by CM Raymond
“I got it!” she crossed back over to the box. “Lilith, does it matter what kind of vessel you go into?”
“Strictly speaking, no. Perhaps this is not the time to be choosy, but it would be best if you found something capable of containing my gifts?”
“Gifts?” Hannah asked.
“Yes. I have extreme intelligence.”
Hannah looked at Ezekiel. “Why does that not sound like full-on bragging when she says it?”
“If you port me into a creature from the wild my cognitive skills will be limited. I need something with a large brain, but the host must also be strong enough to handle the radical physical transformation you are going to put it through.”
Hannah nodded and turned for the door.
“Where are you going?” Ezekiel asked.
“I need to find some raw material to work with if I’m going to make Lilith a body.”
“And where exactly are you going to find one?” the old man asked.
“Simple,” Hannah said with a wink. “Our old friend Laughter just dumped a shitload of raw material on our doorstep.”
“You don’t mean…”
“That’s exactly what I mean. I’m going to go catch a Skrim.”
“Matriarch!” Ezekiel spat, “Hannah, think thrice on this. No one is powerful enough to turn one of those beasts of hell into a proper vessel alone.”
Hadley cleared his throat as he pushed himself to his feet. “She won’t be alone, wizard.”
Hannah smiled and nodded at her friend. “Damn straight, Had.” She glanced back at Ezekiel. “Plus we’ve got the Founder on our side. Be ready. I will be back very soon!”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The battle came on like a summer storm out of nowhere.
No meeting of the generals.
No getting into rank and file.
Just pure chaos as the Skrima charged up the hill, death in their roars.
There were too many to count, but they swarmed forward in a way that made the horde seem endless. The winged Skrima were the fastest, and they flew together like a dark cloud rolling in. Just behind them were the standing canine creatures. They bent their heads low, threatening to skewer the fledgling Irth army with their horns. Behind them came the tanks, large, vaguely feline creatures with thick red scales and large feet that rattled the earth as they walked.
It was an army designed to destroy all who stood before them, and yet the terrified humans didn’t yield.
Whether it was their meager training, the knowledge that Irth’s future rested in their hands, or Karl’s words of encouragement, each man and woman held the line.
Parker couldn’t have been prouder to stand with them.
Karl frantically shouted orders, waving his hammer like a conductor’s baton.
“Archers and magic users who’ve got some distance, ye keep them flyin’ dicks off our backs. Those of ye powerful enough ta pack a punch, ya need ta keep them tanks away from our main fightin’ force, but don’t get too close yerself or they’ll pummel ya inta dust. The rest of ye bastards, hack, slash, or burn anythin’ that looks like it just crawled out o’ me butthole!”
With that, Karl turned and ran toward the Skrima. Despite his stature, he pumped his legs hard enough to keep him in front of his army, and Parker thought he meant to take on the whole horde himself.
He wasn’t going to let that happen.
“For Irth!” he yelled, and sprinted after the rearick. A cry of “For Irth” rose behind him from a multitude of tongues.
Parker had been in fights before—the Battle for the Boulevard, the Battle for Arcadia, the Battle on the shores of Baseek—and he had taken down his fair share of Skrima, but none of that was really comparable to the hell exploding around him right now.
The Skrima were relentless, with a speed and strength and ferocity that couldn’t really be matched by the humans—although Olaf was not far off the mark.
But despite their power the Skrima weren’t an army, not really. They didn’t work together, didn’t launch a coordinated attack. It was a weakness the Irthlings exploited mercilessly.
The bulk of the human army was made up of Tarkan foot soldiers. On their own or even en masse they wouldn’t have been able to handle the Skrima, but when paired with New Romanov’s elite fighters and the magicians trained by Ezekiel himself, they were a valuable tool.
The method was simple when it came to the flyers and the horned dogs: the magicians would knock ‘em down, and the swords and spears would finish them off. It wasn’t a perfect system—they lost a lot of men and women along the way—but as long as they worked as a unit, the damage the Skrima could inflict was limited.
