Chapter 13: The Tower

Mike’s heart pounded in his chest at the sight of the thing. The Jabberwock regarded the small group of people in its master’s home, then opened its mouth to let out a cry that made him think of a pterodactyl on steroids. Jabberwock saliva misted the entire room, and everyone covered their ears to shut out the cry.

Daisy bolted, vanishing down the stairs and leaving a glittering trail behind her. Zel made a break for it, and the Jabberwock lunged for her, leaving a bloody gash in her hindquarters with a claw before she vanished down the stairs.

The beast’s long arm swept away the chaise lounge and busted apart the bed frame, hissing its displeasure that the centaur had escaped. When it whipped its head around, it managed to catch Mike in the chest, knocking him across the room where he fell against a bookshelf. The shelves were old, busting apart and showering him with dust and splinters.

“Tink fuck up ugly dragon!” Flipping the lenses of her goggles into place, she stood up and charged the Jabberwock, her club held high. It took a swing at her and missed when she jumped over its hairy paw and slammed her club into its face. The Jabberwock let out a sinister hiss, steam venting from its nostrils.

“Tink, get out of here,” Mike cried, moving toward the stairs along the outer wall.

Ratu summoned a ball of fire that splashed across the beast’s hide, scorching the hairs all along its body. The room filled with a sulfuric odor of burnt hair, causing Mike to gag and then spit. When the Jabberwock swung its attention toward the naga, she made a fist with one hand and slammed it into the open palm of her other. A stone ripped free of the wall and smashed into the Jabberwock’s snout, causing it to shift away from her.

“Stinky dragon go now,” Tink yelled, then smashed her club onto the Jabberwock’s hand. Two of its talons broke off, and it blew a blast of steam at her from its nose. Tink dodged away as Ratu smashed the Jabberwock with another stone, sending the steam harmlessly across the floor.

This time, the Jabberwock grabbed the first stone that had hit it and hurled it back at the naga. She yelped and summoned a blue aura around herself, but the hit knocked her off her feet. Tink saw this and shrieked in rage, smashing the Jabberwock in the jaw with her club. Its teeth crunched together with a loud pop.

Mike couldn’t move. Smoke and steam had filled the room, and it hurt to breathe. He couldn’t even call to Tink, his heart racing so fast he was afraid he would pass out. Swallowing his fear, he ran over to where Ratu was lying and dragged her away from the fight. Tink was much faster than the Jabberwock and seemed to be faring pretty well in keeping its attention. It made a grab for her but she squirted out of its busted hand. Whirling her club around, she smashed another talon, cracking it down the middle.

“Ratu? Ratu?” The naga was unconscious, but alive. Spotting a pair of rats hidden under a toppled bookshelf, he had them drag her into the sealed room that they had come from. The Jabberwock couldn’t reach her here. Satisfied that she was safe for the time being, he peered around the corner to see what was happening.

“Tink smash stinky dragon into jam!” She sidestepped another blast of steam that scoured the stone beneath her clean of debris. The creature was clearly frustrated, extending its serpentine neck to headbutt her. Its head was larger than she was, and one of its long fangs caught her ankle when she tried to roll away.

“Tink, get out of there!” His heart raced frantically and his stomach churned; he was so scared he felt like he was going to throw up.

“Husband run first, Tink follow!” She blocked an attempt to grab her, smashing another of the Jabberwock’s claws.

He ran across the room to the stairs, sliding underneath a jet of steam, nearly slipping on the wet floor. His whole body was filled with ice now, danger waiting for him in every corner of the room, his magic warning him to GET OUT!

“Tink, I’m—” He looked back in time to see the Jabberwock grab Tink by the feet with its tongue. It dragged her towards its open maw, but she flipped the club over and, using her feet to aim it, fired the secret arrow from its base.

The bolt pierced the creature’s eye, causing it to let out a shriek of anger. It jerked its head back, pulling Tink through the air by the rope from the club. She landed hard on the ground, clutching her weapon tightly against her chest. The rope connecting them went slack, then slowly tightened as the beast lifted its head.

Opening its mouth wide, the Jabberwock snatched Tink in its jaws and shook her back and forth, smashing her against the hard, stone walls. She let out a scream when it smacked her on the ceiling, the goggles tumbling from her head and crashing on the floor. Tink went limp, her pain-filled eyes briefly connecting with Mike.

