by Charley Case
Finn rolled his head her way, his eyes heavily lidded, but she could see the sparkling gray of his magically influenced eyes regard her in all seriousness. “You feel like home.”
The words hit her harder than she thought they would have, and she had to swallow a sudden lump in her throat. When she glanced away from the road, she could see that he was out once again, but Penny was looking up at him, her eyes moist. She saw Mila looking and gave her a nod of agreement. She felt the same in her own way.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Mila double-parked in front of the Wooden Bard. Luckily it was on a side street, so there wasn't much traffic that needed to go around her. She was surprised the white box truck wasn't out on the street as well since she didn't think she had been driving fast enough to pass the Troll.
She put on her flashers and leaned over the center console to get a better view of the bar. There were only two windows in the front of the building, one on either side of the glass front door. All three windows were frosted, so the only thing she could pick out was the neon Coors sign hanging in the left window and the fact that the lights were on.
Rolling down the window, Mila could hear music playing and almost thought she was in the wrong place, but a scream cut through the country pop song playing inside, letting her know that the GPS had done its job properly. The front door swung open and a woman stumbled out a few steps before falling to the sidewalk, her leg bleeding through a tight pair of ripped jeans.
Mila’s eyes went wide, and she turned to climb out of the car to help the woman. The large-nosed man leaning in, cupping his face against the driver side window, made her scream and reach for Gram. The face jumped back and held up his hands.
“Hermin?” Mila shouted, opening her car door and throwing a crumpled empty box of Charleston Chews Finn had left in the cup holder at him. “You scared the fucking shit out of me! You need to help the girl.” She pointed towards the sidewalk.
“Dr. Meadows is taking care of her,” Hermin said, handing a leather sack to Mila. “Sorry it took so long. We had to stop and collect her on our way. Here are the stones Finn requested.”
Mila turned back and saw Danica pulling the woman away from the door, along with Garret. She had her large sack of healing reagents over her shoulder. A pop made her look farther down, where another Huldu appeared in a large bubble, followed by several more.
“We will be able to keep the Peabrains from getting loose before we can alter their memories, but it’s limited, so we need to take care of this quickly,” Hermin said, leaning into the car and seeing Finn passed out in the passenger seat. “What the hell happened to him?”
“Used too much magic at once, I think. Penny said it makes dwarves drunk. Or it makes berserkers drunk. Maybe it just makes Finn drunk?” Mila shrugged and held up the sack of stones. “What are these for exactly?”
Hermin shrugged. “He asked for deep stones, so I brought them.”
Penny quickly climbed up Mila's back and over her shoulder, grabbing the sack and scurrying back to Finn. To Mila and Hermin’s horror, she opened the sack, pulled out a black polished stone, and promptly shoved down Finn's throat. She was pushing so hard that she had to stand on his chest and use her full weight, pushing the black stone down until she was shoulder-deep down his throat. Withdrawing her saliva-slick arm, she repeated the process with a second stone.
“What the hell are you doing?” Mila asked, her mouth hanging open. “He’s going to choke to death.”
Penny didn't seem to notice Mila's shouting, instead shoving a third black stone down Finn's throat. She was so determined and seemed to know what she was doing, so Mila just sat there watching until the bag was empty, and Penny was wiping the saliva from her arm with the front of Finn's black t-shirt. She then turned to Mila and held up one taloned finger.
“One minute?” Mila guessed.
Penny nodded and patted Finn on the chest, a smoke ring shooting from a nostril.
Mila climbed out of the car, Hermin giving her a hand. “What should we do? Go in without him?”
Hermin shook his head emphatically. “Not with a bunch of hellhounds loose in there. We would be torn to shreds. Hellhounds are fairly resistant to magic already, but with the stone skin, I can't even imagine magic working on them at all.”
“But the troll is using magic to control them.” She mimed putting on a tiara. “He has a crown thing we think is a dwarven artifact. At least, I saw that purple magic light stuff around it that Finn puts off when he uses a spell.”
