Queen Of The Ventils

XXXI

The moment I heard the shriek, I leapt out of the tree, landing in a full-on sprint. The adrenaline rush from before was lending itself to my speed as I tore through the trees, searching for the telltale glow of the fire and our friends. I ignored my feelings screaming at me to stop and turn around, to go back to Krel, and the real voices yelling things like WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! in my head. I only had one destination in mind, and I needed to get there fast.

After searching the woods in a blind panic, a hand closed around mine. Krel. We didn't need to speak to convey our messages; he just tugged on my hand and I let him lead me through the maze of trees. The minute we emerged into the clearing, what we saw was complete and total mayhem.

A Ventil, a male, tall and lanky with little muscle, was attacking the group. Short, stubby ears melded to his scalp, which covered that and his entire body in short, sandy fur that reflected the light of the campfire with its glossiness. His hazel eyes were covered in natural dark eyeliner that made his eyes pop even more; had he not been attacking my friends, I would have found him very pleasing to look at.

Mary and Darcy were nowhere to be found; I sent a silent thank-you to whatever had let them get away unscathed, and hoped they were safe instead of inside the creature's stomach. Teenagers were screaming and running away from the campsite, tearing through the woods like frightened deer running from a lynx; how ironic, considering it was indeed a feline predator they fled from.

Toby, devoid of his hammer, was clinging to Aaarrrgghh!!!'s back, who acted as a stone barrier between him and the Ventil's claws, which were stretched to horrific lengths and sent sparks flying every time he and the troll connected. Douxie and Claire were firing spells which only seemed to bounce off his skin; Archie had started breathing fire, but after seeing it only fuel the Ventil's wild nature, he stopped and resorted to swooping down on him like a large, furry bird.

Steve was whimpering with a tree along with Seamus and a few other humans--apparently, Steve left his battleax at home, so he was defenseless; so, I decided to head over their way. "Archie," I yelled out. "Get the remaining people here to the edge of the woods!" Nodding, Archie broke his swooping pattern and landed on my shoulder.

"Climb out of the tree and follow Archie," I ordered.
"But that thing's gonna eat us," Seamus called back, and I heard agreeing whimpers from the others among the branches. "If you don't get out of this tree of your own free will, I will make you get out!" I yelled up. Not surprisingly, they didn't get out.

Then, an idea struck. "If you don't get out of the tree, that 'thing' is going to climb up there and help himself to the waiting meal you're giving him," I called up to the terrified teens. I had never seen a group of humans move so quickly.

Once the stragglers had been led out of the woods by Archie, I busied myself with the situation in front of us. With every passing second, the Ventil was growing braver and more feral with his attacks, and his features changed along with them. His sandy fur grew more coarse, coating his body thoroughly and the magical glimmer it held started to fade. His pupils narrowed from slits to almost nothing at all, his huge eyes replacing their spark of magic with something...wild.

His skull warped and elongated, new bone growth pressing against his skin and forming grotesque bulges in the shape of a feline skull. His canines grew in length, and from his new gaping maw an angry roar erupted. He dropped from two legs to all fours, feet becoming huge paws and his fingers shrinking and getting stubbier. Giant hooked claws bursting from the skin between them, staining the fur on his hands the crimson color of blood.

As we all watched, frozen in shock as the Ventil became a Proditorus right before our very eyes, the changed creature narrowed his eyes at me. Yowling a wild cry, he charged, tackling me to the ground and trying his best to deconstruct my face. Instinct immediately took over, and I hissed in his face and slashed wildly with my claws.