Darkest Before Dawn
Chapter 35
Tails' POV
Oozing blood dripped off the shaded chameleons' teeth and splattered when it came in contact to the hard wooden floor. Blood seeped through the floorboards and soon the wood turned into a red mucky mess in only a matter of thirty to six seconds. The lizards grinned frantically as they twitched dangerously waiting for us to make the first move on them, which was unusual.
"I'm guess Shikyo sent them?" Nekosa asked as he glanced over to the black kitsune, who nodded solemnly. The gray cat rolled his eyes as he sarcastically muttered, "Great, fun all around…"
The reptiles grew impatience with delay of an action from our side and lunged forward at us bearing their blood-filled fangs. I hastily seized the knife Kage was gripping only a few seconds ago and shoved it through the skull of one of the lizards when it came in range of harming me. Usually I would be disgusted to so quickly slip the hanging dead chameleon from my blade, but killing these reptiles was starting to be a normal day thing. I slid the blade out from the limp head of the lizard and sliced another in half.
Once the fight was over the once clean kitchen was swathe in bulky blood and chameleon guts. I swore I heard Ero cuss about his room being dirtied from the reptile corpses.
"How many do you think she sent?" Nekosa questioned, looking at either Kage or I to answer.
"Not sure," Kage responded, "there had to be over a million bombarding Descentmet a week or two ago… Mori Mura is smaller and Shikyo probably wants this to be a quick and brutal raid, so I'd say at least five hundred thousand – give or take."
"There is no way this town can take that many – even if they are quick to kill!"
"I know," the black kitsune muttered.
Ero spoke up while tightly gripping his axe, which was covered in blackish red blood, "What about the leader? Is it possible the chameleons will retreat if the leader is taken out? It happened in Descentmet… I think."
"Leader?" Nekosa asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"The leader is not a chameleon," I told him, deciding to take the question so Kage or Ero would not have to waste their breath on explaining as both thought over the rabbit's theory, "it's a possessed person. It could be anyone – heck, it could be a child if Shikyo is sick enough…"
"It far-fetched, but it's worth a shot," Kage decided quickly. Once the decision was made, he took role as leader. "We're pairing in twos. Though it would seem to be unwise to split, we can scout more ground and find the leader faster."
"How will we keep in contact?" Ero asked uneasily.
The black kitsune ponder the question for only a rapid second, and came up with an answer, "We'll run into each other – promise." He pointed to me, "Runt, find Bratness – you two'll go together. Go to the entrance of the town." Then he switched to pointing at Ero, "You take French Girl and head towards the markets." He then next pointed to Meep, "Meep, I want you to take Molly to whatever the children are being hid and leave her there. When you're done, go to the Dragon's Crown cellar and bring me some puchi-bakuyaku – Ass-Cat and I will be at the Temple."
"I have to go with you?" Nekosa groaned, irritated by the decision.
"'Fraid so."
Our discussion was cut short when the cawing of the chameleons filled the deadly air close to the house. I tightly gripped the knife in my hand. Shikyo was sending the second force to rid us from the abode and into the center of the massacre happening outside.
"You all go," Kage cried, flipping around his scythe to prepare for the onslaught that was now pouring through the broken window, "Ass-Cat and I'll take care of this!"
The rest of us did not even give the black kitsune a simple okay nod as we all spilt up before the room was filled with dark reptiles.
I skidded into the hallway while slamming the kitchen door behind me, and looked over my shoulder at the front door to find that the lizards had knocked it down and were crawling all over the walls and ceiling.
I turned around to run down the path to find Amy, but jumped back when I came face-to-face with a chameleon, which was oddly stretching its body so it could hang upside-down from the ceiling and be at my height. It opened its mouth in an insane-like grin and bared its blood stained teeth. Its squeal pierced my hearing from its deafening high-pitch.
Not able to take the cry, I beheaded it and began sprinting down the hallway with the other lizards pursuing me all the way. I stopped at the room Amy was staying in and flung open the door, "AMY!"
