Page 128 of Tiger's Destiny
Ren paced back and forth as we sought the devil we’d come to fight.
A laugh echoed deeply through the purple mountains. Wind whipped around my body, carrying sinister words in its cold breath.
“At last we will be joined. The amulet will be mine. You will be mine.”
“I’d rather go with another option if it’s all the same to you!”
Ren’s eyes scanned the barren terrain. Neither of us could tell where the voice was coming from.
Then a swirling dark cloud descended from high above. Cold air moved as fast as a cyclone, and at its core stood the creature Lokesh. Dust and leaves whipped around us. He jumped, and the ground shook. Just as quickly as it swept in, the torrent blew away.
Lokesh looked like an Asian version of a Minotaur, but he was much bigger. He wore a long black robe with a Mandarin collar. His eyes narrowed, and he panted heavily with excitement, sending bursts of steam from his wide nostrils.
“So,” he said, “you’ve returned to me at last. You are even more beautiful than when last I saw you. The power of the goddess suits you, my dear.” He took a step toward me, and Ren roared and swiped at his feet.
Lokesh hissed. “Still have a cat tripping at your heels, I see. We’ll have to remedy that.” He raised his eyes to the flames on the field. “I see you’ve brought more men to add to my ranks.”
“That’s not going to happen,” I said fiercely. “The ones who have fallen have been burned. They will not rise again. I’ve released them from your spell.”
Lokesh shrugged. “No matter. There are more, many more I can recruit. I can simply end the fight with a flick of my wrist. It would be so easy to destroy what’s left of your pathetic army.”
“You wouldn’t do that. You’d harm your own soldiers too.”
He studied me for a few seconds, and then said, “I wouldn’t want my future bride to doubt my word.”
He smiled evilly, clapped his hands together, and parted them. The ground shook, and I gasped to see the catapults teeter and fall, collapsing into the hole Lokesh had created. Men and demons ran in every direction as those in the center fell into the chasm. Madly, I scanned the landscape for Durga but couldn’t see her. I watched horror-struck as the hole began to close.
Kishan!
No. He’s fine, Ren told me.
I saw a flash of gold as Kishan clawed his way out of the closing pit. Durga was clinging tightly to his back. I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Is that the younger prince I see?” Lokesh snorted. “His resilience is tiresome.”
As Kishan and Durga ran, Lokesh opened new holes in the ground and laughed. Kishan leapt over them one after another until he and Durga finally disappeared into the trees.
“Leave them alone,” I threatened.
“Or . . . what, my little love?”
I raised my bow and nocked an arrow, infusing it with lightning power. “Or I’ll end your existence.”
He bent at the waist with a flourish. “Please do try.”
I let loose the arrow, and he twisted his fingers. A wind knocked the arrow wide, and it sunk into the side of the mountain. The explosion caused a shower of stone.
“I’m disappointed. I was rather hoping to see you put on a show.”
“Don’t return your ticket just yet.” I smiled and narrowed my eyes.
Faster than thought, Ren dodged around Lokesh and jumped, hitting the side of the mountain. In great leaps and bounds he climbed and flipped over in a barrel roll with claws and teeth aimed at Lokesh. I stood on the saddle and cast myself into the air. All of my weapons were fixed on the demon. At once I fired darts with the trident, shot arrows, and swung thegada.
Lokesh deflected the projectiles with the wind and raised a wall of stone to block Ren, who hit it hard and fell to the ground, but thegadastruck the evil sorcerer’s shoulder. Lokesh staggered back, bellowing in pain.
“I’ll make you pay for that.”
“Promise?” I asked as I landed smoothly on my feet and raised my sword.