Things were a bit more complicated when it came to the large Skrima—the tanks. Parker decided he would focus on them.
A small team of magicians from New Romanov rallied to him, and Parker led them on a divide and conquer mission.
“Listen up,” he said as he hunkered down and they all crouched around him. “We’re gonna take down those big bastards one at a time. You three…” He pointed toward a woman and two young men he had seen using telekinesis to launch stones. “Your job is distraction. Spread out, and throw anything you’ve got at their faces. Aim for the eyes if you can. It won’t be enough to punch through those scales, but if you can keep them from focusing on any one of us, we should be able to keep from being crushed. You five…” This group was a little older than the others, but their experience meant that they wouldn’t panic. They could all throw fire. It wasn’t exactly a Hannah-level attack, but working together he figured it could do some damage. ”From here on out you are a single unit, like a fist. Choose a spot on a Skrim and pound it with everything you’ve got. If you can knock one of its scales loose, I can finish it off.”
“What about me?” Vitali asked as he slid in to join Parker’s team. The conman considered for a second, then found the perfect role for him.
“You know how Karl said we should stay as far away from the tanks as possible?”
“Yeah,” Vitali said, a little suspicion seeping into his words.
“Well, screw that. I want you to get right in the thing’s face. Annoy the shit out of it.”
The cat nodded. “Be the fly in the ointment.”
“Bingo,” Parker said, and looked up. One of the tanks was angling toward Mika and a team of swordsmen. “All right, here’s our chance. Those swords are done for unless we get there. Let’s give it our best.”
He ran toward the Skrim and his warriors followed.
“Here goes nothing,” he whispered to himself, then fired his spear.
****
Mud and rock exploded around him as the large Skrim slammed its scaled paws into the dirt. Parker fired his spear again, then scrambled back.
“Keep up the attack,” he shouted.
His telekinetics did their job well, thanks to their magic, the beast ignored Parker as he ran in to fight.
Which he needed it to do if he was going to finish the thing.
The fire-users blew a hole in its scales close to where its neck met its shoulders, but every time Parker tried to get near it with his spear a relentless flurry of teeth and claws pushed him away.
“Don’t worry,” Vitali growled, “I’ve got this.”
The Lynqi sprinted forward fast. Parker imagined the cat would even give Laurel a run for her money.
The Skrim roared and tried to crush Vitali, but the cat-man was too quick. He dodged to the left, then leapt onto the Skrim’s paw. It reared up on its hind legs in protest and Vitali used the momentum to launch himself upward.
Parker watched in awe as the newest member of Team Triple-B flew through the air and landed gracefully on the Skrim’s head.
The thing was furious.
It bucked and stomped and kicked, but Vitali used his claws to hold on, and then crawled downward, reaching for the open wound on the Skrim’s neck.
Parker waited until he was in position, then threw the cat-man his spear.
When it got close enough Vitali snatched it out of the air, then steadied himself, took aim, and plunged the spear into the Skrim’s neck.
Its scream of pain nearly knocked Parker on his ass.
Vitali squeezed the spear, and a burst of blue light was faintly seen beneath the scales.
The Skrim stumbled but kept to its feet.
“Again, again, again!” Parker shouted.
Vitali heard the order and kept firing deep into the Skrim’s body.
Its blood and flesh exploded in response.
The thing shuddered, and with a final violent jerk it flung Vitali off. The Lynqi landed on his feet in the grass, crouched and ready to respond.
They watched in horror and awe as the Skrim staggered forward drunkenly and then with a final pitiful growl it collapsed, shaking the ground it landed on.
Parker sprinted to Vitali’s side.
“Holy shit, are you OK?”
The Lynqi shook his head. His fur was covered in red slop. “I’m unharmed, if that’s what you mean, but that may have been the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done.”
