Looting the 13th Floor 2, page 30
part #2 of Looting the 13th Floor Series
“Get the fuck away from her!” I snarled as I landed on the thick body, and I brought my blade right down into its neck.
The leviathan screeched as it swung its head around to face me, but I pulled the blade right down its back so its spine split open. Its head swayed as its eyes rolled back, and its skin peeled down along its back to reveal ribs over dark red organs that pulsed horribly.
I yanked my knife back as I jumped to my feet and tried not to slip on the oozing blood. Guards had started to race toward us as the miners fled to the sides, and it gave us a much clearer path to get out. We just had to deal with the dozen or so frog-legged monsters that raced at us with spears.
“Go!” I yelled. “Try and get out, and kill as many of the fuckers on your way as possible!”
I took aim at one of the guards’ faces as I began to run, and I pulled the trigger that sent a very, very lucky bullet into his nose. The bone exploded as a gruesome hole appeared in his skull, and he fell face down as he knocked into another guard.
Cleo hissed as she took a shot at one of the frog-legged fuckers, and she managed to catch him right in the elbow. He howled but kept running until the cat-girl sent a second bullet into his neck. The shot was slightly off-center, but it caused enough damage for him to fall down with a rasping scream.
“Amazing!” I yelled. “You’re doing so well with your gun, keep it up!”
“The werewolves are getting closer!” Cleo warned as green lightning exploded above us.
“We got this,” I said as I took a shot at another guard. “Keep going toward the exit!”
Two guards raced at me with furious cries, and I shot wildly at them until I managed to hit one of them directly in the eyeball. There was a wet plop as his socket was destroyed, and the bullet fired right back into his brain. He fell down dead instantly as Cleo shot the second fucker in the chin. This guy’s jaw fell open as he tried to scream, but he could only make a muffled cry as his tongue broke apart.
Cleo finished him off with another shot to the head as we got closer, and she smirked as he crumpled at her feet.
Then I looked around to see we only had six guards left standing, and the workers had started to race off through the unmanned gates. People screamed as they fled into the forest, and the remaining guards charged at us at once. The bustle of the crowd slowed them down, at least, but I didn’t want to hit any innocent miners.
“Don’t shoot right now,” I said to Cleo. “We don’t want to harm anyone else, okay? Only fire if you’ve got a clear shot.”
The cat-girl nodded as we raced along in the crowd, and one guard shoved his way through to block our way. His nostrils flared as he jabbed a spear at Cleo, but I fired directly into his jugular. The bullet sent a volcano of blood into the air as he jolted back at the short-ranged shot, and I felt the kick of vibrations send a shock down my body.
“Four left,” I said as wind stung my eyes. “We’re almost out!”
A crossbow bolt suddenly struck the ground inches away from my feet, and I stumbled backward as my heart pounded.
“Liam!” Cleo gasped. “The tower!”
I looked up at the watchtower that was now visible as we stood right at the mine entrance, and I saw another bald man had taken up station there. He aimed his crossbow as I jumped in front of Cleo, but he never got to use it.
A bolt was suddenly lodged in his skull as it soared right into his ear, and he crumpled over as blood poured from his head.
I looked up to see Kali lower her new crossbow with a determined scowl on her face. Her aim had been perfect, and she didn’t look flustered or afraid.
“Holy shit,” I gasped. “She really is a badass.”
“Liam!” Kali called as she swooped down over the crowd. “Hobble is coming to your rescue!”
The dull honk of our steed was barely audible over the chaos, but I spotted the beast lurking along by the edge of the forest.
“Let’s go!” I yelled. “I don’t want him to get anywhere near the guards!”
We raced out of the gates as Kali took another shot with her crossbow, and I heard the short-lived scream of a guard behind us. There was a crash as he fell down, and I glanced over my shoulder to see the crowd had thinned out.
