Butterflies in Winter

::Chapter 28:: Godspeed

For a moment, darkness blinded him. As though the very moon had been turned out as the world was flooded with pitch black.

Kit jolted upright at this, a growl rippling through him. The fire had gone out, but he barely noticed. For now a terrible smell filled his nose.

An all too familiar smell.

"Get down," he yelled as he lunged to his paws and tackled the children before him. Taking as many of them to the ground as he could. The others quickly following his orders.

Less then a half beat later, where the children and Kit had stood mere seconds before. A bolt of lightning lit the world once again for a split second. Then they were plunged into darkness once again.

Time was not on their side, they had to get the hell out of here. "RUN!" He screamed until his lungs felt roar.

No one needed to be told twice, the children were soon on their feet and running for their lives. He watched them, using the benefit of a moment's darkness to ensure they were at a safe distance.

Before he lunged into the jaws of death.

All Kit could think to describe the creature, an old 'friend' from a place which now seemed a million miles away. It was like rot and evil and death all made flesh and given a heartbeat. It had the power to conduct lightning. It's fur as dark as the depths of hell itself, Kit had come to know it as the Hellhound.

Even the King of Hell would have been terrified at the sight of the monster in front of them.

Max following him as fast as his wings could take him. With an infuriated screech as he went, the two friends threw themselves into battle.

With as much noise as he could physically make, Kit threw himself from left to right. Trying to confuse the creature and make enough commotion to wake the others in the cabins. This was not a battle they could make alone. Not with the injuries Kit had already sustained in the last few days.

He didn't take this into account, as he tackled the side of the great monster with everything he had. Tearing his fangs into everything he was able to get them on, until he tasted the acidic blood of the horrendous beast fill his mouth.

With a horrendous screech, the creature through back his head and grabbed Kit by the side. Throwing him with everything he had, hurling him into the darkness. Kit landed hard, pain ricocheting through his hind leg. He howled in agony.

Resorting to dragging his leg behind him, useless. Kit was left with only two fully functional legs. Pain ripped through him like the blade of the knife. Every step was met with a wave of agony which could have knocked a human out.

He couldn't leave Max to fight this alone, no matter how much pain he was in. It would be the death of them both if they gave in now.

Fortunately, he wouldn't have to.

The commotion had finally risen the others from their beds. They were coming out in full force, guns a blazing as well as other, more magical means of taking down an enemy. Fury lit their gaze, this had been their homes which were attacked. This wasn't going to be something they took lightly.

After that, the battle didn't take much longer. The beast was felled, and the group were left licking their wounds.

Dragging himself to his paws, he could feel his leg beginning to heal, but the pain was still ever present. However, that wasn't his main priority at this time. He carried himself carefully back towards the rest of the group.

He was met with the steely gaze of Asa, the anger was palpable from her even now that the battle was done. He lowered his head, mostly out of respect. Yet also to indicate he meant her no threat. With all the adrenaline pumping through them, she might have had a fine line between who was friend or foe. Especially considering how new Kit and his friends were to these people. There was no such thing as too cautious right now.

Everything they had been through in the last five years was proof of such. There was no place for over confidence in a world where one mistake could be the difference between life and death.

When Asa seemingly chose to ignore him, Kit made his way forward. To assess the damage, and figure out who could and couldn't continue with their journey. As cold as it sounded, they were working with a deadline.

It was Max who first caught his eye, the young man stood upright precariously. The pain flickering through his gaze, blood seeping from his shoulder. Kit brushed his gaze across him, questioningly.

Max met his gaze, and shook his head firmly.

Kit froze, narrowing his eyes. Uncertain. The eagle shifter simply shrugged his shoulders as firmly as he could.

He's well enough to refuse treatment, I'll find out if he's bad later. Kit reasoned, hoping he wouldn't come to regret the choice. He glanced back, but Max was gone from eyesight. Work of his own to do.

Returning his gaze to scour across the now bloodied and destroyed campsite. His heart stopped, when he saw Vic and Romany making their way over. Vic relying on the younger woman to lean on. He looked dazed. Concussed.

Hopefully he's only taken a knock to the head, he thought.

As fast as his own injuries were capable of allowing him to go, Kit hooked Vic's arm across his back. Taking some of the weight from Romany as they worked together to find somewhere for the older man to sit and collect his thoughts.

Glancing back at Romany, his eyebrows furrowed deeply when he saw the state she was in.

"It's not my blood," she said before Kit had the chance to as much as open his mouth.

Apparently the concerned look on his face didn't leave, as she quickly added. In a teasing tone, "Stop looking like a lost puppy and direct your concerns where their needed." Romany said with a calm tone which Kit couldn't possibly have mustered.

Slowly but surely, everything was falling apart.

How much longer was it going to be before there was nothing left to worry about.

Kit watched Romany, silent. She didn't notice, her eyes narrowed as she worked her way across the destroyed battlefield. Concentrating too hard to notice the care with which Kit was watching her.

A warmth filled his heart which he hadn't felt in the longest time.

Unable to be as close to her as he wanted to be. Kit resorted to brushing a finger across her shoulder. It made her jump at first, but she looked at him and grinned slightly. Despite it all, her smile seemed to light up a world which was growing ever darker.

Quickly Kit returned his attention to the limping Vic, and they settled the young man onto a wooden chair. One of the few remaining from the attack. He let out a low groan, but was seeming to regain his thoughts.

It didn't take long for a member of a medical team to come over and start working on Vic. Soon enough the wounds were tended to and Vic was given stern orders to get some rest. Of course, he wasn't going to listen to that.

Exhaling hard as he forced himself to his feet, Kit could do little but offer a shoulder for him to keep himself upright with. He had learned a long time ago that when the tiger set his mind on something, there was little that could be done to change it.

"We need to get going, as quickly as possible." His words echoed across what had been the campsite. "They're spreading more and more, and if we aren't quick, it may not be a problem we can solve." He said, decisive.

All Kit could do was nod. As much as he hated to admit it, they were bringing a plague with them. It was their job to stop the disaster in its tracks as best as they were able to.

Kit drew his gaze across the campsite, the destruction hadn't been kept to one place. Even the log cabins at the edges of the area had been affected by the ruin. Almost nothing was left. It was a feeling that Kit was growing all too used to.

"I am sorry about your homes," Vic said further, the honesty rolling from his tongue like venom from the tongue of a viper. "But we cant help that right now, we need to go. And we need to go quickly."

"Go," Asa's words were definitive, though weren't necessarily cruel. "And go quickly. Before there isn't a world left for you to save."