Lifting its head, the Jabberwock opened its jaws and she fell into the back of its mouth. Its huge, crocodile maw slammed shut like a vice and she was gone.

It was several minutes before Yuki stepped into the pool, taking the shortcut back to the house. Fearful that the demon would find a way to abduct her, she had cast several spells over the pool in an attempt to lure him out. Figuring she officially had no other options, she had jumped in, Jenny clutched tightly against her chest.

When the closet spit her out, she quickly leapt to her feet and shut the door behind her. The water sank into the wood as if the house was thirsty. Stepping into the front room, she opened up the curtain to reveal that the front yard was as she had left it.

“What do I do now?” Yuki held up the little doll, looking deep into its painted glass eyes. The demon had taken Beth without a care in the world, and Yuki had turned her to stone just as quickly, her body sinking away into another plane of existence. She wasn’t worried about the demon undoing the spell, but now she feared that Beth would get smashed by a vengeful demon who might attempt to come after her.

Beth had given up everything to keep the house safe. That was how Emily used to be, back before she had disappeared. Either the woman was very brave, stupid, or both, and Yuki was struggling with the ramifications.

“Do you think I was wrong?” she asked Jenny, not expecting an answer. The little doll was limp, and Yuki cast a quick spell to make sure she was still in there. Satisfied that Jenny hadn’t vacated her cloth body, she set the doll up on the mantle.

“Beth said they forgave you for causing trouble. Do they know how many people you killed?” Yuki knew of at least a couple of occasions that the doll had escaped and the host had ended up dead. However, she now lived with at least one viable human host. Why not hop in and start the process anew?

There were too many thoughts going through her mind, and she couldn’t process them all at once. Too much was at stake, and if she made the wrong decision, she would lose the house. Frustrated, she flopped down on the couch.

How many times had she been captured by humans in her long life? It was too many, and the instances ran together in her mind. A feudal lord in Japan, farmers in China, even a group of fishermen who caught her in a net and insisted she was some type of wish-granting deity. She scowled at the memories, turning her thoughts to Emily once more.

“Why did you betray me?”

The empty room had no answers, and neither did the doll on the mantle.

Yuki closed her eyes, fighting the grief that swelled in her chest. Had Beth been right? Was her judgment clouded by what Emily had done? Upon meeting Mike, she had tried to kill him, never even giving him a fair chance to explain himself. How much of that had been the desire for a revenge she could never have?

For years, she had promised to kill Emily on sight, without any hesitation. Being able to commit to murdering a loved one was nearly impossible, and those long years had been spent emotionally distancing herself from everything. When push came to shove, she used the Eye to resolve disputes rather than taking a life. Her inability to commit had further frustrated her, and she had acted without thinking, seeing the man as an immediate threat. There would be no bargaining, simply justice.

Now the house itself had turned against her — and that was unexpected. The hero’s welcome she had hoped for on her return was now the solemn march of a villain.

“Why?” She stood and approached Jenny. “Why does it have to hurt so much? I thought that when I came back, everything would put itself together. But then I hear about this man, this supposedly wonderful person. I remember how everyone loved Emily, but she did bad things. I thought that was maybe because of her magic, the nymph inside of her. The Caretaker is loved because of their magic, not their actions. And now here I am, fucking everything up while they defend him!” She stomped her foot and a chill wind rushed through the room, briefly lifting the edge of the area rug.

“Tell me, Jenny! If it was up to me, I would lock you in a block of ice for all eternity in the Vault, but he gave you a second chance! Was he right? Do you deserve it? Is he truly a good man? Because even a good man can fall from grace!” Yuki slammed a fist into the mantle, knocking loose a brick and breaking the skin of her hand wide open.

“Ow, baka kitsune,” she hissed in pain. Sticking the wound in her mouth, she licked up the blood and waited. Minor wounds were an inconvenience, and she used magic to speed up the healing process. Pulling her hand free, she scowled at the itchy scab on her hand.

