Robert Asprin - Dragons Wild

Valerie came to a stop ten feet from the George.

“You’re probably right.” She smiled. “That’s why I brought a friend.”

From behind her back she produced the shotgun Gris-gris had given her. At her new size, it almost looked like a toy in her hand. Still, its roar was deafening in the silent courtyard as she fired it point-blank at the George.

The man was blown from his feet and went sprawling into one of the flower beds.

“Heard the cats. I’ve told you before, Big Brother,” Valerie called, “you worry way too much about fighting fair.”

“Val! Don’t…” Griffen called, but he was too late.

The George was on his feet standing behind Valerie. Grabbing the back of her sweat suit, he pivoted and threw her five feet into a wall. He snatched and wrenched the shotgun from her hand even as she flew. She rebounded and lay in a boneless heap on the pavement of the courtyard.

Griffen’s vision began to blur. He could feel his skin tightening and his muscles shift as blood pounded in his ears. He didn’t need to look to know his arms now had scales.

“She’ll be all right,” the George said, tossing the weapon away dismissively and turning back to his main target. “I don’t hurt bystanders. She’ll be bruised when she wakes up, but…”

With a roar, Griffen charged him……And the George was gone!

As Griffen lunged through the space the George had occupied a moment before, something struck him hard from behind, driving him to his knees.

“Sorry if it’s not a sword,” came the George’s voice, “but that would be a bit obvious to carry on the street.”

Looking back over his shoulder, Griffen saw that the George was holding a metal baton, one of the collapsible ones popular with some policemen. Turning his head was a mistake, even as he registered the weapon, the George’s foot slammed into his face and knocked him fully down, sprawling.

“I thought about the sword. I saw the little toy you use for your fencing practice. But, it would have been like daring an infant to attack me with a fly swatter. Hardly sporting.”

For a moment Griffen was held rigid with paralyzing anger. Again he felt his body tighten as fury changed him.

“Besides, it takes a special blade, and this really does more dam—”

With a snarl Griffen pushed himself to his feet, twisting toward his tormentor in the motion. Even as he turned, his tail lashed out for the man’s head.

His tail?

A surge of joy surged through him as Griffen found his powers responding to his need. The moment’s distraction cost him his advantage.

The George was gone again.

This time, the blow came low on his back, drawing a gasp of pain as he stumbled forward.

“See, thick skin doesn’t protect you from broken bones. Not even plated with scales,” the George said from across the courtyard. “You should know…Hey!”

Valerie had wrapped her arms around his legs from where she was lying on the ground. She tightened, so strong that the George’s face twisted with pain.

“You talk too much,” she growled, rolling like the athlete she was and…

…They ported again, both of them. This time barely ten feet from where Griffen stood.

He seemed to sag for a moment with exertion. Valerie grinned savagely and took the opportunity to wrap her legs around one of the trees in the courtyard. For a moment, they blurred, the George trying to port again, but only for a moment—he was stuck.

Fighting for balance, the George struck at her with his baton, she sagged, but if anything her grip clenched harder…

…And Griffen had him.

Taken off guard by the sudden violence of the attack, the George barely had a chance to give a yelp of surprise before Griffen’s hands closed on his neck.

The George’s baton went flying as Griffen lifted him bodily into the air, ripping him from Valerie’s grasp, and slammed him down on the walkway…

And he was holding a large spotted cat, a leopard, by the throat. Ignoring the claws raking his arms, he tightened his grip…

And he was holding a giant snake that writhed in his grip and hissed viciously. It bit into Griffen’s arm, but fangs could not penetrate scales.

Enough was enough.

Griffen took a deep breath, and exhaled a jet of his strongest flame full in the creature’s face. The creature redoubled its struggles, then suddenly went limp.

Griffen didn’t trust it, he lifted the beast and slammed it down one more time. Reptilian head knocking against the ground.

Releasing his fallen opponent, Griffen moved quickly to his sister’s side. She was just starting to stir, slowly trying to get her hands under her so that she could rise.

“Just lie still, Little Sister,” Griffen said soothingly. “It’s all over. Take a few to get yourself oriented.”

“Held on to the bastard,” Valerie said weakly, eyes flashing.

“Yeah. Yeah, you did. My Valkyrie.”

“I told you I don’t hurt bystanders.”

Griffen whirled to face the voice.

The George was standing in the center of the walkway, apparently unharmed. Even the scratch from the cats had vanished.

“I also said you couldn’t kill me,” he said, smiling at Griffen’s expression.

“What are you?” Griffen said almost to himself.

“The important thing is that I’m defeated,” the George said, holding his hands up, palms out in surrender. “The test is over, and you’ve won. Someone badly underestimated you…I suspect it was me.”

“But I…you…”

“As to the other, the current name for what I am is a chimera. That’s someone who can shape-shift into multiple animal forms, though you didn’t give me a chance to really show off most of them. Also, I have extremely rapid regenerative powers. As an added bonus, as you may have noticed, I’m fireproof. It comes in handy when one’s hunting dragons.”

“I see,” Griffen said, rising to his feet. “And after all you’ve been putting me through, including tonight, I’m supposed to just let you walk away?”

“I seriously doubt you could stop me,” the George said. “But tell you what. Just to save wear and tear on both of us, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll tell you one truth. If you agree it’s valuable enough, you let me walk without any further nonsense.”

“You mean like who sent you after me?” Griffen said.

“Sorry. That’s a professional no-no,” the George said. “But remember, you have to agree that what I tell you is valuable. Otherwise, it’s no deal and we’re back at where we are now. What have you got to lose?”

“Okay,” Griffen said. “Let’s hear it.”

“This is completely confidential, you understand,” the George said. “Just for you and your sister, since she got herself involved.”

He glanced at Valerie, who had managed to prop herself up on her hands.

Griffen nodded.

“All right, here it is. The whole George legend thing? How no one knows what I look like or how I do the things I do? It’s really very simple. I’m only one of a team. Together, we operate under the name of George.”

“I can see where that would give you an advantage,” Griffen said.

He now realized how the lime had gotten into his water back without the man he was facing having been anywhere near where he had been sitting.

“This could be important to you in the future,” the George continued. “As I said, the current contract is over. If someone decides to pony up to send us after you again, it won’t be me you’ll be seeing. Understand?”

“All right. Fair enough,” Griffen said.

“No!” Valerie snarled. “You are going to just let him walk?!”

She started to push herself onto her feet, size swelling again.

The George tensed.