Chapter Twenty-Four: Blood in the Streets
In the Sanctuary the heroes gathered around the map table, noticing the increase in numbers Ginjer sat in the corner with Nova, "Oi! We're getting crowded around here!"
"The more the merrier as they say?" Jaya smiled studying the map table while Seth felt a ping on his phone and pulled it out.
"Faraday sent a message," Seth spoke opening it up and his eyes widened, "Oh dear."
"What is it, Seth?" Connor asked seeing Seth show the group a picture of a bloody wall with a mutilated corpse of a woman lying below it and in her blood was a message written saying, 'Come to Ravenstone or more will perish Hero of Westcliff.'
"Ravenstone?" Kyler spoke looking for it on his map, spotting at the bottom of Albion to the south, "damn blocked by the mountains probably would take too long to sail there, guess we will have to use the map?"
"According to Faraday, this is the fifth victim in a week all the victims being women and night workers. The town has nicknamed the serial killer Slasher Jack," Seth spoke seeing another picture, and winced, "not sharing this one...poor girl."
"The killer wanted to get Connor's attention, this has trap written all over it," Tercero spoke from the nearby wall he leaned on.
"I agree with Tercero, the probability of this being a trap is very high," Merlin spoke flying over the map table to look over Seth's shoulder, "Oh my, these poor women were mutilated!"
"According to autopsy report Faraday hacked from the coroner after having their throats slit a random organ was removed from each one," Seth spoke looking at the report, "lungs, a heart, kidney, liver, and ovaries?"
"A doctor is behind these killings?" Connor asked seeing Seth read more.
"No, according to the coroner the cuts were sloppy, while the blade 'still unidentified' was very sharp, and the incisions to the body were sloppy," Seth spoke narrowing his eyes, "what do you think Connor?"
"Someone went through the trouble to get my attention, what do you see Gabriel?" Connor asked looking to the seer.
Studying the map table Gabriel went into thought, "odd, something clouding my sight."
"Meaning what?" Kyler asked seeing Gabriel think about it.
"That up to you Connor, I sense something dark is at work here and it's preventing me from seeing what truly happening in Ravenstone, you will have to decide what to do here," Gabriel spoke turning to the hero.
"We can't let any more innocent women fall victim to this madman, let's go," Connor spoke getting nods of agreement from the others.
"Merlin and I will stay behind, I still need to catch up on recent events," Neo spoke pulling out Faraday's tablet.
"Shall we then?" Connor spoke traveling to the Ravenstone with the others.
Looking up from his tablet to the map table Neo couldn't shake the felling something bad was going to happen.
It was nighttime when the group arrived at the dark cobblestone city, built on the edge of Ravenwing Mountains standing close to the sea a thick mist covered the city and the chime of a large clocktower got the hero's attention seeing street lights all began to illuminate the dark streets.
"My don't this city look inviting," Jaya spoke sarcastically watching Tercero using his grappling mode on his Phantom Blade and pulling himself to the highest building where he pulled out his seal.
"I'll use Eagle Sense," Tercero spoke narrowing his golden eyes to look around the large gothic-like city.
"What do you see?" Connor asked into his seal trying to see Tercero high above.
Looking around he stopped when he noticed golden tracks in a nearby alley, "I think I found something."
Using his grabble hook to swing across Tercero slid down a roof and skidded down a wall into an alley where he knelt to examine barefoot human tracks.
Following the tracks Tercero noticed the tracks began to spread in distance like the person who left them was getting taller; he then also noticed the foot was growing and had claws.
Stopping Tercero looked up from the tracks he followed to a dead-end wall, seeing the tracks climbing the wall Tercero pulled out his seal, "I think this city may have a creature problem, not a human problem."
Making their way down the road to Tercero the group stopped when they heard a loud monstrous roar they had never heard before followed by several more roars joining in the howl.
"What the bloody hell was that?!" Kyler asked drawing his hammer.
"That wasn't a Balverine," Roscoe spoke having listened to the roar.
"You sure?" Connor asked looking down at the hound whose fur began to stick up.
"Positive! This is something new," Roscoe growled sniffing the air, "whatever it is there's more than one!"
Hearing the roar Tercero was about to run out of the alley but heard something large land behind him, slowly he turned around to a very large humanoid creature with sickly gray skin, patches of coarse fur, pale yellow eyes, and sharp fangs.
It wheezed with every breath it took, then slowly the new creature began to lift an arm to extend its clawed fingers, "Oh, mierda!" (Oh, mierda = Oh shit)
Swinging at Tercero the assassin barely dodged its sharp claws, he had never fought anything that moved so quickly before.
