Chapter 18 #2
The huge beast looks like some sort of chimaera hybrid.
Its head looked like the mix of a lion and snake, scales dripping down its head and out into a solid-looking mane.
It has black fur covering its torso and flowing all the way to its feet, with large black horns adorning its huge head.
A long serpent-like tail whipped out as it stalked forward, its tip looked razor sharp and like a blade as it moved back and forth.
It lashed out again and sliced at the ground around it, doing more damage than I’d like.
Morgan's pale face scrunches up, her eyes crinkling to slits toward the creature. Then they flicker open wide, a shimmering colour appearing and fading just as quickly as it came. She grits her teeth, her chest rising and falling quickly as she keeps her gaze on the beast in front of her.
“You wanna kill me… eat me?” She chuckles darkly, a slight grin spreading on her face.
“This isn’t my first time being hunted by some disgusting monster ...” Her hand grabs a sharp rock on the gravel below her, her fingers shaking slightly as she pulls it up and points it toward the creature. “Don’t think I’ll give up that easily.”
She clutches her small weapon. And even in the face of such a huge creature, she doesn’t back down.
My gaze drifts toward Morgan and her unsteady hands.
I had heard she had a defence ability, a barrier of some sort and quite a strong one at that. So why was she not using her power?
With her personality, it didn’t make sense for her to run away like this.
Then it hits me…the boys on the ground trembling and trying to stay conscious, and her strange movements from earlier…What if she can’t fight? What if, she too, had taken or been given something?
A loud roar bellows from the beast as I quickly glance back at Morgan, noticing her scrapped and bloodied legs and the slight tremor running through her. Almost like the boy in the forest.
I focus in on her eyes and notice a similar hazy gaze and a slight trickle of blood and something white on her chin.
The beast roars again and lunges toward her.
I grip my daggers and dash toward the creature, reaching it just as it comes a few inches from Morgan's body. The metal of my blades slice through the dark scales along the side of its face.
It pulls back as dark navy blood pours down its scales and toward the gravel below us.
A roar more thunderous than before pierces the air around us as the creature howls.
I hear a groan from behind me, remembering Morgan, and quickly glance her way before turning back toward the beast.
“Get out of here,” I call back to her. “Hide somewhere safe…I’ll deal with this.” I flip the daggers in my hands as a pained voice behind me tries to speak.
“Can’t move…any…more…”
Like the boys in the forest.
Then I would have to lure the creature away somehow. I narrow my eyes toward the ugly looking beast, meeting two silver slits, its gaze now fully focused on me as I position myself in front of Morgan.
It flits its eyes between me and her, a mixture of a growl and hiss rolling from its blackened mouth.
Why was it still interested in Morgan?
Did she, or her blood smell good to it? And why was something like this even here to begin with, and so close to the academy?
It bares its sharp black teeth toward us, saliva dripping from its maw.
I had dealt with all sorts of creatures in the Facility before, all kinds of mutated or butt ugly beasts, but this one had to be top three for sure.
A slow grin stretches across my lips covered by my black mask.
The creature before me was big and strong, but compared to the huge beast I had met in the forest before, this one was basic. An easier prey to test out my strength and agility on.
I close my eyes for just a brief second, taking a breath and allowing my senses to take over as all the sounds and scents surround me; of Morgan's weakened breath and pained gasps, of the music still playing, and the oblivious students laughing in the distance.
And of the creature just feet from me ready to make its move.
I flip one dagger in my hand, not willing to let it take one step closer toward Morgan with her frail and limp body behind me. I hear it nearing and open my eyes, just as the creature is dashing toward me, its mouth open wide and claws extended toward my head.
Its movements slow as I race forward, my speed taking over as I quickly manoeuvre into a slide beneath the creature. Thrusting my blades into its belly, I drag them the length of its torso.
The beast screams, lashing out as I pull myself up behind it. It’s sharpened tail crashes toward me, trying to hit me, but I twist beneath it and catch it with my dagger, digging the blade into its flesh to hold it in place.
