Moon Born

Chapter 35

Edmond and I stood beside Andrew in front of the shed. Waiting. I gripped the bow, Diana beside me.

'Be calm. I'm here with you.'

Edmond looked over at me, raising an eyebrow.

Could he hear her too?

I didn't have time to think about it. The door creaked against the weight of the creatures throwing themselves at it. I glanced at the warriors behind us as they jumped slightly when the door began to give.

They're nervous.

I swallowed hard and tried to calm the thudding of my heart.

'It's okay, Ellie. We're going to be okay.'

I looked at Edmond he smiled weakly at me.

'You don't look so sure.'

'I am. Promise."

'At least one of us is sure.'

The creatures continued throwing themselves at the door. You could see it bowing at the hinges. It swelled as the wood took the brunt of the force. The splintering started in the center and slowly spidered out to the sides as the thick wood gave out to the assault on it.

Ashley stood behind me. Her breathing grew heavier, nearing a sob from the sounds of it. 

The door cracked as long, white fingers breached the hole as unearthly shrieks filled the air.

"Stand your ground!" Andrew hollered to his warriors. "Remember your training."

The creatures pulled at the wood until they were able to squeeze their bodies out.

The eyes glowed red as saliva hang from their lips. They seemed ravenous and crazed, but these ones didn't look like the one that attacked at Silver Peak. These ones looked like us. Smaller in stature. Weaker almost. 

"Are they human?" Edmond questioned.

"What? But how?" Alastair asked, raising his sword.

"Talk later, fight now!" Andrew commanded. 

I nocked the arrow and released it, watching as it made contact with the target. The creature fell backward, laying still on the ground. A wild shriek erupted from the rest as they rushed in a frenzy toward us.

Edmond stepped forward, meeting the creature and its razor-sharp nails with Apollo's sword. The sharp blade sliced through the pale white flesh easily. Crimson blood flowed from the wound, soaking the blue shirt it wore.

'These aren't just creatures. What are these?'

'Worry about that later. We have to survive right now.'

Diana reached into the quiver with me, pulling another arrow. The creature that was focused on me was close. Almost too close.  I let loose the arrow and quickly pulled another as a second creature was right behind.

I had no time to shoot and opted to ram the silver tip into the neck of my attacker. The blood spilled onto my hands, covering the front of me.

The creatures breached our lines and attacked. Warriors fought back, slicing and stabbing as the shrieks of the damned attempted to kill us.

The hoard seemed to be never-ending. For every five we killed it looked as though ten more would emerge from the tunnels.

"How many are there?" Ashley asked. "I can't keep this up."

"We're getting overwhelmed," Alastair shouted to Andrew. "We need to retreat."

I looked around at the carnage before me. Warriors and creatures alike lay in bloody heaps across the area. Andrew nodded, sweat pouring from his brow, mixing with the blood from those he slew.