The abandoned neighborhood was completely still and Sadie didn't like it one bit. They had been traveling for days at this point and they hadn't encountered a single monster, which was rather odd considering that she had been using her magic quite often since they had gotten out of the cave. Snow still covered the ground, the cold air making their breath fog.
"Search the houses, there might be supplies or survivors," Jenny said, grabbing Jack's arm before he could run off, "As for you three, you're going to walk with me,"
"Why can't we help?" Jack grumbled, his body buzzing with the need for adventure.
"There might be some unpleasant things you don't need to see," Jenny answered and that made Jack still, unease rolling off him. Sadie couldn't blame him. Although the thought of exploring was tempting, she didn't want to discover something...dead.
"Shout if something happens," Sam said before he went off with Popi, Henry and Owen going off in another direction. Jenny walked them through the empty streets, staying clear of the houses that had been reduced to piles of rubble.
"Do you think there are any monsters here?" Pang asked as they made their way through the street.
"I don't sense any," Sadie said as she looked around. Of course, she wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for. She wasn't sure if what she felt at Grandma's house was what monsters always radiated, but she still left her senses open for the possibility.
"Don't get your hopes up Sadie, monsters have been hiding from us for thousands of years. They are masters of stealth and can easily hide their location," Jenny said in a mysterious tone that made Sadie giggle. "Though, it wouldn't hurt to be on guard," she added as wind swept through, the hint of Jenny's magic urging it on.
A shriek rang through the air and a shout that sounded like Henry followed. The group froze, tense with anticipation. Sadie couldn't pick up anything, her magic going crazy as she searched. The sound of steel cut through the air and a yelp. Henry was in trouble, something was happened. Could it be traitors? Could Owen be a-
Before Sadie could finish that thought, Owen came flying over a building, looking ragged. His shirt was torn and his magic was raging.
"Monsters, Henry's leading them away. We have to hide the kids, quickly," Owen grabbed Jack's hand and they all ran off.
Sadie quickly followed the two of them as the sound of fighting echoed over the rubble of the houses. She hoped that Henry wouldn't end up getting hurt. If he did, she really would punch him this time.
"Quickly, in here!" Jenny exclaimed, ducking into the doorway of a semi-collapsed house. The place leaked faintly of death and what Sadie could have guessed was monster. Malice then hit her square in the face and she choked as she was temporarily blinded by the sudden murderous intent. A hand grabbed her arm and she was dragged into somewhere dark. Sadie put a tight lid on Courage and the malice lifted, leaving her staring at the crooked door of a pantry. Owen stood by her, his eyes trained on the door. Something was outside, making the light dim as it passed the door. Breath that reeked of blood filled the small space and left Sadie trying not to gag.
"I thought she was here!" a rough voice growled, "I swear her disgusting magic was all over this pile of rubble!" A hiss and the sound of something large crashing into wood made Sadie wince.
"Shut up you worm!" a monster screeched and Sadie felt her magic try to wrestle itself free from her tight hold. Her monster was on the other side of this door. Owen's hold on her tightened and he took out his dagger. "I can't point out her scent...too many human scents interfering" he roared in frustration, shaking the little shack that the two were hiding in.
"Fenris, the angel has wiped half our ranks!" a new monster said.
"Keep him cornered, his magic will run low eventually. I'm not leaving without someones blood smeared on the floor," her monster, who was apparently named Fenris, replied.
"Two more angels on the move!!!!" the first monster hissed and Fenris hissed.
"What are you waiting for?!" he roared and the two other monsters slithered off to go deal with the rising problem. A minute of quiet passed and Sadie was wondering whether he had left or not. She was too scared to let Courage loose though. They had tracked her down because of it. After another minute of nothing, Owen put his dagger away and was about to open the door when something smashed into it. The jarring sound nearly made Sadie yelp, but she managed to bite her tongue and noises of Fenris going on an angry rampage came from the other side of the weak door.
"I know you're here you little bug! Come out and I'll give your friends the mercy of a quick death," Fenris snapped. Sadie shook her head as she pressed her back against the wall. Even with her magic, he was still as terrifying as she remembered. "Your magic is a very powerful tool...already you can hide the scent of your fear," he hissed. The light that shone into their small hiding spot danced and she couldn't help but whimper softly.
"Sir! Sir they're too much!" another monster shrieked, "The ice wielder is freezing our troops left and right. We must retreat for today or we run the risk of weakening our army."
