Sorry for huge delay. Let's get back into the swing of things.

Chapter 10

Centaur

Luna didn't know this woman. She was definitely a soul she didn't recall living in Loch Loud before, and though she looked to be a doppelganger of her sister, it was clear there were enough differences to separate her from the real thing. A complete strange beyond every sense of the word, and whatever got her terrified was still after her.

And for Luna, that triggered but one reaction: jump in, and save her, before it was too late. Rifle tense against her fingers, she let go of her fear for a moment, and ushered the stranger closer. "Over here! Hurry!" She shouted.

The young woman noticed Luna's call, and started heading her way, swinging her arms wildly in the process. "We must hide! Hurry, we must!" Her words were masked underneath a sharp veil of tears and anguish, enough to pierce the rocker's heart down to the core. Still, that didn't stop them from meeting up quickly.

Luna's eyes darted behind the woman, and though nothing was spotted, an ominous wind told her of something quickly approaching. Whatever it was, massive was barely the correct word to describe it. She grabbed at the woman's hand as soon as she came across, looking at her both concerned and tough. "What's going on? Who's out there?" She asked, hoping her fear didn't show in her voice.

The young woman stared Luna down, caught off guard by her appearance. "A... Loud?" She began, before hearing a crack in the distance. Even the rocker tensed as it resounded against the cobblestone roads. "Oh God, they're gaining! I dunna ken what to do! I don't!"

Pale skin, with a frightened expression that matched close to home. She saw Vanessa in her head once more; the young lady back on the Mountain that looked like her Sam. Now her own sister shared a reflection? Luna closed her eyes before looking over towards a nearby building, specifically the nearby alleyway filled with barrels and boxes. "Over there! We can hide, come on!"

The woman reluctantly carried her feet alongside the Loud, seemingly caught in a trance that one of the royal kids was saving her. The two ducked behind one of the crates, the wind being the only thing guiding them in terms of danger. Luna gripped the rifle tight, feeling her nerves get the best of her. Something was out there, and lord help her, she knew she was going to meet it.

Luna looked at the woman, seeing no sign of injuries against her body. That's good, at least. Making sure the coast was clear, she held her guest's hand, hoping to calm her spirits. Seemingly, it worked, as the young lady was able to hold her chest, keeping her breaths all regulated. With the setting getting more serene, it was time for questions. "Hey, you okay? You're not hurt, right?"

Her questions were barely heard, for the woman was more shocked in who saved her. "Are you a Loud? Truly one? I thought you left us again!"

Guilt overflowed the young rocker, but the atmosphere made her forcibly calm. "Uh... yeah. T-That's not important right now!" She peaked over the side of the building. Still nothing but the frozen bodies. She needed answers, fast. "What's going on here? This place looks like hell, brah."

The young woman looked down, no doubt trying hard to suppress her tears. Fear was too powerful for the human to tackle. "We... I don't know. S-Some strange people showed up, and... and...," she buried her face in her hands, letting go of her wall, "... Oh god, they've been hunting us all! I've been a running for a month, and, and, and..."

She was losing it, so Luna stepped in, quickly grabbing both of her hands. A girl that looked like Luan; how could she not have a soft-spot? "Hey, hey! It's okay. You're safe now. I promise."

"How can you say that? Those things, they...," she too peaked over the edge, eyes specifically landing on the people trapped in time. The white tentacles caressed their bodies like worms against rotting meat. "... They did this. All of this. We were doing just fine, and then they... oh God, Loud. Your kingdom... I'm so sorry..."

Another grasp of the hands. "Don't apologize. Just tell me what did this. I... I have no idea why I'm here, to be honest, but if you guys are in danger, I'm here to help."

Luna stared deep into the woman's eyes, who eventually took a deep breath. "They... they called themselves Savino, or something."

Savino? Luna recalled that name underneath those signs. She knew something was off about them. "What, are they a tribe or something?"

"I...I think so. They had Italian accents, and they knew our kingdom rather well. I dunna ken how, but it's like they all been here before. Oh, poor, poor Angus. He tried to keep us all safe, but that terrible group... They were relentless!"

Angus? Luna's eyes grew wide. "Wait, what happened to him? Is he okay?"

