Feral: Days of Darkness

Chapter 3: To Mugmyre Marsh

Emerald and Ruby were still hiding in Centuria. They didn't see any of those... things outside, but had to be sure. The kitsune and senri had only each other's company and whatever was in Centuria. Which wasn't a lot. The doors to the club were barricaded by a cabinet from behind the bar. The best the two could do were wait for help. It had been several minutes since the attack in the city. Emerald and Ruby were hiding on the second floor of the club, resting. Their backs were facing each other. Ruby was almost asleep, while Emerald's thoughts rushed.
Who were those things? Why did they come here? What do they want with Sparks? Will it ever end?
Suddenly, Emerald heard a banging noise on the door at the entrance. His head raised up in surprise, and Ruby snapped awake. Both were startled. They silently tiptoed to the window facing the entrance, above the door. Emerald peeked down.
"Hello! If anyone's in there, please help us! I have four stragglers with me. We need to hide. Please!" The yelling came from Azure, leading four other, injured citizens.
"Azure!" Emerald exclaimed from above. "Ruby, I need your help." Emerald jumped down to the lower floor, followed by Ruby.
Ruby didn't need words to understand. The two started pushing the cabinet out of the way. After the path was cleared, Azure and the others entered. The big blue and lovable werewolf saw Emerald, with slightly messed up fur.
"EMERALD!" Azure screamed in relief. He then grabbed Emerald and hugged him tightly.
"A-A-Az! You're c-ch-ch!" Emerald was getting his body crushed by Azure's tight hug. Azure realized this and dropped him.
"Sorry, man. I'm surprised you're still alive!"
"Me too, how did you live long enough?"
"Funny story actually. Me and these survivors hid in the hot springs in the city. No one ever goes there."
This was news for Emerald. "There's a hot spring? W-well, anyway, me and Ruby hid in one of the pillow tents. We've been waiting for a rescue ever since."
Ruby walked up, also bearing messy fur. "Mr. Azure? Thank you for helping these people. I'll check them out; see if they need assistance." She then left and triaged to the wounded.
Azure chuckled while pushing the cabinet back in front of the door. "She is something else. You two are perfect, E."
"Thanks, Az. For helping me with her all those times."
"Nothing to it, Emmy. Also, I uh, overheard you admit to her. You know, the 'three word confession'. Glad she feels the same. But it's kind of sad."
Emerald tilt his head. "Sad? How?"
"You've confessed your feelings to her, but literally mere moments laters, everything goes to heck. One minute, everything is going beautiful, the next, well... but at the same time, it's better you have done it earlier than later. Considering what's happening, there may not BE a later."
"Hmm." Emerald said to himself. "That's true."
Ruby was using a medical supply she found underneath the bar cabinet to treat to the wounded. She had just finished up bandaging a poor senri. Ruby shook and laid down. "This isn't going to be easy."
Suddenly, she heard something outside. An alien sound, which sounded like a snarl. A sound those dark creatures made. They were near, and had smelled out their next set of prey. Emerald heard it too.
"Everyone, hide! Those things are back!" Emerald exclaimed. Everyone panicked and hid in different places. Emerald hid in the nearest pillow tent, with Ruby staying next to him. Azure camouflaged himself as one of the blue pillows in the blue tent. Everyone else hid elsewhere.
A dark werewolf bursted through the shattered window next to front door. It looked around and sniffed, crawling around. All the survivors were deadly silent. They didn't want the same fate that many innocent citizens went through. The dark werewolf sniffed around, rummaging through objects on the bar.
Emerald peeked his eyes out of his hiding spot. He was facing directly at the back of the creature as it hunched over. Suddenly, the werewolf turned around, facing Emerald's direction! Emerald immediately receded his eyes back underneath the pillow.
But the dark werewolf had already sensed its prey. It growled and walked over to the pillow tent. Emerald could only hear it abominable steps become louder, and his racing heart. He shut his eyes tightly and clenched his teeth, knowing that this could be it.
CRASH! A loud noise reverberated across the club. It sounded like glass breaking, followed by the beast roaring. Emerald peeked out to see what had happened.
The dark werewolf had a magical spear impaled in its back. It roared in pain deafeningly. Suddenly, a gray-blue Phoenix swooped in and imbedded his talons into the monster's head as it tried to shake him off.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Try it, ya blobby bloke, you ain't eating no lad or lass tonight!" The Phoenix screeched. The magic in the spear pulled itself toward the phoenix, hovering by him. He then used the magic to swing the spear downward, right into the creature's skull! The werewolf howled in agony, following by its body disappearing in a cloud of dark smoke. The Phoenix landed down, spear by his side, laughing triumphantly.
"Day or night, light or dark, no one cannae compare to Captain Anders!" The phoenix noticed the pillow the werewolf scratched. He then moved it out of the way with his wing. Emerald and Ruby were looked up at the bird in fear, thinking they have been found.
"Lad! Lass! Yer keisters have been saved for now."
The two exhaled a sigh of relief. They then got out of the tent, followed by everyone emerging from hiding.
"Survivors! Hear me! I bring a message from Queen Aradia and Deliah! All living citizens must follow me to refuge of safety. If you wish to live, follow me!" Anders then moved to the cabinet blocking the door. He tried pushing it out of the way, but to no avail. He grumbled and looked around.
