Re: Gula's Curse... or Blessing
The cross in Brother Clary's hand pulsed like a heart, sending out surges of brilliant green light from the emerald set in it, as he spoke the cadence of the prayer. The heavy, horribly toothy head of the monster swung towards him, and it snorted, sending a gust of hot breath into his face, as Hawksmoore struggled in vain to turn it.
McCurdy's move surprised Basil, who growled in irritation and slashed at McCurdy as he leapt past, trying to get to Marianne. McCurdy tried to trip him on the way past but the wily old man was too fast, and now blood was obscuring his vision from a cut on the forehead. Liza darted forward, to try to grab Basil's knife hand, but was slapped aside.
Marianne sliced at the small tree, trying to chop it down with Hawksmoore's old machete. The finely honed blade cut the bush off at the root, with a jarring shock to her arm, and Basil Ringrose flinched.
And then Gula was there, standing before Basil, a radiant cloak of dragonfly wings wrapped around her, a crown of parrot feathers on her head. He stopped, glaring at her, and spoke a terrible word that resounded with the fires of hell, in a language that shivered bones in flesh and wrought a bellow from the beast that had been Hornsby. Gula's feathers and cloak stirred from it, but she did not move.
"The tree of your life is cut down, Master Ringrose," she said. "You will not have your sacrifice today. Instead, I will spare Captain Hornsby - and take you, instead." She reached out to the beast, which obediently lowered its head to rest its nose in her palm. The body shivered, tumbling Hawksmoore into the fountain with a loud splash, and then Hornsby, his clothes ragged, slumped down onto the paving stones, and Basil Ringrose's body thrashed and grew, becoming a monster with brilliant red eyes, fangs and lethal claws; it turned and raced off, with a hostile glare at Gula - even in defeat, Basil Ringrose wasn't done yet. Gula smiled indulgently, and turned to look at Brother Clary. "A man of faith, even if it is not for me, is always welcome," she said. "I could not defeat an attack alone; I must have help, even if it is not worship for me, myself. I thank you, and ask that you keep the Lupino Cross, holy man. May it light up dark places, and drive out evil, as it was made to do."
"And you, Jack McCurdy, and Liza Waters," Gula said next, with an indulgent smile. Almost immediately, Jack McCurdy felt the wounds bind and heal. "You are the newest of my children, who will see the world in new ways, and know that there are old powers in it. I give McCurdy the gift of the air, that he will ever know his way in it, and Liza the gift of the fire, for her heart is fierce with it. Welcome, my children."
She turned to Marianne next. "You could have had youth, Marianne, for ages of man, and never know death until the end of the world, young lady. Yet you chose to remain apart, for only those who had not drunk from the fountain could act against an attack upon me. It was a brave choice and I respect it. If you will tell me what you wish, I will try to grant it for you."