"He tried, madam, he did! But the Savino group wasn't here to negotiate. They came on fierce, and captured us. A whole month, turning our town into this... this graveyard!"

Her voice got a little too high, causing Luna to step in. "Capturing you guys? Is... Is that what that stuff is?"

"Y-Yes. Oh dear, it just... freezes you. I dunna ken what it is. I really don't! I-"

They both drew silent as the sound of a mighty leap broke through the snowy air. Luna didn't turn her head, but that wasn't necessary, for the loud thud smacking hard against the roof across the road was enough to tell her how screwed she quickly became. The other woman saw it standing tall, losing all energy to illicit any sort of scream. All she did was grow paler than the snow against her feet, almost falling against the shadows casted by the moon.

"Oh dearest... it's them!"

Luna shuddered. Another creature to haunt her nightmares. She lifted her rifle, and looked to the top of the nearby building. The moonlight was faint against the snow, casting only the silhouette of the strange creature. It stood tall, like an overstretched human, both arms lankily lying by its side, with its hair brazen and flowing against the wintery air. No shirt could be spotted on it, and at first, it seemed as if its legs were rather humongous compared to the rest of his proportions.

That is, until it seemed to finally rest eyes upon the two girls. Hands curling into fists, it let out an ear-piercing roar. Luna gripped her ears tight, feeling every fiber of her being shake against its terrific power. As it's mouth expanded against the shadow of its face, its legs grew bigger, lifting high off the rooftop's shingles. It was from there that both ladies saw the true stature of the beast, one that filled their hearts with dread and woe.

The top half was that of a well-tuned man, powerful compared to those of humanity, but below the waist was far from ordinary. A massive elongated underside, like that of a horse, showed itself, revealing another set of feet behind the first pair. As its roar blasted through the night, it turned into a neigh, perfect for its unusual gait.

Gasping for air, the young lady shriveled up. "C-Centaurs... Oh Louds, mercy..."

With the growls conclusion, the being took a massive leap, jumping far into the sky, before smashing hard to the cobblestone path, revealing its grotesque appearance to the young rocker. Powerfully built, yet appearing like a living cadaver, struggling to keep its organs functioning underneath its impressive posture. White hair sprung out from nearly every pour, some replacing its hollowed-out eyes, moving about like the tentacles covering the populace. Even still, it knew its target, and Luna hated that thought with a burning passion.

Its hand stretched out, the monster let out another growl, before its graying muscular arm started to contort. Like a rapid wave, it fluctuated against the night air, causing ripples that carried themselves towards its fingers. Through the bone, a magnificent shard arose and captured its grip. It formed itself into a mighty axe, already ignited with flame that glistened off its form.

Luna backed away, and looked at her guest, seeing how pale she had become. A whole month these things have been harassing this town? Dear lord, the hell that must've been. That alone burnt the fear away, transforming the shakes within her body into rage. She quickly brought the young lady up to her feet, nodding to her. "Get in the building, now!"

"W-What? Wait, what are you proclaiming?"

"I said go, now!"

As she ran towards an opening within the wood, so too did the beast activate. It let out another roar, before breaking out into a full gallop. It's speed was alarming, and if somebody without gun training was trapped in Luna's spot, this certainly would've been the end of them.

Luna took a deep breath, aiming down the barrel directly at the beast's head. "Whatever ya are... take this!"

She fired with all her might, happy to know there was something still resting within the chamber. Most found their home in the creature's skull, which seemed to do the trick. The beast let out a groan, crumbling in its run. The speed at which it trekked towards the rocker, however, was nothing to scoff at, and no matter how fast she went, its dying throes brought it crashing down against her.

"S-Shit!"

Any slower, and she would've been crushed underneath its impressive girth. It's horse-like lower side was the heaviest thing she ever felt, and even after managing to push herself out of its way, her arms felt massive pain, already causing fear that she broke something. It laid on its side, tongue resting on the snowy dirt below. A better look at it revealed how almost all of it was covered in white hair.

White... hair.

Luna closed her eyes, remembering the atrocities Lady Barbaria birthed back on the Mountain. "It's... It's really happening again, huh?"

