Ichabod Crowley series 3 The Thorn Tree

Chapter 11

Where the Chapel Once Stood

Horus charged at the mechanical beast, bowling it over as his shoulder slammed hard into its chin, exposing its belly that his wife quickly blasted with buckshot. The beast reacted swiping at Horus only for the giant to grab hold its wrist and, with a mighty heave, lifted it over his shoulder and slammed it to the ground.

"<Find the heart>," Yolanda shouted and he obediently leapt atop the fallen monster, ripping open its chest with his bare hands.

Ripping through the beast's metal innards he had to bat away its attempts to dislodge him but eventually exposed a complex, throbbing gasket that he took for the core of the monster and wrapped his hands around it. Letting out a bloodthirsty roar, he wrapped his fingers around the metal pump and tore it free, dropping it at his wife's feet.

"<Thank you Honey>" Yolanda pointed the shotgun at the metallic heart and blasted it to pieces.

The two smiled at each other, smiling wryly, Horus hopped down from his perch and walked towards her, arms open. At his back, the beast rose again, looming over him like an undead behemoth, yet, before it could strike, Horus spun back around, driving his fist elbow deep into the monster's face.

"<Stay down bitch>" Horus snarled, ripping his fist from the beast's body.

"<You idiot>" Yolanda admonished him, looking over the scratches on his arm, tearing a strip away from her dress to wrap the wound, "<Should we help them?>"

They looked over to Laurie and December still struggling with the sugar monster, the fox/dog leaping into the air and aiming downwards a blast of ice while the Dryad attempted to contain their opponent.

"<No>" Horus shook his head, "<We will watch and wait>" directing his eyes to the heavens where Vhen and their daughter were clashing, his face took on a look of concern, "<We have more pressing concerns>"

Caroline zipped through the air, circling Vhen and aiming a blast of fire at her that the goddess shattered with a burst from her hand. Flying above, Caroline lifted her hands over her head and threw down a torrent of flame from her palms that Vhen spun through rising upwards and punching Caroline in the chest.

"Oh you little..." Caroline lifted her arm, creating a sword of flame.

The attack missed, Vhen dodging around and striking Caroline in the spine.

"You..." the power of the Garuda swelled around her, "Hold Still!"

"Why?" Vhen raised an eyebrow.

With a roar, Caroline charged her again only for the goddess to grab hold of her arm and twist it behind her back.

"You need a handicap just to hit me?" Vhen raised her palm and slammed it down into Caroline's spine, shoving her downwards hard enough to create a small divot in the ground, "Not my fault you're all power and no finesse."

A beam of light sliced through the cloud of dust raised by Caroline's impact with the dirt and Vhen twirled out of the way, avoiding the first shot, the second and the third, finally retaliating with a twister she used to spear the ground. The dust scattered and the earth was rent asunder, clots of it tossed into the sky, yet Caroline stood strong, protected by an aura of flame. She eventually exploited the winds being used against her, channeling a torrent of flame up through the cyclone, forcing Vhen to break off her attack.

"Teach you..." Caroline huffed, glaring up at her opponent, "I'll teach you..."

"Caroline!" Yolanda screamed, running over to her.