Howl of the Heavens ch.17

     Ten miles out of Pine Ridge deep in the rocky region of the mountain Mike King is searching for any signs of the Dire, with his Golem slayer sword drawn at the ready. Into the moon lit night Mike has searched up and down the far side of the mountain when on the flat thick forested region atop the mountain his movements are stopped by the deep thunderous voice of Rhuen, “Foolish little human I had told you not to return here, why then is your vial stench all over this mountain, and why do I see you before me now?”

 

     Mike started to think, “before me?” when Rhuen in the same seven foot form Mike had seen before appears out of thin air not fifteen feet in front of Mike.

 

    Mike holds up his Golem Slayer with confidence, “I am ready for you now demon. Now prepare to die beast!”

 

    Rhuen looks at the weapon Mike is holding and actually rolls his eyes in response thinking, “He can’t be serious with this, what do I look like… a boulder? I should at least try scaring this harmless idiot again.”

 

    Before Mike can utter the spell he is startled by a deep rumble coming from Rhuen and looks up to a sight he had never expected. Rhuen clinches his fists and with a deep rumble increases in size to a full fourteen feet in height and more muscular but not cliché werewolf muscular. Mike is clearly scared despite his attempts to calm himself, his knees are shaking and his face feels like all the blood has suddenly flushed out of it.

 

    He thinks to himself, “Its big, really, really big. Please God protect me and let this sword work or else I will be meeting you soon.”

 

    He pats his gun with its silver, saltwater filled, gold tipped bullets with his left hand while he holds his sword with his right hand and thinks, “This is not a werewolf, I don’t think these bullets would be more than a bee sting to something that big, I must act quickly.”

 

    In a shaky voice he says, “You may be a little bigger now, but I will stop you Rhuen, that’s right I know your name demon and I now have the power to stop you, so no one will ever fear your name ever again.”

 

    Mike turns the sword to its red side and quickly chants the spell and blasts Rhuen with the beam of brilliant light, “A direct hit right to the chest.” Screams Mike in triumph, which is short lived when the blurriness from the bright flash wears off and Rhuen is still standing there with his arms crossed with a look in his eyes that conveys the message (you done yet?).

 

   Rhuen uncrosses his arms and looks down at Mike, “It may have escaped your limited ability to notice that I am not made of stone, and that weapon which is called a golem slayer was designed to slay golems which are stone creatures and it slays only stone creatures and as I said I am not stone. Fools will be fools I guess.” On the last part Rhuen re-crosses his arms and starts to tap his claws on his upper arms while giving Mike a curious look that seems to say (well now what?).

 

     Mike thinks, “Smart ass monster.” And quickly releases his trump card, starting with the red side and quickly turning the sword he reads the first part of the incantation on the red side, the second part of the second side and so on until he has completely turned all four sides. Turning back to the first side where the letters have changed to a new incantation Mike quickly reads. Upon finishing this incantation the sword is covered in a light blue flame.

 

   Mike thinks as he is raising the sword to attack, “I may die in the final flame blast but at least I will take this demon with me.”

 

    Unknown to Mike Rhuen was eavesdropping on his thoughts and in the short time Mike was raising the sword to attack Rhuen thought, “this maniac his going to start the whole forest on fire if I don’t stop him.”

 

    And in that same moment Rhuen turns his right palm up and a ball of blue sparks appears. Rhuen then grasps his hand out like he was grabbing the hilt of a sword and an arc like the shape of a large scimitar made of electricity appears in his hand, and with it lunges at Mike.

 

     All Mike saw as he was raising his glowing sword above his head was a sudden flash of blue then nothing. Mike’s vision starts to readjust to the darkness and realizes he is still holding the sword Mike, “That flash that couldn’t have been the Golem Slayer; I am still here and the sword, my God!”

 

    Mike lowers the sword which is sliced in two and sees the second piece laying on the ground next to him, “that flash did I do something wrong, no the flash was moving it came from in front of me from…Rhuen.”  

 

    Mike looks to where Rhuen was standing to see that nothing is standing there now. He drops his broken sword and with fear in his eyes looks back and forth as he backs away reaching for his gun. As he is fumbling with his sidearm pocket he bumps into something, something that is too hairy to be a tree, “Oh shit.” He exclaims as he looks over his left shoulder and up to the back of Rhuen’s head who turns his head slightly and looks down at Mike with his right hauntingly glowing blue eye and smiles a wicked smile.

 

    Mike frantically thinks, “What happened to his giant fox tail, shouldn’t I have stepped on it as I was backing up, or seen it before I did something this stupid.”

 

    Before he can think any more in his terrified mindset that doesn’t seem to be allowing it’s self to contemplate his situation properly mike is tripped by Rhuen’s tail as it swings back around from Mike’s right side.

 

     Mike falls to the ground hitting his head on a rotting log and as his gun falls away from him down a nearby rocky slope he drifts into unconsciousness and hears Rhuen say as he looks down at him, “I told you to leave before this, now it seems you and your fellow cohorts in this irritating scheme against me and my kin will have to be punished.”

 

    Mikes last sight was the dawning sky as Rhuen walked away leaving him there in the dirt of the forest floor like some discarded carcass.