Ch. 20
'Griffons'
Ruby was the first to wake up she opened her eyes slowly and yawned. She noticed she was hugging something or someone. Ruby looked up an saw Zack's sleeping face so close to hers that there noses where almost touching. It took her a minute but she realized that she was hugging Zack that's why he was so close. Ruby's face turned beet red she quickly let go and put some distance between them. She stood up and looked at Zack who hadn't woken up
'Why is Zack sleeping in the same bed as me?' Ruby thought to herself
She looked around and noticed that there was only one bed in the cabin. Ruby hadn't noticed there was only one bed when she went to sleep yesterday. It made sense now why Zack was in the same bed as her. But why was she hugging Zack? She was pulled out of her thoughts by a knock on there door. She got out of bed and walked towards the door, but didn't open it
"Who is it?"
"Hello I'm here to deliver your breakfast boxes" Ruby opened the door and saw a young man in a blue uniform with a metal cart filled with breakfast boxes.
"What type of breakfast box would you like?" The employee asked
"Could I get one with an egg and ham sandwich"
"Sure here you go it also includes some fruit, cookies, and your choice of regular milk, chocolate milk, or orange juice as a drink"
"Ah okay then I'll take a chocolate milk"
"Sure what about you?" Ruby was confused who he was talking to behind her and turned around to see Zack standing right behind her.
"I'll have the same thing but instead of chocolate milk I'll have orange juice" Zack said
"Of course here you go enjoy your breakfast"
"Thanks" They both said and closed the door
They unpacked the contents on the table and began eating.
"H-Hey Zack"
"What's up Ruby"
"Did anything happen last night after I fell asleep?"
"No nothing really"
"Why?" Zack started to drink his orange juice
"W-well I was just wondering because when I woke up I was hugging you" Ruby's face had turned a soft red
*Cough* *Cough* Zack had been caught off guard by what Ruby had said and began to choke on his orange juice.
"Are you okay Zack"
Y-yeah *cough* just give me a sec" Zack coughed a bit more but calmed down after a bit and regained his composure
"W-well after I got out of the shower I saw that you had fallen asleep already and since we only had one bed I got in with you" Zack's face had turned redder and redder as he began to recall yesterdays events
"I put some distance between us and tried to go to sleep, but then you sort of started crying in your sleep so I kind of hugged you and patted your head to help you calm down"
"It worked you had calmed down but when I try tried to put some distance between us again you had wrapped your arms around me and wouldn't let go so I just said screw it and went to sleep" Zack was beet red by this point he looked at Ruby wondering why she had been so quiet and saw that she was covering her face.
"Eh what's wrong Ruby?"
"I'm sorry I'm such a baby Zack" Ruby was very embarrassed by what she had done in her sleep that all she could do was apologize and cover her face.
"Don't worry about it Ruby really I know you really miss your sister and your parents"
"Really?" she said in a soft voice
"Yeah I wasn't bothered by it at all"
"So if I started to cry again c-could I hug you again?"
"Y-yeah I don't mind at all"
"Thanks Zack!" Ruby had stopped covering her face and showed Zack a beautiful smile that made Zack blush and speechless.
There little moment was cut short as a loud crash could be heard and the train began to shake violently knocking them off there chairs.
"What was that!?" Ruby asked picking herself up from the floor
"I don't know it sounded like it came from outside" Zack stood up looked out the window
"Aw Fuck It's the Grimm" Zack saw a small swarm of griffons flying around there train.
"ZACK WATCH OUT!" Zack felt himself being yanked back by Ruby as a griffon's head smashed threw the window almost biting Zack's head off. It's head was the only thing that could fit threw there broken window, but who knows how long that would last as it shook its head violently while clawing on the outside trying to force it's way making the area around the window begin to crack and fall apart.
"Zack we need to go that wall is going to collapse any second now!" The duo quickly exited there cabin before the griffon smashed thru the window completely to get them.
