2
I left the library, sighing in a lazy manner, walking back to the living room, towards the stairs leading up to the second floor. An eerie echo lingered in the corners of the mansion, the feeling as if I was being watched increasing, as the butler emerged from thin air next to me. If I had a faint heart, or any signs of cowardice within me, I would have shrieked like a little girl, but I didn’t. Was he a ghost or some other sort of apparition?
“This way, sir,” he muttered in a cold voice, walking in front of me like a wind up soldier. “I shall show you to your quarters.”
“Tell me something, butler, am I the only guest residing in this manor, aside from the owner, the child, and yourself?” I asked, noticing the hidden knife in his left pocket bulging out.
“No, sir, you are not,” he replied, walking up the stairs, a few inches from me, his movements a bit stiff. “The other guests have already eaten their dinner, and are now tucked in their rooms, probably, sleeping.”
“Good to know,” I finished, unsatisfied with his plain responses, my mind riled up with anger.
Too much time had been wasted talking to these buffoons; if I had just gone along with my first plan, I could have stolen one of their ships, and have been safely on my way towards my rendezvous point. But I still had a few days to be there, so I was okay for the moment.
“There is no leaving, once you are inside the town, there is no leaving,” a small voice chanted through a small door opening, on the right side of the second story floor. “Once you are here, they will come for you.”
“Enough with your nonsense, away with you,” the butler shouted, closing the door from the outside. “Can’t you see that we have guest, you foolish child?”
“What did he mean by that?” I asked, impatiently, growing tired of being yo-yoed around by these town folks.
“Oh, don’t mind him, sir, it’s just child nonsense, nothing more than that,” he replied, not looking me in the eye, as he started walking forward, towards my assigned room.
My irascibility with his inexcusable actions was thankfully masked by an unexpected scream from another room, on the right, a few yards away from me. The butler, to my amazement, ignored this noise of distress, continuing further towards my room. He stopped by the last room on the right, reaching into his right pocket and pulling out a silver key, as he opened it for me. Looking at me, his eyes cold and lifeless, he bowed his head, his hand gesturing me to enter. Despite his intolerable manner, he was a very courteous and respectful; I think I was going to spare his life, after all.
“Anything else you want, sir,” he asked bluntly, his gloved hand placed on the golden knob, a stern look on his clean, shaved face.
“No, that will be all, butler,” I responded, removing my brown fur coat, and placing it on the bed. “I shall take my rest now.”
He nodded, blinking, a faint smile on his face, as he closed the door, and left me in the peace of my quarters. The room was small, one quarter the size of the living room, with dark, grey walls, a mounted oil lamb on each wall. My word, these people really were living a few centuries in the past, a thing that annoyed me deeply. I was so used to technology that I found it a bit difficult to adjust to these new developments. Sighing, I scratched my head, facing a wooden table on my left: three old books on top of it, a feathery pen with a jar of ink beside it, and a few scrolls mounted on a shelf above the table. A bed, with flowery duvet covers lay next to the wall with the window; it was a king size bed, with five fluffy pillows, and a copper bed warmer placed on top of the covers. The floor was not carpeted, it was made of a marble like substance, and it absorbed every noise I made with my feet. I walked over to the window, peering through the part of the glass that was not covered in snow, hoping to catch a glimpse of anything that could incite concern.
The moon shined greatly, the snow piling heavily onto the ground, and the powerful blizzard progressing in an unnatural way. Nothing about any of this made any sense to me. What sort of madness was causing this bad anomaly? I expect, by the time dawn approached, this whole terrain would be buried in ten or more inches of snow, forcing everyone to stay inside for several weeks to come. No, I can’t comply with that, I thought, I have a mission to complete.
Sitting on the bed, my hands placed on the duvet covers, I forced my boots off my feet, my mind filled with anxiety. I was definitely stuck on this planet, meaning……….my primary mission had to be aborted. I heard another scream from the room next to me, causing me shift up to my feet. Something suspicious was happening inside this manor. I prowled silently to the wall, placing my left ear against the wall, to hear what was happening on the other side. Two voices, from my what I could make up, were whispering something to each other, and there was also a scratching noise on the opposite side of the wall.
