Alcingeria Volume Three

Chapter Eleven: The Creature from Another World

Chapter Eleven The Creature from Another World:

Tuesday June 19th 1724

Patrick hurriedly reloaded, hiding behind a stone pillar. Harry was near him, loading as well. Anyone who was in the area had fled, their screams still audible in the upper levels of the chasm.

Harry peeked and fired, hitting its bicep. Patrick sped up his process, the gun and the bullets feeling awkward to him as he struggled to remember what his father had taught him.

He used the ejector rod to push the carbon-crusted rounds out of each cylinder. They clattered to the ground and he reloaded one by one, dropping two shells and needing to pick them back up. Harry fired again, blowing off another of the creature's fingers, sending more black blood flying.

"Patrick, aim for the extremities!" He cried. "Our bullets won't do any good against its body!"

Finally finished, he spun around the corner as he saw the thing's arm poised upwards. Freezing, he was pushed out of the way by Harry, who fell next to him and rolled back to his feet.

"Be more careful!" He bellowed, hitting the monster in the ankle and watching it visibly recoil, screaming in pain and rage. More blood.

Patrick shot the same place, only hitting three out of six shots

"How are you missing this thing, it's the size of a small barn!"

"I'm doing my best!"

"Christ, give me your gun belt."

The thing's arm swiped just inches above his head, shattering the pillar he had previously used as cover.

Frantically he undid the belt, tossing it to Harry.

"Think fast."

He caught the shotgun and then the belt sack of shells. Harry loaded infinitely quicker than he did, peeking out and fanning three shots into each of its ankles.

Seeing it looking at Harry, Patrick took a shot at its neck, earning an earsplitting shriek as it stumbled back a few steps. He loaded another shell and fired at its now outstretched hand, blowing off its remaining fingers.

Harry finished loading, firing six more shots into one of the ankles. It took a knee and tried to stand again, rearing its head towards them and bellowing angrily. It tried to stand but found itself unable to use the one foot.

"Can't stand now, can you?" Harry laughed, vigorously ejecting casings. "Patrick, hit it aga-"

The beast's good hand swung up with blinding speed and crushed the large man.

"Harry!" Patrick cried.

The beast let out a sound that was almost a laugh as it lifted its hand, revealing a pulp of blood and bones. Patrick fired at the hand, vaporizing two or three fingers. He ran instinctively as its fist came down where he had been. He awkwardly loaded another shell and turned. He ducked under the incoming swing with a yelp and fired preemptively, missing entirely and splintering a section of stone wall.

He ran again as the beast groped forward, limping in an unsightly manner. Patrick jammed another shell into the gun, turned and fired at the other ankle. It hit, causing the beast to fall once more. He loaded again, getting into a kind of halting rhythm. The monster reached out with its hand and Patrick blew off the remaining fingers, the beast so close this time that the blood sprayed onto him.

The beast yelped and bellowed, throwing its head back and arching its spine at an angle that made him cringe. The beast contorted, loud cracks resonated in the chasm as it broke its own spine to reform it into a shape more fitting to the situation.