COLD SUNRISE
Chapter 11: a dame to die for

The lady in black approached the door step and halted, her eyes blazing red, she snarled disappointedly unable to take another step

“It worked, she can’t get in,” I said gladly in relief.

“It did, but it looks like she has something else in mind,” Raven replied watching the lady back away from the steps with her eyes still fixed intently on us.

“what do you think she’s about to do?”

The cabin began quaking again, more aggressively this time, like an actual earthquake, the wooden floor was the first to split, the cracks spread to the walls, raven and i we avoided the damages, the red-haired outside with a smug smile stretched on her lips

“She’s trying to lure us out Nathan, I have to stop her, and while I’m doing that I think you should make a run for it.”

“What ! no, there’s no way I’m leaving you here alone,”

“There’s no time to argue Nate, She’s going to bring this cabin down on us. I can stall her for some time maybe till Chris gets here, I’m not sure how long, cause she’s definitely older and stronger than I am. but it will buy you enough time to put a lot of distance between the both of you if you run now, go through the backdoor.” she urged.

“Damn it raven! Can you stop being so selfless right now, “I yelled. I could hardly think.

“What am i supposed to do then, just run and hide why you try to get yourself killed, what kind of person does that raven,”

" A smart person, this fight is way beyond you and you know it.” She replied firmly.

“Then you’re out of luck, i got a c-minus in Math’s I’m not very smart, the only way I’m leaving this is place is with you.”

“You can jump both us to somewhere else somewhere safe,” i quickly suggested, the ceilings were already falling apart.

“She’ll just follow and eventually catch up, they’re the best trackers of our kind, if we jump to a crowded place or back into town we’ll be putting a lot of people in danger and I can’t have that.”

“Then together we both stand a better chance against her, i have the dagger, we could use it.”

“I won’t be focused because I’ll be too worried about you, one thing could go and you die for real, i can’t have that either, I’m sorry Nate, this isn’t something you can keep up with.”

“Because I’m human,” i admitted painfully. For the first time, i felt inferior for being what i am. but i can’t let that waver my decision. There was a short silence between us, the logs on the living room roof caved in.

" i can’t leave raven, i can’t,” I muttered, she saw the unwavering reluctance behind my eyes.

She gave a warm smile,” i know, but your stubbornness might get us both killed,” she slowly melted her lips into mine, i felt weakened, the fear, the anxiety, they were all waning inside me, fire on ice. i didn’t want it to stop, it’s the most peaceful and unburdened i had ever been.

“What was that for?” Some part of me knew what it meant,

“Just in case,” she whispered.

“Wait. ” I said reluctantly when raven touched my shoulder shutting her eye’s. I saw myself standing in the woods alone in the middle of nowhere.

The Red haired watched in satisfaction as the cabin collapsed.

A surge activated in front of the ruins, raven emerged.

with a machete on the right hand, dust on her clothes, Both females calculatingly walking in circles, their pinned on each other.

" a teleporter, very interesting, we haven’t been formally introduced. I’m Maya.”

" i don’t care, that cabin you just messed up was my family ’s property, i had plan’s for it, you’ll pay for that,”

“And how do you plan to achieve that dear,” Maya jeered. Her finger and toe nails lengthening into talons.

“You see what’s in my hand, do the math.” Raven hurled it away to her right, the blade hacked into one the pine trees.

" first we’re going struggle then I’ll chop your head off with it later,” she answered confidently, They charged into one another.

A male figure sprinting tirelessly sprinting through the forest evading trees and maintaining his speed with an unwavering sense of forwardness slowly closing from miles away towards the cabin.

Another in a form a vague shape distant, gliding in mid-air approaching a scene of four men separately engaged in a duel.

Elias unsheathed his twin daggers swiftly charging towards his opponent, the blades thrusting and traveling in directions, Michael spontaneously parried against all strikes that may cost him, using his staff to his advantage.

The priest darted forward to Lock, lunging his blade straight into the teenage boy’s chest as he stood motionless with no intention of avoiding, the edge forcefully plunged outback nailing him against an oak tree.

" i can’t feel pain, i can’t feel anything, you can’t literally hope to stand a chance against me with a something like that.” Lock smiled his right eye turning black.

The priest pulled out to plunge to the head, the tip of the sword froze inches away from the boy’s face, only to get hurled away the second he blinked, the tree the priest slammed against shudders weak leaves falling.

