Something awoke me in the middle of the night, but I wasn't sure what. I was safely in Aodh's arms, facing away from him. If it was a nightmare, I didn't recall it, thank god. Then I heard it. Moaning. All I had to do was touch Aodh's hand and he came awake, tensing as he also heard the deep, unearthly sound of many voices. Silently, Aodh and I grabbed our weapons and masks before stalking out of our tent. Perce was already out of his, mask on, looking around and soon Sultan, donning his mask, climbed out of his tent as well. Both armed and ready. They came quickly, several men and women, unarmed, but rushing us aggressively. At first, we just bashed them away, protecting the tent Beatrix and Gaetano were in. Soon the two were awoken and came out, shocked, but armed and with their masks. The air was suddenly filled with the screams of the horses. ~Oh god...they're eating them!~ I felt my stomach trying to force its way back up my throat, but I focused solely on protecting my friends. These people were relentless, not fazed in the least when we hit them, the only sound their collective, low moans. A chill went up my spine. This was eerily familiar. Dreameaters. What I had thought was just a myth, yet faced in Maiwalds Grove. Undead. Holding my short-staff, I drew a dirk from my wrist guard and slashed the arm of the woman in front of me...no blood. "Dreameaters!" I warned the others.
"What?" Beatrix and Gaetano asked at the same time.
Panting, Perce paused to access the situation and everyone's status. "Griffon, we are being worn down! We need to escape!"
Aodh nodded. "Drake, lead the retreat. Foxy, Mutt, stay in the middle. Robin, the right side, I'll take the left. And Fox, cover our retreat." Everyone nodded.
"Anyone know anything about Dreameaters?" I call over my shoulder as I carve a way for us with my unscrewed short-staff, a blade in each hand.
"They're supposed to only eat you if you're sleeping!" Gaetano panted.
"Then these must be mighty hungry." Sultan said, hardly out of breath. Appearing calm and collected.
Gaetano continued, concentrating on what he could remember. " Dreameaters are said to feed on both dead bodies and the living when they sleep. They then possess those they kill."
"Fire!" Sultan said, his brows furrowed as he thought deeply while shooting off as many arrows as he could to cripple our persistent pursuers. "I think I remember something about how they don't like fire."
"Fire, alright." We came upon a dry clearing with lots of leaves and tree limbs scattered across the open ground. I paused. "Foxy, Mutt, can you build a fire and rig us some torches? Sultan, do we have any oil?"
"Yes!" All three shouted. I nodded and looked at Aodh, who smirked even in the midst of this battle with the undead.
"Alright, Drake, Robin, Fox and I will guard you. Get us some torches!"
"Yes Sir!" Everyone dived into action.
"Cutting off their heads also seems effective!" I told everyone as bodies started to fall once I severed them from their heads. Robin went to the trees so he was able to keep track of Beatrix and Gaetano and guide us with them, also shooting for tendons in the legs to permanently lame them, even after death. I reconnected and put back my short-staff back in its sheath as I was given a torch, the light of their bonfire lighting the clearing and revealing the Dreameaters' rotting vessels. I drew my sword and plunged the torch into the mouth of the moaning, large man coming for us. He exploded as if his body itself was made of oil, disintegrating as the fire ate him to nothingness. "Holy shit. Robin you're a genius!"
"We can do this Beasts!" Aodh shouted encouragement. "Fight! Mutt, do not let the fire go out!" By now Beatrix and Gaetano had given everyone torches. Beatrix joined the fight and Robin was having a field day igniting Dreameaters here and there from just a touch of his flaming arrows. We fought on. I did have to throw my torch at a Dreameater who had slipped past our guard and came for Gaetano's unprotected back. I fought on with my sword as Gaetano retrieved my torch and returned it to me before bravely going back to tend the bonfire. There was no end to them, but we were doing much better now we had a plan to fight them. Robin ran out of arrows and joined us down on the ground with torch and dagger. And then...
"Rain!" Gaetano shouted in dismay. I blinked. Sure enough, I felt the cold drops as it started to rain harder.
"Keep fighting!" Aodh encouraged. "Have hope! We are the Order of Beasts. The only thing protecting Adroso!" The torches started to die as the rain picked up, till all we were left with was steel once more. One of them tackled Gaetano, but I tackled him back off, severing his neck as soon as I could and rolling back to my feet. "Run once more!" Aodh ordered. "Same positions as last time!" I nodded and started running, scooping Gaetano up onto my back so we could go faster...and we came to a swift river.
"Griffon-" He knew what I wanted to ask and nodded. "Take a deep breath Mutt and hold onto me tightly!" I felt his head nod against my shoulder. I took a deep breath myself before diving in. Immediately the current swallowed us. I struggled against it, rising to the surface so Gaetano could breath as we were swept along. I kicked off against a boulder and grabbed a fallen tree, water logged against the opposite bank. However it just came loose and came along, until it got wedged between two more large boulders. Gasping for breath, I brought us to the opposite bank. The others able to use the tree to follow us. Dawn was breaking. The undead that tried to follow us were no match for the river.
Whatever relief we might have found shattered when Aodh said, "We're not alone." We all looked into the surrounding mist to see mounted black knights.
ns 15.158.61.51da2
