Being Human: When will my Death Begin?

By Ldynwaitin

Chapter Seventeen

Salus Bay

Aidan angrily threw a rock; it tumbled down the cliff and into the ocean below. He was under orders from Mother to help Randal on a search for her elusive shadow. He didn't mind the hunting, what he hated was that Bishop was staying in a nice and warm place while he was forced to go stomping through the mud on some wild goose chase.

"Are we even close?" Aidan growled at Randal.

Randal was squatting on the ground examining tracks in the mud. He shook his head, "No, these are tracks made by a child. The prey we are after is much larger and much older."

Aidan looked up at the sky, it was dark and threatening to rain…again. They were walking on a small dirt road close to a cliff side that overlooked the ocean's shore. A strong wind from the east was violently whipping the clothes they wore. "There's a town ahead," Aidan said. "I recall excellent lodgings there." He licked his lips, "They also had some very tasty young women."

Randal wagged his finger at Aidan, "Do not be causing me any discord, Aidan Waite. You are here to aid me on a hunt, not stir up trouble with the locals."

Aidan innocently grinned at Randal, "I give you my word."

Randal angrily shook his head, "I have heard how good your word is. I told Mother that you were not the right choice to come with me, but she would not listen. She said I am to use your knowledge of the area. But I warn you, I will not have your blood thirsty ways vexing me on this hunt."

Aidan patted Randal on the back. "Randal, the blood of a good woman will change your thinking."

Randal stood up tall, "I have been a Vampire for many years longer than you, I believe I know what is good for me."

Aidan quick stepped down the road. "You are never to old to learn."

The skies opened up with a fury, soaked to the skin Aidan's anger grew stronger. He patted his hat down on his head.

"Why do you wear the thing?" Randal asked him. "It looks as if it should have been burned years ago."

"What, my John Bull?" Aidan asked. He tilted it forward, "Got if off of some snooty Englishman. Found him beating his wife." Aidan slyly grinned, "His wife was very appreciative that I took if off his decapitated head. The woman nearly wore me out that night with her appreciativeness."

"Vexing indeed," Randal growled.

Ignoring him, Aidan pointed ahead. "Salus Bay lies just ahead. It is a small village less than a mile down the road. It sits at the precipice of this cliff, just below it is a small horseshoe bay. There are only two ways to enter the village. We can cover both entrances. If Mother's shadow is there, we will easily catch her."

Aidan hurried towards the village, the storm that raged most of the night had not ceased its fury. The road they walked on was one of two ways into the village. A solid cliff loomed above the village on its right, on the left was a thirty-foot drop to the ocean below. At the far end of the village was a small path that led down into the bay.

Finally reaching Salus Bay, Aidan stopped at the first house. Randal stood by his side. They both could not believe their eyes.

In the darkness of the night, as the lightening flashed, they could see the road was littered with bodies, bodies torn beyond recognition.

"What a waste of good blood," Aidan said. "Randal, what manner of animal could have done this?"

Randal quickly walked up to the nearest body. It was a young woman, half of her face was torn off. Examining the body Randal's eyes grew wide with fright. Standing up he slowly began to pull out his sword. "I have never seen the likes of this before," he whispered to Aidan.

Aidan could hear the fear in his voice. He aimed his rifle ahead. "What do you think it is, werewolves?"

"I know not what animal could have caused such mayhem. The way they were ripped apart and yet nothing was eaten. It is perplexing."

Aidan flipped his gun and held it tight under his arm. "Well if it is dogs, my colt root knows how to handle them." He aimed his rifle ahead. "I hate dogs…wait?" Aidan pointed above. "Bishop has been working on something new with the wolves, he calls them dogfights. I saw them fight several days ago, when the moon was full. This was done tonight, their wounds are fresh. It could not have been a dog attack."

Randal tightly gripped his knife. "I know, that is the perplexing part. Looking at the wounds, my experience as a hunter tells me that this was caused by a beast of claws and fangs."

A small grin parted Aidan's lips, "And here I thought this trip was getting boring. It appears that things have changed for the better."

Randal quickly went to another victim, "Keep your wits about you, Aidan. For whatever butchered them is something that may not be easy to kill. See here," he pointed to the deep slashes in a mans leg. "I now recall having seen claws that big before, but not on this land, not in this continent."

Aidan stood up straight, his eyes searched the town, "What are we looking for?"

Standing up, Randal said, "A creature that should not be here."

"How many of these perplexing creatures?" Aidan asked.

Randal pursed his lips, "It is hard to tell, I see many paw and foot prints. If I would hazard a guess, I would say at least ten…mayhap more."

