Nanowrimo Bits - 11/20/19 (Patreon)

A snippet from today's Nanowrimo -

“Elwood, slow down a bit, I’m about to do something stupid,” Flannery ordered, slowly standing in the bed of the truck. 

“Flannery, don’t you dare!” Fae shouted even as Elwood slowed down.

“Daring!” She shouted back, taking a running start towards the tailgate. “PARKOUR BITCH!” 

She planted a foot on the tailgate, using it to push herself into a leap out of the truck bed. She flew, momentarily, through the air, before tucking herself into a ball for a ninja roll down the hard asphalt. As she pushed herself up, struggling to stand, William barreled towards her. She heard Elwood’s tires squeal as he hit the breaks.

Flannery stared down the Big Bad Wolf, reaching for the hand of the little girl in the red hood deep inside herself. The girl was scared, and didn’t want to face the monster in front of them. Flannery felt this fear as her own – a cold, persistent dread that started in her chest and crawled up her throat, digging into her veins with its icy claws. But the cold of fear was nothing against the warm cloak they wore when they worked together. Flannery promised she would protect not only the little girl with the red hood, but all of the Storied Folk. 

She felt the little girl place her trembling hand in hers, and the shady road burst into light as the cloak of flames enveloped her. William roared, emitting a cloud of noxious smoke from his mouth. The bracelets on Flannery’s wrist chimed like bells as a warm wind kicked up around her. She shifted subtly, one foot going behind her as her hand curled into a fist. 

William leapt at her, mouth open wide; ready to devour her with sharp, jagged teeth. 

Flannery pulled all of her magic into her fist, striking with more speed and force than she ever had before. It was like being shot out of a gun, like breaking through the brother’s hold from before, but ten times stronger. This was the force she’d used to break free, but without the spell to fight through. Pure, uncompromised power.

Her fist collided with the underside of William’s bone muzzle, and Flannery could feel the bone crumble at the point of impact. William yelped pitifully, flying backwards the same distance head leaped forward. His distorted hands clutched at his jaw, and Flannery could see the form wavering. There was a pebble in the road, unassuming and completely ordinary. Flannery picked it up and, using the same technique she’d just used, hurled it at William. 

The pebble struck him in the side of the head, and the skull shattered, bits and pieces falling away to reveal William’s actual face. 

“Not what you were expecting, huh?” Flannery shouted, shanking hands clenched into fists at her side. “Didn’t expect someone to fight back against that form, did you, William? Well news flash, bitch, I’m used to fight Big Bad Wolves! That might have scared Little Red, but it won’t scare me! I got a world of other things to be scared of that I can’t do shit about. But I can fight a wolf! Especially when that wolf is nothing more than a punk ass bitch hiding his fear of a world that doesn’t cater to his expectations behind rage. You’re nothing I haven’t dealt with before, Will. There’s thousands of guys just like you, minus the smoky magic bullshit. And the best way to deal with folks like you is a good, clean punch to the face.” 

William screamed wordlessly, scrambling to his feet. The smoky form hadn’t yet dissipated, and Flannery braced herself as he hurtled towards her once more. 

William didn’t even manage to reach her, running into a transparent barrier mere inches from her. Flannery stared wide-eyed at the wall of stained glass in front of her before turning to see Ashe marching up behind her, hand out stretched and her own aura in full view. 

“Nice speech, Flannery, but maybe save the dramatics for when you’ve actually beaten him,” Ashe said, ignoring William’s feral clawing at the barrier. 

“I mean, I could have, if you hadn’t put your barrier in the way,” Flannery pointed out.

Ashe rolled her eyes. “Details. Come on; let’s get back to the truck. There’s no way he can hold that form for much longer considering the damage you did to it. By the time he manages to get back to town, we’ll be safe and sound behind Granny’s wards.”

Flannery nodded, turning to look at William one last time. She almost felt sorry for him, with how pitifully desperate he looked behind the glass. 

“Funny how Conor’s supposed to be the Big Bad Wolf, and yet you look like this,” she said.

William roared, loud and guttural and without words. He didn’t need them to express his rage. Flannery turned, sparks fluttering off the edge of her cloak as it faded into the aether.