Amethyst, Tenya, and Stochastís dove to the ground. Skotóno’s talons nearly struck them. The rocks hidden beneath the leaves dug into Amethyst’s flesh as she slid to a halt. She saw Skotóno ascend, then prepare another attack. Amethyst scrambled, her boots having no traction. She slipped out of the way of Skotóno’s second attack, but it wasn’t her who was the focus. Rather, it had been Stochastís who had endured the brunt.
The claws had missed their target, but the man sized paw slammed into Stochastís, knocking him to the ground. Amethyst tugged on his arm, hauling him up onto his feet as they retreated towards the old temple. Standing beside Amethyst and Stochastís, Tenya halted them with an outstretched arm. A moment later, Skotóno pounced right where they would have been.
Stepping back slightly, they drew their weapons. Wa Chini and Garba acted first, dashing up to the Manticore as they had done during their first encounter. But Skotóno countered their attempt. He swung at the cats, missing them as they fell backwards. Prátton, was returning from the temple, where he had left his weapons and armor before the battles start. He raised his spear and drove it into the scorpion tail of the Manticore.
The deafening cry which followed rang as loudly as a temple bell. The ringing persisted for Amethyst, even after the screech had finished. Skotóno turned around, swinging at Prátton, who had remained out of Skotóno’s reach. Tenya took her chance, ripping the spear from the beast’s tail. Wa Chini and Garba leapt onto the Manticore. They climbed the mountainous creature, digging their own claws deep into its flesh, making their way towards the wings.
With a mighty whoosh, Skotóno lifted from the ground. Garba and Wa Chini dropped unharmed. Amethyst drew water from the pouch on her back. The water circled her as she lined up her aim, then flattened the water into a thin disc. As Skotóno was flying up, Amethyst shot her watery blade with a loud burst of air. The water sliced through the wing membrane as if it were butter, causing another deafening roar.
Skotóno flapped his mighty wing, but the damage was too great for him to continue. The slit in the membrane tore into a jagged bloody mess as the Manticore tried to lift higher. The cut spread from the topmost part of the membrane, just below a hooked claw at the very top, along the center following the boney structure, severing the wing and Skotóno’s control over it.
He fell in a corkscrew pattern onto the ground. The party rushed towards the fallen beast, each brandishing their weapons and a bitter war cry. Skotóno struggled to stand. His eyes left the charging figures, settling upon Amethyst—isolated, near the entrance.
Skotóno sneered at Amethyst and stood shaking. “Filthy creature, what have you done!?”
As the charging group bore closer, Skotóno took in a deep breath. The group slowed their advance and covered their ears. A glow started in the creature’s throat and rose to the back of its throat.
“Run away!” Amethyst shouted. She moved closer to the group.
The creature caused the group to stop, turn, and flee. The leaves underfoot hindered their retreat, causing some of them to slip and fall. Tenya went down elbow first and cried out while Prátton tried to lift her up and out of the way.
Amethyst took the remainder of the water from her pouch and on without thinking, shot it at the fiery maw. “Leave them alone!” Amethyst shouted. She continued moving towards Skotóno. Her concentration focused on the fire building. She didn’t notice the moisture lifting from the ground surrounding around her. Like a torrent, water raged towards the Manticore. “Drown Skotóno!” Amethyst screamed, her voice cracking.
A billow of fire obscured Skotóno as the storm raged towards Amethyst’s friends. The furious stream of water met the flaming force. With a boom, the two forces exploded into steam, which extended high in the sky, and swallowed up the battlefield, hiding both her friends and the Manticore from her vision.
Amethyst heaved as she dropped to the ground. Her stomach bit at her and her head was pounding. She struggled to keep her eyes open. The dizzy spell worsened, then subsided. Though tired, Amethyst managed to stay conscious. She sat still, the world refocusing around her as she struggle to catch her breath.
The ruined village had become a dreamscape. There were no singing birds, nor the sound of waves or trees. All had gone quiet and still. Only the ringing in her ears kept her company in the impenetrable fog. Amethyst closed her eyes and focused on the water now in the air. She thought back to the storm, to the Kraken. Her body fought back at first, delving into a wave of nausea. Her hands and feet had gone numb, and a pit had formed in her stomach. But she pushed through it. She tried to imagine herself seeing through the mist. Her mind was blank and the darkness behind her eyelids made her heart gallop. She imagined the shape of the Manticore. She imagined it prowling through the ruins, stalking her as it did. In her realm of imagination, she could see the outline disturbing the fog, leaving twisting, swirling trails behind it as it grew closer to her.
