Monsters Revealed

[emsiecat]

The trio walked the short distance back to the village, chatting cheerfully the entire way. As they neared the outskirts they quietened down somewhat so as not to raise suspicion. Lucinda checked that the coast was clear before signalling to the other two in a cheesy impersonation of an army general.

"Go, go, go, go!" she hissed as Rhys and Liana stared at her like she'd gone crazy, "What? I've always wanted to do that!" the girl pouted at their barely concealed laughter.

They sneaked past a couple of small homes until they reached Maria's. They knocked and politely waited. It wasn't a long wait. Obviously Maria had been expecting them, she ushered them in with Lucinda muttering something about 'damn Seers' as they entered. Maria gave her a look but said nothing.

Once they were all seated with a cup of tea each, Maria finally spoke.

"Welcome back, Liana. I'm glad to see you're safe and well. I believe you have something of great importance to tell me, and that you needed my assistance?"

Liana smiled at the woman's powers of 'ever knowing' before nodding and beginning to explain herself. Once she had finished Maria leant back in her chair, her eyes closed for a few moments before answering.

"This is most disturbing. You are sure it was a Phoenix?" Liana nodded, "Then your assumptions are correct. We are in more trouble now than we were when Mewtwo was hunting us."

Maria stood up abruptly and began pottering about her home rummaging through books and papers as she murmured softly to herself. Lucinda and Rhys peered at her curiously. Liana on the other hand looked out of the window to see that the sun was beginning to set. She would like at least one night in the village before returning to New Island.

The Seer apparently picked up on her thoughts, waving a hand absently towards a couple of old sofas and a comfortable looking bed.

"You three will stay here for tonight. Lucinda, Rhys, go tell you families so they're not concerned. Liana you stay put. I can help you with information."

Maria wandered over to the young woman and handed her a few books as Lucinda and Rhys left.

"These books were given to me by an elder Seer many years ago. They include comprehensive information on the Gods Realm, the creatures that live there, and theories on how Seers could breach the barriers that the Gods set up to keep the creatures there. The books are rather controversial, after what you told me has been happening I would rather they were kept far away from prying human eyes."

Liana looked at Maria's troubled face for a few moments before speaking. "Maria do you think someone else has access to information such as this?"

"Only a few copies of these books were published amongst the higher ranking Seers. It seems unlikely but yes, it is a possibility that someone has read and is using these theories to enter the Gods Realm and breach the fortifications in place."

Maria turned back to her book shelves and began checking that no other useful books were there whilst Liana opened the largest book and scanned the pages. She barely acknowledged her two friends return as she read, toying with the gem at her throat.

Her eyes became unfocused as the gem suddenly heated in her hand. In her minds eye she saw a flash of something; slimy hide, rolling crazy eyes, gnashing predatory teeth. She heard a foreign sounding roar; guttural and choking. Louder than the creatures roar was that of someone screaming for help. Then suddenly it disappeared. Liana wrenched her hand away from the gem as if she'd been burnt, before looking down at the page she had originally been reading, clearly shaken. There staring back up at her was a picture of the terrifying creature she'd just seen in her mind! Liana slammed the book shut and shoved it away with a shaky breath.

None of her friends had seen the outburst. They were currently helping Maria cook the evening meal on the other side of the ramshackle home.

Dinner was comfortably quiet. Maria had made a stew which was very welcome as none of them had had a decent meal all day. Liana tried to enjoy it but her eyes slid back to the cover of the largest book continuously, and whenever they did she'd feel clammy and scared at the memory of the monster she'd seen in her mind.

Liana stared up at the ceiling from her place on the floor as her friends drifted off to sleep. Lucinda and Rhys took a couch each while Maria of course had the bed. It wasn't as if Liana hadn't been offered a comfortable place to sleep. But as irony would have it; her body was now accustomed to firm ground and the lumpy sofas felt like they were swallowing her when she'd tried to sleep there.

Something strange had happened, Liana was sure of that if nothing else. People don't just envision a fully formed monster in their mind just from looking at a crudely drawn interpretation! She mulled it over in her head for a few minutes before giving up. It was getting late and despite the fright she had given herself, Liana was tired. Closing her eyes she fell asleep.

Liana's dreams were thin and worrisome that night. They flitted from one dream scenario to another like bees to a flower. There were no warm bodies of clones beside her to keep her company while she slept and she felt the loss, clinging to her bed-roll as she turned repeatedly. She could remember only one dream:

The creature she had envisioned earlier seemed to be devouring the clones. They didn't seem to care though; they accepted their fate as they were torn to shreds. The dream Liana screamed as they were hurt. When it was Mewtwo's turn she shouted at him to run away, but Mewtwo merely chuckled and shrugged as the monster bit him almost clean in half.

The dreamscape changed. A Mew was floating in front of her. Liana still felt shaken from her last dream, but Mew just giggled and beckoned the girl closer. Liana reluctantly stepped forward, the Mew placed a comforting paw on Liana's forehead before speaking two words; "Wake up!"