Most workers had now fled, and the three remaining guards had formed a line as they sprinted toward us. I skidded to a halt and spun around to face them, and I stood firm as I took aim. My finger moved quickly as I sent three bullets at each of them, one after the other. Each one managed to end up embedded in the guards’ faces and necks just seconds apart, and the frog-legged bastards swayed and smacked into each other.
I took another shot at the middle one’s forehead, and he fell down dead as the top of his skull was blown clean off. The other two crumpled slowly beside him as they gradually bled to death from their head wounds.
“Yes!” Cleo hissed. “Dead!”
I spun back around to see Hobble race toward me with his thick legs moving in a blur. The blue diamonds made his saddlebags bulge, but they didn’t slow him down whatsoever. He really had been a good purchase.
“Get on!” I shouted, and Cleo leapt up onto the creature in one smooth movement.
I hauled myself up and swung my leg over so I was behind her, and Kali flew along beside us.
“Get us out of here,” the nymph said urgently. “Go, Hobble! To the portal!”
“Liam!” Cleo hissed as her ears twitched. “The werewolves! They’re here!”
Hobble moved so quickly back into the forest that I barely had time to look around, but I spotted the snout of a huge beast appear just past the watchtower. It had come from the direction of Stormgulf, and there was an ear-piercing howl as the pack arrived at the scene of the crime.
My heart pounded as we rode Hobble through the dark trees, and Kali darted along beside us. Her iridescent wings sparkled as she moved quickly, and my shoulders ached from the heavy bag.
“You don’t want a ride?” I asked.
“I feel so full of energy,” the nymph said breathlessly. “My wings are powered up, and I need to release some of this feeling!”
Then the werewolves all howled at the same time, and their footsteps echoed out as they all began to move at once.
“They are chasing us!” Cleo yelled. “I can hear them taking our path.”
“They must have caught our scent,” Kali cried.
“Shit,” I spat as I looked back. “We can’t lead them to the portal. The hunters will work out there’s something there that helped us vanish.”
“So, what do we do?” Kali asked desperately. “Should we try to hide out somewhere else in Hollowfell?”
“There are other tree houses,” Cleo said. “But they would not hide us for long.”
“No,” I said. “The wolves would only track us down eventually. We need to lose them somewhere before we go back through the portal. Hobble, can you take us around as if we’re going toward the coves?”
The creature grunted as he ran, and he swiftly adjusted his course as he pounded over the soaked forest floor. I knew going up against a pack of werewolves with trophy hunters on their backs was insane, but we had to at least throw them off the scent. There was no way I was leading a group like that right to the door to Earth, even if it was hidden inside the rock face. I didn’t want to think about the horror that would ensue if the hunters found it.
Could they figure out how to get through?
Either way, if they knew where we came and went from, we’d never be able to enter Hollowfell safely from that portal again.
“Kali,” I said as a thought suddenly entered my mind. “Can we use the locking spell on the portal?”
“I don’t think so,” the nymph said as she glanced over her shoulder. “Well, not those ones anyway. The one we used is quite a cheap potion that I assume only works for regular doors. Maybe a sorceress would be able to conjure up a stronger one for enchanted portals.”
Then a howl rang out that sounded way too close for comfort, and Hobble zigzagged through the thick trees as if he was trying to make his path as difficult to follow as possible. The red moon peeked out from behind the flashes of green lightning, and it made the creepiest filter of colors that shone down onto the leaves.
“One of them is faster than the others,” Cleo hissed. “I can hear it behind us.”
I knew the beast had to be nearby because I could now hear the thud of its paws, too. Its deep growl sent a shiver down my spine, and I knew we were not going to outrun the monster.
“Keep going,” I hissed at Hobble as I started to clumsily turn around on his back.
I wanted the best possible chance of getting my shot right, especially since there was probably a crossbow-wielding hunter riding the wolf.
Rain dripped down my nose as I held my rifle ready to shoot, and I stared into the darkness of the forest. Red eyes suddenly appeared behind us, and they glowed in the dim light as a snarl rang out.
The werewolf sprinted forward with a hungry howl as drool fell from its long snout. There was a huge man riding the beast, and he had a crossbow just like I had expected.