In front of her, she could almost see its scorpion like tail, lifting just to its side. She felt small drops of blood trickling from both its wing and the base of the tail falling through the fog. She focused more on this image, focused on the *Buh boom, Buh boom* of its heart, the rasp of the creature’s subtle breath rumbling as it took aim at her, the very flow of its essence.
Its breath stopped, the tail tensed.
Her body screamed, her heart jumped into her throat, and she rolled over the ground. Several objects whistled past her, striking the soil where she was standing. Still with her eyes firmly closed, she sensed spiny darts shoot from the creature’s tail. Amethyst remained silent and focused on Skotóno, who was on the move, not running, but sneaking at a rapid pace. It was edging closer to her. As quietly and carefully as she could, Amethyst rose and made her way towards the old temple doors.
Skotóno abandoned any stealth and dashed towards Amethyst. Time slowed to a crawl as she made her way, nearly blind, forward. Skotóno’s agility was unlike anything she had seen. The image of him pivoted instantly, following her on a collision course. The speed was unmatched.
She knew Skotóno would make it to her long before she reached the door. As Amethyst gripped her dagger, a plan formed in her mind to strike the creature’s heart when it came close. If it was too close to dodge, she might get away with it just before it could strike. However, if she missed, the creature would maul her. In the brief moments she had, her mind left behind her doubt. After all, if she did nothing...
She gathered her magic to her hand as quickly as she could, robbing the feeling in her legs and her free arm. The pit turned into a fiery furnace. Her heart pumped lava through her core. She was feeling sluggish, the edges of her vision darkening around the peripherals. The hot, rough, leathery hilt made her hand itch as each second slowed even further. She could hear the crushing paws ripping up the earth as it strode to meet her. Each beat of her own heart matched the approaching steps of the relentless hunter.
Skotóno was clearer in her mind as the rest of the world darkened. The unblinking eyes of a man’s face bore into her side and back, the unwavering smile which had been carved into its face. Its sharp teeth aching to sink into her. If it could speak in this moment, it would say “Tasty snack, run, run. I’ll catch you, but let’s play a little first.”
The gap closed as the seconds stretched to their limits, and time was little more than standing still. She felt its heartbeat like a drum pounding in her ears. He was right next to her. The heat in her hand was unbearable. She turned, suspended between time and the infinite cosmos. The path of the dagger was clear. With a boom, which pushed her down, the dagger flew true to the beast’s beating heart. With nothing more to do, Amethyst let herself fall into the void without time.
The dagger cut through the water, but the boom of air had pushed Skotóno up slightly, as it had done with her. The beast’s body moved just enough that the blade made a shallow cut along its furry chest. All hope seemed lost in that moment. The trueness of her aim had failed to consider the power of her own magic. She refused to let fear take over. She could still win this. Focusing on the surrounding water, Amethyst imagined the droplets guiding the blade, altering its course enough to strike its hind leg. If nothing else, it would give her the time she needed to escape beyond its reach/
Following her command, the blade strafed to the right, on a path to strike the new target. The tip pierced into the rear right leg, skin parting like a host welcoming their guest, and the muscles and tendons offered no resistance either, as the blade flew into the thigh bone. Skotóno was in the middle of his leap. The force of his muscles splintered his bone as the knife drew deeper and deeper through the bone. The hilt of the blade passed unhalted as it too parted the flesh and dug into the bone. In a split second, the femur splintered, then shattered as the dagger passed through the entire bone and out the other side. With no support, the eviscerated leg blew apart. Skotóno’s meaty claws wavered and missed Amethyst as they both crashed into the leaf-litter.
Skotóno slid into a sturdy, ruined wall carved from the mountain itself. Amethyst’s back slid through the leaves, past the creature’s reach. Amethyst covered her ears, knowing full well what came next. Skotóno’s howl of pain was both predictable and deadly. Even with her ears covered, she felt herself become nauseous as the vibrations shook through her entire body. She curled up into a ball, riding out one cry after another. Then, envisioned Skotóno crawling towards her, seeing what looked to be a subtle glow around the Manticore as it clawed closer. Like the Kraken, the glow was a foul greenish-gold color which emanated nothing but hatred.
A thud, followed by a whimper, marked Skotóno’s approach. “I will kill you slowly and painfully!” Skotóno cried. “You bitch! You bitch!” The popping and crackling of the beast’s body followed the frantic attempts to draw closer, trying to stay together as it pursued Amethyst.
