The Elements Beyond Them

The Unexplained Creature

"Fight me, or run like a coward." Ace yells. He takes a deep breath closes his eyes and waits. The creature swoops down to snap at Ace. Ace opens his eyes and turns to where he heard the flap of wings before the creature reaches him he grabs it by the neck holds it up and smashes it against a wall. He punches it in the maw and throws it against the wall. The creature hisses, it gets back up and charges towards Ace ramming its horns into his chest. Ace chokes out in pain holding his chest, the creature uses its tails to thrash Ace into the wall.

"What are you?" Ace chokes out trying to get up. The creature grabs him by his hair and slings him again. Ace is lost in his thoughts, what is this thing? It causes him to lose track of his battle, As Ace stands up again the creature cloaks itself, and snaps its jaws on Ace's leg. He yelps out in pain as the creature forces its teeth deeper to rip into Ace's leg. It draws blood.

"Fuck! Get the fuck off!" Ace screams, he brings the stinger in his tail out and points it toward the creature. It grabs it before he could sting it, it releases his leg to only grab it with his tail and sling him around like a ragdoll. Ace lays lifeless on the ground, still conscious the creature goes up to finish the job, opening its horrifying beartrap of a mouth.

"Get the fuck away from my little brother!" Martrez roars tackling the creature off of Ace and chomping down on its neck trying to crush its windpipe.

"Martrez what the--" Ace is interrupted as Kaveion and Oscar come in to back Martrez up. The creature punches Matrez in the nose, slings him off, and gives a warning hiss to Kaveion and Oscar to stay back.

"What are you guys doing here you could get killed!" Ace yelled getting up and focusing on the creature

"Oh yeah, we need to ask you that!" Oscar says baring his fangs at the creature. The creature roars breaking up the banter. It backs away slowly intimidated that it's outnumbered.

"Naw we're gonna show you what a blood payment is fool!" Kaveion says running up and slashing the creature in the face, giving it a gashly mark as he does that Oscar gives Martrez a nod signaling for him to attack at the same time as him. Oscar goes for its wing and Martrez goes for its throat the creature screeching out as the boys rip into it. The creature uses its wing to toss Oscar off breaking its wing in the process, causing another painful screech to emit from the creature. It then barrel rolls its body on top of Martrez to crush him. Ace takes action headbutting the creature piercing through its thick skin with his horns. Ace then tosses the creature against a wall flinging it off his horns. The creature then stands up, faces the boys, and lets out a loud screech causing Kaveion, Oscar, and Ace to fall to the ground covering their ears. Martrez is the only one not phased as much as the others and goes to help them up, as he does that the creature flies off and cloaks. It flies into the night sky without a trace. Ace is about to fly after it but Kaveion stops him.

"Enough. Let it run." Kaveion says. Ace looks at him anger all over his face but then begins to melt away after seeing Kaveion's serious expression. Ace then lets out a nervous chuckle,

"So...What you guys doing?" Ace says rubbing the back of his head.

"Ace what are you doing?! Picking a fight with...whatever that was." Kaveion snaps.

"It was too close to our home I was just trying to protect y'all." Ace mutters.

"We get that but if we hadn't shown up you might've been killed tonight!" Oscar says upset as well.

"I don't go down that easily." Ace says staring directly at Oscar.

"Really because it looks like you were getting waxed before we showed up," Kaveion says rolling his eyes.

"It caught me off guard a little it won't happen again." Ace said shrugging it off.

"Ace that's not the point we could've lost you!" Martrez chimes in. Everyone is quiet now hear Martrez's voice crack a bit. Ace knows that they genuinely care if he lives or dies, and he should acknowledge that more, he goes up to Martrez and pulls him in a hug.

"I'm sorry guys. I'll think next time." Ace says causing Martrez to let a single tear roll down his cheek.

"You'd better," Oscar says playfully punching Ace in the arm.

"How'd you guys find me so fast anyways we're on the other side of town?" Ace asks tilting his head.

"We tracked you by these." Kaveion pulls a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket.

"Oh um...I uh--" Ace studders to find the right words.

"I thought you gave up smoking?" Kaveion questions stepping a bit closer to Ace.

"I did." Ace says looking down.

"Then why do you have a stash of these on the roof?" Kaveion asked raising his voice. Oscar and Martrez know not to chime in or intervene with he's like this.

"I just...do it when I'm stressed." Ace says flattening his ears.

"We'll talk about this more in the morning but right now I'm tired and wanna marry my bed," Kaveion says with a yawn.

"Okay." Ace says lowly.

"Ace carry me," Kaveion demands.

"You have legs." Ace laughs.

"And you have wings your point?" Kaveion asks holding his arms up to be lifted.

"Now you see what happened was--" Ace chuckles.

"Naw boy carry me," Kaveion demands again. Ace sighs giving in, he grabs Kaveion by the wrist and flies upwards with him.

"Um, Oscar can you..." Martrez trails.

"Just get on," Oscar says letting Martrez hop on his back so Martrez doesn't have to walk or rather they won't have to wait on him.

"Yah!" Martrez shouts.

"Don't ever say that while you're on my back," Oscar says as Martrez laughs the rest of the way. The fly home was mainly silent except for occasional random noise from Martrez to annoy Oscar. Ace spaced out thinking to himself, could he actually have got himself killed tonight? What was that creature? Was it the cause of his fight with Ivy ending so...randomly?