The Night's Curse #3 (Waverly Stump and The 7 Realms)

Chapter 30

He suddenly appeared in front of her. His pale face was strewn with dark veins and the way his serpentlike eyes blinked, like an undulating skin, made Waverly's knees knock together. He was more hideous than any creature he could cook up in The Abyss.

Judson suddenly flew up and Waverly was roughly dragged up the tree, her back sorely harassed in the process by briar and bramble. The darkness around them melted. He began to bash her against everything he could find, breaking away pieces of her armor vest until she was too dizzy to open her eyes and her body buzzed with aches and anguish. Blood dribbled from the injuries on her back and stained the white in her armor.

When Judson finally let go, Waverly plopped to the ground like a piece of wet washcloth. Her head throbbed to insanity and her skin ruptured with heat. Her breathing was ragged and her limbs felt as if they had detached from their positions.

She tried to stand and caught glimpse of Judson moving unusually fast toward her. The next moment, a powerful kick to the midsection made Waverly flip over midair and crash to the ground. Air was snatched from her lungs and before she could try to breathe, the kick came again and again, threatening to split her insides open.

"You have thwarted me before. You will not do it a second time." Oculmus roared through Judson. His form flickered as if he were struggling to break forth from Judson's body.

"You are nothing. Nothing."

Waverly's body lifted off the ground steered by Oculmus's power and spiraled like a whirlwind then connected with Judson's wing. Her armor reverberated from the impact and images blurred into a thousand tiny squares before her eyes.

During the few moments she was allowed to lie on the ground, seething and quivering, she realized that Oculmus albeit powerful was sorely limited by Judson's puny body and the combat skills he possessed which were awfully non-existent.

She suddenly took that as consolation.

Just then, Judson landed a few walks away. He soared and his feet reared in an attempt to deliver another gut wrenching kick but she feebly grabbed it and with incredible force, brought her elbow down on it. He groaned and fell back.

"I have been holding back only because i do not want to hurt my friend." Waverly spoke in spite of a bloody mouth. "Not anymore. I can always fix him later."

She grabbed Judson by his collar and spun him then kneed him hard. He fell a few distances away, rolled over and stood up straight then shook the sand out of his wings as if nothing had happened.

"It is the boy who feels all of the pain you inflict whereas i feel nothing." Oculmus boasted.

Waverly exhaled softly. Her fist would do no good against Oculmus even if she used them unendingly for a lifetime.

No more kicks and blows. No more swords and bows.

"No more kicks and blows." She repeated aloud then added in a mutter. "I bet you will feel this one."

She let out a puff of heavy breath and began to run toward Judson. As she did, her senses opened up and expanded as well as her memory. It only happened within a split second but that was all the time she needed to remember; she remembered how she freed her mother two years back and expelled Oculmus from her own body in the process. It was quite trifle and had been staring at her in the face for a long time.

Anyone smart enough could have put two and two together to guess Oculmus's one weakness but alas, Waverly's mind had been in a frenzy for far too long to piece the puzzles. She recalled how insanely hot The Abyss had been, how the dark army had lit up great big fires in their camps and how they could not attack the Plateaus during winter. She recalled how Judson had worn warm clothes on the night Oculmus revealed her identity to the King.