Billy shook his head and realized he couldn’t understand a word of what anyone was saying around him. It felt like when you jumped into the water and your hearing is distorted. He shook his head again to clear it. It seemed there were enemies everywhere, why couldn’t he understand?
There was a brief moment of terrible fighting and he was almost overwhelmed. He began to swing wildly as he realized the little creature had disappeared.
Then, everything exploded in a blast of light and fire before him as Uncle threw all his energy into one final spell. He flew backward from the force of the explosion. All was silent. He was laying on the ground, stunned, staring up into a now roofless sky. Odd there was the big dipper sparkling in the night sky. And there were dead, dying, and burning bodies, everywhere and the smell was rank.
Zhoulin came up to him speaking, and then looked at him oddly. She cocked her head and said some gibberish.
He looked at her with tears in his eyes, at no other time would he have liked to understand her, but he couldn’t.
Brother Dog stepped forward, "You don't understand them, do you?" he said.
"No! And, I don’t know what happened, it was crazy!” He said in a panic. “Like I had this superpower, but I couldn’t stop. I think I killed a whole lot of people. But they were trying to kill me right? I mean what could I do? Look at all the blood! Oh my god!” It was obvious to Brother Dog that Billy was in shock. He had seen this on the battlefield many times.
Up till now, this whole adventure had been just some lark to Billy. No more than that just a trip, a road trip, even the battle between Uncle and the wizard had been so surreal as to be well… surreal, unreal. Like some kind of game, but no more.
Billy tried to wipe the blood from his hand and from the blade of the sword he had picked up. He half wanted to toss it aside, but looking around at the dead bodies, he didn’t want to be without some kind of weapon! He realized he was sobbing, it was all so frighteningly real. He stuck the sword and the ax in his belt. No way he was going without a weapon anymore. Things had just gotten very real.
Then, there was movement in a pile of bodies nearby. They all watched in anxious expectation, weapons at the ready as a small clawed hand pushed its way out from among the bodies. A small strange creature slowly emerged from under the dead bodies. It was covered in blood from several wounds. It had greenish-gray skin and large dog-like ears, but it was sort of lizard-ish, in appearance. It whimpered and crept toward Billy.
He scrambled back in the dirt.
“What is that?” he said. He felt like he had just been drugged, or something. He had memories of killing, and cutting into people’s heads, and cutting off arms, it made him want to vomit.”
Uncle stepped forward and said something that Billy couldn't understand. The thing crept closer all teeth and claws, Billy moved back terrified “What is it?”
It reached out to him.
Brother Dog, said to Uncle "Are you thinking what I am thinking?"
“Yes,” Uncle said. “I think I am.”
“It was defending him,” Brother Dog said. “There is no way it wasn’t affecting his fighting skills either.”
"Yes, so it would appear."
“Should we kill it?” Uncle and Zhoulin Gave Dog one of those “are you stupid?” looks we give our friends when we don’t want to say it.
He put his hands in the air in resignation. They all remembered too well what had happened the last time he tried to kill it.
Billy was confused. He felt so strange and alone. All that confidence had drained away. He didn't want this thing to touch him. But somehow he knew, this strange creature was what had been helping him to survive on this horrible adventure. But it was ugly and loathsome looking!
He couldn't bear the thought of it touching him. Never mind becoming part of him!
“Get it away from me!” he shouted. “What is it?”
Before anyone could respond the thing hurled itself at Billy. He shrieked like a girl as it caught him around the neck grabbing on tight. He tried to pull it off.
Then he heard Uncle yelling “Get it! Get it off of him.”
“But how?” Brother Dog and Zhoulin said simultaneously. They stopped and watched as the thing was hugging Billy’s, neck like a frightened child, and it was whimpering.
"It's alright," Billy said after a moment.
“You understood us?” Uncle said.
“Yes.”
“Is it hurting you?”
“No, not really, kind of like a monkey or something.”
They all stepped back.
Billy gently tried to remove the tiny hands.
It held on tight.
“Talk to it,” Uncle said, as he placed his stick into a notch in the wall, and it began to glow more brightly.
Billy did as he was told, and slowly it seemed to calm the creature.
"I think we cannot remain here," Uncle said quietly.
Brother Dog was already at the doorway "Yes, there is only dead and dying out here but that won't last for long. Come, let us go before there are any more casualties.”
Uncle and Zhoulin looked at the creature as Billy tried to calm it.
“What do I do?” he said.
“I don’t know,” Uncle said.
“It seems you have a pet,” Zhoulin said, reaching her hand out to touch it. “Oh!” she said, in surprise as she rubbed its skin. “It is so soft.”
Brother Dog stepped over and the creature hissed and tried to hide in Billy’s arms.
“It doesn’t like you,” Uncle said. “I think it is more like a familiar than a pet. “Billy, you were fighting like a wild thing when we came in. How do you feel?”
“Yes, it was amazing,” Zhoulin said.
“I don’t know,” Billy said. “I feel fine, but I was stabbed.”
“Again, it saves you,” Brother Dog said.
“But look at it,” Uncle said. “It has completely changed form, it seems to be adapting somehow. I think it will not return to his side. May I look at your wound?”
