SAVVY
Chapter 14
I almost didn't think Rachael needed help.
It had taken me ages to scale the stupid fence. I wasn't as good as climbing as Rachael, and she had jumped. JUMPED. Over a 12 foot tall fence. I wish that back when we were best friends in Canada, she had taken the liberty to show me tricks like these, not to forget how to shoot with a freaking bow and arrow.
I missed my footing on the fence a billion times when climbing. While Rachael was all "superhero who overcame any obstacle", I was all "sweating, slipping and letting loose a lot of colourful swear words".
And then after I got over the fence, there was the question of where Rachael and the Set animal were. The amusement park was HUGE. I had been so focused on following Rachael… I had lost track of her. How was that even possible?
It was probably around twelve in the morning, and it was really hot. It had been almost night-time when we left for New York, and the time differences really affected me. I had just gotten used to Egyptian time.
So yeah, there I was, feeling right on top of the world as I searched for signs of a battle. I prayed and cursed at every single god I could think of, including the Set animal and Rachael. I must have run about half of the perimeter of the amusement park looking for them, before finally reaching the main entrance. A ginormous stone arch sign on two pillars read:
HAPPY FAMILIES AMUSEMENT PARK
I kicked a stone pillar as I ran past.
I found them at the back of Happy Families Amusement Park, where the staff stored equipment in boxes. There was a mountain of boxes with stuffed animal prizes in them, for those stupid games that cheat you of your money. The ground was gouged and scratched by the Set animal's claws and covered with still sizzling holes from the saliva of the monster.
Rachael herself was standing on the mountain of boxes, holding the silver bow. Rachael, who was beat up, scratched, and cornered. But she was alive. And she was nocking an arrow directly at the Set animal.
I could only see half of the Set animal, but I sure as hell didn't ever want to see the other half because from what I could see already, he was already pretty scary.
Neither Rachael nor the Set animal saw me, and I was just about to leap into the fight yelling battle cries at the top of my lungs when something stopped me. Charging head-on was not going to work all the time. I needed a plan.
Rachael was swaying back and forth, and I thought she was about to fall, but I realized that she was trying to get the Set animal unbalanced so he wouldn't climb up after her. The monster snapped at her feet as he scrambled to climb up the boxes, but he slid off. Rachael quickly released her arrow, and it found its mark in the Set animal's foot. I winced as he howled, but he deftly pulled the arrow out with its teeth and flung it away, looking more angry then he was hurt.
Meanwhile, I kept to the edges, careful not to let the Set animal see me. Zia's wonderful words of wisdom, as she calls it, filled my head. When in a sticky solution, use everything in sight to your advantage. My eyes flitted from side to side, looking for something, anything that could help me.
In my mind's eye I saw the massive stone arch again… Happy Families Amusement Park…
Before I could make a move, the boxes Rachael was balancing on reached its swaying limit. From a distance, I could just make out Rachael's concentrated face, her body tensing as she timed her jump perfectly. As the boxes toppled onto the Set animal Rachael leapt straight over his head, landing and rolling to a stop.
The diversion of the boxes only kept the Set animal down for so long. With a snarl it threw off the cardboard boxes, ripping stuffed animals to shreds all around him. Before I knew it, Rachael was pinned down beneath him.
It was Rachael's face that jolted me back to reality. From here, I could clearly see her expression— fear. I had never seen her look scared, like, ever. Even when she was fighting Miss Uglyface in the classroom, or with the Set animal, she had maintained a cool detached face. Hell, even when I set off the fire alarm and got us both caught (which was more terrifying than the scariest creature in Egyptian history), she wasn't as scared as now. I realized that she knew she was going to die.
And I knew, although my feet were flying as fast as possible towards them, that I couldn't ever reach them in time. I was so close, but too far.
Although the Set animal wasn't moving his mouth and he shouldn't be able to speak, a strange, hissing voice filled the air. Pity it had to end this way.
Rachael closed her eyes.
Adrenaline pumping through my veins, I raised my staff at the pair, letting some of my power trickle into it. Don't pour all your power and energy into one spell, Zia had said. Overdoing it could quite literally burn you up.
"Drowah!"
At first, nothing happened.
Then, as the Set animal opened his jaw wide to strike, a white wall of light fizzled into existence between him and Rachael, forcing him back. The Set animal blinked in surprise, then growled savagely, swiping at the wall. There was a sizzling and popping noise and he yowled as he snatched his paw back, which was now steaming.
He wasn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer. Obviously he could've just went around the wall, but he seemed too intent on going through it. Stupid monster. Over-sized, deadly, and dangerous, but still stupid.
I regretted the thought as, gnashing his teeth; the Set animal turned around and snarled at me. Acidic saliva dripped from his fangs, burning holes in the ground.
Rachael opened one eye, then another as she assessed the scene in surprise. She saw me and gaped.
"S-Savvy?"
The Set animal pounced, a lightning streak of red and grey, and I danced out of the way just in time. "How's it going, Rachael?" I yelled over my shoulder, dodging as the Set animal snapped at my head.
My ADHD, for once, came in useful. I was able to focus on everything at once. Time slowed down, and I could see the corner of the Set animal's red eyes tense a little before he sprung, giving me enough of a heads up to dive to the side. Meanwhile, I noted as Rachael pushed herself to her feet, snatching her bow and arrow up. She released an arrow at the Set animal, but he merely moved a fraction to the left and let the arrow fly past him.
Taking advantage of my pause, the Set animal swiped at me again and I reacted slower his time. My thigh exploded in pain, and I staggered. I didn't dare to look down at my left leg, fearing the bloody sight that would meet my eyes. I couldn't stay up for much longer. I needed to do something, and quick.
I threw my wand, a boomerang shaped object, straight at the Set animal's face. Just before it hit his body, I yelled, "A'max!" Burn.
Now, fire isn't my strong suit. I'm more of a water elementalist, but for once my fire spell worked. The wand erupted into flames as it hit his body. He rolled around on the ground blindly, howling.
I had about one second to be proud of my little trick before my shaky thigh collapsed on me as I hit the ground. I clenched my teeth as waves of pain rocked my body, before I was being dragged back up on my feet by someone no less than Rachael Stone.
"Ow," I moaned, leaning heavily against her. "Watch the leg."
Instead of words of comfort or encouragement, or even exclamations of greeting, Rachael yelled, "Why the HELL did you disappear a week ago?"
"Ah, good ques—"
"Watch out!"
She let another arrow fly at the Set animal, who was just about to strike again. It left a gash in his hind leg.
I felt like passing out. The spells had left me exhausted, especially the protective walls trick. My voice slurred together as my body sagged.
"Rachael."
"Don't fall asleep on me!" Rachael shouted into my ear and I flinched. "Savvy!"
"Rachael… I have a plan…"
Rachael pushed me down and we both hit the ground as the Set animal leaped over us, where our heads used to be.
"What's your plan?!"
Using Rachael as support, I managed to get to my feet, my right leg wobbling.
"Distract the Set animal," I said through clenched teeth, "And meet me at the front of the amusement park, where the sign is. Go!"
I pushed Rachael at the Set animal and hobbled towards the sign as fast as possible.