Heroes and Wolves [book 1]

Chapter sixty-one

Layla

Since our focus has been on the monster, the Mavlins have now made a complete circle around us, covering all exits in a blockade of horned robots.

     "What are we going to do?" I exclaim, now worried about the monster.

     "We fight" Zack cracks his knuckles. "Remember the weaknesses of Mavlins. Head and stomachs. Aim for them"

We each look out in a different direction toward the mavlins, our backs facing in as we have made a mini-inner circle of our own, preparing to fight.

     "Ready" Maylock counts down from three.

At the call of one, Zack and Abbey spread out and head straight for the Mavlins that come to meet them too but Maylock stays at my side.

     "Layla, we can hold these off, go back to Miscellania" he tells me as he dodges an incoming attack from a Mavlin. "Zack fixed your angel so activate your armour now." The Mavlin he dodged comes for him again but he punches it in the chest with so much force, that it gets shoved into the path of Zack who punches it down to the floor making it disintegrate.

Flashes of green spark through the Mavlin horde. Metal crunches and snaps as a few Mavlin bodies fly up and out of the mass group. Jordan's here. He's thinning the numbers from behind.

     "Why are you hanging around? Go!" Zack shouts, kicking a Mavlin. "You have to get out of here"

As I retreat from the fight, Maylock, Zack and even Abbey push the Mavlins back to create more space and opportunity for me to leave so I take my chance.

Hitting a Mavlin on my way out, it disintegrates as soon as I make contact with it. I stop, confused because I haven't got my armour on, therefore I'm not wielding the power to disintegrate a Mavlin with my bare hands and yet I just did? I turn around to find the mob of mavlins that surrounded the guardians have also disintegrated. Floating particles are all that's left.

Maylock and the others look around bewildered at the spontaneous disappearance of them but their sight doesn't reach a full circle so they haven't seen me and realised that I am still here. There is a reason for this though.

The monster is stood all fours in front of them. Long dark hair ruffles up in the wind and the mass of dust from its rather dramatic entrance still smothers the air. The beast's red eyes glow prominent and bold. Nothing of what I see is human. It's a true monster, a hideous menacing non-remorseful monster and I hate it because this savage-being made me into one. But I am not a monster, I will never be. I am not a person who aims to cause anguish or pain.

Maylock, Abbey and Zack all charge toward the werewolf. Jordan runs in at a different angle, green sparks come off him as his pace is more than the others combined. He's first to reach the monster.

As blurs of green surround his wielded fist to attack, the monster matches his speed and reacts to his oncoming punch by deflecting it so easily. This causes Jordan to stumble back and land on the floor.

     "Scraping the barrel for recruits Guardians?" the monsters dark voice rises which sends a shiver down my spine. "How pathetic"

Jordan scarpers up and retreats to Maylock, Zack and Abbey who have now stopped their approach to the beast.

     "Are you just going to stand there. Or are we going to fight?" the monster goads with a growl entwined within.

     Maylock steps forward. "We fight" at his call, they charge towards the monster but their combined blows are small, insignificant and do not affect the monster at all.

The monster growls at their every attack yet doesn't physically retaliate like they did to Jordan. It just stands there, unfazed and looking out but the Guardians keep going. They do not break stride in hitting this supernatural being.

I've got to get going. Staying here is increasing the chance of being seen or worse - transforming. The deep feeling is still swirling within me. It's uncomfortable, but not so much to stop me from moving. So, with the monster preoccupied by the Guardians gives me the perfect opportunity to leave now. I need to get up in the air as soon as possible and head back to Miscellania.

I twist and turn my angel to activate my armour but nothing happens. What? I thought Zack fixed it? Why does everything seem to go wrong when you require it. It's a terrible irony and one that could get me hurt the longer this continues to play up and keep me here.

I run over to Leo's and crouch behind an upturned table, using that as cover from the monster's gaze while I try to figure out what to do next.