Hellfire and Silver II


    Wurhi cursed beneath her breath.


    A trio of swords rattled in her grip as she raced through the hall. The two bronze leaf-des were the Vestis, while the long ivory hilted sword, belonged to Kyembe.


    Her own sword was shoved through a belt at her waist.


    The lock had posed no problem; it opened with a single twist of her knife. On any other night, she would have enjoyed foiling one of the trove guardians prized contraptions. On this night, even the short time it took to open, was unbearable.


    Throughout the building the din of violence grew, but seemed to have changed for the better. de spat against de now. Atst, some of Paradises other upants had joined in mounting a resistance.


    Now, if only herrades had survived.


    Calm down, Wurhi, she told herself. Kyembe and Cristabeltheyll be fine. Theyre both mad. And basically unkible. The two mad Vesti wont drop dead so easy either.


    Yes. It would be so. Shed hand everyone their weapons - except for the saints; the small Zabyan didnt even consider trying to lift that giant de - and then theyd chop these monsters into dog meat.


    Afterward


    The thief cringed. There was no way that she could tell the Sengezian about the jewel now. He would abandon her in a heartbeat. Her teeth ground. <em>She</em> would abandon her in a heartbeat if she could. But who could have predicted that stealing it would have brought the abominable hounds of hell down on her?


    Damn all the gods! she cursed.


    At first light, she would march back to that spoiled brats estate and toss the jewel right over his wall.


    Light shed at the end of the hall.


    Hellfire. A good sign. How strange had her life be when seeing hellfire had be a boon?


    Let go of my leg! she heard Ippolytes voice. Die! Damn you!


    <em>Crack!</em>


    <em></em>She reached the Vesti just as they stove in the head of thest masked man in the hall. Wurhi nced to the floor. Bodies littered the passage.


    Here! she pushed their des toward them.


    Atst! Thesiliea cried, dropping the poker and taking up her sword.


    You took long enough! Ippolyte snatched her de.


    I almost died! Wurhi snapped.


    As did we! the Vesti fired back.


    The Zabyan drew her sword. Forget it! Lets just get down there and-


    <em>Vrooosh!</em>


    Hellfire roared close to the stairs. Close enough to sting her eyes and send all three women reeling back.


    <em>We must stop them!</em> she heard Kyembe cry.


    <em>Stop what?</em>


    <em></em>She quickly had her answer. Another pair of<em></em>devils crested the stairs and were upon them.


    The first lunged at Wurhi: bounding over the heads of the Vesti. The second - the monstrous hulk of ck fur - mounted a savage assault on the two warrior women. Yelping, Wurhi raised both swords - Kyembes and her own - toward the beast attacking her.


    <em>Crash!</em>


    The monster barrelled into her on all fours, its jaws nearly snapping off her nose.


    She screamed.


    <em>Schnk. </em>


    <em></em>The beasts weight impaled the des through its chest as it bore her to the ground. It stiffened, but Wurhi knew well such injuries would not hold it back for long.


    Yet, its attack ceased. It stared down at her, seemingly transfixed.


    <em>Squelch.</em>


    <em></em>A strange liquid sound came from its flesh. She looked up at its wounds and gasped. Kyembes sword had driven deep - no doubt due to the beasts great bulk and the des magic - but she could see its flesh closing around the wound.


    Her own de was dealing an altogether different effect.


    The flesh surrounding her silver sword was writhingand shrinking. Fur retreated and sinew withered. The area around her de softened. What formed - spanning about the size of a fist - was human flesh. No fur, nor beasts skin, nor sinewy mass.


    Blood spurted freely. The wound showed no sign of closing. With a groan nearly human, the light left the beasts eyes. It slumped down on its side; its full weight fell across her legs.


    Whatwhat in all hells!? she cried.


    The creatures form shifted. Bone broke and knitted together. The scent of canine fled, leaving only the scent of man and death. In heartbeats, a mans bleeding corpsey over her.


    The transformation had frozen her blood to ice. It was familiar. Too familiar. Theyretheyre like me, the rat-shapeshifter whispered.


    <em>Rip!</em>


    A scream broke her from her reverie.


    Ippolyte! Thesiliea cried.


    Ippolyte stumbled back, her hands pressed to her belly. Wurhis head shot up. ws had torn the mercenarys flesh to tatters. Crimson poured through her fingers like a waterfall.


    Thesiliea roared in anguish and charged the beast, her sword poised. The de stabbed just beneath the armpit, but the creature gave it no heed. Ippolytes de still protruded from the monsters neck, having the same effect as a fly on an elephants back.


    The beast pulled away, ripping the sword from Thesilieas grip. Its ws shed forward.


    <em>Sqnch!</em>


    They rent her body. The force of the blow threw the warrior into a wall. Red streamed down the stone.


    Panicking, Wurhi slid her sword from the dead man and tried to kick him off, but - as quick as she was - the ravaging beast pounced upon her and pressed her down with a great hairy hand. Its other hand mmed her sword-arm into the stones.


    Its jaws parted.


    Wait! Wait! Wait! she cried.


    Her free hand reached for the only thing she thought might save her. She dragged the Eye of Radiin from her clothes. Here! This is what you came for, yes? Take it! Take it!


    The wolf paused, looking directly at The Eye.


    Yes! Thats it! Thats what you want! Ill give it back! Ill-


    It snorted. With a single w, it hurled the corpse off of her, flipped her over and caught the back of her tunic in its teeth.


    What!? Whatre you doing-


    The beast lurched forth on all fours.


    No! she shrieked, fighting to escape. <em>No!</em>


    It crashed through the closest door. The upants - hiding from the violence - screamed as it passed, but the wolf did not slow. Before Wurhi could react, it dove through the open shutters.


    <em>Whoosh!</em>


    Cold air and moonlight struck her.


