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The Gift

Edward's Storyline, Chapter 5.5

copyright comidacomida 2018

I'm not sure what happened or how, but the bat turned aside, splintering to pieces without actually connecting. All of the spirits stopped for a split second, glancing back toward me on the street. The girl recovered first, raising both hands which were armed with pistols again, and she began unloading; I'd be dead if Tom hadn't been right there to interpose himself and a bronze shield between me and that bitch. He spoke to me over his shoulder. "Find cover, Edward. I cannot help them if I must stay here to protect you."

I weighed my options as I looked from the fight near the building to Tom and then to Green, who was already stalking down the street with Spider Spirit blood covering him like he'd taken a shower in it. His aggression was one thing, but the sound of even MORE gunshots from the girl made me wonder just how well any of my Spirits would do against her. I realized that there was too much crazy Hollywood-style shit going on for it to be a coincidence, and wondered if that might work to my advantage. Choosing to fight smart, I had a plan...

Moving around to stand beside Tom on his right, I gave him a few pats on the back of his arm where the metal plates didn't cover. "I'm not hiding in an alley, but we're not staying here either... come on."

I could tell by the tone of his snort and the backward-facing tilt of his ears that Tom didn't like my direction but he did as I asked, staying between me and the gun-toting girl as I moved quickly toward The Ancient One. Green, who was still the prominent personality at that moment let out a roar of pure joy, spreading his wings wide as he lumbered onward, wings half-spread, wicked claws dripping with ichor. "Oh, how I have missed the hunt!"

That exclamation didn't improve Tom's mood at all, and he continued hiding me behind his shield as he called after the Dragon. "You fool... this is not a hunt; this is war."

There was a break in the gunfire as Treboada waded back into the fray swinging what looked like a shiny, blackened branch. Despite the fact that it was hardly in the same class of weapon as the Wolf's huge axe he was doing surprisingly well with it, repeatedly knocking guns from the girl's hand and blocking her unarmed counter attacks. It even got to the point that it sounded like he was goading her on in Gaelic. She didn't seem to appreciate it, but I KNEW she wasn't about to feel any more positive toward our approach.

Right when Tom, The Ancient One and I reached the end of the street I shouted, giving Tom a push and slapping Green on the wing as I cried "CHARGE!"

Tom hesitated a moment, handing me his shield. "Guard yourself, Nehed."

I honestly wasn't sure whether I was more surprised that he actually followed my request or that his shield stayed solid in my grasp. The shield caught enough of my attention in fact that I stared at it for several seconds; I could have sworn I saw ghostly golden trails of light shining off of it and connecting it to Tom but, at the same time, there was some kind of bluish green light reflecting back at me. I didn't have much time to think it over though as several voices cried out in warning and I looked up to see the girl with her foot extended, having kicked Treboada aside, and she had some kind of sub machine gun pointed my way.

Rather than spout out some kind of statement about the gun she held she didn't say a thing, and pulled the trigger. I raised the shield, but it was already too late-- but none of the bullets managed to land; a car had somehow found its way between me and the girl. From off to the side, Green let out his loudest roar yet. "PRETENDER!"

Despite the Ancient One not being real, the sound was enough to shatter every last unbroken window in the buildings surrounding the street and all of the Spirits fell to their knees, grabbing their ears. The car that had suddenly appeared between me and the bullets rose up into the air, Green's claws dug into its frame as he hefted it up as if he were moving a twin sized mattress. Flame dribbled from between his teeth as he hissed, raising the car up over his head before hurling it at the fight taking place near the building.

The car spun end over end, hitting the street and bouncing several times as it flew toward the gathered Spirits. Medved turned toward the incoming projectile and remained completely unconcerned as it passed right through him; the Cur behind him, however, became a spray of red mist and a smear on the parking lot as the car skidded to a stop, painting the pavement with gore. The Cur, suddenly no longer in possession of a body looked up at an enraged Bear spirit; he turned and fled.

Tom was immediately by my side again, his shield returning to his arm of its own volition; I did a double-take when I realized that we each had one at that point, and I took a step up to him. "We'll stand a better chance if we work together."

The Rhino snorted. "The scaled beast isn't interested in tactics, Nehed."

