Branches whipped at the siblings as they did their best to keep their heads down. Charlotte had opted to stay off the main road, having broken through the approaching Shade. Her paws pounded at the forest floor beneath them, a thunderous sound that echoed into the trees. Their rhythmic beat began to slow, far from the church they had just escaped.
Daniel leaned forward, his chest resting over Lilith. He felt her shivering. Her breathing had become erratic and her forehead was cold to the touch. “Why’d we stop? Lilith needs help!”
“I, *pant*, I know. I have not *pant* carried so many people before...” Charlotte could barely form a sentence from exhaustion.
Damien’s ears perked up, their attention caught by a familiar feeling, “There’s Shade nearby!”
“Charlotte we gotta go!” Daniel added in a panic.
She tried to take a step, but her limbs failed to keep steady as she whimpered, “I cannot… I need a moment.”
As if materializing from the trees, a large Shade lumbered from the thicket, attracted to the racing emotions. It’s body was tall like a tree while it’s black hide mimicked the texture of bark. Its entire form looked like a warped tree’s shadow.
“A Treant…” Daniel breathed in horrified awe, “W-we can’t fight that.”
“We don’t need to defeat it,” Damien jumped from Charlotte’s back while summoning their weapon, “We just need to buy some time.” While they tried to speak confidently they knew this Shade was far beyond them.
The creature groaned, it’s call sounding like the creak of a falling tree. It moved like it wanted to attack before its legs gave out and it stumbled down. It crashed to the dirt, the impact rustling the surrounding foliage. As its body crumbled into ash, a familiar figure was revealed to be behind it.
Damien’s eyes widened, “Black knight?”
The Slayer looked to them with wild eyes as he panted. He was too breathless to speak, but his desperate expression said everything. He looked behind him as three more Treants revealed themselves.
Damien looked to Daniel, “We gotta help him!”
“What? No way! He attacked Charlotte!”
“If we don’t do something we’ll all die!”
Charlotte said nothing. Her body was tense and she wanted to run, but her limbs refused to carry on. She hated the Slayer, but she desperately wanted to protect her comrades. Finally she looked to Damien with fierce eyes, “Go.”
They nodded and quickly ran to the Black knight’s side.
Daniel grit his teeth. He wanted to help, but he couldn’t leave Lilith behind. Her breathing was growing shallow and she was in obvious pain. He couldn’t imagine what a Nephilim felt after being attacked by a stone’s magic. “Dammit,” he spat bitterly, “This is all my fault.” Reluctantly he waited on Charlotte’s back with his spellbook at the ready.
Damien reached the Slayer and stood beside him while looking at at the coming threat, “Um, Mr. Black Kni-”
“Alex.”
"Ah, Alex, what's the best way to fight these things?"
"Attack leg," he stated before darting off to the nearest Shade.
"Attack leg?" Damien repeated in confusion before seeing Alex slashing at the creature’s limbs, “Oh, got it!”
Damien kept pace as they fought the Shade. Both creatures loomed over them as they brought down their mighty arms, but Alex was unfazed. He radiated a calm serenity that kept Damien’s mind clear. They got ahead of him and drew the Treant’s attention, darting between them with a gust of leaves and swift slashes to both enemies. As they drew their attention, Alex followed up. His greatsword cleaved through the thick, bark-like hides of the Shade. Damien kept it up, their rapid strikes drawing attention and keeping the pressure off of Alex.
As the fight wore on, Alex had yet to use any magic. He maintained a defensive posture, ready to punish the Treants with a devastating slash any moment they gave him an opening. Damien recognized the firm-footed stance and techniques. His sword left behind red trails of light as he swung, a sign of knight skills meant to reinforce one’s attacks. The few swings of his blade tore through the air and the Shades with it, hacking through them in a few swings.
The two panted as the last Shade collapsed into black dust. Alex bowed to Damien, “Thank you.”
Damien nodded in return before looking around, “I just hope there isn’t more. Those things usually come in bigger groups than three.”
“There was six.”
“Six?!”
“Damien!” Daniel called out as Charlotte bounded over to the two. His face was etched with worry, “Charlotte tried healing Lilith but it’s not working, she needs a doctor!”
“We gotta get back and find a hospital!” Damien’s face fell, “But, Merianca’s so big, and Lilith threw the map away…”
Alex walked over and looked to Daniel, “Are you hurt?”
“Lilith is, not that it’s any of your business.”
The Slayer’s gaze shifted to Lilith, then to Charlotte. He hesitated for a moment before sheathing his sword. He turned to Damien, “I can show you the doctor.”
Their eyes lit up, “Really?”
Charlotte growled, “How can we trust him?”
Alex turned back to Damien, “Take it for my thanks.”
Damien frowned for a moment as they processed what he said. His accent was quite thick, and his way of phrasing was rather strange. Despite that, Damien could tell he was being honest. They looked to the others, “We either trust him or wander the city for help!”
Daniel and Charlotte exchanged looks of defeat. The only one among them that knew their way around was Lilith. Without her, they would have to rely on asking strangers or locating another map.
Daniel glowered, "Fine, but if he tries anything, there's gonna be hell to pay!
Charlotte grunted as the siblings climbed atop her tired body. Before Alex had a chance to join them, Charlotte spun on her paws and grabbed his collar in her mouth. He went to protest, but was cut off by her muffled command, “Hold on!” She pushed herself forward before breaking back into a sprint. With Alex shouting over the thundering of her paws, they raced back to Mericana, Lilith quietly shivering in Daniel’s arms.
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