A TAIL OF NINE

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: The Eyes Have It!

I roll out of the way as Tulip slams against the ground where I was just standing! He rakes through the rock floor like it's made of paper!

Instead of leaping for me again, the thing lets loose with a guttural snarl.

All of a sudden, a glass spike shoots past me to shatter against the wall!!! A second barrels straight at my face!

I'm too slow! Instead of exploding through me, it stops an inch from my eye and then drops to the ground, shattering. Tulip's lips peel back in a sick smile.

"You're no heir to Glass," he says with that twisted little kid giggle.

"Look around." My eyes narrow. "You're the heir to nothing!"

Bellowing, Tulip smashes the glass spikes with a swipe of its paw, spraying glass across me. It feels like I've been hit with burning buckshot! I dive away as Tulip charges forward and swings at me with his paw. The claws barely miss me! I keep rolling and diving! No time to think! All instinct!

I dodge left and then right ... but that massive paw is always there!!!!

Claws graze my arm, spraying my blood across the wall as I jerk out of the way a little too slow! Tulip could have ripped my throat out but wants to draw this out. He wants somebody to suffer for all the time he spent in the Place of Losing. And that somebody is me.

Tulip smashes me against the wall with a hit that's all pad and no claw. While I struggle to catch my breath, he stalks a circle around me. He pauses a minute to rub his face against a torn flag that's sticking out of a pile of rocks that's been piled against the wall.

"It's gone," I snarl, forcing myself to my feet. "And it's never coming back!"

Tulip whimpers and shakes his head like he's remembering something. That's all the time I need. I NEED TO BE ANYWHERE ELSE BUT RIGHT HERE!!! NOW! Especially by that first room! Where there's a sword jutting out of a pile of rocks! Yes! I bolt for it!

But Tulip's not as distracted as I think! He stretches out and bounds over my head! Snarling, he lands right where I was headed! Thinking I was running for a way out, he swipes at the emerald hand next to the opening I was headed for! The room rumbles as everything inside begins to crumble. Then there's the high-pitched whine, followed by five knocks, and a WHOOF!

Helpless, all I can do is watch as the ceiling in the room collapses in on itself, burying the only usable weapon I saw.

I need a place to hide! A place his claws can't reach me! I don't even care if the room's a dead end or not! I can't be out in the open! Panicking, I haul ass toward a different room!

BUT I'M NOT FAST ENOUGH!

Tulip gets to the opening first and slashes the spear near it. There's the rumble that lasts for minutes! I'm already headed in a different direction when I hear the whiiiiiine, the knocking noises and CRASH!

I'm cut off from another room!!!

More clouds of dirt billow into the atrium, washing over us. Tulip bucks and shakes, trying to blink the grit out of its thousand eyes.

Stifling a cough, I stare around me. Gotta plan this out. Oh god ... Tulip looks like he's gonna charge right at me!!! Wait! THAT ONE! THAT'S THE DOORWAY THAT'LL LEAD ME OUT OF THIS HELLHOLE!

I stop myself from running for it. There's no way in hell I'd get to it first.

Tulip's been playing with me, wanting to draw this out. Now, it's time to return the favor. I take off toward a different doorway.