Aidan twitched, Randal stood stone still when they heard a sound coming from the village. It was something neither had heard in their lives. When they heard another coming from the opposite side of town Aidan said. "I'd feel safer if we were inside."

"Yes," Randal said, "I agree."

They searched the town for a safe place to stay. That was when Aidan heard it, a small dog whimpering. "Guess something did survived."

Randal immediately ran towards the cliff side. "Randal, leave it be!" Aidan shouted. He grudgingly followed him, mumbling "It is just a stupid animal."

Once he reached the edge of the cliff, Randal looked down. He saw a small black dog dangling over the cliff, an iron chain was wrapped around his stomach. The end of the chain had caught on a branch of a bush growing out of the side of the cliff. The dog's cries were so pitiful, Randal quickly tried to pull him up.

He stretched his arms, but the chain was too far. After several tries, he nearly slipped off the cliff. Aidan quickly grabbed his legs.

"You're damned sympathy with animals is going to get us in trouble," he snarled He tried to pull Randal back, but he refused to go.

"I am but a hairs breath away."

Aidan tightly gripped Randal's legs. "I'm cold and wet, I do not have time to wait until sunrise for you to get that blasted dog back up."

With Aidan's help, Randal was able to grab the chain and pull the dog up. Once he brought it back to solid ground, he removed the chain. It was then that Randal noticed that the dog's eyes were bright purple. As soon as he freed it, the dog quickly ran towards the wall of stone that loomed next to town. He headed to what appeared to be the local inn, built in front of the protective blockade of rock. A shingle hung over the door that read, 'The Speckled Owl.'

"That is the thanks you get," Aidan said.

"I did not do it for that," Randal said. He pointed ahead, "The local inn, we may be able to ferret some answers within."

Following the dog, they entered the inn. They immediately found that the same carnage occurred here as well. The smell of blood was so thick both Randal and Aidan's eyes turned black.

"Damn it," Aidan cursed. "Did they leave no one for us to drink?"

Randal sadly shook his head, "I am beginning to fear that no one survived this massacre." Searching the inn, he found no sign of the dog. "Where is the dog?"

"Ask someone that cares," Aidan said. He found a full mug of beer on the table, grabbing it he emptied it in seconds. Wiping his mouth, he pointed to the bar. "I remember this place. Had a saucy barmaid named Sarah." Aidan smiled, "Ah Sarah, she was delicious, her blood had hints of mead."

Randal whistled for the dog, Aidan and Randal pulled their weapons when they heard a voice in the darkness say, "Can you help me?"

Out of the shadows came a young man, it was the same man that lay dead at Aidan's feet. "Please sir, can you help me? I need to find my father. I need to warn him."

"Warn him of what?" Randal asked him.

"The creatures, sir," the young man whispered. "They came, when the sun set. I heard the cries as I was drinking. My father, he warned me to come straight home, but my throat was so dry."

"The creatures," Aidan said. "What are they?"

The young man's hands began to shake hard, "Oh sir, they were horrible. Never have I seen the likes of them before. They ran through the people like a sickle through hay. Then they entered the Inn."

"They looked like a cat, but were so much larger than any that roamed our village. As black as night, their roar was one I have never heard before. Sharp claws and teeth lashed out, killing my friends killing…" The young man looked down at Aidan's feet.

"Oh dear god in heaven, that is me. Oh dear Lord, my father, who will warn my father?"

"Do not worry," Randal said. "If we see him, we will let him know."

"Oh will you good sir? Our farm it lies north of here, you cannot miss it, our last name is Cardinal. My father painted the house bright red."

"We will warn him," Randal said.

The boy smiled his thanks. He blinked his eyes when he saw a door suddenly appear. "That is yours," Randal told him.

The boy looked around, "Are you sure it is mine? I feared that perhaps I did not deserve one, I disobeyed my father."

The door slowly opened, the light flooded the room. As the boy walked to the door, he sadly looked at Randal. "Kind sir, you no longer have to warn my father." He pointed to the door, "He waits for me. I thank you though, for your kind offer." He continued to walk to the door, "Father, I am so sorry. Please forgive me, please forgive me." He stepped over the threshold, the door slammed shut and was gone.

Randal moved to the window, its glass was shattered to pieces. He looked out, through the broken glass, searching the streets. "I know now what killed these people."

Aidan joined him, he aimed his gun through the broken glass. "Well tell me, so I know what to look for."

"I saw one when in Africa nearly a hundred years ago. It was a magnificent animal, a giant cat as black as night, they called it a Black Leopard. But there is one thing that is most curious."

"What is that?" Aidan asked him.

Randal frowned, "Well I was told that the Black leopard is a loner, yet we were just told that they were killing as a group. Most vexing indeed."

