TToV vs Mikia1.5

                                              The Treasure of Veron
                                                            Chapter 4
                                               Wrestling With the Wolf

        “Yay Mikia! You caught that lizard thing!” Jiorea looked nervously past the blade hovering a hairsbreadth from her nose to the individuals behind it. A small black cat was prancing happily over the floor, cheering loudly in a high, squeaky voice. “Did I do a good job being quiet? I told you I would do a good job being quiet, it was really easy!”

Jiorea blinked. <That's not a cat, it doesn't smell right. And most don't talk.>

“Yeah, you did great Tlaloc.” Jiorea's eyes snapped to the owner of the young voice. A human girl with fox red hair was holding the scythe with practiced ease. A dark dress cinched at the waist with a leather belt hung gracefully off her frame. Crystal gray eyes stared into Jiorea's golden ones.

“Was I that loud?” Jiorea noted the start of surprise the girl gave when she spoke.
“Not really, you were just loud enough for me to hear you.” The girl indicated the top of her head with a small gesture, and it was Jiorea's turn to be surprised. Two distinctly wolf like ears stood proudly out of the flipped red hair. Jiorea took another look, and realized that a matching tail with a white tip was sweeping lazily back and forth behind her. <Tells? What is this girl?>

“Aren't you going to surrender?”
Jiorea brought her eyes back to the girl <Mikia? Is that what the cat called her?> and feigned momentary confusion. “What?”
“Surrender. I kinda caught you, and I would really like it if we didn't have to fight.”
<That makes two of us.> Jiorea thought grimly, but said “You haven't caught me.”
The 'cat' bristled at Mikia's feet. “What! No way! Mikia caught you fair and square you big dumb lizard!”
Jiorea fixed the little cat with her best dirty look, her feathers rising for dramatic effect. “First of all, I'm not a lizard. Second, I may be stuck, but that doesn't mean I'm caught.”
“You're splitting hairs!” Tlaloc squeaked furiously. Jiorea kept herself from grinning at the little feline, more then a little satisfied by the attention it was drawing to itself. <One more thing, I just need one more thing to get some real distractions...there!> She never thought she would be happy to see the Zleet casually observing her predicament. <well, not happy, but since it's just hanging out next to that wall, I may as well get some fun out of it. A moving shadow beats a still one any day.>
  Mikia was looking at her curiously. “What do you mean?” She shifted her grip on the scythe, the sharp blade bobbing uncomfortably near Jiorea. “And don't say that you have a partner coming to save you. I know that there's nothing but a Zleet with you.”
“Oh no, I would never think of doing something like that. I was just referring to THAT!” Jiorea threw out an arm in theatrical alarm, pointing to the Zleet and earning her a cut on the tip of her nose when it bumped the scythe blade. Tlaloc followed the line of her hand with surprised curiosity, Mikia just looked at her like she was an idiot.

< I can't believe I thought that would work. Everyone knows it's the oldest trick in the book.>

There was a moment of embarrassed silence.

  Then Tlaloc gave an ear shattering shriek and turned to smoke so fast it made a soft popping sound. Mikia's ears flattened against her head,  shocked concern painted over her face as she looked down at where it had stood.”Tlaloc?!”
The scythe wavered a fraction of an inch, and Jiorea took her chance.
Ducking under the blade she slammed into Mikia, sending them both tumbling to the ground. The scythe was sent flying in the confusion, landing with a soft sound somewhere to the right of them. They wrestled, Jiorea trying to get her legs in a position where she could deliver a kick, Mikia using every limb to try and push Jiorea off her. Dirt and leaves scattered everywhere as their tails thrashed against the ground. They snarled and scratched and snapped at each other, Jiorea yelping in pain when a handful of feathers was torn from one of her shoulders.
But the most disturbing thing was the squeaked pleading of what could only be Mikia's Zleet Tlaloc. Shrieks of “kill it,” “it can't get the treasure,” and “BAD BAD BAD BAD!” flitted through the sounds of their battle, a constant litany of confusing, desperate words.
Jiorea's Zleet said nothing at all.

Jiorea caught hold of one of Mikia's arms, snapping her jaw around it. Mikia yelped in pain, struggling to free it. <Damn! She's stronger then she looks! I'm having a hard time keeping a hold of her!> Suddenly Jiorea's vision went black as Mikia landed a blow to the side of her head. Momentarily stunned, Jiorea couldn't keep her grip and was thrown off to the side. Regaining her senses, Jiorea scrabbled after a now upright and fleeing Mikia, drawing her sword as fast as she could.
“Stop! I have a weapon!”
“Like I'm going to stop for that!” Mikia yelled over her shoulder as they dashed into the relatively open street.
“Why don't you just surrender!”
“Oi! Why would I want to do that!?”
“Look, you're clearly unarmed! Just stop or I might hurt you!”
'What makes you think I'm the one who should worry about getting hurt!”
    Mikia spun on the spot, cupping her hands in front of her. Jiorea caught the unexpected flash of light full in the face. Blinking dancing spots out of her eyes, she barely got an arm up in time to stop a tooth filled maw from closing around her neck.