Liana shot into a sitting position, gasping for air, only to spit the air out as she did. It tasted foul and stale. Something was wrong she could tell.

Maria was knelt a small distance away, scrying in a mirror that glowed with a soft light. She glanced towards the younger woman and placed a finger to her lips signalling her to keep quiet. Maria could sense it too.

Maria finished the scry with a wave of her hand, and approached Liana. "I've been trying to see who has been calling up the creatures from the Gods Realm and how many they have. They've shrouded themselves very well though; I haven't been able to gain any new information." She whispered.

Liana hadn't expected miracles from this trip, the books would help enough for now, she supposed.

"Why does the air taste so foul? I can barely stand to breathe it in!"

"I believe it's one of the creatures from the Gods Realm. It may be nearby."

"What!?"

"It may be near or it may be that its presence can be felt for many miles. Either way it seems malevolent." Maria looked thoughtful for a few moments. "I have a feeling that you three should leave, something is coming this way and it's not good."

Although Maria didn't sound particularly bothered, Liana could see that she was. Her pupils were dilated and not just from the lack of light (it was still a little before dawn), her hands were shaking minutely as well, her mouth was set in a grim line.

Liana nodded in agreement with the older woman before turning to shake Rhys awake. He muttered and pushed her away, "Damn it Li, it's not even dawn yet give us a break!"

Liana clamped a hand over his mouth and shook her head. It took Rhys a few seconds to wake up enough to sense what the other two had. His eyes widened and he sat up, nudging Lucinda with his foot.

While Rhys tried to accomplish the impossible (wake Lucinda up early without getting kicked somewhere important), Liana packed the books Maria had given her into her bag before swinging it onto her shoulder. She grabbed her bow and held it at the ready rather than hang it from her bag as she usually did. The weight of it in her hands made her feel a little better.

Lucinda had finally woken up and was pulling on her boots whilst running a hand through her rumpled, spiky hair. "What's going on?"

"We're leaving." Came the short answer.

"Leaving? Where are we going? When will we be back?"

"I don't know but we've got to get away from the village."

"Our families-"

"I don't think it's after them."

With that comment it took Rhys and Lucinda the work of a minute to get prepared. Maria led them quietly to the door before speaking.

"It won't harm the village that much I can tell. You're right whatever this is it's after you three. You have to get out of here and quickly."

They needed no further encouragement, giving Maria a few words of thanks; they left the hut and headed towards Stefan's stables. Rhys said he had a feeling they'd need mounts. They picked out three Rapidash, Liana choosing her own who greeted her warmly, asking where she'd been. Liana apologised and promised to speak later; right now they needed to move.

[emsiecat]

As the three moved through the forest, the feeling of danger increased. There was unease in the air, every other creature was quiet and still.

As they rounded a bend the found that someone was walking down the woodland trail towards them. Liana stiffened before recognising the figure; Jamaal. He was a boy from their village, a little older than Rhys. He was a pain in the ass for sure, but not a threat.

He stopped and looked at the trio; he grinned but didn't move out of their way.

"Jamaal you should get back to the village, something bad is hanging around here." Rhys warned.

Lucinda made to move past Jamaal but he merely stood his ground, touching Lucinda's Rapidash on the muzzle in an absent minded gesture. The Rapidash quivered.

"C'mon Jamaal move, we've gotta go." Lucinda rolled her eyes at the boys infuriating behaviour.

Liana wetted her lips, starting to feel apprehensive. "Could you please return to the village? We don't want you to get hurt."

She hadn't meant for her voice to squeak but the apparition was approaching closer.

Jamaal finally spoke, "It won't hurt me."

"What are you talking about?" Liana was starting to get the feeling that their meeting hadn't been accidental, she didn't like it.

"He's sent it to persuade you Liana. He'd like some assistance. If you comply it won't attack. If you don't then, well I'm sure you get the idea."

"Blackmail!" Liana spat. "What filthy Seer is doing this Jamaal? Who's been bringing these creatures to where they don't belong?"

Jamaal laughed at her outburst before answering bluntly, "Your uncle, of course. After all who else would be able to achieve it?"

Liana sat still as stone. She waited for Jamaal to lose the horrible smirk he'd acquired, laugh at his own bad joke and wave the three of them on their way. She waited for him to apologise and correct himself. It didn't happen.

"You're lying!"

"Am I?" Jamaal sounded amused. "Surely you know that Thanatos is one of the highest ranking Seers in the world."

He always played it down, said that his Seer ranking wasn't that big a deal. Liana felt betrayed.

Liana felt a coldness seeping into her heart, but it wasn't because of the betrayal she felt. The apparition they had felt was moving through the trees towards them, just behind Jamaal. Liana watched it shift and writhe as it broke through the early morning mist; she froze in horror as she recognised what had been hunting them. It was the creature from the book and her nightmare.

"Interesting creature isn't it?" Jamaal called nonchalantly. "It's known as a Stealer, though others prefer the term Devourer."

Devouring; Mewtwo the clones, all of them dying in front of her eyes. Liana drew a small shaky breath. No, get a grip. They were safe; they were hidden away on New Island. This thing hadn't gotten to them.

