Minlings: The Merger, page 13
Jake stumbled and fell flat on his back. The weird spell he had been under snapped, leaving him with a mild headache as he lay on the wet, muddy bank of the river, sucking in great gulps of air.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Mason yelled, keeping his eyes glued to the river.
Jake opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Anger rose again, and he took a deep breath, forced his eyes closed, and finally felt the muscles in his body ease up. He opened his eyes and saw the figures reaching the side of the river, taloned fingers reaching up from the lapping stream.
"Incoming!"
A surging motion from the river accompanied his shout.
More trouble
Amidst a burst of waterdrops and foam, a group of green and black beings jumped out of the river and onto the muddy river bank. They looked like an ugly cross between a Kobold and an alligator, covered in scales and with a long protruding reptilian snout. Compared to them, Mason and he looked almost human.
Are these native Kobolds? Jake thought as he scrambled up. Somehow he doubted it.
The ugly Kobolds, leather armor strapped to their torsos and long spears in hand, glared at him while making odd chittering and clicking noises.
Jake's anger flared up again as if the sounds triggered the same instinct as before. He growled and stepped beside Mason, who was visibly shaking. Jake knew exactly how he felt. Every fiber of his body was telling him to attack and leave no survivors, and it took all of his willpower to keep himself in check.
A hissing sound next to him partially broke through the fog. He turned aside and saw Emma standing next to them, lips curled back, flashing her dangerously sharp canines. A look of utter rage covered her face while her hands kept opening and clenching.
"Jaaaayyke!"
Jake felt his scale itch as Mason's deep growl came from beside him. A small voice deep inside his mind screamed for him to snap out of it. But before he could do anything, a sudden movement caused him to look up and dodge to the side. Spears flew through the air where he had been standing. Next to him, Mason and Emma crashed into the ground at the same time.
Dull thuds came from far behind, likely where the spears hit the ground, but Jake had no time to look at them because the creatures were madly rushing their way. Their taloned hands and feet splashed mud everywhere, hissing dangerously as they came.
A roar louder than a dozen lions came from Mason as he ran forward, meeting the first of the creatures in mid-air. Like the excellent rugby player he used to be, he knocked the smaller creature to the ground. Jake knew there was no stopping it now and released the last hold on his sanity. Feeling the bloodlust drown out his reason, he rushed forward, jumping at the first creature he saw.
Jake slashed sideways while simultaneously slapping an incoming arm away. His talons slit through a shoulder, leaving behind a bloody gash. A reddish haze covered everything, and the next thing he knew, he was jumping back from two mutilated corpses, drawing deep breaths, and looking around for the next enemy.
Mason was standing atop the broken forms of three of the creatures as he swung another of the monsters around, using it to keep the others back. Emma had managed to jump on the back of one of the creatures, clawing at its exposed scales, while the beast yelped and squirmed, trying desperately to shake her off.
Jake felt his conscious self ripple for a moment. As it did, something moved deep in his mind, and the weird clicking and hissing sounds began to make sense. A click became 'kill' followed by another noise that sounded like 'female.' Everything began to make sense, as if someone was tuning the radio to the proper channel. Within moments he comprehended every word the creatures were shouting as they tried to overtake their larger prey.
Two of the creatures rushed him, dodging low across the ground to try and grab him. They seemed to be moving slowly, and he stepped sideways and kicked one away before stomping one to the ground. As it shot back up, he grabbed it by the neck, squeezing.
"Kill them! Mighty we are if we do! Show power of the Hydraci," the beast screeched through clenched teeth.
Jake squeezed the flesh of the soft, unscaled throat and ignored the words as best he could. Instead, he blinded it with a quick sweep of his taloned hand across the thing's face. It screamed in pain, but Jake hardly felt any sympathy. He prepared to finish it when he heard something thud behind him. Before he could react, he was tackled by three more Hydraci and pushed to the ground.