I flung the knife straight into the room and stabbed one of the chameleons attacking Amy in the eye. Blood began to pour from the white ball as it screamed in pain and tried to pull out the blade from its socket. When it pulled out the stiletto though, the eye came out too, causing it more blood loss and pain.
The rest of the chameleons noticed their comrades pain and scampered out of the broken window they had entered in. "You okay, Amy?" I asked, slamming the door behind me to block off the on flow of lizards in the hall.
She nodded, picking herself up off the wooden floor, "Fine."
Grabbing her giant gold mallet for her, I informed her on the situation, "Shikyo's taking out the town. We've been assigned to the entrance. Let's go." I threw her the hammer, and she caught it with ease.
"Who made that decision?" She questioned, cocking an eyebrow.
I grinned at her and asked her a rhetorical question, "Who do you think?" I ripped the knife away from the chameleon and his eye. I beheaded him quickly.
"Kage," she sighed.
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Market Place
Ero's POV
I swung my axe through a chameleon and stabbed it through another. I coughed from the smoke rising off the parade of fires bordering the markets. Though Nicole and I were not the only ones fighting off the lizards, more and more seemed to come and soon the bazaar was conquered by shadows.
"ERO!" Nicole cried, pointing behind me.
I gripped my axe and swung it behind me to execute what she was warning me about, but impeded at the sight I saw towards the middle of the town. At first I thought it was the gray smoke playing tricks on me, but soon saw a colossal chameleon the size of a redwood tree emerge from the depths of the smoke's barrier.
"Leader?" The tan cat asked, struggling with the English.
I nodded, "Oui. Leader." I motioned her to follow me and began to sprint the direction the gigantic lizard. Though I could distinguish that Nicole and I could not possibly slaughter the monster alone, I knew I would meet up with few of the others – preferably Kage and Nekosa. No one could miss that enormous creature marching around unless their blind.
I fell back onto the cat behind me when a burning house toppled down before us and blocked our route with fire. We hit the ground and immediately were covered with raving mad reptiles wishing for our blood.
"Convoquer arrosez!" Nicole cried, pushing me up from her and forming her hand into a circle. Water broke through the ground, forcing the chameleons to fly up into the air. The fire ahead of us was quenched and our path was cleared.
"Thanks, Nicole," I said in gratitude, using my axe to push myself up from the soaked mud. I helped her up also so we could get going sooner. I stared to our destination to find that the creature was heading somewhere around the Temple area. "Come on, Nicole, we should be meeting up with Kage and Nekosa soon!" I didn't wait for her to cock an eyebrow, or ask me what I was saying and I jumped over the rumble and heading towards the monster once more and she followed me.
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Depths of Mori Mura
Kage's POV
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Ass-Cat asked as he stabbed a chameleon through the mouth with a spear he had rapped onto his Bo only minutes ago.
I scowled. I hate stupid questions. "Of course I do! I've only been through this like million times!"
He cocked an eyebrow.
"Fine. Three."
He was about to mock me and make me feel like an idiot, but the wind was knocked out of him when a body was flung into his back. Blood cascaded from the copse and flowed onto him. I quickly rushed over to him to help get the body off before he ended up like it, but hesitated when I saw who is was. Crazy Guy's ex-girlfriend.
I sighed. I feel sorry for her. First Crazy Guy lies to her about his sexual preferences and then she gets exterminated by an army of raving mad shadow chameleons sent by a bitch. Bad couple days.
"Get this thing off me already!" Ass-Cat screamed, being the annoying little bastard he always is.
I had to dig my hands into her skin to get a good enough grip to fling her now useless, limp body off of him. When the rabbit hit the ground, the chameleons that were flocking towards us turned their attention to her and started to demolish her body from existence.
The girl's body did not last as a distraction for long, though, and soon Ass-Cat and I found ourselves slicing up lizards and sending guts flying once more. The chameleons were easy to kill (it only took one simple strike), but the difficulty was the number of them. They'd come and attack you in hundreds and when you're distracted with one, another comes up from the sides or behind and kills you. Luckily Ass-Cat was having one of his smart days, because he learned that quickly as I did when I first fought them.