Idiot indeed. There was a mirror over the hearth that had been covered with a piece of fabric. Yuki pulled it down and looked at herself, taking in the image of the fox who looked back. Once, she had prided herself on her ability to approach things logically, to survive in the wild using her wits. Her years in confinement had worn away that person, leaving behind the raw nerve she had become, so eager to act or react. Being honest with herself for the first time, she saw little more than a scared, stupid fox girl so obsessed with revenge that she could no longer see the forest for the trees.

“Naia.” Her best friend, her confidante. Even if the nymph had forgotten her, it wouldn’t change the caring soul she had been when they met. If she could talk to anybody right now, it would be her.

Frowning, she paced the room, occasionally glaring at Jenny. The doll was no use, and without Daisy, she had nobody else to talk to. She had effectively traded one prison for another.

Taking a deep breath, she made the decision, walking toward the back door of the house. She would free Naia and hear her out, let her talk. It was time for the voice of reason to speak to her, to help her make an informed decision.

Her wards went off.

“Chikusho,” she swore. What now? All of her wards were being broken, and she walked to the front window of the house to look outside. The front yard was a pristine canvas, her wand warriors standing at proud attention like a small group of trees. A gentle wind scattered ice crystals across the yard, and a small group of figures stood at the wrought iron gate she had built.

Letting out a grunt, she focused her attention on a patch of snow and swirled her magic around, raising a figure from it. Closing her eye, she let her consciousness flow into her clone, satisfied that her body was safe inside the home. Shaking snow off her shoulders, she walked down toward the gate, her crystalline tail swishing behind her.

There were three of them. An older woman with long, braided hair that reached her waist. A black woman who wore a gown that left little to the imagination, her skin painted with runes of fresh blood. The third member was an Arab man in a suit, a cocky smile on his face. He lightly fingered a ring on his left pinky.

“Ah, you must be the newest addition to the home.” He smirked, his eyes traveling along Yuki’s body. “And a fine looking one at that.”

“What do you want?”

“Manners first. I am Amir, these are my associates Elizabeth and Kali.” He waved his hands at the women by his side. “Frankly, we are here for the house.”

“Over my dead body.”

Amir sighed. “Sadly, I was afraid you would say that. If we must, then we must. But I was hoping you would be a bit more reasonable. You see, Mr. Radley has been quite stubborn, and I was certainly hoping to work something out. I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t at least put an offer out there.” He turned around and waved at the street behind him. “If you would be willing to leave, to walk away for good, I would provide you immeasurable financial compensation. In my world, money really does grow on trees. You would be free from harassment, allowed to go wherever you wish while my associates do our work here.”

“I think you underestimate your chances here.” Yuki held her arms out, sending her magic into the ground and forming several ice minions, beings about three-foot tall with jagged teeth. “This place is essentially a fortress. You can fight me, but you will lose.”

Amir shook his head. “Okay. I tried.” He rubbed the ring on his finger with his other hand and dark smoke flowed out from it, pooling near his feet to form a man that was roughly four feet tall. His skin was dark orange and he wore a white and red vest with large, golden chains fastened around his neck. His legs faded into the smoke that leaked from Amir’s finger.

“Master?” The djinn’s voice was surprisingly deep for his size, and his inky black eyes locked on Yuki. They were sad, and the being stuck his hands in spectral pockets, awaiting orders.

“Today’s wish is for you to remove this gate. With prejudice.”

“As you wish.” The djinn floated forward and placed his hand on the cool metal of the bent swords. “Nothing personal,” he said quietly to Yuki.

With a light shove from the djinn, the gate ripped free of the stone pillars and blasted through Yuki, shattering her clone. Her awareness popped back into her body and she snarled, watching the gate collide with the edge of the house and fall apart. The Page of Wands had already charged toward Amir, but Elizabeth had set it on fire. It now ran around, clawing at the flames on its head. The djinn had turned back into smoke and flowed into the ring.

“Damn, damn, damn.” She ran to the door and pulled off her eyepatch and ran outside. Amir was only a couple feet into the yard, casually swatting away her minions with a wave of unseen force. When he looked up, Yuki let out a gasp.

“We saw what you did to our associate,” Amir explained, his grin wide beneath the dark black blindfold. Elizabeth and Kali wore them too, and Kali seemed to be setting up some items in preparation for a large ritual. “We don’t need our eyes for this.”