Kicks and blows started raining down on him, and he covered his face with his arms as he tried to push himself back. Then a sharp, searing pain erupted from his shoulder, and he felt scales and flesh split. Jake yelped and tried to scramble away from a grinning Hydraci. It was wielding a long, curved dagger that was dripping with blood. Before he could think of doing anything useful, his arms were grabbed, and he was held tight.
"Let go," Jake snarled as he tried to rip free, but his wounded arm wasn't cooperating, and the two held him.
The blade-wielding Hydraci snarled and moved in for the kill.
A high-pitched scream, filled with fear and anger, caused both Jake and the Hydraci to look to the side. Wide-eyed, Emma was staring at Mason, who was being strangled by one Hydraci while four others were sitting on him, holding him in place. Rampaging as he was, the creatures seemed hard-pressed to hold him down.
"Honor to the many-headed ones! Kill the weak ones, and much honor to us!"
Emma screamed again as her muscles bulged far too large for her small frame. She rushed at the Hydraci that were strangling Mason. Dodging a blow, she lunged forward, biting the slightly larger creature in its neck. A spray of greenish blood covered her face while the Hydraci tried to slap her off.
A movement from the corner of his eye was all the warning Jake got. The dagger slashed at his face, and he was too slow to jerk his head aside. He knew there should be fear and pain, but as the blade slashed across his cheek, Jake felt his anger awaken something. Almost as if a tiny echo answered his howling rage.
The echo caused a distant and detached part of himself to focus, absently noticing how the Hydraci triumphantly raised the dagger and licked the blade. He felt a mysterious power surge from a place deep inside him, moving through his body like electricity. With a sudden movement, he ripped a hand free.
The eyes of the Hydraci in front of him widened in shock, but it was too late.
Jake pulled himself towards the Hydraci, then wrapped his arms around the thing and forced it between him and the armed Hydraci. With a roar, he clenched his arms around the struggling form, ignoring the pain from his wound. Seeing the neck before him, he didn't hesitate and bit down.
There was only a moment of resistance before his razor-sharp teeth pierced through the scales with a high-pitched screeching sound, like metal on metal. Then a salty and revolting fluid filled his mouth. Thick, like syrup, it was cold and slightly metallic and caused him to gag. The creature began howling and struggling. Jake ripped his mouth free and shoved the Hydraci away, causing it to trip and fall to the ground between him and the other two.
They stared at him with wide-eyed fear and took a step back as he snarled at them. Sensing an opportunity, Jake grabbed the Hydraci he had bitten as it struggled to stand. He placed both hands around the angular and elongated skull and smiled evilly. With a sharp twist followed by a dull snap, the creature sagged into a small heap. Roaring, blood still dripping from his mouth, Jake rushed towards the two remaining Hydraci.
"They are too strong! Flee? Flee!" one of the two screamed, and both backed up.
Mason, Jake thought, feeling a moment of calm. He took a quick look around.
To the side, Emma had managed to disrupt the hold on Mason. The muscular red and golden Kobold was now strangling two of the creatures at the same time. A single spear jutted from his lower back just below his shoulder blade. However, two unmoving shapes at his feet revealed the price the Hydraci had to pay for wounding him.
As the two creatures, locked down by his arms, became motionless, the remaining Hydraci began backing up. Jake stepped sideways, closer to Mason and Emma, feeling his calm returning.
"Pay! You will pay when the elders come! Our island, not yours," one snarled.
Mason surged forward and tossed the two corpses he held at the howling Hydraci like they were baseballs. With screeches of fear and panic, the smaller figures jumped out of the way before scrambling towards the river. With one more curse directed at Mason's manhood, they dove into the water, disappearing into the dark depths.
Jake felt the last of his burning rage fade as he stared at the river. A soft thud came from somewhere beside him. Startled, he looked up to see that Mason had fallen to the ground, holding himself up with both hands. His friend's chest was heaving like bellows, and drops of blood fell from his partially opened mouth, splashing on the wet ground.
"Mason!"
