Nyxie

A Chapter by Shay

Introducing Nyxie

The world swirled past me, the ground a dizzying drop below, as the blood streaming from my one handed grasp on the shoulder of the hulk of metal hell bent on killing my partner mingled with the sweat on my brow and slicked into my eyes, burning them and blurring the world. How the f**k had we lost the element of surprise? There was no way in hell I would have gone into combat at this size!

When my grip finally failed me the wings that normally held me aloft would fail and I'd fall to the ground where I'd be crushed underfoot. I scrambled desperately to find get a better hold on the Centurion, my boots squeaking on the shiny surface as they slipped in my own blood. There couldn't be that much just from the wound on my palm. I had to be bleeding from somewhere else, but I couldn't waste the time to see how bad it was or even where it was coming from or I'd fall.

Pixies were, by nature, never afraid of heights, so the sickening vertigo I was experiencing had to be from the pain amulet around my neck, which was probably also the reason I couldn't tell where the blood was coming from. The magically commanded metal warrior pivoted too quickly for me to catch myself and my head slammed into its side as the wrenching in my shoulder screamed past the abilities of any piece of charmed rock. I tried again to beat my wings and swung wildly to one side as the right wing blurred into motion as the left one flinched but remained tucked close behind my shoulder refusing to extend.

With my free hand I reached into the pack at the small of my back and grabbed the coil of spider rope, glad that I'd taken the time to prep a decent lariat when assembling my gear. I clamped my teeth down on the rope as I tried to knot the end to the carbiner attached to the harness at my waist. There was no way I was going to be able to get it tight enough with one hand, so I wrapped my hand around the square knot and muttered ignis! Nothing happened and I cursed under my breath as I spat out the rope and then repeated the word, but a reverberating shock rocked the Centurion, causing it to stumble backwards and slamming my face into it's metal armor and knocking my breath out of me. I quickly sucked in some air and wheezed, "IGNIS! and the finely braided strands melted together and hardened.

I held the lariat in my hand and searched for something to loop it on. The bloody sweat stinging my eyes made it hard to see so I reached into my shirt and lifted the pain amulet from its resting place between my breasts. The instant the amulet left contact with my skin the full force of my injuries slammed into me. I cried out and dropped the amulet back into my shirt, but the tears streaming down my face cleared my vision and I saw the knobby head of a hex bolt where the cyborg's massive shoulder met its neck. I swung the lariat around my head and threw it with all the strength that my right arm could muster. Even with my dominant hand clutching the edge of the armor, I was lucky enough to catch the bolt on the first try. I released my grip on the giant and allowed myself to swing.

My luck ran out on the upswing, though, and my knot broke. I flailed wildly, but pulled myself into a tight enough ball that I rolled when I hit the ground. A bush cushioned my fall, the branches scratching my face and arms as I tumbled through it. I fell through a spiderweb face first and its sticky strands wrapped around my face before the air around me exploded into a cloud of dust as I landed in an ant bed. Livid ants swarmed around me as I struggled to my knees. Only the magic in my blood kept them from biting me, and I picked myself up and ran back toward the fight.

As I burst into the clearing the ground shook as my partner, Razeel pinned the metal giant to the ground and pried the shining red stone from it's mask. The Centurion instantly became a pile of scrap as it's master lost control.

"So much for the element of surprise!" Razeel quipped, wiping the sweat from his face with the back of his hand but only managing to streak it brown with oil and dirt.

Since the element of surprise was no longer an option my size didn't matter anymore, so I stripped before tapping the ley line and everything went hazy as I grew back to human size. My body streaked with dirt, blood, and oil and my hair slicked to my face with sweat I dug into the pack that Razeel had been carrying for me and dumped a bottle of water over my head.

I glanced at him, "You look like s**t."

He looked at me lasciviously, "Ah, but my darling Nyx, you look just ravishing."

I cocked an eyebrow at him as I picked the last of the leaves and twigs from my hair. "Save your strength, demon, you'll need it when we get in there." I wet a rag from my pack and wiped down my face and arms.

I stretched out my wings and they both finally extended, but something wet had made clumps of dirt stick to the left one. Must have been coated in oil. I beat them a few times, flicking clumps of dirt in all directions, before folding them back into place.

I dressed in the clothes I'd packed before strapping on my weapons harness and stuffing the pockets of my cargo pants with charms and lacing up my boots. I felt more exposed in my tank top than in the body armor I was used to. Even at my full human height I was only 5'2" and Razeel towered over me. If he wanted to make a move I'd have to be prepared to dose him with a charm or something, but even though I hadn't known him for very long I wasn't afraid of him when I was in human form. I was in more danger of him trying to eat me when I went back to my normal size.

"Ready, sweet?" Razeel asked in sing song voice. The smell of my blood had made his eyes glimmer, but he seemed to be under control.

I nodded the affirmative as I shoved my tangled hair into a ponytail and we struck out. Onward and upward into the gates of the Undead Carnival. Come one, come all.

prev chapter