Chapter Three: Mounting Tension

As soon as night fell the air filled with screams of pain, agony, and redemption.

A cold wind roared in off the coast, chased by massive storm clouds. It came and hit Beryn fast, sheets of rain down poured. In the mornings light Beryn seemed like a new city; cold, clean, and almost civilized.

"Enlighten me, Rin. What's it like out there."

I sniffed, I'd been sent to scout the city. "Nothing like I've ever seen before, It's plague alright. The ankouze must be the vector." Captain looked me over with tiny slits for eyes. I sighed, "Medical jargon. A vector is a carrier.

Captain growled in frustration, "Perump? You know this beast."

"All of us that went into the tomb are still healthy, I've never heard of one spreading any kind of disease."

I hated to be the voice of reason, "The carrier doesn't matter, the plague does. It'll get worse if people don't start burning the bodies."

I broke the silence that engulfed us, "There's been talk about another riot. They're on the edge of another explosion."

"How soon?" Captain asked.

"Two days maybe…three at the most."

Captain's frustration mounted, our tight spot was getting tighter. He's teeth grounded into his already bloody lip.

"We've got to-" A troop busted through the door, "There's a mob at the gate. They have a ram."

"Let's go," Captain huffed.

It didn't take long to disperse them. Few pots of hot water and they fled, showering us with curses and insults.

Night fell; I stayed out on the wall watching the touches roam the city. Developing a nervous system, the mob was evolving. If it developed a leader with wit we'd find our selves caught in a revolution.

It would not come tonight I realized as the torches eventually diminished. If the heat and the humidity became too oppressive, maybe tomorrow.

Terror filled me as I heard a scratching to my right. Then scrapings and clawing; soft, soft but still there. It was approaching, I became like the gargoyles perched over the gate, motionless. The breeze gave way to an artic wind.

Something came over the north parapet. Red eyes, four legs, as black as night. It moved as fluidly as a mountain spring. It scampered down the stair into the courtyard, vanished.

The little girl in me wanted to screech at the top of my lungs and run to the nearest male and hold on for dear life. It was awfully tempting to just run into Spider's arms, he was the closest thing to a father figure I had. I took a deep breath in trying to remain cool. I fled towards the nearest door, took a protested route to Captain's quarters, I just walked in too rattled to knock.

He had his hands behind his head; staring at the ceiling, straighten out on his cot. One single, feeble candle illuminated the room as shadows danced on the bared walls.

"The ankouze is here. I just saw it come over the wall," my voice had turned into a high pitch squeak.

He just grunted. "Didn't you hear me!" I can't believe that he wasn't at least a little afraid. "I heard you, Rin. Leave me alone." I backed toward the door, "Yes sir."

So, it was eating him up. A scream suddenly pierced the air, it was loud, long, hopeless, and filled with fear.

It came from Syndic's quarters. I jumped to full alert, drew my sword, charged through the door- crashed into Jim. Jim fell down, I stood over him- I caught the frame of the door so I wouldn't fall on him.

There were more chilling cries from Syndic's quarters.

"Get in here Rin!" Captain ordered. "Want to get yourself killed?"

Captain got my attention. I grabbed Jim by the front of his shirt and yanked him inside. We bolted the door, I stood with my back against it, closed my eyes, panting. Maybe it was my imagination, but I thought I heard a growl as it paddled past. Jim's face lost it's color, "What now?" His hands were shaking.

I shifted uneasily, starting to wonder where Silent was, he always comforted me and protected me- he could keep me together.

Some one pounded heavily on the door. "What?" Captain now was somewhat afraid. "Open up, it's Toad."

I opened the door, breathing in relief as Toad, Perump, Token, Spider, a dozen others, and thank god Silent pushed inside. The room got hot fast and moving room came less. Silent pushed through the men and stood close by me, that man made me feel a lot better.

An arm went around my waist, "Don't worry I'm here to protect you," a familiar voice purred in my ear. I shivered, but I couldn't look back cause I was being held so tight. I saw Silent glance over at me in the corner of my eye. Seeing that I looked quiet annoyed, I saw him shift his body in my direction.

-Smack-

I felt Garit let go of me and Silent pulled me closer to him. I pressed my face in Silent's shoulder trying to suppress my giggle. I looked up and saw Silent's eyes flicker with amusement. I looked over at Garit, it was the same old story. Unlike everyone else Garit just couldn't leave me alone. Spider always dragged him away and told him firmly to behave or just leave me alone as did the others, but Silent.

Silent seemed to enjoy watching Garit dance around with his hands on his head. Silent smiled at me and watched Garit twitch from the pain of his newly found injury.

"Damn it Silent why you always got to hit me!" Garit groaned. Silent was silent as usual, but grinned at Garit. Garit's eyes grew into slits, turning to me, "Why's he hit me?" pointing at Silent.

"Because your hand were not where they out (ah t) to be."

Garit sniffed arrogantly, "Yeah, but you're me woman."

I didn't find this funny and it was obvious that Silent didn't find it funny either. Silent moved more in front of me and scowled at him.

"I am not in anyway you're girl!" Silent turned to me with a proud grin on his face, but he did see Garit give me an arrogant yet loving smirk.

