Page 73 of The Great and Terrible

Looking myself over, I marveled. Shiny golden armor covered me, the metal seemingly poured onto my flesh, one with me. Before my very eyes, the dagger I gripped elongated into a sword. It, too, thrived inside the flames.

How was this even possible?

The monstra swooped down, opening its mouth to consume me with a single bite. But it shrieked and reared back, tumbling from the sky, crashing into the ground.

I didn’t know what happened, but I should probably rush over to remove its head before it recovered.

The thought came, and a split second later, I stood beside the injured monstra. Just boom, there I was. Dizziness, shock, and confusion struck, but I didn’t let the tide stop me. Drawing strength from the ring, I raised the sword and oh, the way I moved! A fluidity I’d never before exhibited.

Sensing my nearness, the creature attempted to rise. I wasted not a second, striking. Metal sliced through scales, fur, muscle and bone like a hot knife through melting butter. Itshead separated from its body, its dark green blood spurting from severed arteries.

Satisfaction in a job well done acted as fuel. Now to help my friends. Or not. I stood rooted, pelted by rain unable to tame the flames still crackling over me and flabbergasted. Jasher hacked at a monstra with the ferocity of a thousand soldiers. Unable to fly with broken, mutilated wings, his challenger couldn’t escape his strikes. It, too, died by beheading.

Nugget’s opponent realized its brethren were toast, hurried to disengage and fly away. Well then. No help necessary. Battle won.

To prove it, the tempest downgraded to a light shower. Then the droplets tapered, and the sun materialized, shining brightly.

“Victory!” I raised my fist to the sky and cheered. “Everyone is good?” I called.

Leona sank to her knees and cried. Patch hunched over, attempting to catch her breath, and flashed a thumbs up. Nugget huffed and puffed, the tendons in his neck pulled taut. Jasher stood next to a slain monstra, splattered with blood and staring at me as if I’d grown a second head.

With no prompting from me, my sword returned to dagger form. The flames snuffed out, and my golden armor faded, vanishing. Strength abounded me, too. My legs buckled, and I dropped. Upon impact, air exploded from my lungs. When I could breathe again, air sawed between my lips. I sprawled on the ground, quaking from top to bottom.

“Moriah!” Jasher rushed over, skidding to my side to pat me down, on the hunt for wounds. A frown of confusion accompanied his efforts. “You are unharmed. You caught fire, but you aren’t even singed.”

“I’m fine.” A fact I couldn’t explain. I eased into an upright position. “Are you?”

“I sustained a few minor abrasions and burns.” His gaze cut to the headless carcass of my opponent, and his frowndeepened. “Without training, you killed a fully grown monstra.” The astonishment in his tone could not be measured; there was simply too much of it. “The crimen is gone.”

Had it burned away in the flames? “I don’t know what happened. The flames hit, liquid armor appeared on my body, strength filled me, and… ” I waved to the corpse. “This occurred.”

Jasher rubbed a hand over his mouth, leaving streaks of crimson. “The prophecy claims a crime can occur, but an execution won’t be necessary to stop the storm. I couldn’t imagine such an event taking place, yet here we are.”

“The Guardian must have answers.” I pressed a palm against my churning belly. How would he react to my newfound abilities?

Nugget’s fury cooled, and his body went lax, revealing his injuries. Deep wounds littered his chest and arms.

Unacceptable! “I’m coming, baby.” I climbed to my feet.

With a whimper, he limped toward me.

“No.” Stiff as a board, Jasher angled in front of me. “No closer.”

My pet stopped and bared his teeth, growling.

“Enough!” I rushed around the executioner and to the rabdog’s side. “We’re on the same team.” Nugget had returned. Had protected us. I wouldn’t punish him for it. “Someone bring me Jasher’s first aid kit. Please.”

Leona hesitated before zooming to the pack, swiping it up and sprinting over. Nugget stayed where he was, but that was okay; I went around Jasher.

“Lay down for me, baby.” With the gentlest pressure, I urged him to stretch out on the ground. He offered no resistance and allowed me to clean and bandage each wound. Though, yes, he did bare his teeth a time or two.

Jasher hovered nearby, at the ready just in case. When I finished with the task, I kissed Nugget’s adorable face. Henuzzled my cheek, uncaring as the villagers returned, slipping into town to gawk at the slain monstra.

“I know I said I’d never call you Toto,” I whispered to him, “but that’s who you are. My Toto. I love you.”

The rabdog lumbered to his feet, but he didn’t dash off. He met my gaze, and in that moment I knew. This was goodbye. He wasn’t going to kill me, but he wasn’t going to stay with me. Wasn’t going to follow me anymore, either. We’d reached the end of the road.

Hot tears brimmed. “I love you,” I repeated. “I’ll miss you all the days of my life.”

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