“What’s the point?” I shrugged, stoically, felling my body onto the bed.
It was about ten p.m. in the evening, two hours before midnight, according to the old clock on top of the door. I unveiled the duvet covers and shoved my body inside it, trying to get some sleep before this night took a very dark turn. I closed my eyes, but I never was able to sleep peacefully—all of my dreams were nothing short of horrific nightmares, since the moment I acquired my immortality. At first, sleeping disturbed me greatly, but l learned to cope with the madness swirling inside my head, and was able to faintly sleep through them.
“I hope I survive this treacherous night,” I whispered, closing my eyes, breathing softly.
3
At midnight, the clock tinged with a faint bell sound, the room dark and cold. I opened my eyes, the eerie echo looming throughout the walls, as I dressed back into my borrowed clothes. By now, everyone should have been asleep—the corridors should be empty. I prowled to the door, attempting to open it from the inside, but as I expected, it was locked from the outside. They were specifically clear about not letting anyone wander around the corridors at night. And without my tools of the trade, there was no way I was going to pick the lock and open the door.
I turned around and strolled over to the window, testing the metal hinges for weakness, hoping to use it as a point of exit. I placed my weight against the window, putting pressure against the hinges, as I forced it ajar. Strong winds blew into the room, a heavy shower of snowflakes falling over my bed, the cold air numbing my face. Covering my head with a hood, a bandanna on half of my face, I hopped through the window, shutting it behind me. Balancing my weight over the ledge, tip-toeing over to the window of the next room, I peeked over to see what was inside. It was dark inside, the bed next to the window had been ruffled with, the covers lay on the floor, and the pillows over by the door. Further, to my astonishment—the window was open, a small glass crack below the left corner. I opened the window, entered through it, as I landed on bed, my knees bending inwards. Not too long ago—two hours ago to be precise—I had heard terrible screaming, and then two whispering voices. Where could there have gone?
“What in blazes?” I exclaimed when I almost fell to the ground, due to some slippery liquid on floor.
Something slippery, something red and thick in nature was scattered through the floor; I think it was blood. A great struggle had taken place inside this small suite. The scrolls had been torn asunder, the shelf leaning crooked to the right, and what looked like claw marks dug deep into the wooden table. This was getting too creepy for my explicit taste. I heard movements, coming from the corridor outside, and I turned around, headed for the window. But before I could exit, I caught a glimpse of what looked like an index finger, by the edge of the bed, dried blood around it. If this was not a sign of force mutilation or murder, I truly don’t know what was. I left the quarters, exiting through the window, convinced that I needed to investigate further into this incident. The blizzard storm, the missing people, my appearance here—they were somehow connected together, like a jigsaw puzzle.
I skipped over the tile, my body tensing, as I made my way to another room,
to have another look through it. If there anymore disappearances, anymore body parts or messes on the floor, then I would be thoroughly convinced that something mischievous was happening on this compound. The next room was a few yards away from me, with barred, panel windows, a small porch for the guest to sit and look over the horizon. It must belong to some important resident, I thought. Leaping over the roof, I landed on the porch, making a slight noise with my feet, but in this weather, my sound would remain concealed. I peered from the corner into the room, observing one lamb that was lit by the left side of the door, and the boy from before sitting by the desk, his head buried in a set of books. The porch door, next to the window, was heavily secured, so the only way in was to have him open the door for me, from the inside. My better judgment advised me against this direct approach, warning me of the dangers this action could produce. After all, I was supposed to be sleeping in my bed, locked inside my quarters, until the crack of dawn. I would have heeded this warning, if this was a different circumstance, but it was not an ordinary situation. Looking left and then right, I advanced towards the door, revealing my face, before knocking on the door. The boy turned around, a look of fear on his face, our eyes meeting each other. For a second, he froze with terror, his fingers shaking. He jumped out of his seat, his dark hair jumbled up, and walked to the door, a look of fear and excitement clouding his small, freckled face. Opening the door, he took a few steps back, not screaming, as I entered his room.