Jake wanted to rush forward, but before he could, Emma's small form blurred past him, appearing next to Mason. He saw her shiver as she put her hands on the fallen Kobold's face. The unchildlike rage that had still covered her own disappeared, replaced by a terrified look. Mason nodded, but Emma didn't seem to see as she circled him and gaped at the wound on his back. Tears started falling from her eyes as she touched the spear, shivering and shaking with each of Mason's breaths.
Jake felt relieved by Mason's nod. He knew the other wouldn't have nodded if he needed immediate help. He slowly moved next to his friend and put a hand on Mason's scaled shoulder.
"You okay?" he asked, cringing at the stupid question.
"..yeah… but it hurts like a son of a bitch. Pull it out, will ya?" Mason answered weakly.
Jake nodded and moved behind him. "Emma, make sure those things don't come back, okay?" he said while inspecting the spear sticking out of Mason's back.
It took Jake a second to realize Emma wasn't responding, and he looked up. Emma had a terrified look on her face, her lips trembling. Jake managed a weak smile and nodded at the smaller Kobold. He hesitated between telling her everything would be fine and complimenting her, then reasoned she might start crying again if he showed too much sympathy now. They might not have the time for it.
"You did really great against those monsters," he said. "I've never seen a kid fight like that. Can you stay brave and make sure nobody sneaks up on us?"
He saw Emma start staring at him wide-eyed. It looked like she was going to cry for a second, then she clenched her jaw. A look of resolve crossed her face, quickly replacing the fear, and she nodded abruptly. Then she turned around and began scanning the river and the treeline, her head swiveling from left to right.
Jake held back a sigh of relief and turned his attention to the bleeding hole in his friend's back. Bright red blood oozed out from the edges, syrupy and thick, much thicker than human blood was. Putting his hand around the base of the wooden spear, he felt Mason shudder and heard him suppress a groan.
"Did you see if their spears have barbs?" Mason whispered, sounding scared.
Jake shivered when he realized the implications, then quickly shook his head. "I don't know. Wait here. There are a few over there. I'll go grab one to make sure."
Jake jumped up and rushed along the river bank as fast as he could. One of the spears was sticking out from the mud a few feet away. Going way too fast, he grabbed it while coming to a sliding stop, his taloned feet leaving long lines. Turning around, he saw Emma staring at him with a scared look. Jake forced a smile and waved the spear at her while running back, and he saw her shakily nod before looking back at the river.
We will have to help her, talk to her after this, Jake thought. If they didn't, she'd develop a lifelong trauma. He also knew that he had no idea how he was going to prevent that from happening.
He reached Mason and raised the tip close for inspection. It was long and angular, with a weird curve at the top part.
"No barbs," he said in relief, holding it up for Mason to inspect.
"Okay, then get this thing out of me," Mason grunted.
Jake nodded, taking one more look at the spear. The tip was a hand-long black rock wedged into the wood by force, and he had no idea why it wasn't falling out. Intrigued by the black and shiny surface, he raised the spear close to his eye. There were lines along the rocklike tip, and there seemed to be a pattern in it as if tiny hands had crafted it. A quick touch revealed it was cold to the touch and smooth like silk.
"How about you make love to that thing after you pull its brother from my back?" Mason groaned, an annoyed and painful look on his face.
Jake felt the skin under the scales on his face heat up, and he knew the scales would be going darker. The corner of Mason's lip angled up in a pained, humorless grin.
"Sorry," Jake mumbled before handing the spear to Mason.
His friend examined the edges briefly before dropping the spear and visibly steeling himself. "Get on with it…" Halfway his voice broke and sounded more like a growl.
Jake swallowed back some growing fear and put both hands on Mason's back. Wondering if he should count, he decided that nothing would make this more pleasant for his friend, and he better just be done with it. Without so much as a warning, he pulled the spear out, feeling only a little resistance at the start. As the spear slid out, scales came with it, and a sliver of meat and blood was attached to the tip. Mason didn't make a single noise, but all the muscles in his body bulged, causing ripples as if snakes were wrestling underneath a smooth, incredibly dense, golden scale mail. When the spear left the wound, he sank to the ground, taking in a shuddering gulp of air.
