Attack! (Excerpt from Book II, Blood Covenant, Chapter 8--The Underground Pass) (c) Copyright of C.A. CLARK
A satisfied smile twisted in perverse pleasure over his scarred features, saliva dripping from his open jaws. Then suddenly he had her by the throat, his fingers closing over her wind-pipe, and in the next moment Adlai felt herself being hoisted off her feet. Choking for air she struggled against her assailant; her eyes strained back in her head before she snatched a brief glimpse of Gunar. Instinctively Gunar’s head whipped about in her direction, and there was a sudden wild look of rage at sight of her captor. With a single swipe he deftly knocked one of the Neiphile to the ground before hurling another aside; and then in the time it took to blink he was streaking across the field towards them. With a flying leap he tackled the monster, and Adlai herself was thrown to the ground. She was just scrambling to her feet, when all at once she saw Neiphiles prowling in from every direction, eyes fixated upon her like wolves moving in on the kill. They were everywhere… a full score of them, at least… However could Gunar fight off so many?!
Suddenly from nowhere a great black wolf leapt in between Adlai and the circling band of beasts, followed by a black panther. The panther spat and hissed with arched back, while the wolf bared its teeth with a ferocious growl. All at once a flaming ball of fire came screaming through the air like a falling star, slamming the earth only inches from where she stood. A crater immediately formed, as the ball of flame careened in a full circle round about them before coming to a full stop. A wall of flames shot up on all sides, barring their foes from them. Rising up from the blackened ashes stood Sunefaere, scorching anger boiling in her eyes, and her very garments, skin, and wings ablaze like a wild fire.
The earth suddenly began to quake. Without warning it fell away, and the rocks beneath split open. The circle of ground upon which they stood shot up in the air like a towering precipice, and Adlai was thrown to her knees. Peering over the side of the ledge she saw an outcrop of thick, tangled vines had appeared from the sunken cavities in the earth, twisting about in all directions and rapidly growing in height and dimension, until they formed a thick gnarled hedge within the surrounding wall of flames.
Then before her wondering eyes Sirene suddenly appeared, though she hardly looked herself at all: in place of her delicate butterfly wings were the strong, widespread wings of a falcon; instead of her airy gown, her form was now encased in full body armor that flashed like molten metal, and the tender look of innocence in her eye was replaced by an expression dark as death. No sooner had she appeared, then the black panther leapt from the rock on which it had crouched, and instantly changed shape. Lady Astrial it was, her stormy eyes the picture of a tempest-tossed sea, and her dragon scales smoking a fiery umber, and which rapidly spread all over her face and body. Seeing this, the great black wolf delivered a final growl with a snap of its jaws, then instantly vanished away. Tall and proud stood Yuel, skin icy-pale as death, her eyes cold and unmoving as they bore down upon the enemy spectators below. Her snow-white feathers were now black as a raven’s, and her icicle dreadlocks dripped down over a warrior queen’s battle-dress of charcoal black.
Together, all four sisters each raised a scepter staff in her right hand. Lightning flashed from the tip of each, its light bending and contorting until all branched together.
“Water!” Yuel’s voice boomed. Shards of ice flew from her eyes, pelting the beasts like razors, as they flew aside with startled squeals and yelps.
“Wind!” Astrial thundered. Immediately howling winds tore through the field from all four directions; colliding together, they merged into a raging, whirling tempest that rose up dark and threatening over all.
“Fire!” Sunefaere screamed, as a hail of sparks flew from her scepter, razing to ash everything they lit upon outside the protective inner circle.
… Last of all the youngest Muse stepped forward, her stony features set like flint, as a momentary hush fell all around:
“Earth!”
Her low voice was barely more than a whisper, but it fell on the ears of all like the sudden breaking of an earthquake. The ground beneath the Neiphile instantly ruptured, sending many of the Creatures toppling down into its groaning depths, before returning to its place again. Cries and shrieks echoed and re-echoed, before all returned to a stilly silence. The company of animals and mystical beings which hung on the outskirts now held their breath over the few remaining Neiphile still cowering at the foot of the precipice, and all eyes turned last to Gunar.
For just a second his eyes met Adlai’s, still crumpled and trembling atop the great rock formation. But in the next instant he seized her first attacker by the throat, and belted out an ear-splitting roar of savage fury.
A look first of shock, then of dread, flushed across the Neiphile’s face. Strange, harsh sounding words quaked from his lips in an unknown tongue, yet to her utter surprise Adlai found that she understand what was being said:
“It is not yet the appointed time! Would you condemn me to the pit before then?”
“When it is time,” Gunar snarled back in the same strange language, “The lowest regions of Hell are reserved for you and your kind!”
