Kyle the Apprentice Warlock

Chapter 50

1:15 PM September 13th 2026

Industrial Park District Near the Port of New York

Sam gripped the steering wheel tightly. Palms slippery with sweat, she made sure to keep her grasp secure by occasionally rubbing them dry on the leg of her slacks one at a time. She waited until she had the wheel firmly clasped in her hand before taking the other off. Gleipnir had taken the front passenger seat and was humming In the Hall of the Mountain King to himself softly.

Despite his relative bravado when he spoke to Alex a few moments earlier, once it was just the two of them, his attitude changed somewhat.

"I couldn't help but notice that you seem to be a little nervous, Gleip?" Though she'd tried to keep her voice neutral, her own apprehension came out as she spoke.

"What?" The pact item exclaimed with the high-pitched screech of someone who is totally lying. "Me? Nervous." He laughed haughtily. "You must be mistaken?!" His voice ran haltingly through the octaves like the terrible actor he'd always been.

"You are shaking like a chihuahua that's been approached by a great Dane." Her dry voice was matched by a wry smile, which quickly faded with worry. "Are you not sure that you can contain this thing?"

"Oh, Sam." Gleipnir patted her on the knee with the end of his ribbon in a way that she knew he meant to be reassuring but which would have been utterly condescending if anyone else had ever done it. "I'm not worried that I can't do it." He sighed, or at least, simulated the sound of a sigh. "I'm worried that you might get hurt in the process. We've never fought something this big together. But we got this."

Her pact item, who was really more friend than anything else, moved his long sword portion as if he were nodding in affirmation. It reassured Sam because she could hear the solemn smile in his voice and she glanced down at him just in time to see him turn toward her. He patted her knee again and she grabbed the tail of his ribbon and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Yeah." She scoffed with false bravado. "We gots this." Then she yanked the steering wheel hard over to the right and skidded to a drifted stop with her door facing the oncoming behemoth. Taking in the towering figure, Sam suddenly found that her mouth was very dry. She pulled out some lip gloss and smacked her lips with a pop to spread it. "Though this is one time I really wouldn't mind having mom bail me out."

"Oh, pashaw! Sam. This will take us no time at all." Gleipnir opened the door and hopped out on the side of the vehicle opposite the monster. Yeah, it really did look like he'd hopped out and his 'body' bobbed along around the front of the car as he moved to join her. He opened the door for Samantha bowed with a flourish, "Mi'Lady. Would you care to join me in a dance?"

It made his warlock smile, and that was why Gleipnir had done it.

"Sure, Gleip." She giggled at his silliness as she clambered out of the vehicle with her wand at the ready and reactivated her most arcane hungry spell to assist her personal magic collector with reducing the dangerous levels of magic around her. "Integumentum infernis. Do we have a plan?" Brilliant flames erupted around Sam.

"Yes." Gleipnir replied assuredly.... Then he was silent. The monster was not, however, as it realized the prey that had so recently escaped was now returning. It trumpeted angrily, a blast of sound and force that revealed its jagged teeth of twisted broken steel beams.

The crushed and mangled body was still there lodged inside its maw. Even more blood oozed and dripped from the cracked and crumpling concrete walls which were now the beast's hide.