Emma didn’t know what to do.

She could storm in headstrong and swing her fists around, but that wouldn’t get anything done, not to these flying freaks. But what else could she do? Emma had no weapon.

As she thought about her course of action, Emma saw the man struggle valiantly against his fate. But as Emma watched the man — as she herself tried heroically to formulate a plan — something about the man’s actions were different than what Emma expected. Off.

Watching as the man fought off another round of griffin assault, she saw the man deflect the dive-bomb like assaults of the beasts with a flick of his hand; just as the murderous beak of the griffin was to rip flesh from the man’s bone, something deflected the sharp bill; the man’s hand deflected it, Emma saw. A quick gesture and the attacking creature’s bill were redirected harmlessly past the man’s skin. Strange!

After several minutes of playing the bystander, though, Emma couldn’t stand watching this man struggle. She had to act!

Scooping up some stones from the ground, Emma decided she would throw the stones and hopefully buy the man some time to flee. Carefully aiming, Emma timed her swings and then unleashed her fury as she rapid-fired several stones; the stones flung true, and with much more violence than Emma expected, slammed into the griffins, flaying each beast in a shower of blood and feathers.

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What in the Hades-loving lady-of-the-night was that?! Emma mouthed to herself. That was not normal, she knew. Never had Emma ever flung stones like that!

Looking to her hands, an unusual substance wafted off her skin; it was like steam, but different. Odorless. Colorless. See through. The material which continued to evaporate from her hands nearly caught Emma in a trance and so she had to have the man repeat himself when a question was asked.

“I said,” the man repeated, “Thank you for your help, young lady. I am much obliged.”

“Oh, yeah, no problem…” Emma said distractedly before her train of thought derailed. “Where are we?”

“Blast if I know. The boat sank. And boom, here I am with some strange evasive talents and some hungry, hungry beasts trying to nibble on my chitlins. Tsk, tsk. You know?”

“No, not really.”

“No? Well, only nature, that. Women…” the man said, stepping toward Emma now with much too free abandon, “yes, women. Speaking of your fair sex, how can I be unwell when such a beautiful woman is close by?”

Emma rolled her eyes. She had heard much better pick-up lines from the guys at her university. And that wasn’t being generous, either. So, this man was going to be like this, eh? Emma told herself. Very well. Maybe I am in Hades after all, because what are the odds that the one person, I would come across would just so happen to be an aggressive womanizer?

“Tell me!” the man said, “do you have a name, darling, or should I just call you angel?”

Emma groaned. It would not be the last time she did that today.