The Angkhora Warriors

Part 30: Mananggal and Witches

When they reached the academy, they could see disciples fleeing for their lives and others chasing after them. Several could be seen shuffling around mindlessly, their bodies seemingly still alive but their minds already gone. Some were leaping from roofs, attacking and biting other students, tearing into them with their nails like rabid animals.

"They've been turned!" A guard cried out, readying his spear.

Arjana looked around, trying to recognize any of the faces that were in chaos. He spotted Longnie, distraught, wielding her sword, decapitating a disciple, already an Undead. Despite her lack of empathy for the fallen, he knew she pitied their fate. Across the field, Arjana spotted the young boy that had placed a frog in his tongue. He shuffled around the scene, its torso nearly split in half from the chaos, but Arjana knew he had already been turned.

He pulled his bow from his back, carefully placing a feathered arrow between his fingers as he placed it on the ready. He raised his arm, shakily taking aim at the young boy before him that stood out amongst the sea of shambling bodies. He took a deep breath, then let the arrow fly. A single hit, directly in the center of the boy's forehead. His small frame arched back, falling to the ground in a single motion without another move. Children. Workers. Disciples who had all trained so tirelessly to perfect their skills and talents, were now nothing more than objects to a band of Witches sworn to the Dark Lord's bidding.

A loud screech pulled Arjana from his sorrow, forcing his head upward to look at the being flying above. The Red Witch. Strange green liquid sprayed from her mouth, her jaw unhinged to let it pour over the fields and melted away those who fought, aiding those who'd been turned. She moved about the sky like a dark goddess, turning her attention to swarming groups where her magic would fall upon them, peeling flesh from bone and melting skulls away in mere seconds. Their agonized screams filled Arjana with fury. He fired an arrow at the Red Witch but she was too quick. She flew across the sky, hunting for her main target.

He spotted Hannu fighting in the distance, fending off the hordes of Undead with his Bronze Staff, knocking them back with ease before swatting away a few more. He was barely breaking a sweat as he rolled his invincible staff between his hands and feet with precision, but his attention was focused on the masses and not the looming threat overhead.

"HANNU!" Arjana shouted as he ran toward his master. "ABOVE!"

The Red Witch unleashed her fury on Hannu below and Arjana lunged forward, pushing Hannu out of the way just in time to avoid the green sludge now burning the ground. The two rolled over before being left sprawled out on the ground, weapons just out of their reach. The pair looked on in horror as the bodies of their comrades melted away into nothing more than piles of flesh and bone, resembling strange stews that came from the kitchen rather than the human beings they once were.

"Thanks," Hannu said as he pulled himself from the ground.

Arjana fired off another three shots from his bow, carefully fetching his arrows from the Undead to replenish his quiver when he was assured of their demise. Arjana took his bow, edging the man before him before smashing it over his head. When he buckled from the harsh wooden beating, Arjana pulled the dagger from his waist and jammed it into his skull, only pulling it back when he was sure the man was finished.

"Meeeoooowrrr!" Suddenly, an Undead landed on Arjana's back, trying to sink her teeth into his neck. Arjana took a look and realized it was Kat, she too had turned. "Kat! Kat!" Arjana shouted, trying to elbow Cat Girl and knock her off his back. "Meeoooowrrr!" She growled and hissed, her claws sharp, and she was able to hang onto Arjana's back as he swung wildly to shake her off. Then he felt somebody else landed on his back. There was a momentary battle on his back, and before long, Cat Girl dropped off his back onto the ground. Tiger Girl too landed on the ground, looking at her dead friend, after sinking her claws into Cat Girl to save Arjana.