The Taming

Someone Who Can

Netherlands

TEVERIUS

Tev, the youngest of the knights, lurched to a sitting position. Driven from the dreadful nightmare of the crone killing the girl, Serdephe.

Blue scales clattering over his chest and shoulders. His hair was pulled back into a tether for bed. It floated around him now as his body fought changing. Piercing blue eyes flashed to white and darkened again as he blew slow breaths.

He glimpsed the hazy outline of his former brethren standing in the corner. "Now you know..." Chavias' head lowered as he vanished from the room. "You know what she will do..."

Tev gasped and launched from the cot. He jumped from the deck, risking injury to race barefoot through the Netherwood. Shoving giant leaves aside and leaping downed trunks. His feet sliding through the mud. But too focused on getting to the shack to waste time changing. Or even manifesting a shirt.

Tev crossed the bridge in one bounding step and shot across the grass to the front. Horrified to see the black creatures milling around the porch.

A huge pack of Targue. Sniffing the ground and eying the door which was already cracked.

"No." Panic tore through Tev. He looked around frantically. Trying to decide what to do.

The voice emerging from far away, floated in like an answer to a prayer. I can't get to you.

But I can reach someone who can. Bast's voice.

***

Driter's Den Tavern, Netherlands

MARDICHI

"Mardichi!" Sebastian's voice roared into Mardichi's mind with such ferocity that the barbarian's alehorn clattered to the floor as he slammed a palm to his forehead to cease the throbbing the blinding sound created.

"Aw, bloody hell! Ever'time I sit down to ale!" He slammed the tankard he'd been pouring into his alehorn to the table. Launching to his feet to roar to the ceiling. "What do ye want!" He kicked a bench back sending it scraping then clattering across the room.

"Teverius."

That little shit?

"That bloody whelp. Always in need of someone brawny to save his pasty arse!" Mardichi grumbled. Ignoring the eyes that turned on him as he roared at thin air. Stalking from the Driter's Den and tossing the door closed so violently, the tiny tavern rocked on its floating base. Sloshing over the Lake it perched on as Mardichi stomped down the dock.

Fine. Transitioning to the giant red stallion, he moved into a lope to tear through the woods. Ducking his head and running at a breakneck pace.

He reached Tev's hut and followed his nose to the shack in the large clearing. Glimpsing the huge group of Targue. Tev was a white blur wielding his hatchets so fast even Mardichi couldn't see them.

Not too bad. Mardichi grunted grudgingly. His resentment instantly gone at seeing the true danger Little Brother was in.

The lad's about to be dogfood. Ugly dog food.

Tev's head popped up and he whistled towards the woods. Low and long.

There was a rumble and thundering of movement rattling the trees as six giant Targue leapt from the woods as though they'd been waiting for the call.

Tev did two short whistles and this Targue pack moved as a team.

His demon dogs. Mardichi registered. Mardichi groaned. I'm going to have to sort through them?

Some to kill and some to avoid? He eyed them quizzically. Trying to distinguish them. He transformed back human to better select what he fought. Running to the clearing to join Tev.

Hearing him coming, Tev tossed him a cursory scan.

Mardichi came to a stop. Locking his heels and sliding in the mud, sending a wave of dark dirt over Tev.

"Is that your rendition of assistance?" Tev demanded breathlessly. Using a forearm to do a quick swipe over his face to remove the mud from his eyes. Glaring at the barbarian heatedly.

The Targue backed up, shaking their heads.

"Quit yer crying wee lad. I'm here, ain't me?" Mardichi found the six working together to his left, so he turned right and curled his fists into tight hammers. Dropping to a knee he brought them down to crack the backs of two Targue charging him. Spines crunching, they yelped, collapsing to front paws and dragging their bellies as they whimpered. He jumped one to slam a fist down on another. Working his way through them at such a pace.

Seeing still more flooding over the bridge and around the house, Mardichi winced.

The barbarian's shoulders slumped. Not good.

The barbarian threw back his head to roar. "Bast!"

What? The answer came in Mardichi's mind.

"More!" Mardichi ordered.

I'm coming. Bast assured, huffing.

"Faster!"

He heard Bast grunting in his mind.

"And bring yer blades."

I have them.

Mardichi returned to crushing the animals with his behemoth fists, as he walked through them. One latched onto his forearm, and he grabbed its throat. Crushing its windpipe in a viselike grip before tossing it like rubbish.

***

Merwood, Dread Hideout

ACHARIUS

"Acharius!"

What in bloody- Acharius was so startled by Sebastian's yell he tossed his book and leapt to his feet. Slamming his head on the low stone ceiling.

Bast. Acharius rubbed his head rapidly to appease the throbbing. Shaking a fist as he cursed at the ceiling as though it were Bast himself. "You know I hate when you go shouting through my head."

"Teverius needs help."

Why? He's so systematically fast.

"In the Netherlands?" Acharius asked.

"Yes." Bast said through thought.

"The artifacts?"

Does it warrant abandoning them?

"Tev believes this is gravely important." Bast said unrelentingly.

It better be.

Acharius groaned. "It best not be one of his salvaged demon dogs."

"It's Cimmerii."

Acharius winced. Sweeping his quiver off the chair he dropped it over one shoulder and under an arm. Running nearly sideways through the cave, he splashed through puddles until jumping from the bleak cave entrance. Already turning into the huge gray and white wolf as he lunged through the Merwood. Crossing the short distance to the Netherlands.

Is it bad? Acharius asked.

"Giant pack."

Targue. Acharius understood.

"Mardichi's already there but more are flooding in. They're surrounded. Tev thinks the crone did a summoning spell for all Cimmerii in the area."

Sarabi will be coming. Acharius thought with dread.

"Undoubtedly."

"Grand." Acharius blew a long breath. Yellow eyes intent on his path through Merwood. Ducking the hanging vines, he slapped leaves the size of dinner trenchers out of his face as he veered around giant boulders. Careful to avoid his traps.