Rising Anew Chapter 14 War Cries!!!
#31 of Rising Anew
Rising Anew -Chapter 14, War Cries!!!-
"YAGAAAAAAHHHH!!!!! YAGAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!"
The war cries of the horde at their back hastened the hunters retreat. The heavy pounding hooves hammered the forest floor as the horde closed in and began to form a semi circle around the group.
"We arent going to make it back in time!!!" Didge cried out as he rushed headlong towards the glade.
"Why are those things helping Marcerous?!" Narcenac shouted. How had that vicious monster managed to amass so many allies in such a short time... Why would they serve someone like him... These questions burned in Narcenac's mind as he ran.
"They are the ones from the Recorder's tomes! The creatures who changed after we arrived! They are Grimloth. They think we only want to kill them and are always trying to pick us off one at a time! But they are amassing together... this is very bad! The Glade is in danger if we dont warn them!" Menota explained hurriedly.
Out of nowhere, a flash of light caught Narcenacs eye and out of the instincts his training had created, he ducked as a blade whistled over his head. The Grimloth snarled and tried to butt him with its horns as it brought the sword back for another swing. Narcenac jumped to the side, the others running on without noticing. With a roar of defiance, the young tiger slashed at the beast with his claws, his other paw reaching for the knife at his waist. A roar of pain filled his ears as his claws raked over the creatures eye and down its neck. Quickly it brought its sword back up, others catching up with them. Narcenac caught the blade with his knife and growled. He knew if he didnt end this quickly he would be overrun. Suddenly he saw what he had to do. Without a second thought, he ran towards the nearest tree as the Grimloth chased him and shot up the trunk, then backflipped off and brought the blade of his knife into the base of his foes neck. The creature crumpled to the ground lifeless, its mouth slowly opening and closing in a silent cry of death.
"LETS GO TIGER!!!" Dadge cried out to Narcenac, shocking him back into motion. Quickly he sprinted to catch up and ran side by side with Soma. Without a word or emotion to betray her, she let loose two knives which were soon followed by shrieks of the dying. Narcenac knew that she was as deadly as any other despite her meekness. He felt strong and powerful with such friends at his side.
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"The air has grown stale... something is wrong tonight..." Papaw whispered as he looked to the forests.
"What is it Papaw?" Narina asked curiously. She turned her eyes in the direction he was staring to. She thought she heard roars in the distance, but it was too hard to tell.
"Go, tell your grandmother to call the defenses... I fear we will need them soon..." Papaw ordered with a calm tone.
Narina looked at him for a moment, then nodded and ran to the edge of the wall and jumped down. Quickly and quietly she made her way to the library where she knew Purrma was sure to be. Silently she searched through the shelves of books until she came across Purrma lounging in an armchair napping with a book laying across her chest. Narina couldnt help but stop for a moment and smile before she slowly shook her awake.
"Purrma, wake up, Papaw says we must ready the defenses!" She cried out quietly.
Purrma shook herself lightly and shot up in the chair. "What is happening dear? Did he say anything else?"
"No, he just said to get ready. He thought we would need the defenses tonight." Narina replied excitedly. The thought that something was happening was making her body pulse with adrenaline.
"Go, get your bow, meet me at the main tree and we will prepare for whatever the night might throw at us." Purrma said, rushing out of the library. Soon the entire Glade was bustling with excitement as warriors laced on armour, sharpened weapons, and took up posts around the wall and interior of the glade.
Narina couldnt help but feel like Aragorn from the Lord of the Rings. The battle of helmsdeep kept bursting to her mind. She hoped it didnt go that far, but the excitement was rather enjoyable.
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The bodies of several Grimloth lay strewn through the forest as Narcenac and Menota's troop rushed onward. Exhaustion was beginning to tear at their legs and lungs as they forced themselves to keep running. Didge had a large gash to his left arm where a Grimloth had managed to land a lucky blow while his comrade fell under Didge's sword. Menota was splattered with the blood of several foes and she began to smell of rotten meat. Narcenac himself had a cut on his rump, where a spear had just barely missed his hip. All of them were aching from the strain of their flight.
"They are falling back Mistress." Soma exclaimed with some relief.
"Well, we have killed about fourty of them, maybe they are just rethinking their strategy." the rusty-hued tigress replied. She hoped that was all they were doing.
The group slowed its pace to a trot, trying to catch their breath as they kept on the move. This night had proven more eventful than they had ever hoped it would.
The moonlit sky echoed with the pained cries of the wounded and dying. The moon itself seemed to take on an eery crimson hue and the roars of frustration rattled the leaves on the trees.
"They escaped, and now they will warn those fools at the glade!" Marcerous roared at the Grimloth before him. "This will make this more difficult than ever... but.. I WILL have those two cubs!!"