Tales From the Woods #14

Fortunately, I wasn't alone. Cassanee came bounding through the front door, went high up, and came down on his head like a meteorite. The impact doubled the behemoth over, and Cass bounced off like a tennis ball off a brick wall. She landed lightly between us, spared a quick smile in my direction as a greeting, then spun and started towards Guyamo again. He raised his head to glare at her, his mouth open, prepared to gift us with some utterance about his kingness, but he never got started. A furry missile crashed into the back of his knees, pitching Guyamo forward. Even as this happened, his bulbous nose had a disagreement with Cass' elbow. Nose lost. Guyamo went parallel to the ground for a moment before landing squarely on the back of his head.

"Nice wor-" I couldn't finish the sentence because Guyamo was up again, roaring in pain and humiliation.

"A king would sooner see his kingdom burn than have it taken from him!" He raised the staff and the earth shook. A violet mist rose from the ground and drifted towards the stones adorning his staff, the moon and the stars vanished from the sky, blotted out by the anguish being drawn from the surroundings. Guyamo's eyes went unfocused, his ravings becoming more unintelligible.

I started towards him because this one was going to be too big to outrun, but the others reached him first. CAP bit down on Guyamo's right hand with all the force it could muster, and Cassanee stabbed a rigid hand into the shoulder. The only sign Guyamo noticed was that he lashed out in response (I wondered if he hadn't drawn in some much pain he couldn't shield himself from it any longer). Cass dodged the wild swing of the left arm, but CAP had nowhere to go when Guyamo brought his skull down in a crushing headbutt. The little panda lost its hold, and tumbled to the ground.

Cassanee started towards CAP, but I had caught up by then, so she resumed the assault instead. I scooped up my friend and narrowly avoided being impaled when Guyamo struck the point of the scepter on the ground. I'd have felt good about that except for the resultant discharge. Energy erupted outwards from that focus point, sending up chunks of earth, fissures radiating in every direction. The few workers who had dared come investigate what was going on fled as the walls of the fort exploded in a hail of kindling and splinters, and a third of the castle collapsed. I scrambled away, fast as I could with my furry bundle, but a rift opened next to us and sent me flying. I believe I said something clever like "Awp!"

I managed to avoid smooshing my friend, because I landed on my back. At least this section of ground wasn't too rocky. I looked back to see Cassanee continuing to attack, but to no noticeable effect. Guyamo still clutched the staff in a death grip. Was he even in there anymore? I rose, set CAP in the most stable place I could find, and began making my way across the chasms. I drew steadily closer, watching a battle locked in stalemate. He couldn't hit her, but was unfazed by her attacks. As she struck his throat, I fired a gas canister at his head. By the time it arrived, Cass had drifted back, so Guyamo caught the brunt of it alone. He staggered backwards, waving his arms in an attempt to disperse the smoke. I closed in, crouched, and kicked at the back of one leg as the other was rising off the ground.

It felt like kicking a tank. How did CAP not shatter its entire skeleton slamming into this? Still, he was unbalanced enough that he fell backwards. Flailing, the staff struck the ground again, and both of us were sent airborne. Guyamo landed at the far edge of a rift, I landed a few feet further on. His impact caused the ground to start collapsing beneath him. That he was falling to his death finally brought him to his senses. He tossed the staff away and grabbed my ankle. If he thought I could hold us both, he was severely overestimating me. I dug my fingers in as best I could, and the dirt slipped between them. I tried kicking him in the face with my free leg, and spared a look back to see the result. Before his eyes had been blank. Now they were full of fear, but that wasn't weakening his grip any. All I saw past him was darkness. I had no desire to see where it lead.

We continued to slide in, heedless of my desires, when I felt one hand grabbed by a small, furry paw, the other by a human hand, long, slim, but callused. As they pulled, I quit wasting time kicking, and tried to gain a foothold with my free leg instead. Even Guyamo helped, letting go with one hand, which he used to  reach out and dig his fingers into the side of the trench. Together, we all made it back onto solid ground.

As I scratched CAP behind the ears in thanks, Guyamo rose to his feet. He didn't look too steady on his pins, but his bluster was still intact.

"For saving your king's life, I can almost overlook this rebellion. So you will only be imprisoned for -" He was cut off by Cassanee smashing his discarded staff against his head (which might also want to consider discarding, since it clearly doesn't work well). The stones shattered, there was that slightly nauseating feeling again, the one I'd felt when the Darkles vanished. A toxic presence, but one that was fading away as things were set to rights again. Guyamo groaned, and fell to his knees.

"Give it a rest already! Your army's gone, your staff's gone, just pack it in." I think CAP was still sore about that headbutt. "You aren't a king. If you're really lucky, and you apologize a lot, your neighbors," CAP gestured towards a group of workers who were trickling in, "might let you stay here."

"Don't count on it," I muttered. CAP shot me a glare. I must have been undermining the point of the speech. Cassanee, meanwhile, turned and spoke quietly to the others. This went on for a few minutes, then three of the workers, carrying an air of authority despite their bedraggled condition, stepped forward, Cassanee watching carefully from the side.

"You admit your wrongdoing?" the first asked. Guyamo looked ready to protest, but opted to nod sullenly.

"You will never attempt to harness the energy within our home again?" another asked. Again, a nod.

"You will help rebuild the homes you destroyed." Nod. "And let those without homes stay here until their homes are fixed." The third one was fond of statements, not questions.

"They get to stay in the undamaged portion of your home," I chipped in. Everyone gave me a look that said this went without saying, but the devil's in the details. Guyamo nodded once more, but CAP couldn't resist getting the last shot in.

"And let them use your wardrobe if they need it!" That got a reaction.

"Not my clothes!" Guyamo started to rise in anger, but controlled himself and Cass and CAP both stepped forward, and my hand went towards the gas gun. "Very well," he grumbled through gritted teeth.

"Cheer up," CAP said. "If you help out enough, maybe someone will make you clothes that actually fit!" Ouch. The second worker coughed politely. We turned.

"Guyamo, you understand that if you don't follow these arrangements you'll be expelled from this land and can take your chances in their," gesture to CAP and myself, "world?"

The former ruler looked quite distressed at that prospect. "I understand. I won't cause anymore trouble." I kind of doubted that, but if he did, he'd pay the penalty.