“I mean you no harm, child,” I whispered, my hands anchored above my head, taking slow steps into the room. “I just need a few questions to be answered, if you don’t mind.”
“You are the new guest, right?” he asked, the fear that once clutched him gone, returning to his desk.
“Yes, I am just a man passing by,” I replied, closing the porch door behind me, to stop the cold air from spreading any further inside his room. “Do you mind if I sit down?”
“Do as you like—it’s a free planet, mister.”
“I would like to know what you meant by those words you were chanting in that peculiar song. Just what did you mean, when you said no one can leave this town? And who will come for you?”
“It is exactly as I said, mister, I am impressed that you caught that, and that you managed to sneak out of your room, without rousing any suspicions from the outside guards.”
“Your words are kind, child, but if you don’t mind, please reveal to me the message behind those lyrics. I fear, I am being hunted by something dark and powerful.”
“Please don’t make me divulge secrets that could put the both of us in any further danger; for they are always watching, always waiting to prey on the guests.”
“I shall not tell another soul, you have my word, so please tell me something. I promise to protect you with my life, if harm were to befall you.”
“Take heed, stranger, not everything in this town is what it seems. The creatures of the night will come for you, just like they came for me and other guests, and when they do—do not struggle.”
“No, I shall take arms and fend for myself; they have no idea who they are truly dealing with,” I responded, laughing after, a feeling of sheer excitement consuming me.
It would certainly be nice to have something to take my frustrations on, especially with this unwanted delay costing me my mission. And like that, something broke through the window, sending glass, wind, and snow surging through it. I turned my head around, squinting, covering my chest and face with both of my arms. The powerful wind howled, the cold air making it hard to breathe. Something was standing on the porch, with big, glowing eyes, about seven feet tall, and wearing dark, tattered robes. On the robe’s cuffs, I saw what looked like a twin set of hook blades, of black and grey coloring, the hilt of the blades concealed beneath the ragged clothing.
“The monsters have come for me,” the boy cried, reaching for the door, leading to the corridor outside, but it was also locked. “Please, mister, help me.”
“I may not be a nice man, young one, but my word is my bond,” I spoke, standing between the child and the horrendous monster, both of my fists clenched.
“Who be ye?” it asked, stretching its arms out, its talon-like feet sticking out from underneath the robes. “Stand aside, I only need one of you.”
“Who be I?” I responding, laughing, “well, I be the one to take your jaw off.”
“You talk too much for such a small fry,” it roared, bolting towards me, all of its blade pointed for my head.
The creature swung for my head, its left foot anchored into the wooden floor, but I ducked down, watching for any opening to take advantage of. I was a man of my word, but playing dirty was definitely one thing I was good at. And for the most part, based on what I could perceive, it wasn’t going to be easy to get in close, and kill the creature with a quick jab to the heart. The creature had a beak, like that of a eagle, a metallic chest armor beneath the robes, a set of gears, shifting components behind its back, which moved like mechanical wings. I had only seen something like this once, but……No, I was perhaps mistaken; after all, he was dead.
“Run, mister,” the child cried, watching the blade piece through my left shoulder, his face filled with terror.
Swerving left, I parried away the two other blades, on its right hand, moving back to recuperate. The creature holstered the red, stained blades into the air, next to its face, and licked the blood off with its long tongue. Its eyes widened, its whole body shaking, as it removed the tattered clothing to reveal what it was hiding underneath. My word, I was repulsed. Who would do such a thing? I mean, I was a villain too, but not this bad. So many scars, so many incisions; it was as if someone had ripped the poor creature apart and just staffed it back up with different parts, to make it more menacing.
“You blood is wonderful, it is pure bliss,” it demanded, tilting its back down, the tips of the blades inches from the floor. “I must have more—I need moooooreee!”
With that said, the abomination of a creature darted for me, striking at me with its clawed swords, hoping to gush more of my blood. I dodged left and right, bending down whenever it swung in a horizontal motion—even though I was being pressured, the challenge being presented in front of me was exciting me. It would certainly bring me sheer joy to kill this beast. Break its beak, I thought, or break its neck. I had so many ways I wanted to kill it, but I decided to take my time and enjoy the carnage and mayhem, while I still could.