“Aura. The light is called an aura.” Danica said, stepping up to them, pulling off a pair of latex gloves covered in blood. “That would explain why it’s working on the hounds. Dwarven magic is part of the earth, the ground. It is extremely effective on things like stone.”
Mila gave her friend a hug. “Thanks for coming.”
“It’s my duty to look after the health of my people. Technically it’s my duty to look after all people, not just my own. We even had to take an oath about it before we could graduate.” She smirked. “Speaking of, why are we not getting in there to stop this attack?”
“We need Finn,” Garret said, joining them. “He’s the only one who can use magic effectively against the hounds, and it doesn't hurt that he’s a hell of a fighter as well.”
“Yeah, but he’s out cold.” Mila leaned down and looked in on him. He was still lying back in the passenger seat as Penny had left him, mouth agape and a line of saliva down his beard.
“What’s wrong with him?” Danica asked, her voice rising an octave as she leaned down beside Mila and saw the passed-out man.
“He used too much magic at once? I think.”
Penny nodded, keeping her eyes on Finn's face.
Mila opened her mouth to ask when he was going to wake up, but she was cut off by Finn's eyes opening wide, the gray color having gone nearly white in intensity. He leaned forward and coughed hard, even taking one fist and hitting himself hard in the stomach. Blood rushed to his face, turning him crimson before he coughed once again. This time two stones came flying out of his open mouth, and he sucked in a deep breath before coughing up the last four in one go.
To Mila's surprise, the stones were now chalk-white, and brittle. One of the stones had hit the dashboard and split in two, leaving a chalky residue on the black leather.
Finn blinked, wiped tears from his eyes, and looked down at Penny. “Thanks,” he croaked.
“Chi! Shir she chi!” She pointed to the bar’s front door urgently.
“Shit! We’re already here?” He looked around, noticing Mila and Danica staring at him open-mouthed. “Danica? How did… You know what? It doesn't matter. We’ll talk after. You ready Mila? Still have the ring?”
Mila pulled the ring from her pocket, still not understanding what had happened. “Yeah. Right here.”
“Put it on. It’ll protect you from the hounds’ bites, but don't get overwhelmed. They have strong jaws, and I wouldn't want you to lose an arm.” He pushed the door open and climbed out in one smooth motion, not showing any sign of his previous stupor. He pulled Fragar out, activated the axe, and looked back over his shoulder at the Mila. “Let’s go to work.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Finn watched as Mila slipped the gold ring on and closed her eyes. Her skin lightened from its normal dark tan coloring to pale, then continued on to the silky ivory color of polished marble. Even her hair, from the roots out, changed to impossibly thin ivory strands that glinted in the streetlights. She gave a shiver before opening her eyes, their rich, vibrant brown cutting through the white marble skin and setting Finn's heart to fluttering.
She looked like a perfect statue that would have made Michelangelo jealous.
A smile formed on her white lips. “What?”
“You look like a Valkyrie.” He said, not knowing a better comparison.
“I hope not. I wouldn't want to drag your dead ass all the way to Hel.” She laughed.
Finn shrugged. “I d
on't think I’d mind, as long as it were you doing the dragging.”
She rolled her eyes, pulling Gram free and whispering the power word that unfolded the blade. “What’s the plan?”
Penny climbed up on Mila’s shoulder, unfurling her wings and giving them a flap to loosen up. “Chi! Shir she.”
Finn nodded. “What she said; get the circlet off the troll and take him down. Penny and me will do our best to distract the hounds. See if you can find a way to get the people out of there, but if the opportunity presents itself, take him out. We can deal with the wild hounds easier than if they’re actively directed to kill us...I hope.”
The sound of more screaming filtered out past the country music, making Finn narrow his eyes. “Right. Hermin, Danica, prepare for the injured. Mila, Penny, let’s do this.”
Finn marched to the front door, pulled it open hard enough that it cracked the glass, and stepped inside. His eyes were narrowed, Fragar held to the side glowing with power, and an aura of danger radiating from his hulking figure.
