Chapter 13
Home for the Holidays: Part 2
Renee's eyes widened at the news. A Nevermore? She'd never faced one, but the stories all said that this was one of the toughest opponents there was. Strong, armored, and able to shoot dozens of quills at any challenger from a distance made them formidable. Even if they got close enough to use them, their own weapons probably wouldn't do enough damage to stop the giant bird. Her eyes scanned the sky while Tan talked to his father,
The quivering of the treetops drew her attention to the far end of the field. Black wings beat the air as the avian monstrosity rose into the air. Grabbing her partner's arm, she dropped out of the vehicle, dragging him bodily behind her into cover.
Still holding the scroll to his ear, Tan rose from the slush that covered the road. " Yeah! It's still here. We are going to need some serious firepower to deal with it too!" He straightened just enough to peek over the hood while listening to his father's response. " Okay. We'll sit tight until reinforcements arrive."
Renee grabbed his arm as he put away the scroll. " Sit tight? Are you crazy? That thing could eat this car in one gulp!"
He patted the hand that was cutting off the circulation in the arm. " Calm down! It won't attack unless it sees us...probably."
She released her grip and turned to peer between the seats, trying to spot the bird. " Probably? Is that the best you got? I'd like a little more certainty out of my partner, thank you!"
Tan worked his way to the rear of the vehicle and slowly reached into the cargo area. " Yes, that's the best I've got! Besides..." His questing fingers found the handle of the weapon case he badly wanted.
".. we're in the middle of a hundred acres of open ground. Neither of us is fast enough to make it to the tree line, so we stay here until help arrives!" He grunted with the effort of lifting the box. " Heavy bitch!" he groused as the case reached the lip and teetered. His partner bristled. " Was that a comment about my weight?"
The box squelched in the mud, narrowly missing his toes. " No! I was talking about that oversized pocketknife you use! I can barely lift it!" He frowned as she lifted the case with one hand, setting it between them. " Grow stronger!" she quipped. Opening the box, she pulled out her oversized sword and gently stroked the blade. " Did the bad man say nasty things about you, baby?" she crooned.
Tan rolled his eyes as he lifted out his own weapons. " ~You~...need to stop hanging around Ruby!"
His partner grinned in response. " I think it's cute, the way she talks to Crescent Rose like that. Admit it, you love it too!"
He stopped struggling with the holster's belt for a moment, as the sound of a motor badly in need of a tune up came from down the road. His eyes closed as he recognized the sound. " Oh no! Please, don't let it be those two!" He quickly finished with the buckle as he turned to Renee. " It sounds like help is here, but whatever happens...let me do the talking, okay?" Mystified, she nodded.
The rusting ground car coasted to a halt next to the ATV , brakes squealing in protest. The gray haired man at the wheel lifted the goggles from his face before turning to face the young couple.
" Well now! Top o'the mornin' to you Mister Tyrson! And yer fine lady as well!" The goggles were flipped into the back of the car as he labored to get out from the seat. " Yer father says ye' have a wee birdie problem now!"
His passenger removed the long gray braid that had wrapped itself around her face. " Niall O'Connell! I'll be givin' ye a ding about the earhole! Yer driving has not improved over the years!" she warned.
" Ach! Mind yer manners woman, there's children about!" he shot back as she rounded the front of the car with a large crossbow over her shoulder.
" I can see that, ye halfwit!" Her scowl changed into a smile as she curtsied to Tan. " Good morrow Mister Tyrson. It's fine t'see ye again!"
Tan climbed quickly to his feet and sketched a bow in return. " It's good to see you too, Misses O'Connell. I hope you are well!" She flipped a hand towards him. " Well enow, despite this old fool's driving!" she glared at her husband's back as he struggled with a cloth wrapped tube at the rear of their car. Turning back , she waved a hand toward Renee. " So, Mister Tyrson. Who's this pretty lass with the grand sword, then?"
