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Authors: David Talon
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shoulder as its claws dug into the wound in the creature’s side. The wolf-creature screamed as the golem knocked it to the ground, both of them snarling as they began to roll around.
Two more wolf-creatures ran at us out of the smoky ash, and Captain Cholula ran to meet them, Karl right beside her. “Run for St. Augustine,” she yelled back at me. “Find Johanna; I’ll meet you there.”
I needed no prompting, looking over my shoulder as I ran toward the stable. The two wolf-creatures were also bleeding and seemed to be half-mad with pain as one leaped at Captain Cholula. It hit her dead on, but she rolled back with the blow, using its own momentum to flip it backwards with her legs. Like a dancer she rolled with the creature, her Artifact cutlass biting deep into its leg as she went after it. Behind her, Karl laughed as he charged the other wolf-creature, burying his black axe in its chest as he used his hammer to block its jaws from tearing out his throat.
Another, larger figure was coming out of the maelstrom, and I ran for the stable door, now only a few paces away. But suddenly my legs were swept out from under me and I dropped to the ground, the breath knocked out of my chest. I spat dirt out of my mouth and rolled onto my back.
The shaman who had turned into a jaguar-creature was crouched over me. Its torso was too hunched over for it to stand up straight, its muscles rippling underneath its black fur as its claws retracted into its paws. The creature’s muzzle was wet with blood, its breath rank with a coppery smell as it spoke in a voice both man and jaguar. “Are you ready to take a trip?” It spoke cultured Spanish, and as I gasped for breath it seemed to smile. “My mother, Olde Bone Woman, dearly wants to meet you.” Its paws were more like a human’s hand, I realized as they reached out to grab me.
A blazing shadow leaped onto its back. An air-golem wolf of swirling wood chips, ash and fire bit down on the back of the jaguar-creature’s neck with a mouth of flame, and the creature screamed as it rolled away, the air-golem yelling in Smoke’s voice, “Tomas, run!”
I lurched to my feet. Throwing open the stable door, I saw Master Gomez’s horse was gone, but Alfonzo’s was still in her wooden stall with the half-door closed, the poor beast’s eyes white with fear as I leaped up over the rough planks and onto the horse’s back. “Tiger,” I gasped, “the latch!”
Tiger had already created a small air-golem manikin from the strength I’d given her earlier, and now she flipped the piece of wood keeping the stall’s door closed. I put my heels to the horse’s flanks as the jaguar-creature staggered in front of the stable door. The horse smashed into the creature and knocked it aside with her shoulder then turned toward the beach path back to St. Augustine, the manikin air-golem bouncing on the back of the horse behind me. I prayed the mare wouldn’t break a leg as she galloped down the path towards the ocean. But the light was good and luck stayed with us as we made it to the beach, the horse swerving toward the hard packed sand close to the water as I looked back.
The jaguar-creature was right behind us. Its tongue was lolling out of its mouth as it ran, and I feared we wouldn’t escape it this time. But Smoke was at its heels, the rushing air making the flame inside her flare up, although I knew it wouldn’t last. A thought struck me, and I yelled, “Tiger, its legs!”
She leaped off the horse at once and threw herself into the jaguarcreature’s knees. It couldn’t stop in time and lost its feet, rolling in the sand as Smoke pounced on its back once again. The creature screamed and the horse galloped like the hounds of hell were behind her while I clung to her back, praying I wouldn’t be bounced off.
We reached the spot where the trees jutted out into the sea before I dared look back again. Smoke and the jaguar-creature were far behind, the fire gone out of the air-golem
Two more wolf-creatures ran at us out of the smoky ash, and Captain Cholula ran to meet them, Karl right beside her. “Run for St. Augustine,” she yelled back at me. “Find Johanna; I’ll meet you there.”
I needed no prompting, looking over my shoulder as I ran toward the stable. The two wolf-creatures were also bleeding and seemed to be half-mad with pain as one leaped at Captain Cholula. It hit her dead on, but she rolled back with the blow, using its own momentum to flip it backwards with her legs. Like a dancer she rolled with the creature, her Artifact cutlass biting deep into its leg as she went after it. Behind her, Karl laughed as he charged the other wolf-creature, burying his black axe in its chest as he used his hammer to block its jaws from tearing out his throat.
Another, larger figure was coming out of the maelstrom, and I ran for the stable door, now only a few paces away. But suddenly my legs were swept out from under me and I dropped to the ground, the breath knocked out of my chest. I spat dirt out of my mouth and rolled onto my back.
The shaman who had turned into a jaguar-creature was crouched over me. Its torso was too hunched over for it to stand up straight, its muscles rippling underneath its black fur as its claws retracted into its paws. The creature’s muzzle was wet with blood, its breath rank with a coppery smell as it spoke in a voice both man and jaguar. “Are you ready to take a trip?” It spoke cultured Spanish, and as I gasped for breath it seemed to smile. “My mother, Olde Bone Woman, dearly wants to meet you.” Its paws were more like a human’s hand, I realized as they reached out to grab me.
A blazing shadow leaped onto its back. An air-golem wolf of swirling wood chips, ash and fire bit down on the back of the jaguar-creature’s neck with a mouth of flame, and the creature screamed as it rolled away, the air-golem yelling in Smoke’s voice, “Tomas, run!”
I lurched to my feet. Throwing open the stable door, I saw Master Gomez’s horse was gone, but Alfonzo’s was still in her wooden stall with the half-door closed, the poor beast’s eyes white with fear as I leaped up over the rough planks and onto the horse’s back. “Tiger,” I gasped, “the latch!”
Tiger had already created a small air-golem manikin from the strength I’d given her earlier, and now she flipped the piece of wood keeping the stall’s door closed. I put my heels to the horse’s flanks as the jaguar-creature staggered in front of the stable door. The horse smashed into the creature and knocked it aside with her shoulder then turned toward the beach path back to St. Augustine, the manikin air-golem bouncing on the back of the horse behind me. I prayed the mare wouldn’t break a leg as she galloped down the path towards the ocean. But the light was good and luck stayed with us as we made it to the beach, the horse swerving toward the hard packed sand close to the water as I looked back.
The jaguar-creature was right behind us. Its tongue was lolling out of its mouth as it ran, and I feared we wouldn’t escape it this time. But Smoke was at its heels, the rushing air making the flame inside her flare up, although I knew it wouldn’t last. A thought struck me, and I yelled, “Tiger, its legs!”
She leaped off the horse at once and threw herself into the jaguarcreature’s knees. It couldn’t stop in time and lost its feet, rolling in the sand as Smoke pounced on its back once again. The creature screamed and the horse galloped like the hounds of hell were behind her while I clung to her back, praying I wouldn’t be bounced off.
We reached the spot where the trees jutted out into the sea before I dared look back again. Smoke and the jaguar-creature were far behind, the fire gone out of the air-golem
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