Shifted

34. Snakegirl

Once Sail and then Dox reported back, I knew it was time. Fire burned bright inside of me and I felt nothing else. No fear. No doubt. It was time.

I made the signal and we all started rushing towards the gate. Every single last one of us shifted, no one, not even the babies, not even the old, would be left here.

"HEY," guards started shouting, coming to form a barricade in front of the small opening at the gate. One guard swayed on his feet. It was only four of them so far. More would surely come, but for now, it would be easy. With a yell, I pointed forward, all of us keeping up our march as a few shifted broke off at the front to attack the guards. There was a struggle but they were easily outnumbered. Immediately the shifted that broke away came back into formation.

We were in a group, with the old and children and any weak or disabled huddled close inside the middle with bags of supplies, all on the outside were women and men who would fight and protect. Everyone in the middle had something strapped to our backs. At the front they held makeshift weapons and shields. At the back they held flammable sticks. I yelled and pointed at the back, giving them the signal to light their makeshift torches, from my spot at the front just inside. At the back they lite the torches as we continued our pace, our plan to make a mad dash to the entrance and force our way out.

"Now!" I screamed as I could see more guards coming and people with first confused looks and then determined looks as they seemed to look like they were going to help the guards stop us.

Fires lit, the first wave of sticks were thrown at house and building, catching them on fire. Now they would have to choose between stopping us, or stopping the fires. The guards started rushing the fire starters. I yelled out and pointed and it was the signal for the some in the front to break off and start attacking guards, one firestarter was killed on spot, stabbed in the neck with a knife, but the rest were able to fall back in line. I heard a cry from within the circle and I whipped my head around. "Eyes forwards, focus on the goal!" Looking back I saw the guards holding their own against my people and they were falling behind, we would have to leave them I realized as we were moving too far away, I noticed more guards coming, but they were still a distance away.

"My family!" A woman was screaming as she came from a building, the fire was really amping up now, roaring to life and it gave enough pause for a few shifted to get the upperhand and run back towards us. I nodded at them as the fell back in line. A few stayed back fighting, and I hoped they would be able to get away but it looked bleak for them.

"Fire!" I yelled pointing to the back with a scream as we cleared more distance, picking up pace.

More torches, more fires being lit. More people. We had to keep this up until we were free. This was the hardest part, the beginning, I told myself and spoke to others within the circle.

"Almost there!" I cried as more in the front broke away to attack the townspeople who tried to stop us or the firestarters.

"Let us be free!" Shifted in the middle cried out. "Let our children be free! Let us be free!" They were chanting now and I could see a few townspeople hesitate. I looked right into a woman's eyes. She looked at the inner circle, at the children, at me. And shook her head sadly and rushed away.

"Don't listen! They are monsters! They have children held hostage at the school! They are burning out town down."

We were moving a good pace, but now the guards were on us. We had to stop, I realized in a panic.

"Hold!" I cried. We couldn't risk losing to many fighters, or I would be left with nothing but old people and people carrying infants as my remaining front line. "Fire! Toss at any who get near us, Front, attack!" As they attacked the guards, the firestarters threw fires at them, it held them off.

"Get the General!" A man yelled and two guards broke off in a run. I pulled out a knife and with a scream threw my self into the fight, stabbing, biting, anything. After a lot of blood shed, mostly from the guards side, we were able to move.

"Run!" I cried as we surged forward as one. We cleared a lot of house with no one stopping us, all the chaos was now focused on the children's school and the many fires we set. There wasn't much they could do to stop us now.

And finally we could see it, the front gate. I saw horses carrying a large wagon through the front gate, it was still a distance away, but now we had it in our sights. And we would be through them just the same as whoever had just escaped through the front with those horses.

"Free! We will be free!" I called and all yelled out our rage as we pushed forward to freedom.

I almost cried as we reached the other side. The grass looked so lush and inviting, the moon seemed to shine down on us, giving us it's blessing. The line of trees we needed to get to were in sight.

But then the arrows started to fly.