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| Chapter Six: The Red Talons | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Later the same night - Calloway and the mysterious girl he was there to - supposedly protect - had trekked up the forest covered mountain. There were many times that he believed that he was being followed. He had no notion if this was fact - Luther playing games with him - the girl messing with is mind or something else. All he knew was that he was doing his best to ensure that anything following him would be doing so with great difficulty. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "For a cold blooded killer you sure are a cautious one," the girl mused. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "When I am not the hunter - I tend to be that way," he rebutted. He looked up at the sky to see if he could fathom how much time had passed - and if he was close to a new dawn. It was hard to tell as the sky was matted with clouds. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You are worried about the sun? Maybe if we stopped fucking around and taking this scenic route perhaps?" the child suggested mockingly. He growled and did his best to resist the urge to strike her. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I want to get through this with as little fighting as possible - hard as that might be for you to understand," he rebutted under his breath. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "An assassin - that is reluctant to kill? How novel," the child mused. Calloway grabbed her and leaped up into the trees. "What are you?" she began - but he reached over and covered her mouth as he leaped around from tree to tree. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| When he finally opted to land - the two were further up the mountain. He moved his hand and looked around. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What was that about?" she asked indignantly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We were being followed - they were getting close. That little jaunt through the treetops should keep whoever they were entertained," he replied as they stepped out from the bushes in front of them and found themselves on a rather desolate part of the mountain. "Oh great," he muttered as he looked around. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Not a lot of cover," she pointed out. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know," he muttered. He shook his head. The two exited the cover of the trees and bushes and headed up the rocky, mountainous path. As the two hurried along - the sound of howling wolves echoed in the night. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Company," the girl remarked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Just have to get clear of this place," he rationalized. He hopped over a rock with the girl in hand - did a short free fall - and landed gracefully - before a small group of people. For a few moments there were a few long moments where the two sides just blinked and stared at each other. "Not - good," he muttered to himself. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He has a stink about him," one stated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh - just perfect," Calloway muttered as the five people before him - that were sitting moments before - now stood up and looked as though they were getting ready to brawl. "I didn't come here to fight," he reassured. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You are so far out of your element leech," one remarked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I have to meet with Gailwind," he rebutted. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Like hell you will. You think I would let a piece of Wyrm tainted stink like you go one step further?" another of them added as he growled. Calloway looked at the gathering - and how their eyes looked like the eyes of a pack of wolves. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You can't talk your way out of this one," the girl whispered. Calloway looked down at her and then at the people before him. they didn't hear her. "You try to walk or run from these boys - they will cut you to pieces," she added. Calloway closed his eyes as their leader stepped forward and was about to strike. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A challenge!" Calloway shouted - raising his hand. The leader of the pack - slowly moved his claws back and studied the vampire before him. Calloway opened his eyes and studied the man that was before him. "You - are creatures - of honor yes?" he asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What has that got to do with anything?" the leader asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Answer the question," he rebutted. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The Red Talons - are very - honorable - you questioning that leech?" the leader asked with a feral growl. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I never said that. You are their leader?" Calloway asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I am known as Red Bear - the Render - I lead this tribe," he replied with a sinister smile. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I am Calloway - Follower of the Fallen God Set. Before your pack - the trees - this forest - and any - that might hear - or see us - I - challenge you," he said pointing his finger at Red Bear. The others laughed - the leader - did not. Red Bear raised his hand - the laughter stopped. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You - would have the balls to challenge me?" he asked under his breath. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Should I win - me and the girl walk free - unmolested by you or yours - as in - no following us. You win - the girl is yours. It won't matter much to me as I doubt I would be left alive should you win," he replied seriously. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You're damn right about that," Red Bear admitted as he looked over at his pack. "The boys were looking forward to ripping you to pieces. Pity - looks like I am the only one that will get to enjoy that honor," he stated as he took off his jacket. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That the girl Gailwind spoke of?" one of the others asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Must be," Red Bear answered as he slowly took off his jacket and tossed it over to where the rest of his stuff was. "The leech tries to run - you boys can jump in and join the fun. After we deal with him - we will take the girl to Gailwind ourselves," he added. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Calloway slowly removed his jacket and drew two knives. In his inside pocket he could see the gun with the silver bullets. He could - in theory win the fight easier with that - but something told him that - he had to do this without. