Page 75 of Between Soul and Vessel
Clank. I tossed my sword on the ground so I could support my aching nub, watching as my brother took on the hydra. Folkoln moved with speed, skill, and precision, smoke curling around him, tracking his movement in a blur of onyx.
It didn’t take him long before he chopped off one head.
“Show off,” I panted under my breath as I plopped down on my ass, watching as he went after the next one. He cleaved its head free, sending it spiraling, blood spraying out before it landed on the ground, rolling to a stop. Its lifeless eyes peered at me, its mouth stretched unnaturallywide from the way it had landed.
Something sparkled in the back of its mouth, caught beside its tooth.
I squinted—
Well, I’ll be damned.
Instantly, my spirits lifted. Fingers curling around the handle of my sword, I grunted like an old man as I got up. I walked over to the head and used the tip of my blade to flick the shiny round object out of the beast’s mouth.
Ting. My skull ring landed on the stone.
A tendril of shadow swirled forward, scooping up the ring and taking it back into its storage. It wasn’t like I could wear it now anyway, all things considered.
I looked at the ongoing battle, noting there were only two heads left.
As ifI was going to let the insufferable ass gloat for the rest of eternity about howhehad defeated the hydra. Ignoring the pure agony of my left arm, my wings slammed downward, and I shot up from the ground.
“You crazy bastard!” Folkoln howled as I flew to his side.
“Can’t let you have all the glory,” I grunted through the pain.
“Have you ever?” he chuckled.
“Never.” I grinned. “Which one do you want?”
“Left one.”
“Alright.” I set my sights on the right one and launched toward it. A mighty roar sounded from both of us as we clashed in a battle of teeth and sword.
With my good arm, I sent my iron fist, backed by the handle of my sword, into its jaw. Droplets of the beast’s saliva sprayed into the air before the sap-like gobs answered the call of gravity and rained back down on me. Before the beast had a chance to retaliate, I delivered my final blow and severed the head clean off. It slid off the neck and tumbled to the ground below.
I landed and started back toward the group. A few seconds later, Folkoln let out a victorious roar, and the monstrous beast fell on the ground, the stone to trembling beneath my feet.
Folkoln emerged beside me, wings tucking in.
“Took you long enough,” I said, glancing at him.
Fuck you,he mouthed at me, and we both burst into laughter. But the sound was quickly cut off as a surge of pain shot through my left arm. I grunted, dissolving my sword as I reached for my arm to help support it.
When we returned to the group, Lyra and Ryker were kneeling beside Fallon. Her face was scrunched in agony, her hand wrapped around her leg, which she had pulled close to her body. A sharp yellow fang was stuck in her thigh.
Heads swiveled toward us.
Lyra’s mouth fell open, the color leeching from her face.
“Holy shit, Von,” Ryker drawled as he got to his feet, his eyes fixed on my mangled arm. “That doesn’t look good.”
I looked down at it, eyeing the torn bits and pieces. Achunk of flesh dangled, a small bit of sinew keeping it there. Gritting my teeth together, I gripped the meat and tore it free, tossing it on the ground. “Yeah, it’s not great, but it’ll grow back,” I said, continuing to inspect it. Already, I could see small bits of muscle and tissue slowly beginning to repair. With time, it would heal.
Fallon moaned in pain.
“Fallon?” Kaleb’s groggy voice called out from inside the crevice.
Lyra dashed over to it, disappearing inside. Not long after, she and Kaleb emerged.