“It’s a shame priest, maybe if we had met again under better circumstances i would have offered you the opportunity of becoming my acolytes.” Lock said, black blood trickling down his chest soiling his shirt. A bit of smoke oozed out of the deep hole as it sealed itself.

“i would never join you,” replied the priest in disgust, he gently rose on his feet with his sword bent, with the other hand he gripped the pectoral cross on his neck mumbling a prayer in Latin, the metal in his hands glowing molten red, straightening as particles of dust from the earth clinged towards it.

Lock approaching like a possessed child.

The man with braided hair and Michael violently danced around, Elias ferociously swinging in a rotation desperate for a slash.

Michael feeling the sharply pointed blade breath away from his skin while he evaded, the struggle sundered briefly when Michael felt a slight burning sensation on his right arm before Elias got struck at his sternum shoving him, he drove his dagger to the soil using as an aid to breaking his fall.

The blade had cleanly slit through Michael’s jacket leaving graze to the skin, he stared at it noticing it wasn’t healing like it should have.

“What can i say, mate, my blades are very special too, i heard your clairvoyant i bet you didn’t see that coming did you?” Elias teased swiping the twin daggers between both hands.

“Oh! That’s thing friend i actually did, i saw it minutes ago and i also had time to calculate. You see you’re very predictable, i let it happen cause it gave an opportunity to make contact with you and for someone like me contact is information, take it as a little bit of quid pro quo.” Michael replied adjusting his glasses on his face.

" and what did you learn?” Elias scoffed.

“First, you’re a half breed, absentee hybrid father and drug addict mother who died of opium overdose on October 17, 1943, in Berlin, you were just seven at the time, left to fend for yourself on street till padre over there found you, trained you to become one the councils killing puppets.”

The grin on his face faded to a grim, he gave a low growled shoving his danger back to his belt sliding his arms into his jacket revealing sets of short steel throwing knives between his fingers.

“I have evolved beyond such trifle existential competitions such as duels my friend, so I’m going to leave you with a bit challenge, you pass i will consider you an opponent worthy of my time but if you fail i will feed on your life force.” Lock stated conceitedly.

The priest with a chiding glare, the boy with dark eyes standing meters from him,

Lock recites a chant in an Old language stumping his feet heavily to the ground and stopped, the sound echoes deep into the earth, cracks stretches from underneath his foot traveling a couple of meters, the priest leaps away backwards as water was mildly unleashed to the surface, Locks steps away from the cracks when the water flow ceases and red clay slowly seeped out.

There was an intense pounding coming from beneath, quavering the forest trees.

Something ruptured it’s way out through the cracks, an enormous red hand with broad fingers wavering and dripping wet of clay.

Elias and Michael’s attention unshaken by whatever scene taking place beside them, the man with braided hair skillfully darting the throwing knives at Michael as glided they between trees, Michael abruptly ceased shuffling standing still, Elias pitched the last set he had, one stuck on a tree in Michael front another slightly grazing his hair darting past, the last two headed straight for face.

They hung inches from the forehead and dropped.

" i can tell you how you die Elias,” Michael spoke uncorking the tip of his staff that unveiled a sharp steel pointed arrow head.

" i plunge this through your heart and between your eyes,”

Elias frustratingly pulls out his twin daggers again launching towards his Michael with a leap, he descends landing with his dagger forcefully thrusts deep to the ground, he yanks them out gritting his teeth in disappointment when he’s opponent had vanished from the spot.

A shadowy shape from above dashed into Elias the second he turned around ramming him deep into the forest decimating a couple trees when they crashed.

From the rupture Emerged a colossal being, raggedly shaped in human form made of clay, partits outer surface composed of cracked rocks, the sound of its feet quaking the ground. The priest gawking astoundingly into a dark hollow opening that appeared to be the creature’s eyes, it was a golem.

" What manner of sorcery is this?”

" you look surprised, This used to be the golem of Prague, the cause of which your mortality was taken from you.” Lock answered proudly standing beside the titan like being.

" i was in Prague cause i wanted the special clay used to create the old golem, in it contained the elemental secret on how the rabbi was able to animate the lifeless husk, i was fascinated that man had in their possession the knowledge of creation, i wanted that knowledge and i achieved it.”

