Scene Four: Hybrid
(Ryoku's POV)
Sira and Glimmer were the first ones I saw. The bright color of Sira's fiery hair burnt my eyes. Glimmer's golden head loomed closer, and she let out an ecstatic 'baa!'. Sira looked, saw my eyes open, and nudged someone. A hand appeared on my head. No matter what state I was in, I recognized the piney smell of Will, the back of his hand against my forehead.
"You waken," Will stated, quickly withdrawing his hand. "You hold a strong fever, friend. How do you feel?"
Loki's head popped into view, his golden hair in enough disarray that he looked like he went through shock therapy. "Check the pulse," he ordered. "Hands, too. I'll…"
He stuck a finger in my mouth, curling up my lip. I tried to pull away, but suddenly realized how numb my whole body felt. The only thing I could feel was a sickening heat in my face. My fingers twitched in Will's hand, but I couldn't muster the strength for a fist.
"No fangs," he confirmed, as though that were a great surprise.
Another voice cut in. "Lycanthren traits won't pop up in a matter of hours. Surely you know that."
It took me a moment, but I started to recognize the voice. The one who'd picked me up in the battlefield.
"With the size of that wound? I wouldn't rely on just basic knowledge. Will?"
"Regular pulse," Will said. "No claws."
"Lycanthrene? You think I—?"
"A mere precaution," Loki waved me off. He turned to someone out of my view and thanked them.
Someone gently lifted my head a little and stuck a cool, damp cloth underneath, which allowed me to get a better look at the room. It was the interior of a run-down sort of shack made of mostly greying, decrepit wood, dried mud shoved between the cracks. Will and Loki kept close, and Sira sat nearby, hands balled into tight fists, with Snacks curled up in her lap, asleep once more. Glimmer was at my side, her golden eyes never leaving me. Lusari lay against the wall, curled up with Starlight and Snowball, a cloak thrown over her.
Next to her stood a stranger by the door, a tall vampire with black hair and gleaming red eyes, dressed in a somewhat weathered black coat. He offered me a small smile when I looked at him.
"What happened?" I asked, fixating Loki in my bleary gaze.
My voice came out weaker than I felt. I tried to lift my head some more, but a stab of pain broke off my vision in a hot flash. A heavy feeling welled up in my chest, robbing my lungs of breath. Being so vulnerable and broken… I recalled feeling this way some time ago, and I knew I hated it.
"We achieved victory," Loki declared, trying to sound triumphant. "It was a long, drawn-out battle. It turned out my numbers were quite off, and we faced a dreadful amount of Lycanthren. This fellow brought you into the village after us, and we had to clear out a place we could fortify and stop your injuries from worsening. Lusari and Starlight worked on you for some time, but it is just field work."
Will looked at me apologetically. "We have done what we could, but you are far from fighting fit."
A pile of slain wolves in the doorway sold Loki's point. A mass of greens and browns, all splashed with pungent red blood that stuck out in the grim room. Even the doorway showed signs of taking several Pokemon attacks and swings of weapons, deep grooves cut into the mildewy wood.
I couldn't believe the sight. Even more than the sick feeling in my gut, I felt a horrid sense of inadequacy. How much help had I been? I knew Glimmer and Snacks could fight on their own, but I couldn't blink away the thought of them getting hurt without me.
"Cleria led the vampires out to the square," Will added, as though plucking a question from my mind before it could become coherent. "She did not like how they were acting around you." When he saw my puzzled glance, he gestured vaguely to my chest. "Uh, blood."
Right, of course. Vampires wouldn't have made for the best company with an open bag of food in front of them. Still, I caught the glance of the sole stranger, no doubt the one who'd picked me up in the middle of battle. He had his left arm out of its sleeve, drawn against his chest and hidden from view. Despite the bloody color of his eyes, I thought I detected a gentle calm to them, like sweet red apples.
When he met my gaze, the tall stranger nodded curtly. "Rex Dougo," he introduced himself, a reluctant smile on his face. His voice came young and soft, an odd match for his serious expression. "I don't fall into either crowd."