Dashing forward the creature grabbed Tercero by the throat and slammed him against the wall.
"NGH!" Tercero grunted from the slam glaring at the creature that used its free hand and stabbed its claws forward at the assassin who quickly used his hidden blade to block the attack and with a flick of his wrist he stabbed his blade through its palm and out the back of its hand.
Roaring the creature threw Tercero down the alley and smashed through some trashcans.
With a grunt and coughing Tercero looked up to see the creature shake its hand and then glare at the assassin before roaring.
In the middle of the street, Connor came to a halt reaching behind his back, and drew his sword when he saw a massive creature on the road ahead slowly walking down the street.
"Connor," Kyler spoke with his hammer ready forming up into a circle with the others seeing more of the creatures on the roofs of buildings, some exiting allies and others exiting the fog.
"What are they?" Jaya asked seeing the creatures all growling and coming closer.
"Their scents..." Roscoe spoke noticing something off about the creatures "They're like Balverines but...all mixed up? Like they rolled in the scents of other creatures."
"Whatever they are let's put them down!" Seth growled pointing his cutlass.
Counting Kyler narrowed his eyes seeing a creature get on all four getting ready to charge at him, "I count ten, you think you can handle that?"
"Oh yeah," Connor nodded focusing on two of the monsters in front of him, "COME ON!"
Roaring a monster came at Kyler slashing its claws that he blocked with his hammer before upper-cutting the creature under its jaws and then smashing his hammer down on its skull.
Growling Roscoe charged at one tackling it to the ground as the two beasts roared and barked tearing at one another flesh, rolling across the cobbled stone road.
Using her staff Jaya pole vaulted over one creature and spun her staff stabbing its back before being tackled from the side.
Holding up her staff Jaya blocked the creature's sharp fangs grunting while trying to hold the creature up, with a growl the creature slashed its claws across her exposed shoulder creating three deep gashes, "AUGH!"
"Jaya!" Seth yelled sliding under one of the creatures and slicing his cutlass down chopping off the creature's head and kicking it off his companion.
"Ngh!" Jaya groaned looking over to Seth, "LOOK OUT!"
Turning around Seth pointed his pistol when one of the creatures came at him and fired several times seeing the creature with amazing speed dodge his bullets, "WHAT?!"
Launching at Seth he swung his cutlass slicing the side of its face and bringing it to a halt. With a growl, the creature narrowed its eyes before roaring and swung again smacking Seth's cutlass out of his hand.
Hearing a dog yelp Connor watched the creature with Roscoe in its mouth throw his canine into a wall where he weakly tried to get up with the creature stalking over.
"Roscoe!" Connor yelled about to aid him but was stopped by two of the mysterious creatures one jumping forward and getting impaled by his sword, "NGH! Get out of my way!"
"Is that the best you got?!" Roscoe growled weakly while narrowing his eyes seeing the creature lift its claws only to have a familiar two-bladed sword stab into its back and out its chest.
"That was your last mistake," Neo spoke kicking the creature aside.
"Neo!" Connor grunted kicking off the creature from his sword then threw his Blade spell into another.
In the alley Tercero used his grabbling to quickly ascend to the roof running with the creature hot on his tail, spinning around he stood on the edge ready to face the creature looking down to the street below to see his allies fighting more of the new foes.
With a breath, Tercero removed his cleaver and motioned with his left hand for the beast to come at him, "Ven aquí, cabrona!" (Ven aquí, cabrona = Come here, bitch)
Roaring the creature charged at Tercero who also ran full speed at the creature anticipating its speed Tercero slid under its legs and just as it spun around to attack again Tercero's cleaver collided with the side of its face.
With narrowed eyes, Tercero pulled out his cleaver and kicked the dead creature off the roof and turned to see Seth shielding Jaya both getting cornered by two of the creatures one dodging bullets he shot at it.
Spotting Seth's cutlass Tercero pulled out his seal when he saw it was near Neo, "Oy ey! Neo! Throw me the blade!"
Seeing the blade lying on the ground and then spotting Tercero on the roof Neo grabbed the blade and threw it with his Spartan strength to the assassin who caught it and spun it around in his hand jumping off the roof and landing on top of one of the creatures inching towards Seth and Jaya stabbing his hidden blade down into its neck and tossed Seth his weapon.
"Thanks!" Seth grinned catching his weapon and blocking the other creature's claws lifting so Jaya could thrust her staff into the monster's chest and twisting making it howl in pain.
