Treycore heard the tower closest to him grunt before he and the other tower spread their wings and followed behind them.
“They’re not as good in the air because of their weight,” Aerysn noted. “I know your wings don’t work, but you can glide, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s work this shit. Just a heads-up, I’ll be using you as a decoy.”
After he said that, he released his hold on Trey, dropping him. Treycore fanned his wings out and glided to the floor. One of the towers flew after Aerysn, motioning for the other to take on Treycore. They must’ve had the same idea as he and Aerysn—take out the competition, then deal with each other.
As the tower chasing Aerysn reached him, Aerysn snatched another spectator from the crowd and threw him at his pursuer.
I like this guy, Treycore thought.
While the tower was distracted with the spectator, Aerysn moved full-force, ramming both his fists into his competition’s crotch. The tower cried out, and as he curled into a ball, Aerysn jumped onto his back and grabbed hold of his left wing with one hand and rammed his opposite elbow down on the bone so that—
SNAP!
The tower reared back, shouting out in agony before collapsing to the ground, landing on his side.
Aerysn had some extraordinary combat skills—ones that left Treycore anxious about whenever it would come down to the two of them.
With one tower down, Treycore and his temporary ally had one more foe to fight off before they faced off with one another…if they could manage to get rid of him as easily.
As Treycore glided away from the remaining tower, Aerysn descended, coming to his aid. Landing on the higherling’s back, Aerysn snatched his wing, as he had done with the other, but before he had a chance to attack, the tower reached behind him, snatched Aerysn by the throat, and dragged him off his back, hurling him to the ground. Aerysn flapped his wings about, managing to find his bearings before hitting the floor.
As Treycore reached the ground level, he kicked his feet in front of him and landed beside Aerysn.
“Here we go again,” Aerysn said, hooking his arms under Treycore yet again and carrying him up through the air, their remaining challenge in tow right behind them. Fortunately, as Aerysn had noted, the guy had a hard time keeping up because of his large size.
But Aerysn was also unusually fast. Treycore had been a fast flier in his day, but they were moving quickly even for him. And even in combat, his movements seemed unnaturally quick.
“You distract, and I’ll switch it up on him,” Aerysn said before releasing Treycore again.
Treycore glided once again, but the tower went for Aerysn instead.
“You think I’m gonna fall for that, you dumbass,” the tower said.
Aerysn dove down quickly.
As the higherling chased behind him, Treycore realized Aerysn would have to be the distraction, and he would have to find a way to take out this one. Treycore changed his trajectory, winding around and descending with Aerysn and the tower.
As he reached them, he mounted the higherling’s back, as Aerysn had done. Moving quickly, he wrapped his legs around the higherling’s neck and squeezed tight. The giant grunted his curse, barely audible from the way Trey was blocking his windpipe.
“Now you’re gonna get it, fucker!” the higherling exclaimed before ceasing his flight and letting himself fall to the ground so that he was going to land on and effectively crush Treycore.
Treycore released his grip on his neck, and the higherling grabbed him by an ankle and tossed him to the wall. The immortals alongside it scattered so that he slammed against the stone.
“Fuck!” he shouted as he reached out, clawing at the wall. He checked behind him and saw that Aerysn was on the way but wouldn’t make it in time.
As he fell past one of the holes in the wall, he gripped on.
Thank fuck.
He pulled himself up and fanned his wings out before jumping down toward the tower, who hit the ground with a giant THUD that echoed through the room. Treycore pounced while the enemy was weak, body-slamming him in the face. He gained his footing on either side of the tower and leaned down, using the tower’s face as a living punching bag.
He had to do this…he had to win…for Kid’s sake. He was so close. Once this bastard was taken out and then Aerysn, Kid would be safe, at least for a while.
He beat on the bastard’s head with all his might until his body went limp. Treycore’s arms were covered with the tower’s blood. Although, he wasn’t sure. Some of it could have been his own. When he finished, certain the beast had been taken down, he panted and gasped for air he’d held in during the assault.
