Amber Silverblood: Chapter Forty Six

Story by ThisAdamGuy on SoFurry

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#49 of Amber Silverblood

Despite Amber's warning, Stark has shown up to spring Majestic's trap! There's nothing she can do but watch as the carnage unfolds. Also featuring a sneak peek at my upcoming story, The Slayer and the Sphinx!


Chapter Forty Six

I stood and stared at Stark for a few seconds, my hackles raised. His growl still echoed in my ears, chilling my blood. I wanted to growl back, but memories of the last time I'd done so were flashing in front of my eyes. Pain, blood, defeat. That had been the night I turned submissive...

To my confusion, though, he didn't seem to be looking for a fight tonight. He just stood where he was, looking back at me. He raised his nose a little and sniffed.

Yeah, it's me, I thought. Just like I told you it would be.

He looked exactly like I remembered him. Iron gray fur all over his body, probably the same shade as his hair, without a single spot to blemish it. Stark raised his head and glanced in the direction the Majestic goons' scent was coming from, but apparently decided that they weren't there anymore-- just like I'd been afraid he would.

What are you doing? I screamed at him in my thoughts. You know what's going on. You know why I'm here. Why did you come?

I let my ears go flat and tucked my tail between my legs as I silently begged him to leave. He cocked his head at me, as if confused. My frustration grew, and escaped my mouth in the form of a whine. Just run already, you idiot!

But Stark did the exact opposite-- he took a step toward me.

"Now!" I heard Wrogan shout, and all four of them came bursting out of the shadows. Wrogan was holding a net like a dog catcher might use, woven with steel fibers that looked like they could stop an airplane. The gems on Victor, Dex, and Ed's scepters were all lit up.

Stark reacted at once, spinning and snarling at his attackers. With his attention off of me, I took the opportunity to retreat to the other end of the parking lot, watching guiltily.

Stark waited until the first of them was within attacking range, and then pounced. Victor swung his scepter in a wide arc, its ruby leaving a blood red afterimage, and swatted him out of the air. Stark skidded across the asphalt, but immediately got back to his paws.

It's not too late, I urged him. Just get out of here!

He didn't, of course. Dex came at him then, aiming his wand as he ran. Stark lowered himself to the ground, eyes following the glowing yellow gem. A beam of golden magic shot from it, and Stark dodged to the side. The attack missed him by only a couple of inches, and he hit the ground and rolled before lunging at Dex.

"Geez!" the blond mage shouted, swinging his scepter to fend him off. Instead of retreating, Stark grabbed the golden wand in his mouth and yanked it out of Dex's hand. Dex stared at it for a moment, stunned, before saying, "Aw, crap..."

Stark jerked his head to the side, sending the scepter clattering across the parking lot, and pounced at him again. I thought Dex was a dead man, but then he spun into a roundhouse kick, his heel connecting with Stark's jaw, knocking him off course. Safe for the moment, Dex stepped back to clear the way for his teammates.

"Edgar, Victor, with me!" Mr. Wrogan ordered, stepping up and raising the net above his head.

The two wizards obeyed, and ran to flank Stark. They held their scepters out, training them on him while Mr. Wrogan slowly came forward, net held at the ready.

"Don't struggle," he said to the wolf. "If you come peacefully, we won't have to hurt you."

I wasn't sure how threatened Stark would feel about that. He had already disarmed one of their mages, and didn't look ready to give up just yet. He snarled at them, baring his teeth. Wrogan sighed, and swung the net at him.

With unbelievable speed, Stark dodged to the left, jumped up onto the net, and dashed along the length of the handle, towards the man holding it. Wrogan released the net, pulling back a massive fist to punch the wolf, but never got the chance. There was a bright flash of red, and suddenly Stark was skidding across the asphalt again. Victor twirled his scepter in his hand, repositioning it to better hit his opponent, and ran forward the intercept Stark before he could get back up.

He was too slow, though. Stark was on his paws in the blink of an eye, and had dodged around the suited man. This put him closer to Edgar-- too close, I realized. Ed, feeling braver than he had any right to, stepped up to block the Silverblood's way. I cringed, fighting the urge to close my eyes. Stark was going to turn the poor kid into dog chow!

