“I didn't have to go overboard this morning when we discussed,” Becky said gently to Wanda as the car hit a slightly undulating part of the road and jumped up and down again.
“It's alright,” Wanda replied. “Thanks for riding with me.” She decided to lighten the hatred she had towards Becky.
“My pleasure,” Becky replied as Bathe studied both young girls briefly from his mirror. They had veered off from the edge of the mountain so he could relax a bit.
Unexpectedly the car in front of them abruptly lost control after a loud, rapid rupture of noise went off. The car swerved from one side to the other several times as the person driving tried to control it.
“They've lost a tyre,” Petter shouted as the car in front came to a halt after it collided with a tree.
Before any of them could ask what was happening, Bathe shouted, turning to Petter hastily, “down Petter.”
Petter ducked very fast as a sharp arrow shattered the windscreen of the jeep. The arrow missed Petter by half an inch and buried itself into the seat Petter sat on.
Wanda shivered the instant the screen broke, and the arrow suddenly penetrated Petter's seat. Unwittingly, she froze and pressed herself back on the seat she sat on. Her breathing intensified as she realised what had happened.
The arrow was long and black, made of metal and silver, making it very strong. Staring at it, Wanda knew it wasn't an arrow shot from an ordinary wooden bow - it must have been from one of those deliberately engineered and powerful stringed bows.
Bathe tried to study the arrow, but he couldn't see the head, which was now deep inside the seat Petter was on. Before Bathe could say a word, they saw more arrows flying in their direction.
“Duck, everyone!” Bathe shouted as he turned the wheel of the jeep without demur and moved the car out of the open mountain road. He drove for a few metres into the woods, closer to the cliff, and then stopped. He looked into the mirror; the two cars behind him didn't follow. The arrows had damaged them. He could see two arrows penetrating the bonnet of one jeep and an arrow on the tyre of the last vehicle.
“Out, everyone! Now!” Bathe's voice was steadfast. He pushed his door open immediately.
“They are trying to kill us,” Becky shouted, and Wanda could hear the panic in her voice.
The instant Bathe stepped out, there were seven other Vitrian adults next to him. Wanda looked around confusedly. She knew all the cars filled up when they left.
“Where are the others?” Wanda asked in disbelief of the few people standing beside Bathe.
Bathe ignored her and only looked up through the dense trees. He tried to see where the arrows were coming from and if there were any rebels at the site.
“Knocked out by the arrows,” one of the men answered, and everyone turned to him. Wanda saw that he was young around mid-twenties or late-twenties. She looked at the others and noticed that three of the adults were young people in their late twenties too. “The arrowheads have been dipped into something that's knocking us out at impact.”
“I thought I noticed something like that when I saw the arrow,” Bath responded very fast.
“I saw them,” a woman included. “They're coming down from the mountain top using ropes.”
“How many? We should shoot back at them,” Becky spoke before Bathe.
“Ten or a few more,” the man that replied Wanda initially answered. “I agree we should fire back at them.”
“No, they are Vitrians remember,” Bathe said, and Wanda was shocked that he said no to retaliation when they were under attack. She could also see she wasn't the only one staring unbelievably at Bathe. “They are not trying to kill us; their arrows are to knock us out. We didn't prepare for that. If we fire our arrows at them, we will kill our brothers and sisters. You don't want that type of blood on your hands. It's a curse to kill another Vitrian,” Bathe explained.
“I still don't agree with not shooting back,” the lady who saw them from the mountain top responded brashly to show she disagreed.
“We can take ten or twelve of them easily?” One of the adults added. “That's if we don't have any demon to fight also,” Becky said.
“With demons, we would be outnumbered.” Wanda heard Petter confirming the obvious.
“Okay,” Bathe said after a brief ponder. “We need a safer place to fight from - a place where we can get Wanda away from the open. We don't want any demon attacking in the open.