“You are fast, I will grant you that,” I commented, blinking, clapping in appraisal, a few seconds after. “Not a lot of people can push me back like this, but then again, I haven’t even been trying to fight back.”
“You talk too much,” it bellowed, using its beak, this time, to make a frontal attack.
I paced back, my back hitting the door, and rolled out of the way, grabbing a metal scroll that had fallen beneath the table. I bashed the creature in the head three times, felling it to the ground, before picking up the wooden table, and smashing it against its back. Whirling in pain, it spread its metallic wings, the gears in the back spinning in all direction, and took for the air. Winds raged through the room, the snow starting to pile up an inch over the floor, as the creature turned around, smiling. Opening its mouth, fire roared, spreading to every inch of the room. I ran towards the child, shielding him from harm, my hands raised apart. I felt the burning sensation, my flesh being synched off, but I didn’t flinch.
“Impossible! What are you?” the creature asked, landing on the wet floor, the wings on its back flapping against the powerful wind. “You should have been burned to death.”
“Perhaps, foul creature, but I am under no obligation to tell you,” I roared, sprinting forward, my left arm curled back. “This is where you shall perish.”
Pulling back, the creature roared another blaze of intense fire, but I plodded through it, shoving my left hand into its mouth. I grabbed the bottom part of the beak, and thrashed the beast into the ground, as my flesh was starting to retur
n to my scarred up body. Perks of being immortal!
“Now, what shall you punishment be?” I asked it, stepping on its left leg, and breaking its thigh bones. “How do you want to perish? By my hands, or in this blizzard?”
“Mercy,” it pleaded, trying to stand up. “I was only following orders.”
“Mercy is for the weak,” I replied, crashing its other foot with my leg. “And you, my friend, are not weak. How many others were there before me? How many others did you take before you came for us?”
“Only ninety,” it replied, using its arms to try to escape. “Please, have mercy.”
“Like I told you before, mercy is for the weak,” I roared, jumping into the air, my left knee angled, and dealing a lethal blow to the spine.
The creature shrieked, its tongue sticking out, before it went numb and silent. Grabbing the unconscious creature, I raised it above my head, and threw it as hard as I could against the door. Blood splattered everywhere, as its body crashed through the wooden door, landing in the corridor.
“I suggest we move,” I patted the boy, who looked more scared of me than of the creature.
“Are you human?” he asked, shivering, his arms wrapped around his chest.
“I don’t know anymore,” I added, an unsettling thought in my mind, as I turned around, walking towards the corridor. “Perhaps, one day, I will tell you of how I came to be.”
The boy marched through broken door, following behind me, as a familiar voice was shouting, coming from the first floor. I heard footsteps, and what sounded like two people arguing before Baron Smith and his butler appeared before us. He bore an angry look on his face—he had changed into his silver, silk pajamas, a yellow sleeping cap on his head, and his golden cane in his right hand. Stopping in front of us, breathing hard, he looked at the boy before turning his gaze towards me.
“Do you have any idea what you have done?” he screamed at me, his face inches from my face, as his eyes turned bloody red. “He will come for all of us now. You have killed his minion and he never forgives.”
Grabbing his shoulder, I pulled him towards me, giving him two mean slaps to both cheeks: “Who is this person you are talking about? If you don’t answer me, I will do worse things to you.”
“Unhand him, you piece of scum,” the butler hissed, pulling off his white gloves, to reveal his hairy, clawed hands. “Do it this instance, or I shall have your head.”
“Goodness, butler, do you cook with those hands? How many germs and bacteria do those things you call hands carry?” I asked, in a joking manner, whilst keeping a good grip on Baron Smith’s collar. “It’s a good thing I ate before I came to this manor.”
“You hit my master, insulted my integrity as a fine, Scotchmen butler, and for that, I will have your head,” he hissed, removing his black jacket and placing it gently onto the table stand, next to the stairs leading to the third floor. “I shall show you no mercy, stranger—prepare for battle.”
He walked up to a 14th century knight’s armor, which I had not noticed until now, and drew the sword that was sheathed from its scabbard. He swung it in the air, revealing his fine swordsmanship, as he turned around to face me.
