by Charley Case
More and more people were escaping as Jeffery had to pull more and more hounds into the fight with them, but there were still a good dozen patrons left, other than the ones too injured to move. They needed to stop this now.
Her finger started to itch, and she glanced down to see that it was sparking slightly, and the skin immediately around the ring was turning dark and had burn marks. She could feel the spell of stone starting to recede from deep within her. She did a quick calculation, and with the time it had taken to get Finn into the car and the fight now, her time was almost up. The ring’s power was running out.
She saw Finn struggling to fight off hounds and Jeffery at the same time, and took the opportunity presented. She charged in, snatching up a barstool and throwing it with all her considerable might.
The wooden stool exploded on Jeffery’s back, making him stumble forward and breaking off his attack on Finn. He turned, his face sour with pain and his staff ready for an attack.
Mila had anticipated him coming after her and launched from a run into a two-footed flying kick. Nothing fancy, really just throwing herself at him feet-first, but her now considerable weight and speed turned her from a four foot eleven ninety-pound woman into a quarter ton flying wrecking ball.
Her feet hit Jeffery in the chest, taking him completely by surprise. He let out a shout that was only outdone by the loud cracking of troll ribs. He was lifted off his feet and crashed into a wooden pillar. He caught himself before hitting the ground, fingers digging into the wooden pillar, and splintering it.
Mila somehow kept her balance and was able to follow up the kick with a wild punch that snapped Jeffery’s head to the side, his eyes rolling up in his head before he fell flat on his face, out cold.
Mila quickly pulled the golden circlet from his head.
The hounds all stopped, blinking and shaking their heads. Some whined and backed into corners, but all of them assessed the situation as best they could. Mila realized it probably would have been fine, except the Magicals who had holed up behind the bar weren’t quick on the uptake and continued to fling offensive spells at the hounds. This set off a chain reaction, and the hounds renewed their attacks. However, this time, they didn't have one person orchestrating their movements; they were all on their own. And nothing is more dangerous than a pack animal hunting with their pack.
The magicals behind the bar were quickly overwhelmed as the hounds moved into a flanking maneuver, coming around and over the sides of the bar. Several more hounds piled onto Finn, and even Penny was suddenly fighting two hounds that were now working together on an instinctual level they had not been able to access while under the circlet’s influence.
Mila started to charge towards the bar to help the most vulnerable, but her finger suddenly felt like it was on fire. She slid to a stop and saw that the ring was now smoking, and she felt her stone skin changing at an accelerated rate.
She remembered what Finn had said about it maybe killing her as it tried to pull more power from her, and she quickly pulled the ring off.
Her transformation took much less time than it had the first time since she was already halfway through it as the ring ran out of power. She stumbled back, her weight shifting as she returned to her normal flesh and blood.
She quickly scanned the room but didn't see how she could stop the wild hounds until she felt the circlet in her hands.
“God, Mila,” she admonished herself, “if your head wasn't attached, you’d forget you had one.”
She lifted the circlet above her head, and after a breath, lowered it to settle over her now black hair.
A sharp spike of pain jumped through her head, and she let out a whimpering scream before her mind was suddenly filled with the thoughts of two dozen wild hellhounds. The whimper turned into a scream of pain.
She kept focusing on not moving, hoping that it was translating over to the hounds, but she wasn't able to open her eyes to see if it was working. She kept trying to project calm and gentleness through the circlet, and she could feel the circlet rooting through her head, looking for payment for its work. That rooting stopped at the base of her skull, hesitating for a second before latching onto something and sucking hard at it.
She screamed, her hands pressed to her temples. The last thing she felt was her knees hitting the stone floor, then she slid into darkness.
“No!” Finn shouted, seeing Mila lower the circlet onto her head.
Shoving yet another hound from off himself, he struggled to his feet. He was covered in blood from the numerous bites, making him lightheaded from the blood loss. He was finding it hard to hang onto Fragar in his blood-slick hands, but he swung the axe, shattering the hound he had thrown off when it came back around, the axe finally slipping free and clattering to the ground.
He rushed towards Mila, but he heard Penny scream, and a jet of flame caught his attention. He looked to the left and saw that she had been pinned to the ground by two hounds. One of the monsters had taken a bite from her wing, leaving the normally taut skin ragged and bleeding. Penny was flaming them in the face as best she could, but it was ineffective and barely more than a nuisance to her attackers.
He and Penny locked eyes, and he saw something he had never seen there before. Terror.
Finn grabbed a chunk of the shattered hound and threw it at one animal attacking Penny while sprinting in to tackle the second one. The chunk of jagged stone exploded from the impact, making the hound yelp and jump back. He was closing in on the second, but it was already chomping down on Penny’s head.
Then the sound of snarling hounds went quiet as every stone skinned beast froze. Finn changed direction, and instead of tackling the hound, he scooped Penny up as gently as he could while still moving fast. He laid her panting body over his shoulder and felt her dig her talons in so as not to fall.
He quickly pointed at the front door, and roared at the remaining stunned bystanders, “Get the fuck out! Now! Move, move!”
The frozen people snapped out of their shocked stupor and all as one made a run for the front door.
