Lucero
The earth exploded in seconds. A scream ripped out of my throat, and I staggered back as a giant, demonic worm erupted from the earth and wrapped its long body around the gargoyle.
The gargoyle shrieked, attempting to twist away, but the worm’s deadly embrace held. The gargoyle fought, using talons and tail, but the worm had the advantage. They thrashed along the ground and black blood sprayed. The gargoyle roared in pain, chilling me down to the bone.
The worm’s mouth opened, revealing sharp teeth that clamped tightly down on the gargoyle’s wings.
He screamed again, his agony ricocheting off the very earth and sky.
Bile rose in the back of my throat at the sight of such brutality. Fear overflowed. Fear of that thing, and even stranger, fear for the gargoyle. He himself was a force, all muscle and cruel anger, and yet he was losing against that thing.
And if he lost, what did that mean for me?
I didn’t know what his intentions were. Hell, I didn’t even know if he was to be trusted. His word was all I had, his word that all of this–my presence here–was truly a mistake. That he was going to take me back home and this nightmare would end.
But he couldn’t do that if he died, if this beast took him down.
It was my own determination that had me reaching for that poisonous spike in my back pocket. That and my worry for him, for myself, for the both of us, that had me gripping it tightly.
I was nothing but a human in an Underworld full of monsters I knew nothing about. I was insignificant. That was something I’d contended to being my entire life.
But here, right now, I felt a surge of powerful determination. To live.
I didn’t know if I could, but I sure as hell knew I had to try.
The worm twisted with the gargoyle clasped in its body. It squeezed tightly, so tightly I thought it would break him in half.
I swallowed past my fear, and while it was distracted, I ran towards it, the spike raised. I used all the force I could muster, stabbing down against the worm’s body until the spike pierced the sensitive flesh of its underbelly.
The worm shrieked and thrashed, knocking me to the side and dropping the gargoyle from its grip.
The poisonous tip of the spike seemed to come alight within the worm’s body.
It began to eat at it, fire scorching across thick skin and shredding it like it was paper.
It crumpled within itself, letting out a deafening shriek of agony as it twisted and writhed on the ground.
It began to burn from the inside, crumpling like ash until its cries died and its body became dust in the wind.
Like it had never really been there at all.
I didn’t contemplate the weird, terrifying death. My focus was already on the gargoyle.
He was splayed out on the ground, his body twitching, his wings a bloody mass behind him. They fell over his lower body like a tattered blanket, and I didn’t know what to do.
My hands gripped his shoulders and he shifted, groaning and grumbling in the same rocky language I didn’t understand.
I smoothed my hand over his grainy, warm skin, like it could somehow bring him comfort. “Are you okay?”
He jerked away from me with a roar. I jumped away from him with a yell, watching as he began swatting at empty air with aggression, despite the wounds on his back. Blood sprayed on the earth beneath our feet, his wounds only opened further, and yet he could not stop.
I watched with dawning horror at the blank stare in his eyes. Like he was somewhere far away, lost. Like all he knew was to fight, defend, even if there was no longer anything in front of him.
The moment felt as terrifying as it was vulnerable, to see him so out of control and not in the present.
Would he turn those fists on me?
Fear jumpstarted my heart as I watched him become wild and untamed. His breaths were harsh, like a cornered animal searching for escape.
“Hey!” I was crazy for trying to draw his attention in my direction, but there was an uncomfortable sensation in my gut. Like I had to help him somehow, even if that meant incurring his wrath.
His head whipped in my direction and stayed there, but I could tell he wasn’t really seeing me.
He had begun foaming at the corners of his mouth; more animal than man.
Nothing at all like the monster who had been arguing with me only moments ago.
He’d been more humanoid than. Now he was nothing but a beast.
His dark, inky hair was wild and curly over his cheeks and horns. That white eye blank, the black one unseeing.
“You’re okay now.” I held my hands up in a placating gesture, smoothing my voice in a gentler manner. “It’s dead.”
His head tilted to the side, his breathing calming a single fraction.
I tried again.
“It’s okay. We’re okay. We’re safe.”
I wasn’t sure how long it took. Minutes? Hours? I spoke to him until he eventually calmed, his whole body slumping to the ground as if he could no longer carry his own weight. Until that far away look vanished and his emotions were readable in his expression once again.
“Are you okay?” I repeated.
He made a rumbling noise and shook his head, before those bicolored eyes glared at me as if all the problems in the world had been caused by my hand.
Yup.
He was back.
“Yes,” he said deeply. “I have only had my wings mauled and am bleeding. But I am okay.”
It was hard interpreting such a monstrous expression on a face I didn’t know, but even I could tell his every word was laced with sarcasm.
I let it slide, because he was obviously in pain, and my question had been pretty stupid.
“Right. I’m sorry. Can you stand? Do you need help?” I grabbed his shoulder and tugged, causing him to groan.
A second later I felt a swat against my arm, like being hit with a thin belt. His tail hovered near me, all but shoving me away.
“I require nothing from you, feral creature.” He groaned and dug his knuckles into the ground before slowly pushing himself up.
It was slow, and I couldn’t bring myself to move away from him.
I held my hands out, afraid with every unsteady sway of his body.
That maybe he’d face-plant on the ground and wouldn’t be able to get back up again.
“Get away.” He made a shooing motion with his bleeding hand. “You have caused enough damage.”
I rolled my eyes at his grumpiness. “I didn’t tear through you like a chicken wing, big guy.”
He grumbled and glared at me. I wasn’t sure he entirely knew what I meant, and he didn’t ask. He wobbled to his feet, taking deep breaths.
He was in pain, that much was obvious, but too proud and too stubborn to let me help.
He let out a curse in his language, I was sure. “I cannot fly,” he stated. “And I have been weakened once again. I do not have the strength to open a portal to your world.”
My heart sank, but I tried to be understanding. Of course he didn’t. He’d just gotten attacked like he was a doggy chew toy.
I shoved aside my disappointment.
“We must leave.” His voice held an urgency that hadn’t been there before. “We were lucky the wyrm’s body was deathly allergic to the spike you stole from the demon’s carcass or else we would both be dead at this time.”
That certainly explained a lot.
“Are there a lot of those monsters out here?” I gave a cautious glance around, almost expecting one to shoot out of the ground again. I wanted to jump in his arms, but refrained.
“Many more,” he affirmed.
My fingers dug into the hem of my tank top, twisting the material until my joints ached. “Can we find shelter? Somewhere they won’t find us?”
There was a heavy beat of silence and he appeared to be in deep contemplation. The longer the minutes stretched, the more irate he became until his nostrils were flaring and he was glaring at me, again, like everything was my fault.
“I know of a place,” he stated, straightening to his height. “But we will walk.”
“Yeah, okay. Perfect. Let’s go.”
He stared at me, and I ignored the way his anger made me feel so unsettled. I didn’t want to admit it, but even if I didn’t like him, he was the safest option in this unknown world.
I didn’t want to, but I was just going to have to trust in this gargoyle who so obviously hated me.
“Come,” he ordered, turning and stumbling away.
I followed quickly after, ducking under his shoulder. My touch made him flinch. He tried to shove me away, but I held tightly to his wrist.
“Let me help,” I said. “You’re in pain. Let me help you, okay?”
He gave me a look that was hard to decipher before it shuttered and became furious once again.
“So, where are we going anyway?” Not that I’d know how to get there.
The gargoyle’s gaze was on the horizon ahead. His jaw worked and I could hear his teeth grinding with impatience. Finally, he answered, “To my den.”