Rune Mage [Fantasy/Adventure | Book 1 +2 | Complete]

Chapter 73: These Ungodly Creatures

They made it out of Acrise? Madeleine sounded nauseated. Does that mean Brigadier General Grader and the others--

"No way," said Rowan in a hoarse voice, coming to the same realisation.

"What's that supposed to mean, Woodbead?" said Relish, her tone sharp. The rise in volume made the creature flinch and it sprung towards Southwark, who stood the closest. Ashworth's arm moved so quickly Seiren didn't even see her draw back. With a thud, her throwing knife shot forward and embedded in the creature's forehead directly in the centre. Its eyes rolled.

"What the hell are these things?" Ashworth snarled.

"Modified humans. Their minds have been stripped away in return for potent regenerative powers." On cue, the stricken creature lifted its head and tugged the knife out. Blood oozed out of the cut before it stitched back together. With a hiss, Halen Ashworth clapped her hands. The rune wrapped around the handle of the throwing knife glowed red and exploded, shredding through the torso of the creature and separating its shoulder and head from its hips and legs. It landed in the snow with a splat. Before the rebels' horrified eyes, the creature flailed, sinews growing from the severed head and reformed what was destroyed. "Hitting vitals won't do a thing. You need to shred them to kill the magic."

"What sort of sick bastard created these things?!" Ashworth said, clutching a handful of knives.

Even Southwark seemed alarmed, a crease between his thick, greying eyebrows. Rowan clapped his hands. A breeze swept through the buildings, blowing the flames out and fanning the smoke away. Seiren's breath caught in her throat. Half-devoured bodies littered the ground, weapons in their bloodied hands. The villagers tried to put up a fight against these creatures from hell, but they stood no chance. Men and woman, old and young, lay motionless on the ground, the light gone from their eyes.

"Halen: scout the houses. See if there are any survivors. Seiren: go with her. You can both do green runes, right?" said Southwark.

Seiren bit her lip and nodded, grudgingly.

"We'll round up the rest of these things and finish them."

Ashworth nodded and ran off, her dark blonde ponytail swinging in her wake. Seiren followed close behind. One of the creatures leapt at her from a nearby fallen house. With a snap of her fingers, Tesla Relish brought up a whirlwind of sand from the ground and caught it in mid-air. She turned her palm to the sky and drew her fingers in. The sandstorm spun and closed in. The creature squawked, eyes bulging, before it vanished behind the brown grains. The wind whistled. The whirlwind contracted and was suddenly stained crimson.

"Go!" Relish barked. The air was stifling despite Rowan having dissipated most of the smoke. Seiren's stomach churned with nausea; bile soured her mouth. Death. This was the smell of death. The memories of that night threatened to overwhelm her again.

To your right! Madeleine shouted.

Seiren whipped round, fumbling for her runes. The sound had escaped her notice, but Ashworth was ready. Two knives whizzed by Seiren's face and embedded in a creature rearing to attack through the door opening, one piercing its face and another its drawn-back clawed hand. Ashworth clapped her hands. The blue rune in the blade in the creature's wrist activated and a crackle of electricity hit the air. The creature wheezed, its body seizing up in spasms and it collapsed backwards. A second clap activated the red rune in the knife at its head and it exploded, shearing the body, the contents showering in one spectacular flare against the wall.

Seiren straightened up, breathless. She picked her way through the door and past the corpse. Against the far wall were two figures in pools of blood. It was a mother and her son. The son was no more than five years old, wrapped in cold winter gear, the fur lining of his hood stained dark red. The mother lay curled around him as if attempting to shield him. Blood congealed in her brown curls. Her skin was ice cold and ivory white.