A cacophony of utter chaos hit him like a wall. The sound of country music playing at a high volume mixed with the screaming of confused and hurt people, along with the snap and crackle of magic, filled the dim interior of the Wooden Bard.
Making room for Mila, Finn surveyed the medium-sized bar. The wooden motif extended further than just the name. Dark paneling covered the walls trimmed in royal red wallpaper around the top. Wooden pillars held up the thick wooden ceiling beams, and booths of solid oak lined the walls.
The long mahogany bar across the back of the room was being used as a kind of battlement by several customers of magical descent. They had formed up, using the thick wooden structure to keep a dozen hellhounds at bay while pelting them with bubbles of magic that burst into flame, or crackled with electricity. One of the casters was obviously well versed in cold magic, leaving jagged patches of ice splashed across floor and hound alike.
Outside of the makeshift barricade was a slaughter field, mostly consisting of non-magicals. Several people were down on the floor, doing their best to fight off the monsters that had come to life from their nightmares. They used whatever was at hand. Stools or chairs seemed to be the most effective, but a solid bite from the stone jaws bit through the wood with little resistance. Almost everyone was bloody, and some were obviously not moving, even when the hounds left them alone and moved on to new targets.
At the center of it all was the Troll, his hood down with his back to them, dark hair pinned to his head by the golden circlet that crackled with raw, purple power. In one hand he held a staff he used as both a club and a casting instrument. Finn watched as he smacked a woman across the face with the end of the staff, before pointing it at a young man, running for the back door, and shooting a thin line of bubbles at him. The bubbles acted as a living rope, wrapping him up and sending him sprawling to the floor where a hound pounced on him and sunk its teeth into his shoulder.
Finn was about to charge into the fray when he saw a stool fly past him and smack into the Troll’s shoulder, making him stumble before turning their way.
Finn glanced over and saw the ivory form of Mila, her teeth clenched, another stool in her hands ready to throw. Her fierce look fell away to be replaced with confusion when the troll locked gazes with her.
“Jeffery?” She took a step closer, the stool raised and ready to throw.
Finn glanced back at the troll and saw that he was using a concealment spell to look like his human form, and Finn was surprised to recognize the man from a photo Mila had shown him of her missing coworker from the museum.
Finn noticed the hounds had stopped attacking for a moment as Mila and Jeffery stared one another down, obviously distracted by their controller’s sudden lack of focus.
“Mila. I told you to drop it.” Jeffery roared, his face turning dark. “Didn't you get my note? I didn't want you to have anything to do with any of this.” There was a tinge of regret in his rage.
“What the hell is all of this, Jeff?” Mila waved a hand that included the hurt people on the ground. “Why would you do this?”
“You wouldn't understand. This is about freedom and having a place to belong.” He ground his teeth. “Something you Peabrains enjoy with your willful ignorance.”
“Looks more like it’s about control and domination to me,” Finn remarked, keeping an eye on the semi-docile hounds. Several of the people had been able to crawl away to relative safety, a few even making it out the door behind them, while Mila kept the troll occupied.
Jeffery barked a wicked laugh. “That’s rich coming from a dwarf, and a royal one to boot. You people are the definition of domineering.”
“Makes it all the easier for me to pick it out when I see it.” He stepped closer, raising an eyebrow. “Mila made it sound like you were a reasonable man. What exactly is it about the goddamned Dark Star that took you in? Power? Prestige? What?”
Jeffery’s face grew hard, and he glanced at Mila. “I’m sorry, but you are now in the way. I tried to spare you, but you just wouldn't let it go, would you? Always going just a little too far for your own good.”
“You don't have to do this, Jeff.” Mila pleaded, her very human eyes misting with tears.
“Yes, I do.” He pointed the staff at Mila and sent a series of bubbles racing her way.