    The wind roared past her ears as they fell. In her fright-stricken mind, one thought stood clear: at all costs she must keep grip on both the jewel and her sword.


    Wurhi! she heard Kyembes voice shout from the pleasure-temple.


    They monsternded upright. Her sword shed backward. The impact of her de shook her arm. A poor blow, but enough to surprise the beast. Its jaws parted in a yelp and, freed, she rolled through the snow and to her feet.


    Her breath came hard, misting in the cold. Blood and desperation surged through her body. Each heartbeat mmed in her chest. Shed never outpace this thing. All that could be done was hold it at bay until Kyembe could arrive. It was a feat beyond her.


    At least while she was like this.


    While it stared at the wound bleeding on its shoulder, she snarled at it.


    Ill have your throat! she howled, tensing as animal desperation took her. Anguish tore through her body. Her bones shattered and reformed. Fur sprouted; her jaw lengthened.


    By the time its eyes returned to her, a monstrous rat-thing stood where the tiny thief had been. Still, one thought burned in her mind - she must keep her grip on her items. So strong did it remain, that even the bestial instincts raging through her could not shake it.


    She leapt at the beast, iling her sword and gnashing her jaws. It flinched in surprise, yet easily stepped out of reach of her de. All her lessons from Kyembe had evaporated in her bestial state.


    Meanwhile, the wolf-devil had long married its instinct and intellect.


    It feinted a lunge to the side. When she turned, it surged forward to smash its fist into her snout. The blow jarred her and left the world spinning. Wurhi stumbled in the snow.


    The beast let loose a long howl that brimmed with purpose. Catching the thief by her ripped tunic, it loped for the wall surrounding Paradise.


    Stop, dog! Stop, damn you! Through a haze she heard Kyembes cry.


    The world blurred around her. The jarring blow, the fright filled night, and her rodents panic-frenzied instincts were too great a burden to bear. Though her grip remained tight on the jewel and weapon, her vision dimmed.


    The world began to fade.


    Thats Berards signal! Its time to leave! Adelmar cried, rushing from the building.


    But what about the others? Haldrych managed to force his mouth to say. In truth, the violence he had heard from within had broken his nerve some time ago. He lifted his robe as he ran.


    Well regroupter! We must go, now! Adelmar cried again.


    There was no need to tell Haldrych a third time.


    Kyembe let out a shout of dismay when he crested the stairs.


    Ippolyte and Thesilieay in spreading pools of their precious blood while thergest devil burst through a door ahead, disappearing from the hall. Wurhi struggled in its jaws. He heard another crash from the room beyond.


    Wurhi! he cried, sprinting after them. He spied his sword gleaming on the stone near a dead man. He snatched it up.


    Amitiyahs Tears! St. Cristabel immediately went to the Vesti. She knelt over them. They yet live! My gods mercy may still heal their wounds! She raised her hands to spread the tears of Amitiyah. I must see to them! Go! Get the viin and rescue Wurhi!


    That dog is mine! Kyembe pronounced.


    He pursued the ck-coated beast with long strides. The upants of the chamber screamed once more as he rushed by, and a long howl issued from outside. He peered through the window.


    The devil snatched Wurhi in its jaws and raced through the snow.


    Stop, dog! Stop, damn you! He leapt onto the windowsill and plummeted to the snow below.


    <em>Whoosh! Thmp!</em>


    <em></em>Landing in a half crouch on the balls of his feet, he bounced up and sprinted after them. His teeth grit. The snow sucked his every step, robbing him of swiftness and bnce.


    The ck-coated monster shrank in the distance.


    Stop! he roared, but knew it was futile.


    Ahead, the beast reached the wall of Paradises grounds and vaulted to its top in a single bound. It gave him a quick nce, its eyes shing.


    Then, disappeared over the wall.


    <em>No!</em> he cried. No! No! Wurhi!


    He redoubled his speed, calling on every reserve he had ever used in the wilderness. A jump carried him halfway up the wall and he scaled the rest, leaping into the street below. He peered about. The beast was nowhere in sight.


    Cursing, his eyes fell to the snow.


    <em>There!</em> Tracks that were a cross of wolfs and mans.


    He tore after them. There is no escape for you, beast! he roared. Drop her and I will consider letting you die quickly!


    His roar echoed through a night that was slowly turning to dawn. None answered. Growling, he continued to follow the tracks. Prints of hoof, boot, and wrapped feet covered the road, but the monsters tread was unique: impossible to miss.


    <em> Schnch. Schnch.</em>


    <em></em>His bare feet stung in the snow, but he bore the pain. It would only be a matter of time until he found them. The wind whispered through the sleeping city.


    An odd change came over the tracks. What? he cried.


    They shrank. The mark of the w disappeared. They sank shallow in the snow.


    Nonono


    Now he followed the prints of bare human feet. Shortly after, the bare footprints vanished, reced by cloth covered ones, like others on the road. Anger burned in Kyembes breast, but anger could not make his quarry easier to follow. As the trail weaved through the roads more traveled, they became harder to discern.


    He came abruptly to a massive crossroad.


    He stopped. No. <em>No!</em>


    The tracks blended with countless others that had churned the snow throughout the day.


    All looked simr. The tall Sengezian turned in ce, peering desperately down each road.


    Any of them could have been the one his quarry had taken.


    Shaking with anger, The Spirit-Killer gripped the hilt of his sword. Damn you!


    He charged down the eastern road, trusting his path to luck.


    Yet, such good fortune did not walk with him this dawn. As if mocking him, fresh snowkes began swirling from the sky, gently hiding what he sought. His wanderings took him deeper and deeper into the maze of Laexondael. Yet, no matter how hard he searched, he could find no sign of wolf or rat.


    Wurhi of Zabya was gone.