“This should be fun,” I mumbled, throwing the blue skinned Baron onto the ground, and took a few steps forward.
Skeptical of my true strength, the butler kept his distance, his sword extended in front of him, as he watched me with unblinking eyes. There was something about him that was not natural, something I had sensed the moment I met him. Even when he was standing at a fighting posture, he barely moved a muscle, like he was some sort of android. The Baron and the child moved back, letting us face off against each other without any further disturbances.
“Here I come,” I yelled with confidence, a foolish trait that I developed after I became immortal.
Raising my leg up, I threw a powerful right kick, aiming for his chest, but at the last second, he deflected it with the hilt of the blade. He swerved down, his eyes cold and deadly, and dealt me a fine blow to the thigh with his sword. I would have lost my fine leg, had I not relaxed the leg upon feeling the sharp steel pressed against my flesh. I moved back, blood oozing out of my leg, the confidence inside me gone. This was no ordinary house butler—he had excellent fighting instincts; and he was doing all of that without shifting into his chimera form. Silly shenanigans were not going to work against such a foe, meaning I had to become a little serious against him. I reckon, twenty percent of my true physical power would suffice.
Once the blood had stopped falling to floor, I bent my knees, inhaling a large dose of cold air. The butler shifted his stance, raising the sword above his chest, the pointy end of weapon facing the ceiling. As long as he had the weapon, I knew, it would be hard to fight him with my bare hands. And as he kept his gaze at me, I noticed that the position in his feet had changed, a maddening feeling was pouring out of him. He threw a hidden kitchen knife at me first, before dashing as quickly as possible behind it, his sword facing the ground. He intended to strike and finish me off as I dodged the knife, a smart move on his part. But I intentionally let the knife hit me in the chest, my eyes adjusting to his speed, and I pulled out the kitchen knife, using it to parry off his perfect attack. His eyes widened, a surprise look forming on his once stiff face, the strength and speed in his attack nullified.
“You should have stayed in the kitchen,” I grinned, spraying some of my blood onto his face. “Because you are mine now!”
With elegance, he maneuvered back, deflecting all of my rampage attacks without even looking at me, my blood still stuck on his face. He pulled out the finest, white handkerchief from his left pocket, unveiled it with ease, and wiped his face. Our blades clashed, our strengths evenly matched —he was doing that without even looking at me.
“I commend you for your strength, butler, I can see why you were chosen.”
“Appraisal from one who is not my master, or of noble birth, is hardly worth noticing.”
“You are such an uptight stuck-up, aren’t you?”
“Your childish mockery does not work on me, stranger.”
Pressing more weight, the length of his sword playing to his advantage, he pushed me back against the wall. I landed against the silver armor, causing it to fall to the floor, creating a ruckus of clanking pieces of metal, armor pieces everywhere. I coughed out a bit, my hands growing rather numb, the winds and snow blowing through the opening in the corridor. The skilled butler took advantage of the opportunity, plunging his sword into my chest, as he withdrew his left arm into his a hidden pocket beneath his suit, pulling out a secret device. He turned his gaze towards me, an evil smile on his face, as the device in his hands began spinning. It looked like a golden cube; it had several tiny holes on the sides, from which air was blowing out of.
“Master, please, I suggest we leave this area at once before the device blows up,” he said, his voice calm and steady, gazing at Baron Smith. “I believe this will be the last time we see our guest alive.”
“Good heavens,” Baron Smith exclaimed, picking up his cane, as his sleeping cap slipped off his head, landing on top of a few flakes of snow. “This house is priceless, Ronald, so please try to be careful.”
“Very well, master,” he bowed his head, turning his eyes towards me, as he took three steps towards me, and dropped the cube: “Goodbye, stranger.”
Upon seeing the bizarre object fall to my lap, my shoulder pinned against the wall by the blade, I moved my leg outwards, wrapping them around the butler. He exhaled quickly, attempting to pry my legs from his, but it was too late for the both of us. The device exploded in a powerful bang, the floor and the wall quaking from the surge of energy it released. My whole body felt hot, and I barely saw anything but a white light, before it all went quiet.