I shoved my scythe through one of the lizards' stomach and lugged out a few of his organs, which were still functional. I was custom to things like this happening, but it still made me queasy every time. Somethings you never get prone to, I guess.
Behind you, Shikyo chuckled amused.
I jumped when the ground began to shake in intervals and the reptiles that were attacking us fled for cover. I glanced behind my shoulder when a rather large shadow was cast upon us.
"What the hell is that thing!" Nekosa asked, stepping back to get beside me and maybe to get a better look at the thing approaching us. I looked up and my eyes widened at the sight before us.
It was a chameleon the size of one of those huge buildings in Kiwi. It towered over our small town and crushed anything that was in its way. Its footsteps caused mini earthquakes and it seemed set towards finding its way to the Temple.
"Could that be the leader?" Nekosa questioned.
I shrugged, "Might as well figure out."
I lead Ass-Cat up onto the roof of one of the last houses that was not on fire or destroyed. To my luck it was ahead of the monster's stomach. I slammed my sickle into the roof. "Remember that stupid fighting move we made up a couple years ago," I asked, grinning with excitement.
He nodded, "Sure do."
"Ready to try it out?"
He gripped his Bo tightly as he raised it so the blade at the end would face the stomach of the beast. I placed mine between his so we both supported the wooden pole. Even though the sky was covered with smoke and the spear tip was covered with blood, I swore the metal gleamed, which only made me more thrilled.
"Ready… set…"
The monster detected us and cried ferociously, sending out a high pitch shriek that penetrated my ears and made me become deaf for a moment. It began to speed up as it rushed towards us. We waited patiently and calmly as it approached the house to slaughter us and the abode.
"GO!"
We launched ourselves off the roof and towards the stomach. I closed my eyes as I heard the cry from the enormous reptile when the spear pierced through his chest. Warm fluid encircled me as we tunneled a way through him. My feet at point landed on squishy surfaces and hard broken pieces pelting me.
We flew out the creatures back and collapsed to the blood-filled ground. (I hope you guys realize that they just went through him. If not I'm going to hit you). I let go of the Bo and shook myself of the blood that soaked me. I glanced over to Ass-Cat to find that he was also drenched with the red fluid and for a moment I thought he had no fur or skin. "That was fun," I finally said after spitting some of the lizard's blood out of my mouth.
"Sure was," he agreed sarcastically.
I turned around to watch the giant thing plunge and tackle the house. Blood poured from the hole through him and soon we were standing ankle-deep in the liquid.
"Seems they beat us to it," a voice muttered.
I glanced over my shoulder and smiled when I saw Crazy Guy and French Girl standing behind me, "Howdy."
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Entrance of Mori Mura
Tails' POV
When Amy and I rounded the corner to arrive at the entrance of the town, my eyes widened at the sight. There were barely any chameleons around, but the men and women there were still fighting vigorously. I took a step forward and was suddenly slapped by a branch. The wind was knocked out of me and I spit up blood as I flew into Amy. We both were knocked a good distance away from our original position.
"What was that?" Amy asked, regaining access to her sledge hammer.
My sight was hazy from the sudden impact, but once it was back to normal I realized that the most unexpected thing had smacked us.
A tree.
The oak tree was deracinated from the ground and its roots were twisted together so it formed two legs. All the leaves on it were black and dead, but would not fall off. The bark had carvings in it of symbols and words I could not comprehend and when it turned to face us it had psycho eyes and a mouth full of vampire teeth. It hissed at us and began to loom towards us.
"That's not a chameleon," Amy remarked shakily, stating the palpable.
I glanced down to my right hand and discovered that my stiletto looked rather dinkier than it did before. There was no way this simple butcher's knife could protect me against a fuckin tree. Amy's weapon had a better chance than mine and it held no blade.
