“Understood!”
We reach our stop soon enough, and we all get out. A few of them take guns from the rack and some bullets. I’m fine with the dagger Jayce had passed me. The silence at the edge of the woods is ominous, and the darkness from within the trees is even more chilling.
Why would people even go camping in such a place?
Those in the car have already arrived and are looking around. I spot Jayce’s bike a few yards away, but can’t see him anywhere.
“Stay close,” Brock says to me as we all walk towards the tree line and into the woods. We keep walking, and I press a button on my Schattensicht and see the faint line appear in front of my vision, spreading in three directions, leading me towards Jayce, Renji and Lucius. The Schattensicht uses neuro links, and the connection to the mind and vision is incredible.
The King might be scary and cold, but he’s also a genius. I’ve seen these in the simulation rooms, but have never worn one. We keep walking and reach Jayce soon enough. He’s crouched down looking at what looks like a- gods…
I look away from the torn limb as he stands tall and looks over at us.
“It’s come this way. I’m not sure if there’s more than one, but we’ll keep following this path. Stay alert.” He leads the way, and we’re all silent. Listening for anything or sniffing in some of their cases. “Renji, Lucius, see if you can locate the survivors. If there’s a threat, don’t move in, wait for us.”
I suddenly stop when I feel it, the carnal lust for blood and flesh. It’s so strong.
I take a deep breath as I spin around. “They’re coming,” I breathe.
“Oh, whatever-” Allison is cut off when the sinister hiss I’ve heard in my dreams many times reaches my ears.
I hear Jayce give an order, his voice sharp, but I can’t comprehend the words. All I feel is the desire to kill. My head is pounding, and the chaos is growing.
Another snarl from the manananggal, and I try to remember what Jayce told me: stay back, because I’m just in the middle ofall this when I shouldn’t be. I clutch my head, the agony of trying to keep a hold of my own emotions that are rising up inside of me, hitting me hard.
“There are two,” I say just as Jayce speaks.
“I can hear two.”
He looks at me, and I look away from his sharp expression.
“You’re good. You sure you don’t belong in Noctaris?” Artemis whispers as she motions for me to follow her and step back. Just then, I hear the ragged breathing of the manananggal nearby.
It bursts from the shadows, arms spread wide, eyes burning with hunger. Its fanged mouth gapes open, shrieking, as it lunges forward, the disgusting smell of rotting flesh burning my nose.
The second one is right behind it, climbing down from the branches like some creepy half-bodied spider. Its claws digging into the bark before it drops onto the ground with incredible agility.
Valerian, Jayce, and Brock move at the same time.
Jayce is the fastest. He surges forward, spinning on his heel as he kicks the first manananggal’s chest, and we hear a sickening crunch, sending it skidding back as it hits a tree behind it. It shrieks, head whipping as it claws onto its feet again.
The rage they are emitting is dizzying me, and I place a hand on my head.
Brock doesn’t hesitate. He rolls forward, unsheathing his dagger, crouching low before thrusting his blade up, aiming for the second manananggal. It dodges at the last second, its torso twisting unnaturally, but Brock is already moving again, forcingit back with a flurry of strikes.
Valerian steps in next, his twin daggers flashing under the moonlight. He aims for the first creature’s throat, but it screeches and twists away, its claws raking across his forearm. Blood trickles down his arm, but Valerian doesn’t even flinch. Instead, he keeps throwing attack after attack. Bruce, Ian, Himari and Allison help him as I try to focus on my breathing.
I see Artemis level her crossbow. Although she isn’t attacking, she’s ready. Shahira is whispering a spell, and I can see Valerian’s injury healing already, the glittering strings of her magic wrapping around him.
Jayce and Brock focus on the second one, slicing into its middle where you can already see the exposed, stretched muscle and flesh. Jayce jumps forward using the tree beside him for leverage and twists in the air with impressive force and agility as his claws come out and he kicks the monster before slashing through his neck.
I’m trying to breathe, but it’s all too much. The emotions flooding the air, from anger, adrenaline and dark evil thoughts, which make me sick. The emotions hit me like a physical force as I struggle to rein in my own powers that want to rip everyone to shreds and be the ultimate killer here.
I flinch, clutching my head, my power rising like a roaring tide.
Everything is spinning. I hear a voice; someone is shouting a command, but I can’t focus.
The world dims around me, the sounds warping, twisting into static.
