“You will be alright,” Demetre affirmed with a deadpan smile.
The boy raised his left hand, touching Isaac’s cheek. His arms were covered in bruises. Isaac wrapped the boy’s hand in his.
“Don’t worry. We will take care of you,” he said, running his hand through the boy’s tangled hair.
“Should we check inside the house?” asked Ballard, looking at the boy. “There might still be other survivors.”
“I think that is a good idea,” Demetre said, looking at me.
“I agree.” I turned my gaze to Isaac. “Stay with the girls and the boy.” I pointed to Ballard, Petra, and Demetre. “You three, come with me. Let us search the house.”
“Be careful.” Adara darted us a worried stare. The boy let out weak moans as we strolled toward the house.
With swords in hand, we walked through the doorway.
Shards of clay were scattered on the ground. The shelves on the walls had been smashed to pieces. A putrid stench invaded my nostrils when we approached the kitchen. I absorbed the sight of the eviscerated body of a woman torn in half; her upper body lay atop the table while her lower part was on the wooden floor.
“Are you sure we should continue searching? I don’t see how there could be any survivors inside this house.” Demetre covered his mouth with the back of his hands as he walked away from the kitchen.
“We search upstairs,” I ordered, covering my nose as I followed Demetre.
There was a stairway on the right side of the house that led to the second floor.
“Come on.” Demetre turned his eyes to us. “We should not linger for long. Let us search for other survivors and leave this place.”
Demetre started making his way up the stairs, resting his right hand on the rail while holding his sword with the other. Ballard walked behind him, followed by Petra. Once we reached the second floor, the smell of burnt flesh brought tears to my eyes.
“Apparently, something died up here as well,” Ballard mentioned, covering his nose.
There were three doors in front of us. An old puppet in the likeness of a girl hung on the doorknob in front of me.
“How are we going to do this?” Petra’s chest heaved with heavy, panting breaths.
“We each check a room, and then we leave.” I turned my face toward Demetre. “Would you mind checking this room with Petra?”
“No, not all,” Demetre replied.
I stepped to my left, standing in front of the other door while Demetre and Petra entered the room.
A shiver shot down my body once I turned the cold knob. To my left was a bed that had been made out of brown oak. Three frames hung from the white wall—all had their paintings destroyed, leaving just the remnants of the canvases. A brown rug sat at the foot of the bed.
“Ballard, did you find anything?” I asked in a loud voice.
“There is nothing here!” he replied from the other room.
“Petra? Demetre? Anything?” I shouted.
“Nothing,” Demetre answered.
I was about to head out the door when a chill shot up my leg. There was a cold grasp around my ankle that pulled my body. I thudded to the floor. My eyes darted over my shoulder and saw a black shadow shaped like a man. My heart skipped a beat as I caught sight of its skeletal hands tightened around my left ankle.
I tried to land a kick on the creature, but my feet sank under its shadow. With great strength, it lifted me off the ground and cast my body against the roof. A sharp pain spread through my back. Ballard, Demetre, and Petra flocked into the room.
The grotesque being released a growl once it saw them. I managed to stand to my feet as fast as I could.
“What in the name of Elysium is that?” Ballard unsheathed his sword.
I limped my way to my companions, feeling a sharp pain in my chest. I watched as both of the creature’s skeletal hands turned into arms, each equipped with four-fingered hands. At the tip of each finger was a sharp, curved claw. The creature’s bones slithered beneath its brown skin while its body took a shape similar to that of a dragon. Its elongated skull had a thin snout. Wings appeared on its back, expanding to almost twice the size of the creature’s thin tail.
The creature lowered its head, growling as it crawled to its left. Its golden eyes trailed across the room. The pain in my leg worsened as I watched it raise its body. It let out a loud roar.
I jumped in the direction of the creature, attempting to bury my blade beneath its thick neck, but it dodged my attack. The wooden floor trembled as it rushed its way toward Demetre. The dragon-like beast catapulted in his direction with its teeth in view. Demetre leaped to his left, swerving from its attempt to sink its teeth into his skin. With his sword held up in the air, he managed to land a cut on the creature’s thigh. A loud hiss followed his attack.
Quick footsteps echoed behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw Petra fleeing.
“Where are you going?” I shouted, watching him run down the stairway. The creature raised its head, drawn to the sound of his footsteps. The beast narrowed its glowing yellow eyes. It leaped out of the room, pursuing Petra.
“Coward!” Rage burned inside of me like a furnace. I turned my attention to Demetre and Ballard. “Follow the creature down the stairway.”
“What about you?” Ballard asked between heavy breaths.
“I will warn the others.” I pointed my finger toward the stairway. “Go. Now.”
I faced the closed window in the room. It was locked. Without much thinking, I flung my body against it, breaking it into pieces. The cold wind touched my face as my wings expanded. Isaac, Xylia, Adara, and the boy were still in the same place.
“Run!” I shouted, flying my way toward them. Seconds after, Petra ran out of the door, screaming at the top of his lungs.
Coward,
I thought. The animal was at his heels, sprinting out of the house.
The moment Isaac caught sight of the creature he drew his sword, standing in front of the girls and the boy. The dragon-like monster flapped its wings, letting out a deafening growl. When its feet left the ground, I rushed in its direction. As fast as a breath, Isaac’s wings appeared. We both tackled the creature in mid-air, piercing its body with our swords. Isaac wounded it on its ribs while my blade entered its skull. It let out a blazing screech as its body plunged to the ground. The animal’s body touched the snow, assumed its previous shadowed shape, and dispersed itself like smoke. Moments later, its body vanished.
Ballard pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes, resting his body against the doorpost. Demetre sat on one of the steps of the stairs with a gaping jaw. His elbows rested on his knees, and he supported his chin on his hands.