I fired my rifle at him right as he laid eyes on me, and my bullet struck him square in the chest. Blood poured from him as he tried to steady himself to take a countershot, but I pulled the trigger too quickly for him.
My second hit shattered his cheek as the bullet lodged just under his eye socket. His skin tore apart as his skull fractured, and all his limbs went limp as he slumped off the wolf. The creature didn’t even glance back at its fallen rider. It kept its eyes locked on me as it snarled and pounded the soaked ground with thick claws.
I aimed just as the werewolf leapt at us. It flew through the air with a howl as it opened its jaws wide, and I shot directly into the open mouth.
My bullet soared into the roof of its mouth and blew its head apart. Dark fur and brain matter went flying from the werewolf’s skull as its huge body thudded to the ground.
“Yes!” Kali cheered. “Liam, that was incredible!”
“Satisfying as hell.” I grinned as I slowly turned back around to face forward. “But we’re not out of the woods yet. Literally. Where are we exactly?”
“Getting close to the coves,” Cleo said as she squinted up at the sky. “The salt of the ocean will help hide our smell, too.”
“And the rain is getting worse,” Kali said as she shook her soaked curls. “I think we can really lose them! This is so exciting! What a thrill!”
The nymph’s face glowed as she sped along beside us, and I snorted at her enthusiasm during the deadly chase. Hobble didn’t slow down once as he flew along the forest floor, and Cleo’s ears twitched as she listened out for our attackers.
I pulled a magazine out of the side pocket of my rucksack and reloaded as the smell of salty air hit me. Crashing waves could be heard nearby, and Kali suddenly came in closer beside me while she flew. Pirates would be lurking around the beach, and I knew she was terrified of being captured again.
“You’re safe,” I said. “Keep up being a crossbow-shooting badass, and I won’t let anything happen to you.”
The nymph nodded as her blue eyes darted amongst the trees, but then Cleo yelled as something suddenly leapt from the bushes beside us.
A leviathan in snake form launched itself right at the cat-girl with a deep hiss. I reached out and grabbed it by the thick neck right before it reached Cleo’s face, and I squeezed as hard as I could while it tried to wriggle free.
My hands barely fit around the scaly neck, but Cleo yowled as she brought her sickle down in a flash. She cut right above my hands, and the leviathan’s head was cut clean off.
“Nasty,” I muttered as I dropped the body onto the ground, and Cleo launched the head far off into the woods.
The howls of werewolves echoed out from all directions as the crashing of waves got louder.
“I think they’ve split up,” I said. “The salty air and rain really must be masking us!”
“There is one still on our tracks,” Cleo said as her ears moved. “I think it is even bigger than the last.”
“Oh,” Kali squeaked. “That’s not good.”
I started to recognize the lay of the land as Hobble took us through the forest, and I could see the tops of the coves sticking up nearby. We started to climb onto higher ground as the stormy sea became visible between the trees. Black waves crashed against distant cliffs as the pirate ships swayed dangerously in the harbor.
It wouldn’t be long until we reached the hillside with the portal, but I didn’t want to climb it with a werewolf so hot on our tail.
A huge rumble of thunder rang out right as something moved on our right. The dark leaves of a thorned bush shuddered, and I knew we were about to be attacked.
“On your right!” I managed to yell just before something enormous jumped out.
It flew right into Hobble’s path, and our steed reared up and honked in fright as he was finally forced to halt.
My throat was dry as I looked at a werewolf that was bigger than any of the others I had seen. The beast towered over us as its red eyes narrowed, and each sharp tooth was stained with dried blood. I could smell the stench of death from its salivating jaws, and its rider was equally as intimidating.
The man was made of pure muscle with a crossbow that glinted gold clutched in his hands. There was a deep scar that ran down the left side of his face, and his dark eyes were fixed on Cleo.
“Hello pretty,” he hissed. “I don’t want to hurt you or your flying friend. The Sobblers want you both alive, but I’m sure a little scratch to slow you down won’t matter.”