“Please—please, my Lord!”
“Take your pack of dogs and get out!” Gunar roared, throwing him sprawling on his face.
The glen resounded with the echoes of terrified baying, as the Neiphile took to their heels. At the edge of the forest, the leader stopped to cast a malevolent glare back at Gunar. Adlai held her breath as he gave a parting glance in her direction: their eyes locked for a split second, and a shiver peeled down her spine. His lips curled in malicious contempt, as he let go a low growl in warning.
Suddenly from nowhere a great black wolf leapt in between Adlai and the circling band of beasts, followed by a black panther. The panther spat and hissed with arched back, while the wolf bared its teeth with a ferocious growl. All at once a flaming ball of fire came screaming through the air like a falling star, slamming the earth only inches from where she stood. A crater immediately formed, as the ball of flame careened in a full circle round about them before coming to a full stop. A wall of flames shot up on all sides, barring their foes from them. Rising up from the blackened ashes stood Sunefaere, scorching anger boiling in her eyes, and her very garments, skin, and wings ablaze like a wild fire.
The earth suddenly began to quake. Without warning it fell away, and the rocks beneath split open. The circle of ground upon which they stood shot up in the air like a towering precipice, and Adlai was thrown to her knees. Peering over the side of the ledge she saw an outcrop of thick, tangled vines had appeared from the sunken cavities in the earth, twisting about in all directions and rapidly growing in height and dimension, until they formed a thick gnarled hedge within the surrounding wall of flames.
Then before her wondering eyes Sirene suddenly appeared, though she hardly looked herself at all: in place of her delicate butterfly wings were the strong, widespread wings of a falcon; instead of her airy gown, her form was now encased in full body armor that flashed like molten metal, and the tender look of innocence in her eye was replaced by an expression dark as death. No sooner had she appeared, then the black panther leapt from the rock on which it had crouched, and instantly changed shape. Lady Astrial it was, her stormy eyes the picture of a tempest-tossed sea, and her dragon scales smoking a fiery umber, and which rapidly spread all over her face and body. Seeing this, the great black wolf delivered a final growl with a snap of its jaws, then instantly vanished away. Tall and proud stood Yuel, skin icy-pale as death, her eyes cold and unmoving as they bore down upon the enemy spectators below. Her snow-white feathers were now black as a raven’s, and her icicle dreadlocks dripped down over a warrior queen’s battle-dress of charcoal black.
Together, all four sisters each raised a scepter staff in her right hand. Lightning flashed from the tip of each, its light bending and contorting until all branched together.
“Water!” Yuel’s voice boomed. Shards of ice flew from her eyes, pelting the beasts like razors, as they flew aside with startled squeals and yelps.
“Wind!” Astrial thundered. Immediately howling winds tore through the field from all four directions; colliding together, they merged into a raging, whirling tempest that rose up dark and threatening over all.
“Fire!” Sunefaere screamed, as a hail of sparks flew from her scepter, razing to ash everything they lit upon outside the protective inner circle.
… Last of all the youngest Muse stepped forward, her stony features set like flint, as a momentary hush fell all around:
“Earth!”
Her low voice was barely more than a whisper, but it fell on the ears of all like the sudden breaking of an earthquake. The ground beneath the Neiphile instantly ruptured, sending many of the Creatures toppling down into its groaning depths, before returning to its place again. Cries and shrieks echoed and re-echoed, before all returned to a stilly silence. The company of animals and mystical beings which hung on the outskirts now held their breath over the few remaining Neiphile still cowering at the foot of the precipice, and all eyes turned last to Gunar.
For just a second his eyes met Adlai’s, still crumpled and trembling atop the great rock formation. But in the next instant he seized her first attacker by the throat, and belted out an ear-splitting roar of savage fury.
A look first of shock, then of dread, flushed across the Neiphile’s face. Strange, harsh sounding words quaked from his lips in an unknown tongue, yet to her utter surprise Adlai found that she understand what was being said:
“It is not yet the appointed time! Would you condemn me to the pit before then?”
“When it is time,” Gunar snarled back in the same strange language, “The lowest regions of Hell are reserved for you and your kind!”
“Please—please, my Lord!”
“Take your pack of dogs and get out!” Gunar roared, throwing him sprawling on his face.
The glen resounded with the echoes of terrified baying, as the Neiphile took to their heels. At the edge of the forest, the leader stopped to cast a malevolent glare back at Gunar. Adlai held her breath as he gave a parting glance in her direction: their eyes locked for a split second, and a shiver peeled down her spine. His lips curled in malicious contempt, as he let go a low growl in warning.
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