SFY page 4

I contemplated the bird's advice as I got to my feet and continued running. Now I could hear screams, growls, and yelps from a different direction. I pressed on, trying hard to ignore the bugs hitting my face and the squelching beneath my feet.

Watch the shadows?

It had to pertain to my opponent somehow. He was probably a creature of the darkness, a sneaky one who lurked just beyond my vision.

I had to find the mushrooms. Maybe I could avoid encounter if I just – no hold on, why would I want to avoid that? This is the most interesting part; the part when my dead heart is pumped full of adrenaline, ready to burst. Claws sinking into living flesh, drawing out that seductive blood and letting it run…

Good. It was good.

A change in the sound of my footsteps alerted me to something on the ground. It felt drier around here, somewhere, more solid. I got down on all fours and began shoveling the foul-smelling dirt and muck away. There was a slight, blue glimmer, and I was reaching for it when –

A powerful jaw with agonizingly sharp fangs sunk into my right shoulder. The impact rolled me over twice till I landed helpless with my face in the putrid mush. I cursed loudly and swiveled my head, only to be met with a snarling maw and an eye glowing dimly in the scarce light of the marsh.

So this was Vulcan.

I reached back behind my head and managed to grasp his head with both hands, digging my claws neatly into his ruff. I discharged a blast, feeling the white-hot surge soar fleetingly through my bones. Vulcan yelped, releasing his grip, and I rolled away swiftly, cradling my injured shoulder. I felt a soft burning.

I noticed that Vulcan was only momentarily dazed. A blast like that should have knocked any other creature out cold. I reared up, gathering energy in my left arm, and let a charge fly. It missed, Vulcan rocketed out of the way, and struck the ground with an odd krak. Less than a second later we were both flying through the air. Apparently, the swamp-water was flammable.

That would make sense; it was an old city after all. All the gasoline and fuel from the cars and machines had to have gone somewhere.

Little colorful dots danced around my vision as I stumbled to my feet. I felt like an elephant on a tightrope for a few seconds, struggling to get my bearings. Vulcan, where was he? The bastard was impossible to see against the shadows. After regaining most of my senses I walked over to my initial point of take-off to assess the ground's damage.

If there had been any mushrooms there, they were most definitely destroyed. My shock had left a surprising cavity in the ground, and Vulcan was lying as still as a corpse not too far from it. Stepping cautiously forward, I couldn't help the giddy excitement from bubbling up within me. I didn't suppress the twisted grin that was slowly disturbing my features, nor did I stop myself from collecting a few droplets of dark blood on the tips of my claws. I sighed, noticing that the beast was not bleeding very heavily.

I could fix that.

I was about to send a charged kick into my opponent's abdomen when I saw the light flicker of a breath enter its lungs. I leapt away from a sudden gnash of dangerous fangs where my leg would have been. There was something different about Vulcan this time. As he rose to his feet with an artificial grace, I noticed that his eyes were glowing madly, and that his snarl was laced with a neon liquid that dripped steadily from his jaw.

I almost backed away.

Instead I braced myself as the new Vulcan launched himself into the air, horrid claws extended and toxic jaws wide open. I slid to the side, grabbing him fiercely by the neck and throwing him to the ground. My shoulder screeched in protest. Vulcan's skin was uncomfortably hot to the touch. I aimed for the sensitive, scarred tissue near his chest and raked a wonderful gash there. No response. I laughed involuntarily at the beast's sudden irrelevance towards pain. This was so fun.

This time I was rewarded by a wonderful spatter of blood from Vulcan's wound. Then the monster spoke.

"You seem to be a worthy opponent for the Glowing-Eyes," it mumbled lowly. "But you won't last long."

I shook my head, not understanding. Glowing-Eyes? What about Vulcan?

The pinned wolf snarled madly, twisting from underneath my weight. I grimaced punched its throat. Glowing-Eyes gasped loudly and scratched at my chest, catching a thread in one of my stitches. I frowned as it came undone, exposing the highly sensitive tissue underneath. I'd have to sew that back up afterwards.

Suddenly, Glowing-Eyes made a gurgling noise and vomited to the side. Alarmed and confused, I let go and fell backwards.

"Dude, what the f – " I started, but was interrupted by a flying animal to the chest.

"Do you underestimate me, weakling?" It growled viciously as it clawed into my opened wound. I screamed; the pain was just all too real. I grew dizzy, and struggled to push the monster away. I was starting to slip, my vision was starting to blur and fuzz all over the place. Everything started to fall away. I couldn't feel the ground beneath me. It was all going to end.

Jeth.

But not really.