The high pitched whistle sounds again and the serpents attention snaps towards me. that’s the only warning I get before its lunging in my direction at speeds far faster than its shown so far. I have no time to do anything more than lift my arms to try to protect my face as my men yell out in fear and anger.
As I raise my arms though my forearms burn briefly before the two swords of Nyx appear in my hands just in time for me to slash out at the approaching serpent and inflict the most damage we have done so far and making it instantly recoil watching me more warily now.
“Surround it and attack at once!” Levi orders and we all immediately follow his order.
Whilst everyone fights to get around it without being bitten or crushed by its giant tail Levi makes his way over to me.
“Your blades are obviously the only thing that will do any true damage. If we all come at it with our various gifts and keep it occupied I want you to come in with your swords.” He says his eyes worried.
“I’ve got this. I’m thinking taking its head off like we did with the vamps is probably the best way to take this thing down for good.” I say trying to reassure him. Before adding, “Hopefully.”
“Yeah I think that’s the best way too but Darling if you think it’s going wrong or not to plan in any way, get the fuck out of there!”
“I’ll grab her if it looks like it’s going wrong.” Kai says making me jump slightly since I didn’t realise he was above us. “I haven’t worked out how to get down but I can lower enough that I can grab her and go up. I seem to have no problem going fucking up.” He shrugs rolling his eyes and I can’t help but giggle.
“If you guys are done having a casual chat we could use some help over here!” Erin yells snarkily and I wince.
“Sorry!” I call back and we quickly get into position.
“Throw everything you can at it. NOW!” Levi orders.
Everyone throws their own gifts at the creature. Most of them having only just discovered what they are in the first place. Erin shoots strong jets of water into it as Jett adds tornadoes of air and Mav adds clumps of rocks. Kai shoots fire from above, the others shoot various coloured energy streams as the twins attack in their griffin forms using their claws like Hunter.
The fact of it is though that we don’t know what we’re doing. So it’sdefinitely not pretty and well timed. Plus their gifts keep spluttering out every now and again. This being the first time they have properly used them. I know for a fact that mine would be doing the same.
I watch carefully for the perfect moment. Realistically I’m only going to have one chance to get this right and nerves strum through my system, quickly chased out by a shot of adrenalin.
Finally I see my chance.
I say a silent plea to Nyx and dart forward cutting through Levi and Jett, aware that Kai is echoing my movements from above. I have a brief second to realise that I want to be behind it, effectively sitting on its neck in order to miss the bitey mouth. I instinctively know that if that mouth gets hold of me, that’s it for me it will bite straight through me with ease.
Not a worrying thought at all.
“Kai!” I call out, throwing my plan through the mind link.
Fortunately he understands what I mean because I jump without hesitation, he catches me and lifts me up above the snake that’s too focused on everyone else’s attacks to pay attention to us.
“You’re going to have to drop me. I can’t get a good enough angle from here to slice it’s head off!” I say.
“Fuck no those boils will burn you not to mention we don’t know what else it could have on its skin!” Kai says, vehemently disagreeing with me.
Words whisper through my mind.
“No it won’t, trust me Kai.” I say desperately hoping he listens. We don’t have time for him not to.
He growls and frowns, clearly not happy but nods in agreement to my request. I wait a beat before I nod I’m ready and he reluctantly lets me go.
“Serpentes protégé cutem a bestia victura concedit!"I say firmly as I fall, my magic envelops my body seconds before I land and fortunately the spell works and is not just some random shit I’ve heard on a tv show.
Trust me that’s an actual worry of mine.
The neck of this thing is far too thick for me to be able to cross my swords and cut it like I did the vamps. Instead I reach around, incredibly glad that the spell is protecting me from burning alive up here but seriously wishing it did something about the freaking smell, that shits fucking nasty.
I slice the front of the serpents neck just below its jaw line and it bellows in pain the lava filled boils on its body erupting like little volcanoes. It’s movements start to slow with the onslaught from everyone’s combined gifts and the huge slash in its throat. I know it won’t be enough though so as it starts to fall forward I get to my feet and jump up, gathering some momentum from my fall so that when I slash my sword it slices through the serpents neck with scary ease and the head falls to the floor with an almighty thump that shakes the floor as the body quickly follows. By some miracle I manage to land somewhat on my feet next to it although my arms do pinwheel for a second before I get my balance.
Graceful as always.
The silence surrounds us as we all try to catch our breath. I’m still running on a high but I know the second the adrenalin wears off I’m going to crash hard. I watch in fascination as the inky blackness blocking the hallway clears taking the serpent carcass with it and suddenly we can see the entire length of the long hallway again. I half expected there to be at least one instructor behind that wall of void but the corridor is completely silent.
