Strange Aeons [Book 1]

11. Trial and Error [part IV]

Vopros jumped forward, to run to help Banshee. He fell after three steps, a sharp pang of pain coming from his calf. Someone had lodged an icicle in his leg with surgical precision. Irissa was hiding somewhere, now playing it safe.

He rolled in a thicker mass of grass, concentrating to materialize, in his hands, a pair of binoculars. He laid low, starting to scour the surroundings.

«This time you blow.» he hissed.

River's superior physical prowess was perfectly mirrored in the Oneiron, and Chico was having a hell of a time ducking here and dodging there to avoid being hit or grabbed by his gigantic opponent. He knew that if River got hold of him, there would be no running away.

«Ay gringo! Can we stop this madness?» he asked, dodging another assault «Do you even know why you're here?»

«We've been chosen to bring justice to your wrongdoings!» growled the bear, launching forward. Chico dodged him at the last second, swinging one of his meat-cleavers and managing to leave a red slash across one of his paws. River roared. «That's what Enforcers are for! And righteous Covens!»

«He could have chosen Mariposa, or any other high Rank Coven, but he chose you. I mean, you're clearly not bad but... didn't it sound really strange?»

Chico rolled aside, as one of the bear's paws missed his head by inches, creating a disquietingly big hole in the ground.

«I have always been the best! Someone finally remembered!»

«Someone remembered, or it is just Staccato's presence?»

River's nozzle crumbled in a dark expression of rage. He stood tall on his paws and sacrificed some brute strength for a structure with superior dexterity, harmoniously changing his appearance back to the tiger. He roared and jumped towards Chico. Who did what the Pollos did best.

Started running.

«Come on! You've been ignored for years, since the scandal and suddenly now a Head of a House you don't even belong him choses you?» Chico kept on talking, directly aiming at the strength of the other ones' will rather than fighting. Doubt was the best weapon against someone's will in the Oneiron. «Or, you could be right, maybe they did chose you for you. But just because we had Garaham.»

It was a core mistake, to talk while chased by a tiger on steroids, especially to mention the brother he clearly didn't have a good relationship with, and Chico found out very quickly when he found himself short of breath, with a giant feline parked on his lungs, and River's fangs dripping saliva next to the back of his ear. «Every dog has his day.» he growled, deep and menacing. Chico tried to muster enough breath to answer. His eye glanced on the side. And a smirk appeared on his lips.

«But apparently, not every tiger.»

An explosion in the immediate vicinity unbalanced River enough to topple him from Chico's chest, enabling the mage to stand up, coughing. He felt a hand grabbing him from the shoulders. He opened his eyes, finding a very serious Vopros in front of him, looking at something apparently behind him.

«Vopros, thanks, but...»

«Shut it.» said the Russian. The tiger was lying still on the ground, recovering. In some seconds time, a sharp icicle hissed right by Chico's arm. Who screamed.

Vopros looked like he was counting. At the count of five, he moved as swiftly as Chico had ever seen him, and he made a small portal appear on Chico's back. They both heard a swallowing sound, and then with a powerful roar, the tiger collapsed again, with icicles sprouting deep from his chest. With a painful groan, he tried to rise to his feet. But, ultimately, collapsed, and started to fade away, until it disappeared.