Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign - By Phillip Jones Page 0,24

he took action. First, he turned to Shalee and motioned for her to move to the other side of the hall. She went without hesitation, her pink slippers making scuffling noises as she hurried across the floor.

Second, Sam turned to face the floating remains. The floor had reappeared, and now, both the man and his wolf were made of flesh. “So much for metaphors,” Sam muttered under his breath.

Having been caught in many stressful situations due to his fighting and medical careers, Sam remained focused, despite Shalee’s screaming in the background. Okay, okay. They’re asleep, he assessed. But they could wake, and what if they’re a threat? A moment later, he made a rash decision. Two against one isn’t fair odds. I should dispose of the wolf first.

Sam darted across the room, grabbed the wolf by its hind legs, ripped it out of the air, and slammed the beast onto the floor. The animal woke. It tried to bite Sam’s arm, but missed. Sam was forced to let go to avoid its sharp teeth.

The beast jumped to its feet and prepared to attack.

Sam’s mind took over, running the scene in slow motion as he prepared for the predator’s next move.

The wolf charged, leaping at the doctor’s throat.

Sam stepped to his right. As the beast passed, the fighter used his fist to deliver a crushing right hand to the left side of the wolf’s neck. His four-legged adversary landed and howled as it turned for another attack.

Sam studied his opponent, his mind searching for weak points. But with all his knowledge, he did not know the creature’s anatomy like he did a man’s. The best way to defeat the wolf would be to get it by the throat and squeeze the life out of it. He grinned and thought, Easier said than done.

The wolf made three more passes. Each time, Sam managed to avoid the attack and hit the beast on some part of its body. After the fourth pass, Shalee reached down, removed the bunny slipper from her left foot and whipped it across the hall, striking the wolf on the end of its snout.

The beast turned and gave Shalee an “Oh no you didn’t” look and then growled. It had a new target now.

Sam tried to regain the creature’s attention, but the wolf was already moving in Shalee’s direction, slowly at first, and then it broke into a run.

Realizing she was now on the menu, Shalee screamed.

As the beast passed Sam, the fighter decided it was all or nothing. He took three running steps, calculating the angle where the wolf would be when he landed and then launched into the air.

Sam landed with all his weight on the creature’s back, pinning it to the floor. The sudden impact caused the wolf’s saliva to flip free from its jowls and arc through the air. It landed with an audible plop on the end of Shalee’s nose.

The stench was vile. Shalee was quick to wipe it off, but the damage had been done. Her eyes rolled up inside her head as she fell limp to the floor. Her look of terror changed to one of sweet repose as the image of her beautiful face reflected off the polished surface.

Sam sat up and raised his elbow. He was about to bring it down across the back of the animal’s neck when a booming voice filled the hall.

The voice was thunderous and echoed. “ENOUGH!”

Sam and the wolf were startled. Sam dropped his elbow, and the animal lying beneath him stopped struggling. The fighter looked over his shoulder. To his surprise, the statue-man was awake and walking toward him.

Thinking he should finish off the wolf to prepare for the next fight, Sam failed to recall the words on the base of the statue. This approaching man was supposed to be a god, and by the look of things, Sam and Shalee were the two members of the group who had not fallen by the wayside.

Again, Sam raised his elbow to strike, but before he could deliver the blow to the back of the animal’s neck, he was sent flying through the air. The fighter slammed high against one of the pillars closest to where the floor had opened.

Pinned, suspended, and unable to move his arms, legs or head, Sam’s eyes followed the hooded god as he moved to a position beneath him and looked up. “Perhaps you misunderstood. I said, enough!”

The god’s voice was hard and strong. The power behind it filled the air.