Intertwining Destinies

Chapter 25

Authors note: OMG it got uploaded today! Here's another chapter to celebrate ^_^

Emerald's heart thudded loudly in her ears as the terrifying howls resounded throughout the dark woods. They filled her with a wild instinct to run; and her very soul commanded her to get far from the nightmarish beastly cries. She looked around her to find an escape, but had no idea which way to go as they had strayed off the forest path in their haste. She pulled Carol into the frail concealment of a grove of leafless bushes and tried to locate some source of the howls, but just as before, they seemed to come at her from all sides. Trying to force the panic down within, she looked at Carol for help, but her friend had gone rigid with shock and fear, and did nothing but clutch onto Emerald's arm.

"Carol?" Emerald raised her voice to be heard over the howls. "Do you know which way to go?" She was met with Carol's uncomprehending wide stare. She tried again. "Listen! I met your wartcap friend earlier and he's gone to get help. Can you show me which way to go? Please?!"

But Carol's paralysis seemed to grow worse, and her only response was to tighten her hold on Emerald. Desperate to leave behind the threat of the yowling beasts, Emerald bolted ahead, dragging the half-green girl with her.

Emerald ran faster, hoping that they would soon emerge onto the city street but to her utter despair, she found no clearing amid the thickets of bushes and trees. She stopped to catch her breath and dared to feel relief when she realised the complete silencing of the howls. For the moment, she thought that the worst was over; that the beasts were done with their hunt and she might finally be safe.

Her hopes were short lived as she then heard low, throaty growls uttered from somewhere very near her. She strained her eyes to look through the darkness at the shape of the most frightening vision that she had ever encountered. A massive hound-like beast with glowing red eyes, darker than the surrounding night and seeming only a foot less than her height, approached her stealthily. Twin streams of vapour issued from its nostrils. The sight nearly froze her but in the next second, she whipped her head to the side to see another one of them about to close in. Carol whimpered pathetically, and Emerald felt that her arm would break in her friend's crushing grasp.

"Please let go, Carol," she whispered, jerking her hand furiously to break Carol's hold. "You've got to run! Your friends are already on the way. I'll distract these...these... monsters. You need to run and run until you find someone to help you. Don't look back, understand?" she stressed, vigorously shaking Carol until her eyes raised to fasten onto hers. "Go! Now! Run!" She gave the girl a push which sent her stumbling, but maintained her look of fierce command. "I said, NOW!" Faltering for a few seconds, Carol finally seemed to regain independent movement and bolted away from the scene.

Emerald now found herself facing not just two, but five hellish hounds. They slowly converged on her, zeroing in on their prey. A part of her mind not yet numbed with fear wondered why any of these beasts hadn't made a run for Carol. It was still a little comfort to know that her friend was going to make it, even if she didn't. There was no way she could escape these hellhounds, but she decided that if this was to be her end, she would go down fighting. Her hopelessness gave way to new courage. Kneeling down, she retrieved the remaining knives from her boots and planted herself firmly in front of one approaching hound.

The leading hound stopped only feet away from her and bared teeth that glinted like sharp daggers in the pale moonlight. She saw no tongue in its mouth; it was filled instead with a fiery-red glow. Emerald's nascent courage seemed to drain out of her in the face of the beast's surreal features. Unable to stand the terror any longer, she threw a knife hard at it. The blade bit into its foreleg, and the wood once more erupted with howls. A hound to her left charged at her, close enough to take the frantic thrust of her second knife into its chest. But to her horror, the beasts didn't seem to show any signs of weakening. The wounds where the blades had penetrated now ran with a thin stream of fiery-red blood, glowing like molten lava.