As he examined the wound, they were all surprised! There was a deep cut there, but it was healing so quickly, the process was almost visible.
“We cannot stay here!” Brother Dog repeated urgently.
“Yes of course,” Uncle said, taking up his staff.
“We must go, I am sure this is not the end of this.”
They heard a man shouting in the near distance. “Here, they went over this way.”
Uncle's Magic rods, light dulled to nothing as they slipped away from the old house and into the night. They slowly skirted the camp that had been their momentary shelter, keeping to the trees. The little creature slid up around Billy's neck like a monkey. The night was hot and the creature seemed oddly cool, but still, it felt a little uncomfortable so close to his skin.
As they ran deeper into the forest the others were running into trees and brush in the darkness, but Billy’s eyes seemed to have adjusted quite well. Brother Dog was less affected than Zhoulin and Uncle of course.
Brother Dog called a halt. "You two are making so much noise, a deaf-blind man could follow you.
“I can’t help it, I can’t see!” Zhoulin protested. “And we don’t dare a light.
“Hmm,” Brother Dog said, looking at Billy. “You seem to be having no trouble.”
"Yeah, I guess my eyesight is just better than theirs," Billy boasted, with a hint of pride. I am a guy from the future after all. No offense, but you know, more evolved maybe. Better hand-eye coordination, all that stuff."
"Really!? More like your little friend there has something to do with it," Brother Dog said, with a hint of rebuke in his voice.
“Oh yeah,” Billy said, a little embarrassed.
“Take Zhoulin’s hand,” Brother Dog said, ignoring him.
“What? I can’t hold her hand! Are you nuts? She’s a girl!”
“Take her hand!”
Billy slowly reached out and took her hand, feeling all the mor
e bashful, he knew he was blushing. She was so lovely. Even accidentally brushing against her gave him butterflies.
“Why?” he said.
“Just do it! We don’t have time for your nonsense.”
He was about to let go when she said “Oh! I can see more clearly.
“And you uncle?” Brother Dog said.
“What do you mean?” Uncle said. “I see the same as before why would it change?”
“Take Zhoulin’s hand.” Brother Dog said.
Uncle did and a few moments later he exclaimed. “Yes I see. It’s amazing this little creature is enhancing our senses.”
“Good. They’re coming, now run!”
They ran into the night, hand in hand. They could hear shouting not far behind. It took a few minutes to get used to running this way as they kept tripping each other up, but the sound of pursuit spurred them on to greater efforts.
Billy stumbled. There was a strange, mournful howling behind them. A few seconds later, a great roar like nothing he had ever heard. He stumbled again and gasped out “What the hell was that!?”
Brother Dog ran beside him on all fours "My young friend, that gives you an idea just how important a catch we are.”
“What do you mean?” Billy said glancing back.
“Don’t look back!” Brother Dog growled. “They will catch us for sure.
“It’s the emperor’s elite Hounds for sure they are three times the size of a normal dog.”
Uncle said “No offense.”
“But the roar?”
"It is the Emperors Dragons I would expect if I know anything."
"Our friend is correct if those are to be let loose.” Uncle panted. “We can’t possibly out-run any of them, we are dead.”
“Dragons? Dragons!?” Seriously? There aren’t any Dragons. Dragons are a Myth?!” Billy protested.
“There aren’t any upright talking dogs either,” Uncle gasped sarcastically. “But there you have it.” He was fast running out of energy. “How far must we go? I am not made for this!” As he stumbled and almost fell. His friends pulled him up again.
“But won’t they kill each other?” Billy said hopefully. “Giant dogs and dragons?”
“It gives you an idea how badly he wants us.” Brother Dog said “Sending his prize creatures on such a hunt, but I doubt we will ever see the Dragons, as we will be very dead, once the hounds are done with us. We will need a miracle.”
They stumbled down a small hillside and into a stream, hoping to confuse the animals behind. They ran through the water. And stumbled up an embankment. Uncle collapsed beside a tree.
“I am too old for this. Go on.”
"We cannot hope to outrun them at any rate," Brother Dog said panting. "They will be on us soon. All we can do is stand and fight. And prey Assus sends a miracle.”
“Who the heck is Assus?' Billy said as he examined the sword and ax he had gotten from the battle in the house. The little creature on his shoulders hissed as Uncles' staff began to give off an eerie light.
"The ancient god of my people," said Brother Dog.
“How is it that they found us so quickly?” Zhoulin said." As she broke off a willow branch from a nearby tree and began to strip the leaves.
“Well, after all that in the camp.” Billy began
"But still!" she said, "If this is the emperors' men, they don't just wander around."
“Well, we can assume there is a very large reward for our capture. I am more surprised we are still alive. Someone could easily have cut our throats in our sleep, “Uncle said through deep breaths. “At any rate. I cannot run further.”
“It is not important for they are here. I think there will be no more running this day my friends,” Brother Dog said.