It was true; even as Treboada kept the girl busy once again by engaging her with his black wood-stick-thing The Ancient One just kept stalking forward with a bumper in his grasp like a gigantic metal club. He roared out another challenge, this time in an actual language. I've never been much of a language guy but it sounded kinda Middle Eastern or Mediterranean to me. One of the words sounded like it caught Tom's attention, especially because he repeated it at a whisper. "Enyo..."

No longer having to worry about the Dog Spirit, Medved fell back to join me and Tom. He had a few bloody spots in his fur but didn't look too hurt. He also reacted to the name. "Duellona? Bellona?"

The wooden body of Tom's staff creaked within his tightening grasp. He began listing off what sounded like names with disgust in his voice. "Anat. Lua. Agasaya."

Even as Tom and Medved continued counting off a very impressive list of names I noticed that Treboada's ears had rotated back toward the three of us; with The Ancient One wading into the fight, the Wolf and Dragon were having an easier time keeping pace with the little hellion and even her magically appearing guns didn't help her face off against both of them. Eventually I couldn't take it anymore and I demanded of the two. "What's all that? What are you talking about?"

Before either of them could answer, the fight by the building came to an abrupt end as Green got his talon around the girl's throat and hoisted her up and off the ground. She struggled, kicking and flailing her legs, but she didn't get him to release his grip. A set of heavy revolvers came to her hands and she unloaded all twelve rounds into the Dragon, who didn't so much as flinch. His tail whipped back and forth and, with a snarl, he squeezed. Even with the distance between us I could still hear the sound of her neck breaking. Green released the limp corpse and turned back to the rest of us and declared with what was, for him, an uncharacteristic glee "I feel alive."

Despite his evident joy in the statement I found myself staring at the brutal, bleeding bullet holes painting his green scales with red. "You-- you're shot! ... a LOT!"

Green looked down at his impossibly numbered gaping wounds and he let out a shrug, snorting through his nose. "I reject those tools. They are... silly things."

Huffing, the Dragon extended his wings further and for a moment it looked like he was holding his breath; a moment later he gave a singular downward flap with his wings and a dozen bullets ejected themselves from his body and dissolved in the air. By the time I looked back at his bare chest and abdomen there were no signs of any wounds ever having been there. Treboada spoke quietly aside to Medved and Tom. "Yeh still think yeh coulda taken 'im if yeh had a fight?"

The Ancient One strolled over, then walked past, but not before reaching out and tussling my hair almost playfully. "You see, Edward? They cannot harm you... you are mine and I will not let them."

I was already confused enough that his out-of-character actions pushed me over the edge. Tossing the shield I still held down onto the ground I shouted "JUST WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"

Treboada reached down and picked up the shield. He dusted it off and closed his paws around it; the metal collapsed in upon itself until it became nothing more than a small speck of bluish-green light. He held it out to me in his palm. "At ferst ah wasn' sure, boy-o... but now there's no doubt. Yeh jest met th' Morrigan."

Tom interjected. "That was Inanna... Anat... Lua..."

From behind me came Red's voice. "A Spirit nearly as old as mankind... she has been worshipped in many ages as the Goddess of War."

Still having trouble keeping up with what I was hearing I objected. "I always kinda thought that any war gods would be guys... I mean... Gods. It's guys-- uh... males-- men. Men are the guys who do war, after all. Right?"

Medved, despite still being bloody, actually chuckled. The other spirits followed suit pretty fast. It was Treboada who provided perspective. "Yeh got a lot t'learn about real fightin', Lad. Warriahs make an art a fightin', but when yeh think a true savagery yeh gotta 'and it t'maws protectin' their baerns."

Nedved nodded his agreements. "Mother bears guarding their cubs..."

Treboada's ears rotated and his head followed suit toward the gore and destruction next to the warehouse. The girls' body shook and convulsed; I stood there dumb and stunned as a black, feathery shape squirmed its way out of her twisted neck. A blood-covered crow emerged, flexing its wings as it looked back at us. There was pure malevolence in its eyes, which gleamed red. Although its 'caw' was no different than any other crow's I couldn't help but think that she was promising that she'd be back.

The Wolf stepped closer to me as we all watched it fly off and he slid his arm around my shoulders. "The Morrigan, lad... she knows yeh be learnin', an' I'm thinkin' she dunnae much care fer it."

It definitely wasn't the most encouraging way to end my day.