“From the old clay i molded this to the image i saw fit, clearly I’m not a very good sculptor, but consider the upgrade in size compared the old one, meet Joseph.” The golem growled at the priest, wind pushing from its mouth.

“I will destroy the creature then i destroy you,” the priest scowled, fearlessly charging to engaging the golem.

“INCURSO!” He spoke composedly in Latin commanding the golem, The red colossus clutched its knuckles in response with a growl, loping forward.

Lock backing away when the giant and grasshopper clashed. He smelt burning flesh, when he looked at his right hand, he’s skin was on fire from within.

the left arm of the golem severed as it attempted to smash, creating another opening for the priest to strike again, it swiftly smacked him off with its right.

Elias strived to get on his feet after the hard fall, he felt a sharp cramp on the left side of his ribs, gently opening his jacket to find a gash with a broken rib bone poked out of his flesh, definitely caused by the impact.

He had lost one his daggers during the slam, he firmly gripped the only one left in a defensive stance while using his other hand to push the broken rib back into place gritting his teeth’s in endurance.

His eyes peered towards his assailant in front, the figure arose marching closer.

It was vague at first as he approached, it wasn’t Michael. Elias gazed perplexedly at a boy with blond hair.

He felt something sharp fatally struck him from behind, a staff with pointed head ripped out halfway through his right chest, slipping out then again behind his skull, lights out.

Michael took out a handkerchief from his coat carefully wiping off the bloodstain on his staff.

“Dad,” Adam sighed in relief.

“I’m glad to see you’re Alright, where’s your brother?” Michael asked sternly, screwing back the end of the staff with its cork.

We had a situation which we handled perfectly, we got separated, i had to find you. He’s probably headed towards the cabin right now,”

“You shouldn’t have left your brothers side, clearly I’m fine on my own, the last thing we need is getting separated when were not sure what else is out there,” he squatted beside the body placing his hands at the back of his skull,

“What’re you doing?”

“I need information about the council and everything he knows, you should go to the cabin your sister needs your help, she had a shifter on her trail.” There was an echo of distant pounding footsteps that drew Adam’s Attention.

“It’s just Lock, he’s occupied, I’m sure there’s nothing to worry, go!” Michael assured.

I was lost in the forest continually running Northwards, the rugged uneven ground, the slippery damp soil, i didn’t let that stop me, i persistently followed my gut that presumed the cabin was located where i was headed,

there’s no way in hell I’m going to run when raven is out there somewhere taking a chance at something she might not make it out of, she’s saved my life and now she’s about sacrificing herself for me, Gloria was right, is my life really worth all this trouble, an entire family endangered cause they chose to help me, i have been running nonstop for over 25 minutes everywhere looks the same nothing familiar, although we actually jumped there so how would i know, what if all this time i have running towards the wrong direction, i stopped for a second to catch my breath, the colt in my pocket was weighing me down, i took it out putting it tightly behind my waistline, i held the dagger to my hand.

I need to find that cabin again, i can’t lose hope, i can’t. I’m scared for her, i know I’m not super And i can’t make my own thunder but if there’s any chance i can end this before she gets really hurt i have to do it, even if it cost me my life, i have to. I owe her that much I kept at it again.

An intense wild dance between the females as they tussled flipping and pouncing on each other.

Raven clothes slightly shredded by her opponent’s talons, gashes on her neck and arms, the red haired countered when Raven launched herself at her, tossing her over the shoulder swinging a vicious kick to the abdomen that shoved her backward.

Maya’s movement’s catlike like a predator, she dashed restraining her opponent to the ground attempting to slash the jugular with her talons,

Raven clasp her hand against the striking arm in defense, yanking her assailant forward by the neck bashing her head into the redhead’s face, Maya stunned by the impact as raven with her arms stretched quickly searched reaching for broken stick from a tree branch bury the roughly pointed edge into her neck, then shoving her off.

Maya quickly rolled back to her feet like a cat, with a little expression of discomfort pulls out the stake tossing it away.

“You fight dirty for a girl your age, i pegged you for a quick kill I’m impressed. you even broke my nose,” Maya grimaced her eyes zeroed on raven, she wiped the mild red stain on her nostrils.

“Yeah, I broke your nose congratulations, which make you the second person in the last two day’s,” raven sarcastically replied.

