Here we go, the next chapter in Tanner's tale. What's Demona got planned?
Read and review please?
Darwin
Chapter Seven: Dogfight
Tanner and Michelle walked silently side by side through the meticulously groomed trees of the park, listening to the sounds of the night.
Tanner was overcome by the emotions that welled in him. It was a happiness that he had never felt before…and it was something else as well. He was unable to describe that other feeling and he wondered if it was something that Goliath and Elisa had felt for each other, all these many years. He wondered if such a feeling was the glue to their relationship; what kept them together even when they could never be the kind of couple they wanted to be. He fervently hoped it was, because it was the best feeling that he had experienced in his life.
Then a pang ran through him, "What will happen," Tanner thought a moment, "When she finds out?"
He looked down at the pavement under his feet, as that thought bounced around his skull. She would find out, he didn't delude himself by thinking that he could keep up the ruse. His gut twisted tightly at the idea that he might make an enemy out of her when she found out the truth about him.
"Tanner?" Michelle said softly beside him, evidentially seeing the look of turmoil on his face, "You OK?"
Tanner looked quickly her direction, smiling for her sake, "Nothing," He said, "Just thinking."
"Must have been a really dreary thought," She said frowning.
He was about to answer her, just stepping under the cover of the dense trees of the park, when he heard the swoosh of over large and leathery wings, pass them above the trees. His eyes turned up to the night sky at the sound, as a feeling like lead dropped into his stomach. His body was as taut as a coiled spring, realizing that someone had found him. His breath quickened at the thought. Damn, now he was in for it, why couldn't they trust that he could take care of himself? With his luck the gargoyle above him was Brooklyn and that meant that Tanner would never be allowed out of the castle again without an escort. A scene of him being banned from seeing Michelle again flashed through his brain, walls of his niche in the castle closing in until he couldn't breathe.
A wave of panic started to build up within him. What was he going to do? He had finally found a friend and now that was jeopardized by one of the clan discovering him. Now they would know that he had lied to them, and would think it was because of this woman.
"What was that?" Michelle's voice brought him out of the spiraling thoughts of a cage closing around him and he looked over to see her clinging suddenly to his heavy jacket.
Tanner turned his attention to her face, "Sounded like a bat to me," Tanner lied thinking, "Yeah, if that bat is six foot with a twelve foot wingspan."
"That is one mighty big bat," Michelle said echoing his thoughts, "Could it be one of those Gargoyles I've heard rumor of?"
"Gargoyles?" Tanner said, effectively sounding derisive, "You don't believe that do you? Nah…they don't exist. It was just a bat like I said…probably flew right between us."
"Uh-huh," She said looking at him oddly.
Tanner pretended to consult his watch and then gave a large and quite fake yawn, saying, "Y'know, I think that sleep depravation is finally catching up with me. What say I walk you home?"
Michelle smiled, but shook her head and said, "No, I'll be fine. I like the night…I like bats too…even the big ones," She looked over her shoulder at him with an odd look. Tanner thought there was a double meaning to her statement, but before he could inquire she had begun walking away, "Get some sleep, just be sure that your rested up when you meet me tomorrow."
"Huh?" Tanner said surprised by her forwardness, so surprised that he wasn't sure just what he had heard.
"Meet me here tomorrow," She repeated, "Or don't you believe in second dates?"
Even though she had asked the question of him she turned away again not waiting for an answer.
Tanner smiled, watching until she faded behind some of the bushes and trees that lined the meandering walk. When she was safely out of site of him, the smile melted from his features. Tanner stepped quickly into some concealment and dressed out of his clothes. He took spare moments to stretch his cramped wings and tail and immediately scaled the tree that hid him from casual onlookers.
Reaching the top boughs he launched himself into the night and had only started to gain altitude, when he was tackled midair by something or someone. The assault drove them both into the tangling canopy. With fight honed reflexes Tanner reacted, clenching both fists and swinging hard for the body that was firmly latched to his middle. He connected hearing a feminine grunt even as the slight body bowed under his assault.
Tanner raised up again intent on dislodging the thing from his middle, but never landed the second blow. In a move that was quicker than he had expected he was released, his attacker planting feet on his hip, and crouching, launched upward into the hole their falling bodies had created through the treetops. In a blur his assailant was gone from sight.
Tanner reached out with strong arms attempting to slow, and eventually stop, his fall through the tangle of trees surrounding him. He had no advantage to open his wings to catch the rushing air, there was no room for it. For long queasy moments he found no purchase on the trees around him, then one hand caught and held a large rough bough, halting his fall abruptly and abrading his hand.
He grit his teeth against the burning and prickly sensation and was reminded of the bruise in his middle where his assailant had tackled him. He looked down finding himself only about three feet above the ground dangling there like an odd Christmas ornament from the oak tree. He pulled up a little and then released his hold on the branch landing lightly on the ground and crouching low. He looked about him both for late night visitors to the park and for any sign of the gargoyle that had tackled him. His legs were taut, ready to leap should a new round of the fight begin here on the ground.
Tanner turned his eyes up looking through the very obvious hole in the canopy and seeing the stars beyond. He saw no sign of that other gargoyle and decided it not best for him to wait around to get assaulted again. He leapt to his feet, moving as fast as his considerable legs would go. Tanner mantled his wings close to his body so as not to get tangled in the low branches or the trees that whizzed by him on both sides.
Meanwhile his brain was on overdrive…who was it? That it was a gargoyle, and a female one at that, he was certain, but who it might have been eluded him. He thought perhaps Angela had found him and decided to play a game of cat and mouse. But he had never known her to be that type, she had always considered their all too frequent fights with their enemies' practice enough to keep their skills honed. There was Broadway's mate, Fiona, who was of the kind of personality it took to play jokes of that nature, but she was off visiting in Avalon and was not due back for two more weeks.
