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ominous through the distant sky, mumbling. Having long
since discovered where the great beasts crouched, I targeted
their leader, an estimation based on the size and shape of its
silence. But I wouldn’t strike until I knew more about the
woman.
Her voice slipped between the grass and the breeze without
creating so much as a ripple within the calm. “You travel like
a thoughtless bird, Family Man, straight and unwavering—
and wholly predictable. I really didn’t think you’d take such
an obvious route, yet she assured me you would. I should
know by now not to question her.” Her voice was both soft
and loud, and she made no effort to hide herself—confident,
no doubt, in the beasts that served her. “Did you really
believe she wouldn’t know you were coming? Where did
you think your dreams were going? After everything I’ve
heard about you, you turn out to be nothing more than a
simple-minded brute. You lack the cleverness of your art,
monster. Now, I’m certain you must have at least learned
enough about us from her dreams to know what comes next.
Or were you foolish enough to believe you would have the
honor of being devoured by our mother?”
With a heavy heart, I surprised the squatting beast from
behind, having crept beneath the sound of the woman’s
monologue to get close to it. Its strength was fierce and
feral as it tried to struggle free of my grip, but I proved the
stronger. Its neck snapped loudly, summoning its minions to
investigate. I took the intervening moments to study them.
They were wolves from under the earth with white vestigial
eyes, ash coats, and massive overhanging claws and teeth.
My heart broke when they attacked.
My father met the first beast in the air. The creature
became nothing more than a shriek wrapped in blood.
Lunging at my knees, the second meant to steal my balance.
The spiked counterweight of the great axe blade passed
through the creature’s brain, splitting its jaw and pinning it
to the earth. Spinning around, I interrupted the beast stalking
110 | Mark Anzalone