CHAPTER#124

"Time to land," he muttered, then drew his weapon and stabbed the creature in the base of its wing. The blade cut cleanly through, and they immediately lost altitude. The Jabberwock tried to turn, but another stab caused it to change course and head straight for the tower.

The Jabberwock grabbed hold of the upper tower wall then and tumbled over, crashing into the garden below. Mike's whole body was jerked around, but the wings prevented him from being crushed by the stony ground. He kept cutting until the wing fell free, and the Jabberwock let out a hiss, folding up its battered wings and rolling its serpentine body across the garden.

Mike couldn't hold on any longer. He leapt free and grabbed hold of the ladder by the gate, quickly climbing to the ledge to avoid being crushed. Finally realizing it was free of him, the Jabberwock turned to face him and let out an evil hiss. Then gagged. The creature coughed twice, then gagged hard, its jaws opening wide. In the back of its throat, Tink clung tightly to the club, her eyes wide in fear as she turned the crank that tightened the rope. The arrow was still embedded in the Jabberwock's skull, and every time the beast tried to swallow her, its whole head jerked sideways when the rope tightened.

Zel galloped across the garden, unseen by the Jabberwock. Rearing up on her hind legs, she gave it a powerful kick to its side, and it coughed hard enough that Tink dislodged completely, swinging underneath its jaw like a green pendulum. Her dress was shredded, and her body was covered in saliva.

It swung its large, reptilian tail at Zel, knocking her through one of the garden beds. The last Mike saw of her was all four hooves in the air, and then the leaves of the bushes that caught her.

The Jabberwock opened its mouth and blew a long jet of steam at Mike. He leapt to the side, sliding the dagger free of its scabbard.

When the Jabberwock swung its head, Tink smacked up against the ladder, letting out a grunt. Climbing slightly higher, she put enough slack in the rope to pass the club through its metal rungs, then turned the club sideways to lock it in place.

The Jabberwock's head was pulled sideways when the rope went taut, and it could no longer turn to follow Mike. It pulled several times, but Tink held onto the rope, keeping tension on the line to prevent the club from popping free. She grumbled under her breath, her body bouncing against the stone wall of the rampart. The Jabberwock tried to twist its body around, but only succeeded in flailing around the garden.

A shadow formed above them all. Mike looked up to see an enormous cobra wrapped around the tower, descending rapidly in a tight spiral. Longer than the Jabberwock, it flung itself forward, the two creatures clashing with fangs and claws.

Ratu wrapped her body around the Jabberwock and squeezed, pinning it in place. Unable to move its limbs, it hissed angrily. Tink pulled the rope tighter, stretching its neck out and holding its head in place.

Mike leapt down onto the beast and it cried out. Holding his dagger up high, he plunged it into the Jabberwock's neck.

"Snicker-snack, mother fucker!"

The blade sliced through the thick flesh of the monster, showering everyone in hot mud. Sputtering, Mike held on tightly while cutting, and eventually the Jabberwock's head fell free of its body, crashing against the stone floor of the garden. It snapped its teeth together, and its body tensed up, thrashing in its death throes. However, as mud flowed freely from it, the head and body deflated like a giant balloon, flooding the garden with hot soil.

It was over.

Sliding down its shriveled body, Mike ran to the ladder and yanked Tink off of the bottom rungs, clutching her tightly to his chest.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again!" His voice was raw with emotion, and he didn't care that he was crying. Tink said nothing, only sobbing in response. Satisfied that she was okay, he went to help Zel.

Ratu released the Jabberwock's corpse, her body shrinking down to a normal size. Her outfit was a wreck, and she had multiple scrapes on her body. She approached the messy remains, scrutinizing the area.

"That was... unexpected." She sat down on the ground and watched the Jabberwock dissolve into mud. "And more than a little fascinating. This whole beast was constructed of earth and animal essence." She stuck her hand in the mud and pulled out a glowing stone the size of her fist. "Ah, so that's how she did it."

Figuring that Ratu was fine, Mike looked for Zel and found her near the fountain. The bushes had broken her fall, smearing her body in blueberry juice. "Are you okay?"

"Hardly, but I'll live." He helped her roll over, and she winced. "I messed up my ankle pretty bad, though."

"But you're alive. That's all that matters." He gave her a hug and let out a sigh. They were all okay, and that was all that mattered. Sliding free of her embrace, he sat on the ground next to her and then fell onto his back. The whole world seemed so big now, weighing in on him.

"Mike?"

"Yeah, I'm good." He yawned, his body suddenly heavy. His muscles hurt, and he could no longer hold up his head. "I'm just going to... take a nap..." He closed his eyes, darkness swooping in to claim him.

--

A cool breeze blew through the window, making him shiver.

Opening his eyes, he saw a giant crack in the stone ceiling above him. When he sat up, his whole body flooded with cramps, making him gasp in pain. He had been wrapped in bandages, the naga skin tunic completely gone. When he pulled the blankets down, he realized that, other than some bandages, he was naked.