Path of Dragons

Book 5: Chapter 80: The Inevitability of Conflict

Book 5: Chapter 80: The Inevitability of Conflict

Oscar Ramirez leaped to the side, then slammed his hatchet into the creature’s forehead. It fell, but he knew from experience that it wouldn’t last. Escobar barked, and with each sound came a softball-sized mass of roiling fire that slammed into the fallen creature. The smell of sizzling meat filled the air, mingling with the scent of blood, emptied bowels, and fear.

“Burn them all,” Oscar commanded.

Escobar barked gleefully, and ethera gathered before a giant ball of fire appeared high above. Oscar and his pack knew better than to be there when it fell, so even as it grew, he and the others dashed away. By the time they’d reached the other side of the square, Escobar’s spell had completed.

The meteor fell.

And everything within a hundred feet of the impact was vaporized. Oscar had seen that spell – only available once a week – destroy even the most powerful monsters. And yet, he knew it wouldn’t be enough. The five dead bodies were melted beyond all recognition, but that would not be enough.

He called to his pack, and they retreated through Nexus Town. With Canine Senses, he could smell dozens of people hiding within the surrounding buildings, and he saw with his own eyes the aftermath of hundreds of battles. The once-pristine settlement now played host to more than a hundred dead bodies, and many of the buildings surrounding the square were covered in blood. A few had even been destroyed altogether, leaving only piles of rubble behind.

That was a testament to just how furious the battles had been. Those buildings were far more durable than they would have been back on Earth – at least from what Oscar had seen – so to see them so thoroughly destroyed was quite a shock. Not that he could concern himself with that. Instead, he guided his pack through the settlement, letting Jojo and Digby scout the way ahead.

With Pack Bond, he could communicate with them on the most basic level. They didn’t use words, but rather, did so through mental impressions, scents, and body language. Oscar didn’t know how he interpreted it all so accurately, but he accepted it nonetheless.

Jojo zipped in, letting him know that the way was clear, and together, the pack found sanctuary on the outskirts of town. Once they were safe, Oscar settled down to think. As he did so, he used Pack Mending, and his family was encapsulated by an aura of regeneration. It wasn’t as miraculous as what some of the Healers he’d seen in town manage, but it was enough to push everyone back to good condition.

“They got you too, huh?” came a voice from the door.

Oscar was on his feet in a second, and the pack responded just as quickly. Jackson and Sophie took the lead, while Ray and Maymay sank to the back of the room. Oscar could feel ethera swirling around them both, and he knew that they were preparing to depower the intruder via various spells that would negatively affect the man’s attributes or restrict his movement. At the same time, Digby circled around, already embracing stealth, and Freddy let out a long, low growl as he prepared to pounce.

Finally, Escobar let out a bark, a tendril of smoke curling up from his mouth.

“I come in peace,” said the newcomer, raising his hands. That didn’t assuage Oscar’s suspicion. The man looked disheveled, as if he’d recently been in a fight. His flowing white shirt was ripped in multiple places, and he had blood on his cheek. It made him look like a Hollywood actor who’d just finished an action scene. Just enough damage to tell the audience that he’d been in a fight, but not so much as to mar his looks.

Oscar immediately distrusted the man.

“What do you want?” he growled, using Pack Bond to tell his family not to act prematurely. A fight was still on the table, but not until the man proved he was hostile. When that happened, they would destroy him.

The one thing that truly held Oscar back was that the newcomer didn’t smell like one of the unkillable monsters. Instead, he smelled like something else. Something sickly sweet, with a tinge of sulfur that put Oscar on edge. He didn’t like it. Not one little bit.

“Strength in numbers?” the man suggested with a shrug and a small smile. “I know you’ve been fighting them. So have I. Ruined my favorite shirt, in fact. Why don’t we work together?”

“Why do you smell like that?”

“Like what?” the man asked. He lifted an arm and gave a sniff. “I admit that it’s been a few days since I had the opportunity to shower, but –”

“Like rotten eggs and fruit that’s been left out too long. It’s a deep smell. It’s...part of you.”

“Oh. That.”

“Explain or leave.”

For long minutes, the battle raged on, and Oscar and his pack – along with their ally – held their own. However, with every passing moment, it became clear that they simply didn’t have the firepower to disable the monster. What’s more, Oscar knew that even if they won, it was only temporary. The monster would rise, regardless of how much damage they did.

And it would be even stronger when it did.

Just when he was on the verge of calling for a retreat, everything changed.

A huge sword cut into the monster’s shoulder, slicing through its torso all the way down to its hip. Then, a reptilian beast appeared on the monster’s back, biting into its neck. A half-dozen crossbow bolts hit it a second later, followed by a larger arrow sprouting from its skull.

The beast suddenly transformed, becoming a man who leaped away from it and cast a spell. Rain fell from the ceiling, and when it hit Oscar’s back, he felt rejuvenated.

“Hack it to pieces!” the man shouted.

“What do you think I’m doing?!” said the wielder of the sword. She was a beautiful Asian woman in ragged armor, and she smelled as pleasant as Benedict was foul. True to her word, she wrenched her sword free of the now-crippled monster and attacked it again. This time, the blade went all the way through, cutting the creature into two pieces.

But she didn’t stop there.

Nor did Oscar’s pack, who saw the weakened enemy for what it was. They ripped into it, biting and clawing until its body was no more than a pile of shredded meat and shattered bone.

“It’ll be back,” Oscar growled as another man – this one was bearded, wearing a sparkly robe and carrying what looked like a fairy wand – stepped into the ruined building. He zeroed in on Jackson, who still lay whimpering on the floor, and cast a spell. Through Pack Sense, Oscar could tell feel the dog’s injuries healing.

“We know,” said the man who’d once been a reptile. “We’ll be gone by then. And hey Benny. Long time no see. Are those demons? They look like demons.”

“The unworthy one speaks to master! May we burn him?” demanded the foursome of tiny, foul-smelling creatures.

“No,” said Benedict, running his hand through his hair. “Guess I have some explaining to do.”

The woman stepped forward, and Oscar could see killing intent in her glare. He stepped backward. He had nothing to do with any of these people, and he had no intention of picking sides in what seemed to be an ongoing conflict.

The short man reached out to grab her shoulder. “Not now,” he said. “Let him explain.”

“He consorts with demons,” she spat. “Foul and –”

“Not. Now. We have enough problems without adding to them unnecessarily. If he’s evil, we’ll deal with it, but I think he’s earned the right to explain himself,” said the reptile-man. He smelled like power. Strength. Domineering in a way Oscar had never experienced. He wanted nothing more than to tuck his tail between his legs and slink away. So did the rest of his pack, save for Escobar, who seemed to take the man’s presence as a challenge.

What’s more, Oscar recognized him, though the last time they’d met, he hadn’t felt quite so...overbearing. There must have been a story there.

“Fine,” said the woman, flipping her hair back. “But the moment he betrays us – and he will because that is the nature of those who would consort with demons – I will destroy him. Of that, you can be sure.”

The domineering man let out a sigh. “Fine. One big happy family, I guess. Let’s go before this one recovers.”

And with that, he and his companions left. Benedict looked conflicted before shrugging and following. His...demons...weren’t far behind. And at last, Oscar went, too. Perhaps they had an answer to the Immortal monsters who’d come to plague Nexus Town. If not, then he would flee.