  Staggering backwards, Jiorea tripped, landing flat on her back as something red and furry pinned her to the ground. Her shoulder sang with pain as it impacted, but she was much too busy keeping her arm up and under the throat of the snarling, snapping maned wolf that was intent on ripping her throat out.
<What the hell! A wolf? What's a wolf doing here!> Jiorea cut off that lines of thought and focused on getting a leg under its body, her tail thrashing uselessly as she grappled with the beast. Getting a moment of leverage, she kicked hard. The wolf yelped as it landed a few feet from her, twisting upright and snarling, it's crest of black fur erect. Jiorea's own crest rose as she flowed upright and into a crouch. Eyes darting, she looked for Mikia before she caught sight of the empty dress laying on the ground.
<You have got to be kidding me. A werewolf!> But that line of thought was also cut short by another attack. Mikia charged, her paws covering the distance much faster then Jiorea could.

   Watching carefully, Jiorea dodged to the side, her blade barely missing Mikia's back before leaping to avoid the jaws snapping at her heels. Blood lust sang in Jiorea's veins, and when she caught a brief look at the gray eyes staring out at her from the wolf that was Mikia, she saw the same thing. The recognition was like a bucket of cold water had hit her.
<Oh crap. I need to finish this! We'll end up killing each other if we keep this up! That's not what I want at all!>

   Making a swift retreat, Jiorea clawed he way up one of the many broken stone walls, barely clearing her tail from Mikia's persistent snapping jaws. Panting, she looked down at the growling wolf.

<What do I do! I've got those potions, but those are last resort things, there has to be something else I can do that won't end up hurting her! Or me!> Keeping one eye on Mikia, who was looking for a way up the shear wall, she searched desperately for something that would stop the werewolf without hurting her...too much. <Nothing in my pockets, nothing on my belt, nothing around me, everything else in my pack.....If I had some-Hey!> Jumping off the wall, she started to undo her belt. <This is going to be another really dumb idea.> Dropping her sword, she bolted from the wall just as Mikia turned, running back into the main street as she tried to take the belt off and keep an eye on her pursuer at the same time. Finally succeeding, she skidded to a stop, spinning to face Mikia as she charged, holding the length of leather with desperate strength. < I hope she didn't see that. I hope this works. I hope I'm not as stupid as I think I am...I hate hoping>

      Hesitating only a moment, she jumped lightly over the charging wolf, the look of confusion on Mikia's face flashing past Jiorea as she flipped. With a muffled 'umph' Jiorea landed neatly at the heels of Mikia, and with a bone jarring lunge tackled the werewolf, throwing the leather belt around her neck. Struggling to stay on the thrashing back and away from the twisting, snapping jaws, Jiorea pulled the belt tight. Immediately the snarling and growling became coughing gasps as Mikia's struggling doubled in intensity, the bucking, twisting wolf rolling on the ground and nearly folding herself double as she snapped at any piece of Jiorea that presented itself.
      With grim determination Jiorea held on, pulling the leather as tight as she could. After a few moments, Mikia's movements became sluggish and clumsy.
“Stop! If you do I'll let this go!” Jiorea panted, but the only response was a breathless snap at one of her legs. Jiorea kept at it, ignoring the desperate disembodied pleading of Tlaloc for her to stop, for Mikia to keep fighting, that Jiorea was a big bully.

       Mikia finally collapsed, her eyes rolling back, and Jiorea swiftly released a little tension on the belt, allowing Mikia to take a few shallow, precious gasps of air.
“Surrender, or I won't let it off again. Just nod, and I'll release you.”
A pause that seemed to last forever, then a slow, deliberate nod. Jiorea thanked every one of her lucky stars as she released the belt, allowing the werewolf to take huge, gasping breaths of air.

   Watching the heaving werewolf carefully, Jiorea staggered to the last place she had seen the dress. The least she could do was get it for the half strangled girl. Grabbing it off the ground, she nearly jumped out of her skin when a bone chilling, unearthly shriek rent the air.

Looking frantically around and cursing her lack of solid weapons, Jiorea searched for the source of the sound as it went on and on, echoing off the empty buildings and streets.

Just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped.

<What in the name of every hell was that!>

    Every nerve on end, Jiorea made her way back to where Mikia still lay in a heavily breathing heap. Tossing the dress to her, Jiorea sat down just out of lunging distance of her, jumping a little at every sound. Mikia gave her a grateful look, then wiggled into the rumpled fabric. Another bright flash of light, and the girl was sitting there once more, a hand rubbing her throat thoughtfully as she glared at Jiorea.

                                                                                        To be continued.........?