insanely-large-two-handed swords that anyone else would have fallen over trying to hold up but Silas handled as though they weighed no more than steak knives.
Leonidas drew his slender daggers, mere toothpicks next to Silas’s entourage of weaponry. He waited beside the Elitions, deciding to follow their lead. He’d never fought a magical creature before, whereas Silas was an encyclopedia of beastie trivia. Another howl tore through the forest, this time closer. It was answered by a shriek from above. Thunder roared in the sunny sky, and lightning pierced a nearby tree. The giant trunk cracked and echoed hollowly, balancing precariously in place for a second before crashing through the underbrush toward the ground. Thankfully, it happened to fall away from them.
The shriek split through the sky once more, and Leonidas caught the hint of orange and yellow feathers. A bird the size of a whale. That could summon lightning. Yeah, they were in trouble.
“No, not there. The bird is harmless,” said Silas.
According to Silas, all birds were harmless, even the two-headed saw-toothed ones and the ones that spit forth lightning bolts.
Silas elbowed him, drawing his attention to the ground. Three black-haired beasts were coming through the trees. They looked like oversized dogs — only Leonidas had never seen a dog with fire-red eyes. The dogs glared, drooping their jaws. Saliva dangled from their hungry lips. Two more emerged behind the first three. The air stank of burning metal and flesh.
“Hellhounds,” Silas explained as the dogs’ numbers continued to grow. There were eight of them now.
“Weaknesses?” asked Ariella, warming up her sword arm.
“They’re tough animals. Decapitation is your best bet,” Silas advised. “And don’t let them touch you. They’ll burn your skin right off.”
He nodded toward the nearest beast. As it approached, the fallen leaves and grass beneath its paws crumbled to ash. It was getting crowded on the narrow path. The hellhounds’ numbers were up to eleven, and they were shifting around, trying to surround their prey.
“On second thought, our best bet is to retreat,” said Silas.
Leonidas was sure he must have misheard.
“Run!” Silas shouted, darting back as the front dog lunged at him.
He took off through the trees. Leonidas and Ariella didn’t wait to follow him. The hellhounds sang out in unison, an ear-splitting howl that promised a painful death. Then the dogs bounded off after them.
Leonidas could hear the rasp of their synchronized panting, high on the hunt, close on his heels. He pumped his legs as fast as he could will them to go, cursing his ridiculous costume. When he had put it on, he’d entertained no notions of fleeing from gigantic fire dogs. The Selpe Intelligence Network claimed their suits were designed to meet the demands of even the most rigorous of physical activities. They could stuff it. The heels of the boots were too high to run in, and the jacket constricted his arms.
He darted between trees, focusing on the silver shimmer of Ariella’s ponytail to guide him. Three hellhounds hopped up onto some overhanging trees and took a running dive at him. Leonidas dodged, but the trees simultaneously combusted behind him. Sweat dripped down his neck and drenched his back. His breaths were growing stuttered, but he could only push himself faster. The alternative was to let the pack eat him alive.
A ladder loomed before him, its top disappearing inside the canopy. Ariella had already ascended out of sight, and Silas was nowhere to be seen. Leonidas’s heart pounded hard, rumbling his chest as he sprinted the rest of the way there. Shaking and exhausted, he scurried a few clumsy steps up, nearly falling off as the ladder shuddered. Something had hit it. He gripped on tightly and chanced a quick glance down.
Silas stood on the other side of the pack, his arms extended. Two of the hellhounds lay motionless on the ground at the foot of the ladder. The
Leonidas drew his slender daggers, mere toothpicks next to Silas’s entourage of weaponry. He waited beside the Elitions, deciding to follow their lead. He’d never fought a magical creature before, whereas Silas was an encyclopedia of beastie trivia. Another howl tore through the forest, this time closer. It was answered by a shriek from above. Thunder roared in the sunny sky, and lightning pierced a nearby tree. The giant trunk cracked and echoed hollowly, balancing precariously in place for a second before crashing through the underbrush toward the ground. Thankfully, it happened to fall away from them.
The shriek split through the sky once more, and Leonidas caught the hint of orange and yellow feathers. A bird the size of a whale. That could summon lightning. Yeah, they were in trouble.
“No, not there. The bird is harmless,” said Silas.
According to Silas, all birds were harmless, even the two-headed saw-toothed ones and the ones that spit forth lightning bolts.
Silas elbowed him, drawing his attention to the ground. Three black-haired beasts were coming through the trees. They looked like oversized dogs — only Leonidas had never seen a dog with fire-red eyes. The dogs glared, drooping their jaws. Saliva dangled from their hungry lips. Two more emerged behind the first three. The air stank of burning metal and flesh.
“Hellhounds,” Silas explained as the dogs’ numbers continued to grow. There were eight of them now.
“Weaknesses?” asked Ariella, warming up her sword arm.
“They’re tough animals. Decapitation is your best bet,” Silas advised. “And don’t let them touch you. They’ll burn your skin right off.”
He nodded toward the nearest beast. As it approached, the fallen leaves and grass beneath its paws crumbled to ash. It was getting crowded on the narrow path. The hellhounds’ numbers were up to eleven, and they were shifting around, trying to surround their prey.
“On second thought, our best bet is to retreat,” said Silas.
Leonidas was sure he must have misheard.
“Run!” Silas shouted, darting back as the front dog lunged at him.
He took off through the trees. Leonidas and Ariella didn’t wait to follow him. The hellhounds sang out in unison, an ear-splitting howl that promised a painful death. Then the dogs bounded off after them.
Leonidas could hear the rasp of their synchronized panting, high on the hunt, close on his heels. He pumped his legs as fast as he could will them to go, cursing his ridiculous costume. When he had put it on, he’d entertained no notions of fleeing from gigantic fire dogs. The Selpe Intelligence Network claimed their suits were designed to meet the demands of even the most rigorous of physical activities. They could stuff it. The heels of the boots were too high to run in, and the jacket constricted his arms.
He darted between trees, focusing on the silver shimmer of Ariella’s ponytail to guide him. Three hellhounds hopped up onto some overhanging trees and took a running dive at him. Leonidas dodged, but the trees simultaneously combusted behind him. Sweat dripped down his neck and drenched his back. His breaths were growing stuttered, but he could only push himself faster. The alternative was to let the pack eat him alive.
A ladder loomed before him, its top disappearing inside the canopy. Ariella had already ascended out of sight, and Silas was nowhere to be seen. Leonidas’s heart pounded hard, rumbling his chest as he sprinted the rest of the way there. Shaking and exhausted, he scurried a few clumsy steps up, nearly falling off as the ladder shuddered. Something had hit it. He gripped on tightly and chanced a quick glance down.
Silas stood on the other side of the pack, his arms extended. Two of the hellhounds lay motionless on the ground at the foot of the ladder. The
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