To my disbelief, though, Ed was ready for him. He swung his scepter out in a wide arc just as Stark came close enough. Stark jumped back, evading the blow, but Ed followed up by aiming his wand at him and letting out a bolt of green energy. It hit Stark in the face, throwing him backwards. The momentum propelled him into a flip, and he landed on his back with a yelp.

Wow,_I thought, looking at Edgar in astonishment._Didn't see that coming.

Stark wasn't finished yet, though. With a growl, he rolled back onto his paws and shook himself. Wrogan came at him again, holding the net, but Stark retreated the opposite direction. I don't know what he had thought he'd gain by fighting them, but it looked like he'd given up. That was for the best, I thought. Let him get away. He'd put on a good show for them. They'd think I'd helped try to catch him, and wouldn't suspect me of sabotaging the operation. Maybe that had been his plan all along, I realized.

He_was _smart!

Unfortunately, Wrogan and the others didn't seem keen on letting him escape. They'd come to catch a Silverblood, and they weren't going to leave without one. Without waiting for his men to come to him, Wrogan took a step forward and swung the net. Stark dodged again, but his steps were more sluggish now. The accumulated hits were beginning to add up, I realized. It didn't matter how well he held up in a four-to-one fight. Eventually, they would wear him down.

Get out of here! I screamed in my head. Stop fighting! Go!

That seemed to be exactly what Stark was planning to do, but before he could turn and flee, Dex was there blocking his path. He held up his scepter, the tip glowing.

Stark gave him the most hateful glare I'd ever seen, baring his teeth in a primal snarl and raising his hackles. Dex didn't back down-- but that proved to be his mistake.

Stark moved so quickly that he was nothing but a gray blur in the dull lamplight. He spun around, and pounced. Dex was too close to react in time, and the huge wolf landed on top of him. There was a flash of bright white fangs, and Dex screamed.

My blood ran cold. This wasn't good. There were only two outcomes to this. Either Stark would kill Dex, or he would survive and... I didn't even want to think about it.

Then Wrogan was there, swinging his net, and knocked Stark off of him. Stark fell to the ground, but before he could get back up Wrogan swung the net a second time, trapping him underneath it.

"Now!" he roared, struggling to keep it in place as Stark thrashed about within.

Moving as one, Edgar, Victor, and Dexter held up their scepters and shot magic at the net. The beams collided simultaneously, and began to swirl around the steel web in a rainbow of color. The net fell still, and Wrogan released the handle with a sigh of relief.

That's that, then, I thought with a sinking feeling in my heart. It's over.

I glanced at Dex, and was surprised to see him sit up and take a vial of yellow liquid out of his jacket. After uncorking it, he tipped it back and emptied it into his mouth.

"Gah," he said, grimacing. "Hate that stuff!"

"Are you all right?" Wrogan asked, looking his way.

Dex looked down at his arm where Stark had bit him, and I saw blood staining his shirt.

"I've had worse," he said, picking himself up.

Wait, I thought, taking a step closer to them.Is that seriously all the reaction he has to becoming a werewolf?

Unless... I stopped short, my eyes widening.

Unless he had just...

Which meant that thing he'd just drank was...

No... Freaking... Way!

NEXT TIME: What is it? What did Amber figure out? What did Dex just drink? Stark can't help her anymore, so hopefully there's SOME good news here.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: We are less than a week away from the debut chapter of The Slayer and the Sphinx! So, as promised, here's a sneak peek at chapter one.

Chapter One

(POV: Reya)

Reya ran, her footsteps echoing loudly in the narrow alleyway. The only light came from the streetlamps by the road, which made it hard to see. The smell of rotting, sunbaked garbage was heavy in the air, threatening to make her sick. She forced herself to hold her breath until she was clear of it.

Running while holding my breath, she thought. Only one of the many useful skills I've picked up.

It had rained a couple hours ago, and the ground was still wet. Puddles of water sat atop the clogged up storm drains. Water was all over the ground, though, so she wasn't worried about leaving footprints. If she were lucky, the slick ground would be enough to throw them off her trail-- because they were right behind her!

