Leviathan(124)

With a thudding impact the gigantic ax split the armor beneath the wicked jaws in a haze of black blood and Thor had no time to contemplate how such a thing could be as the hating fangs struck.

Thor howled, hurled back by the impact but he slashed wildly down, solidly hitting the serpentine head. The battle-ax sliced a narrow plate from green-black brow and Thor smashed his hand against the fanged upper side of the mouth, pushing against the jaws with all his strength.

Rage to rage they surged and Thor staggered, bent back. Then Leviathan swept forward to slam Thor against a wall, the jaws unhinging farther to close on him but Thor pushed with titanic strength, wrestling against the beast's upper jaw as if he were grappling with a crocodile.

Pushing the head to the side, Thor twisted and desperately grabbed the ax with both hands and swung with primal force, coming off his feet to hurl his full four hundred fifty pounds into the blow.

The battle-ax struck the beast solidly in the head, colliding like thunder.

Leviathan turned away from the wounding blow and Thor shouted, leaping forward, pursuing, changing the game. With a volcanic twist he whirled back again and the ax thundered through a murderous backhand slash that tore off a slice of armor. Then Thor lashed a herculean arm around the superheated neck, pulling himself flesh to flesh with the boiling, burning gout of blood that lanced the air from the monster's wound.

Instantly Leviathan reared, roaring, tearing at him with its black claws but Thor never felt the mortal injuries as he locked his knees hard into the neck and raised the ax high again to bring it down upon the neck, tearing a full scale from the plates.

At the impact Leviathan screamed and whirled to sling him off but Thor dug his fingers into a harsh mane of short hair that came from the crest of the head, holding, holding.

Blood, burning ...

Around them the entire cavern burst violently into flames, wooden crates exploding into flames at the beast's superheated armor, disintegrating at its spiraling exothermic presence and Thor heard himself screaming through the flames and the lancing, liquefying black blood that sprayed from the wound in Leviathan's neck as he leaned back, torn and ravaged by the long, long claws that reached up, grappling.

Lost in pain, pain, too much pain, Thor howled, brutally bringing the ax down, slashing, slashing, striking again and again with the full measure of a colossal strength that he had never used and never imagined and chunks of black flesh and black armor sailed through the air, blood...

Leviathan's evil green eyes glared down at him, hating and enraged, and in a moment of rage and madness, Thor whirled and twisted to swing the battle-ax upward to hurl a vicious blow that struck harder still, slashing beneath a glowing eye.

The battle-ax dug deep ...

It was too much.

Leviathan whirled with a scream and hurled itself into a high stand of steel that scattered at the explosive impact; catapulting girders across the full expanse of the cavern with flame following.

Stunned, Thor was slung aside, finding himself somehow beside green-black scales that seared off his skin at the touch. He whirled back to strike with fantastic strength at whatever he saw, the glowing battle-ax thundering through flame and hate and rage, striking again and again to glow bright black with the blood of the beast.

Enraged, Leviathan whirled. Thor saw a murderous black foreleg drawn back to strike and Thor shouted, raising a thick arm and ax to turn against the blow, to defy it.

Leviathan struck, sending Thor sprawling into a heap of steel, blood cascading over him, and Thor felt himself struck from behind, pain blasting through his back and ribs and chest and he roared in heartfelt pain, struggling to surge back to the fight. But he could not move, was held firm. Frantically Thor glared down to see that he was pierced through and through, a jagged stake of steel protruding redly from the upper right side of his chest.

Thor cursed angrily, groaned. But he knew it made no difference now. No difference at all. Eyes tunneling on the beast, Thor clenched his teeth and surged violently forward, tearing himself in agony from the stake. Roaring, he whirled the battle-ax again, noticing only dimly that he was black-red with blood. But the blow missed wide and Thor fell back, breathless, wounded and waiting. He raised his empty hand, bone-burned fingers spread like talons, preparing to grapple as the Dragon reared, fangs unhinging to spray fire.

Its jaws twisted, neck tightening. But there was no fire.

Thor laughed.

“Your fire is gone, beast!” he cried through smashed lips. “Now only strength remains! So show me your strength! Show me the strength of Satan! And I will show you the strength of Almighty God!”

Leviathan shrieked and struck.

And Thor met it, force to force.

* * *



“Four minutes until detonation ...”