It roars and flails, trying to turn to catch me behind it, but its movements only cause the large wound on its stomach to open more, its navy blood pouring out on its black claws.
I hold onto the dagger embedded in its tail, and move quickly with the creature's movements. If I let it go, it would probably catch me or Morgan while thrashing about.
Its strength begins to wane with the more blood it loses, unable to fight me in this new position.
Grabbing its tail, I push the dagger in further and twist it until the blade slides out the other end, the large chunk of tail falling to the ground with the quick movement. Another roar and pained howl pours from the beast's mouth.
Time to put it out of its misery.
I grab its flailing appendage, seeping its thick navy blood, and pull the creature backwards with my full strength.
The beast stumbles back and falls, now completely off balance and losing blood too quickly.
Grabbing my daggers in both hands, I jump toward the beast's unguarded back.
It roars as I land on it and sink my daggers deep into its neck.
Pushing them in further and holding my grip as it continues to thrash, its roar begins to quickly wane and weaken until it becomes but a low muffled growl.
After another minute or so, the fight seeps from it as it stops moving and slowly sinks to the ground beneath us. Navy blood trickles out from the beast, and coats the ground and gravel below us as the creature's final breath falls from its now gaping mouth.
Pulling my daggers out, I tumble from its back as its body slumps onto the gravel behind me. I put my daggers back into my hip straps and turn back toward Morgan. I go to reach for her, when suddenly I hear a voice shouting her name from the distance and multiple footsteps heading this way.
Turning around, I see four dark figures rushing toward us in the distance as a strange black smoke forms around us.
I glance back at Morgan, her chest rising and falling slowly.
She was alive, that's all that mattered.
The black smoke seems to rush toward me with the voices nearing us. I push through it, the feeling almost like something solid beneath me before I dash for the forest treeline.
I pick up pace once I hit the forest, the area blurring as I run and listen for anyone following.
After a few moments and once I’m sure I’ve not been followed, I take off my black mask and pull down my hood to take a deep breath. I gaze at the moon shining above me, the cold air crisp on its last Autumn night as a small light feeling fills my chest.
I saved her.
I changed her fate.
And if I could change hers, then I would definitely change my own.
Creeds POV
I hold Morgan's unconscious body in my arms as the others search the area. Placing my forehead against hers, I listen to the sounds of her small breaths, inhaling and exhaling weakly.
Whoever did this to her would pay.
I would burn this academy down with everyone inside it for my sister's pain.
I look at the scratches and cuts trailing up her legs, blood and dirt still fresh and wet on her silky white angel costume.
A heavy breath leaves my rising chest as a tremor works its way into my hands.
A voice in my head screams for retribution, for blood for hurting one of mine. My little sister.
Morgan always thought I was overprotective, well she's seen nothing yet. I won’t let her leave my sight after this.
We’d already lost enough. I won’t lose her too.
I glance up toward the figure dragging his already bloody blade along the corpse of the beast beside us.
If it wasn’t for Annex insisting we come here, we never would have known Morgan was in danger. He’d harped on and on about seeing what ‘Red’ looked like and insisted we come to the dance. Even opting out on another fight in the ring for it.
Which for Annex was big. Missing out on the chance to get bloody and break a few bones? This Red must be either as crazy as him, or powerful enough to withstand his blows. Because Annex wasn’t interested in normal . He was a wild card, purely psychotic and deranged.
Fuck, even his face right now was sprayed with blood from the fight he had in the ring just before we came. And yet he looked like he wanted to resurrect the dead beast in front of him to go another round. For fun.
Either way, I’m grateful for his new interest. We wouldn’t have come here otherwise.
I clutch Morgan closer as Mallyn and Ezra make their way back from the forest.
They had run after the figure we had seen standing over Morgan before we got here.
None of us had gotten the best view of the guy, other than that he was smaller than us, was wearing all black, and was clutching two very strange shaped blades.