Like Bathe's words called the demon, suddenly, they all looked up as they heard a massive sound above them in the trees above. It was like something massive like a plane collided with the tall trees above them. From the collision, a considerable part of a tree stem with the branches and leaves fell from one of the trees; it landed with enormous sound on the ground. It was apparent; something powerful was breaking apart the big trees in front of them. Within a second, the two big trees in front of them moved and shook vigorously as leaves fell from them.
Wanda and everyone staggered backwards. In fear, they quickly turned towards the top of the trees, taking a brazing position to fight. Most of them had their Praying Méndez in one hand and a Necatus on the other hand. Some had a knife that elongated itself the instant they brought it out from their jacket. Wanda did not realise it before, but they were all wearing jackets that had little elastic hooks, straps inside, where they hung their fighting tools. Others had the hooks like a waistband thing attached to their beltline with several Necatus and shrunken knives hanging on them.
Then from above, they watched as a large object dropped. The creature's impact on the ground was colossal. Wanda and a few other Vitrians shuddered at the sight of the thing they were looking at that dropped from the trees.
“Bathe!” Wanda called in horror. She knew their worst nightmare was now lurid, standing in front of them. The grayish-white creature from its squatting position rose up in slow motion to its full length and roared into the air with all the strength in it. The roar was so loud it brought out all the veins and muscles in the creature's face and echoed loud on the mountain top. It levelled its head from the roar and looked at the Vitrians. Its gaze settled on Wanda.
“What is that?” Becky asked quickly, her voice signifying she was frightened. Wanda could hear the pulling back of the Vitrians as they dragged their feet nervously on dry leaves.
“The demon I challenged two days ago,” was the only hope shattering response Bathe could give.
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
Chapter 12
The words from Bathe as they all stood there were enough to make them hysterical. Bathe is highly respected as an elder among Vitrians, and the entire Vitrians heard of his unfortunate encounter with this bizarre creature in front of them.
Wanda looked into the eyes of the thing, their eyes met, and for an instant, she thought about what Becky had said to her at training ... 'people would be injured or might die today.' Wanda thought maybe it actually only came to get her. After all, the creature tried to get her days ago, but Bathe, and her mum blocked the beast.
“Bathe,” Wanda called gently beside him. “I don't want anyone hurt. I think it only wants me.”
“It would kill you with a single blow,” Bathe's tone didn't waver; neither did he look back towards Wanda. Wanda could see Bathe was determined to see her safely through the journey. He looked straight at Petter, handed him the keys to the car. “Take Wanda away from here to somewhere safe.”
Surprisingly Wanda noticed the creature in front of them twitched its nose, like a rat perceiving some odour in the air. It raised its head up immediately, and its gaze shifted from Wanda and all the Vitrians to the trees behind them, but Bathe, and the others kept their attention on it.
The second it looked up, Wanda, who was behind everyone felt movement behind her and then a horrible smell that was disturbing to the stomach followed. The smell was so strong like an egg that had gone rotten for days that it caught everyone's attention who was close by.
Wanda turned gently, knowi
ng that the smell could mean nothing else amid the woods that had only trees around. In the split of a microsecond, Wanda felt her heart stop beating. She felt like gagging at the sight of what she was looking at. The demon was standing in a shaded area of the trees about ten metres away; its body shape was warped in places that Wanda couldn't believe was ever possible. Its head was lower than one would expect the head position of any animal, making the shoulder look higher than expected. Its ears were big and pointed like a bat's. Its eyes totally black landed on Wanda like it had found its food for the evening. It was tall, about seven feet.
“Bathe,” Wanda called.
“Not now, Wanda,” Bathe said, concentrating intensely on the creature in front of it. He didn't realise they were already surrounded.
“Bathe, you need to see this,” she raised her voice, almost shouting, and at the same time, the demon made a sound. It opened its mouth, and Wanda saw the razor-like teeth and huge fangs on both sides of the mouth running from top to bottom jaws. The fangs were big, each as big and as long as the forefinger of a grown adult. Between the fangs were other smaller razor-like teeth. Its upper body was like that of a bat, but its two legs were like sturdy horse legs. Where the hoofs were supposed to be were three sharp talons each, stretching up from the legs and curving back to the ground.
