The Beasts and Brave - Chapter 11
#9 of Eben Black Series - The Beasts and Brave
© All characters and storylines surrounding these characters belong to me; Eben Black..
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The beast loomed over us all, muscles pulsed and beat like they had a heartbeat all of their own. The ragged fur spattered with blood. Snarling fangs glistened with blood, the black eyes widened and maddened as it stomped into the room, its sharpened black claws dragged along the walls, leaving huge rivets where plaster and paint had once been. Had this been what had smashed the window earlier? The werelions showed up, armed to the teeth with guns. Kane was the closest, bleeding from the forehead and abdomen, but still able-bodied and wielding that silver blade in one hand. Eddie appeared over the four werelions he commanded over. The lot took aim and loaded up as Eddie grinned and waved his arm outward. He screamed, "Fire!" and the distant growls of the beast were muffled by a sudden eruption of machine gun fire. The bullets ripped through the air and splintered the creature's flesh. Blood blossomed as the bullets hit with dull thuds all over his torso and arms. The beast never flinched, it slowly crouched low and let out a deep growl deep in its chest.
Kane cried out, "Its going to charge!" and then dived out the way as the creature rushed the lions in a blurred heap. It slammed itself into the lions and scattered them all in shouts of pain. Guns fell, still firing. Snow covered me as he sank us down low and shielded me using that enormous body. The beast slammed its palms and claws, bleeding and wounding the werelions as it went. It swung an arm out and Eddie flew across the lounge. He slammed hard into a window pane, and the glass splintered. He slumped down in an unconscious heap, blood spilled and pooled from him as he lay motionless on the floor. I made to move and Snow stopped me dead with a hand on my shoulder as he growled, "He's breathing. He's alive. Leave him for now."
"How is this happening? Kane said that was a werewolf?" I asked.
"I have no idea." Snow let me go and stood up slowly.
"Snow?" I wrapped a hand around his and snapped, "Don't you even think about it. That thing doesn't even react to silver bullets!"
"I swore I'd protect you, didn't I?" Snow demanded.
"Then do what you swore to do and protect him!" Kane called. He was standing, blade in hand as he stepped around the couch and faced the hulking beast.
Kane was a black blur, he rushed the creature from behind. It swung an arm out and I watched as Kane was suddenly airborne, he landed upon the beast's shoulder, and turned, standing as he went. He raised his blade in both his hands and stabbed downward. The silver blade sank through the bicep and pushed out the other side in a rush of blood that spattered the floor underneath. Kane pushed and yanked the blade out, gashing the bicep as he went. I watched as he leaped from the beast's shoulder in a rush of blood and a flash of silver steel. Kane landed behind the beast and without missing a heartbeat, he stood, turned and thrust the blade into the monster's back. A loud, echoing roar escaped the creature's muzzle as it snarled at the silver blade that pushed out from its chest. Kane tutted and I realised he'd missed the vital organ he'd aimed for. The creature glanced back and then stepped forward, it turned and swept an arm down. Kane ducked and raised his blade at the same time. The creature's arm continued its swing and then stopped, gazing down at the thin cut that circled its forearm. The whole world stopped for a moment and then slowly the forearm and hand peeled away from the rest of the arm. Kane had lopped off the arm in one edge of his blade!
Kane stood in a wash of blood as the hulking creature staggered back. There was a hissing sound and I remembered that steel burned wereanima flesh if it was used to such a high percentage. Kane swung his blade as blood spattered the floor. He hopped back and put some distantce between the creature, his eyes narrowed as he watched the creature cry out in pain. What was wrong? Then I saw what had Kane spooked. The flesh that had been cut bubbled and more flesh sprang from the wound like some obscene plant. It snaked across the floor and found the apentage that had been removed by Kane's blade. The strands of flesh dragged the lopped off arm back and in a rush of flesh and power the arm reattached. The creature flexed its hand, and fingers as it glared across at Kane.
Kane frowned and was a blur of speed. He rushed the creature, he darted across the floorboards and for a heartbeat it looked like he'd rushed right through the beast. He skidded to a stop at the other end of the lounge, blade in hand and held outward. Blood spattered his blade as he glanced behind him. There was a pulse inside the beast's chest and a second later several deep cuts and wounds blossomed across its flesh. Blood splattered the floor around it as it bent over double, the cuts deep and grazing internal organs. Kane turned and reared back his blade-hand, he threw the blade horizontal and I watched as the blade span through the air and struck into the beast's back with a dull thump. The beast arched its back in agony as Kane crouched, touching fingertips to the floorboards underfoot. His shoulders tensed and a second later he crossed the room and slammed his palm into the hilt of his own blade. The blade was pushed deeper and Kane looked up hearing something we did not. He grinned as blood spilled around the wound and spattered the black wolf.