"We need to bind that," Jake said, looking at the stream of blood pouring from the wound.
"Yes, but not yet. The blood will wash out any infection," Mason replied, his voice sounding weak and tired.
Jake nodded, looking in a daze at the blood flowing from Mason's back. Something started tickling the edge of his mind as he did, trying to get his attention. Distracted, he ignored Mason for a moment as a memory from a tunnel, what now seemed weeks ago, replayed through his mind.
Jake snapped his head up, his gaze whipping around. Then he found it. A small cloud of barely noticeable specs hung two feet above the ground, near one of the corpses strewn across the river bank. It was slowly drifting towards the water. With how bright the sun was, he would never have spotted them if he had not known they were there. As he saw them, he was surprised to see all of them were a shade of blue.
"Mason, look! More of those lights that we saw in the tunnel. They can heal you. We need to hurry before they dissipate," Jake rambled, at the same time running towards the lights.
--
Mason looked up, his face a wrinkled mess of pain. It took him a moment to understand what Jake was talking about, then he rose and staggered after his friend toward the nearest body. He saw a handful of ruddy specks hover above the corpses amidst a hard-to-see cloud of blue ones. They seemed to blink in and out of existence, but he had no time to wonder about it now.
His entire body was a writhing mess of muscle pain, and he only managed a snake's pace. He reached the cloud just when it was touching the ground, and the ruddy specs had already vanished. He wanted to kneel but almost fell face first and only just managed to catch himself with his hands plunging into the middle of the oddly blinking cloud. The tiny lights didn't react and seemed to slide away from him. Frustrated, Mason tried to catch one, but it just passed through his hand.
"Dammit, why won't this work?!" he growled, banging a fist on the ground.
"Over here!" Jake yelled.
Mason looked up to see Jake close to the water, surrounded by a swirling mass of blue lights that was slowly disappearing inside his scales which began glowing. With hardly any clothes remaining to cover him, besides some ragged remains of his trousers, the glowing scales started glistening as if they were wet, and all the minor cuts and bruises visibly knit closed.
"What the hell?" Mason growled as he struggled up.
--
Jake felt like he was in a rain cloud of healing, each drop cooling the pains in his body. He wanted nothing more than to just stand there and enjoy it, but instead, he moved towards Mason. He kept moving his arms away from the tiny specs, trying to keep them from disappearing inside his scaly skin. A dozen steps later, he put his hands on Mason's, and they both held their breath when one of the lights touched Mason's golden and red scales.
"Come on, come on," Jake muttered.
The light seemed to disappear for a moment, but then it just popped out at the other side of Mason's arm before drifting away, eventually going inside Jake's leg.
"Damnit!" Jake growled, and at the same time, Mason sagged down on the ground with a lost look on his face.
A shuffle to the side caused Jake to snap back to attention, afraid of another attack. His eyes widened as he stared at Emma, who was standing near them, staring with wide-eyed wonder at her arms. Several of the azure lights had floated her way and were now disappearing inside her scales.
"Damnit, I get it..." Mason said, sounding tired, before laying down on his back and closing his eyes.
Jake nodded. He'd realized it in the same instant.
"The colors need to match. Whatever the lights are, we can only absorb those matching the colors of our scales," Jake said with a weary sigh.
Giving them another look, he ignored the lights and moved back to the river. The lights hovered around him, continuing to be absorbed into his body. Jake didn't care right now. He scooped up water with his hands and brought it to Mason, dripping the crystal-clear liquid on his back wound.
Then he tore a small part of what remained of his jeans and started cleaning the wound. Mason groaned in protest but did not move.
"You are as gentle as a bull in heat," Mason said through clenched teeth.
Jake was glad to hear his friend was able to joke, and he was about to reply when Emma knelt next to him. Her tiny hands were filled with water which she poured across Mason's back. "What does in heat mean? Can bulls catch fire?" she asked in a curious voice. A tiny cloud of lights was flowing after her, and she absently put her hand below them, letting them absorb in her palm.