“Ketsumedo yarou.” Yuki slid her tarot cards from her sleeve into her hand and commanded the ice to attack. The remaining minions swarmed Elizabeth, but she spat out a black goo that expanded and caused them to stick together. Large icicles rose from beneath the snow and launched forward, but Amir let out a yawn and shattered them with his fist when they came close.

“Set up a perimeter around the sundial,” he said to Elizabeth. “I’ll see to Kali.” The Queen of Wands charged him, but he grabbed her with his hands and yanked, ripping her in half vertically. “If we keep them from using the dial, we can have this done by nightfall.”

“Like hell you will!” She slid the Knight, Queen, King and Page of Swords into her fingers and threw them like knives. They exploded in mid-air, showering the yard in sparks as four armored figures burst into being. The Knight and King charged at Elizabeth, who took several steps back and summoned a ring of green fire around her that they bounced off of. Amir’s smile faltered when the Queen and Page attacked him. Rubbing a ring on a different hand, the smoke from within formed into a scimitar.

“And I haven’t forgotten about you,” Yuki muttered, pulling the Five of Pentacles loose. Kneeling, she pushed away the snow and shoved the card into the ground. On the other side of the yard, large cylinders of stone burst from the ground, breaking Kali’s objects apart and knocking her around. Kali hissed something and sent an angry ball of light at Yuki, but she caught it in her hand and held it up to inspect.

“Huh.” I have no idea what this is. She hooked her fingers in it and yanked, ripping it apart. Kali ran for the front gate just ahead of the King of Wands, then spun about and held up her hands, fingers pointed.

A blast of lightning rocked the yard, blowing the King of Wands apart. Amir had overpowered the Queen and Page of Swords, his blade cutting through their armored bodies and leaving them in ruin. Elizabeth was now outside the green ring of fire, the King and Knight trapped inside. Yuki’s magic militia was falling apart.

Yuki shuffled the cards quickly, watching Amir approach. Pulling out the card she needed, she held Judgement over her head and winced in advance.

The horn blast from above was loud enough to break the windows of the house. A fierce wind built up, forcing Amir to kneel down to remain in position. Ice and snow blew away, forming large drifts along the front fence of the yard, and Kali made a break for it, sliding between the lions and vanishing into the street.

The sound intensified, lifting Elizabeth off her feet and tossing her bodily over the gate along with the King and Knight of Swords. Amir grimaced, turning his sightless face toward her.

“This isn’t over,” he mouthed, and then let the wind carry him away. Once airborne, a large rug lifted up from behind the fence and caught him, ferrying him to safety.

Yuki lowered her hand with a gasp, tossing the scorched card to the ground. Most of the ice and snow had been blasted free of the yard, and the gate was a mess. Summoning her magic, she began to rebuild her defenses, her heart racing.

They would be back. Their siege had begun.

His mouth was dry, his limbs numb. His heart slammed so hard against his ribs that he was afraid that he would break apart, and the cold feeling in his gut now spread throughout his entire body. The Jabberwock lowered its head to regard him with its remaining reptilian eye. It snorted, a blast of steam filling the air, then used the rim of the opening to pull itself forward, reaching for Mike with its damaged paw.

The magic inside of him uncoiled, ripping through his body. The air around him went cold, and he could feel it like a thousand angry spiders beneath his skin, squirming around and demanding release. As one, they rushed up through his body, spiraling in a tight circle as he took an insanely deep breath. The world moved in slow motion, hot tears springing to his eyes as he opened his mouth and screamed.

“TINK!” The magic came out all at once, moving outward in a wave of force. The room shook, causing dust to fall from the ceiling, and the Jabberwock blanched, jerking its head up and slamming it into the top of the opening. His yell went on for several seconds, his whole body vibrating with power. His own voice sounded like it was far away, and he realized he was hearing an echo from the distant mountains.

It was the rage-filled cry of a banshee.

Letting out another roar, he charged the jabberwock, sliding his dagger free of its sheath. The beast was stunned, but had quickly backed out of the entryway and was flapping its wings, desperate to gain lift. The wind rushed through Mike’s thick air, and he was almost upon the beast when it pushed away from the wall, sinking just over the edge.