Finn shoved her hard, sending her stumbling to the side as the bubbles raced between them to splash across the wall where they burst into flame, curling the wallpaper in a wash of intense heat. Finn threw Fragar right at Jeffery’s face, but the troll was faster than Finn had expected and deflected the spinning axe with the end of his staff. Finn didn't let that deter him, as he had followed up the axe with a charge.
He was a step away from getting his hands around Jeffery’s throat when several tons of hellhound tackled him from the side. Finn counted four of the giant, heavy beasts fighting to be the first to take a bite out of his face as they hit the ground in a tumbling mess. Focusing a quick spell on the tangle of stone-coated animals, he bound the rock of their skin together where they touched one another, locking all four of them in the tangle they had created of their bodies.
The hounds were still on top of him, but he was at least safe from their teeth. He shoved with all his strength, and with a huge effort was able to roll the mess off of himself, the hounds yelping in fear now that they couldn't move apart.
Finn saw Penny racing around the room, doing her best to distract hounds as they attacked bystanders. She would shoulder-check a hound in the face, letting it snap its teeth at her before drawing it away, staying just out of reach, and lead it recklessly into the side of another hound, sending both beasts tumbling away from another victim.
Mila had three hounds on her, one clamped onto her leg, the cloth of her leggings shredded below the knee but her stone skin showing only minor scratches from its teeth. A second had hold of her left arm at the wrist, keeping Gram out of the fight and trying to pull her off balance while a fourth snapped at her face. She swung her right fist into the top of the third hound’s head, snapping its teeth together with the force of the blow, sending it to the ground where it whined, a small chunk of stone missing from its forehead.
Finn rolled to his feet just in time to be hit in the chest by a series of bubbles from Jeffery’s staff, each one bursting into flame, and sending him reeling back into a table and chairs. He smacked at the flames, but before he could properly get them out, a hound tackled him, sending him over the table. He shouted in pain as it bit down on his arm.
Blood splashed across his face from the torn flesh of his arm. He gritted his teeth, punching the hound in the side of its face, knocking it loose from his forearm. Getting a foot under its belly, he shoved it off, quickly regaining his feet just in time for the beast to snap at his arm again. He pulled back, but it just kept coming, leaping at his face.
“Teacht le cheile.” Finn held out his hand, glowing with power, and touched the hound on the head as it flew towards him.
There was a flash of purple dwarven magic, and when the hound’s feet touched the ground, they continued through the solid stone floor as if it had landed on water. It sank up to its chest, its eyes wide with fear. The spell ran its course and the hound’s stone skin fused with the stone flooring, trapping the animal in place.
Finn ignored its whining and sprinted towards Fragar, which was lying beside one of the booths with two people cowering from a hound that was doing its best to climb the table. He snatched the hound’s tail, twisting to get some leverage, and flung the huge animal into the center of the room in a yelping tangle.
He grabbed his axe and pointed at the relatively clear path to the front door. “Run! There are people outside waiting to help.”
He didn't wait to see if the cowering Peabrains followed his instructions. He rushed close to Jeffery to take a swing at his exposed back.
And was tackled by another hound.
Mila finally wrenched the hand holding Gram free form the viselike grip of the hellhound’s jaws and backhanded it in the face. The sound of stone smacking against stone cracked over the blaring country music as the hound, knocked senseless, went tumbling to the ground. Gritting her teeth, she swung Gram at the hound still attached to her leg. The golden blade sparked and ricocheted off the beast’s neck, but it was enough to knock it loose from her appendage. She wasted no time kicking it hard in the midsection, her stone enhanced body sending the hound tumbling through the air and directly into Finn, who was charging up behind Jeff, Fragar out for the kill.
“Oh, shit! Sorry!” she shouted, sucking in a breath between her teeth.
Jeffery only noticed Finn because of her mistake and turned the full force of his powers on the dwarf.
Mila could see that Penny was doing her best, but she was only one small dragon surrounded by large stone hellhounds. She would breathe fire into their faces, but it was a wholly magical fire, and it had basically no effect on the magic-hardened hounds.
