Scientific Sorcery

Part 41

Kerr and Amaunet broke from the edge of the battle, and watched as Char flew backward from the explosion in the air. The men around them had stopped fighting as soon as the spectacle had started. It had been easy to run between them. There was no resistance. It was as if they were all awaiting the outcome of the battle to decide what they should do next.

Kerr was shocked at what he had seen so far. It was Char who rode on top of that lion. With wings. And a snake tail? It was the manticore. He hadn't gotten a close look at it last night. It wasn't any easier to parse out now. It looked like an odd genetic hybrid. At least that was one thing that made sense in this crazy world he found himself in. He had seen his share of genetic hybrids. Was it possible he was in the future? Maybe?

And then he had witnessed Char's abilities—an explosion of pyrotechnics, shields formed at will, manipulation of air and weather. He seemed to call a lightning storm from nowhere. It was clear that Kerr has made a wise choice in giving the Gift to the young man. He had no idea what kind of psionic potential he would have. Now he just needed to talk to Char and get him to open another time gateway.

Kerr didn't have time to consider. Char was falling, and that man was his ticket out of the bizarre world he was in. What could he do though? He could sprint out to him just about the time he hit the ground. He would die on impact. Could he jump to him? Not without getting a lot closer—

And then Char stopped falling. Kerr was so surprised that he skidded to a halt. He looked over at Amaunet, who shrugged back to him.

Char was floating in midair. Upon closer inspection, he was still moving downward, but it was like sinking through water. He was in no danger of death by impact.

Kerr turned his eyes back to the fireball in the sky. It was spinning violent. Inside, he could see the lion hybrid fighting with that other thing. What was that now? It looked like some other kind of genetic experiment. It was female from the waist up—and topless, to boot—but ugly. From the waist down, it was a cloven-hoofed creature with brown, shaggy fur. Giant bat wings sprouted from its back. It (her?) black hair seemed possessed, swirling around like writhing snakes, as if not touched by the air.

She could breathe fire! This kind of ruled out the genetic experiment theory. While scientists could combine the elements of different animals, including humans, there weren't any creatures that could breathe fire. And psionic abilities were ruled out. When a human was crossed with another species, the brain was altered to a lower, animal state. Psionic abilities required a mental state almost above the human mind. A genetic hybrid had never exhibited psionic powers. And all of Kerr's theories were based on an assumption that he was in present time, which was just— So what was this thing?

The first time it had breathed fire, Char had formed a protective barrier of some sort. It was the same type of thing that had protected him from the arrows of the hunters last night. It was impressive that he could create a barrier large enough to encompass that lion hybrid and himself.

But then the demon creature had flown right at them. That second burst of flame had been huge. It was a burning sun in the sky. How could the beast withstand that fire? Then again, Kerr thought, the thing could spit acid. That's gotta give it a small amount of protection.

With a bellow and a howl, the two creatures flew apart from each other. The woman monster was holding at her throat and howling in pain and anger. The lion hybrid looked blackened as it darted in the air. It glanced down to Char, and then circled to catch him.

Looks like Char has this one all under control, Kerr thought, impressed.

And then Amaunet screamed, "No!"