Dreams of the Oracle

Chapter 34

Ravena listened to the screams of battle that rose above the roaring wind and the pounding rain. A thunderclap drowned the sound out for just a moment and then it started again. She listened to it all with a fierce pleasure.

It had started in the direction that Stanis had looked at first. From there it had rapidly spread to at least three different directions. She heard the roaring shrieks of the Rashakas as they charged their human prey. She heard the cries of fear and rage and pain from the men who had just gone from being the hunters to the quarry.

She turned her head, with her hair whipping about her as she listened to the sounds. Another clap of thunder pounded the earth and her ears. A flash of lightning lit up the clearing for a fraction of a second. In that moment she saw a handful of men and their shadowy opponents coming into the clearing from one side.

She smiled wickedly at their futile advance. She had been wrong to worry. These men were nothing that her creatures couldn't handle. Yet, there was this storm. A storm that Stanis had said stunk of sorcery. She heard another man scream in the woods.

She was just about to turn back to her carriage to wait for the inevitable triumph of her slaves when she saw something that stopped her cold. In the dark and wind and rain she saw a flash of light. A brief flash that was not lightening. Then she heard a terrible wailing sound above the storm. Then another flash of light and another wailing howl. Her face turned from the pleasure of triumph to harsh resolve. Screaming and wailing echoed each other in the night.

These men were indeed becoming troublesome. She turned to look at the pacing shadowy form of Stanis.

* * *

Ashur heard the shrieking roar of the beast coming for him. He watched its shadow tear through the wind and rain. His right hand dropped to the hilt of one of his daggers. As it got closer he could make out the details of its face more clearly. Rows of yellow teeth lined its massive jaws. The black fur of its wolflike head and body was matted and spiked. Black claws cut through streams of rain water.

Ashur tore his dagger loose and jumped to one side as the monster hurtled towards him. Incredibly, it managed to turn itself in midair. Its body swung to where he had jumped. Flaming green yellow eyes shone with malice. Another terrible shrieking roar tore from its throat. Ashur turned as its claws connected with his left shoulder.

His eyes narrowing he brought his dagger up and shoved it into the Rashaka's arm. White light flashed and the monster screamed. In a move more akin to a spasm it jerked sharply and its claws tore into Ashur's left side and flung him off to one side. It hunched over him. A great hulking beast with the dagger still flashing bits of white light in its arm. With another shriek the creature tore the dagger free.

Ashur was already in motion as the creature was tearing out the offending object. He jumped up pulling out another blade. He held it blade down in his right hand as he charged forward. He was heedless of the blood running down his left shoulder and side. He was all but unaware as it mixed with rainwater and stained his torn wet tunic. His body was acting on instinct. His legs and arms were moving with the grace of a dancer.

The Rashaka's green eyes flashed with hate at the one who had wounded it. It lunged forward and snapped its jaws as Ashur attacked. Ashur just managed to get to one side of those massive jaws. The claws from its injured arm grazed him as he brought the dagger up. With all the speed and strength he had, he plunged the blade straight into the monster's ear.

White light exploded from the wound and strips of electricity rippled across the monster's body. Ashur had focused totally on delivering the blow and didn't manage to dodge the massive creature's body as its shoulder took him backwards and to the ground. A terrible howl erupted from the beast. Its whole body shook into terrible spasms even as it took Ashur down. Ashur landed hard and felt the wind forced out of him as the massive creature pushed him into the mud. He struggled to get some air as the monster shook on top of him. He felt the white magic coursing through it as well. He felt it like crackling bits of pure light. It didn't quite hurt but it tingled against his joints.