I wanted to stick out my hand, but the motion only shot pain through my chest. All I could do was give the friendly-looking boy a small smile instead. "Ryoku Dragontalen," I introduced myself. "Local punching bag." He smiled thinly, a brow raised in slight worry. "What do you mean you 'don't fall into either crowd'?"
A couple glances were exchanged among my friends. Rex's small smile vanished. "I am not enough vampire to be horribly tempted by your blood, nor am I Lycanthren enough to walk only as a wolf. I am also not human enough to fully understand the extent of your injuries, but…"
"He carried you in here," Will told me, filling in Rex's silence. "As he says, he was the only one who could remain around your blood. Turns out he knows the one Cleria was talking about, too – he is an old healer near the town of Xactyr. They both agreed that they could get us to this healer."
I saw the lack of trust in Loki's eyes. I couldn't imagine why. Rex saved me, and Cleria came through her end of the deal.
It didn't take long for everyone to get to their feet. Sira and Rex cleared a path through the pile of Lycanthren bodies. Will gently coaxed Lusari awake, who looked groggy and worn out. Whatever I'd seen her do earlier, I figured she taxed her own energy along with Starlight's. Her footsteps came sluggishly, almost drunken.
Loki packed up my belongings, and flashed something to me – my knife, the one I'd dropped when the Lycanthren attacked me. "We looted this out in the field," he told me with a playful smirk. "Better you lose your knife than your head, but you should learn how to keep a better grip on it."
"That, and…" Will and Loki briefly exchanged glances before Will handed me a Pokeball – the one I'd offered the Rockruff. The red crystal was lit up. "Did you…?"
"He was not one of them," Rex answered for all of us. "Not so specifically, anyway. I heard you speak to him when you offered up the ball. It was an earnest speech, although long, and probably why you didn't see that Lycanthren coming. Regardless, he is not a Lycanthren – he is just a young Rockruff. They often wind up entangled in the wars of Lysvid as well."
Loki and Will's chests both deflated. I would have done the same if I could. I'd been worried the ball contained a Lycanthren, who I'd then be unable to send out until we safely reached somewhere with sunlight again. "Were you able to…?"
"Your healer was too taxed to see to the Pokemon," Rex said sadly. "They will be fine in their balls. He will be okay. At the Timeless Castle, my master can fix him up, too."
I hoped I would see the Timeless Castle he spoke of. At present, my chest felt so tight that I wondered if I wouldn't just die on the trip. My friends seemed worried, too – not that it was entirely unusual from them.
Will helped me onto Sira's back very gently. I felt small and frail, carted around like expensive goods, and it only served to sharpen that foggy memory I had of a similar time. I'd only known Sira for a precious few days, and she liked saving my ass as much as she liked fighting, it seemed. What was I to make of her?
Will held onto Snacks while supporting Lusari's weight, and Glimmer trudged alongside me, mostly staring up at me or angrily ahead. I sensed a lot of anger from her – not necessarily at me, but perhaps that she'd been unable to help me.
Outside the hut, the Lycanthren village was in shambles. Most of the other shacks burnt down or still burned. Every inch of the place was marred thick with blood, assuaged with bodies, or else burnt, slashed, frozen, or otherwise vandalized. Many bodies dotted the murky waters of the swamp. The eerie flickering of flames gave the accursed place a haunting atmosphere, blood shining on every spot of the ground like rust. I picked out the odd vampire body, standing out like stones amid the dark, earthy slaughter. Somehow, seeing that they lost fighters in battle made me feel a little better.
I felt stronger empathy for the Lycanthren than ever before, and I hoped we were done with fighting them. All feigned hope I had of ending their suffering bled away with this sight. In another world, maybe I could have befriended the wolves – still people, even as the darkness hid their faces.
Parties of vampires scattered around the remnants of the village. Some put out fires, others looting bodies and homes, or just standing and conversing amongst themselves. A few groups turned toward us as we emerged from the ruined cottage, but I didn't spot Cleria among them. I did see the vampires from our original group, though, and they didn't look kind anymore.