Amethyst crawled as quickly as she could backwards. She heard the shouts of her comrades growing closer to her. “It’s almost dead!” She cried. “Just a little more!” She scraped her arms, banging them against the ground as Skotóno drew closer. Then she stood up and crept towards the door, but she saw nothing but blackness there. Opening her eyes, she saw the mangled horror of the creature. The blow twisted its leg; blood and bone trailed behind, the leg held on only by wrenched skin. “Holy fuck!” She screamed.
Amethyst tried to gather water around her, tried to pull together enough magic to blast the creature to the Abyss where it belonged. A cramp ran up her arm, twisting her muscles unnaturally. She resisted the weakness in her knees. She had depleted her magic. She was turning around when something caught her eye.
A blur passed in her vision. She tried to follow it, but could not. As she turned back towards the Manticore, she felt hot liquid, followed by a pelting of bones and other viscera. She hid her face away from exploding gore. The smell of blood and the stink of bowels covered her. She flashed back to the Kako and their filth. She looked back at the carnage to see the Manticore pinned against the wall. A tall man held it, appearing giant-like. He slammed into the creature, wildly punching while his head remained buried within. Skotóno’s eyes had gone dark, and the man tore apart the lifeless body.
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Amethysts stood shivering, watching the Manticore disintegrate. “Oh gods, what the fuck?” Amethyst whispered. Her heart pounding in her throat and her legs felt like they would break apart if she moved. Silently she sat there, watching as the man stood tall. His coarse hair ran down his neck and along the tops of his shoulders. Down his spine and to a pair of furry cheeks.
The man turned around. His muscles were budging and thick blue veins throbbed all over his body. The imposing figure lifted its bloody hands, still clenching chunks of flesh and fur, and let out a roar. It was no mask, it was a bull’s head on the man’s body. Patches of fur were on his arms, and his legs were furry and he stood naked on two thick cloven hooves. His rage clearly excited him, but his eyes remained fixed on Amethyst.
After taking in the sight for a moment, Amethyst’s heart raced as she sprinted to the safety of the temple. She heard thundering clops behind her as she slipped through the doors. The doors slammed shut, then bent inwards as the new beast forced his way into the temple. Amethyst screamed as she ran into the dark halls. Her body was at its limits, but the adrenalin that pumped into her numbed all else except escape. The beast was catching up to her, crashing through all in his path.
She rounded a corner and saw both Arketá and Sofía. Amethyst, nearly at her absolute limit, had cried out, “Run! Runaway!” She motioned with her arms, almost losing her balance as she leapt over another fallen pillar.
There was a crash behind her and she felt the temple rumble as rocks, dirt, and debris shook loose from the walls and cavernous ceilings, revealing bright beams of sunlight into the gloomy temple. The creature’s horns were long and sharp. They reminded her of the ones she had once had. The way they felt as they gored into her previous master. Imagining the way they would feel goring into her.
Sofía cupped her hands around her mouth and in an explicit command shouted, “Drop!”
Amethyst continued running towards the two girls, shouting, “Run! Run!”
Arketá dropped and closed her eyes, then Sofia pointed down and shouted, “Drop now!”
Amethyst took a few more steps before closing her eyes and dropping. She heard a loud hissing noise which emanated from Sofia’s direction. Where she fell, she curled into a ball, waiting for the beast to rip her apart, but the hall had gone silent. Amethyst looked up to see her pursuer just above her, reaching down. She let out a yelp and kicked her legs wildly to back away from him. But he remained still as stone. Noting no movement, she looked up at it to see that it wasn’t breathing. It wasn’t just still as stone, it was stone, petrified by the same gaze that had petrified the boar and the wolves.
Amethyst looked at Sofía, with tears welling in her eyes. “Thank you Sofía!” Then she started to cry quietly to herself.
Wa Chini, followed by Garba, rounded the corner and rushed to Amethyst. Tenya followed behind moments after. They stood with Amethyst, their faces awestruck. The golden statue Amethyst had seen was nothing compared to this one. It simply couldn’t replicate the striking grandeur and imposing size of the real Minitour.
§
Amethyst was sitting in a corner of the hallway, staring at the imposing beast. She was contemplating the few seconds that saved her life. Her tears had run dry, but she felt a hitch as she considered the gruesome fate that would have befallen her.
Tenya plopped next to Amethyst, her arm secured in a sling. She sighed, looking Amethyst in her eyes. “Thanks for saving us from the fire.” She said, while patting Amethyst’s thigh.
Amethyst responded dully, “No problem.” Amethyst looked half heartedly at Tenya’s gaze.