Parker laughed. “Well, good. There’s only about a dozen more to go.”
Vitali sighed. “I did say I wanted some new experiences. I guess this counts, although I assumed there would be more parties at exotic places and less getting covered in monster alien guts.”
“The parties come after,” Parker said, “although if you can’t get that smell out, you may find folks giving you a lot of space.”
With a loud crack Hannah appeared before them. She looked at the dead Skrim, then back at the boys in shock.
“OK, so you’ve got everything covered out here then, huh?”
“Sure, sure,” Parker said. “Keep talking, or whatever it is you’re doing in there with Lilith and Ezekiel. This here’s a walk in the park.”
She smiled grimly. “Trust me, I’m working as fast as I can.”
Vitali climbed to his feet and pointed toward another one of the tanks. “We could use some help, if you’re interested.”
“Sorry,” she said. “There’s nothing I’d rather be doing than fighting by your side, but I came out here to ask for help, not to offer it.”
Parker immediately snapped into action. “What do you need?”
“I need a Skrim, preferably one of those horned dogs.”
“No problem,” he said.
“And I need it alive.”
Parker just stared at her with his mouth slightly open.
“Parker,” she said. “It’s important. Can you do it?”
He looked down at his feet, let out a sigh, and lifted his head again, a wide smile on his face.
“For my girl, anything! I’ve got an idea, but I’m going to need the druid’s help. Think you can find Laurel?”
Hannah leaned forward and gave him a kiss. “That’s my guy. You find me a Skrim and I’ll find your druid.”
****
Karl’s arms shook as his hammer smashed through a Skrim’s jaw. The thing flopped to the ground, and the rearick finished it with a decisive blow.
“Damn, rearick!” Mika said with a smile. “You look like you’ve been doing this kind of work for years.”
“Different ugly mugs, same basic principle. Can’t fight with yer face smashed in.”
She laughed. It was a pleasant sound, though it was nearly drowned out by the chaos around them. Fireballs, arrows, the screams of the dying, and fighting all added to the chaos. Every once in a while Karl would see a tree get into the action, a good sign that Laurel was safe and still kicking ass.
So far the fight had gone as well as could be expected. The Tarkans and the citizens of New Romanov fought with courage, even if they lacked skill. It was enough to keep the Skrima at bay, at least for a little while, although Karl had no idea what the damned blasted magic users were doing inside their caves.
But orders were orders, and Karl was a soldier through and through. He’d pour every ounce of sweat and grit he had in the dirt out here if it meant helping his friends just a little.
Karl saw a group of men being beaten back by one of the creatures, and he charged toward them.
The Skrim was distracted by the frightened men with swords so he didn’t see Karl coming, but he felt it when Karl’s hammer crushed his ankle. He roared in pain and anger, then fell to the ground as Karl tried to smash his chest. The previously-losing fighters jumped back into action, hacking at the downed monster.
The sight of his men destroying the Skrim distracted Karl just enough that he missed the attack that came at him from the rear.
A massive hand swiped the rearick hard, throwing him to the ground, and as Karl struggled to get to his feet the thing ran forward. It opened its jaw wide to bite him in two and Karl raised his hammer in defense, but just before the thing’s jaws snapped shut a ball of blue energy slammed into its face.
The Skrim stumbled backward, dazed, then looked around to see who had attacked it.
Parker was waiving his spear wildly, making sure the Skrim knew exactly who to go after.
“Over here, you crooked dick!” the young Arcadian yelled. He fired his spear again.
“Parker, what the hell are ye doin’? Stop screwin’ around.”
“Sorry, Karl,” he shouted as he turned to run. “Gotta borrow this ugly bastard. Boss’s orders.”
Karl watched surprised as the Skrim chased Parker, the Arcadian whooping and hollering like a madman the whole way.
“Damned kids,” he muttered to himself as he stood up and shook the dirt off himself. Then he turned to charge a flying Skrim that was harassing a group of inexperienced magic users.