“Your boyfriend, you jumped him out didn’t you, you think his safe? I can still feel him right now, he’s somewhere in this forest and when I’m done with you I’ll get to him.”

“I’ll love to see you try,”

They circled around themselves again and clashed, it was a different dance this time frenzy as it increased in tempo, quick spiraling movements, and Maya’s counter reflexes sharper and more calculating revealing both were skilled but Maya had more experience due to the age difference and strength.

Maya talons dug into her opponents’ skin when raven was slightly left open trying to evade a slash to the face.

The priest and the clay monster tussled, the golem decimating all that surrounded it in insanity, uprooting trees, swinging and hurling it at the priest who evaded. It’s limb had been severed severally only to have it grow a new, the old parts dissolve and streams back to the golem’s body within a close proximity,

His gaze fixed on the incoming creature lopping, its footsteps unsettling the ground, the priest firmly gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands, energy coursing through the metal as it glowed molten hot, he launches himself at it, his blade angled to strike at the head.

The golem’s body readjusts ’s, a long slender arm like form stretches out of it’s chest snatching the priest in mid-air pulling him into it’s broad chest. he got absorbed completely enveloped in clay, his energy sucked in by the clay monster while broadened in size. it turned around Marching back to Lock while its body congealed, a satisfied smile on his face

The priest’s body thrusts out of the golem floating, the sword slipped from his hands, he was fragile and weakened like he’d been paralyzed.

Lock made a gesture slowly tilting his head to the right, the body wavered posing same while twisting upside down.

“This is it, the end of the line for you my friend.”

“There will be a reckoning, the lord’s light shall vanquish the darkness.” The priest mumbles sullenly.

“Perhaps, but clearly not today, darkness always tends to linger longer than light.”

Lock opens his arm in reception, the priest shrieking as he burned inside out, an energy surge beamed out of his sockets and traveling directly into Locks.

The charred body dumps to the ground, fumes slowly oozing out of the empty sockets.

“I have to admit, i wasn’t really expecting to see you do that today,” Michael approached.

“You can only fight your nature for so long Michael before it comes back clawing it’s way in, i haven’t felt this whole in a while and it’s outstanding, makes me nostalgic.” Lock replied savoring the new energy within.

“i hope you’re aware that darkness you’ve reawakened in yourself, you won’t be able to purge out, not this time,”

“Then i guess it’s time i stop pretending to be something i will never be, amongst those who walk in the path of light. we’re monsters Michael you and i, we are what we are. ” Lock said walking closer the golem.

“EMET!” He mutters to his creation, the light in it’s hollow eyes fades, he snaps his fingers, the golem crumples while slowly absorbed by the ground.

“Times are changing, there’re more things in play now than ever before, if we’re to come out on top of all this, We have to change too.”

The feeling of hope again stirred up inside me, when this time i recognized the place i was headed towards, a familiar old oak tree and tracks of my old footsteps on the soil raven’s beside mine, we walked through this path before reaching the cabin, I’m not far behind I’m sure, i hope she’s still alive, she always enjoys playing tough and acts like she’s invincible but she’s not, not completely.

Lock and everyone else knew that i wasn’t the only that needed to be kept safe away from all of this, they were protecting their sister too.

Raven thinks this fight is beyond me because I’m human, that may seem true but i can’t accept that, not when I’m holding an opportunity in my hand.

In ancient history, it’s been recorded humans have faced off with their kind before and won, drove them out of their land and into hiding, even hunted them to near extinction.

Humans are not weak, we just haven’t realized the extent of our full potentials yet, we’re at the top of the food chain, not angels, not mutants, not supernatural’s. We’re and have always been the apex predators.

That was what i kept repeating in my head to convince myself. but when i spotted the cabin that looked like it had been hopped upon by a tornado,

The way i saw the red haired sprint like an animal, pick up raven pitched her into the nearest tree that split in half, it had me reevaluate the decision i was about taking.

I took cover I’m not stupid, with her mauling raven like that if i arrogantly rush in without thinking I’ll just get myself killed for nothing.

I had to think of a perfect plan something that doesn’t involve the end of me too, i took a peak at them, they were still slugging it out like crazy, raven seemed to be more at the disadvantage, she looked pretty roughed up, her clothes i mean.

