Dreams of the Oracle

Chapter 37

Ashur felt time slow as he tore through the air toward the exposed back of the creature. He refused to allow himself to think about the sudden fall of Segurant. He knew that no ordinary man would survive such an attack. He also knew that Segurant was no ordinary man.

He heard his own heartbeat drowning out all the other sounds around him. His eyes were locked on the target. His hand was tight on the hilt of the shimmering sword. His breathing slowly calmed as the blade cut down into the monster. Rain drops stung his eyes but he refused to blink.

A thousand words and thoughts flashed through his mind in a split second and then his mind was blank. All there was in the world was his target and the sword in his hand. His whole body was in one motion.

He felt the tip of the blade bite into the dark flesh of the nightmarish creature. All his body weight and the force of his attack was pushing against the blade of the sword. As the blade began sinking he blinked once. Then he felt burning exhilaration that tingled though his body. He smiled tightly.

* * *

Segurant was gathering all that was left of his iron will. He felt the magic fading faster. He saw two sets of teeth scraping closer and closer to his face. He clenched his mouth and closed his eyes as he began reaching deep within himself.

One of the heads barked a small laugh as its bite came but a hairs breadth from one of his neck. It knew he was weakening. He could hear it panting with excitement. He forced his mind deeper and deeper within himself. Finding final reserves of strength he willed his magic to burn stronger. He clenched his teeth and slowly opened his eyes.

Stanis looked down at its prey with its two sets of eyes. Raw explosive hate broiled within its massive body and oozed from its black soul. It tore viciously into the man's face. Large snapping jaws ripped into the shimmering blue magic. Large dark muscles were clinched tight with constant frenzied motion.

Segurant closed his eyes again. He gathered the magic within his metallic hand. He spared only the slightest amount to protect himself. The rest he held within. He felt it growing slowly like water rising behind a dam. It fought his control as he struggled to contain and build it. He held it with a focused effort of will. He drifted into a place deep within himself where he was hardly aware of the creature struggling to tear past his defenses.

Burning yellow green eyes watched the limp form of their adversary. Stanis continued its frenzied attacks but confusion shot through its twisted mind. The man with the iron hand had been struggling tooth and nail even after being pinned by Stanis's massive bulk. Then he had just gone limp. Yet, the magic that shielded him remained though it was fading rapidly.

As quick as the confusion came it was gone again. It didn't matter to Stanis if the fool had given up on life. One of its mouths suddenly caused a flickering crackle in the blue light. Long incisors scraped across the soft skin of Segurant's neck. A trickle of blood glittered enticingly. A long red tongue licked the shining droplets from its teeth.

With its apparent victory in sight Stanis's mind surrendered to total madness. The magical shield had closed almost as soon as Stanis's teeth had finally torn through. Now it fell on the flickering barrier with the tenacity born of focused insanity. Its senses and mind clouded with a complete singleness of purpose. Nothing else existed in the world but its prey. Its slavering jaws became a whirlwind of razorsharp teeth smashing into Segurant's magic with perfect synchronization. It felt a tingling excitement as the barrier crumbled. Its tongues writhed behind its flashing teeth in anticipation of its feast.

Then Segurant's eyes opened. Blue white light shone from them like captured stars. His eyerises and pupils had vanished. He looked up at the menacing specter before him with a face locked in icy determination.