The Hunters

Chapter 14 part 3

Roma takes a small leap forward, taunting us as we both stagger backwards. If he could, I'm almost certain he would be laughing at us. Eros reaches his arm out and pulls me further behind him, holding his hammer out in front of him. Normally I'd be a little pissed about being manhandled, but to be honest with the way that Roma is currently looking at us, I feel it makes more sense not to challenge Eros this time. However I have no idea what he plans to do, if anything. He doesn't appear to be willing to make an attack.

It doesn't take me too long to figure out why. Behind some trees near to Roma, a few of the creatures approach. If Eros attacks Roma, they will surely join the battle and we will be overwhelmed; while we may just be able to ward of the creatures alone, with the wolf involved, I don't see that we stand a chance.

My chest tightens as I see how many are approaching.

We're so screwed.

Turning my head slightly, I notice that there is a clear path to our left, but it wont be long until that is filled with the creatures too as they continue to move closer to us. It might be our only potential way out of this, but I know Roma is probably faster than both of us.

Eros's hand squeezes my arm - I never even noticed he hadn't removed it, but I know he knows what I had been thinking. He takes his hand away, his body forming a more offensive stance. Roma glares at him, stooping as if preparing to pounce.

"Ria..." my grip tightens on my chakram, the sound of my heartbeat pounding in my ears almost too loud to hear him.

He turns slightly, looking at me in the corner of his eye. "Go." He grips his hammer, and Roma leaps forward. I know immediately that there is no room for argument.

As fast as my heavily protesting body will go, I leg it. To where, I have no idea.

Some of the creatures surrounding the area start clumsily making there way towards me, gradually building up speed which makes me push to go impossibly faster. I can hear Eros and Roma fighting, with the latter snarling loudly, followed by a thud - though I try not to think about what that sound means.

While trying to avoid numerous arrows, I stumble, almost having at least one of them hit me. In that split second, the creatures start to catch up to me, one of them finally close enough to swing a club at me. I duck, managing to avoid being hit, and then lunge forward, slashing my chakram's blade at the creature's outstretched arm, slicing it almost clean off. The creature drops it's club and wails, staring at it's flopping limb. Another creature not to far away from it reaches out and touches it's hand, voicing a strangled "Oooh!" sound as its own hand becomes covered in the bubbling blood.

Wasting no time, I leave the two confused creatures behind, but the time it took to occupy them has cost me. More of them are closing in, and though I don't look behind me I can tell that I am virtually surrounded based on the cacophony of gurgling around me. My breath catches in my throat as one of them scratches as my back, ripping at my top. As I turn to see it, it grabs at my shoulder and I slash the chakram's blade at its side, though this does nothing to deter it. I try to push it off me as it claws its dirty nails at my chest but its body is too heavy for me to move, and I instead lose footing. My chakram falls from my hand and cuts into my knee as it falls.

Another creature, now close enough to aid my attacker, swings its club at me. It hits my side, winding me as I have no opportunity to duck down. I try to bend down and retrieve my chakram with no luck, as it is kicked to the side and I am yanked to the side and struck again with a club. This time my side feels like it has gone up in flames, and I scream, but I try to carry on fighting. There's no opening for me to run, so I lunge at one of my attackers, grabbing at its club and trying to pry it away. The creature's hand pushes at my stomach but despite the burning pain I don't relent, bringing my other hand up to it's face and digging my nails in, trying to scratch at its eyes. I succeed, the creature shrieking as its grip loosens, allowing me to yank the club from it. Now holding it with both hands, I begin swinging it towards any creature that approaches, and though it makes them stumble slightly it doesn't appear to hurt them, so they continue to come closer. I realise that if I want to get out of this in one piece, I need to get my chakram back, so I quickly scan the floor to find it. I see it not too far away, just behind most of the creatures, so I head towards it, trying to hit the creatures out of the way for just long enough for me to make my way through and grab my chakram.