Tenya scooted closer to Amethyst, pressing her shoulder into Amethyst’s “No problem,” Tenya mocked with a wide smile.
Amethyst squinted, then smiled as well. Tenya nudged her and they both chucked, then looked at their feet. “You were really brave running towards the Manticore.” Tenya said tenderly.
Tenya shifted and responded, “Wasn’t just me. I had a great team helping me out. I was confident, not brave.”
“You weren’t frightened?”
“I guess I was, a little.” Tenya’s hand rubbed Amethyst’s thigh. “But you were brave. Facing down both the Manticore *and* the Minitour!”
“I ran.”
Tenya looked at Amethyst. Her hand rose to Amethyst’s chin, lifting her face so that their eyes would meet. “You fought back! Then retreated when it was tactically necessary. That’s strategic, not cowardice” “
A smile tugged at Amethyst’s lips. “Strategic?” Amethyst shook her head. “My mind was blank.”
Tenya’s face turned serious as she stared into Amethyst’s eyes. “Then it was instinct, but either way, you saved us from that fire and your own life. Now listen here! I won’t have you besmirching my friend’s name!”
Amethyst looked away. She let the moments of battle replay. Tenya was right. Regardless of what happened, her decisions did save her own life and her friends as well. Relief flooded through her tense mind. Her body felt lighter, and her resolve solidified. “Sorry, master.”
Tenya’s face turned to frustration. “Oh, you are lucky my arm hurts, or I’d beat you!”
Amethyst had a sly smile as she shrunk away. “Oh master, oh master please,” she mocked. “Have mercy on your humble servant!”
Tenya glared at Amethyst, who started giggling, and shook her head. “Just you wait,” Tenya said through clenched teeth and a smile.
Stochastís had taken a seat across from Amethyst, Arketá by his side, facing towards Prátton. Stochastís studied the Minitour, appearing thoughtful. Sofía, was setting up candles, and was directing the cats and Prátton in cleaning up the rubble around the Minitour.
Prátton heaved a large stone away from the Minitour’s feet. “Why do you want to experiment with this thing?”
Sofía remained quiet as she watched them work. She, like Stochastís, was lost in deep thought. “There are three larger stones just behind him. You may leave those alone.”
Prátton glared at Sofía. “Oh may we?”
“You may.”
Garba and Wa Chini had started a contest as to who could move the most rocks. Their game concluded in a draw, sparking another loud argument.
“Boys?” Amethyst asked quietly. “Please, be so kind as to race to íroas and inform him about the events here.”
The argument ended immediately as both Garba and Wa Chini pushed each other before they sprinted towards the exit, continuing to argue nonsensically.
Tenya squeezed Amethyst’s thigh. “Good thinking, see another reason you are so incredible.”
Amethyst stared back at Tenya. She had grown sweatier, and the light was dancing off of her oily skin. Her messy hair framed her freckles, which were sprinkled across the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were bright beacons. Amethyst couldn’t help but get lost in. She wanted to kiss Tenya. She wanted to pull her in and suffocate in their embrace. Instead, she feigned laughter. “You’re pandering.”
Tenya was looking at Amethyst’s eyes. She failed to respond at first and just kept staring. “It’s true.” She said. “I’m not pandering.”
The two were locked in each other’s eyes, briefly exploring the details of their faces, before returning to their eyes. Amethyst wanted to taste Tenya. Then Sofía started speaking loudly, breaking their trance.
Sofía was facing Prátton, who was sitting next to Arketá, rubbing her back. “The reason,” Sofía said. “Is that I know can assist the man. Exactly as I did for myself.”
Stochastís’s puzzled gaze turned to Sofía. “Another curse then?”
“Yes, he was a man. Then he was taken from his cell and became this creature.”
Prátton looked between the statue and Sofía. “But no more. Now he is dead.”
Sofía shook her head and tsked. “Magic is not so simple. The curse I have would allow me to return him to life.”
Stochastís stood and began pacing, his hand glued to his chin. “The focus should be restoring his sanity, not his life.”
Amethyst raised her hand high above her head. “The second you turn him back, will he not go ballistic?”
Sofía remained straight faced, the snakes on her head remaining quiet. Amethyst remained a healthy distance away so that she could not hear the snakes. Likewise, Sofía attempted to keep the snakes silent. Stochastís had taken his time to explain, and she seemed understanding of Amethyst’s initial reaction. “You are precisely right. A plan to subdue him while administering a cure is necessary.”
“I saw the cage. It is highly unlikely we can contain the Minitour,” Tenya interjected.
