Of Mice & Magic: Book 1 Ravenspell

Chapter 10: The Battle at Noah's Ark (part 1)

It isn't about how big the mouse is who is in the fight, it's about how big the fight is in the mouse.

—Doonbarra the Sugar Glider

At dusk, Ben led Amber and Bushmaster to the outskirts of town. Never before had the town seemed so strange and ominous, with its smelly cars growling like bears as they hunted along the bleak asphalt streets, and houses looming above him like storybook giants.

Clouds now blackened the sky, threatening a storm. Ben's fears had been growing all day. Now, every nerve seemed electrified. His hair stood on end.

Ahead, Ben could see Noah's Ark in the shadows. Its outside was painted with kittens and puppies, which didn't look as innocent now as they had a couple of days ago.

Ben gripped his spear tightly. "Let's get this over with," he said as he led Amber and Bushmaster forward.

#

Inside the pet shop, the monster in the back room lurched to its feet. It climbed up on its back legs, peering around, all three eyes peering in different directions.

The monster had keen sight, keen ears, and a cunning mind. Now it went to work.

It grabbed the bars of its cage with its tentacles, squeezed its stomach hard, and slowly vomited out the contents.

What came out was no cute kitten. It was a large creature with blood-red hair covered in mucus, enormous ears, bits of wing as limp as rubber, and clawed feet.

Nightwing then tumbled to the bottom of the cage, then struggled to his feet, gasping, and began to fan himself with his wings, trying to dry the mucus. He hissed to the monster, "Excellent, my friend. Now I know how Jonah felt inside the whale."

The monster was much thinner now, almost weasel-y.

"I not friend," the monster groaned, a sound like boulders rumbling together. "Freeee meeee."

"All in good time," Nightwing assured him. "First, you must kill the young wizardess. Bring me her corpse, and then I will free you."

The monster blinked all three eyes at once, a sign that it understood.

"But remember, do not harm her familiar, the jumping mouse, Ben. He will be of more value to me alive."

The monster grunted in understanding. With that, it vaulted to the top of its cage, a jump of three feet straight up. Worming its tentacles between the bars, it grabbed several at once. With a vicious jerk, it pulled the bars wide, making a hole wide enough for a cannonball to fly through.

It jumped through, plopped to the floor, and wiggled forward on its tentacles, studying the room as if seeking a place to set an ambush.

Darwin, pulled his proboscis from Nightwing's back and said, "Why do you want Ben alive? Wouldn't it be easier to kill him? I mean, if you cut the wizardess off from her source of power, she'll be easy to kill."

Nightwing grinned evilly. "Never mind. Don't tax your brain. You're not used to thinking."

"I do too think!" Darwin said. "I had an idea just last month."

"Really?" Nightwing asked. "Tell me about it."

Darwin stammered, scratched his tiny head with two of his feet, and said, "I was thinking that television is the new obsession of the masses."