Kell's Legend

launched himself down the corridor towards the two girls…beyond, almost out of sight but hinted at, it rose hugely from the ground, earth and dead leaves and brown pine needles tumbling around the thing as it detached from the woodland floor and huge grey limbs unfolded to reveal fists, each the size of a man, and twisted limbs only barely reminiscent of the lion it had once represented…
    “It’s a Stone Lion,” shrieked Nienna as Kell reached her, took her in his hands, shook her.
    “Are you injured?”
    “No! It saved us! Saved me and Kat from the canker!”
    A noise began to thrum through the woods. It was ancient, if a noise could be such a thing, primeval, not really words but music, a song, a song made from stone and wood and fire, and it rose in pitch and volume until it was a roar and Kell glanced back, saw the fear in Saark’s eyes, could hear the whinny of their tied horses struggling at tethers and he took his axe, his Ilanna, and she melted into his hands like warm soft female flesh, and she was there with him and his agitation and fear fled and Kell was whole again, a total being and he realised, in that crazy snapshot of time how his addiction and his need was rooted deep down in his skull, his bones, his blood, his soul, and Ilanna was his saviour; and more, also his curse.
    “It said it would kill you,” hissed Nienna, her eyes not on Kell but the creature still rising from the earth at the end of the tunnel. “It said we were protected by the forest, because of our…innocence. But it knew you would come, you and Saark; it said you were defiled. Abused. You were not creatures of the Stone Lion Woods. It said it would eat you, like it ate the canker…”
    “Go to Saark,” said Kell, his face grim, and grabbed Kat, pushing her after Nienna and both girls fled along the green corridor. A cold wind blew, filled with the smell of ice and leaves, of rotting branches, of sap, of mouldy pines and wild mushrooms and onions.
    Kell grasped Ilanna, and faced the Stone Lion.
    Its roar died down, and it stooped low, stepping into the corridor. It was five times the height of a man, twisted, a merged and joined creation of stone and wood, earth and trees, and primal quartz; it was a carved thing, a live thing, a demon of the deep woods, a spirit of the darkness, and its face, despite being a worn weathered blur of stone and wood, looked down at Kell and he could have sworn it was grinning.
    He glanced back. Tightened his grip on his axe. “Saark!” he roared. “Get to the horses! Get the girls out of here!”
    Saark nodded, and they fled.
    Kell turned back, faced the Stone Lion. It growled, a long, low, permanently mewling sound, and took a few tentative steps, as if testing its legs worked. It lowered its head then, spine crackling, and roared at Kell with a hot blast scream which stank of rotting wood, sulphur, onions and death.
    Kell’s beard whipped about him, and he ground his teeth, face dropping into a snarl.
    Give me your blood, said Ilanna. Her voice was sweet music in his mind, but Kell steeled himself, for he knew the deception, knew how this thing worked; he had been tricked before, had been used before by Ilanna…and it had led to terrifying results.
    “You know I cannot.”
    You will not!
    “I remember the last time,” he muttered, as the Stone Lion took another step forward on twisted legs, sizing him up, its eyes falling on the axe in his hands, its head tilting to one side, almost…inquisitive.
    It’s going to crush me, he thought.
    How can I fight something that…big?
    It will be different this time, promised Ilanna. I will be good. I promise you. I will smash this puny creature of blood-oil magick, of the forest and the soil. I will not…abuse you, Kell. I know I injured your mind, and your pride. It will be different this time!
    “No.”
    The Stone Lion charged, the ground thundering, and Kell stood his ground, axe raised, eyes narrowed, mouth a grim, sour, dry line and it smashed towards him, and at the last moment he rolled, felt the Stone Lion’s huge bulk slam past and the axe sliced one leg, a butterfly blade exiting with chunks of stone and wood splinters. Kell’s shoulder hit the earth, he rammed the wall of the green lane, was spun around by the incredible force, and with a grunt he gained his feet, watched the Stone Lion stumble, skid, turn, and lower its head towards him. He hefted Ilanna, movingto the centre of the trail, studying the way the Stone Lion