Our group didn't break pace, and we departed to the edge of the village where a mud-washed bridge led to the exit. A group of vampires skulked around there, whispering amongst themselves and flashing cold glances our way. I didn't sense any kindness from them anymore. More than ever, I knew we'd entertained the wrong side.
Nearby, one of the tall male vamps called Loki over. The Warden hesitated – he didn't seem any fonder of them than I currently felt, or he just wanted to hurry forward.
"Go on," Will told him urgently. "See if we cannot glean some last helpfulness from them."
Loki only nodded, sparing me a parting glance before jogging over to the vampire. The rest of us continued to the gate, where the pack of shady vampires watched our approach with unreadable eyes.
It took me a bit to realize the source of their evident distaste – it appeared to be Rex. With what he'd told us earlier, I suddenly understood. One of them drew back his lips and hissed at Rex openly, who didn't meet his gaze. Was it judgmental to think those of at least partially similar blood should still get along? Humans certainly didn't like each other all that much, sometimes for the smallest differences. Cleria didn't seem to be here to keep her hunters in line, either.
One of the bigger males appeared before our company in the blink of an eye, making me jump. Their movements were eerily fast and hard to detect, especially when in hostility. Rex was at the head of our group, but Will surreptitiously stepped up next to him, passing Snacks off to Lusari, a hand on Valor's ball.
"You shouldn't be here, Dougo," the vampire snarled, crossing his arms. The way he stood, though, he clearly didn't want Rex to leave. "What are you doing? Your kind is all dead."
"Only passing through, Azrael," Rex replied, a little meekly. My stomach lurched. Was he actually going to let the vampires talk to him like that? More than ever, I knew we'd come in on the wrong side, and I didn't want much to do with our previous job anymore.
The vampire shoved him. Sira winced as my fingers dug into her skin – I quickly released my grip when I noticed. Rex was unperturbed, really. He stood still, maybe his feet dug into the mud a little. The hunch in his shoulders and the look on the other vampire's face made my blood start to boil.
In another instant, the vampire grabbed Rex by the coat, lifting him a few inches from the ground. I felt Sira stiffen in anger. None of the vampires made to move. Will's hand was on Valor's ball, ready to release her at a moment's notice, but his other hand twitched near his lance.
"Did you not hear me?" the vampire snarled coldly, each word annunciated like the tip of a dagger. "You shouldn't be here. Among humans, nonetheless. Lycanthren hunters. You should've been at our blades. Instead you sank into their ranks? Thought you could hide with the humans?"
"Do not label us with you," Will spoke. His voice came hard and cold, reminding me of when he addressed Lancet before. "We are travelers, passing through, and Rex comes with us. Pardon me, but did you lift a finger to help our friend when he fell?"
The vampire hissed at Will, refusing to back down. "You are an outsider. We have no obligation to you or your people. Maybe you helped us, Warden, but tell me: would you have if not for the gold?"
"I would not," Will retorted. "Knowing what I know now, I wish I never had."
By now, I had slid off Sira's back without a word. Her rage boiled too deeply to notice, and nobody gave me a second look as I approached, Glimmer stepping in rhythm with me. The injuries upon my body didn't even seem to hinder me – no, even better, it was as though they fueled me.
Images ran through my head so vividly that I was rapidly losing track of the real scenario. The glint of a knife, the crack of a fist striking bone, agonizing grunts of pain, and a searing white-hot flash through my eye – all those memories resurfaced, culminating in the smug voice of a boy I used to know.
I didn't hear as Snacks leapt free of Lusari's arms and stepped up next to me – all I saw was red.
(Sira's POV)
I didn't notice Ryoku slide off my back. He was so light, it was like carrying a little backpack next to my own. It wasn't until I saw him approaching the heated confrontation that I realized his absence. Glimmer walked alongside him, her eyes obscured by her flowing mane.