Once outside they saw that it had gotten chaotic since the grimm had started attacking. Many of the travelers where running around screaming trying to find a safe place to hide. To make matters worse the griffons had started making holes on the roof and began plucking anyone unfortunate enough to walk under one.
"Where are the huntsmen or the huntresses aren't they suppose to be here at times like these!?" Ruby yelled out
As if to answer her question a body was dropped thru one of the holes above. It was a huntsman corpse or at least what use to be one. His body had been ripped apart many of his organs had spewed out onto the floor along with his blood. The duo looked away trying to keep themselves from throwing up there breakfast. It was fair to say the huntsman where losing this battle they needed to get out of there and fast.
But where would they go?
They where on a moving train that was still ways away from the nearest town or city. Fighting wasn't an option neither Zack nor Ruby had experienced fighting Grimm. Some of the travelers attempted to jump off the train in an effort to save themselves, but where swarmed and devoured by the griffons. Zack racked his brain for anything to get them out of this hellish situation, but nothing came to mind
"Zack we need to move!" Ruby's sudden yell pulled Zack out of his thoughts
"Alright lets go to the bottom floor maybe they haven't gotten there yet!" Zack grabbed Ruby's hand and ran towards the stairs avoiding the griffon holes and the panicing travelers.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY YOU BRATS!" A large man appeared out of nowhere ramming Zack and Ruby to the side. The large man was also heading for the stairs trying to get to the bottom floor but before he could reach the stairs a griffon had smashed thu the train side walls cutting him off.
"GET AWAY FROM ME YOU MONSTER!" The large man threw his suitcase he was holding at the monster in an effort to drive it away, but the only thing he accomplished was agitating the griffon. The griffon roared at the large man terrifying him. The man tried to turn around and run away but the griffon pounced on him slamming him down to the floor. It dug it's talons into his back making the man scream in pain. He locked eyes with Zack and screamed "HELP ME WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
Zack didn't even need a second to think he quickly jumped to his feet picked up Ruby and ran the opposite direction from the man leaving the man to his fate "W-WAIT COM-" was all the man could say before the griffon used it's mouth to bite his head off. They continued to run down the hallway praying they wouldn't run into another griffon. Crys, screams, and gunfire could be heard all over everyone was fighting for there lives. The duo finally reached another set of stairs and started to descend to the lower floor hoping to find a place to hide. The Train once again shook violently causing the duo to trip and fall down the stairs.
"R-Ruby are you okay?" Zack said rubbing his head ignoring the pain he was feeling
"Y-yea I think I'll be fine" Ruby was fighting back her tears she couldn't start crying now it would only attract the griffons and get them killed.
The wheels on the train began to make loud screeching noises causing more violent shaking.
"SHIT I THINK WHERE DERAILING HOLD ON RUBY!?" Ruby held on onto Zack as hard she could as the train began to bounce and shake as the griffons rammed the train forcing it off it's rails. They where raggdolled all over the place as the train rolled down the cliff it was passing if it wasn't for there aura shield they would of already been dead, but somehow they where holding out just barely. After a few more minutes of rolling the train finally rolled to the bottom of the cliff and crashed into some trees. The train's sudden crash into the tree's flung Zack and Ruby to the wall hard shattering there shield knocking them out cold.
The griffons swarmed the train that had crashed they began by devouring the survivors that fell out of the train. Then started digging threw the remains of the train searching for anyone that was left. The griffons had reached the passenger car they where knocked out in, but before they could dig threw it a cargo container nearby exploded causing the griffons to back away. Then the locomotive exploded in a fiery blaze roasting some of the griffons that where near forcing them to flee this time. Screams of pain could be heard from the remaining survivors, but then after the fire had died down there was only silence. They had either bled out from injuries sustained from the crash or the attacks from the griffons.
The duo still remained unconscious in the remains of the passenger car.
Who Knows when they'd wake up