Finn spun back to Mila and rushed to her side just as she fell to her knees, her body going limp. He caught her before she could fall all the way to the ground and gently laid her down.
He pulled the circlet from her head and quickly put it on his own head. He channeled pure dwarven power into the artifact, and it sprang to life for him with the ease of turning on a light switch.
The hounds hadn't even twitched as he took control of them. He made them all line up in ranks and sit down at the back of the bar.
He inspected Mila as the rest of the mobile patrons fled out the door. She was out cold and looked peaceful, but when he pulled her hair back, he could see burn marks on her temples—a sure sign she had tried to channel far more power than she had.
“Shiri?” Penny’s voice was weak, and she clung to him like a kitten, but her concern was all for Mila.
“I don't know,” Finn said. “I hope so.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The front door burst open and several people in black military uniforms complete with composite armor and helmets on came in in a tight formation, the leading men had rifles of magical design held at the ready as they quickly made sure the room was under control. Several of them stationed themselves around the docile hounds, keeping an eye on them.
Finn saw Hermin and several other Huldu come in after the all-clear was signaled. Danica came in the rear, her bag already open as she snapped on fresh gloves.
“Over here!” Finn called from where he cradled Mila’s head in his lap.
Danica spotted him and pushed her way to the front, dropping to her knees beside her friend, and opening one of Mila's eyes and shining a light into it. “What happened to her?” her tone was completely professional and calm.
“She used the circlet to control the hounds for a few seconds. I tried to stop her, but it took me too long to get there.” Finn confessed. He pulled back her hair and showed the burns to Danica.
They exchanged a look before Danica started taking Mila's vitals. They both knew it wasn't good.
Finn let Danica work and checked on Penny, having her climb down into his arms so he could get a good look at her wing. She cringed with pain but didn't protest as he stretched the bloody appendage to examine it. The bite had gone through the skin between bones; she was lucky in that, but the wound would take a while to heal, so she would not be very mobile.
“Too bad there aren’t any healing potions for dragons.” He commented, folding her wing back against her body. “But you’ve recovered from worse. Besides now you can tell people about your bad-ass scar.” He smiled at her. She just rolled her eyes.
Glancing around at the controlled chaos of the cleanup, Finn saw several of the military men administering healing both magical and mundane to those who were too injured to get out on their own. He also saw several men locking Jeffery in shackles that had an anti-magical aura that nearly drained the color from the air around them. The troll was still out, but with their accelerated healing, he would be up soon.
Reaching over, he placed a hand on Danica's arm. “I’m going to get these hounds out of here while I have them under control. Will you be okay without me?”
She nodded, not looking up from whatever it was she was mixing in a bowl. “Penny, stay here. I‘ll have something for that wing in a minute. Plus, I might need your help with our girl here.”
Penny patted Finn's arm, pointing to be put down. He gently lowered her beside Mila, where she sat on her haunches and placed a hand on Mila's forehead.
Knowing there wasn't anything he could do for his two friends, he focused on the things he could do.
Finn stopped the first black-clad trooper he came across and was a little surprised to see that it was a female elf under the helmet. “Who the hell are you people?”
She gave him a roguish smile and tipped her helmet up with a finger. “We’re G.A.E.L.,” she said, with a hint of pride, tapping the white letters printed on her armor. “Mr. Meriwether brought us in. Too bad we missed the action.”
“What the hell does G.A.E.L. stand for?” Finn frowned, trying to guess the acronym.
“Magical defense and concealment league. We do it all.” She pointed her rifle at the hounds.
Finn screwed up his face trying to make that work. “That’s not how an acronym works. Don't the letters have to match the words?”
“It’s from a dead language. We keep trying to have it changed, but there are traditions to uphold. You understand, I’m sure.” She pointed her rifle at the hounds. “What are we supposed to do with these, exactly?”
“I’ll take care of them.” Finn scanned the room. “Is Preston here?”
“I believe he is outside talking with the owner of this establishment. Should I go get him?” she didn't seem all that eager to collect the powerful man.
“That would be great. And be sure to keep the troll here until I get back. I have questions for him.”
The elf gave him a salute and jogged out the front door after stopping to say a word to the two troopers keeping an eye on Jeffery. Finn turned to the hounds and, using the circlet and a small burst of magic, made them all stand and turn toward the back door. He had to use a couple of quick spells to free the four hounds he had fused together and the one still stuck in the stone floor, but after a few minutes, he was marching the hounds out into the back alley where the white box truck they had been transported in waited. The back door was still open, so he had the hounds hop up one at a time and lie down. He stepped up onto the rear gate step and pulled the door down, latching it closed. He then sent the hounds a calming signal, soothing their fear and putting the idea of a good night’s sleep in their minds before he gently severed the contact.
He was not a master of the device by any means, but his innate ability to use dwarven magic made the process easy for him, where it had obviously been a struggle for Jeffery and had nearly killed Mila.
He returned to find the hulking form of Preston, his human concealment spell firmly in place, squatting beside Danica, Penny, and Mila. The illusion was so good that if Finn hadn't seen a picture of him in a magazine recently, he wouldn't have known who he was.