Fenris growled, clearly not happy with the idea, and shouted, "Next time we meet, I will not be as forgiving as I was today!" With a final roar, he and the other monster departed. Sadie stood there, shock making it difficult to move. She breathed like she had just tried to run for her life and she certainly felt like she just did. She wiped her sweaty palms on her pants and swallowed.
"Maybe we should wait for a bit-" Owen never got to finish his sentence. Sadie was already opening the door and staring at the empty ruins of the house.
She stepped over newly broken furniture and called, "Pang?! Jack?!"
Jack's head poked out from under a pile of wood and he groaned, "We're here...we're over here!" Sadie rushed over and helped Jack out. Pang was not far behind him, coughing heavily through the sawdust.
"We need to get the others and leave," Jenny said as she slipped out from the shadows of the rubble, "I can't believe they found us after all the trouble we went through."
Owen shrugged, "What do you expect? They're monsters. They'll do anything to get rid of the one person who can take them down. Fenris seems to have a particularly big grudge against Sadie..."
Jenny usually pleasant face wrinkled unpleasantly with her scowl, "Fenris?! What's he doing here?!"
"Apparently, he's my monster..." Sadie said quietly and Jenny spit out a foul curse.
"Of course the commander of the monsters would be in charge of you..." Jenny muttered and marched out of the house, "Come on! Let's get out of here." Sadie swallowed a lump in her throat and followed Jenny.
Owen lagged behind and Sadie matched her pace to his, "Hey...thanks for saving me." He looked at her as she smiled at him, but he did not return it. He simply looked sad as he nodded. Sadie wanted to help him out, but she was worried the monsters would come racing back if she let Courage loose. Instead, she took his hand and the two of them followed the others in silence.
"Is everyone okay?! No on was taken?!" Popi called from the top of a pile of rubble.
"We're fine!" Jenny responded as she picked up Pang and Jack before flying up to join her. Owen did the same with Sadie.
"Henry?" Sadie asked and young angel sighed.
"That guy is a major pain in my neck. He's fine, just getting some treatment from Sam. He just had to try and take on the whole army by himself..."
"I had no choice!" Henry called up as his multiple scratches and bruises were treated by Sam, "Owen had to get Sadie to safety and you two weren't exactly in calling distance."
"That doesn't mean you get to throw yourself at the first monster you see!" Popi retorted with a flap of her wings that sent dust and dirt flying, "Honestly, you're just as bad as Rais is, always throwing yourself into harm's way."
"Can we not do this now?" Sadie interrupted, "Fenris could come back at anytime..." The name made the very air tense up and Henry muttered something foul.
"I thought we had lost him at Grandma's house," Sam said as he put his magic away.
"Apparently not..." Henry hissed as he stood and dusted himself off, "Let's get out of here."
The neighborhood was soon behind them and they were walking on the road surrounded by trees white with lingering snow. Sadie let her hold on Courage loosen. Instantly it brought her the anxious feelings of the others. It didn't go well with her own and she felt queasy. Without thinking, she gently pushed them back and compressed them. The mood shifted and everyone's tight faces loosened.
"Where do we go now?" Jenny asked as they walked.
"I'm still not sure," Sam replied, "but we have to keep moving." His hand grabbed hers and Sadie once again felt that strange feeling she didn't understand. She shrugged, knowing that messing with it would only make Sam's calm demeanor turn grouchy.
Pang inched closer to her and whispered, "You did that didn't you?"
"What?" Sadie asked.
"Made everyone feel better."
Jack joined their conversation on her otherside, "She totally did, who else could've done that."
Sadie shrugged, "All that worry was making me sick, it was like trying to eat brussel sprouts."
Jack snorted with laughter and Pang giggled before she said, "Still, you're getting pretty good with Courage."
"I still need to practice with my ooze though," Sadie sighed, "I've got a long way to go before I'm ready to face the monsters."
"I wish I had magic," Jack said, "you're so lucky."
"Yeah, it's pretty cool," Sadie said with a smile and she felt Courage sputter from the compliment.
"Come on you three, get a move on," Popi said as she came up behind them. They had been so deep in their conversation, they hadn't noticed how far they'd lagged behind. Frigid air brushed their backs and they sped up away from the angel. Popi chuckled softly, content finally wafting off her. Sadie smiled as they caught up to the others. Finally, someone was smiling for once. They group walked along in the quiet, the glistening landscape around them empty of monsters, allowing them a moment of much needed peace.