Into the Night
"In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten, then he who continues the attack wins."
Ulysses S. Grant
Sliding his knife across the creature's throat, Caedmon quickly backed off and turned to the others above him. "We need to move quickly! Kill any creature in your path and then we will rally my men."
Turning back towards Nightridge, he could feel a pit growing in the bottom of his stomach. This was his home, the place where no evil had dared to touch. Seeing it now, with the pillars of flames swirling into the evening sky and hearing the screams of the dead or dying, the dread crashed over him.
Gripping his sword tightly in his hand, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, smelling the forest air swirl around him. He took comfort in the nature that surrounded them.
Ready now, he lifted a hand to signal his men before starting down the hillside.
***
"We need to move, Katherine." Declan turned to look at her. She was sitting on her horse, staring at the scene below with a blank face. When she didn't acknowledge him, he tried again. "Are you alright?"
"Hmm?" She blinked and shook her head before turning to him. "What did you say?"
"We need to move. Are you able to fight?"
"Of...of course." She started nodding and gave him a smirk. "Just a little reminiscent of how we met, isn't it?"
Declan frowned. He never considered how this would affect her. He jumped down from his horse and walked towards her, keeping one eye on the scene below. Placing one hand on the horse's neck, he looked up at Katherine.
"I will understand if you don't want to help."
"No, I do." She closed her eyes for a moment before turning back to look at him. "I need to do this."
"You don't need to prove anything. Caedmon believes in you. I believe in you."
Now Katherine smiled, her eyes warming. "I know that, and thank you...but I need to prove to myself that I can do this. It was one thing to go against the bandits, to get this far, but I am here to help you defeat Demonica, and so that is what I will do." Slipping down from the horse, she grabbed her own sword and stepped beside Declan. "Let's do this."
Declan smiled now and nodded. Turning to face the scene below, he grabbed Katherine's hand briefly and squeezed it. "Let's go." Removing his hand quickly, he started down the slope, Katherine at his side.
***
Orelius swung his sword again, slicing off the arm of one of the creatures. It squealed and staggered a few steps before turning and lashing out at him. Sidestepping quickly, Orelius hit it with the handle of his sword and kicked it to the ground.
A quick swing and the creature's head rolled away. Turning his attention to the scene behind him, he jumped at another creature that was attempting to drag a young girl to the side. When he got closer her realized the creature was dragging Rosie behind it.
"HELP!" she screeched. She tried to swing at the creature, but her arms were pulled right to her sides under her cloak.
Within a couple minutes the creature was lying motionless on the road and Rosie was getting helped shakily to her feet by Orelius.
"Run and hide, child," he hissed, pushing her towards a building. "I'll be right behind you." He turned and swung at another creature that latched itself onto his leg, trying to pull him to the ground.
***
"When did this start?" Caedmon demanded the first person he met on the outskirts of the town.
"I don't know. The sun was still in the sky." The boy's face was streaked with mud and his eyes wild. He twisted out of Caedmon's grasp and darted off into the darkness behind him.
Weaving quickly through the surging crowd that poured through the entrance to the town, soon he found himself in the midst of the towering flames. He cast his gaze quickly over the scene, trying to find some of his men but found none.
Pushing forward, he continued into the fray.
***
"We can't go in that way." Katherine stopped and grabbed Declan's arm. He whirled to face her, his expression confused.
"Why not?"
She pointed to the crowd rushing up the hill towards him. "Are you blind?! It would take us forever to get through there." Tightening her grip on his arm, she forced him to meet her faze. "You saw that creature just as I, and if that means Demonica is here, we must get to the centre of this destruction."
"Then what do you suggest?"
Grateful for the light cast by the burning buildings, Katherine easily identified a small inconsequential door further along the wall from where they had originally entered Nightridge. "There!" She grabbed Declan's hand and led him through the night.
***
Rolling out of the way as the creature jumped at him, Makom jumped to his feet and attacked. The creatures were swarming around him now, drawing closer and closer. For every creature he was able to fend off two more replaced it and he was beginning to lose hope.
