed-in scope, Je’nna could see a ripple of sparkling red light spread from where she’d hit, dispersing the impact across his hi-tech armor in a series of waves that wrapped around his entire body.

  Crap.

  The armor reacted to her weapon just like the metallic, spherical bodies of the spider-bots back in Stronghold. Whoever – or whatever – had made Sylor’s armor knew how Je’nna’s guns worked and, using highly advanced technology, had designed the protective shell to withstand their fire.

  When Sylor’s helmet panels once again snapped shut, the girl realized that she had just lost her one chance for a clean shot.

  Ki’ara couldn’t believe the man’s luck.

  He heard the monster emerging from the shadows of its den at precisely the same moment Je’nna fired. She couldn’t imagine what her friend’s powerful rifle would have done to Sylor’s burned face had it hit. Surely it would have erased his smug grin in the most gruesome of ways. But, as chance would have it, the shot merely bumped his head to the side as the man’s special suit absorbed the impact.

  Sylor’s mask snapped shut as he spun to face the giant creature bursting from the cave behind him.

  Now he was aware of both Je’nna and the monster.

  It was the rumble of the beast – deep and guttural – that had prompted Sylor to check behind him.

  As soon as he turned, a hard whack against his head caught him by surprise. It didn’t hurt, but he took it as a warning that the pink-haired girl was nearby, taking potshots at him with one of her guns. Though the hit compelled him to close his protective mask, it didn’t draw his attention from the cave entrance behind him.

  Something was back there. It was big, and it was fast.

  The tunnel opening seemed too small for the massive body that suddenly erupted from within.

  It began with a long, forked tongue that flicked far ahead of its nostrils and eyes, all of which appeared too large for its wide, flat, snake-like head. A scaled body followed, sleek but thick, emerging from the shadows upon four powerful legs that propelled it out from the mouth of the cave with unexpected speed.

  Claws sank into the hard ground, crushing and crumbling stone to dust as the giant lizard clawed for traction to pull itself ahead.

  A tooth-filled maw, large enough to swallow a man whole, spread wide as the monster covered the distance between its den and the intruder in the blink of an eye.

  Ki’ara backed away, silently cheering for the lizard to take hold of Sylor and chomp him in half.

  Without a moment to think, the man threw up his hands, instinctively preparing to grapple the giant beast.

  What happened instead changed his fate…

  Glowing orange tendrils shot from atop Sylor’s gloves, straight at the monster’s face.

  The lizard’s huge mouth snapped shut, and its rock-penetrating feet slammed to a halt, as the whips of orange light lashed under its wet nostrils. The creature reared away, dodging its head in a desperate attempt to evade the brilliant strands thrashing ahead.

  Still surprised by the sudden attack by a monster larger than any he’d ever encountered, Sylor now stood tall and even stepped toward the frightened lizard.

  He burst out laughing as the giant beast timidly backed away.

  The man turned his helmet back toward Ki’ara, hoping for her to share the moment with him. “Did you see that thing?” he asked, jovially. “I thought it was going to eat me.” After letting out a breath, he added, “Damn near crapped my pants.”

  Ki’ara’s heart sank as she watched the ferocious monster slink away, taking her hope along with it.

  Je’nna couldn’t believe what she’d just witnessed.

  The Princess hadn’t been kidding about there being a monster across the bridge. She just forgot to mention that it was a pansy.

  So, he’s got armor that my gun won’t penetrate, and flashy snake fingers that scare off giant pansy-lizards, how the hell do we stop this guy?

  The girl kept her rifle trained on Sylor, patiently waiting for an opportunity. At one point, Je’nna thought she spotted something odd about one of the energy strands, but her attention was suddenly pulled away…

  Oh no, what is she doing?

  “Ki’ara, don’t do it,” shouted Je’nna. “Get out of there, you’ll get yourself killed!”

  There was nothing Je’nna could do but watch as Ki’ara charged across the bridge, jumped into the air, and clocked Sylor in the side of his helmet with a rock.

  36

  Ki’ara couldn’t control herself.

  After seeing the man’s armor so easily absorb Je’nna’s shot, and then watching Sylor chase off the giant lizard like it was no big deal, she lost it.

  And though the Princess knew she could do little to harm the dreadful man, it didn’t stop her from trying.

  As Sylor’s attention was on the timid lizard, pushing it all the way back into its den, Ki’ara’s helmet flipped shut and she stormed toward the evil man.

  Her mind was in a place beyond reason, where fear of the outcome no longer mattered. She saw nothing but red – fire and blood mixing together, casting a haze on everything in her path. The girl’s body was vibrating with hatred and rage in a way that took what little willpower she had left and focused it all into one place. At one person.