The wind raged through the openings, the floor on the second floor slightly depressed. I coughed up black blood, my whole body completely charcoal, the burns on my body oozing with liquid. Standing up was so painful??
?despite my amazing ability to heal, the pain was intolerable.
“Cannot compute,” a robotic voice spoke, loud thuds from something heavy echoing through the ashy floor. “What are you?”
“So this is what you are, eh, butler?” I smiled, surprised by my own stupidity for not recognizing this sooner. “It explains a lot.”
In front of me, next to several fragments of metallic armor, the butler stood, and in his metallic hands, his sword. He was neither human nor chimera; he was actually an artificial human, created through some sick and twisted work of science. The skin on his face had peeled off, revealing a metallic nose, silver coating above his fake teeth, smooth, silver cheeks, and a pair of bright, blue eyes. But how was this possible? I wouldn’t have noticed his true identity, if I hadn’t trapped him in the explosion with me. Standing up, most of my skin healed, my ribs still popping, I raised my hands up, taking a defensive stance. It had been certainly a mistake to underestimate this butler robot, indeed. He trudged towards me, the cold weather not affecting him, holstering the sword above his head, his jaw opening up wide. Several gears were moving inside his mouth, the length between his upper and lower jaw widening beyond any physical limit; he was up to something. But before he could proceed with his plan, something rattled through the house, the noise coming from the third floor. The robot butler, with smoke oozing from his ragged clothes, turned around, dropping the sword, and made a hasty retreat.
“Must protect my master,” he kept muttering, as he climbed up the wooden stairs, his attention drawn away from me.
“This is getting too weird,” I sighed, my curiosity taking control, running after him.
The mansion was hit again from below, the noise of shattering walls, windows and doors: too hard to ignore. Something was causing this, and it was something that might have been caused by my interference. Surges of snowy winds blew through the house, causing the small fire in the oil lambs to die out, and the warm temperature in the house to plummet down significantly. I saw what looked like small children, dressed in similar sleeping gowns, descend with haste from the third floor, a set of unfamiliar adults guiding them from behind. And judging from the look of terror of their faces, it was safe to conclude that they were running away from something.
“This way, children, come now,” the man, with wavy black hair and large glasses, hollered, his hands gesturing the children to the first floor. “Sir, please turn around and come with us; I fear the mansion is no longer safe for any of us.”
“Where is the Baron?” I asked, looking him in the eye, my heart rate slow and steady. “I wish to have words with him.”
“Oh, dear,” he gasped, his eyes avoiding mine, “I fear that our good host has been taken hostage by the monsters that have begun to plunder his house. I saw it happen, with my own two eyes, but fear stopped me from giving the noble man my assistance.”
“And what of the butler, Ronald, does he still live?”
“Yes, he does; however, when he arrived, it was too late. He was not his usual self—I mean, his appearance, so he went after the monster that took him.”
I heard a strange growl, the powerful noise making the children scream, as I saw the shadow of a creature on the wall. It prowled through the burning floor, its claws tearing though the hand rails, overlooking the third floor.
“I suggest you run,” I yelled, shoving the man towards the second floor, my eyes fixated on the incoming danger. “Go, now, and don’t look back.”
To my left, beneath the table, I saw a sharp chunk of the metal debris, and picked it up, raising it above my chest like a weapon. I had not yet recovered from the explosion, so I was in a tight jam. The monster’s eyes came into my view, the long, sharp claws oozing with fresh blood, and its white teeth clenched shut. Moving back a little, I saw the monster jump down, landing on the stairs, in a loud roar. The unstable floor shook with each step the creature took, a few cracks starting to emerge on the set of steps in front of me. To my own horror, another monster jumped down from the third floor, covered from head to toe in blood; this one was even more horrifying to look at than the one I had knocked out in the boy’s quarters. It had two long fangs, large, snail like eyes, two tentacles behind its back, and metallic chest armor, too. In fact, all the monsters had them, and the most interesting part in all of this was that they all had the same symbol on it. It was a symbol of house, or something strikingly close to a house, with a moon on the back. And I knew that symbol from somewhere.