She could hear them chasing her. Their footfalls were even louder than hers, and there were several of them. How many? She had counted three when they'd first spotted her, but there were probably even more now. There were always more.

Her breath came in ragged gulps, but she didn't let herself slow down. She was faster than they were. She could outrun them. She was starting to get tired, though. Her hair streamed out behind her like a flag, a fiery red beacon to the ones chasing her, and she cursed herself for not bringing a hat.

"This way," a voice behind her shouted. "Don't lose it!"

Defiance fought against terror inside her. If they caught her, she was dead. It was as simple as that. But all those years she'd spent living on the streets hadn't been for nothing. Reya knew her way around better than anybody else. She'd stayed alive this long, and that wasn't going to change tonight.

She spotted a dumpster sitting against the wall ahead of her, and the fire escape directly above it. Without pausing, she jumped on top of the trash can and then onto the rusty catwalk. With expert agility and speed, she climbed the ladder up to the roof and then stopped, looking down at the narrow street three floors below. Less than half a minute later, a man came into the dim light, his long black coat billowing out behind him. He ran right past the dumpster, just like she'd hoped, as did the one that came behind him.

"That's two of them," Reya whispered, watching them until they were lost to sight. "Where's the third?"

He'd most likely been left behind during the chase. Not many people could keep up with her. In fact, she was impressed that those two had managed it for so long. Either way, she needed to get back to shelter before they realized they'd been tricked. Taking a few steps backward, she got a running start and jumped to the next building.

Her home was about half a mile west of where she was, and she didn't want to spend a minute longer than she had to out in the open. Her feet hit the roof of the next building running, and she vaulted over the next gap as well. She moved with more confidence now, knowing that she could pass right above the men and they wouldn't even notice her. It was amazing, really, how many people never thought to look up.

She soared over the gap between another two buildings when she saw him. Like a shadow come to life, suddenly another figure was running beside her. His black coat fluttered behind him like a cape, and she caught of flash of white when he gave her a taunting smile. He matched her pace perfectly, and when she jumped they landed in flawless synchronization.

Reya skidded to a halt, breathing heavily. Her pursuer stopped as well, but he didn't seem to be out of breath at all. He stood up straight, giving his cold blue eyes glaring at her underneath a mop of raven-black hair. He couldn't have been more than a year younger than she was.

Reya clenched her fists, pushing her fear away. "I don't want to hurt you, kid. Just get out of my way!"

The boy laughed. "Kid? I'm a Slayer." He raised his hands to fight as well. "And Slayers don't just step aside for things like you."

Reya's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Fine, then. Take this!"

Reya threw herself at the young Slayer, and a set of needle-sharp claws sprouted from her fingers. She lashed out with them, but the boy merely sidestepped her attack. With a growl she came at him again, swinging her right hand first, then her left. The boy leaned away from her right hand, and then caught her left one before kicking her in the stomach.

Reya sucked in her breath as she fell to her knees. A kick from any normal person wouldn't have been able to hurt her that much. But this boy wasn't a normal person. He was a Slayer, trained from birth to kill Mythics like her.

She needed to get away!

And that's that! What do you think? Are you excited to read more? Tune in on Wednesday, March 4th, to get the whole chapter!

Amber Silverblood: Chapter Forty Seven

Chapter Forty Seven "Well done, everybody," Wrogan said, brushing his hands off. "Let's get it back to headquarters." Victor stepped forward immediately and took the handle of the large net that held Stark. The metal fibers were still swirling in...

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Amber Silverblood: Chapter Forty One

Chapter Forty One "I'm leaving you, Barbie," I said in the deepest voice I could manage, waggling my Ken doll in front of me. "No, Ken, don't leave!" Kimberly said, speaking for the Barbie doll in her hand. "I love you!" "It's too late for that,"...

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Amber Silverblood: Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty "Hey, Amber!" Edgar said with his usual geeky smile, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "Come on in!" It was my room, in my house. I didn't need his permission to come in. I let it slide, though, when I finally took in what I...

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