Antumbra - A Lost Cause

Protector - Chapter Eighteen

Arva kept low to the ground, her body frozen despite trying with all her might to run. She had to run, it's what her brain was screaming at her to do, but her legs just wouldn't move. Neither did Travis or Elia, but they didn't know what she knew. She knew, somehow, this was bad. Unless they also knew, and they just couldn't move either. Paralyzed with fear, the three could only cower as the crater rumbled and moaned. It sounded like a huge, dying animal, letting out cries of misery that echoed down the streets. She almost thought it was an animal at first, the way it moved, and Arva watched it slowly rise up from the crater, dirt and debris rolling off its shiny body. The ground shook as its leg came out from under it, bracing itself with its huge hands on the edge as it stood up. It was a man, a giant man, wearing a suit of armour. Like a knight, just like the one the statue was carved to look like. Almost, she thought, as something about it seemed off. Then she, and everyone else, seemed to realize what this really was. It all made sense.

"A divine..." she heard a man mumble. Then a woman, then a few more people, then a dozen, until human and Hybrid alike were on their knees, prostrating themselves and crying out for forgiveness. Arva couldn't believe it. It was a divine, an angel or apostle or whatever they wanted to call it had fallen from the skies, and Arva wondered if she should bow as well. She felt terrified, overwhelmed, as the angel stood in the crater, towering above them all like they were little more than bugs despite its legs not even being visible. It was easily fifteen to twenty meters tall. She still couldn't move, especially once she saw its hand move over to one of the fire trucks that had been suppressing the flames. At first she thought it was going to pick it up, or do something miraculous, but she and everyone else screamed in horror as it smashed its fist into the vehicle, sending it and the humans who had been near it flying across the street and into the houses. People panicked and scattered as the divine began destroying all around it, seemingly angry at and targeting the people. Arva couldn't just sit by and watch, she'd be killed, and she finally got the will to move.

"Come on!" Arva grabbed her friends by the arms and tried to pull them away, even whilst they still watched in utter terror, screaming at them "we have to run!" They didn't move, few people did, and those who were ran or panicked uncontrollably.

"We have to go, or we'll all die!" Arva shouted right next to Elia and Travis' faces. They snapped out of it, and soon all three were running in horror from the rampaging giant, desperately sprinting down the street to try and escape its wrath. Arva didn't look back, but she could hear it. The thundering of its footsteps, the crashing as it threw cars like toys, smashed buildings and people like they were nothing. She didn't know where she was running to, where would be safe, but she just had to run. Her, Travis and Elia were nearly at the church, they were only a few houses from the courtyard. For some reason she felt the church would be safe, would be a place to hide from the monster, but Elia tripped, and Arva was forced to stop for her. Travis skidded to a halt, turning to help, only to be left awestruck when he glimpsed the giant moving towards them. Arva helped Elia to her feet, but her friend was hysterical, unable to snap out of her fixation on the devastation. Arva knew if they stopped now they'd be killed, so she all but dragged Elia, Travis eventually snapping out of it himself to help her. Arva looked down and saw Elia had fallen because something sharp had lodged in her leg. There was a lot of blood, and finally Travis just picked her up.

"Just a little farther!" Arva urged them both, "you can do this! Just hold on, Elia!" It was all Arva could do to stop from breaking down, but her fear kept her aware, and getting her friends to safety kept her focused enough to power through. They made it to the field, and were almost at the Cenotaph just across from the church when a disturbing silence cut through the air. There was the sound of fires burning and people screaming, but no more destruction, no more mayhem, and Arva turned back.