Brian Anderson - Shadow of the Gods

It was like hitting iron. She felt pain shoot through her hand and up her arm, but her blow was enough to part the Vrykol's legs wide. Kaylia thrust her body upward burying her shoulder into the beast’s chest, sending it stumbling back.

Kaylia knew she had no hope of defeating the Vrykol without a blade, and trying to disarm it would mean certain death. It was far too strong. Her only hope was to outrun it. But could she? She had seen how fast they could move. This one had caught up with her, even with several minutes head start. Fear gripped her chest, but she fought it back and ran as fast as she could, not bothering to look back. She had unbalanced it, but she knew only for a few seconds at best. “I must move faster,” she thought.

She had only run a few yards when she felt something hard strike the back of her head. She tried to keep her feet, but felt herself losing consciousness and tumbling hard to the ground. The world began to turn dark as she heard the footfalls of the Vrykol approaching and the hiss of its foul breath. She wanted to cry out, but the light faded from her vision, as the blow to her head overcame her.

Linis halted, a confused look on his face.

“What is it?” asked Gewey.

Linis bent down and placed his palm just above the ground and closed his eyes. “Something follows our quarry,” he muttered. “Something…unclean.”

“Vrykol,” growled Gewey.

“Yes,” agreed Linis. “It must be. Nothing else I can imagine would leave such a scent. It's like…death.”

“Then we have to catch up with Kaylia before they do,” said Gewey with no hesitation.

Linis opened his eyes and looked at Gewey with determination. “Don't worry, my friend. We will.”

They continued to race through the forest. Gewey kept a few paces behind Linis, all the while reaching out to Kaylia. He told himself that since he didn't lose her entirely, it meant they were going in the right direction. It wasn't until it was fully night when Linis halted again.

“We must slow our pace,” decided Linis.

Gewey's jaw tightened. “If you can't keep going…”

“It is not that I am weary, my friend,” said Linis, cutting him off. “But if either the elves or the Vrykol are aware of our pursuit, they may decide to lay in wait. And though I am uncertain of the Vrykol's skill in stealth, I do know that it is unwise to believe the elves are without such skill.” He peered into the night. “I can spot a trap in the blackest darkness. But not if I move too quickly.”

“I can sense every living being for hundreds of yards,” argued Gewey. “There is no way they can hide from me.”

Linis thought for a moment. Gewey had been channeling the flow from the moment they left, and he had no doubt that he could do as he claimed. “No,” he said finally. “Whatever is blocking your connection to Kaylia may be able to hide itself from you as well. I would not risk it.”

Gewey was silent for several seconds, then nodded sharply.

Linis withdrew a flask from his pocket and drank deeply. “Jawas tea,” he handed it to Gewey.

Gewey took the flask and drained it. The tea filled his belly and relaxed his limbs. Even the flow felt as if it came with more ease. He drew his sword, drawing in more power. Then from a few hundred yards away he sensed something. His muscles tensed as he reached out to find the source. He had done this before several times during the pursuit. Usually it had been a deer or a bear, and once, a fox. In fact, if circumstances were different he would have marveled when he’d touched the mind of a wild animal.

It possessed passion and life in a way no human or elf could understand. It lived for the moment, with no care for anything other than survival. But this time, the mind he found touched him back. Dark and tortured, it was filled with hate and anger, yet also sorrow and desperation. He recoiled and drew back within himself. He knew he had just touched the mind of a Vrykol. And he knew it had sensed him as well.

“They're here,” whispered Gewey. “The Vrykol are here.”

It took Linis a moment, but he felt it as well. “There are eight of them.” He drew his knife. “This will not be easy.”

Gewey filled his lungs and allowed the flow to saturate him. “Let me handle them. You stay back.”

“I will not,” Linis said, with fierce determination. “You may be powerful, but we still do not know the extent of these creatures’ powers. It may very well be that they are the reason you cannot feel your bond with Kaylia. If that is the case, they may be able to do more than we know.”

“Then what do you think we should do?” asked Gewey.

“They know we are here,” said Linis. “But they do not move against us just yet. Perhaps they want us to move against them.” He surveyed the area. “We should move past them and put ourselves between them and Kaylia. If I am correct that will force them to move against us. I would rather them act according to our plan, than us to theirs.”

Gewey nodded, then followed closely behind, as Linis led them in a wide arc around the Vrykol’s location. Gewey knew that their movements were detected. In fact, Linis made certain of it, making just enough noise as to draw the Vrykol’s attention.

“Now what?” asked Gewey.

But before Linis could answer he sensed the Vrykol moving. But to his dismay, only two moved in their direction. The other six headed west, in an apparent attempt to flank them. Gewey faced the direction of the two oncoming creatures while Linis peered into the forest, listening for the others. Just when the two Vrykol were in sight, they stopped and separated, left and right, forcing Linis to turn his attention away from the flanking maneuver.

“We must kill the first two before the others reach us,” shouted Linis. “If not, we will be overwhelmed.”

Gewey's heart raced and he could feel his sword, hot in his hand. The flow was like a flood raging through him. He turned to Linis with a malicious grin. “They will never have that chance.” He took a step forward and focused on the single Vrykol moving to his left. With a tremendous boom, the earth exploded beneath the creature, sending it flying, and its limbs flailing. Its screams pierced the air as it slammed into a tall pine, then slid to the forest floor. “Finish the beast, Linis,” he said, in a near whisper. “I'll deal with the other one.” He focused his mind on the second Vrykol. It had stopped in its tracks just after he had unleashed the flow on the first. Gewey stretched out again, but this time something stopped him. It felt like the same thing he experienced when he tried to reach out to Kaylia. A cold chill seized his chest.

Linis had sped off toward the fallen Vrykol. In moments he saw it leaning against the tree, struggling to rise, its cruel sword still in hand. Linis knew he only had seconds before the beast recovered, and rushed headlong, swinging his long knife at the creature’s neck. The Vrykol tried to move away, but Linis was too fast, and the blade severed its head clean. He glanced over to Gewey for a moment and saw him stalking steadily towards the second Vrykol, then listened for the others. He couldn't hear them…anywhere.

Gewey knew then why he was unable to contact Kaylia. Somehow the beasts were able to block him. He tried again to explode the earth beneath the Vrykol, but with the same result.

The soft hiss of evil laughter seeped from within the hood of the Vrykol's cloak. “That only works once, boy.”

“It won't save you,” growled Gewey. He could still feel the flow. He may not be able to use it to destroy the monster directly, but he knew it had no chance so long as the flow still raged within him.

“Perhaps not,” said the Vrykol, its voice was thin and raspy, though clearer than others Gewey had encountered. “But then again, I am not the one that needs to be saved.”