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Nice toys - you think they will do you any good?" Red Bear asked as he shape-shifted into an eight-foot tall werewolf. It roared at the Follower of Set and lunged at him. Calloway spun to the side and slashed the werewolf across its side. The two hopped away from each other. Calloway groaned as he could see the wound almost instantly healing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Around him - he could hear the others in the pack cheering for their leader. Calloway concentrated - slowly his skin shifted until it was scales instead of flesh. From the corner of his eye he could see the girl smiling. It was as he believed - she wanted this fight to happen - she wanted him to die or him to kill. He wasn't sure which - but he knew that death had some key role in her plan. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Like a blur of motion the massive monster of a beast raced over and attacked. It took all of his skill and speed to keep just a touch out of reach of the monster's vicious attacks. It was then that a powerful backhand sent Calloway hard into the mountain's unforgiving surface. It took a few seconds for him to regain his composure and heal some of the wounds he had taken. Luckily for him the foe he faces was a glory hound and was posing for his pack. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You can try to pull your punches - it won't work. The boy will kill you - unless you kill him. You must realize this by now," the girl said rationally. Calloway fell out of the indent in the mountain that his body had made. Subtly - he replaced one of his knives with one of his silver edged weapons. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Maybe - you are right," Calloway hissed. The werewolf seemingly laughed at the vampire that was taking a defensive stance. Calloway held his weapons before him and closed his eyes. He could hear the werewolf growling as it raced towards him. His eyes flashed open and were a hypnotic golden color. The others watched as their leader tensed up and came to a full stop a few paces away from the vampire. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Kill him - he will kill you if you don't," the girl warned. Calloway's tongue lashed out at the lupine. The aggravated wound snapped the werewolf from its trance. The potent vitae almost pushed Calloway to the brink of frenzy. He concentrated on his wounds - healing some. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You will die," he could swear he heard the werewolf howl. The vampire took on another defensive stance. The pack watched as their leader leaped at the vampire. In a blur of motion - Calloway caught the massive beast in mid-flight. He used the beasts own momentum against him as he rolled back until he was on top. The pack and the girl watched as Calloway's silver edged weapon spun around in his hand and descended down at the head of the lupine. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The girl smiled at first but - the smile faded after a few seconds. Something about this felt - wrong. She and the other werewolves walked around to better see what had happened. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Calloway - had thrusted his fist - with the dagger into the mouth of the large beast. The silver edge was just barely touching the tongue of the werewolf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know - there is a part of you in there that can hear me," Calloway said - his eyes still a hypnotic golden color. "So I want you to listen - real good," he began. As if sensing the advance of the others - he moved his other knife to the werewolf's neck. "I would advise keeping back for the moment," he warned - not taking his eyes off the beast whose mouth his hand was in. "Fast as you are - strong as you are - I know silver fucks your kind up - in a seriously fucked up way," he began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You fool - he will not listen to reason! Kill him," the girl shouted. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You can't clamp down - you can't move - I still have - one free weapon with a silver edge to it. Could you survive being stabbed in the head? Could you heal that kind of damage?" he asked. The wolf growled. In the blink of an eye - Calloway dropped the knife to the ground and had his other silver-edges weapon - the point of which was inches from the wolf's eye. "Try me," he threatened. The wolf slowly stopped growling. "This fight is over," Calloway muttered as he hopped clear of the beast. Red bear closed his mouth and growled at him. "If honor - is important to the Red Talons - you will honor the terms of our challenge!" he reminded. The werewolf growled as it slowly reverted back to its human guise. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "This is far from over you fucking snake," he stated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No - it is. We had a deal - remember?" Calloway reminded as he backed his way over to where the girl was and picked up his coat. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I haven't forgotten. Nor will I," Red Bear reassured as he motioned for one of the others to toss him his things. "You are free to go - for now. But know this - Calloway - Follower of Set - I will not readily - forget this encounter. Rest assured - we will - meet again," he threatened. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Meet me in my domain - perhaps - it will be different," Calloway rebutted as they walked by. Red Bear purposely bumped into him. for a few seconds the two glared at each other. "Another time?" he offered seriously. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Count on it," Red Bear hissed as the vampire and his charge made their way by the werewolves. The girl looked over her shoulder and watched as the pack leader took his frustration out on one of the younger cubs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You got lucky boy - but - your luck will run out. There is still a world of distance between us and the end of our journey. Sooner or later - that killer in you will escape - and then - it will all be over," the girl mocked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That has yet to be seen," Calloway stated as he looked over his shoulder and looked at the werewolf pack that he was barely able to walk away from. Something inside him told him that - should another fight come about - that he would not be able to walk away from it quite as cleanly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To Be Continued... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||