Mike leapt after it, falling several feet before crashing into its belly. It was covered in so much hair that it was easy to grab a handful of it with his free hand and use the knife to penetrate the Jabberwock’s thick hide.

The Jabberwock dropped into the valley, spinning around in an attempt to dislodge him. Mike’s whole body tingled now, and his hands moved on their own. When the Jabberwock dove, he would reposition himself, crawling higher on the beast toward its head, then hang on for dear life when it pulled up. Every move it made came to his mind just before it happened, allowing him to remain attached.

Unable to dump Mike, the beast slammed into the wall of the cliff, rocks crunching and falling free. Mike twisted to its blind side, rolling out of the way to avoid being crushed into paste, but unable to dodge the sharp bits of stone that cut at his arms. It did this a few more times, and then started a slow climb into the air.

It soared out toward the edge of the island, the miles passing gently beneath them. When it reached a higher altitude, it rolled on its back and fell while clawing at its own belly. Mike had already tucked himself along its side, where it couldn’t touch him.

He stabbed the Jabberwock a few times, but it didn’t bleed. Rather, hot mud flowed from its wounds, and he knew it would take drastic measures to bring the beast down. It had no discernible anatomy on the inside, so he wondered if he could try to blind it.

Since his handholds became slick where he stabbed the beast, he slid his dagger back in its sheath and fastened it into place with the snap. The Jabberwock tried to ascend and fall twice more, then turned around and flew back toward the tower.

When it returned, It whipped around suddenly, then dove past the centaurs on the cliff. They riddled the beast with arrows, and Mike was surprised to discover that none of them had hit him. However, the arrows made excellent handles to climb with, and he continued up toward the base of the Jabberwock’s neck. It did this again, and Mike realized that it was trying to get the centaurs to dislodge him. An arrow just missed Mike’s cheek, and he moved his head in time to avoid two more. The arrows helped him reposition himself on the creature’s side.

The Jabberwock fell into another freefall, but Mike grabbed on to one of its four bat-like wings. When it flipped over near the ground to glide away, Mike shifted positions, Naia’s magic guiding him, and landed neatly on its back. There was a part of its spine that looked very much like a saddle, so he locked his legs around the bony protrusions nearby and held on.

He was hundreds of feet in the air, finally getting a chance to see the entire island all at once. That alone should have terrified him, but he felt as if the sky had been his home for years.

“Time to land,” he muttered, then drew his weapon and stabbed the creature in the base of its wing. The blade cut cleanly through, and they immediately lost altitude. The Jabberwock tried to turn, but another stab caused it to change course and head straight for the tower.

The Jabberwock grabbed hold of the upper tower wall then and tumbled over, crashing into the garden below. Mike’s whole body was jerked around, but the wings prevented him from being crushed by the stony ground. He kept cutting until the wing fell free, and the Jabberwock let out a hiss, folding up its battered wings and rolling its serpentine body across the garden.

Mike couldn’t hold on any longer. He leapt free and grabbed hold of the ladder by the gate, quickly climbing to the ledge to avoid being crushed. Finally realizing it was free of him, the Jabberwock turned to face him and let out an evil hiss. Then gagged. The creature coughed twice, then gagged hard, its jaws opening wide. In the back of its throat, Tink clung tightly to the club, her eyes wide in fear as she turned the crank that tightened the rope. The arrow was still embedded in the Jabberwock’s skull, and every time the beast tried to swallow her, its whole head jerked sideways when the rope tightened.

Zel galloped across the garden, unseen by the Jabberwock. Rearing up on her hind legs, she gave it a powerful kick to its side, and it coughed hard enough that Tink dislodged completely, swinging underneath its jaw like a green pendulum. Her dress was shredded, and her body was covered in saliva.

It swung its large, reptilian tail at Zel, knocking her through one of the garden beds. The last Mike saw of her was all four hooves in the air, and then the leaves of the bushes that caught her.

The Jabberwock opened its mouth and blew a long jet of steam at Mike. He leapt to the side, sliding the dagger free of its scabbard.

When the Jabberwock swung its head, Tink smacked up against the ladder, letting out a grunt. Climbing slightly higher, she put enough slack in the rope to pass the club through its metal rungs, then turned the club sideways to lock it in place.

