Creatures of God

The Dead-of-Night

On the battlefield, Gevaudan the Wolf King watched as his Canines clashed with the Humans, both groups colliding with laser, sword and shield; charging into one another, smashing one another, breaking one another; both sides without any thought of retreat or escape; rather, with only the desire to prevail over the other, their actions reduced to one primal instinct: to survive. For the Wolf King, it was inevitable, this confrontation between the Old Rule and its new challenger. Gevaudan beamed at the opportunity and the gruesome violence necessary to ascend to the top; the barbaric, physical desecration of living beings, the grunt and gasp that followed thereof, the burning smell of flesh and fire.

Upon his white horse, Gevaudan eyed an opening in the opponent's battle line. He sped up to break through the defensive front.

"Let's end this little squabble," he growled.

He jumped off his horse and put a laser-sword through an HP officer attempting to get at his steed. He turned and slashed through another Human charging from a different direction. A third Human attacked upfront, only for the Wolf King to block the strike and cut the Human's arm off in return.

Bh-wwnnnn!!!

"Uh-hhhh!"

A laser beam struck Gevaudan at his chest, ricocheting off his breast plate and leaving a smoking result. The Wolf King was stunned and snarled at the inconvenience. He grabbed at his armor and paused to catch his breath. He located the shooting culprit and dodged another incoming blast. Before the Human could take aim once again, Gevaudan broke out in full sprint toward him. The Human began to flee. The Grey Wolf leaped and landed on the Human's back and neck, collapsing him to the ground under his full weight. He bit at the Human's head to end the pithy challenge.

The remaining Humans began to withdraw.

"Don't let any of them escape!" the Grey Wolf King yelled. "Hunt them all down!"

Another laser buzzed within earshot of Gevaudan's head. He turned and readied for his would-be assassin, only to find a small HP officer across the way. Gevaudan paused amidst the fighting and narrowed his eyes. Was he viewing everything correctly?

It was Mimi, the resolute warrior, and she was moving in his direction.

A couple of secondary mongrels approached and took pot-shots at the female aggressor. With skill, she avoided the attempts and returned them with blasts of her own. Despite the intrusions, she remained focused on the Mongrel King.

This one has a death wish, Gevaudan thought. He was impressed with Mimi's skill and courage, but not with her size.

"Tell me, little one," Gevaudan called out. "Why do you defend a monster so ardently?"

Mimi's eyes glinted as she navigated her way toward the Mongrel King.

"Is it love?" Gevaudan chuckled. "Come, let me show you the true nature of love in this world!"

"That monster is my friend," Mimi replied. "Why are you so scared of him?"

The Wolf King smirked. "Oh, I'm not the one who's scared, little girl."

Mimi began to walk more lively now, building up her speed from a light run to a full sprint. She wielded her gun to keep the Wolf King on the defensive.

Gevaudan avoided another shot at his head. He bore down as Mimi barreled toward him.

"My, aren't you the feisty one? An appetizer!" He tossed his weapon aside. "I think I'll enjoy this one the old fashioned way!"

Gevaudan pounced.

At the last second Mimi sidestepped out of the way.

The King grasped at dirt and grass.

"My, you are flight of foot, darling, like an antelope." He laughed and shuddered with excitement, dripping with saliva.

"Why, thank you, Gav-a-dong," she said, mispronouncing his name on purpose.

"Ah, a mockingjay as well, are you? Come here, little bird," the King taunted. "Come to Daddy!"

Gevaudan lunged and missed with both arms as the spirited girl jumped out of the way. She took another shot, only for the blast to carom off Gevaudan's chest. The King lost his breath and stayed on one knee to catch his air once more. He inhaled the surrounding breeze through his large snout.

"Wait," the King said, sniffing, "Have we met before, little bird?"

"How convenient it is to have already forgotten," Mimi answered, "since we just kicked your ass yesterday!"

"Heh, heh," Gevaudan chuckled. "And what about you, my dear? Have you already forgotten? I was there at the Dead-of-Night Slaughter!"

Mimi hesitated.

"Ha-ha!" Gevaudan taunted. "You didn't think I'd remember, did you? Ha-ha! I remember you now!"

Mimi took a couple of steady steps.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Ha-ha, don't lie, baby bird! How did you survive? I thought we'd killed everyone that night!"

Mimi and the Wolf King faced each other more openly now, twenty meters apart, oblivious to the others fighting around them.

"I've never faced you in the dead of night," Mimi said.

"No?" The King snickered. "It was a couple of years ago. I remember your scent!"

Mimi's eyes became fixed.

"We intercepted your group," the King said, stepping forward lightly, "on its way back to the infirmary... "

"In the 'dead of night...' " Mimi repeated.

"Ha-ha! You remember now?" The grey wolf moved conspicuously closer.

Mimi fought through muddled memories in her mind.

"I don't recall any of that."

"Ha! You can join your dead friends then!" the King roared as he leaped. He opened his mouth and exposed his sharp teeth.

Mimi leapt forward in return, leading with her cyborg left leg.

Gevaudan chomped down on Mimi's metallic leg, gnashing his teeth and jarring his head.

Caught at the canine's mouth, Mimi pulled out her newly made dagger. The silver blade glistened as the warrior drove it deep into the mongrel's left eye.

The Wolf King more than howled. He screamed in pain and shook his head, throwing Mimi off of himself and breaking several teeth in the effort.

Mimi landed safely and rolled off to one side.

Freed of the bite block, Gevaudan bellowed with pain, spitting blood from his mouth. He could not see, with blood running down his face. He located the wooden handle at his eye, and pulled the knife out with some effort.

"Aghhhh, you bitch!"

The dog king held a paw over the hole in his head, the blood dripping off the left side of his face. "You will pay dearly for that, little one," the grey wolf vowed. He held the dagger in a clenched fist. "I will kill you with your own weapon!"