Out in the cool air, the blaze had spread to several of the other buildings and had now begun to burn uncontrollably, as the flames leaped from structure to structure around the tightly packed town square. The rot and darkness that had filled the town seemed to tremble with fear in the presence of the celestial wildfire.
In the distance the two girls could see reams of divine lightning pour from the clouds setting aflame the surrounding rancid woodland. The crackling roar of the town settled into a comforting background din around the paladin and the witch. In the middle of the town the flames were warm and yet, not uncomfortable.
“Audrashni smiles.” Quoted Divina the corners of her mouth turning reluctantly from concern to joy.
Divina Knew that wouldn't last. And then Without herald, a howling wind followed on the heels of the storm bringing the flames higher and higher devouring the scourge that had overtaken this land.
“I found this,” Philippa handed over the shining silver dagger Divina had used to free her from the accursed altar.
Divina gently pushed it back into the girls hand. “Keep it. I don’t think I could wield it very well right now anyway.” Divina took the lead still cradling her wounded arm. “Come. The road is this way.”
Divina pointed southward towards the forest path. It appeared to be the only way out through the flames. She turned back to Philippa. The girl stood, staring transfixed into the veiled darkness of the temple.
“But, my family-” the words trailed and Divina could almost hear the space in that sentence, now filled with silent tears.
“I’m so sorry, Philippa. Those things aren’t your family any longer. They haven’t been your family for some time." She stepped toward Philippa intending to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. She hesitated and instead add lowered her hand and added. "You already knew that though.” It wasn't a question and didn't invite any more conversation. Divina could feel her own tears roll down her face to join Philippa’s mourning.
The two stood for some time in the square watching the flames grow and consume the memory of Orholt. Weeping in silence for all the injustice that had taken place.
With her back toward Divina, the young girl cast a dark and ominous silhouette, framed by flame, that reminded Divina of something she could only half remember. It sent an unnatural chill down her spine. She let out a shudder and found herself transfixed in a moment of trying to remember. Was it the remnants of a dream that had long ago escaped in her mind? Or maybe it was a forgotten conversation that had taken place between her and Akkoni in the witching hour after an exhausting day? Or perhaps, a long gone tale in a childhood book, that had been read to her by a parent she had never really known? Whatever it was, she couldn’t quite place it. She couldn't pin point it but whatever it was, it left a dark hollow space in her stomach. An empty void that had been filled with screams. The screams of people, terrified and alone. A scream of hopeless terror.
The scream rang out from Philippa, shaking Divina from her pondering thoughts. The scream from the girl rolled out in a shriek and quickly and was quickly gobbled up by the roar of the flames that came from all around them. In her half-remembered daze, Divina had failed to notice that one of the rot beasts had descended on silk threads from the trees above. As it swung itself to the ground, dozens of pincered arms gnashed, as it predatorily maneuvered between the Philippa and Divina. It had closed the gap between Philippa and itself an instant before Divina could react. Tiny claws snapped at the air around Philippa trying to draw enough blood from the girl to render her incapable of fighting back. She wearily backed away but it wasn’t long before several of the creature's long limbs had scratched against her delicate fey-skin and their barbs had torn her flesh. She screamed again in pain and fell back onto the blood-darkened, dry dust of the street to try to get away.
“Philippa, I’m coming!” Divina snarled and rushed toward the other girl filled with terror.
She had only made it a half dozen faltering steps before three more of the creatures emerged from the shadows and surrounded the warrior, cutting her off entirely from the witch-girl. Legs moved in rippling waves, as the beasts began to cautiously advance closing the circle making it almost impossible for the Paladin to go around. At least, not unarmed. Divina reached for her blade with a practiced movement and blinding pain burst from her wrist. She let out a cry of pain. Nursing her wounded arm, she cursed her injury, as she was helpless to do anything but watch the other girl holding the silver dagger in her trembling, outstretched hand and desperately attempting to fend off the rot-beast. She tried again to move to Philippa's aid but one of the creatures closed in directly between the two girls forcing Divina to fall back to a safer distance.
In the centre of the circle of burning buildings the creature crawled closer and closer to Philippa. Its undulating limbs moved in a hypnotically nauseating pattern. Philippa slashed wildly without forethought or training at the probing claws and managed to sever a few of the unlucky arms that came too close to the flashing silver blade. They fell to the floor and continued to wriggle as if still part of the rot-beast, but for each spindly limb she sliced from the creature, there were still a dozen more legs to take its place. The onslaught of skin-snagging barbs and serrated snapping claws kept pressing towards her. Philippa thought it couldn't get much worse and then she glimpsed among the tangle of skittering legs and ripping claws and vicious barbs was a disgusting looking maw, filled with hundreds of needle-like teeth. She lunged toward the beast and the blade bounced off its steel-hard chitinous shell. Its body was like two iron round shields that made the creature’s hide almost impenetrable. Philippa managed to accidentally strike this shell several times and hoped that it would wound the beast but no matter how successful each strike had been they had little-to-no-effect. She paid for her efforts and gave the claws and opening that they hungrily took. Philippa drew back her arms to find that the tiny wounds that covered them now dripped with a bright green viscous liquid that bubbled where it met her blood.
From the centre of the square Divina looked on with a sickening impotence. Little by little the monster's claws ripped and shredded at Philippa’s clothes and skin. She felt sickened as she heard the young girl cry out in pain. All the while the other three creatures that kept them apart, closed their deadly circle, occasionally testing her with hesitant strikes that she barely dodged. The creatures had time and they knew it. Divina knew it too. They were waiting to close in on their doomed prey.
Comments (0)
See all