As I watched, Snacks, who'd been asleep in Lusari's arms, leaped free and slithered up next to Ryoku. In a startling transformation, she shifted her form, her aura darkening and taking on a sinister quality. Her ears thinned out like daggers, lit by glowing scarlet bands, and her eyes seared to match the color. Her once fluffy tail turned into three slimmer ones, each flicking dangerously. Dark red circles appeared on her fur, emitting a harsh glow.
I'd never seen her turn into an Umbreon before, but I sensed it was fueled by the unmistakable rage that emanated from Ryoku like a tangible force. Even the flickering orange glow from the flames of the village didn't seem to reach any of the three.
A loud crack shot through the village. Any heads that didn't already watch the confrontation turned. I saw it happen, but it played out like a broken image. Entire seconds of the moment vanished. Ryoku stood where the vampire was, who staggered back, clutching his shoulder with his fangs fully drawn. Ryoku's bare fist hung in the air, but it glowed with a dark energy. Gold and red sparks danced off his skin.
"I detest people like you."
The statement was so calm, but the words carried a livid flame. It came from Ryoku, but also from something deep within, bearing the patience of a god minorly irritated by its people. His hand seemed to disappear in the darkness altogether.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" the vampire snarled. His words came slow, angry. "Striking a war in vampire territory? Bah. You humans are no longer safe here, I promise you."
The rest of his squad stood at the ready. The females unleashed their claws, the males baring their fists and fangs, rippling snarls in their throats. Rex advanced next to Ryoku and Will. Lusari's Starlight hovered between Ryoku and Will, eyes glowing. I stepped up next to them, not bothering to tease drawing my sword. Drawing the sword unleashed Infernix, who reared up straightaway with a savage howl.
Ryoku's head lifted, and the scarlet in his eyes matched the color of Snacks' glowing fur.
"I am—"
His voice cut abruptly. Without warning, his kingly posture fell apart like glass. He crumpled, and Glimmer caught him with surprising ease, never removing her eyes from the tall vampire before her. Snacks advanced like a serpent, unhinging her jaw and hissing in an unsettling way, fangs bared. Rex slid out and took Ryoku's weight off Glimmer, and the dark Flaaffy rose to her full height, electricity crackling around her fists.
"You will not lay a hand upon my company!"
Loki's voice cut through the village like a clap of thunder. I'd never heard him yell before, and especially with such power. It finally made me recall that he was a Warden – and not a weak one at that.
He charged into our midst, Solaris at his side. Both channeled the same sparks. He looked like he was about to tear apart every vampire in front of us. Even the angry one in the coat flinched when Loki got in his face. Glimmer and Snacks closed in, both overcome with dark energy. Will tried to put a calming hand on Snacks, but she slid away like she wasn't there at all.
"Enough!" Cleria's voice cut through the tension like a blade. She appeared, to my surprise, on the other end of the gate, entering from the woods. In the moment, she looked older and more enraged than I'd seen her yet, near Loki's match in anger alone.
Where I thought she was going to side with the vampires, she stepped between Loki and the tall vampire, well below the height of both, facing the vampire.
"Lest you forget," she hissed, "I cut a deal with these humans. They have safe passage on my word alone – mine! Unless you want more blood on your hands… then back down. This is above your puny brain to fathom, Azrael."
The vampire hesitated, adopting a certain hunch in his shoulders with Cleria belittling him. Finally, his gaze dropped, and he stepped back. Snacks and Glimmer tried to close in, but Cleria stopped them with her claws outstretched from her fingertips. Surprisingly, both obeyed.
It took a long moment for Loki to speak, chest heaving, eyes locked on the circle of vampires in a thunderous rage. Cleria didn't try to talk him down, but just waited as an intermediary. When he spoke, it sounded like all Solaris' lightning charged his words.
"We'll take our leave. Next time you lot think to hire human hunters, think again. As long as we remain in Lysvid, you will keep your distance. Unless you wish to take trial by fire."