I flew down, landing next to Ballard.
“You…ran,” I said behind gritted teeth, shooting Petra a cold sneer. “You abandoned us in that room.” My eyebrows tightened when I saw him with his head bowed, biting the nail off his left thumb.
“What do they mean, Petra?” Isaac set his eyes on him. He remained silent.
“Will you not say something, coward?” I marched in his direction, tightening my fists. A sharp pain shot up my leg, causing me to lose balance. I fell to my knees, containing my urge to scream.
“Devin!” Adara ran in my direction. “Are you alright?”
I recoiled from her attempt to lay her hands on me.
“Leave me,” I said, darting her an angry stare. She took three steps back, a surprised look stamped on her face. I wanted to kill that boy. How could he have left us? The thought that he was one of the book-bearers enraged me. This boy was not worthy of such a task.
“You left us, Petra!” Demetre shouted. “We could have all been killed by that creature and all you cared about was your own life.”
“What did you expect me to do?” Petra yelled in response, spreading out his arms.
Ballard shook his head. “You could have used your sword. You could have tried to kill the creature.”
They all stared at Petra in anger. Petra covered his face with his left hand, turning his back to us. Silence lingered for a while. Xylia stood next to the young boy, who seemed to be unconscious.
I failed in my attempt to stand on my feet as the pain continued to spread, reaching my lower back. With my hands, I grasped at the snow on the ground, tightening them with great strength.
“Devin, are you alright?” Isaac rushed his way to me.
“I just need to rest for a while.” My teeth clenched while my eyebrows pinched together. “The house is empty. We should be safe here…for now.”
Demetre and Isaac grabbed my arms, helping me stand. I attempted to move my left leg but the pain was too strong to bear.
“Damn creature,” I said, limping as we headed to the house. I looked back to make sure we were all safe. Adara carried the young boy. Xylia had her sword in her hand; her eyes trailed across the trees. Ballard followed behind me. Petra strolled behind them with his hands inside his pockets.
“I have never seen anything like it.” I cleared my throat, taking in a deep breath.
“Was it a dragon?” Isaac asked.
“Dragons do not turn into shadows. That beast was not from here.”
I recalled the frightening words Raziel had spoken after the attack of Mag Mell: “The gates between Elysium and the Fourth Dimension now lie unguarded.” He had warned us that beasts had infiltrated our world. Was he still guarding the Gates with the remaining Underwarriors? We had not seen or heard from him ever since. Nathan had returned, but had not mentioned anything about the others.
“I think that beast—” I grunted due to the pain. “I think that beast came from the Abyss.”
Isaac shot me a frightened stare. I struggled to walk up the two short steps in front of the doorway. I could no longer move my left leg. Drops of sweat beaded down my forehead.
“Let’s put him by the staircase, Isaac.” Demetre cocked his head, showing Isaac the location of the staircase.
I lifted my arms from their shoulders, limping on my right leg as I tried to sit on the first step.
“Adara.” Demetre turned his eyes to her. “Let’s lay the boy in one of the rooms upstairs so he can sleep.”
“Alright.” She gave the unconscious boy a tender look.
“Let me see your leg, Devin,” Ballard requested, kneeling in front of me.
“I will be fine,” I retorted with a weak and tremulous voice. My head reclined against the wall while I grimaced—the pain grew stronger.
“Sure you will,” Ballard said in a snide tone.
I screamed when his hands touched my leg.
“Hold him, Isaac,” he ordered, keeping his eyes on me. “Petra, please go outside and bring me some of the snow. Look for a bucket in the kitchen.” He pointed to his left.
In silence, Petra turned and walked to the kitchen.
“I will keep an eye on the door,” Xylia declared.
Never in my life had I felt such unbearable pain. My whole leg throbbed as a burning sensation stung my muscles.
“Can you remove your boot, Devin?” Ballard asked, his hand pressed against the wound.
I felt my back muscles constrict while I attempted to lean forward. The pain was excruciating. I cringed my teeth, taking a deep, long breath.
Ballard leaned his body, grasping the edge of my feet. I screamed as he pulled my boot from my leg.
Ballard frowned his forehead upon looking at the wound.
“Your flesh…is melting.” He bore his eyes into mine. “I thought only iron or the flames of a white dragon had the power to kill you.”
“Then I am assuming that creature had hands of iron.” I cringed, struggling for breath. “It burns.” I pressed the edges of my hands on my forehead.
“Do you know what you are doing, Ballard?” Isaac asked.
“My father is experienced with medicinal herbs. He taught me some things. The king of Mag Mell asked him to be the overseer of Valley Hills once he was informed of my father’s skills,” he responded, analyzing the wound. “We relocated to the village four years ago.”
Isaac shot me a veiled look, raising his right eyebrow.
“Have you heard from him since you left?” Isaac asked.
“No. My father is too occupied with his affairs. I understand him not sending me any news.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I miss him though.”
Isaac and I realized that Ballard was not yet aware of his father’s death. I shook my head, telling him not to divulge the news now.
My stomach turned when I saw the wound on my left ankle. My flesh throbbed as the wound festered.
Ballard raised both of his eyebrows. “It is spreading fast.” He turned his head to the kitchen. “Petra, did you find anything?” There was an impatient tone in his voice.
Ignoring his friend’s question, Petra walked out of the kitchen holding a gray bucket covered in rust. With his face turned to the floor, he walked through the doorway.
Ballard ripped the bottom of his shirt, tying the piece of cloth around my thigh. The mere feeling of the delicate cloth touching my skin burned like fire.
“This will help with the bleeding.” He wiped the sweat from his brow with his right wrist.
Petra rushed inside with his bucket overflowing with snow.
“Here,” he said, handing Ballard the bucket, then stepping away from us.