In Lost Dreams the Four Were Bound

63 - Neris - Confrontation

Neris's stomach churned as she looked at the braying monster in front of her. The once-naïve nectar maiden, Thaimi, had all but succumbed to the horrible transformation that Nerin's ceremony had enacted upon her. The human male that she had attached herself too was bursting from his clothing as she continued to snap and integrate his bones and muscles. The lower body was like that of a horse made of bones and writhing membranes.

Fixing her red eyes on the creature's ample weapons, Neris wondered if they stood a chance. Elis could cover her, but the monster's arms were each as long as her own wingspan. Each lance-like appendage ensured Neris wouldn't be able to get too close without having to place herself right beside its body. Given how fast the terrifying fiend could manipulate its form, the idea sent shivers down her spine. One misstep or faulty assumption, and she'd be dead or devoured.

In the distance, a shriek echoed through the forest, followed by brilliant rays of gold pouring out over the treetops.

"Neris!" Elis called from behind her.

Neris watched as dozens of tiny metal strands bit into the air in front of her. Rearing away from the coils, the monster pranced back several paces, exposing its left flank as it turned to face the raining barbs.

Neris ran from the scattering barbs, heading straight toward the monster's left-back leg. As Elis's blades began to retract, the monster shifted in place, scanning for her, but Neris was too fast for it. Just as it noticed her close in on its left flank, she swiped at the beast's exposed ankle with her hunting knife. The muscle and flesh were tougher than she had expected, but her momentum allowed her to cut away the connective tissue while taking a sizable chunk out of the bone. The thing roared, and she rolled forward as one of its bony spears soared over her.

Spitting with anger, the thing turned in place, stumbling over its injury as it tried to follow Neris. Keeping on the move, Neris drew one of her throwing knives and loosed it at the calve of the beast's injured leg. Dodging once more, she watched as the blade sank deep into the thing's muscle, causing the leg to buckle. Clawing at the ground with its front legs, the creature continued to turn, stabbing at Neris.

Readying another dagger, Neris watched as Elis approached. With a tossing motion, she unhitched her many-bladed coil, sending hundreds of barbs into the monster's right flank. As the creature turned to face Elis, Neris threw another knife, sending the biting blade into the creature's skeletal back. Only lacerating the beast, Neris hissed while the thing turned with another wild jab. The springing blades recoiled once more as Elis withdrew along the creature's other side, rounding it toward Neris. A horse leg made of a human arm flew through the air.

As the monster turned its attention back to Elis, Neris used the opening to bring her blade down on its exposed rear-right leg, right on the reversed leg joint. Tearing through cartilage and sinew, she cleaved the junction in two. As the monster tried to lean toward her, Elis's barbs flew forward once more, tearing off its remaining foreleg. Sprinting as her blade recoiled, Elis kept her distance from the flailing monster.

"Now's our chance!" Elis said, turning toward the horses.

"Run!" Neris called, backing away as she threw another singing blade. She watched as it knocked the Thaimi-thing upside the head and then ran away as fast as she could. "Get on! I'll cut the ropes!"

Behind her, the thing roared and groaned. It sounded like it was being torn in half as the monster shrieked with the young woman's lungs.

"Neris, behind you!"

Neris turned just in time to see the Thaimi-thing rending itself from the human abomination, throwing itself in the air toward her. Drawing her second knife, she turned and continued to back away as the creature reached toward her with long spears.

Elis's twistblade sang once more. Springy, barbed blades lashed at the creature, but the monster guarded itself against the briar with its spears. The metal blades tried to sever the impossible limbs, but they could not penetrate the beast's natural weapons.

Neris threw one dagger and then another as the thing used its spears like stilts to dance around the attacks. Redirecting its attention, the gaunt monstrosity attempted another set of attacks.

Observing, Neris noted the trajectories of the attacks. The first aimed for her exposed left side, but Neris avoided it while dancing backwards between low-hanging branches and a stump. As the creature readied to follow up, Neris planned to dodge away once more, but she watched in horror as the follow-up thrust altered its course despite what light and sound told her. Feeling a twinge of shock, she readied for the sharp blow.

Another rain of barbs came down over her just as the creature was about to strike. Hissing, the monster backed away. Elis screamed from her side, whipping the mass around and forward into another attack. Neris was dumbfounded. She watched the golden-haired woman whip the mess of blades around her again and again, fending off the monster.

"Neris, get the horses!" Elis cried.

Neris stared at her for a moment, watching how she drew back on both latches of the strange, enchanted weapon. Metal coils danced around Elis's bronze-skin frame, razor-sharp barbs hugging her moments before recoiling back toward their target. The wind from the grinding vortex spun with the loose blades around Elis's hair, each spring just avoiding every strand flowing from her head. Breaking herself free from the glamor, Neris scurried over to the horses.

They bucked and trampled the ground, but with a firm hand, Neris stayed one. Pulling the four-legged beast close, she brought her knife down, severing the rope that bound it.

"Elis, here!" Neris said.

As Elis backed toward her, the golden-haired woman deflected another volley from the menacing beast. When Elis turned, the spear-armed monster's gut and shoulders shrank, and mass flowed into its deadly limbs. With a leap, it soared throw the air, thrusting both elongating pikes toward Elis.

"Elis!" Neris screamed, leaping forward.

Pushing Elis to the side, Neris gulped. As Elis tumbled past her, shock filled her violet eyes. Neris dropped her knives. As the Thaimi-thing roared, Neris reached up, her vision filled with red. Clinging to the beast's spears, the whole world trembled, and her knees gave way beneath her.