On Death's Honor

Chapter 21: Crude Reminders

Fear is a tricky, inconsistent little thing. Years of vigorous training and experience allowed me to brace myself and keep my hands from shaking as I faced down the giant abnormality, its jaw split wide to reveal hundreds of little tendrils that were capable of melting flesh from muscle in seconds.

Years of knowing what the Reftin Circle was capable of made me inwardly swear. How much trouble was I going to get in for attracting Adria's Dream - again?

It leapt off of the frightened young man, barreling straight at me on all . . . Six's? . . . With gnarled fingers and toes kicking up the dirt it ran over. I gripped the hilt of my sword with both hands, its dark blade reflecting off a stray trail of light as I took a step back behind the rune I drew on the ground.

Runes were about as tricky as fear, and just as unpredictable in terms of how they would react. Temperature, weather, environment, the efficiency of the person casting them - it all had some sort of effect as to how well they'd operate, and the more powerful the rune, the harder it was to tell what was going to happen.

Because runes were more than just ancient letters. They became something greater the moment the gods gave mortals a way to learn their written language.

And the damn gods could never keep anything simple.

So I wasn't expecting the one I'd laid out to keep Adria's Dream at bay. It spoke specifically to Breal, the Nevhian goddess of life. At the very least, this creature was going to slam into an invisible wall that would shatter like glass upon intact, likely pissing it off more than harming it - but it would give me time to move in a brief bout of confusion.

If Breal liked me, then this rune had the ability to consume whatever round of death that came in contact with it.

Breal did not like me.

So much so that when the monster hit the edge of the rune, the impact of its momentum sent invisible little shards in all directions, not just in the direction of the giant living nightmare - which meant I found myself really wishing that I had my cloak.

I squeezed my eyes shut when the small particles of light tore into my skin, but wasted no time stepping forward and swinging my sword along Adria's Dream's underside as it reared up on its hind legs, shaking its massive, ugly head.

"Didn't learn from last time, did you," I muttered, yanking my sword away from its tough hide just in time to avoid a swinging claw. "But she's got you wrapped around her finger."

The creature roared again, almost deafening, and I wasn't quick enough to avoid another one of its lower arms when it caught me in the gut, sending me flying back into a nearby tree.

Sun hadn't been out for mere minutes and I was already getting my ass handed to me.

I should have made Orik sign a contract for me to get rid of this beastly. I'd have done it, anyway, but at least that'd be one step closer to my initial goal.

Sure, but the Circle wouldn't have approved.

Black dots flooding my vision, I scampered to my feet, looking up just in time to see the monster charging at me once more - between me and where I'd apparently dropped my sword. A deep, gushing wound ran from the top of its chest to what I'd imagine would be the upper part of its belly. If it had been the average monster, it'd bleed out over the next few minutes at most.

Too bad it wasn't.

I ducked, shifting my feet so that I could feint behind the tree, forcing the creature to all but slam into it. Splintered pieces of wood broke off upon intact, and the tree was halfway falling when Adria's Dream swiped at me with its vicious talons. I shoved myself back, veering around the tree before making a mad dash towards my sword. I dove low to the ground in time for an arm to swing over my body, skidding against pine needles and soft dirt. My fingers clutched the hilt.