The blade marks in the beast tell me he was the one that took it down, but why was it here in the first place? And why had Morgan been dragged into it? Why was she left in this state and why didn’t she use her ability?
I look around me, dark shadows moving around the boys dormitory building as the night drifts on. And unsuspecting laughter and music plays out in the distance.
Whatever the reason or whoever did this to her, they would pay. I would personally rip them to pieces and show them pain even Annex hadn’t thought of.
I gently wrap Morgan in my arms as I pull us both up.
I had promised myself she would have a better life and that no-one would ever hurt her again.
A small whimper falls from her pale lips, and I have to grind my teeth from roaring.
Never again.
I would never allow anyone to come this close again.
Mallyn and Ezra make their way over to us, each carrying a familiar figure on their back.
Ash and Grey, Morgan's partners.
My gaze hardens toward them. Their eyes widen as their shakey gazes fall on Morgan.
“Mor…ann.” Their voices try to call her, but their words fall short. They struggle and shake, trying to reach for her, but their arms fall limply to their sides.
What the fuck?
Another small whimper leaves Morgan's lips and I shake my head.
No. It doesn’t matter what happened. They should have protected her. If they couldn’t, then they wouldn’t be around for long. She didn’t need anyone weak beside her. I would make sure to deal with them later myself.
“Where's the little ninja gone?” Grins Annex, as he prods the shaking body draped over Ezra’s shoulder.
“Careful, you’re too close to my face man.” Ezra smacks the blade away, placing Ash down gently on the gravel below.
“Right, we wouldn’t wanna accidentally leave a mark on that pretty skin,” Smirks the deranged bastard.
“They were too quick.” Mallyn dumps Grey on the ground like unwanted trash, a pained grunt leaving the shifter as he hits the gravel. Mal wasn’t one for physical contact. “There was no trace, not even a trail or scent to track. Whoever it was, they were quick and skilled, maybe even trained?”
These boys were like my brothers. If blood was thicker than water, then these boys were my bones. And nobody could match or rival their skills or power.
If they say this person was able to get past them, then they must be on a whole different level.
I look back at the beast. Makes sense if he was able to take that on by himself. And thankfully those with power like that have a following, so finding him shouldn’t be so hard for our network. I’ll get Ezra on it later.
I look toward Mallyn, his brows furrowed and eyes darkening.
I’d have to check in on him later, I didn’t like the look in his eyes, but right now I had to focus on Morgan.
I cradle her in my arms, holding her gently as I make my way past the dead beast, taking one last glance at its body.
I send out a wave of my power, the black smoke flows out quickly like a small tsunami and consumes the corpse. The body quickly disintegrates until only small black specks and scorch-like marks are left in its wake.
Nobody needed to know what happened here but us. The academy trying to get involved would only be a hindrance.
We would handle this ourselves. And whoever did this…would pay in blood.
If they were able to target Morgan and her partners on the academy's grounds, then they must have some connection to the school or the people in it.
I look back toward the academy building; music still blaring and voices talking and laughing, completely unaware of what's just happened.
Or the consequences that will fall on this school for fucking with my family.
I make my way out past the gates and toward my car.
I place Morgan in carefully before turning back toward the boys.
“Get your uniforms ready…” Annex, Mallyn and Ezra turn to me. “We’ll be attending the academy full-time from now on.”
Mallyn gives me a small nod, but the look in his eyes and tick to his jaw, tells me he wants to do anything but that.
“I was already turning up from time to time.” Ezra shrugs. “All the better for me to collect what we need.”
“Perfect. I’ll get to see more of Red then.” Hums Annex. And the grin stretching his lips tells me he's talking about the unfortunate soul who caught his eye recently.
I get in the car and take off.
I’ll start my search for the black-clothed figure first. If they were involved in this or dragged Morgan into their shit, then I’ll make them pay a hundred times what she's suffered tonight.