"I call it a problem that has to be solved," Aidan said.

Randal carried an overturned table towards the window. Leaning it on its side he sat down, hiding behind the table he looked out the window. He whispered to Aidan, "I suggest we wait here, and see if those creatures return."

For once Aidan agreed with him. He quietly moved to sit next to Randal. He placed the muzzle of his gun on the windowsill.

They silently sat at the window, searching the streets for any sign of a giant black cat. It was almost an hour later when Aidan heard something. It was someone moaning. Placing his index finger on his lips, he warned Randal to be quiet.

Aiming the barrel of his gun at the bar, he waited. In seconds he heard the whimper of a dog. He saw a women slowly appear standing behind the bar. Her hair was long and raven in color. Her face, she was one of the most beautiful women Aidan had ever seen. She held her arm close to her side. Aidan could see dried blood on her sleeve.

A small boy with dark hair helped her walk towards the front of the bar. Randal noticed immediately that the boy wore no clothes, his body was covered in a fine black hair. Reaching the front of the bar, the boy immediately spotted them.

"I thought you were gone," the boy hissed.

Aidan jumped up as the boy immediately changed into the dog they helped earlier. As soon as he changed, he angrily growled at Aidan. The dog then changed into a wolf. The angry wolfs jowls pulled back as he growled and arched his back.

Aidan aimed his gun at the wolf, the woman moved next to the wolf. Her eyes bore into him, Randal heard her humming. Aidan cried out in alarm as his gun flew out of his hands to the other side of the room.

As Aidan ran to fetch it, Randal immediately moved towards the woman. He held his hands up in surrender. "Please, we mean you no harm, we are all in danger."

"Do not grovel, Randal," Aidan told him, as he rushed back to his side. He wrapped the leather sling of the gun around his hand. He was not going to lose it this time.

"Listen to me Aidan, you must put away your firearm, she is the one Mother sent us to find. This is Deanna."

Aidan stared at Deanna, "How could she be a witch? She's young and beautiful."

Deanna's eyes turned dark, she softly began to hum, things in the room began to rattle. "You think of witches as old and ugly. Your idea of a witch has been colored by Mother's lies."

Aidan gripped his rifle tighter, he now aimed it at Deanna. "Well Randal, I guess we found her."

Threatened, her humming grew louder, the tables and chairs in the room now began to shake and hop on the floor. They suddenly stopped when they all heard a snarling coming from outside. Randal stepped closer to Deanna and the wolf. "Deanna, I'm guessing that, that wound was caused by whatever massacred this village."

"Your guess would be right," Deanna said, with a tight voice. "But I ask myself am I in greater danger from Mother's chattel or from them?"

"Chattel!" Aidan growled. "We are not cows."

"Cows?" Deanna laughed. "It appears that Mother is scrapping the bottom of the barrel. I am sorry, should I use smaller words?"

"Let it be, Aidan," Randal warned him.

The snarling noise became louder. Randal whispered, "If what I think is out there, we need to work together."

Deanna spat on the ground, "I would rather kiss the Kings ass."

The wolf suddenly turned back into the small boy. "Deanna, let us not be hasty here. They bound me in iron chains and threw me off the cliff." He pointed to her arm. "You just barely escaped with your life. This may be our only way to get out of here alive."

Deanna angrily shook her head, "I cannot, after what they did to my sisters, I just cannot."

"I admit," Randal softly said. "We did not come here for a mug of beer."

"No," Aidan said. "We were sent by Mother to trap and kill you. Small words but to the point, don't you think?" Fidele immediately turned back into the wolf. The hackles on his neck rose high.

"Aidan," Randal hissed. "You have no idea what killed all these people."

"We don't have…" Aidan began to say, until he heard the snarling outside was a bit to close for comfort. Aidan and Randal quietly moved towards the window. Peeking outside, what Aidan saw made him grip his Root rifle so tight his knuckles turned white. He saw eight colored men slowly walking down the street. Naked as they day they were born, their mouths were covered in blood.

In the center of them, Aidan saw a colored woman. Dressed in the finest of clothes, it was a stark contrast to her appearance. Her skin was wrinkled and tight like worn leather, boney arms stuck out of her frill dress. One of the men spied someone moving. A villager was still alive. As he ran towards him, he began to change. He quickly transformed into a giant black cat. He leapt in the air and pounced on the human. His death cries did not last long. The cat tore him to pieces in seconds. His mouth dripping with blood he returned to his companions.

The colored woman petted the large cat on the head. He quickly transformed back into a man. They slowly walked down the streets in search of live prey. Suddenly they stopped, just outside of the tavern. Turning slowly they began to walk towards the inn.