He drew himself up on his hind legs as the process of his transformation started. The sound of his transition didn't sound as weird as it had to Billy the first several times. He still couldn't bear to watch it though. He looked at their little group as Brother Dog drew his sword from its scabbard. The old man just looked old, the Dog warrior, though impressive just not that big. And he and Zhoulin just kids really. God, we're all gonna die he thought as there was another roar. He felt very sick.
14 Onslaught at the River Xi
M
ing crept through the forest, he could see the outline of men around him in the darkness. They were a rough and dangerous lot, even by his standards not that he was a gentleman in any way. He smacked his lips and sucked his teeth with great pleasure. He had just had some of the finest food of his miserable life. He chuckled. It had almost cost him his life.
In the confusion of the encampment, when the boy had let himself be known, Ming thought he had lost all hope of the great reward, he had envisioned for himself. But through a little ingenuity, he was now on the path he had hoped for.
The captain had almost stabbed him when he came running up with the information about what he had witnessed. Luckily, the captain was as desperate for his own life, so he held his hand long enough to listen. Once he had been told the tale the captain contacted the General, the order was given and men came rushing out of the fortress, armed to the teeth.
Ming was shocked to see the famous huge hunting, Dogs of the emperor. But just as they were passing by, and all eyes were on them slathering jaws and teeth, there was a roar from inside the gate that shook the very ground! A huge cage was being pulled out on four golden wheels, the carriage was made of opulent jade posts, iron and steel works glittered with much polishing in the sunlight.
Then he saw them, and he fell to a knee as shock and awe overwhelmed him. There in a glorious cage were the two most magnificent Dragons that anyone could imagine. One roared and the echo shocked him. He barely noticed as the head guard pulled him to his feet and shoved him on his way.
The dragons inside the cage pacing and roaring, but they were long like gigantic snakes and they slithered and crawled over each other. He had seen many pictures and drawings and sculptures of these creatures but had always assumed that the artist had taken artistic license. These looked exactly like the pictures with bright birdlike colors. They had long, colorful whiskers more like a catfish and strange horned plumes sticking out the top of their heads. The paws were almost like hands with long, sharp claws. He was amazed at the colors, and roaring maw could easily fit a man. He had never seen real Dragons.
Like most people he had believed it was just legends.
“The last of the great dragons,” The guard said to him.
And here they stood, he was awestruck. He had heard the story for many years of the last of the dragons.
‘Why would the emperor send such glorious creatures as these, after a mere band of brigands?” he said, just as one huge beast threw itself at the bars of the cage growling and ripping at the metal bars Ming jumped in fear, obviously no normal material could hold such beasts.
“It was rumored the metal has magic properties,” the guard said. And the whole structure shook with the impact. A clawed foot came through the gap in the bars almost catching him; he fell back as huge teeth snapped inches from his face.
Ming turned to the captain.
"So much?” he said. “It is only a boy and a girl and an old wizard and a Dog. Could they be so dangerous?"
The captain scowled at him for a moment before answering, then he smiled a strange smile.
"Ha! You will probably not survive this night anyway old man. So I will impart to you a secret. It is true one of them killed the Wizard Lijiang and the little one killed a whole troop of guards but hear this. The Dog they believe is not magic, but from another world beyond the moon it is rumored… ”he hesitated for a moment, looking around cautiously “it is rumored he is not from this world but he has come from one of the stars. We know not where but if he walks and talks even magic cannot sustain something like that. And the boy? Something follows the boy. It is evil beyond imagining! There are stories about men turning into beasts, strange misshapen creatures wander the land.
Have you not heard the stories?” He looked around again. “It was seen by an old woodcutter. That girl turned a whole troop of the guard, into beasts and then killed every last one. At first, we did not believe this story, but the old man showed us the bones he had found, they were twisted and evil. Before this there was a strange battle in the field of the magic well, did you not hear that no one is allowed to go there anymore? It is gone!
“What? The magic well is gone? But it had protective spells! It has sat there a thousand years?
How is this possible?” Ming said, astonished at the news.
“Yes!” The captain said “how is this possible? So you see we must capture them and then find out the answer to all these things. They are the enemy of the empire if nothing else. And even now there are things stirring that have even the wisest in fear. Several days ago, there was an occurrence like none other.” He looked at Ming for a moment. As if deciding whether to trust this old man.
“There was a rift in time.”
“What?” Ming said. In no way understanding what this meant.
The captain leaned in to speak quietly. Ming realized the man was desperate to talk to someone, so he said nothing.
Looking around again the man pulled him close and said quietly. “There was a tear in the fabric of the universe!” the man whispered holding on to Ming tightly. “I even saw it for a moment. The very fabric of the air came apart and things that made me shudder tried to get through. You think these dragons are amazing? I assure you they are nothing like what is following this boy!”
He shoved Ming back and began to walk away.
“But my lord,” Ming said, as he ran after the man. “My lord, how did you see these things?”
The huge man stopped and turned toward, Ming he cringed, expecting to be hit.
“It matters not a little man, be assured it occurred. I did not dream it, gods willing it was just a dream! Know this I would rather battle a thousand men than the battle what is coming after him!
You would do well to guard yourself as we go into battle. I am certain it will be our last.”
The Jewel of Nirune (The Sword of Time Book 1) Page 17