Renee was blushing at the compliment as Tan helped her to stand. " Renee Delacourt, meet Eilin O'Connell and her husband Niall." he said. " Renee is my partner at school, ma'am." he explained.
" Pleased to meet you , ma'am." Renee held out her hand.
" Aye! She's a fine strong one, she is!" Eilin commented to Tan as she shook hands with the girl.
" Forgive my husband his lack of courtesy Miss Delacourt, if you will. He's gone a bit daft with age, don't y'know."
Niall stopped struggling with the tube for a moment. " Daft am I? Woman, we're about to enter mortal combat with a monster and yer wanting to make pleasantries? Tis the pot callin' t'kettle black, it is!" he called over his shoulder. " Mister Tyrson? A hand if you will. This blasted thing is stuck again! Hurry, or she'll be wanting to bake a cake for yon bird next!"
Tan rushed to help him, hoping to forestall any more arguing between the two. Grunting slightly, he lifted the long package out as Niall reached past him to grab a lumpy satchel, before starting to unwrap the cloth covering of the tubular shape in Tan's hands.
Tan stared in amazement at the thick breach of the uncovered weapon as the old man struggled to lift it to his thin shoulder. ' That's not a rifle! It's a cannon!' he thought. The old man turned and tottered off through the field. " Come, young Tan! There's a monster that needs killin'!"
Eilin laid on hand on the younger girl's shoulder. " We'd best follow him miss, before he does himself a mischief!"
Niall stopped in the middle of the field and turned abruptly, the barrel barely missing Tan's face.
" Here now, lad. Take t'other end of this fowling piece of mine and we'll set up!" When the boy had grasped the end of the barrel, he thumbed a tab in front of the trigger, causing a hidden blade to swing forward from underneath. The flat back cracked into Tan's knee, nearly causing him to lose his grip. " Drive it into the ground now, lad! Make it solid!" he commanded.
Once the gun had been spiked into the ground Tan stepped back, almost colliding with Renee, who was holding her scroll in front of her while she recorded the proceedings. " What are you doing?" he asked incredulously. She smiled while moving to get a better angle. " The guys at school are never going to believe us without a video!" She pressed the zoom function to capture a close-up of the shell that was inserted into the open chamber. It looked to be twice the size of anything she'd seen before. " Ruby is going to be ~so~ jealous!"
Shifting her view, she centered the viewfinder on Eilin as the older woman laboriously cocked the crossbow. With the weapon armed, she took aim at the circling behemoth, the tip wavering slightly as she pulled the trigger. The glowing bolt sped through the air, only to explode harmlessly against the bony plate atop the bird's head.
Niall looked up from his sight, " Glory be! Such a thing I've never seen! Eilin O'Connel missed her shot!" he cried.
" Shut yer gob, old man. I've seen you miss before!" came the retort as she reloaded.
" I was sick that day!" her husband protested to the sky.
" Aye!" she agreed, raising the crossbow to her shoulder, " Sick from too much cider I'll wager!" The second bolt landed squarely in a red eye. " Hah! Match~ that~ old man!" she demanded of him, lowering the bow.
A look of satisfaction on his face, he placed his eye back to the rifle's sight. " Aye, me lady! We'll feed this overgrown canary it's last meal!"
Tan watched the Nevermore as it turned on one wingtip, zeroing in on its tormentor. Mouth open, it dove towards them , intent on destroying the small creatures in the field below.
" Come ta' me, you oversized sparrow!" the old man muttered, taking careful aim, " Chew on this!" The boom of his rifle echoed back from the treeline as the recoil threw him onto his back in the mud.
Ears ringing, Tan watched the shell as it entered the Nevermore's gaping mouth. He blinked in surprise as the explosion shredded the bird's head, a spastic jerk made the wings complete one final sweep downwards before folding up.
Satisfaction at the bird's demise was replace by dread, as the body fell toward them. Turning towards the women, he grabbed their arms , forcing them toward the distant trees. " Run!"