“All right, ye winged bastard,” he shouted as he ran toward them, “let’s see how ye like the taste of me hammer!”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Laurel traced the ridges of the pine tree’s bark with her forefinger as she crouched in a thicket, silently waiting. She could feel the energy of the tree through her fingertip, and she knew full-well that the forest that had once been so foreign and non-communicative was there for her. The trees were on her side. The life around her was ready to serve, not just for Laurel’s good but for their own survival.
Hannah had found her in the midst of a particularly brutal fight against a flock of the bat-like creatures and brought her to this thicket, so here she stayed.
Sounds of battle rang out close by, and she crouched lower. They would have one shot and she refused to waste it.
Glancing over her left shoulder, she spotted the huddled mass of Parker’s men who had joined her mission. A few feet to her right she saw Hannah, who was equally low to the ground, leaning against a white poplar. She gave Laurel a quick nod, then Hannah’s eyes flashed red as she reached out with her senses for their friend.
She mouthed, “It’s time.”
As if on cue Parker broke through a stand of saplings and dived into a roll, narrowly avoiding a giant red fist that crashed down just behind his heels.
“Now!” Parker screamed as he ran up the slanted trunk of a fallen tree that had gotten caught in the fork of another.
Parker’s team jumped first, volleying blasts of magical energy at the creature, who moved more swiftly than its giant body should have allowed. It absorbed three blows on its thick hide before a swipe of its arm took out three of the men, sending them hurtling off into the trees. The two remaining men threw another round of magic before running for safety.
The Skrim beat its chest and let loose a victorious roar in the direction of their retreat.
“Hey dickwad, want to play?” Hannah shouted at the top of her lungs.
The creature spun, massive red fists raised for the fight.
Before it could make a move Hannah slammed it in the chest with a measured blue burst, knocking the Skrim off balance. It stepped back, trying to regain its footing.
“Nice strike, babe!” Parker yelled as he dove behind the beast, spear swinging at the back of its knees. The chop at
the legs paired with the Skrim’s momentum sent it onto its back, feet toward the sky. Parker rolled out of the way as Laughter’s creature slammed to the ground. “He’s all yours, Laurel,” Parker called.
Laurel pushed through the hedge with her eyes glowing green then knelt and clutched the undergrowth, asking the flora to do her bidding. As the Skrim attempted to right itself vines shot up all around it, wrapping around its giant form and pulling it back to the ground.
The beast screamed and twisted, but the more it resisted the tighter nature’s grip bore down on him.
Hannah stood over it, eye to eye with the monster from another universe. “I think you’ll do,” she told it.
She twisted her hands in an elaborate pattern and then drew them apart, leaving a hammer larger than Karl’s of a deep blue in her grip. “Goodnight, goon!” she said before shattering her ice weapon across the side of the Skrim’s head and knocking it out cold.
Parker and Laurel stood on either side of her looking down at the beast. “Nice job, you two,” she said, but then she turned to Parker. “And don’t called me ‘babe.’”
“Oh, right. Sorry, sweetums.” He looked down at the Skrim and then toward New Romanov. “That was easy compared to what it’s going to take to get this smelly pile of dung to the tunnels.”
Laurel shrugged. “I can get it halfway there, but the rest is up to you guys.” Her eyes changed again as she reached out to her natural companions. The vines raised the creature’s massive weight skyward and when it neared the massive boughs of the trees overhead, the vines let go and the great oaks’ branches took over. The trees passed the comatose body, one by one, toward the walls of New Romanov.
Parker watched with wide eyes. “Maybe I should learn magic,” he whispered.
“Nah, those fancy gymnastics of yours do just fine. And besides, I’d hate for you to feel inferior to your girlfriend.” Hannah leaned in and gave him a kiss. “Let’s go.”
They broke into a brisk walk behind Laurel, who commanded the trees in their work.