He snapped his fingers. I hadn't seen him send out Gizmo, but the small Rotom appeared at his shoulder, grinning, and shot out a ball of flame to land amid the circle of vampires. All recoiled before the flames. Cleria flashed Loki a reprimanding look, but otherwise kept quiet. She knew we weren't wrong.
Will quickly helped Ryoku onto my back once more. Glimmer and Snacks followed him like a pair of shadows, neither showing any signs of calming down. We rushed to catch up with Loki as he stormed past the gate into the woods.
(Ryoku's POV)
I woke up in the thick of the dark woods. The steady rise and fall of Sira's stride was the only thing I could feel. Brush and branches crackled beneath the feet of my comrades in a silent trudge. I could hear noises around us – the odd hoot of a Noctowl, unfamiliar chirping, and distant howling.
My head throbbed, so I kept it against Sira's shoulder while we moved. I could occasionally catch the golden glint of Loki's hair ahead of us, reflecting the dim light from Lusari, Starlight, and Infernix. The timid crunching of leaves alongside me told me that Snacks and Glimmer walked with me, too. I drew comfort knowing they were near.
Little conversation happened. I could hear Loki, Rex, and Cleria speaking in hushed tones, but I couldn't make any of it out. Will and Lusari eventually fell in alongside each other and spoke quietly. Sira walked alone with me, only Infernix, Snacks, and Glimmer at her side. Will was generally the only other one than me who conversed with the fierce fighter. Did she intimidate the others? I wondered if she ever felt lonely. She'd been nothing but sweet to me since we met. In her own way, of course.
I faded in and out of consciousness as we walked. The dark woods never seemed to cease or thin out, and my comrades never launched into a full conversation that I could hear. The forest felt cold, but I had no way to stay warm other than to cling to Sira. Nobody lit a torch as we walked. At many points, they didn't even use Lusari or Starlight's light, and Sira called back Infernix after a while. Maybe it was to keep ourselves concealed if some threat arose. If we still walked in the Black Woods, Cleria told us that they were common stomping grounds for the Lycanthren. In that event, sympathy to their plight wouldn't save us.
At some point, I fell into a solid slumber against Sira's back.
(Sira's POV)
"He's out again," I announced lowly. I could feel his chest rising and falling steadily against my back. His bandages had soaked through again, a second time since we left Gaevrel, the Lycanthren settlement. I kept my pace as light as possible, but it never seemed to be enough. His injuries were too severe.
"Good," Loki remarked. The anger he displayed in Gaevrel hadn't settled, and I doubted it would until Ryoku was safe. When Lusari walked ahead with Rex and Cleria, Loki fell back to speak with Will and I. "These… occurrences of his. They seem to take much out of him, not unlike how Snacks is."
I nodded shortly, glancing down at the pair who walked alongside me. Glimmer often walked with us, so that didn't surprise me as much as Snacks still walking in her glowing Umbreon form. She usually danced around us, a constant tripping hazard, or else was too fatigued by her form changes to walk. She hadn't eaten since he'd been injured, and she didn't even glance when I waggled berries at her. She never moved from my side as long as I carried Ryoku, and neither did Glimmer.
"It managed to be in control for a minute," Will added. "It was effective enough, but…"
Loki rose a brow at us. The way the moonlight caught his emerald eyes gave his gaze a tricky sign. Were he not such an impetuous, lordly brat, he might be attractive. "You two are familiar with this. Once in the Capital with the Warg, when Shimmer evolved. Again in Gaevrel. He's displayed this before?"
Will and I exchanged brief glances. In the end, only because Ryoku seemed to trust Loki, we explained the scenarios we'd seen so far. Usually, whatever it was stepped in alongside Ryoku, helping him act stronger than he was. Whatever it was, its hold on him only grew. Back there, I had the feeling that it wasn't even a bit of Ryoku that stood there.
"Hmm," Loki said when we finished. "What are your theories?"
"Something's sealed away in him," I said. "It's gotta be. Whenever it steps in, he doesn't have much control. I don't know what it is, but… I wanna say it's a Pokemon of some kind. An exceptionally dark one."