Pulling out his hidden blade Tercero raised an eyebrow moving its fur that grew down its neck and saw imbedded in the back of its skull attached to the neck was an odd gem, using his hidden blade he dug the crystal out holding the bloody gem in his hand.
Spinning his hammer Kyler was about to attack one he spotted was in an alley but stopped when he noticed the creature grabbing at its head and shaking violently like it was fighting itself, looking up at Kyler it wheezed heavily, its yellow eyes turning green for a split second.
Stumbling forward the creature held up its claws shaking like it was trying to stop itself from attacking, "ki-" the creature spoke making Kyler's eyes widen, "pl-please...kill...me!"
With tears in its eyes, it held its claws to its neck about to slice its own throat, "NO!" Kyler yelled hearing a bolt shoot past his ear and hit the creature in the neck.
Blinking in confusion the creature began to wobble around before collapsing to the ground. Turning around Kyler saw it with Tercero who saw the same thing and approached.
"Why did you do that?!" Kyler asked seeing the assassin hold up one of his sleep bolts.
"Sleep bolts," Tercero explained looking back to the streets, "secure this one."
Pulling out his rifle Neo fired at the last of the mystery creatures that growled seeing it was outnumbered, with a roar it charged again getting gunned down by Connor, Seth, and Neo who brought the creature to a halt before falling over.
"Thank goodness," Jaya panted in relief looking over to where the dead bodies of the other creatures were, and gasped at what she saw, "guys?"
Turning around Connor and the other's eyes would widen to see all the creatures they had slain were all no longer monsters but humans each naked and each very much dead, some men, some women, each looking skinny and bloodied from their fight.
"What on earth?" Connor spoke kneeling and using his magic to heal Roscoe's injuries.
"They're human? What is happening here?!" Seth asked his eyes widening when he saw Kyler walking over with one of the creatures over his shoulder with its hands and feet bound together and sleeping heavily.
"We can ask this one," Kyler spoke looking over Neo, "why did you come? I thought you were studying."
"We were," Merlin spoke flying over from around the corner, "when Gabriel sensed something dark was happening here Neo couldn't shake the feeling something bad was going to happen so we came rushing here to aid you!"
"Thank you, Neo," Jaya smiled wincing when Connor removed the bandage on her arm and began to heal her injury.
"No problem, so then," he spoke pointing at the creature on Kyler's shoulder, "shall we find a secure location to interrogate that one?"
"Sounds like a plan, if these things were behind the murders we need to know why," Connor spoke.
"Wait," Tercero spoke approaching the creature on Kyler's back and inspecting its neck then moved to the other dead creatures checking their necks, "I was right."
"What?" Connor asked approaching seeing a gem embedded in the skin of one of the dead creatures, "it that a gem?"
"Wait a minute..." Seth spoke looking at the creature, "Mystery powerful creatures, fast and deadly, gems, claws...oh bloody hell!"
"What is it, Seth?" Jaya asked seeing Seth fumble with his seal.
"Ginjer! The creatures you and Ben fought so many years ago, the one Reaver turned his brother into! What did they look like?!" Seth asked.
"What no 'hi!' or 'hey Ginjer you brilliant, gorgeous creature' you kids these days," Ginjer teased.
"Ginjer! This is serious!" Seth growled in frustration.
"Alright calm down, keep your knickers on! It's been a while! But I do remember those horrid yellow eyes! Grey skin, oh, and the claws! Could disembowel you with one swipe! UGLY AS HELL TOO!" Ginjer spoke trying to recall the creatures.
"Half-Breeds..." Seth spoke looking around, "They're Half-Breeds but how is that possible?! The alchemist who made them was killed!"
With horror Jaya looked around at the carnage, "an alchemist did this to these people?"
"When Ben Finn fought Reavers Half-Breeds the dark Alchemist Baro met his end at the hands of his creations, the control crystal that he had used to keep his beasts on a leash was destroyed forcing Ben to kill his own brother and the remaining Half-Breeds before they could do more harm," Gabriel spoke.
"Damn him!" Seth yelled slamming his fist on a brick wall, "That bastard Baro must have left his alchemical recipe somewhere and Reaver got his dirty hands on it!"
"So that means there is a control crystal at play here," Connor spoke looking at the creature Kyler carried, "what's the story with this one?"
"It was struggling, it seemed to have been fighting against the crystal. It begged me to kill it," Kyler explained then pointed at Tercero, "this one hit it with a sleep dart."
"We have to help him!" Jaya spoke rushing over, touching the creature's face, "These people, they were forced to become these monsters! If this one was begging to be killed that means that none of them wanted this!"
"Let's move, I think I know where we can hold this interrogation," Seth spoke leading the way.