"Oi, ice cube!" He looked in Azure's direction. Azure looked around in confusion and pointed at himself. "Yes, you! The only werewolf in the room! Help me move this or we all die!"
Azure ran over and helped him move the cabinet.
"Hold on, Anders was it?" Asked Ruby. "Did you bring any weapons to defend ourselves?"
"Nay lass, but ye and yer friends have me; don't need anything else."
He looked at Emerald and immediately yelled, "I heard that, kitsune!"
"Wha- I didn't even say anything!"
"You were about to say 'that doesn't instill much confidence.' I'll show ye, laddy." Anders turned around and opened the doors.
"People! Follow! The coast is clear, but the horde will come very soon! Dinner will not be pleasant. Hurry!" The citizens followed him as he ran through the city streets.
As she walked through the streets, Ruby could truly see the horrors the monsters ravaged onto the city. Building destroyed, smoke flying, bodies lying everywhere, their Sparks ripped cleanly from their heads. Ruby shivered in fear as she saw the carnage. Emerald wanted to comfort her, but first they had to get out of the beast's territory. Azure was carrying a kitsune who broke a leg in the attack with one arm. The survivor party took the path out of the city. The travel gates were still down. They had no choice but to walk through the plains.
The sun was starting to set, it was 7 PM. The red sky was mostly gone, but tints of red were still visible. The party had been walking for an hour, almost. The plant life around them was starting to dissipate.
Emerald walked up to behind Anders to ask him a question. "Captain, I've been meaning to ask you, where are we going?"
"Please, lad, call me Anders. We be going to Mugmyre Marsh. The hidden refuge is there. Once your tails are safe, we can continue to rescue anyone else straggling."
A sound plan, it seemed. Mugmyre Marsh wasn't that far away... yet.
Emerald, Ruby, and Azure began thinking about the creatures they had to endure. They resembled the species of Feral somewhat, but had odd powers, such as a strange claw from their "spark". They were never seen killing in the traditional sense. They didn't cut, bite, or break the bodies of people. The only time they would scratch is if they were resisting the dark creatures. The only thing the shadowy ones were interested in were the essences of the citizens. Their Sparks.
Sparks were strange, have yet to be understood completely by science. They could change the appearance of their physical bodies, such as proportions, color, and extra appendages at will. But some say that there were more powers the Sparks have that no one have proven. Could that be the reason as to why the dark ones were stealing the Sparks? These are questions that couldn't be answered yet, and may not at all.
The party was stopped in their tracks by a chattering sound. They looked around, and found lots of glowing red eyes gazing at them. They had lots of dark creatures surrounding them.
"Ah, bloody heck." Complained Anders. He readied his spear, prepared for the fight. A dark kitsune lunged at him, but he threw his spear, flying through the kitsune like a bullet through cloth. The kitsune's body disappeared as a result.
"Citizens! Run forward! Go until you reach the Marsh! I will catch up."
"But what about you?!" Emerald worryingly asked.
"Hah! I appreciate your concern, but you cannae kill Captain Anders of the Guard! Come heathens, so I may smite ye!"
Lots of dark creatures lunged toward the Captain, but managed to slash them into nothingness. He laughed happily while doing so. While he was fighting them off, the party ran with all their might to the Marsh.
While running as fast as their legs could take them, Ruby tripped and fell on her side. Emerald turned his head around, noticed, and stopped. He ran as fast as he could to help her get back on her feet.
Suddenly, a dark dragon appeared behind the Senri and threatened to steal her Spark.
"No!" Emerald picked up the pace to get to her side.
Azure noticed and stopped. "EMERALD!" He Yelled from a distance.
He jumped in front of her, blocking the dragon from the senri. The dragon summoned the claw from its "spark" and readied to lunge it at one of the two.
"Emerald!" Ruby screamed in fear for him.
"No! Get AWAY FROM HER!!" Emerald screamed at the top of his lungs. Suddenly, a bright, green light shone blindingly in front of him. Ruby covered her eyes because of how blinding it was. So did Azure.
As the light faded away, the dragon was suddenly impaled in several locations by sharp vines. The demon squirmed hopelessly, and faded away. Emerald looked at himself and found his fur glowing slightly. There was also a glow coming from the Spark on his forehead. He turned around to see how Ruby was doing.
"Emerald? Are you-"
"No time!" He said. He helped her get back on her feet, and the two resumed running. Azure also began running as soon as they caught up.
"E, I don't know what you did, but... that looked awesome."
"I don't know what that was... what just happened."
"Well, you saved me, and probably everyone else, so, thank you for that."
The kitsune and senri looked at each other and smiled as they still continued running. They were very close to Mugmyre.

Author's Note: Chapter 3, done and done. We finally meet the true hero, the Scottish Captain Anders III, the unkillable. He will truly save everyone. Just kidding! ...unless? Nah. This story's about Emerald and Ruby! (And Azure's there as well I guess.) This is where stuff gets interesting. Emerald can make prickly plants apparently now, and I will get into that factor... soon.
Also, unless you're a Legend of Zelda nut, you won't get what the scene of Emerald defending his love and suddenly using powers to defend said love was inspired by, specifically. In any case, stay tuned for the fourth thingy. Staaaay Feral!

P.S: If this story gets over 100 reads, and ten votes, I will go ballistic.