“Duck,” I hissed at Cleo, and she crouched down as I fired at the trophy hunter.
His wolf leapt to the side just as I pulled the trigger, and my bullet flew into the tree behind where the man’s head had just been.
“Fucker,” I snarled as I swung around.
The hunter fired a bolt at me next, but I fell backward onto Hobble’s rear end just in time. I could feel the air from the bolt whoosh past my face as I laid down on my steed’s back.
“Shoot!” I yelled as I sat back up, and I fired at the huge man’s head.
This time my bullet hit the fucker right in the ear as he tried to dodge it. He screamed as his lobe was cut clean off, and the side of his bald head oozed with blood.
Cleo and Kali both shot the werewolf at the same time, so the beast had a bolt and a bullet lodged into its neck. It stumbled but didn’t fall as the wounds gushed blood all over its matted fur. Then the wolf tried to take a swipe at Hobble, but Kali shot another bolt into its side just in time. I fired at the hunter as he swayed from blood loss, and my bullet struck a bullseye right in his forehead.
The huge man slumped forward and smacked his face on the werewolf’s neck. He slid onto the ground as his golden crossbow fell with him, and the werewolf made one last attempt to jump.
It leapt toward Hobble, and I fired right into its red eyeball. The wolf died midjump and thudded down on top of its dead rider. Their bleeding corpses went still as I caught my breath, and Kali fluttered down beside us.
“Goodness,” she breathed. “That thing was huge.”
“Yeah,” I said. “And those bodies are going to add to our trail of breadcrumbs, so we need to go.”
Cleo leaned down with a grunt to reach the crossbow, and I held her waist so she could scoop it up without falling off of Hobble.
“This is pretty,” she said as she rested it between her and Hobble’s head.
“It really is,” I agreed as the gold shone under the stormy sky. “But let’s admire it when we get our asses back through that portal.”
“Let’s go,” Kali said, and Hobble began to pick up the pace once more.
The rain had gotten even heavier during our fight, and the thick droplets bounced off my freezing hands while I clutched onto Cleo.
“We have lost them,” the cat-girl hollered over the chaos of the storm. “I cannot hear any wolves nearby!”
“Hell yes!” I cheered. “This storm has actually saved our asses in a way.”
“It really is awful,” Kali said as her wings vibrated in the rain. “Worse than anything I’ve ever seen before!”
“You said the weather got worse when the High Society came into power,” I recalled. “Cleo told me that before they ruled Hollowfell had sunshine and brighter skies.”
“So the stories say,” the cat-girl said. “But who knows if that is true.”
“I think it is,” I said as I looked up at a deep purple cloud. “They’re even more pissed than usual since there’s two trophies on the run, and that just happens to coincide with the worst storm ever?”
“That’s true!” Kali called over the wind. “It is odd! I hate to think what would happen if they got even angrier.”
“Me, too,” I said as I pictured the black sea rising up into a tidal wave.
There was a low-hanging tree up ahead that sat just near the bottom of the hill, and a wave of relief washed over me to see we were close. The trophy hunters weren’t on our tails, and we had managed to slaughter a bunch of evil monsters on our way.
But I knew not to get too cocky just yet. There was a whole world of things that could go wrong in the short distance to the portal.
As we got closer to the low-hanging tree, I suddenly felt a jolt of unease in my chest. The drooping branches looked odd, and they didn’t swing in the wind like the others did. I narrowed my eyes for a second before I grabbed Hobble’s fur on either side.
“Stop!” I yelled. “Hobble, stop!”
The huge beast slammed his feet into the ground like brakes as he obeyed me, but he still shook himself to dislodge my tight grip. I patted him to apologize as I kept my gaze on the strange branches.
“They’re leviathans,” I said quietly as I positioned my rifle, and Cleo gasped. “Bring it on, fuckers.”
The tree suddenly broke out into a flurry of movement as hordes of snakes fell from the branches. Their hanging tails had been disguised, and I was endlessly grateful that I had trusted my own instincts.