Will didn't disagree. As fellow soldiers, we'd both seen our fair share of dark-type Pokemon. Seeing one in human habitation, however, was a little different. It wasn't unheard of, but exceptionally rare.
"What does it matter to you?" Will asked, clearly still a little apprehensive of the Warden. "Why did you come here? How did you know to find Ryoku?"
Loki touched his nose, glancing sidelong at Will. "I told you, I knew him before. I knew him, and I knew that Eevee."
"So you know what's sealed in him," I said. "What is it?"
Loki stared ahead into the darkness for a long moment. "We'll see it before long, I'm sure. Besides, we seem to share a common goal. It seems it needs Ryoku to be alive in order to be here."
I wanted to argue, to press further, but he had a point. The darkness only stepped in to protect Ryoku. Why was it there? What did Loki know that he wasn't sharing?
Our potential to pry deeper broke when Rex and Cleria turned back to us.
"Xactyr is just beyond those hills," Rex told us, gesturing with his good arm. Ahead was the rest of a hill, and the dark, twisted trees of the forest broke off below. I could see dim torchlight from the city ahead. "Our destination lies beyond the city, not far past the east exit and into the woods. Cutting through the city would be faster, but…"
Loki's back straightened. "No buts. We must take the fastest route possible, for his life remains in jeopardy as long as this wound festers. Come! Let us travel with utmost haste, friends."
I wasn't sure how I felt about the Warden, but, like Ryoku and that darkness, we shared a common goal. It didn't take long to descend that hill. Even taking care not to jostle Ryoku on my back, it scarcely took a quarter of an hour to step onto the pavement of Xactyr.
It was a different sort of city from the capital. Caravans and wagons flocked the busier parts of the street, some pulled by what looked like skeletal Zebstrikas. A main road entered town, skirting around the forest we just plunged out of, and the sidewalks looked frequented by foot traffic. The buildings looked richer and more elaborate straightaway. If I had to guess, I'd pin Xactyr as a trade or merchant city. From our view, the slums hid behind the finest buildings. They kept their trash in the alleys and beneath the shadows of bigger buildings, like nobles hid their chamber pots as though they could hide disgusting human nature. Vampires clearly took to the more vain side of humanity.
As soon as we started into the city, we fell into the thick traffic of vampires on the sidewalks. It was annoying and tedious. There didn't seem to be a polite way to pass, so we walked along the fastest, least populated routes we could take. Rex was getting the same dirty looks as before. The way he held himself as he walked, it was like he pretended to be walking entirely alone, immune to the judgmental looks of the populace. I could relate.
Will strolled up next to Rex, flashing his lance when a vampire looked ready to pick a fight with Rex. "Thanks," Rex murmured, not meeting Will's glance.
"You have been naught but an excellent guide to us, and a friend," Will said in a hushed tone. "You helped us protect Ryoku when none else did. Despite your vampire blood, you carried him, helped change his bandages. You have brought us this far – I plead you, allow us to help you. If naught else, we can be a set of ready ears, and sound, sympathetic minds."
It took Rex a long time to respond. When he did, deep in the rich city of Xactyr, we barely heard him. "Do you not hate me, too?" His good hand balled into a fist. "Pokemon crossing with humans is unnatural, even in such a way as crossing with the Lycanthren or other shifting forms. The vampires here hate that half of me, and they hate the other half more for being connected to it. The Lycanthren view me as an anomaly, a thing that shouldn't have come to pass. The Ritual labels me as a heathen; they only respect my strength when it comes to killing people of my own race, the Lycanthren."
"That's insanity," Loki muttered spitefully. "Lycanthren and vampires. Let it be recalled that vampires were born from some of the most ancient and dark magic – granted their powers from Giratina's corruption. Lycanthren, as the legend says, were made to destroy them. That was thousands of years ago, though. If we rely on the past to settle disputes, there will be no future."
