Attack

Here's something I started a few weeks ago. Thanks to all those who review my fics. It's the kind of encouragement that it makes the time I spend on them worthwhile.

A scream cut through the air. The small village in the mountains in the north lay in near ruin. Out of nowhere it seemed a monster had come and broke into the nearest store. Not finding whatever it was, the monster broke down the door of the first house it saw and continued. It did not seem to be looking for anything but to destroy as it chased whatever moved and tore down what stood in its way.

Alyssa grabbed her younger sister and ran through the door, slamming it behind her. The monster followed, smashing the door into kindling. She panted, her heart pounding so loud she couldn't hear it any more and her skin so cold she could only feel the burning heat of her sister's small hand. She pushed her sister ahead of her into the room that was her mother's and closed the door. It resisted and it was all she could to do to keep from screaming that she pushed against the door with all her strength to keep the monster out. She managed to close it and immediately locked in one swift move.

The door held but only because she whispered a spell under her breath as she held the child to her chest. The child did not even whimper but clung to her tighter than ivy. They were all they had now. Someone distracted the monster because the pounding stopped and a cry followed. Alyssa stood, picking up her sister and ran out of the room, looking everywhere for the monster to avoid it. She paused inside the living room of the house next to hers. The wall had been smashed and the furniture, though it wasn't much, had been thrown everywhere and destroyed. What being was this that wished them so much harm?

She ran out the hole where the door had once been, panting. The rest of the village's inhabitants had fled or had tried before they were taken down. She dared not look down but ahead so that she wouldn't trip over someone. She shifted her sister on her hip to her front so that the small girl would not see the horror. There was an inhuman roar behind her a ways. At the sound, her maroon eyes widened and she pell-mell down the road. She skidded on the floor of the only tavern in the town and ran past the stairs to the closet room next to the kitchen.

She set her sister down and began to knock on the wood, literally. The tavern was one of four places tunnels were made to help the villagers escape in times of raids, and landslides. She finally found the trapdoor behind the brooms and buckets and pulled her sister to it.

"I want you to stay here," she said with a surprisingly calm voice. "You'll be safe. I promise."

Then the raven-black-haired girl sobbed. She clung to her sister's neck and refused to go down the dark passage alone. The beast roared again. Mother of All Things, was it tracking them? Why?

"Listen to me Kas," Alyssa said, pulling her sister away from her, "I can keep the monster away if you stay hidden and say spells where he can't see you. I'll keep this place safe but only if you help me by hiding."

Kas was at an age and it was during a time where she would believe such a thing if only to not be left alone. Quietly she climbed down the exit and stayed up just near enough the surface so that the door was a few inches above her head. She did just as her sister said and began to chant spells she made up and whatever she remembered her sister saying when she had used spells. It was a long and fitful night.

A vivacious and loud red-haired sorceress stopped with her companions at the entrance of a town that had recently seen a disaster. A sapphire-eyed teen with short black hair and an innocent but determined face gasped and pointed ahead of them. The three ran in but could do nothing once they saw that there was only ruin and apparently no one to punish. The stone-skinned male's grim face became grimmer. His pointed elflike ears twitched as he picked up noise further inside the village. He said as much to his friends and they followed him.

Alyssa and her sister froze when they saw the three travelers. Tears coursed down their cheeks and their eyes held fear and sorrow. The girl held her sister's hand tightly and moved in front of her protectively.

The smaller girl stepped forward slowly, arms raised up. "We mean no harm," she said sincerely. Diplomacy came to back her up. "We're travelers. My friends and I were looking for a town to rest in before continuing our search for a friend."

"There's nothing here," the elder girl said bitterly. "Everything was taken from us and destroyed last night."

"What happened?" the red-head asked, stepping up next to her younger friend.

"A monster happened," Alyssa told her, still keeping her sister behind her. The little girl peeked out from behind and looked at the male. She tugged at her sister's green skirt and pointed. Alyssa shook her head. "It wasn't him," she whispered.

The male in question raised a pebbled eyebrow but said nothing, arms crossed.

"Do you know who did this?" the sorceress asked.

Alyssa nodded, her shoulders trembling. "He was a monster. He had long yellow hair, protruding fangs, and burning eyes that glowed evilly." She could barely keep from sobbing. She doubted she would have been able to speak if her parents had died during the attack but disease and fever took them before hand. Still...the villagers were kind to her and helped her so much only to have this happen.

Alyssa suddenly found herself being embraced by the dark-haired girl and cried. Kas raised her arms to be carried, also crying. The three travelers found a house that was not as badly damaged as some of the others and sat down on stools and chairs they had gathered from the rooms upstairs and next door. When the sisters were calmer and Kas dozed in Alyssa's lap, they began introductions.

"Alyssa," Amelia began, "You should come with us. It's not safe for you or your sister here."

Alyssa shook her head. "Thank you, but what could we be of use to you?"

Lina tapped a gloved finger to her chin. "Can you cook?" Amelia gave her an incredulous look at which Lina sweat dropped.

"Yes," Alyssa said with a nod, "I can do a little bit of magic as well."

With very little discussion, Alyssa and Kassandra were made part of the group; at least until the sisters found a place they wanted to stay. With a shawl wrapped around Alyssa's shoulders and a blanket for Kassandra, the group set out to look for their former-mercenary friend.