Raven Tide

11: Relic (Chyani)

Raven Tide's roar rattled the entire cargo hold... and his eyes! They were like something out of a nightmare.

Gar'mol shot up and went to punch him unconscious, but Raven Tide popped the chain links and bent open the clamps around his wrist and ankles.

"Quiet!" That horrible old Zhaguai spun and pounced.

Raven Tide sank his fangs into Gar'mol's fist and chomped off the front of his hand, bones and all!

I knew Raven Tide was fast, but this was inhuman, in-Zhaguai, maybe even in-razkur too!

He was bloody with deep wounds seeping rivers of sticky blue, but he shredded through the chains and manacles as though they'd been molded in shoddy plastic.

"Tear him apart!" That blue asshole let go of my hair and charged at Raven Tide.

Raven Tide spat out Gar'mol's fingers and flung him across the room. Then he tackled the blue Zhaguai to the floor and used his teeth to rip out his throat.

But he wasn't done. In a fraction of a heartbeat, Raven Tide leaped over me, slashed my restraints with his claws, and whirled to yank off the gold and copper Zhaguai's right arm that had touched me.

I hopped up and rolled away from the remaining Zhaguai.

I had no idea what their deal was. Even with the translator, most of their blather sounded like demented nonsense. The only that was obvious, they weren't the honorable comrades Raven Tide expected to encounter.

"Get her!" Gar'mol reared up and shouted from the far end of the room.

Hobra, the lanky green one, slashed his massive hand at Raven Tide, distracting him from finishing off the one-armed Zhaguai while I ran for Raven Tide's weapons.

I found his staff first, but it was retracted and too heavy for me to wield one-handed. The glove and gauntlet were too big, and I didn't have time to navigate the settings on the sidearm blaster.

"Don't let her escape!" Gar'mol stomped my way, wrapping his bloody hand with a swatch of leather.

SHIT!

I snatched up my little vibro-blade and darted for cover, since the rest of the weapons were far too volatile for me to use them effectively without training.

"Nowhere to run!" The one-armed gold and copper Zhaguai stumbled out at me.

"Ahh!" I yelped and nearly dropped my weapon.

Gar'mol and the others were focused on Raven Tide while I was left staring up at a seven-foot pissed-off monster.

I took off back the way I came, weaving sharp turns between the crates and shelving. From the way the maimed Zhaguai maneuvered, it was evident he wasn't accustomed to running with his weight off balance.

My heart was pounding and I wanted to vomit, but I refused to let these shitheads have their way!

Something! Something!

I scoured the cargo hold for anything useful.

Oh!

A metal cord tethered to the floor caught my eye.

The gold and copper Zhaguai slipped and fell while failing to make the fourth turn.

I grabbed the metal tension cord and looped back to hop on his back. He growled and tried to toss me off, but I managed to wrap it three times around his neck as fast as my left hand would allow.

He roared and pushed his chest up, but I twisted the braided metal around my forearm and yanked back with all my weight.

The Zhaguai flailed for the cord around his throat while wheezing out these unnerving little gurgling sounds.