Rising Anew -Chapter 10, Old Enemies cont.-
#11 of Rising Anew
Rising Anew -Chapter 10, Old Enemies cont.-
Narcenac heard each peel of the battle bells grow quieter as he ran. Those blades of death clashed over and over and he was left wondering how his grandfather was fareing. He had not known his grandfather was a fighter. This gentle easy going old man he had grown up with all his life had always been the one to put down fights and to keep everyone at peace. Narcenac slowly realized he had to rethink his entire family. What they were capable of, what they knew, and most importantly, what they were.
All of those thoughts flooded in his mind, but the one key thought he saw above all others, was about the creature. It had seemed to know about he and Narina and worse... it had wanted them only. Once again he had to ask himself what made them so special.
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"HOLD on cutie! wait for us!" came a strange voice from out of the branches above with a hint of laughter in it.
Suddenly three tigers and two wolves landed running next to the group. Two of the tigers seemed almost like mirror copies of one another, both had fur a very beautiful shade of navy blue and stunningly vivid forest green eyes. Both males had reversed marks on them to further the concept of being mirror images of one another. The other tiger was a tall slender female with a coat of fur that was a brilliant rust color, and strangely penetrating red eyes. The bigger of the two wolves had long strong legs and massive arms and paws. Strapped to his back was a bow that looked as if it couldnt be drawn by five people. His fur seemed to shift from black to white as the shimmer of the snow seemed to skitter across his pelt. His smaller counterpart was a young very shy looking female. She was a slight peachish color, as though she had rolled in them. Around her arms were small sashes filled with daggers and long thick needles.
Narina and Narcenac were astounded at the nights discoveries. It had arisen in their minds that there might be others like them of other species when they found Tarsus, but they had not counted on so many different types and could only wonder at how many different species there really were.
"What you running from sweeties?" the slender female tiger asked cheerily.
"Papaw, he told us to get to the Glade, a monster attacked us!" Narina yelled as she ran.
"Monster? what kind of monster? and where is Carnisian?" the big wolf asked.
"A giant creature that looked like some kind of wolf/goat hybrid!" Narcenac shouted back.
"Marcerous!" all of the new comers shouted as they sped up and drew their various weapons.
"Soma! You and Didge and Dadge go back, help Carnisian, kill that brute if you get the chance, but get Carnisian away from there and yourselves as well!" the slender tiger ordered, her cheerful air gone now.
"Yes mistress Menota!" the shy looking Soma saluted as herself and the twin tigers reversed direction and sped back into the darkness towards Papaw and the monsterous Marcerous.
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"You have grown old, i on the other hand, Strong!" Marcerous roared as he sheared the air with his blade. His swing was cut short by a swift kick to the stomach.
"With age comes experience, with experience, wisdom. Why do you still do this? You didnt have to be like this!" Carnisian replied. Stroking upward with his short blade, he managed to clip the fur off of the beasts shoulder.
"Why?! You ask me why!? I was made for this! This is glorious! The blood of the dead that lie before me is a triumph! Even that bitch you called a daughter, hers was the sweetest of all!" the hybrid taunted, slashing out at the tiger and finally scoring a stab as the old male faltered at the words of his daughters demise. The blood trickled down the blade as the tip lay burried in his neck.
Kicking out again but missing as his foe forsaw this move and jumped away pulling his blade free, Carnisian grabbed his neck and felt the hot blood between his fingers.
"You fool! Naori loved you like a brother! And you used that to get close and kill her... It wasnt her fault you are what you are!" he managed to shout, realizing the damage wasnt fatal. He soon began to feel the drain that the blood loss was putting on him though and knew it wouldnt be long before he was no match for the beast.
"Naori was a fool, like you, a selfless brat... There is only the self in this world! she should have seen that! She deserved to die! like all of the rest of you and your pathetic species!" Marcerous roared. His blade moved faster and faster, he knew he was overpowering the grey tiger and pressed all the harder for it. "Now, join her and let me feast on your body!" he growled, slamming his blade as hard as he could across Carnisians. He chuckled as the blade broke, his victory all but assured.
Suddenly two sharp pains hit Marcerous clearly in the back above his kidneys. He roared in pain as he ran to the trees and cover. Reaching back he jerked the two needles from his back and spun around, to see where they had come from. He watched as the twins ran with Carnisian between them. Soma standing weary and ready with two more needles. Marcerous knew that the needles he was hit with were aimed there for a reason, he no longer could move his legs quickly. While up close he would still be dangerous, he could not chase.
"Damn you Carnisian! I'll kill you!! I'll kill all of you!" he roared into the night and slid behind the tree as the two needles Soma had been holding burried themselves into the trunk of the tree where his head had been.
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The night grew colder as the threat the monster had issued settled on the fleeing group as they made their way into the Glade of Shadows. Wounds needed tending and greetings needed made. Safety had found them for now.