Cloudchild

Chapter 11 - Power

Annani gasped, her little hands before her face. She shut her eyes, nightmarish scene of Trolls eating her huge arms returning.

"What's going on!?" She slowly took a breath. I'm inside Anath's head...and I see what's around her?

Arms painfully tingling, the child sat up, unable to get up. Annani squealed, swinging her arm—Anath swept aside a dozen Trolls.

"Big lizard still angered!" the purple Troll warned, feast ending and the brutes' weapons slamming into Anath, her torn arms spattering blood.

Annani thrust her arms forth, jelly hat wobbling. "Forwards!"

Anath motioned, unable to crawl anywhere...

Annani grunted, stomach erupting with pain. Fingers gripping the air, Annani pulled, growling...

Roaring, Anath snapped the pillar that had pierced her stomach, some still sticking out. She fell on Trolls who abruptly climbed and struck her.

Annani rolled over her shoulders, kicking while twirling. Repeating Annani's movement, Anath spun on her shoulders and extended her legs, clawed feet followed by her great tail, many Trolls struck down.

Bellows erupted around Anath, her brutish enemies frenzied yet again, their echoes reaching Annani's crazy dancing as she flipped and twirled and pawed...

The child screamed with angry delight. "Take that, monsters! And that! And this! And that again! AAAGGGHHH-HAH HAH HAH HAH!" She slipped and fell; Anath too.

Trolls swarmed Anath.

"I won't let them beat you!" Annani's crazy moves commenced; Anath launched with rapidity, overexerted limbs flailing, brutes smashed away...

More and more Trolls dashed from blackness, battle cries erupting from their throats.

Annani raised her arms, acting and growling like a monster; Anath performed likewise, carved arms leaking blood...

The child stamped her feet, growled and pawed; the giant obeyed her puppet master—both reptiles staggered.

"Ow!" Annani grabbed the back of her head, nearly falling over. She spun around, a few Trolls smaller than her brandishing clubs.

"Lizard our sized!" one howled.

"Smashed lizard!" another shrieked.

"Lizard smashed!" squealed the next, others screeching in unison.

Annani balled her fists. "I'm not a lizard!" Eyes widened, she reared, cudgels pummeling. "Ow! Stop it!"

One of the young Trolls swung overhead two-handed. "Smmmashed! Sssmashed! Smaaashed!" His club bounced off Annani's jelly cap and hit his face. "Ahww!"

Annani's scaly arms batted incoming clubs. "Go away you ugly goblins!"

Yelling, the little fiends kept hitting her. "Ssmmashed! Smashed, smaaaashed!"

Hissing, Annani swiped Trolls' face who screeched but kept clubbing her. A cudgel struck her, hot pain rooting throughout her face. Salivating, Annani wrapped her arms around an attacker's shoulders then threw him down, the others Trolls bashing her backside.

Annani snarled. "You're lucky my claws are broken!" Clubbed repeatedly, she grabbed a chunk of masonry and smashed it over a Troll, who squeaked and limply fell. The other little Trolls delightedly shrilled, assaulting Annani with greater gusto.

She sibilated incoherent grumbles, gelatinous cap wobbling as she grappled her next squealing foe. Annani slammed her, feeling the air burst out the Troll's mouth.