He'd pierced the heart!
He yanked the blade free from the creature and stepped back as it hunched over and went still. Had he killed it? I exhaled some breath I'd been holding as I stood up and padded forward. Snow's hand touched my shoulder as he held me back and looked over at Kane. The two exchanged a look, and a moment later the beast shuddered and let out a distant howl. The flesh crawled and covered the bloodied wounds as it straightened up and turned on Kane. Kane dropped into his stance and watched as the beast launched an extended hand out for him. He turned full circle and slashed downward, he sidestepped as he moved and I watched as the creature's hand and forearm were split in two. The two hunks of flesh linked together and moulded, healed once more. Kane turned and swung his blade around to find a hand wrapped around it. He stopped dead, looking stunned. The other hand reared back and smashed into his side. Kane was thrown across the lounge in a bloodied heap. One punch. That's all it took. Kane slammed against the couch and spilled over, onto the floor below. He was now unconscious. The noise his body had made when he'd hit the couch was a sicking crunch. Bones were broken, no doubt there.
"Kane?" I called out his name and stepped forward. Snow leaped over the couch and over the unconscious werewolf. His hands flexed as he stepped forward, dropped into his stance and faced the collossal monster as it loomed over him. It snarled down at him, and launched both claws at the weretiger. Snow was a white-and-black blur. He ducked beneath those extended claws, hands clenched and close to his chest, making a guard for his face. He was close, almost against the beast's chest. He reared back his hand and sank a fist into the beast's abdomen. The force of the punch shook the entire room. Snow was indeed a powerhouse. The creature's mouth went agape as it became winded, spittle spattered from its open mouth as it doubled over Snow. He grinned and pushed a hand against the wound he'd inflicted, he used his other hand to grasp the creature's shoulder. He braced himself by the knees and lifted with a huge haul. He turned and launched the creature up and over. He slammed it head first into the ground with another loud shudder. Snow released the creature and stepped back.
It moved, slow and winded from the impact Snow had inflicted. It rolled onto its front and staggered onto all fours as it glared across at Snow. Those black eyes widened as it took a deep, rattling breath and rushed the weretiger. Snow sidestepped, one gliding step to one side threw the entire assault off. The creature staggered as Snow launched forward, he landed blow after blow to the head, one splintered the creature's muzzle and threw blood in an arc over its head as Snow ducked and swung upward. His fist connected and sent the beast flying up in a beautiful uppercut. Snow moved in a liquid movement, his body making good use of the natural sleak that his tiger beast owned. He landed with a gentle thud as the creature was airborne.
It looked like Snow was winning when suddenly the creature flipped, it flipped and landed, mounted over the back of the couch. Snow flinched and growled. The beast launched from the back of the couch and in midair turned in a full circle. Snow lost concentration for a second from the odd display, and that was all the beast needed. It swiped outward and blood blossomed from Snow's maw as he staggered back. The thing had clawed him. He rubbed the blood from his eyes and had time to breath in as the beast smashed a palm into his face and carried him across the room in a blurred dash. With a sicking crack, Snow was slammed into the wall behind him. The plaster cracked and splintered like wood as the creature pressed and ground Snow's head into the wall. Snow's hands grabbed at the beast's wrist and pulled hard, but the beast's persistence kept it standing there, grinning like a dog as it tried to crush Snow's head.
He was going to kill Snow. He was going to kill the man I loved! Was I going to crouch here and watch that? No. I wouldn't. I wouldn't watch this monster kill the men I loved. He'd done enough damage!
The beast inside me rushed up and swamped me. I could feel a cold chill surround me. I stood up from where I had been holding Kane. I looked behind and saw my reflection in the mirror. In seeing Snow being brutally wounded it had brought on the transformation. My head fur lengthened, and my entire fur coat changed to a pure white, my eyes bled from their regular blue to a pale white-blue. Those eyes belonged to the beast inside me. I moved in a blur of cold and exhaled breaths as I stepped beside the beast and touched a hand to the creature's side, under the raised arm that pushed against Snow. A cold chill ran down my arm and a second later spines forged from ice pierced the beast's side and sent blood flying against the floor. It screamed in agony as the frost rushed through its body and seared like some white-hot-heat. It released Snow and staggered backward. I caught Snow over one shoulder as he fell and stood. I faced the beast and raised a hand, I called on that cold that circulated inside me, I wanted this thing dead. It had come into our home and tried to kill the men I loved.
