“Bregðandi. Nordr. Kaldr.” Wind. North. Cold. In that second, a wave of cold billowed out from Sam. In her hand Gleipnir shivered. Sam had used the spells for weaving and sewing to combine the essence of wind, the North, and cold. Essentially creating a spell for the North Wind on the fly.

“Brrr.” He gasped, as ice crystalized outward leaping from one dust or debris particle to another. “I hate that spell.”

His words rang clearly as the spell worked to freeze the chaotic movement around them. The crackling of frost was the only sound for those instants. With a cracking whoosh that swiftly grew thunderous, the grit and debris hindering sight was blasted away with the magical engineer and her pact item as the epicenter. Able to see once more, Samantha Wattkins wiped some dirt from her sweat streaked face.

A quiet sob drew her attention. Finally! Sam thought in exasperation. That was Alex for sure. She’d expected her partner to be looking for everyone else. But she wasn’t. She was staring at something. Something that was behind Sam and a little to the right. Something high. Transfixed.

Then Sam heard it.

The rumbling of concrete slabs grinding against one another was back. With it, the squealing screech of tearing and bending metal. Then a crumbling boom. It shook the ground and made all the destroyed asphalt of the parking lot she was in tremble at the impact. Followed by more rumbling and screeching, and another boom. More trembling.

“Oh, for the love of doughnuts!” Gleipnir used one of Kyle’s favorite Anna-safe-Camina-approved curses. He wiggled out of Sam’s grasp and turned to glare in the direction of the noise. He gave a small, strangled yelp. “Don’t look, Sam.” He admonished in a quiet whisper, as swiftly returned himself to her hand. “Just grab Alex and run.”

“I think maybe perhaps I should look, Gleip.” Sam countered with trepidation. “It can’t be that bad.”

“No. Just run. Right now it’s attention is on Alex, but the second you move it will notice you, and we are much closer to it that Alex.” Low and tight, his voice had no levity in it. Just concern for his warlock.

“Is it about to eat Alex?” It was still a bright sunny day and Sam was starting to wish she’d worn sunglasses. She could feel sweat that was from more than her exertion saturating the blouse under her jacket. Like, what she wouldn’t give to be able to adjust her bra right now.

“Ehh.” Gleipnir waffled, as another footstep slammed down more to heir right than behind them this time. “It’s looking like that.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Fuck it.” Sam exclaimed, a little too loudly then hushed her voice as she continued. “I’m looking.” She turned to her right, not sure what to expect, but not at all expecting what she saw. It was…

…a building?

With legs!

“Fucking, what!” the shout got its attention and the front? The head? Whatever it was swung towards Sam and Gleipnir. It lurched ponderously towards the pair and the warlock was already sprinting towards her partner as her pact item screamed at her.

“Run! Damnit. Run! I told you not to look, you stubborn warlock.” Though he could have far surpassed her in speed, Gleipnir stayed with his warlock, letting her hold him like a weapon as she ran for her coworker.

“Now’s not really the time to rub it in, Gleip!” She shouted back, regretting the last cup of coffee she had as the strenuous activity brought a burnt coffee and bile taste to the back of her throat.

“Now’s the only time to rub it in.” He hollered back unrepentantly. “If you die in the next few minutes, I’ll never get to tell you I was right!”

“Fphft.” She tried not to laugh as she continued running.

“Okay. I fear to say it again.” The sentient pact item was keeping a look out for the oncoming warehouse which had somehow become an entire monster manifestation. “But don’t look now, it’s decided you are too fast and gone back to targeting Alex.”

Redoubling her efforts to reach her partner, Sam did chance a short glance to her right that nearly sent her stumbling as she miss judged the height of an uplifted slab of asphalt. Catching her balance, Sam kept running. But though she was fast, the head of the larger monster was nearing Alex.

“I told you not to look, again.” Grumbling continued, but quietly to not distract her.

“Why is she just sitting there?” Had Sam ever run this fast in her life? Maybe. She didn’t know. “Get up!” She shouted at Alex. “Get up and run, Alex. RUN!”

But Alex didn’t run. She stayed there on the ground in the half-stupefied trance of horror as a behemoth of corrupted magic bore down on her. It’s maw gaping. Huge teeth dripping the lubricating oil that had kept the warehouse’s machinery working. A body hung from a shattered hole in the carapace. Small streams of blood flowed from various cracks.

“Alex. Alex. Run.” Still, she hadn’t moved. Her eyes were transfixed on the body hanging out of the mouth. With a safety helmet on. A factory worker. Shit. There had been people working in there.

“It’s no good, Sam.” Far too calmly, Gleipnir informed her. “I suspect that monster has some kind of paralysis or trance effect on its prey. I can feel the magic emanating towards us but I’m keeping it at bay.”

“Well, fuck!” Pouring on the speed, Sam ripped her wand out of its holster and pointed it at Alex.

“PRAESIDUM!” The spell tore out of her mouth at her top power level, scorching her lips as it went. A spherical invisible shield sprang to life around Alex with seconds to spare. The invisible shield flared as jagged steel girder teeth impacted on them. Two snapped.

Hearting hammering, Sam plunged through the shield and yanked Alex to her feet. Now the terrified agent shrieked. Screaming loudly in Sam’s face before realizing that it was someone there to help her. Without slowing her rush, Sam dragged the hapless Alex along behind her.

“Come on.” Gleipnir wrapped his tail around Alex to shield her from the mesmerizing effects of the monster as they fled.