Something Wicked This Way Comes

Chapter 2

Jim had to tug Douxie out of the way before the tatzelwurm could run him over. The wizard was still in shock, though his reaction to that had been decidedly less explosive than when Vameus had taken Carter. Jim didn't have time to wonder why that thing would have literally kidnapped Carter in the first place. Mostly because he was busy running for his life again.

Antigone shouted a spell and a nearby tree uprooted itself, the grooves of the bark glowing silver with her magic. The tree leapt at the tatzelwurm, knocking it over and into a nearby building.

The glow faded, and the wizard staggered, clearly exhausted. She looked confused that it had taken so much energy to do that.

Next to him, Douxie was beginning to come to his senses. Jim hated how much stuff like this affected him. He was clearly rattled by what happened to Carter. Honestly, Jim couldn't blame him.

"Douxie!" Archie's voice came from above. "I saw what happened! Are you alright!"

"I'm fine," Douxie said, clearly not fine. The gem of his staff pinged, glow pulsing as it reacted to his emotional state. "Jim" he looked at his brother, fear in his eyes clear as day. "Can you do something for me?"

Jim nodded, brandishing his sword. "Whatever you need."

"Time," he took a breath as Archie landed on his shoulders. "As much as you can give me."

"On it." He clasped Douxie's shoulder and pressed his forehead to the wizard's. "Good luck."

"You too," Douxie breathed, then pulled back, slamming the butt of his staff against the road. "Go."

Jim ran into the battle without a second to spare. He caught a glimpse of Olivia, brandishing a wicked looking dagger, weaving in and out of the debris kicked up by the monster's feet, aiming for its ankles.

The way she fought felt familiar for some reason, but Jim couldn't quite place it. At least not until she full body flung herself at the tatzelwurm, swinging herself onto its back and digging her knife in.

That was a very Carter thing to do. That's why she seemed so familiar. The way she fought was almost identical to the way Carter did.

Deciding he didn't have time to dwell on that, Jim followed her example, jumping and grappling for a hold on the tatzelwurm's flank. It screeched and flailed, trying to shake them off. He drove Excalibur into the beast's left flank, right before he got flung off of it.

Or, at least, that's what he thought happened.

Its tail, which hooray for him, was fucking prehensile, wrapped around his waist. Jim was suspended in mid-air suddenly, hanging upside down as the tatzelwurm spun around to look at him. Its yellow eyes were hardened with a glare, sharp needle-like teeth dripping with saliva and venom that hit the asphalt road with a HISS.

All he could do was stare at it, eyes wide as it looked at him angrily. Its tail coiled tighter around his waist, and it squeezed. Not enough to hurt, but enough to be uncomfortable.

Several feet away, still safely on the ground, Douxie's voice rose over the blood rushing in Jim's ears. He was still casting the spell, and Jim didn't know when he'd be done. Desperately, Jim looked at Olivia, who was still on the tatzelwurm's back.

She ripped her knife out of its spine and dove off its side, screaming something about, "CAR!"

Jim didn't even have a second to blink before a truck was being fast-balled at the tatzelwurm's head. He was dropped, and probably would have smacked his head on the concrete, but was saved by a shadow portal. He was dumped onto the ground beside Claire.