“The Night Furfur,” Petter called its name slowly. He was standing sideways now, watching both the Night Furfur and the creature they saw first from the corner of his eyes.
“We are outnumbered,” Becky complained in a frightened tone as Wanda saw another demon not too far off from the night Furfur.
“Selene – Greek demon of the moon,” someone muttered as they watched the other demon beside the night Furfur come into view. “How on earth did the rebels get to summon such things from the Abyss?”
Wanda felt thrown into a pool of worms when the creepy demon called Selene walked into view. She stepped back and pressed herself into Petter, who was behind her. The beast had two big hands fitted into a body that was crawling on tiny legs; it was like a human-size centipede. Its head was the combination of two weird animals, which Wanda couldn't fathom, but its eyes were reptile-like. The tiny legs and the way it crawled made it sickening to look at.
“Get your arrows ready?” Bathe shouted.
The night Furfur launched at the same time Bathe spoke. It took a step and its hands that were not that visible previously moved. Wanda noticed they were actually wings and were wide matching the size of the demon.
The moment the night Furfur moved, the creature that had jumped down from the trees to face them also closed the metres between it and the Vitrians by running very fast.
“Don't wait for me, release the arrows,” Bathe shouted in haste and horror as they were being attacked from both sides.
In seconds like Wanda was watching a movie, she saw the creature that had attacked her and Bathe on their way to the Fortress get to them first. It roared loud as four different arrows stuck out from its body.
Wanda turned to see it in front of Bathe and two other Vitrians, who had brought out long heavy-looking knives and machetes. Before they could strike it, the creature leaped over everyone and landed on the other side where Wanda stood. Wanda turned just as the thing landed to see that the night Furfur was already on her. The creature sent a heavy blow to the mouth of the night Furfur, which was already opened wide for the kill towards Wanda's head. The blow was so severe it sent the night Furfur backwards. The disfigured demon crashed into a tree and fought to get up as its taloned horse-like legs wobbled for a moment before it could get off the ground.
While it struggled, Selene, the other demon, which was even more bizarre, was on the grayish-white thing. Selene swung its two large human-like hands on the grayish-white creature. Selene's talons sliced through the creature, but the grayish-white creature didn't move or cry out in pain.
Bathe pulled Wanda backwards as all the other Vitrians staggered backwards observing the unprecedented fight between the supernatural creatures.
“What is going on?” Petter asked Bathe.
“That's impossible,” one of the adults spoke as everyone gazed in amazement.
“What is it?” Wanda asked, looking at the profound shock in the eyes of all the Vitrians. Becky was so overwhelmed she couldn't move, nor could she believe the scene she was witnessing. The trauma she was experiencing incapacitated her.
“They are not supposed to fight each other,” Bathe finally spoke after pausing and looking uncontrollably for some seconds. “A house divided against its own can not stand.”
“How can this be?” Becky blurted out, waking up from whatever trance she had gone into when she saw the grayish-white creature fighting Selene and the night Furfur.
“I don't know but it gives us the opportunity to get out of here.” Bathe's words were rushed. “We don't have enough cars for everyone,” Petter was also hasty.
“Damn the rebels,” one of the Vitrians cursed.
“They really planned it well,” Becky added. “Got rid of our cars and then let loose the demons,” she said when like a flash in the sky, the night Furfur landed on the top of the jeep Wanda got out from. They had forgotten it was back on its feet again.
The weight of the demon pressed the roof inwards. The demon gave an ear-shattering cry as its little stretched out mouth like a bat's opened up. It focused on Wanda and the Vitrians as the grayish-white thing, and Selene fought on. The Vitrians quickly released their arrows, and they penetrated the night Furfur easily but didn't stop it. It wobbled on the jeep but got up quickly, spread its wings, and jumping off. Some more arrows went off as it leaped. Wanda was about to cover her eyes with her hands, knowing that the arrows might not be enough to stop the big demon from launching at her and tearing anyone in its path apart.
