Phoenix scrambled over the piles of trash clutching Snow tightly to her chest. One of the Junkies looked at her with a vacant look she recognized. Another Ghoul. This man staggered to his feet and moved much more swiftly than the last one. He threw himself at her only to collide with a black jaguar. The cats big teeth punctured and crushed the creature's skull. Claws shredded already rotting flesh. Phoenix ducked around them and bolted for the door. She paused and turned back to the fighting creatures. This was such a bad idea, she thought.
"Hey!" The ghoul turned to looked at her before it turned back to giant cat that was trying to rip its face off. It wrapped its arms around the cat's back and squeezed. Phoenix gasped at the snap of bones before the ghoul cast the limp body away. "Oh shit." She ducked out of the door way and bolted down the alley way. She had to get home, she had to get home, she had to get home; was her litany that was repeated over and over. A screech of rage behind her had ducking and rolling past a garbage bin. The ghouls clawed fingers raked nothing but air where she had been moments earlier. "Shit, shit, shit." She swore as she rolled back to her feet. This one was fast, but couldn't risk someone seeing her flames here.
The ghoul snarled and stalked them as Phoenix backed slowly into another back alley. Here there were no windows and so less risk in being spotted. She moved slowly side to side so that the monster wouldn't be able to guess which way she'd jump, but then again these beasts weren't known for their intelligence. The ghoul watched them and seemed content to keep them trapped. Phoenix knew she was approaching the wall, but why wasn't the Ghoul attacking? Her blood went cold. It was a trap. Snow had been the bait. Shit!
Just as Phoenix was forming the image of a firestorm in her mind something a little smaller than a coconut fell and splat on top of the ghoul's head. The fruit like pod cracked and a thick green muck fell down the creature's face and into its eyes. The ghoul screamed and ran around in circles desperately clawing at its face. Phoenix looked up the building to see there was nothing but some over grown vines that had crawled across power lines. More of the heavy pods dangled from these vines. What were they, she wondered The ghoul screamed again. Thoughts for another time she decided. Fire wrapped around her and Snow like a cloak as she raced past the flailing monster. The putrid smell that wafted off him was enough to make her gag. Phoenix spared the ghoul a passing glance as she raced around him. She wished she had not. Flesh was sliding off like acid had been dropped on his face. Only one of its eyes were still intact though it was bloody. That eye found Phoenix and the creature seemed to forget its pain. It lunged for her back tackling her. Snow rolled from her arms and sprawled next to a pile of trash. Rotten flesh spattered her back and her flames went out as fear dropped like a weight in her stomach.
The ghoul wasn't devouring her. But a burning feeling was spreading across her back. The ghoul's blood, she vaguely remembered they drank vampire's blood. Their blood would be acidic though not nearly as potent as an actual vampire. She wondered numbly what the vampire would do to her. Her vision swam and the acidic burn spread farther. They her blurred vision saw Snow's white hair. She would fail someone else and never be able to atone for abandoning her sister. That thought stuck like a bur in her mind. Anger flooded her body and gave her the strength to push away the weariness and the pain.
She bucked the ghoul off and formed a whip of fire in her mind. Instead of aiming it at the ghoul however she aimed for the vines above her. Pods came crashing down around them and exploded like ripened tomatoes. They pelted the ghoul and one splattered across Phoenix's back. The liquid that oozed out stung when it came in contact with her burnt flesh, but Phoenix realized it was helping to clean away any remnants of the ghoul's flesh and blood. She stumbled to Snow and hoisted her up in her arms.
"I think it's time we left." Phoenix panted scrambling out of the alley and almost stumbling into a giant black panther and it came sliding to halt in front of her. "You're alive!" She was too happy to be suspicious.
"And you smell terrible, what did you do, go swimming in aloe?" Phoenix laughed weakly that was actually quite possible.
"I have no idea. Some plant had these fruit like things and when the juice came in contact with the ghoul it was like acid for him." The big cat didn't seem surprised. As far as Phoenix knee, no such plant had that power. Quite the opposite, plants tended to whether and die when a ghoul or vampire came to close. The big cat looked over her shoulder and then said,
"We should probably be moving on then. Whatever force is helping you may be able to hold back a ghoul, but if its master arrives we may not be able to stop him." A shiver went down Phoenix's back. She had very little desire to meet a vampire while Snow was helpless. That was just asking for her to get hurt.
"Lead the way." He nodded and swung around a garbage bin pushing it aside. The building's wall had a giant crack going down it. A whole section of the wall was missing. He went through first checking to make sure the coast was clear before popping his head back out and giving Phoenix the okay. Phoenix shuffled forward on her knees, biting her lip tell it bled. Sharp pieces of wood, broken glass, and a few small rocks shredded what was left of her jeans. She pushed the pain away, her first concern was getting back to their safe haven so she could make sure Snow was okay. They cat lead her through broken down buildings across alleyways, and once over a roof before they entered the old warehouse that was Phoenix's home.