King Vyxen

8.

 

   Arisa jolted awake, knocking stan unto the ground in the process, her heart beating wildly as her mind registered the chaos from outside rattling the room she was in, she quickly jumped from the bed and went to the window gazing down at the gravel front yard.

Men, all dressed in black descended the concrete steps in long determined strides, the light streaming from inside allowing her to see them, The noise seemed to flow through the forest in front of the mansion like the wind in an open field, Arisa ran down the stairs, her heart beating furiously against her chest, Stan hot on her heel what was happening?

A scream tore through the house and Arisa propelled forward, her feet taking her to the edge of the forest, slowly, she halted, staring into the darkness of the woods, the trees towering over her, covering its depths from the silvery light of the distant half moon

someone gripped her arm and she turned around eyes wide "Olivia!" she scolded, hand over her heart "you scared me"

"What are you doing down here Arisa?" she asked harshly, eyes hard.

Arisa frowned at her, ripping her arms from Olivia's grip "Trying to figure out what the hell is going on!" her head spun, first some giant beast man, then that puzzling alpha reprimanding her, now? now what?

"Beta Jeremy won't like this" Olivia said worriedly, Arisa frowned in irritation "Are they all you think about? Alpha this Beta that? if that's the case no need to look so terrified I haven't seen him".

She marched into the forest evading Olivia who growled and ran alongside her, she soon stopped hearing the crunch of leaves beneath the feet of many, her eyes adjusting to the mild darkness.

Arisa covered her mouth feeling her eyes sting"oh my God" she breathed staring at the women and children, bloodied and bruised, their eyes cast downwards as they cradled their wounds and loved ones, shaking in fear, the moon gave them an almost deathly glow.

Without thinking she helped a frail woman who looked as pale as death stand upright, when she saw Olivia just standing there, staring at the mass of persons, she glared at her.

"Help them!" she snapped, feeling her heart filled with fear and panic

Who did this to them? Who could be so cruel?

Arisa could see Olivia shaking and looking around her wildly "Arisa get away they could be infected!"

She forced herself to look away from a toddler with burns covering half his body, but even as she looked away his wails pierced the forest, his painful cries echoing through the stillness of the afternoon.

"Help them now!" she shouted at the sturdy men clad in black attire standing behind the trees.

"I'm afraid they cannot do that" someone called, Arisa turned to see Katnis standing in front of the men, unaffected by the chaos happening right before her eyes.

"Send them away," she said icily, her regal beauty and nonchalance shocking Arisa to the core.

Arisa tried to quell the unease she felt settle in her stomach when the men stayed put "They need our help!" Arisa shouted, hoping at least one of the men would step forward to help the poor women and children, but they all stayed put.

Gritting her teeth, she began moving forward, she'd do this on her own if she had to, but in her peripheral vision, she saw the man leave Olivia's side and lift a young woman into his arms, walking forward.

Katnis glared at her, taking slow precise steps towards them, Stan snarled from beside her. Arisa looked around seeing that little boy again wailing and withering in pain made her snap, she interrupted Katnis turning to the man.