15 The Dead And The Dying

I was stood staring at the unsteady paws of the re-animated wolves as they began to flounder, struggling to keep upright. It was much more comfortable than looking at their zombified faces, though.

I was shocked when they started to move towards me; at first, it was a trot, but they were swiftly progressing into a clumsy dash. It was as though they were fighting to be in on the kill, acting remarkably like the living wolves they once were.

I wanted to run, but I couldn't move a muscle. Something inside of me was yearning to get out, an unnatural rage that only seemed to be getting stronger. Flashes of painful memories were clouding my mind, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to hold whatever it was back for long.

Glowing orbs of light started to float all around me, steadily merging into a pattern; a spectral figure. My limbs were glistening and seemed to be growing in size. It was then that I realised; it wasn't me growing, but something else. The mysterious entity was starting to wrap itself around my body, protecting it just as a suit of armour would protect a soldier.

I felt my eyes roll to the back of my head, and I could sense a tremendous power flooding through me. I was becoming one with the entity. I could see my actions, but I seemed to have no control over them.

As we took flight under the power of gigantic wings, I could feel the strong gale blowing against my face. My hands were monstrous claws, and firing from them were rays of white light that seemed to destroy everything in their path. The walking dead husks of wolves were turned into drifting piles of dust in an instant as the successive blasts caught them mid-stride. No one was safe.

Violet and Anya even stopped their private battle to observe the destroyer. Anya was grinning as though she was enjoying the show. Violet certainly wasn't, though; she was shocked at how quickly we were butchering her puppet wolves.

'Jake, no! We need them!' Her complaints were wasted, though; I couldn't say or do anything to stay its hand.

To be a passenger in your own body was sickening. I was watching helplessly as the other-worldly monster mowed through droves of enemies with ease.

I could finally see Avrae again from this high up; wolves were pinning him down, those both alive and dead, using his hide as their battleground. When they weren't fighting each other, though, they were gnawing away at his bare flesh, causing him to cry out in pain. He was gazing straight at me with wide eyes; he didn't speak; instead, he allowed his face to do the talking for him. He was begging for my help.

Sweeping over the body of Avrae, we took down his attackers like a bowling ball would knock down pins. It was almost fun to watch.

Elsewhere, I noticed that Violet had used me as a distraction and was now laying into Anya once more. I was still trying my best to break free of this possession, but it was useless. We were angling towards them both, and they wouldn't even see us coming at this speed.

My vision was blurring; I couldn't see a thing until we stopped abruptly, and reality was restored to its former state. Glancing down at the ground, I first notice Violet lying unconscious, and then standing right in front of me was Anya. It felt as though her eyes were piercing into my very soul.

Crimson red blood was dripping off of my clawed ghostly fist, and as the scene started to sink in, a pit of despair opened up in my chest. I fell to my knees as I inhaled deeply, having realised too late that its arm had torn clear through Anya's stomach.

Without any other signs of danger nearby, the orbs of light were dancing around us merrily, shrinking into tiny white specks before vanishing altogether.

'Anya, please,' I cry, pulling her close to me. I didn't care that we were supposed to be enemies now; the fact was, I'd just killed my girlfriend. 'Why did you make me do this?'

She was coughing up blood, and her words were struggling to escape her cold, paling lips. 'My... my people have... disease... find a cure.'

'You're not making any sense,' I turned around, panicking and looking for someone to help. 'Violet!' If she hurried, she could heal Anya the way she did Avrae.

Anya was slipping from me, though, and I knew that she wasn't long for this world. 'Violet!'

'J-Jake... Jake.' Anya called.

I took her hand. 'I'm here.'

'If you... her world, l-look for s-survivors.'

She still wasn't making sense, but I nodded anyway, though feeling as guilty as sin, I found myself unable to look her in the eye. When I eventually lifted my head, I saw that they were glazed over. She was dead.

The aftermath of the battle was bringing forth a sorrowful silence. And the only faint echoes of voices were those of the wounded and from those who had lost someone. Myself included.

I'd noticed Violet hovering over me earlier, but I couldn't recall how much time had passed since then. The one thing I did know was that I couldn't leave Anya like this, and yet, I couldn't carry her with one arm either. 

Honestly, I was surprised I hadn't passed out from the pain. It wasn't just my arm, though. I had to keep wiping at stinging eyelids with one blood-stained hand. At first, I thought that I'd gotten dirt stuck in there until I started to notice more orbs of light tumbling down from above.

Not now, please.

The orbs were gathering like they did last time, forming a mysterious spectral figure, only it was somewhat different to before. Suddenly, I felt my eyes roll into the back of my head as I lost control yet again.

This being was much smaller, about the same size as me, although its presence was quite calming. Somehow, I felt like I could trust it, whatever it may have been. And when the merging was complete, I saw that I was carrying Anya with two arms which were as broad as tree trunks but as gentle as a leaf catching a droplet of rain.

I knew just where to take her, as well. There was a beautiful little spot by the foot of the waterfall where I'd once planned to build our cabin. It was perfect.

You're going to love it there, Anya, I promise.