Hidden Truths - Ethan

45 - The Butcher

Ten. Nine. Eight...

I sink down once again to get into a better position to jump at the first beast to my right. This will be quite a fight and if I'm not careful I won't even make it to Maria. Lyall's look wanders from Etain to me and back. He is thinking hard how to end this, I guess. There is only one way and it's bloody.  

Seven. Six. Five...

I take a deep breath and have to wonder what kind of drugs Celeste is smoking usually. This is pretty concentrated and my head starts to play tricks on me. I shake my head to get rid of the shadows behind the beasts that start to move on their own.   

Four. Three. Two...

A growl before I'm about to jump up but Lyall is faster and holds Etain captive in his arms. Some of the other beasts also growl but none of them stops him. "Etain...", Lyall says softly. He tries to make her listen to him as she also starts to fight back.

Lyall got himself in a very good position to hold Etain and he is strong. I'm sure if she would slip out of his grip she would be quite a challenge, even for him, but it's not happening. I could interrupt them. By how I interpret the faces around me I guess it would split the tribe. Etain and Lyall, both have their fans and people who disagree with them.

There are only two beasts in front of me, who are separating me from the leading couple. I use the distraction and my chance. With an angry growl, I dart from the ground to dig my fingers into one of the beasts throats on my right; ripping it out. Slipping down to the next one's feet making him fall and break Etain's neck in the next movement. The beast that just fell doesn't get up behind me but just stares at Etain.

Lyall also looks at me in disbelief with the limp body of Etain in his arms. I'm close to the two and start to pant as the shadows start to move again. Releasing another angry growl I look around to catch their movements with my eyes but I can't. "I told you!", a try to get my head back to reality.

That's when one of Lyall's arms snakes out on my throat and he growls at me. Good. He is the leader of that tribe and I'm not the one to split it, but I won't let Maria go. I shouldn't care about this tribe, but I do. Lyall was always honest with me and he doesn't earn anything less. Maria although... she hurt Nora. "How dare you laying hand on anybody here?!", he grumbles and I chuckle again. It's about time...

"Lyall... come on. Let them hate me.", I whisper and keep on smiling. He takes back his hand slowly but I can see the gleam of his dark eyes. "We know how Etain would vote. Now...", he looks into the crowd behind me. "Who votes for my suggestion to let the butcher handle that?", he wants to know. Lyall shifts Etain in his arms to hold her in a very loving gesture. The one beast, whose throat I ripped out, also get carried up from an acquaintance.

I don't wait for the outcome of the vote. I waited long enough and Lyall is distracted by looking at the votes. Jumping to the side I take a few more steps to Maria before more beasts start to block my way and the fun begins.

~~~~

I take a few steps back at the sudden rage that breaks out of Ethan. This is how it looks like when the thunderstorm you see coming hits you. I can't stop watching, yet, the brutality he uses to bring one of those beasts down after the other is not only astonishing but also fairly frightening. 

I take another few steps back and find the beast, who played the fiddle for us standing next to me. He looks at the fight with clenched teeth. "Come on, brother! Show them what it means to mess with the Irish!", he yells and I'm surprised that he seems to be on Ethan's side. 

He doesn't intend to help him though. I also realize that Lyall is not moving and interrupting. Why is nobody helping him? After thinking hard I remember the name of the beast next to me. "Connor...", I take his arm and he looks at me in surprise. In the next moment, he takes my hand in his and grins.