Ch. 12: Preview #5

Up more stairs and—What’s this?  A door tucked into the wall, with a big rusty padlock.  If he’d blinked, he would’ve missed it.

This time he didn’t gaze off faraway seeking his Mighty’s advice.  For once, he followed his own instincts, raising the sword and--Wham!--smashed the lock to bits.  The door swung open.  “Hagh!”  With fast reflexes, he dropped the sword and caught the heart-shaped bottle in his hands as it fell out.

☄☄ “You found my hidden stash?”☄☄ hissed the aggravated woman.  ☄☄ “You are starting to get on my nerves, Mouse.”☄☄

A covetous chill ran down his neck, but another jolt of fear stayed his hand.  He couldn’t plead ignorance now; Jen would kill him for taking another dose, knowing the effects.  Still, he couldn’t bring himself to leave it behind.  He carried the bottle with him as he ran ahead, ignoring the woman’s salty heckles as he crossed a stony bridge.

Three cubs jumped out at the landing ahead – and another three behind!  All six were wielding wooden clubs.  Oh heck.

☄☄ “Mmm.  Sure.  Fight them without that potion,” ☄☄ the woman sarcasted.  ☄☄ “See how that goes for you.” ☄☄

The goons crept closer.  They did not seem like they would keel over as easily as the last.  Theo raised the bottle slowly in his gauntleted hand, torn between temptation and foreboding.  “I’m only doing this because I have to!” he shouted, in hopes that Jen would hear this later and understand.  And possibly forgive.

But even his fear couldn’t withstand the pure adrenaline surge of becoming more, and MORE!  A throaty exhalation gave way to the near-maniacal, deepening chuckle of a man long-starved and long-deprived.  The armor, like the Mouse suit, adapted and expanded with his rapidly growing dimensions.

“YESSSS!!!”

Theo’s crazed laughter mingled with hapless wails and booming thunder as he smacked another Mouse goon off the stony bridge.  The unlucky man bounced off the padded rear wall and crashed harmlessly into the pit of foam spikes below.  Was he really as small as them just seconds ago?  Two more emerged past the bridge, then another four – but he stood nearly a head taller than they, and his beefed up arms smacked into each of them with ease! 

“Ha!... HAHAHAHA!!” He stood his sword on the ground and bent over laughing as the one remaining goon braced to fight him all alone.  “You saw me beat those other three at once, right?” he mocked, unable to help himself.  God, it felt good to be the big man again!

He didn’t even use his sword this time, just grabbed the guy by the scruff and dumped him into the pit of spikes before before the frightened-looking guy could react.  His wimpy screech made Theo’s day as he picked up his sword and sauntered off the bridge.

The battle music had turned into triumphal riffs, heralding his unhindered climb up the last few stairs.  He’d needed this so bad, more than he’d even realized.

The smile wiped from his face as soon as he reached the top of the battlement.  “Oh.  Shit.”

☄☄ “Not all cubs are created equal, as you can see.”☄☄

Platemail, helmet, and a longsword of her own.  Green eyes which glowed out at him from a black-masked face.  This young woman may be a ‘cub’ compared to Skylar and Nora, but she made her male counterparts seem stumpy and harmless.  Lithe, even deadly were how he would describe her nimble movements and powerful sword flourish as she bared sharp-looking teeth. As much as he’d grown, she still stood multiple inches taller than he, all coiled, lean power.

☄☄ “Playtime’s over, Mouse.  This is where your road ends.”☄☄

A knot of rebellion formed in his gut.  He was tired of being pushed around, of being laughed at and demeaned just for being smaller.  Logic said he was outmatched, but old headstrong courage wakened in him anew.  The growl started deep in his chest and rose to his throat; his capable arms tensed and quivered… and he lunged in fury!

Clang! ThaWhack! ThaCLANG!

Lightning flashed and thunder boomed as Theo slashed and the Panther cub parried again and again.  Backwards he drove her, in his instinctive unrelenting onslaught; across the floor, farther, farther!  Her defense was incredible—fast and skilled.  At times it almost seemed she was going easy on him, letting him back her toward the wall on purpose.  But that only added to his fury, driving him at her even harder…

“Aiyeeee!!”  Her girlish shriek accompanied the wild flailing of her arms as she fell into another of the castle’s many chasms, her graceful figure bouncing then playing dead on the bed of spikes below.

“YYYYAAAGHH!!” bellowed the victor, lifting his sword in raw exhilaration.  Who cared if it was staged?  The crowd would feel his power all the same!