The Jabberwock’s head was pulled sideways when the rope went taut, and it could no longer turn to follow Mike. It pulled several times, but Tink held onto the rope, keeping tension on the line to prevent the club from popping free. She grumbled under her breath, her body bouncing against the stone wall of the rampart. The Jabberwock tried to twist its body around, but only succeeded in flailing around the garden.

A shadow formed above them all. Mike looked up to see an enormous cobra wrapped around the tower, descending rapidly in a tight spiral. Longer than the Jabberwock, it flung itself forward, the two creatures clashing with fangs and claws.

Ratu wrapped her body around the Jabberwock and squeezed, pinning it in place. Unable to move its limbs, it hissed angrily. Tink pulled the rope tighter, stretching its neck out and holding its head in place.

Mike leapt down onto the beast and it cried out. Holding his dagger up high, he plunged it into the Jabberwock’s neck.

“Snicker-snack, mother fucker!”

The blade sliced through the thick flesh of the monster, showering everyone in hot mud. Sputtering, Mike held on tightly while cutting, and eventually the Jabberwock’s head fell free of its body, crashing against the stone floor of the garden. It snapped its teeth together, and its body tensed up, thrashing in its death throes. However, as mud flowed freely from it, the head and body deflated like a giant balloon, flooding the garden with hot soil.

It was over.

Sliding down its shriveled body, Mike ran to the ladder and yanked Tink off of the bottom rungs, clutching her tightly to his chest.

“Don’t you ever scare me like that again!” His voice was raw with emotion, and he didn’t care that he was crying. Tink said nothing, only sobbing in response. Satisfied that she was okay, he went to help Zel.

Ratu released the Jabberwock’s corpse, her body shrinking down to a normal size. Her outfit was a wreck, and she had multiple scrapes on her body. She approached the messy remains, scrutinizing the area.

“That was ... unexpected.” She sat down on the ground and watched the Jabberwock dissolve into mud. “And more than a little fascinating. This whole beast was constructed of earth and animal essence.” She stuck her hand in the mud and pulled out a glowing stone the size of her fist. “Ah, so that’s how she did it.”

Figuring that Ratu was fine, Mike looked for Zel and found her near the fountain. The bushes had broken her fall, smearing her body in blueberry juice. “Are you okay?”

“Hardly, but I’ll live.” He helped her roll over, and she winced. “I messed up my ankle pretty bad, though.”

“But you’re alive. That’s all that matters.” He gave her a hug and let out a sigh. They were all okay, and that was all that mattered. Sliding free of her embrace, he sat on the ground next to her and then fell onto his back. The whole world seemed so big now, weighing in on him.

“Mike?”

“Yeah, I’m good.” He yawned, his body suddenly heavy. His muscles hurt, and he could no longer hold up his head. “I’m just going to ... take a nap...” He closed his eyes, darkness swooping in to claim him.

A cool breeze blew through the window, making him shiver.

Opening his eyes, he saw a giant crack in the stone ceiling above him. When he sat up, his whole body flooded with cramps, making him gasp in pain. He had been wrapped in bandages, the naga skin tunic completely gone. When he pulled the blankets down, he realized that, other than some bandages, he was naked.

“I was wondering how long you would sleep.” Ratu was holding one of Yuki’s journals and sat on a chaise lounge across from him, but she seemed taller than normal. Mike looked around and realized that the dusty old mattress that had been in Yuki’s room now rested directly on the floor.

“What time is it?” His voice was raspy, his throat raw. A drink of water sounded marvelous.

“Night time. You were out all day, which is probably for the best.” Ratu rose and came to his side with a silver mug. When she offered it, he drank from it greedily. It tasted like mint. “How do you feel?”

“Strange.” When he lifted his arms, they were sore, but he felt an odd tightness through his chest. He rubbed his pecs, wincing at the small wounds that were open there. “I feel tired, but so does my brain. Kind of. When I was younger, I used to do gaming marathons and would feel super burned out afterwards, but this is different. Everything is a bit foggy.”

“Yes, well, about that.” She knelt in front of him and inspected his face. “I suspect that wrestling with a Jabberwock will do that. Zel was pretty upset with the number of injuries you had.”