"It's called such," Jamaal went on slowly, "because it feeds off mortal souls. There's nothing violent about it really. You just, stop living. Your soul is gone."

Liana was trembling. Jamaal's words slipped in and out of her brain as the creature locked its gaze with hers. Its eyes were blank and crazy looking. It took a gulp of air, a soft hissing sound; Liana felt a pain in her chest that snapped her out of her reverie.

Behind her she heard Rhys yell at them to run. She heard Lucinda shout as her Rapidash jolted into a gallop, running away from the abomination.

Liana couldn't move, she felt transfixed and sleepy as the creature stalked towards her. Suddenly her own Rapidash reared, pawing the air and screaming a challenge to the Devourer before bolting after Rhys and Lucinda, Liana barely hanging on in her trance like state.

"Get them!" Jamaal shouted and the Devourer took off after the group.

"You idiot foal!" Liana's Rapidash, Artemis, seethed at her mistress. "The soul stealer almost ensnared you! What would have happened if I hadn't been there, hm?"

"I'm sorry Artemis. I completely lost myself." Liana still didn't feel herself but breaking eye contact with the creature and putting some distance between them had helped.

"Apologise later, after we've lost that stinking creature." Artemis snorted.

They were running flat out. Artemis, Rhys's mount and Artemis's brother Apollo, and Lucinda's mount Blaze.

"It's still following us!" Blaze cried, glancing back, his eyes rolling in panic.

"We've got to lose it somehow. It doesn't seem to tire at all and Apollo's all in!" Rhys shouted.

Apollo snorted in an offended manner before he talked to Liana. "Tell the colt I'm nowhere near 'all in' he'll sure as hell know it when I am!"

Liana managed a weak grin in spite of herself. Apollo always had been sensitive.

Lucinda turned Blaze in another direction. "C'mon this way! It leads towards the ocean maybe we can lose it there!"

Rhys felt that Lucinda was clutching at straws. What made her think the ocean would be of any help? However he and Liana did nudge their Rapidash to follow Lucinda.

Liana heard the frustrated roar of the Devourer as its quarry turned in another direction. Apparently it wasn't very manoeuvrable and had a hard time turning. The roar made a shiver run down her spine and she urged Artemis on desperately.

The trees began to thin until suddenly they were in the open. Bad idea. Now there were no trees blocking the creature's path it would probably enable it to speed up.

"Great idea Luce, got anymore?" Rhys's voice was sarcastic.

"Yeah, just one."

"What?"

"Think the creep can swim?"

Lucinda had noticed that as they had run through the forest, the Devourer had avidly avoided streams and rivers that ran through it. Lucinda had the slightest inkling that this thing might not like water. If that was the truth the best idea was to immerse themselves in the blessed stuff as soon as possible.

Rhys looked at Lucinda pityingly before glancing back at what was up ahead. What appeared to be the horizon and then, nothing!

"Luce?" he questioned warningly, "What the hell are you planning on making us do?"

"We're gonna take a dip. I don't think that thing likes water. If we jump in the ocean maybe it'll leave."

Lucinda was basing her plan on a lot of 'ifs'. If the creature hated water, if the fall wasn't too high, and if it was a smooth dive they might just make it.

Too bad two of those ifs were false. As they approached the edge they could see that it was a massive height. They were on top of a cliff and the fall was a few hundred meters. The dive most certainly wouldn't be smooth and simple. Studding the ocean at the bottom were sharp rocks that the waves broke against. If the fall didn't kill them the rocks probably would.

The three glanced at one another, but nodded grimly. It was either this or end up as lunch for some disgusting creature from the Gods Realm. They carried on; their Rapidash leaped into the seemingly infinite space before them, and the world was suddenly silent and slow.

It seemed to Liana that they were falling forever. She had time to observe Lucinda grasping at Blaze's neck, her mouth open in horror as she gazed below; she saw Rhys his arms spread eagled as if he was trying to fly; she saw their Rapidash had been separated from them, carried by gravity and momentum each in various stages of fright; she saw the frozen white of the waves below; the churning boiling blue waters that smashed into the rocks. Things stayed silent as slow even as Liana hit the cliff face beside her. She grappled for something, anything out of sheer instinct but kept missing her hold and fell away again tumbling against the cliff. She certainly felt something break, she felt every scrape and bump, but still it was silent. The momentum of one such bump against the cliff face sent her away from it again, she was morbidly interested in how droplets of blood from her own broken nose seemed to be floating beside her in their apparent slow motion free-fall towards the ocean.

Finally things returned to a sickeningly normal speed as Liana's brain finally began to register just how close the damn rocks at the bottom were now. One, she realised bitterly, was right below her just waiting for her to be dashed against it. She screwed her eyes shut and waited, wishing that she was somewhere, anywhere but here.

There was a roaring sound that filled the world, a strangely familiar pulling sensation, and the gem at her throat pulsed once with a purple light and a 'th-thump' sound. Then suddenly everything went black.