Armageddon

Their journey didn’t take them long when a sour scent filled the air. The night seemed to press in on them in an instant. The bitter cold of death appeared to breathe on them all. Just as quickly as the change in the night, everyone was alert, drawing into themselves to form a closed circle. An unnatural mist came oozing out of the trees and the silence was deafening. Tiana tightened her grip on Alexander, her eyes scanning the darkness just like everyone else.

The King suddenly grabbed at his heart, the shade of his skin darkening and lightening. Everyone jumped back with a start. Alex called his name loudly.

A blue fire engulfed Vladimir and he threw his head back, his eyes turning black before the life began to swirl back into them. With a new determination and anger about him, Vlad straightened his poster and pulled out his sword. The light dwindled and several creatures who appeared to have been once six feet under loomed around them.

“Nice trick, Kazimir. Wherever you are,” Vlad spoke coldly. His guard tightened their ranks. “Jaya, return to me at once!”

A once green and full of life mass strutted out of the trees, accompanied by several other creatures looking just as vivacious; his color was now a dull, grayish-green and several lines of stitches decorated his skin. He waved and grinned at the stunned crowd before him.

“When I was alive, I used to be a man of honor. In death, I can say that’s not the case…” Jaya spoke casually - his voice hadn’t changed.

Tiana held in her breath, her hands visibly shaking. Vlad tightened his grip, carefully adjusting the Unicorn beneath him. A few of the creatures around them twitched, crouching slightly.

“Are you with me?” Vladimir asked, his voice commanding and angry.

Jaya smiled, his gaze sliding away and towards the line of creatures he stood with. The one next to him had its mouth relaxed, drool hanging off its chin. Alexander leaned forward then, the horse taking a step forward. A creature howled, causing everyone to freeze. It crouched down, its head cocking to the side and its eyes hungry.

“Milord,” Alex whispered, so softly Tiana barely heard it. “Jaya’s loyalty couldn’t be taken so easily, he’s searching for Kazimir.”

Something suddenly grabbed at Tiana’s leg and her gaze jerked down into the face of the same feline guard who had struck her down and attacked Vlad when they tried to escape the Way Castle. The once beautiful fur coat was patchy and covered in blood. The flesh was even missing from the lower jaw, revealing bone and a twitching tongue. Instinctively she smacked the guard’s head with enough force to throw him to the ground. His body recoiled with the touch, a harsh and blinding light consuming him completely. By the time his body should have thudded against the cold ground, nothing remained. Nothing except a quickly fading shadow of light.

A new level of tension thickened the air about them. All eyes stared at where the body should have been, only a few raising their gazes to look at the equally as stunned female. A grinning, Undead Orc took the opportunity to slip back into the shadows.

“How did you do that?” Vladimir asked, his gaze back on the nervous, angry enemy all around them. He instantly noticed Jaya was gone.

“I…” Tiana didn’t know how to respond.

“The young Mistress appears to have Fate-like abilities,” Alex spoke up, one arm wrapped around her defensively while the other held his sword. “The Ghouls here will most likely go for her first,”

“Do not ever use those abilities again,” Vladimir warned, drawing the stunned female’s attention.

“You’ll begin to turn into one of them until you too have disappeared like the Princess is currently,” Alex explained softly.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” she growled, recovering herself. “This is a bad situation and I’m going to use whatever resources I have available to help in any way that I can,”

“No, Princess.” Two guards at their feet chimed in, one daring to give her a sideways glance, one full of disapproval.

“What?”

Vladimir laughed aloud, the sound light and carefree. “My guard seems to have taken a liking to you, so you mustn’t act recklessly.” Without waiting to continue to the conversation he yanked on the Unicorn’s hair, causing it to stand on its hind legs. The creatures lunged. The guards attacked.

Alex did a good job keeping Tiana out of the reach of the greedy claws that swiped at her as more and more creatures came out of the darkness. The bodies fell around their feet, causing the horses to trip as they moved about. Several of them wore the same armor as the rest of the guard, although tattered and dirtied. However, even more wore simple clothes. Holding hoes and kitchen knives. Tia couldn’t help but gape at the idea Kazimir not only turned Vladimir’s guard against him but also simple villagers.

One of the monsters lunged at Tiana just as their Unicorn tripped over the bodies and both Alex and Tia fell to the ground, Alex already on top of her and fighting off the Ghouls around them. Tia grabbed at the creature’s ankle, having the same effect on it as she had on the other one- the creature exploded in a blinding light that stunned the group once more.

The Ghouls became even angrier, desperate to get to her. One slithered through the crowd at an alarming speed, crawling and sliding through the guards trying to stop it. Vladimir shoved off the one before him, lunging at the creature. It stretched out its hand, grabbing at Tiana’s wrist. She jumped in fright, realizing the jaws just inches from her face.

Alex brought down his sword over the creature’s head, Tia frozen like a fearful child at his feet.

The Ghoul exploded in a blinding light. An uneasy silence fell over them as the remaining Ghouls hesitated, stepping further and further back. Vlad gripped the hilt of his sword, eyeing them warily.

“That wasn’t me,” Tiana spoke up, feeling haunted as all the dead eyes remained on her. One by one they retreated, vanishing back into the tangible darkness where they had come.

“Right you are, little Monkey.” A familiar voice cut through them like a knife. Everyone jumped and spun around, eyes alarmed. The assassin raised his hands in surrender, grinning ear to ear. “Relax, I’m not under any necromancer’s control. Though he certainly keeps trying. I couldn’t locate the bastard,”

“Report,” Vlad demanded, sheathing his blade.

Jaya rubbed the back of his neck, coming to stand by everyone. The bodies around them slowly crumbled away, as if turning into the very dirt beneath their feet. “Well, the little bastard got me when my back was turned. I honestly wasn’t expecting that. I was probably dead for half an hour as he performed his rituals. A lot of things were made clear to me while I was on the other side. Things I’m not allowed to talk about,” he laughed.

“What do you mean, Tiana was right? Is she a Fate or not?”

Jaya rubbed his chin, wondering how to answer that question. “There’s only so much I can say, but I think it’s safe to say yes. She is Fate. In a manner of speaking, but it’s more like someone’s protecting her from the other side.”

Tiana appeared next to him, placing her hand on his arm. Everyone’s gaze hesitated on the small female. Jaya raised an eyebrow. She lifted her hand and came down on his arm a little harder. She frowned before looking up and meeting his gaze. Life remained in his eyes; they weren’t dead like the others had been. Relief visibly flooded through her.

He realized then what she had been trying to do. “Where you trying to kill me just now?!” He demanded. He was in disbelief. She hurried over to Vlad and hid behind him.

“I was just testing a theory!” She cried.

Vladimir chimed in then, “Are you hiding?”

Alexander laughed. “I like this girl more and more,”

Their reunion was short-lived. With an idea of what happened to the guard tower, they continued their investigation to learn just that. Kazimir’s betrayal was clear. Orders were given, reports were logged. Vladimir led the team flawlessly, regrouping and requesting backup. Half the guard stayed behind to lead the backup, once arrived, while Alexander led Vladimir, Tiana, and a few remaining guards back to the castle.