The redhead lady, the rhythm of movements were precise, raven’s seemed a bit more instinct driven which normally would have been perfect but not in this case, in truth she seemed exhausted.

For a minute they struggled their way out of sight into a corner, the dull evening weather didn’t help at all.

I took a deep breath taking out the colt from my waist, i nervously checked the chambers to be sure they were loaded, then plunging it back.

Raven gave a piercing shrill in agony, my heart immediately sank, i held the dagger in my right and peeked.

The lady dragged out raven by the hair as she laid weakly on the ground groaning, her gut impaled with a long rod.

“You sounded pretty confident when you promised to chop my head off, now that seems highly unlikely, well the good news is that your boyfriend is very close, he came back for you making my job easier, you can feel him around can’t you?” She smiled darkly.

" Romeo!!! I know your hiding out there! just come out or else I’ll kill her and it won’t be a pretty sight.” The redhead Announced tauntingly. Forcefully pulling out the rod from Raven, i heard raven groaning slowly turn into an outcry.

My arms were trembling, hearing ravens voice again i wanted to lose my mind, i don’t have any plan, i can’t even think.

I’m just going to come out and take my chances with her, but I’m too scared to even nerve, i took another deep breath to calm myself. i knew if i attempt what have in mind and fail it’s a one way trip for me, but it’s the only idea in my head.

“in fact, you know what! Just stay where you are, I’ll be coming to you, makes it more fun. besides, i was going to kill her anyway, so your coming out won’t make a difference.”

Something from a tree few meters from her swiftly glided into her hand when stretched her arm in a reaching gesture.

The machete raven had with her before.

“It’s ironic you’ll get to be the one losing a head after all of this, well after all it was your idea so,” the redhead tightly pressed her leg against raven’s injury as she crawled, the lady wanted her to suffer first, the twisted smile on her face.

The second i do this, i hope raven just jumps herself out of here.

she’s risked everything to help me, its time i did the same, sometimes your whole life boils down to one insane move.

“Get away from her!” I scowled revealing myself walking away from i was hiding behind, marching towards her direction with the colt pointed at her. i hid my other hand at my back.

“Finally, you revealed yourself. I was starting to think you didn’t care,”

“Guns!” she snared in irritation pressing her foot tighter to taunt me, raven groaning more loudly, i lost it.

The first shot that escaped missed, i aimed more accurately, repeatedly pulling. five loud bangs that left a ringing noise in my eardrums, the bullets making her take a step backward by each Pierce.

The continuous empty click indicating i had emptied the chambers, i was aware it wouldn’t kill but spite her instead which i was counting on to get her distracted, turn her attention to me and give raven an edge.

The sound fading, i watched to see what i had done, my right firmly clutched on the dagger for whatever was to follow.

I saw the shot holes on her body push the bullets out, she dropped the matchet and gnarled at me first slowly approaching, her hand from her wrist shedding itself into something more animal, the talons straightening into claws, A freak show.

One minute i saw her coming while raven struggled to get her feet, the next the redhead moved so quick before i knew it i felt something sharp Pierce my gut, she was right in my face.

The prodding confusing pain as i stared right into her eyes in shock, the red glow her lens had. Raven gasps screaming my name.

“What you just did was very stupid, my employers wanted you alive, now i guess I’ll have to come up with a new story.” She muttered.

I couldn’t let her win. I desperately shoved the dagger at the top of her chest due to the discomfort i was feeling at the time.

The sequence of event that followed next happened so swiftly and it was over before my knees hit the ground.

The redhead got pulled and tossed away, Raven in front of me defensively, in that same short second she was not.

The redhead already crouched ready to spring again only to get unexpectedly caught when raven resurfaced behind her with her foot planted against her back pulling her arm.

A frantic scream before she heaved, severing the right arm.

The redheads’shrieks echoed in the forest, while her detached arm mindless dragged itself around trembling.

Raven pulled the dagger from her chest and shoved again directly into the heart, then the screaming stopped.

I felt the wetness from my insides spreading around my belly soaking my shirt

Dizziness kicking in as I fell, I was drifting inwardly my face against the cold ground.

I pressed my hands on my belly, my fluids warm and sticky, I was losing blood, my sight getting dimmer, the last thing I saw was raven taking up the machete coldly walking towards the staggering redhead who just lost an arm before Darkness crept its way in.

I knew I was dying.

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