Page 124 of Awry
A massive creature has burst through the roof of the clubhouse.It claws itself partially upright, even as the walls crumble under its weight.Then it perches for a moment, gaze trained on the road.
On us.
Iridescent scaled skin.A massive sharp-toothed maw.Razor-sharp hooked claws.Wicked white bone antlers.A wild mane flickering with energy …
The creature’s head is larger than what I can see of its serpentine body.
It’s a … it’s a fucking dragon.
A celestial dragon?
“Put me down,” Presh says.And when DeVille just stares up at the fucking dragon that’s taken out the entire roof of the clubhouse, she pummels his back.“Put me down, asshole.It’s Rath!”
I blink.
It’s Rath?
Chains dashes back into the middle of the street, staring back at the dragon as well.
Rath — who is apparently also a celestial dragon, an actual mythical creature — opens his maw and emits a roaring challenge.
I clamp my hands over my ears.
The sound wave rolls up and over us as windows explode all along the street.DeVille wraps himself around Presh, hunkering down, but not a single shard hits us.
I’m honestly not certain if it’s the universe intervening, or if there’s something more going on.Something with all three of the brothers and me.
Chains snarls viciously, shielding his face.
The two berserkers drop hard, slamming into the pavement and confusing me for a moment.Darkly tainted essence roils around each of them as they start to transform.They tear through their leathers as they manifest shaggy fur, rounded snouts edged with jagged teeth, and claws longer and thicker than my fingers.Both of them are larger by far than Breaker was on the beach— whose own transformation was perhaps impeded by Muta’s venom?
Yeah, if I had a secondary form that was nearly impossible to kill, I’d make use of it the moment the dragon showed up as well.I’m guessing that the dire potions Chains used on the Outcast shifters had an unintentional side effect.Because Rath presumably wouldn’t have chosen to transform while inside the clubhouse if he’d had the option.
Theknowingsnaps sharply into place, yanking me ever forward.
“Stay with me,” I say, tucking Presh’s hand in mine.I start running again, but manage only four or five strides before over a dozen bikers overrun the street ahead of us.Unaffiliated bikers as far as I can tell— maybe even including the three that we last saw outside the rave.
The fact that they’re all pointing primed weapons our way makes it clear whose side they’re on.
I keep running.
“What the fuck, Zaya?!”DeVille shouts from Presh’s other side.
“Stay with me,” I say, not giving myself a chance to question theknowingas it directs us straight through the center of the biker mob.Because questioning it might unintentionally affect it to some extent.And Chains is right behind us.
Farther back, Rath roars again.Then, punctuated by the sound of the remainder of the back wall of the clubhouse crumbling, he launches himself into the sky.
He can fly.Without fucking wings.
Though it’s almost sleek in comparison to his head, his serpentine body is easily the length of two city buses.Maybe three.
The sky abruptly opens up, torrential rain suddenly pounding us, flooding the street.
I keep running, puddles splashing underfoot now.
We’re only a dozen feet away from the wall of shifters.
I can literally feel Chains at my back.The berserkers have to be near as well.
