The Battle of the Limbs

Shayla had never seen such a fast charge. The way the Surtamite darted using all of his legs, like a well-tuned concert of violins, seemed surreal. The flesh segments on the myriapod’s front part buckled and then expanded in a steady, fast rhythm as the waves of the sea.

Three arms thrust into the floor right next to Tejeda. He rolled over to his other side and took Carmen off his neck. His battle stance was similar to that of a swordsman, but instead of a blade, he held a spoon.

A hole in the gray floor remained after the Surtamite withdrew his limbs with wooden shrapnel from its edges flying in the air.

“Please, don’t damage the building.” One of the Valerian clerks jumped from his chair. “Everything in here is the property of the Trade Union for the Science Guild.”

As if the poor clerk was invisible and on mute, no one seemed to listen or care. Another set of Surtamite limbs went straight through the stained glass window, shattering it into countless pieces.