But her time to worry was short-lived, for as soon as the beast drew its last breath, the sound of hellish gallops, like steeds straight out of hell, burst through the night air. The fog disguised it all, but Luna knew there was more. There's always more.

And one made itself known in the most twisted way possible. As Luna made sure her rifle was ready, a powerful blade suddenly threw itself, and caught itself against her palm. She screamed as she was stuck to the wall of the house, feeling the wound send shockwaves through her body, forcing her weapon back down on the ground.

"Oh crap, oh crap... God, it hurts, crap..."

But that wasn't her main concern. More began to yell, and their profiles became noticeable through the icy air. Hundreds of them galloped over, with a few lagging behind, carrying what appeared to be bows with flaming arrows. Her eyes grew big. "Gotta... get this off..."

The blood made her squeamish, but the thought of that girl hiding, praying for the beasts to go away, prompted the rocker to react fast. Gritting her teeth, she ripped the blade off, hating the disgusting hole that rested now. The pain was tremendous, but she had no time to care about that.

That person was all that was on her mind.

Arrows smashed the wall, but she rolled and grabbed her rifle, finding it hard to grip. "Gotta... make it count... against whatever these things are..."

One roared and charged at her. With a loose grip, she fired. Only a few shots met it, but it was enough to force a retreat. Sadly, it's back-up was close behind. One sent a thrown knife, sadly one that met its home. Luna screamed as it impaled itself within her shoulder, throwing her down to the ground. Their yells almost sounded like laughter.

As her vision blurred, she saw ten of them surrounding her, all with the same look: disheveled white hair overtaking their awkward bodies. They sneered and growled, allowing the flaming bows to burn the house to a crisp. Luna struggled to stand, her injuries becoming too much. That girl needed help, and these things weren't stopping her.

"Get... get the hell... gah!"

One of the beast's sneered, and stomped a hoof against her arm. She already felt the bone snap, bringing her down into a heap of nothing. Only a few minutes back, and she was already about to die. A vision of Lincoln appeared in her head, begging her to get up.

"Gah... dammit..."

In the house, the girl watched in horror, before she too got angry. Her face left the window as the smoke grew fierce, before she returned holding a knife of her own. Luna looked horrified as she grew close. "W-Wait... don't..."

With a scream, the girl stabbed one of the beasts in the chest. It was a good strike, but naturally it was nothing. It snarled and looked at her, but unlike with Luna, it wasn't the same type of rage that filled their hearts. Instead, they looked rather pleased. A look that made the girl fall back.

"Uh... you have no right to hurt a Loud! You... You evil... things!"

Fear quickly took her over as the beasts rose their hands. Once more, their arms transformed and buckled, before white hairs stuck out from their palms, quickly lashing their way onto her body. Luna looked up, quickly turning into a panic.

"No..."

The other one screamed. "No, wait! Please! I... I love the Savino tribe! I love them! I... No!"

Her body began to get filled with the white hairs the others had. Feeling the rage return, the loss of her arm meant nothing anymore. Luna screamed and stretched as hard as she could, causing the beast holding her down to finally lift its hoof. This gave her enough time to reach for the rifle. How much it had left, who knows, but she wasn't losing another person.

"Don't... hurt her!"

Luna fired with all her might, killing the beast that transformed the poor girl, but even then it was too late. She was covered in the slug-like monsters, locked in place for all time. The centaurs remaining all grinned, not even caring about the rocker anymore.

Luna looked at the fallen girl, feeling her heart crumble. As her arm bled and sagged, she looked down into the snow, seeing the tears slide down and staining the snow.

Happening again. Happening, and letting people around her die. Just like before. How pathetic.

A beast above her looked down, and began raising its hoof. Luna saw the shadow rise around her, and only anger filled her heart. Her family, her little brother, Doug, Michelle, that stranger...

What a failure. Abraham was right.

"Damn... you..."

The beast laughed triumphantly... until another scream, one louder than anything these beasts could make. One that, as Luna laid there dying, brought a newfound fear into the air.

FROM: A report from an unknown individual, believed to have come from Loch Loud

"There's something amiss. First those horsemen, and now helicopters? So strange they are! They keep flying about like they own this place. I don't know if they're related. I must say, this whole month has drawn some true fear out of my heart. We must be careful, okay? I know not what's going to happen to us..."