"Mixed breeds are not that alien, even where I am from," Will said. "Lycanthren do not only exist in this accursed place. There are changelings who share DNA with Ditto, allowing them to change forms. The Arozians, they share ancestry with ancient water Pokemon. The Vulpixkin are not uncommon either. In other realms, Lycanthren would not be such a curse as it is here."
"But it is," Rex said. "I should not exist here, according to them."
"But you do," Loki said, "and that is a boon to us. Folk aren't meant to please everyone they meet. They might even rile up crowds with their appearance! But," he went on, waggling a finger like he spoke to a child, "while those people may be less valuable to the populace, they're very important to a select few. Who cares about making this despicable world happy? Those you find truest to your heart, they will share the sentiment no matter what you do."
He stunned us all with the regality of his words. I didn't think the Warden was able to be nice to anyone – except maybe Ryoku. Rex managed a weak smile toward Loki.
"That applies to us all," Will told him. "In varying measures, of course. And you chose to save our dear friend, of whom you may relate to more than you think. He is the most accepting person I know. If he was worried about your race, then his role would make no sense."
Rex's gaze flicked to Ryoku on my back, and a soft smile lit up his face. Beyond the frightening red filter of his eyes, I saw kindness. He'd mentioned he chose to help Ryoku when he saved that Rockruff. I wondered if Rex had been against us until then, and if he could have wound up among the dead just as easily if Ryoku hadn't stopped. I was frustrated he'd gotten injured so quickly, but it happened in a way I knew would only happen to him – helping someone else out."
Ryoku stirred on my shoulders. Surprised, I smiled. When he was awake, Loki said, it was a good sign. I flinched when he coughed, and his body rattled on my back harshly. I didn't even realize what the problem was until Loki and Will both reeled around. In an instant, Valor and Solaris were out, and so were their weapons.
Here, in a vampire-infested city, Ryoku's wounds reopened.
I cursed myself a thousand times over for not having considered the idea. I could feel his blood soaking through my shirt. That was bad enough for him, but this was different. He was in danger. Snacks and Glimmer winged me, snarling loudly.
Vampires appeared on all sides of us. Females dared to drift closer, trying to put their hands on him. No matter how dressed up they might be, I thought, vampires were vampires. Like sharks, they turned on us at the smell of fresh blood.
Rex stepped out before me. "Take them to the castle!" he said urgently. "It's just outside the eastern gate! I'll hold them off!"
He lowered himself to the ground. With a rippling snarl that echoed around us, he shifted into his Lycanthren form. His fur looked darker than most of the others, one paw covered with a black band. His claws ripped through the vampires ahead of him, forcing many back. They didn't look like they acted on regular human impulse. Seeing some of their kind drop, they didn't back down.
I hesitated. Many of the vampires around us donned the blacks of the Ritual cult. Rex wouldn't survive for five minutes, even being venomous to them. I didn't think we could outrun hundreds of vampires, either.
"You can't hold them off alone," Loki insisted. He sprang forward and plunged his sword into one, while Solaris shot a burst of electricity into the crowd. "There's too many of them!"
"Forget that," Lusari murmured. She hadn't spoken out in some time, fatigued from helping Ryoku, but now she sounded scared, appearing next to me with Snowball. "We're surrounded. We'll never make it out of here without a fight – all of us."
Will appeared between Rex and I. Before I knew it, he took Ryoku off my back – who'd fallen unconscious again – and seated him upon Lycanroc-Rex's back.
"You must take him! You are the fastest among us. Cut through the crowd and get him to the castle. We will clear a path!"
I didn't want to let Ryoku out of my sight, but it felt like the only option. Cursing under my breath, I released Infernix and drew Sinistra at the same time. Infernix let out a savage howl, blasting a stream of fire up into the sky. Feeling the huge blade resonating with Infernix, I knew I was taking the only viable option.
Shimmer and Snacks winged Infernix as he launched into battle, though I saw Snacks give Ryoku one long, lasting look before Rex darted off into the crowd, Ryoku seated on his back. I, too, watched him go like it was in slow motion, Ryoku's golden-haired head bobbing unconsciously on Rex's Lycanroc back – and then they were gone.