  She charged, closing the distance in only a few great strides before taking what lift her G.R. had to offer and hurling herself at Sylor.

  He glanced over his shoulder as she swung down on him with all her might.

  The rock connected the side of his helmet with a bang.

  Whether or not it did any damage didn’t register with Ki’ara. But it knocked Sylor’s head forward and must have at least distracted him.

  The strands of orange light dropped from the lizard’s cave as the man acknowledged what had happened.

  Ki’ara’s momentum carried her past him, to where she landed on the bridge with a slide before gaining enough traction to throw herself back at
the man with another aggressive swing.

  With the clarity of her thoughts still a blur, Ki’ara’s only instinct was to attack.

  Sylor let out a growl while moving his tentacle-whips over in an attempt at catching the girl.

  But Ki’ara was too fast. She swung down hard with a rock.

  An explosion of sparks sent a jolt through her entire body as the stone connected the moment she landed on the bridge beside Sylor. Though she couldn’t feel it, Ki’ara watched her own hand fly back and the rock fling from her fingers, disappearing into the blinding light of the crystals below.

  It felt like her arm was nearly torn from her shoulder, but the pain of her blocked Mu’turi quickly returned, letting her know that her appendage was at least still attached.

  Through their sleek helmets, both she and Sylor looked to his hand to see what had happened.

  Ki’ara’s rock had shattered two canister-like attachments on the top of his glove, which still fizzled and smoked. But the strands of plasma they had produced were both gone, leaving only three orange tentacles projecting from that hand.

  Sylor let out a roar and swatted her with his broken glove, backhanding her hard enough that her feet left the stone bridge. Ki’ara flew out over the ledge, wondering if her armor and G.R. were strong enough to save her from the fall. Based on the pain she felt at Sylor’s hand, the girl could tell that her gear was barely holding together.

  Before she had a chance to find out, the three remaining cords projecting from Sylor’s left hand lashed around her, catching Ki’ara by the waist and thigh. They cinched tight, taking her weight before she could drop.

  “Oh no you don’t,” hissed the man; his voice muffled through the helmet. With an easy pull, Sylor swung her up and plunked her back onto the bridge. “You know, Little Princess, it’s getting harder and harder to keep you alive.”

  Still tangled at the end of the glowing strands, Ki’ara landed about four paces away. But Sylor was sauntering toward her while retracting the strands; savoring the moment of reeling in his precious prey.

  Hidden by masks, he had no idea that the girl’s expression had changed.

  Ki’ara’s eyes went straight to the damaged components on Sylor’s left glove. Her rational thoughts returned as her rage cooled to a simmer.

  He’s not invincible.

  That realization spread a level of calm throughout Ki’ara’s body that she hadn’t felt in a long time.

  Sylor could be defeated. Right here. Right now.

  Despite her dire predicament, the Princess felt more hope now than ever before. They could bring an end to this nightmare, once and for all. But she needed to keep her wits about her.

  The glowing tendrils from Sylor’s other hand had retracted, disappearing into his black glove. The potential was still there, though, making Ki’ara wonder why he wasn’t using them.

  Perhaps he was trying to show her that he didn’t need them – that three strands were plenty to subdue her.

  A moment ago, that may have been true. She might have considered them unbreakable. Now, she knew better.

  Though the pressure was crushing, the bands no longer felt so strong.

  Or she felt stronger.

  Ki’ara turned, ever so slightly.

  The orange tendrils turned with her.

  She saw her chance. The girl bent her knees – just a little – while her helmet flipped open and vanished behind her neck. Ki’ara wondered if he noticed her subtle shift.

  Sylor offered a smug chuckle. “If you think I’m going to open my helmet so your little friend can shoot my face off, you’re sadly mistaken.”

  Ki’ara’s lips curled up into a sly grin.

  The gesture of confidence was enough to stop Sylor from taking another step.

  “As much as I would love for her to,” said Ki’ara, “She doesn’t need to shoot your face off…”

  The Princess suddenly straightened her legs, thrusting them into the stone floor while pulling as hard as she could.

  She was no match for the strength of Sylor, or his glowing bands.

  But she didn’t need to be.

  The strands twisted, and Sylor’s wrist rotated with them.

  “…she just needs to shoot this little toy off your hand.”

  A surprised sound came out of the man’s throat as his glove-gadget exploded into a thousand pieces, taking two more of the orange glowing strands along with it.

  Only one band was left – stretched between his thumb and Ki’ara’s thigh.

  The Princess stopped pulling and dropped, once again catching the man off-guard. Although her remaining rock was much smaller than the first, it was sharp and jagged. And as soon as she hit the ground, Ki’ara hammered it down on the strand with a whack hard enough to sever it in a single blow.

  37

  The girl couldn’t help but chuckle.

