Myths and Gargoyles by Jamie Hawke (interesting books to read in english txt) 📕

We were taking the Shades on left and right, my blade cutting through them. I felt like a natural, green balls of energy floating into me, being absorbed and giving me more strength and confidence.

“Get me out of here,” one of the agents—a senior one, I imagined—shouted to Peter, and they were running up the stairs to the jet, the skeleton pirate staying behind with the Shades to guard their rear.

Fighting with Red and Pucky at my side was an entirely different experience than on my own, and especially compared to in games. It was like every misstep of mine they were there to correct. Every time I swung and left myself open, they’d use as bait to strike when the enemy tried to move in. Some they would hit and send my way so that I could land the final blow, whether for experience or confidence, either way it was working.

Except for the fact that the Shades were serving their purpose, which was to get in our way while Peter and the others escaped in the plane. I pushed harder, swinging my knife like a champion of every game I’d ever played. Oddly, some muscle memory kicked in from recent VR games I’d gotten into, and I found the slashing and stabbing to be much less awkward than I’d expected.

More green orbs flew into me and, even without leveling up yet, I felt energized. Soon a path was cleared with only the skeleton standing in my way, and I lunged. The blade hit his forearm and he cringed, stumbling back, but then came at me with a cutlass. Anyone who’s played a VR game with pirates and skeletons has a basic idea of what that moment felt like, but can’t begin to comprehend the eagerness of one’s bowels to empty themselves once you realize an actual, real skeleton pirate has swung a cutlass at your head.

Luckily, I was scared but not shitless, and had enough ‘training’ to dodge outside of the strike, cutting with my magic knife against bone and then bringing my blade back in for a quick stab between the ribs.

Apparently that was enough, because the skeleton turned its head to me, empty eye sockets lighting up red. The light faded, coming out through the spot where my blade had gone in, and absorbed into me.

“Fucking Ichor!” Pucky said, slaying two more Shades and clearing a path for us to the jet. “Nice one!”

“Upgrade after the fight,” Red shouted, and ran.

Whatever upgrade this would give me I was excited about, but they were right—we still had a chance, but needed to move. Pucky made it up the loading stairs first, but I was right behind her, and then Red. A kick sent Pucky back, but I caught her and pushed her back in, the sounds of others falling telling me she had it under control. I followed then, Red right behind me. As we cut down Shades and attempted to make it to the agent and Peter, the agent shouted to the pilot and the jet started moving toward the runway.

“We need to get the cloak, now!” Red said as the jet picked up speed. I was like a crazy person, taking hits as fast as I was giving them, only surviving because these two badass ladies were taking the Shades down much faster. In these close quarters, it was a bloodbath, if those things had blood. Instead, their green lights floated into me no matter where the kill came from.

Peter charged in, but both ladies met him as I turned to attack a Shade, and they pushed him back before his buddy, Hook, could do a damn thing.

“Thinking happy thoughts?” Peter said with a laugh, and the jet tilted as it began to take off.

“Red!” Pucky shouted. “You know I hate heights!”

Red lunged for Peter shouting, “Dagger!” and holding her hand out. That seemed incredibly dangerous, but I had to try. I paused for a split second, breathed in and threw the dagger to her, trying to keep the spin to a minimum —she caught it, settled her grip even as she swung, and slammed the blade into Peter’s shadow as she’d seen me do.

The shadow flickered. Her red hooded cloak appeared behind Peter. She spun, bringing the blade around so that he had to fall back to avoid getting hit. With that movement, she snatched up her cloak, kept turning, and threw the dagger at him as she leaped for us.

We didn’t even get a chance to see if it hit as Pucky slammed the door open. The air pulled at us, and Red pulled me with her as she ran for the exit.

“Are you nuts?” I grabbed hold of the side of the door, so that we were hanging on.

Pucky was there next to me, shouting, “Come on!

“You have to let go!” Red said, and then Pucky was already gone, Red cursing and screaming, “Now!” I didn’t hesitate, releasing my grip on the plane as she did too.

We didn’t exactly fall as I’d expected, but were wrapped up in the red cloak as it expanded, shooting out and just catching Pucky, too. The hood attached to Red’s head and then engulfed us so that, if I didn’t know better, I’d have thought we were all tumbling around in bed under the sheets.

There was a muffled thud, a distant pain in my shoulder that I barely processed, and then we were on the ground, flesh pressed to my face. Red pushed up and I looked, first seeing her black top and hanging breasts, then her face looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

“You were about to blow a raspberry on my belly, weren’t you?” she said playfully.

I groaned, realizing that maybe I hurt more than I thought I would. “You’re awfully chipper for someone who nearly died.”

She laughed. “Got my hood back. What more could I ask for?” Her eyes went wide and she moved