Preston saw Finn enter and stood to meet him, taking a step away from Danica to let her continue her work, slathering a green paste on Penny's wing.
He held out a large hand to Finn. “This was good work, Finn. I’m sorry we didn't get here in time to help.”
Finn shook hands, his bloody hand leaving a red smear on Preston’s that the Minotaur didn't seem to notice or care about. “We did what we had to. Help cleaning up is much appreciated, though.” He handed the circlet over. “The hounds are in the truck in the alley. I suggested they take a nap, so they should be easy to transport.”
“Thanks for that.” He handed the circlet to one of the troopers, who put it in a black cloth sack, and cinched the top closed. “So, you were able to save the hounds as well? That’s worth a bonus, for sure. Anita will be pleased.”
“I don't know if you should be celebrating or not. You just inherited a pack of magic-resistant hellhounds. I was able to influence them due to my dwarven earth magic, but I saw about two dozen attack spells bounce off of them like they were thrown seaweed.”
“We’ll be sure to take extra care with them. We may have to put them back into storage. We don't have many stasis chambers still working on this old ship, but we’ll find a way.”
Preston and Finn turned at the sound of metal clanking and saw that Jeffery had finally recovered enough to wake up. He pulled at the shackles, but they showed no sign of letting loose.
The two large men walked over, staring down at the sitting troll.
“Hey, Jeff.” Finn raised an eyebrow. “Turns out you’re a real piece of shit, huh?”
Jeffery, for his part, at least had a hint of remorse in his eyes as he surveyed all the victims being treated. Finn noted that at least four of the injured had succumbed to their wounds and were now covered with sheets and being carried out of the building on stretchers.
“I told them it was a bad idea,” Jeffery mumbled. “No one listens to the troll, though.”
Preston squatted down to be more on his level. “What was the game plan here? I assume this is all orchestrated by the Dark Star, but what is it she wanted to accomplish?”
“Her plan is simple.” Jeffery locked his gaze on his former friend Mila, still lying unconscious a few feet away. “She wants magicals to feel like they don't have anyone looking out for them. If there is enough unrest, they will be willing to fight for protection, and she can swoop in with her promises of a nation of our own. And rights for every race.”
Finn laughed entirely too loud. “Oh, now that’s a plan right out of dwarven lore if I’ve ever heard one. Attack the people in secret so they come to you for protection. Are we sure I’m the only dwarf left on Earth?”
“It sounds crude, but I’m afraid it’s working.” Preston sighed. “There have been reports all over the globe of things like this happening. Most communities don't have someone like me to guide them, so they flock to the first thing that looks like safety.”
“And in most places, that’s a Dark Star agent?” Finn guessed. Preston nodded. “Okay, I can understand the attacks in a twisted way as a good idea for her organization, but why did you send assassins after us? You had to know we wouldn't be taken out that easily.” Finn asked Jeffery, who cocked his head to the side in confusion.
“What assassins?”
Finn narrowed his eyes. “The one you sent after Mila and me at the hospital? Then the ones you sent to Preston’s estate?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t have anything to with that. How would I get assassins onto one of the best-guarded estates in the country?”
“Then who was it?” Finn asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Why should I tell you?”
Preston stood and took a step forward, his large bulk suddenly looming. “Because if you do, I can pu
t in a good word for you. No matter what happens with the Dark Star, you’ll never be a part of it now. But I can make your time in prison easier. Call it “going state’s evidence” if you like. Who knows, you might even get your own shower.”
Jeffery was, evidently, not a stupid troll. He took about three seconds to consider before spilling the beans. “I only talked with him once, and it was on the phone, but I heard that Kashgar son of a bitch in charge call him Kal multiple times.”
Finn looked over to see Preston’s expression go dark for a second before he smiled at Jeffery. “Thank you. I’ll be sure you are treated well in your new home.” He turned and immediately pulled a phone from his pocket, hitting a speed dial number.
“Is she all right?” Jeffery asked, true concern in his voice.
Finn looked away from Preston and saw Jeffery gazing at the prone form of Mila. Finn took a second to process the feelings that seeing her lying there caused his blood to boil in his chest before answering.
“I don't know. Physically, she should be fine. Dr. Meadows got her to drink a healing potion, so the damage is now purely magical. Physically she’ll recover, but I have no idea what you did to her peabrain. Only time will tell.”
Jeffery swallowed hard. “I tried to keep her away from all this. She has something special about her that I never understood.” He looked up at Finn. “Do you know about her affinity for insects? I’ve never seen anything like it. I never found a trace of magic in her, but she could still communicate with them. It’s an indication of much more, but I’ll be damned if I can tell what it is.”
Two of the G.A.E.L. troopers came over and lifted Jeffery up to his feet, keeping a tight hold on his shackled arms, preparing to take him away.
“Tell her I’m sorry.” He frowned, his face hardening. “I’m not sorry that the attack went forward, just how it turned out. And that she had to pay for it. The Dark Star isn’t wrong, just her methods might be flawed, but we magicals need a place we can call home. Look around, dwarf. You’ll see that I’m right.”