ripping out Steve’s throat with his fangs. Then Jordan leapt to his feet, planting one furry foot against Steve’s chest as he seized Steve’s right arm with both hands. Jordan ripped with all his strength, tearing off Steve’s arm in a shower of hot, coppery blood. Trevor found himself licking his lips where some of the blood had splattered. A tide of hunger rose within him, but he forced it down as he dropped back into the shadows. Just in time. A bolt of green fire shot past him, catching Jordan in the shoulder. It knocked the Commander back from Steve, though Steve didn’t seem in any shape to capitalize on it.
Steve scrambled away from Jordan, finally pulling himself to his feet at the base of one of the columns lining the room. He clutched his severed stump with his remaining hand, but Trevor knew it would only be a minute or two before the limb regrew. They had the advantage, but only for a few moments. He had to find a way to capitalize on it, but what the hell could he do?
Be wary, my host. A new danger approaches.
Trevor rolled into a crouch next to a column, studying the darkness. There was no sign of Irakesh, and both Jordan and Steve were recovering in different corners of the room. He sensed nothing, so what had caused his risen to speak?
The head of a massive scythe erupted from Jordan’s chest. The haft shone gold, very much like the sunsteel sword Liz wielded. The two-foot-long curved blade at the end was also gold, but had an enormous ruby set into the center. It gleamed cruelly for a moment, then it wrenched loose from Jordan’s chest. Jordan’s furry form collapsed to the ground, eyes glazed. He was totally unresponsive, possibly unconscious. What the hell had done that?
Trevor kept perfectly still, waiting to see if the attacker revealed himself again. If he did, his likely target would be Steve, as he was the only visible person in the room. So Trevor watched him, waiting to see what would happen. A few moments later, the same golden scythe burst from Steve’s throat. He reached up to free himself; the axe jerked. The motion slammed Steve’s body into the column next to him with so much force all three remaining limbs shattered. His broken body tumbled to the ground, unmoving.
It was a damn good thing Trevor neither breathed nor had a heartbeat. Either would have given him away. He stood there next to the pillar, waiting. Long moments passed, then a rolling wave of green energy burst from the center of the room. It came from the strangest figure Trevor had ever seen, much like a werewolf but with the head of a jackal. It wore golden armor, but he didn’t have time to see more before the energy burned his eyes from his face.
He fell to the ground screaming, praying for the pain to end.
Chapter 11- Stabilizing the Nexus
Blair stared dumbly at the light bridge as the white light faded. All four figures had been whisked to wherever the bridge had taken them. If his theories about the glyph over the door matched the hologram’s claims, then that meant all four had just light walked to Africa. They were now in the stronghold of the enemy, locked in a fight for their lives.
Take caution, Ka-Dun , his beast rumbled. You seek to protect your pack, but if you follow blindly you may share their fate. That would deliver not one, but two access keys into the hands of your enemies.
The beast wasn’t wrong, but Blair still took a step towards the light bridge. Either he acted decisively and followed, or he accepted the fact that Trevor and Jordan were lost. They’d need an Ark Lord to guide them back to the Nexus, and there was no way they could coerce Steve to do that.
“I have to go after them,” he decided, hurrying towards the light bridge.
“That is inadvisable,” buzzed a cheery voice. Blair spun to find the hologram hovering not far from the doorway. Oddly, there were no gems projecting the light that formed the strange green figure. Somehow it had manifested on its
Steve scrambled away from Jordan, finally pulling himself to his feet at the base of one of the columns lining the room. He clutched his severed stump with his remaining hand, but Trevor knew it would only be a minute or two before the limb regrew. They had the advantage, but only for a few moments. He had to find a way to capitalize on it, but what the hell could he do?
Be wary, my host. A new danger approaches.
Trevor rolled into a crouch next to a column, studying the darkness. There was no sign of Irakesh, and both Jordan and Steve were recovering in different corners of the room. He sensed nothing, so what had caused his risen to speak?
The head of a massive scythe erupted from Jordan’s chest. The haft shone gold, very much like the sunsteel sword Liz wielded. The two-foot-long curved blade at the end was also gold, but had an enormous ruby set into the center. It gleamed cruelly for a moment, then it wrenched loose from Jordan’s chest. Jordan’s furry form collapsed to the ground, eyes glazed. He was totally unresponsive, possibly unconscious. What the hell had done that?
Trevor kept perfectly still, waiting to see if the attacker revealed himself again. If he did, his likely target would be Steve, as he was the only visible person in the room. So Trevor watched him, waiting to see what would happen. A few moments later, the same golden scythe burst from Steve’s throat. He reached up to free himself; the axe jerked. The motion slammed Steve’s body into the column next to him with so much force all three remaining limbs shattered. His broken body tumbled to the ground, unmoving.
It was a damn good thing Trevor neither breathed nor had a heartbeat. Either would have given him away. He stood there next to the pillar, waiting. Long moments passed, then a rolling wave of green energy burst from the center of the room. It came from the strangest figure Trevor had ever seen, much like a werewolf but with the head of a jackal. It wore golden armor, but he didn’t have time to see more before the energy burned his eyes from his face.
He fell to the ground screaming, praying for the pain to end.
Chapter 11- Stabilizing the Nexus
Blair stared dumbly at the light bridge as the white light faded. All four figures had been whisked to wherever the bridge had taken them. If his theories about the glyph over the door matched the hologram’s claims, then that meant all four had just light walked to Africa. They were now in the stronghold of the enemy, locked in a fight for their lives.
Take caution, Ka-Dun , his beast rumbled. You seek to protect your pack, but if you follow blindly you may share their fate. That would deliver not one, but two access keys into the hands of your enemies.
The beast wasn’t wrong, but Blair still took a step towards the light bridge. Either he acted decisively and followed, or he accepted the fact that Trevor and Jordan were lost. They’d need an Ark Lord to guide them back to the Nexus, and there was no way they could coerce Steve to do that.
“I have to go after them,” he decided, hurrying towards the light bridge.
“That is inadvisable,” buzzed a cheery voice. Blair spun to find the hologram hovering not far from the doorway. Oddly, there were no gems projecting the light that formed the strange green figure. Somehow it had manifested on its
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