Backing away, I began to search the ground for hopes of finding a dead spiritualist with a better weapon. The only one in reach that I could find had a machete. Well, it's better than my dulling knife.
I lunged towards it and a branch stretched after me. I seized the machete and sliced through the limb that was about to smack me. The creature screamed in agony. The branch fell to the ground in front of me and immediately the leaves on it ignited and exploded. I flew back into a wrecked house.
Ow… just like Kage's feathers.
"TAKE THIS!" I saw Amy cry as she leaped into the air and battered the tree right in the face. It stumbled over and fell onto the mucky red ground and the leaves went up in flames as did the tree. I covered my head when it detonated and chunks of wood and teeth flew at me.
I peeked out of my protective arms to find that Amy was standing by the pit of fire with a smirk on her face. I sighed. She's destructive. "They're bombs." I concluded while I walked towards the pink hedgehog.
She nodded, "Walking bombs."
We heard blasts from the entry of the village. "Better go help," I told her. When she nodded in agreement, we headed towards the entrance once more. We soon joined the fight with several spiritualists against on coming trees that emerged from the forest before us.
One of the spiritualists, a husky, saw us and ordered, "You two need to get to the haven now. This is no place for children."
"Children!" Amy shouted aggravated. "We are not children!"
The pink hedgehog shrieked when the husky was blown in half by a leaf that had been discarded by a tree. I retched. Seeing his intestines and body organs flinging through the air was not a pretty sight. I readied my machete. I was not going to end up like him.
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Depths of Mori Mura
Ero's POV
"You two are filthy," I cried, looking Kage, who was grinning like a maniac, and Nekosa, who was staring at the black kitsune, "are you guys rolling in blood or something?"
"The chameleon monster," Nekosa began, but stopped when he turned around to point at it. "What the hell!"
The large chameleon monster was no longer intact. Instead the skin was tearing off of it and in several seconds the skin balls would form into new shadow chameleons. They glanced around to find their surroundings, but did not need training to know their objective.
"Hey," Kage said, talking to Nicole and me, "we have to get to the Temple. This thing obviously isn't the leader. You two okay here by yourselves?"
A smirk formed on my face, "Of course. Dealing with you is harder than this!"
The black kitsune gave me a dirty look, but Nekosa and him were gone when the chameleons were able to attack. I readied my axe. Just another day…
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Entrance of Mori Mura
Tails' POV
It was a mine field. Any leaf that came intact to anything solid would explode on contact. (Whoa, that rhymed. Sorry.) Amy and I did our best not to get separated, but with all the fire and blasts it was hard to keep together. The one good thing about the leaves was that if another tree monster was close when it exploded it would go up in flames and terminate itself.
"Tails!" Amy called, running over to me.
I smiled, "Hey, I thought I lost you in that last ---!" I was suddenly lifted by a branch that gripped tightly around my chest. I was lifted by the hanging branch willow tree and brought to its mouth. "AMY!"
"Uh, um, hang on, Tails! I'll get ya!" She cried as she readied her mallet. Then she charged and hit it on the right leg, making it unbalanced. It let me go and toppled over and got sucked in another tree's branches. Then I noted that the rest of the trees were in range of detonating.
"WE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!" I screamed, grabbing Amy's arm. I looked around in hopes of finding a place to hide or run to. My eyes landed on a small river that ran right past there. It looked deep enough to put us all the way under.
"Come on, Tails," Amy said. We ran off towards the river and once at the edge line she grabbed me tightly and we took a deep dive into the river.
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Mori Mura Temple
Kage's POV
I was surprised and scared to find that no chameleons even wandered around the grounds of the Temple. If you don't seem any of those damn things during a raid like this in one place it's always bad. And it doesn't mean their gone either. They're somewhere. You just don't know where.
"Where are they?" Ass-Cat asked, keeping his voice at a whisper.