“Get him,” the tentacle beast roared to its partner, snapping its jaw shut in a ferocious way.
The second beast, a combination of canine related animals, sprung into action, leaping at me from the air. I swerved back, barely avoiding a swipe from its claws by the threads on my coat, my weapon angled above me. The canine creature cornered me into the wall, a smile on its face, and rammed me against it. It did this two more times, before moving back, its claws below its waist, to see if I was still alive.
“This is nothing—I have taken a lot more painful blows than this, you ferocious monster,” I yelled, spitting my blood at it. “Come on, give me your best shot.”
“With pleasure,” it replied, biting my left arm with its powerful teeth. “I will rip you to shreds.”
“Idiot, you fell for it,” I added, plunging the metallic object into the creature’s head as deep as I could with my right hand.
Pivoting back, I grabbed the furred beast with both of my hands, twisted its head, and slammed it into the wall four times. What was this feeling? The feeling of pure euphoria, the feeling as if I could do anything I want. I tilted my head back, looking at the remaining monster with a face filled with excitement. My hands were not bloody enough; I needed to feel more blood. No, no, control yourself, I thought. Killing these mutilated creatures was not the reason why I had come to this desolate town; I had to acquire a ship and leave, as soon as possible.
“If you leave now, I will spare you,” I yelled to it, my right hand pressed against my forehead, as I fought my insatiable urges for mayhem. “Do it, now!”
“Never,” it roared, throwing its tentacles at me, a look of rage on its unsightly face. “You will die, right now.”
I curled my arm above my head, cutting one of the tentacles, on the tip, before jumping out of the way. I shivered from the cold, my whole body trembling, as I sprung forward, attempting to create some more distance between the creature and myself.
Screams, from the children below, forced me to change my direction, my attention drawn on the creature blocking their path. I jumped above the rail; my head angled down like a bullet, and plunged the scrape of metal into its head, as my legs wrapped around its shoulders. Blood oozed everywhere, the sheer delight of seeing more blood on my hands giving me amazing joy.
“I need more, I need more,” I drooled, standing over the fallen creature, my hands raised up. “I need more challengers, send me more.”
“Are you mad, boy?” a lady, dressed in black clothing, asked, her face blue with terror. “What have you done? If you kill them, he will keep sending more.”
“Good, good, then I will keep slaughtering them all,” I laughed, grabbing one of the broken table legs, raising it up above me, before slashing it to the side. “I believe its time I met this mad man. If he were to present himself to me, I could end this madness once and for all.”
“Be careful of what you ask for,” the boy, who I had met in his room, whispered, poking his head out to look up at me.
“So, we meet again, young one,” I nodded, wiping blood from my face, as I felt nothing but numbness in all of my fingers.
Suddenly, the last monster, that I presumed was standing on the stairs, crashed down onto the first floor, its tentacles flying wildly in the air. It grabbed the man leading the children, by his waist, and slammed him into ceiling, breaking most of his bones, before slamming him into the ground. The children screamed, panicking, as they stood behind me, frightened by the sight of the creature.
“
Lady, lead them to safety; take the front door, it should be safe for you all,” I commanded, pointing towards the door I had used to first enter the manor, my eyes locked upon the beast.
“What about Thomas, we can’t just leave him,” she argued, moving towards me, her eyes upon the bloody man, dangling from the creature’s tentacle. “He is still alive, so please save him.”
“Listen, lady, I don’t care for whatever feelings you harbor for this man, and if you want live, I suggest you pick your feet and leave immediately.”
“No, we are to be married this coming summer,” she pleaded, traipsing closer to the foul beast, every shroud of common sense eluding her.
“You stupid fool,” I yelled, pulling her back, before the other tentacle reached out for her too. “The next time you do something as foolish as that, I will allow the creature to have its way with you.”
“But I love him,” she cried, tears on her face, her hand reaching out for him. “I can’t go without him—I won’t leave without Thomas.”
“Woman, you stupidity amazes me, but fine,” I sighed, walking towards the creature, my first bold mistake in a while. “I will help your fiancé for you.”