"The vampire wolf is here, Captain." Perump said shaken, forgetting about his annoying drum roll he usually did.

Another scream came from Syndic's quarters. "What are we going to do?" Toad asked.

He was no bigger then his brother who possessed a bizarre sense of humor. He was two years older then Perump, both were over a hundred, but at their age no one was counting. He was terrified, Perump was on the edge of hysteria, both Token and Spider were also rocky.

"It can just pick us off one by one."

"Can it be killed?"

"They're almost invincible, Captain."

"Can they be killed?" Captain had a hard edge to his voice this time, he too was afraid. Toad seemed a hair less scared then Perump, "Yes," he confessed. Toad sniffed, "Nothings invulnerable… But this is strong, fast, clever, and cunning. Weapons like swords are of little avail. Even sorcery isn't of much use, it is a little better."

I became very uncomfortable, Toad of all people never admitted to any limitations.

"Enough talk," Captain growled, "It's time for some action." Captain was a difficult man to figure out, but at the moment he was transparent. He was filled with rage and frustration about our situation with the ankouze.

Perump and Toad strongly protested. Captain looked at them, "You've been thinking about this since ya found out about it being loose, you decided what you'd do if you had to. Let's do it."

Another scream, the night almost didn't seem right without them now. "The Rose Tower must be a real slaughter house, that thing is hunting down everybody up there." I muttered more to myself then anyone, but Silent paid attention.

Captain strapped on his weapons, for a moment I thought Spider and even Silent would protest. "Ken, assemble the men. Seal all the openings to the Rose Tower. Bo, pick some good crossbow men and hand combat people. This conflict will be dangerous."

Time flew by too easily and almost unnoticed. After twenty minutes I looked up nervously at Silent who wasn't about to leave my side. I had lost count of the horrifying screams. I stared thinking, why did the ankouze insist on being here? It's hunt persisted, more then hunger drove it that I was sure of.

All four wizards collaborated on the spell that proceeded us. The hand combat troops followed with the crossbow men behind them into Syndic's quarters.

I shifted it was weird the chamber looked perfectly normal, nothing out of place. Toad cocked his head in attention, "It's upstairs."

Captain faced the passage behind us, "Ken, bring your men inside." He planned to room by room, cutting off all exits, but one for retreat. Toad and Perump however did not agree with this tactic. They tried telling Captain that animals of any kind were most dangerous when cornered. Silence surrounded us, it was almost unbearable. There was nothing for several minutes, no cries, no blood curdling screams, just silence.

We found the first victim at the bade of the stairs that lead into Rose Tower. I felt sick, "One of ours." Syndic was quite a coward, he had surrounded himself with as many men from the Company as humanly possible.

"Sleeping quarters?" "Upstairs" I'd never been inside Rose Tower.

Captain nodded, "Kitchen, servants, storage are all on two levels, then family, the Syndic himself. Study and Offices at the Top."

I examined the body. My stomach twisted into a knot. "Not quite like the ones at the tomb, Perump? Why didn't it take the blood or organs?"

Neither Toad nor Perump had an answer.

Captain twisted his neck around peering into the shadows above," Now it gets tricky. Combat troops; take it slow, one step at a time. Crossbows, space yourselves a little behind, shoot anything that moves. Toad, run your spell ahead. Asses and elbows people, look alive, swords out."

I took a deep breath, my medical pack clapping at my side as we walked in silence. Silent put a reassuring hand on my shoulder as I drew my sword. I vaguely heard Garit mumble something about Silent touching his woman. I smiled inwardly; I wanted to hug him, he strangely made me less nervous in the already tense situation we were plunging into.

Fear hung heavy on the air. The floorboards creaked under our feet. Quang A man accidentally discharged his crossbow. Captain spit and grumbled.

There wasn't a damn thing to see. We moved to the servant's quarters. I felt worse then before, I'd seen the terrors of war, but this was pure carnage.

Blood slashed the walls, furniture shredded and wrecked, bodies in pieces laid everywhere. There are hard men in the Company, but even the hardest were moved, some to anger, fear, sadness, or became sick.

Lieutenant stepped up, "Captain, I'm getting the rest of the Company. This thing an't getting away." Captain just nodded.

A scream sounded above. It was like the creature was trying to taunt us, daring us to come further towards it.

The more rooms we came across it somehow found a way to make it look worse. The carnage, the spilled blood it only got worse.

Suddenly Perump jerked, the ankouze was nearby. The combat troops crouched down ready, the crossbow men aimed ready at shadows. All four wizards stopped, intently listened to the creature in the dark shadows. Then, "It's waiting, don't give it an opening. Be careful."

I knew it was a dumb question, but I had to ask, "Shouldn't we be carrying silver weapons, crosses, holy water, or something?" Perump looked at me and shook his head. "No. Hell you kill them same as you kill anything else. Bit hit harder and faster, every shot you get counts."

The wizards tried an enchantment. An angry roar came from the shadows a head, followed by scrapes of claws, something moved, arrows flew. Another roar, it was mocking us.

We eased into the darkness, tension mounting. Blood and torn bodies made the footing treacherous.

The Ankouze yowled not twenty feet away. Right there with us.