Sofía nodded her head. “Indeed, the challenge is there,” she agreed. “But let us not lose hope. With the right mechanics in place, he will find it quite difficult to break out. I will devise the plan. I am sure there is a way everyone can assist. In the mean time, I shall remain here.” She turned abruptly towards Stochastís. “Will you remain to assist me?”
Stochastís nodded. “Of course I will.” The two looked at each other for a long time.
Prátton gaged mockingly and Arketá smacked him hard on the arm. Prátton laughed, but Arketá didn’t share his amusement.
Tenya stood, putting her hand out for Amethyst to take. “Let’s go get some rest, huh?”
Amethyst nodded and smiled, taking her hand enthusiastically.
§
The evening was chilly outside, but quite cozy in Amethyst’s bed. Tenya softly snored in her bed, while Amethyst was lost in thought. She was replaying the fight repeatedly. The screaming Manticore, and the raging Minitour. She struggled to keep her eyes open as she created new scenarios in her mind. As she drifted away from reality and found herself buried deep between dream and memory.
She was standing on the boat she had fought the Kraken on. It rocked back and forth, but she was wholly alone. It wasn’t raining and there were no clouds, but there wasn’t a sky either. Reclining in her hammock, staring into the vastness above, she felt a gaze, which she didn’t mind. Amethyst swung in her hammock from side to side, then rolled off the edge.
She fell headfirst into the water below, but felt no splash or resistance. A large school of the little whales swam around her. She smiled as they danced. They carried her up, and they jumped from puddle to puddle. When she let go, she saw a stone wall and placed her hand on it. The rocks slowly moved away to reveal bars, and a cell which held Sven. He was playing in the murky water which covered his cell floor. Amethyst’s body tensed and became suddenly cold, like she had spent a winters evening trekking through slush.
She approached the bars, gripping them tightly to see what Sven was playing with. It was Mágissa’s face. Confused, Amethyst asked, “What are you playing with, honey?” But Sven didn’t answer. He was using rocks to smash her face. Bloody and beaten, Mágissa looked at Amethyst, as if to plead with her. But her mouth closed, and she looked away, sparkling tears filling her eyes as Sven massacred her face.
Amethyst started rattling the bars. pressing against them to try to reach Sven’s cell. “Sven!” She cried. “Sven, please stop!”
Sven’s head twisted at the top of the neck to face her, while his body remained as it was, still smashing rocks against the pulp of what once was Mágissa’s face. Amethyst jerked away, nearly tripping over something behind her. She looked to see the bodies of her friends floating in the water. She felt her heart racing, her breath coming up short. The cell was spinning, and she looked back to see Sven.
He was right in front of her, his face an inch away. She stared into his pupils, not windows to a soul, but deep holes mirroring the Abyss. His eyes encompassed all of her vision and she saw a snake. The snake was circling around its tail. It swallowed up its end and spun in a circle. Like a wagon wheel, the snake spun and spun. A bright light, like the sun, appeared in the spinning center gap. That same putrid greenish-gold light resonating, blinding just as it did with the Kraken.
Amethyst heard a voice resembling the Kraken’s. “I will devour all.”
Her mind shook, and reality broke down further. In a dark void surrounding her, all she could perceive was that entity transforming into an indescribable form, featuring various eyes and tentacles. Mouths inside of mouths gaped, spitting blood and bodies. Somehow still and yet moving quickly, Amethyst was being thrown around and held in place.
“I was, I am, I will be. The devourer.”
A handsome Elven face appeared to her. With long golden hair and bright green eyes stabbing into hers. He had a devilish grin which highlighted his pointed features.
“I...”
“Will...”
“Breakthrough!”
Amethyst’s eyes shot open. Tenya’s back was to her when she glanced her way. Amethyst sighed while she rubbed her eyes, then went to the powder room. Using a small bucket, she splashed water on her face. *Just a dream, a bad dream.* She pled in her mind. *Vividly bad.*
She stared at the water, then glanced up at a small silver mirror. But the reflection was black. The realization that she was still dreaming caused her to open her eyes again, only to find herself trapped in her bed. Screaming like a thousand tortured souls crescendoed in her mind. Blood like fire crept through her body, and her lungs held dragon’s breath.
She could see Tenya and tried to scream for help, but her voice wouldn’t work, her mouth wouldn’t move. She gasped, tears welling, yet paralysis gripped her. The unyielding screeching in her head threatened to kill her as she felt the pressure of an unseen force pressing on her. A shadowy form filled the room’s corner. The weight pressed on her as all went dark.