Before her hands got to her face, she suddenly noticed the Night Furfur's wings go wobbly in the air. It wobbled in the air as it flew over Wanda and the Vitrians, who all bent over at the same time to avoid it. They watched as it crashed on the other side with a heavy item on its back – The grayish-white creature was on it; it had jumped and collided with it in midair. The creature pinned the night Furfur down, pulled with force, and tore off one of the wings that the Furfur was using to poke it, creating a deep wound that bled fresh red blood instantly. The Night Furfur cried in agony as the wing was torn off, and then the creature sent a blow directly to the demon's head. The strike was so powerful, Wanda, Becky, and a few other Vitrians shuddered. The blow crushed the skull of the Furfur and ended its misery. The Furfur disintegrated in a wink.
Everyone stepped back as the creature stretched and adjusted its body, wriggling it to get rid of pain from the talons that had cut through its flesh at several points. Wanda looked back to see that the other demon - Selene was dead too; it disintegrated just as she turned to see it, and they were left with the grayish-white thing. She didn't know why, but she felt the creature really wanted her and wasn't ready to share. Wanda noticed Bathe mumbling something about the wounds of the creature like he had seen a weak point in the beast. The creature bled red blood by the arm where one of the other demons had bitten it and from the chest where the talon of the night Furfur had poked it. Its blood was deep red in colour, and there was no demon ichor in it. Its face was wet from the battle, but it didn't look like the fight was a lot of stress for it. Its eyes were deep red, revealing it was vexed.
“Petter, Becky get Wanda away from here,” Bathe said with urgency as he and the other Vitrians stood at attention, waiting for what the creature was going to do next.
“Noooo,” the creature shouted instantly in a roar-like manner the immediately Bathe spoke. Wanda and everyone became shocked. They did not believe that it could talk so audibly. She had overheard Bathe saying it to Alexis, but it did not really grip her attention.
Before Wanda realised what was happening, the battle she had hoped would not take place had commenced. She looked up and saw a knife flying in the air towards the cr
eature. The creature caught the blade with its left hand and yanked it away like a baby throwing away a soft toy; it then rushed towards the Vitrians. Some Necatus followed the knife, but it knocked them off one after the other, and then just as it got to them, it stopped like it was having a second thought about killing them. It looked at itself. Five Necatus were stuck in its body - like they meant nothing, it grunted slightly at the silver object penetrating its skin, picked them one by one, and threw them out like one tossing away a toothpick. Two of the adults jumped in front of it with sparkling menace-looking silvery machetes in their hands.
“No!” Bathe shouted with his hand stretched to them not to attack like that, but his words were too late they were already in front of it.
One of the adults struck with his knife; it barely made any impact on the creature's skin. It looked at the adult with hateful eyes and hit them together by sweeping his huge right hand in a wave - off they went in the air and crashed into trees.
Wanda gave a short and sharp scream in horror at the manner and force in which the creature hit off the two adults and their collision with the trees.
The creature was about to take another step when arrows flew in its direction. It wasn't expecting it - the arrows, four of them, got to it and stuck into its body.
Wanda looked at the Vitrians left around her. All four of them excluding Becky, Petter, and Bathe now had bows in their hands. The upper and lower parts of the bows were made of silver; the sight window was black, and the string was tight and firm. The arrowhead was made of silver, making it deadly to whatever demon it came in contact with. The creature stopped, looked at the arrows penetrating its body, and then back at the Vitrians. It shook its head gently like it was wondering when they were going to learn. “Again!” Bathe instructed, and more arrows flew in the air, but this time it was ready.
The creature knocked the arrows off as fast as they came. One by one and very quickly, it pulled out each one of the arrows stuck in its body.
The Healing Mendez (Vitrian Secrets, #1) Page 15
