Head arched back, not to spit, but as part of a greater movement.
Wings spreading, to guide it, to slow it’s ascent and its fall both. Foreclaws raised.
Between the claws at my five and seven o’clock, and the fanged mouth at my twelve, I didn’t have much room to escape.
I ignored the instincts that told me to go for the spread wings that spread out to fill the rest of the ‘clock’ between twelve and five, and twelve and six. Too easy.
I unfurled my wings, grabbing at the weaker humerus with the hand that still held the Hyena, letting the spikes on the handle snag at the wood and give me traction, helping to anchor the hand in place.
With the help of the wings, I changed direction. Heading for the five o’clock position, on this vast span of death and scale and destruction that had unfolded beneath me. For the claw.
When I’d nearly reached the claw, I shifted direction. Re-angled my wings, hauling the right one to one side, a sharp turn.
My leg got caught. The tip of one claw touching me at the knee. Tearing right through, forcing another swift change in direction, one I hadn’t planned so much.
Tumbling head over heels, trying to get my wing in position, I passed the dragon.
I’d hoped to veer for the wing membrane, to slice it and leave the dragon immobile.
Now there was only the giant and fire below me.
I saw all of the typical weak points writ large. Eye, throat, the bulging vein along one arm, that might have been an artery. Most parts protected by skin that might have been as thick as my forearm was long. Thicker than the Hyena was, at any rate.
Touch a giant and people will come after you, I thought.
I focused on orienting myself, on stopping myself from falling, getting to the point where I was gliding again.
I didn’t have time to sheath the Hyena.
I dropped it, and seized the wing again. Fingers became part of the elbow joint once more, and my arm reinforced the wing.
The Hyena dropped, sailing down.
It landed point-first at the point where the giant’s hairline, at the very top of his forehead, sinking as deep as the now nonexistent hilt.
Now able to use both wings to the fullest, I controlled my descent, slowed it.
Removing my hand and folding my wings in one singular motion, I seized the handle of the Hyena. Even my weight wasn’t enough to drag the blade through the great Other’s forehead.
It remained where it was, and I remained where I was, one hand on the blade, intact foot braced on the forehead, wings folded and head hanging.
To either side of me, the giant’s arms slowly rose.
Not in response to me. Cupping his hands.
“What in the what are you doing!?” Evan shouted.
I looked up at him, just now arresting the dive he’d made to follow me.
“Help,” I said.
It took me two tugs, but I pulled the Hyena free.
“With!?” Evan said.
I worried that my instincts were wrong, or that they were right, but the need for a second tug had cost me time. That I wouldn’t be able to manage even if I did everything right.
Then I saw the others. Running westwards.
With that, I knew that it couldn’t be too bad.
Even if I failed, they’d manage.
The Hyena came free of the giant’s forehead, slick with blood.
All in one motion. Sheathing the Hyena, seizing the wing. My legs pushed off and away from the giant. My body twisting so my wings could go out to either side, flapping while level with the ground.
Evan caught me, gave me more height, to make up for the lack of momentum.
With the height, I could swoop.
“Oh,” Evan said. “Oh bananas!”
The dragon descended, just in front of us.
Landing in the giant’s cupped hands. Foreclaws extended to grip the giant’s forearms.
It was heavy. Even with the difference in size, and the giant’s monumental strength, it wasn’t easy for the giant to hold the beast’s weight.
Arms dropped with the weight, as the giant adjusted. The impact stirred the air, and I veered to one side.
A sharper swoop. Timed so the dragon was only just landing, still adjusting.
Flame boiled in its mouth. The mouth, in turn, yawned open.
I dove straight for the thing, aiming for the point just over its shoulder.
Teeth snapped shut, a few feet from me, missing thanks to the awkward position, the bob of the giant’s hands.
Flecks of dragon’s fire showered the air.
I flew through the flames, over the dragon’s shoulder, and folded my wings.
It wasn’t the Hyena, though I didn’t deny that the blade might have played a part, sheathed in the coil of goblin chain around my waist. But the chain had barbed wire, there were sharper elements to it, and I had momentum. I scraped along the length of the softest, most vulnerable area on the dragon that I’d been able to make out, the membrane of the wing.
I spread my wings, catching myself, and I flew, away and toward the others, as the dragon reared back, one wing shaking violently, balance lost.
The giant caught it. Held it, drawing it closer.
I thought he might have rebuked it for snapping once more, as Evan and I flew away.
Neither giant nor dragon followed.
Winning wasn’t in the cards, in this particular fight. But a one-for-one, injury-for-injury, wasn’t so bad.
“Oh man,” I could hear Evan, as he kept me aloft. “Oh man, it’s going to be so hard to keep you alive, now!”
I shut my eyes, feeling the cold air rush past me, even through me, through the holes in my body. The grit in my hair broke off and flicked against my wings, and extra bits of wood that had taken too much abuse were now breaking away.
I could feel the strain in my shoulder and elbow.
I couldn’t fly forever. I could barely fly at all without Evan’s help.
I eyed the group below, and I knew I’d have to land. Patch myself together.
But, even if it was assisted, even if it wasn’t perfect, I allowed myself to fly just a little longer. If nothing else, it would help with navigating the mess of trees that lay before us.
Off to the witch’s hut, I thought.
Trying not to think about what she might have set up to protect herself, when things were as bad as they were in Jacob’s Bell.