Maggie of Darren's clan perhaps? That didn't make sense, they were close allies with Goliath's clan and would not stoop to attack them. He shook his head unable to come up with a plausible suspect in this unprovoked attack on his person.
As this train of thought ran its course through him, he neared the edge of the concealing forest. He slowed as he reached the break turning his eyes skyward and straining to see the dark blotch that would reveal his assailant's position. Yet he saw nothing, were it not for the physical pain that told him otherwise, he began to think that the gargoyle was his imagination.
Tanner stuck to the edges of the trees, making himself a harder target up under the boughs should his nemesis be somewhere up there waiting for him. It was not long before he ran out of concealment and he sat for long hours trying to find again his adversary. By the end of the wait he was edgy and forced himself to cross open territory. He did so quickly waiting and cringing for an attack that never came. Perhaps he had taught this mystery gargoyle that he was not so easily brought down and would remain unharmed for the remainder of the evening.
Tanner dashed into the alley between two towering buildings and immediately began to climb. He needed to get back to the castle, and he needed to tell someone about this mystery assailant. Again he thought furiously about what he was going to tell the clan about the events of the evening.
He had just reached the roof when a blur of a body landed in front of him, and he was forced to screech to a halt as the other straightened to her full height.
"Demona!" Tanner breathed as he got a good look at the red headed Gargress standing before him.
She smiled in a crooked wicked way that sent a shiver down his back. He had never actually met her before but stories of her were nefarious. Twisted in thought, as she was cruel, Demona held a particularly hateful place among his clan. She had proved too many times that she had no ones interests at heart but her own. That was uncharacteristic of any gargoyle, whose pride should always be for the clan.
She folded her wings slanting one hip to the right and looking upon him with utter confidence and arrogance. Tanner shivered again, feeling that familiar sensation of loathing that he had always felt around Titania, only about ten times more concentrated.
"Well you seem to know who I am," She said humorously, "But I have yet to have the pleasure of your name?"
"You don't have that privilege, Demona," Tanner quipped, "You've betrayed us too many times for me to trust you even with so little."
She scowled at him darkly, "Insolent whelp!" she growled, her previous congeniality evaporated, "I know that you're a son of a fool. And your mother…Who is your mother?" She pressed seeming to realize that she did not know.
"Again that is none of your business," Tanner added crouching down, "The less you know the better I feel."
She turned away from him a second looking with malice the direction Michelle had taken through the forest, "Would you be so brave, little Gargoyle, if the human were here in my clutches? She's quite beautiful you know, I can see that the same weakness that runs in your father is strong in you as well."
She didn't say any more and started running for the edge of the building her wings now fanned wide to catch the updraft.
"NO!" Tanner bellowed, leaping toward Demona's retreating form, "You leave her out of this!"
Demona leapt only a hairbreadth ahead of him from the building. Tanner closed their distance quickly, intent on latching himself to her back and forcing her to ground. Just as he reached out for her she flipped midair and extended her claws toward him. There was nothing he could do to stop their impact and he winced as her claws cut him deeply.
He raised up his own feet setting them firmly against Demona's thigh, angling up and pushing out with his legs, he raked them both through her muscles. Her howl of pain echoed off of the surrounding buildings and seemed to fill the night. They tangled for long moments like two eagles are dog fighting. They were each buffeted and bashed by the other's wings; claws deflected and caught on each other's skin, all as they steadily lost altitude. They flipped and circled each taking turn in a position toward the sky.
Neither of them noticed their descent and Demona ended up toward the sky when they finally crashed into the earth. Tanner cried out as he heard one of the finger bones in his wing break, its pain temporarily paralyzing him under this psychotic Gargress. She produced a knife from somewhere on her person, smiling wickedly at him.
Her arm swung down at him and defensively he raised him own arm to block her. He followed through hitting her hard in the side of the head. It was enough to knock her off of him and he leapt up before she could regain her wits.
Tanner raised his injured wing and winced out from under the pain that shocked down his frame. Gliding was out of the question now, and tucking it as comfortably as he could to his side he ran. Tanner heard Demona's angry howl falling behind him and then the thumping of feet as she sprinted to catch him.
The footfalls stopped mere moments later and were replaced by the rustling of leaves. The soft whistle of her wings was the only warning Tanner had that she was upon him and he ducked and rolled to stay out of her clutches. He grimaced at the pain that shot through his body originating from his wing, and was slow to get back to his feet.
He opened his eyes to find Demona standing before him and glanced up to see her triumphant face, "You're weak, boy. I would have thought you much better for this, you have so much potential that you haven't even tapped."
"I…Suppose you think you're the one to tap that potential," Tanner grunted derisively.
She was kneeling before him now, "Yes," She hissed at him, "There is so much I could teach you boy."
"I don't think so, you crazy bitch," Tanner growled, hooking one foot into the ground to facilitate the hip spin he needed. He followed through with his tail catching Demona unaware and taking her out at the ankles. She went down heavily and Tanner forcibly pushed to his feet before she regained hers.
They circled one another both growling, eyes glowing and tails lashing. And like two cats in a fight they sprang at each other at the same time. They locked their fingers together wrestling back and forth in a contest of strength and will. They remained locked thus for an hour…and longer as the sun came up around them.
Tanner turned to stone before Demona, but she didn't notice, as the pain of her own transformation shut out the world for long moments. When she became aware again and looked around her she found herself still locked with the boy. She tried vainly to free her fingers now cramped and pinched where her fifth finger had come in as she took on her human form.
"No," She growled struggling to free her fingers some more only to stop when one popped painfully. She was stuck, the boys grip was too tight and strong. She was unable to gain enough leverage to break the stone fingers holding her prisoner either. She was stuck here until sundown.