He had sent the men around the city, hoping to save as many people as they could but the number of bodies that littered the ground around him ripped a hole into the pit of his stomach.
Dodging another strike, he tripped and cast his gaze to the ground. A small stuffed bear sat at his feet, trampled in the dust, its owner long gone.
Agony bloomed in his back and he staggered forward, the bear forgotten. He swung around to see a creature swinging with him, its talons lodged into his back. He reached back, trying to pull it off, but before he could move another creature latched onto his arms, pulling him to the ground.
The dirt was sticky beneath him, and he tried to spit out the metallic tang that was spreading through his mouth. From his position now he could see the bear again, its fur matted from years of use. Briefly he wondered about the fate of its owner. Were they safe? They would miss their friend.
The weight on top of him was increasing in every passing moment, and Makom forced away the darkness that was ebbing into the corners of his vision.
This was not over yet.
It couldn't be.
Shifting his arm slowly, he was able to reach out and grasp onto the stuffed bear. He pulled the bear towards him and held it close as he braced himself against the ground.
With a groan he heaved himself up, dislodging some of the creatures that had piled onto him. His arms shook but he managed to roll out from under the mass.
Still tangled on the ground, most of the creatures took no notice of him as he stumbled away. He focused on what thought now, trying to ward away the pain that still ached in his back.
He needed to return the bear.
Down the streets he went, searching for a child looking for their friend. The heat was steadily growing as the fire spread through the city that was once safe, the city that was overlooked by the demon and her minions.
Dark thoughts blossomed in his mind, completely unheeded.
"It's that witch's fault."
He turned to gaze into an open doorway. Seeing nothing, he continued on.
"No woman is capable. No." He shook his head, a smile slowly spreading across his face. "Next time I won't let her escape."
He turned his gaze to the sky, barely able to see the twinkling stars behind the haze of smoke. Calmness spread through him, and the dark thoughts dissipated. "What's happening to me?"
"Oh, my dear, you are dying of course. My darkness is more potent when your will and life energy is weak."
Blinking quickly, he swung around. A woman was standing in front of him, and his heart stumbled at her beauty. She was mesmerizing, and he felt no desire to look away from her.
"W-how..." The words were forced through his mouth. His tongue felt thick and obtrusive.
She glided forward and brought a hand up to stroke his face. "My creatures have done their work well, I'm afraid. You do not have long now." She tapped his cheek lightly before pulling away. "You were a willing pawn, Makom Rhysoning, but I am afraid you failed me. You were supposed to stop that witch from going to see the Oracle."
Falling to his needs, Makom was filled with the overwhelming need to satisfy this woman's demands. "Please," the words flowed freely now, "let me try again. I know I can be of use to you. Let me serve you."
"Hmm..." She tapped her chin, deep in thought. "I suppose you could still be of use to me. But you must swear to follow my every command now. There is no going back once you swear yourself to Demonica."
"Yes mistress."
"Swear."
"I swear upon all that exists, upon my life will I serve you. I only wish for your happiness."
"Very well." Her gaze pinned him in place. She began muttering beneath her breath and energy crackled in the air around them.
The air began to swirl around them, the warmth caressing Makom's aching body. Slowly as the air began to pick up speed, the ache in his back began to disappear until his body felt perfectly healed. The force keeping him on his needs disappeared, and the climbed to his feet.
"What did you do to me?"
The woman shrugged and laughed quietly, the sound carrying through the air and ripping at his ears. The laugh was piercing, grating, the thing that would wake you up in the middle of the night. Shivers ran down Makom's body and he tried his best not to cringe.
"You will survive this night, Rhysoning, but do not see yourself so fortunate if you disobey me again."
Smoke billowed out of the building next to them, swirling around until Makom had to shut his eyes to help ward away the burning sensation. When he opened them again Demonica was gone.
He had no idea what he had just given himself into.
Instead of dwelling on the thought, however, he turned back to the fight behind him, to the girls still being dragged from their families, and flames consuming his home.
The night was far from over.