I shook my head slowly, "I don't know…" My palms began to become sweaty as I examined the area looking for any threats of lizards. No where. I fiddled with the handle of my sickle. There was only one place. I nodded my head at the Temple. "The Temple."
"Wha ---!"
The double doors of the Temple were knocked down and masses of chameleons began to pouring out of it. The windows broke one by one and soon the temple was overflowing with shadows.
"MEEP!"
I looked around to find Meep flying over to me happily holding a bag of bakuyakus. I grinned. Finally. He did a couple laps around my head and then dropped the bombs into my hands. "Bakuyakus, meep!"
"Thanks, Meep."
I opened the bag as the chameleons drew near and rubbed my sickle blade against the wick to make a spark. Soon the fume was ignited and I threw the bag into the mass of reptiles. "RUN!" I screamed, and began to sprint as fast as possible into the village.
Ass-Cat and Meep followed me and just when we turned the corner there was a giant explosion and pieces of the Temple flung through the air.
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Depths of the river
Tails' POV
The sounds of blasts were muffled as we sunk deeper into the amazingly profound river. I opened my eyes to see if I could see and what I saw was not a pretty sight. Bodies and blood floated on the surface. I closed my eyes so I would see darkness once more. Better to look at black than at blood.
I tightened my grasp on Amy's hand to assure myself she was still there.
A lot of people are going to be disappointed when they find out that…
I opened my eyes and looked around to see what was talking to me. It surely wasn't Shikyo – it was a boy's voice. But who? I racked up memory after memory and came up with a solution.
Keita.
But I knew he wasn't talking to me. It just didn't seem right if he was talking to me. It was a flashback, a vision, but only with words. It had to be…
I love you and I need you…
My eyes became droopy. Who was he talking to? I fought myself to stay awake. If I fall asleep I'll drown. But I couldn't win.
HOW COULD YOU LOVE HIM! WHAT'S SO DAMN GOOD ABOUT HIM!
Shikyo wasn't talking to me either. Dammit, what's going on? I need a picture. My eyes continued to close. I let them, finally giving up.
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Depths of Mori Mura
Kage's POV
"The leader's dead if it was in the Temple," I concluded happily.
Ass-Cat sighed, "I have to admit, that was pretty smart – for you at least."
I grinned, "I thought you don't give compliments."
"Shut up," he glared. I laughed. Ass-Cat hated to admit that I did something right or that he did something he usually wouldn't around me.
"NEKOSA! KAGE!" A voice cried in fear.
We both looked over to find French Cat running towards us. I sighed. She annoyed me. But I noticed that her eyes were not bright and wondrous, but instead packed with fear as she sprinted over to us almost in tears. Her arms were cut and her dress in tatters.
"Hein se passer?" Ass-Cat asked in panic, catching her when she reached us.
"E-E-E-E-E-Ero… Ero…" She whimpered.
I looked beyond the two to find Ero walking towards us with downcast eyes. He dragged his axe across the ground, which was not normal. He was almost walking like a doll. I took a step towards him. "E-Ero?"
He looked up at me, his eyes holding a mad look.
He's mine now.
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………………… LONG ENOUGH FOR YOU TANTRUM! Sorry….
Sorry this took so long you guys. Really I am. December is a hard month. Sure we have 2 weeks vacation in it, but the 2 weeks before that vacation is hell. Finals, finals, finals! Grrr… (stabs finals) They suck. I had to study a lot. I got A's on 4/5 of them though! I got a B- on the other one (math sucks).
Yah, fun chapter. Hooray for blood. Boo for people who don't like blood!
Oh, oh, oh, need to advertise. Attention all readers, I have a friend name Sage of Darkness on I met them when funk emailed me telling me that their story is called Darkness AFTER Dawn and wanted me to check it out to make sure (s)he weren't copying. I did and thank God (s)he wasn't. But they're story is really, really good so read it. It's called Veiled Intentions. Read it. Read it now! RIGHT NOW! (Hits all readers with whip) READ NOW MY SLAVES!
(Cough) Uh… right. Happy Holidays. Bye.