Claws of the Demon: Legends of Mytherios, #3

By James Keith

Catherine and her friends are enjoying a girly evening together at home when lightning strikes.

 

The girls embark to see the damage the strike had caused… However, their worst fears come true when something much darker and much more powerful has landed in their quiet little town.

 

The evil right-hand man of Lord Dromos, Ratifi has left the underworld of Mytherios to claim souls for his master so they can rule all of the dimensions.

 

Josie still heartbroken over the abduction of Andy is hell-bent on tracking down any mythical monsters. Coming to the aid of Catherine and her friends she gets a shock when a familiar foe stands in her way.

 

Can Josie finally free Andy and go home or will Ratifi and the evil menace finally put an end to her search.

 

Claws of the Demon is book three in the Legends of Mytherios Series. Stay tuned for book four Caves of Shura.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Keith
• Release date: Nov 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393585350

Book preview

1

The lord of Mytherios, the underworld, dwells in the rocky Straten, sitting at the center of his dark dominion. Year after year, he is locked deep in the heart of his home, feeding on the souls of the damned, surfeiting on their tears and the loud screams they emit as their bodies commune with the pain meted out on their pale skins by their lord. Dromos Alhoconos was his name, cursed by his father to dwell for eternity here, in the belly of the earth. He had accepted his lot and had set about making it as habitable as possible, restructuring it to suit his proclivities and to be fit for a lord of his vast powers.

Mytherios was much like every other place before Dromos came to it; a lush green vista of clean brooks, cool streams, colorful flowers, and a people who eked out their living from the offerings of the earth. There were villages and settlements scattered all over the plains and a variety of wildlife dotting the scenery. All of this changed as soon as Dromos arrived. He turned the waters into streams of fire, and the lush green vista became an arid desert swimming with brown sand and whirlwinds. There were no green leaves and no red or yellow blossoms anymore. Instead, gnarly trees which housed venomous serpents dotted Mytherios from east to west. All the wildlife was gone and, in its place, reigned Dromos’ hound dogs and beasts. They roamed the countryside on fiery wings and flat feet, tearing out lives with their powerful jaws, scratching death maps upon faces and dragging souls down into the lair at Straten Rock.

Amongst these beasts and hounds of Dromos, there was one – much like a man – on whom Dromos leaned heavily since he could not scour the countryside himself. He was called Ratifi, a monster born of the whirlwind and fire. He had lived in the belly of Straten, pressed into the ground by molten rock as a punishment for a crime he had committed long ago. It was Dromos who freed him, saving him from his punishment. Now he owes all of himself to the lord of the underworld, and for the past thousand years, Ratifi has served his master faithfully. It was Ratifi who burnt down the villages and settlements dotting the landscape of Mytherios, it was he who led the pack of hound dogs and beasts on rampage, tearing mothers from sons, and daughters from their fathers. He had set fire to homes with a click of his fingers and dragged the inhabitants off to Dromos’ lair to suffer for all eternity and feed the lord with the pain in their screams.

He would sit in burning houses, soaking up the fiery energy of the rising flames while the hounds shepherded the damned. He lived in the whirlwind, emerging at homes and settlements borne on the wings of the fire which he could bend to his will to wreak havoc and pronounce damnation upon everyone. The whole stretch of Mytherios is now devoid of a single life. Every living soul has been gathered and locked in the belly of the Straten, but that isn’t enough for the lord of Mytherios. Dromos needs more and he isn’t going to be stopped!

Catherine made her way into the kitchen, walking in that bouncy manner her friends all teased her about, although they all secretly admired it. Her parents had gone off on a business trip and she was left alone in their home with her friends for the weekend. She grabbed a glass of orange juice from the refrigerator and pulled the cake out of the oven. It was Saturday and the four of them had decided to hang out at home and binge on movies instead of hanging out at the mall with the boys– something rather blasé and so high school, they all thought. Catherine had long blond hair which she wore in a ponytail, a body that constantly drew looks from the boys in her school and an innocent girl-next-door look that charmed even her professors.

Oh, you shouldn’t carry all of that yourself Cath, let me help you. Tricia said, rising off the couch and taking the platter of cake.

Thanks Trish. Catherine Beamed.

Don’t pretend to be our resident Jesus, Trish; we all know you will kill for a piece of cake, Sandra quipped, rolling her eyes.

That makes her Judas and not Jesus, doesn’t it? Lucy said. They all burst into laughter. Tricia’s love for food and cake in particular was the stuff of legends.

Where does it all go Trish, where does all of it go? Sandra asked.

Straight to my hips, baby!

Why does mine go straight to my stomach, making it look like a pack of dough? Catherine asked, grabbing the little flab of her stomach. They all laughed except for Catherine who was looking to Tricia for an answer. Trish could eat just about anything and still not get fat, while a little stress eating which often happened a week before her exams often drove Catherine to a few pounds of extra weight. She always had to exercise vigorously afterwards to get her shape back.

What’s your secret, Trish, seriously? Catherine asked again.

It is really nothing. I don’t really do anything except for my regular exercise. I never miss my runs. I guess this is all really down to good genetics. I mean, look at this! she stood up, pirouetting on her tiptoes to show-off her full features. She was tall – at least six feet – with a slender figure that flared out at the hips to form a perfect hourglass shape. She beamed her signature wide smile at her friends and made to sit back down when Sandra moved quickly to land a quick smack on her ass. She jumped, pushing down her dress and taking her seat immediately, laughter racking her body.

You devil! she yelled at Sandra.

You are the devil making us acutely aware of the things we do not have.

That’s a lie and you know it! Tricia said

Should I stand and pirouette just like you did, or would you like Lucy to do it?

Please don’t let the universe hear that I am in an ass contest with Trish, I am still praying for a miracle. Don’t make the universe think I don’t need its help. anymore. The laughter was longer this time, Catherine was bawling on the floor. Tricia placed her hand over her belly, her ribs hurting from the laughter.

You lot are incorrigible. Cathy called, picking up the remote. What would you like to see on TV?

"Anything with Kevin Hartson on it please, that dude cracks me up