  After seeing how Ki’ara was handling herself down there, Je’nna had to admit that she was more than a little impressed.

  At first, she thought Ki’ara had lost her mind; charging Sylor with nothing but a rock in each hand. But then it occurred to her that the Princess hadn’t gone mad, she’s just trusting me to do my job.

  And so that was what Je’nna resolved to do.

  But, with her rifle being unable to penetrate Sylor’s armor, her options were limited. Shooting the cylinders on his glove had proven effective, and she planned to target the rest. But now Sylor was wise to her, keeping his other hand protected.

  Ki’ara was free of the man’s powerful energy bands and had popped to her feet. But she remained in place, not fleeing as Je’nna would have. Without her helmet, Ki’ara couldn’t hear Je’nna’s voice demanding that she run. Not that she would listen. The Princess seemed determined to stand her ground, as if she could fend Sylor off for long… with her rock.

  Je’nna understood why Ki’ara was doing it. Though the lizard-monster thing was a bust, the bridge gave Je’nna the best chance at a clear shot. So long as he was on it, there was nowhere for Sylor to hide. Nothing to get in Je’nna’s way but his armor. The opportunity could be lost if he made it to the ledge.

  Ki’ara was counting on her to not let Sylor escape.

  “Arghh,” growled Je’nna, frustrated at the situation, mostly because she couldn’t find a shot.

  Sylor was protecting his right hand. Although he couldn’t see her, the man knew Je’nna was on his left. It was rather convenient that he was on the correct side to face Ki’ara while keeping his armored body between his hi-tech glove and Je’nna’s rifle. And, even when his hand did make an appearance, his wrist was always twisted away from her.

  But perhaps she didn’t have to put a hole in Sylor in order to help the Princess…

  The man suddenly threw his right hand at Ki’ara, snapping all five strands of energy at her.

  Je’nna pulled the trigger before the tentacle-like whips were even halfway out.

  The particle pulse, charged by the Blue Energy in her rifle, moved so fast that it clipped Sylor’s palm before the orange tendrils could reach their target. His hand was knocked away, sending the plasma bands whipping harmlessly over the side of the bridge.

  Even from so far away, Je’nna could tell Sylor was furious. And though it made her want to giggle, fear of what he might do to Ki’ara prevented it.

  But it didn’t stop her from shooting him again, knocking the side of his helmet. Once again, the wave of energy spread and dissipated around his armor. But it did move him, prompting her to fire another shot.

  This time she hit him in the shoulder, and for a moment Je’nna thought she might be able to knock him straight over the ledge, if she clipped him enough times.

  But then he stabilized himself and flipped an obscene gesture Je’nna’s way, before unexpectedly throwing the lone plasma strand from his left glove at Ki’ara.

  Though the Princess had already severed it, once, the strand now appeared fully recharged, and it shot out at the Princess like a striking snake.r />
  Ki’ara was somehow able to roll under the glowing whip. But before she could do anything more than evade, Sylor had his right fist of energy cords back under control and coming her way.

  All but one.

  There…

  Je’nna spotted it – a flicker in one of the strands. That was what she had noticed before. It was subtle, and the tendril immediately returned to full strength. But Je’nna was sure of what she’d witnessed.

  Before the girl could even consider what it might mean, Sylor suddenly rushed Ki’ara.

  Damn it!

  The man appeared to recognize the danger to him if he remained on the bridge and began charging his way across. The only thing between the hulking man and the rocky plateau at the other end was a small Princess and a rock.

  Ki’ara had nowhere to go, and it certainly looked like she was about to be trampled. But Je’nna knew that this evil man would not allow it. He wouldn’t let the Princess die.

  Sure enough, Ki’ara was swept up by the orange tentacles and carried away by Sylor’s momentum.

  Crap!

  The barrel of Je’nna’s rifle moved along with the occupants of the bridge.

  Sylor pulled Ki’ara to the side, putting the Princess between himself and the sniper. Under normal circumstances it would have worked.

  But Je’nna had an obligation to fulfill.

  Sylor lifted Ki’ara high, certain that Je’nna wouldn’t shoot.

  He was wrong.

  Scooped up by Sylor and his serpent-like tentacles, Ki’ara tried to figure out any way at all to prevent Sylor from stepping off the bridge.

  As it turned out, she didn’t have to.

  With long strides carrying them both over the crossing, neither Ki’ara nor Sylor expected the man’s foot to be shot out from under him an instant before it should have planted, causing them both to spill to the ground.

  Though it didn’t respond nearly as quickly as it should have, Ki’ara’s helmet managed to cover her head a moment before it smacked down onto the hard stone platform. The extra protection may have saved her from a concussion, but in its weakened state the lid didn’t prevent the girl’s noggin from getting rattled.