I took a step forward and was stopped dead. The cold inside me stung and cut through me like some distant blizzard. I staggered and dropped in a rush of cold. The power receeded and disappeared. I took several deep breaths as the beast inside me sank lower and lower and replaced the pure white fur with charcoal grey. I had turned back! How had that happened? The beast had recovered and loomed over me now, as fear thrilled through me. I was suddenly exhausted, the transformation had tired me out, but I'd lasted so much longer the last time I'd transformed. The beast reached for me, as I staggered backward, Snow's weight kept me slow as I tried to keep the beast as far from me as possible.
There was a rush of speed and a second later two furred forms stood over me, they each extended a hand and stopped the beast's dead. I looked up in awe as a bloodied Donovan and Aleksander pushed the creature back. Their beasts raised and their power seemed to breath like some natural wind around them. Donovan's was cooler, more level-headed, while Aleksander's was more furious and wild, there was more heat there. Donovan looked back and smiled, while Aleksander grinned aggressively.
"You alright, Eben?" Donovan asked.
"You've looked better," Aleksander smirked.
"D-Donovan?" I stammered. I wanted to ask what had happened to me, but I was exhausted and out of breath.
Donovan smiled warmly and replied, "We'll deal with this thing and you recover."
Aleksander flexed and stepped forward, "We'll be done in seconds."
Aleksander was a blur of speed. He was airborne and swung a foot downward, his ankle smashed the beast's head and forced it to double over. Donovan was under the beast, arms braced as he lifted like Snow had done. He held it in those slender toned arms with such ease. This was the power of a King. Donovan used the beast as a shield as he charged and smashed the beast into a wall. The plaster cracked and the brickwork splintered. Donovan reared back a hand and shoved forward, pushing the beast back against the wall with such immense strength. Aleksander was across the lounge, crouched into position. He rushed in a flourish and launched himself into midair, Donovan's form rolled aside as the cheetah flung himself through midair and kicked out. He pierced the creature like a spear, feet first and pushed the beast back against the wall. The brick's collapsed and a hole erupted in the wall, while Aleksander jumped backward and skidded along the hardwood floor. The bricks collapsed in a heap over the monstrous werewolf.
"That won't have killed it. But as Kane demonstrated, this thing won't die, so perhaps knocking it out would be the best idea?" Donovan asked.
"What did you have in mind?" Aleksander replied with a grin.
"The window. Throw it out the window and let gravity do what we need."
"Think he'll die?"
"Probably not, but the impact will knock him out. Cutting and bleeding him doesn't work, but perhaps a shock to the brain like that will work."
"Understandable."
The creature stood in a rush of bricks. The thing staggered out of the rubble and then focused on the two Kings before him. He lumbered forward and in a rush of speed aimed for them both. Donovan dived aside, as Aleksander fell back and threw his legs up. He smashed his feet into the beast's winded abdomen and pushed hard. His strength alone sent the creature up into midair. Donovan rushed forward, hopped from the floorboards and smashed a foot into the beast's side. The creature was thrown across the room and slammed across the hardwood floor among the shattered glass of the first broken window pane. It scrambled to prevent itself falling through the window, but Aleksander merely skidded along the floor and smashed his feet into the beast's snarling muzzle. Another sickening crack and the beast was thrown out. There was a loud howl that grew more distant as the seconds passed and then stopped dead with a dull thud. Aleksander's glide along the hardwood floor had been too powerful. He followed the beast out of the window, arms extended as he cried out in shock. Donovan was there, he lay on the hardwood floor, among the shards of glass as his hand wrapped around Aleksander's and held the cheetah tight. Aleksander's eyes were wide as he looked up. The two exchanged nervous smiles and then Donovan hauled the slim cheetah up and back through the window.
I was still panting. As I looked around the ruined lounge, all the blood, all the broken glass. The hole that now linked the lounge and the kitchen area. I was panicked and exhausted. Darkness swam over me as Donovan and Aleksander stood up and looked over at me. I heard their voices call my name as I slumped upon the floor. What had happened to me? Where had that thing come from? So many questions needed answering, and soon.