Flight Into Darkness
Blue light flickered like lightning at the door as the blade sang through the tentacled masses. First one fell into a flattened tangled mass as the lunging hulk of the second one realized too late its target had darted to the side…and there was now another pile of severed writhing tentacles.
Kymeth and her brood moved rapidly out of the hall as Rwbadd stopped the advance of the other monstrosities through the room. His sword again flashed first here then there…and then there was silence in the house. Outside, however, the shrieks and howls of kinsmen were filling the air as similar scenes played out through the village.
“Da, why are these things still moving?” Jon asked tremulously.
Indeed, the tentacles were finding their way back together…slowly, but purposefully.
All the women and children grabbed firewood and kindling. Adding coals from the hearth fires resulted in a massive bonfire in the center of the village to which was added buckets of the tentacles. And more buckets.
Each bucket resulted in a hissing, howling sound that terrified the smallest children. Some of the oldest as well. As the flames grew, the pathway to the shore was better illuminated. Shadowy forms moving up the road silently and slowly could now be more clearly seen. Now coming out of the woods below the hill, dozens more.
The families all assembled around the fire. As long as the conch remained in the village, these creatures would keep coming…until they had the prize.
“Kymeth, take your kinswomen and children inland, up into the woods. Find Beli Mawr. Tell him what has befallen us. Go! Live!”
Kymeth and her oldest daughters, Kat and Rae, shepherded some of the elderly women into the woods. The two youngest daughters, Mae and Ama, helped leading the smaller children of the village up the hillside alongside their mother. Jon kicked rocks proclaiming himself a warrior that should stay and fight. Kymeth grabbed his ear and pulled him along.
The crackle and glow of the fire behind them changed quickly to shouts of triumph and screams of pain. A sickening moan continued to wax and wane like waves on the shore. Thunderous blasts vibrated the forest repeatedly as village magical wards detonated. Lightning was being called down out of the clear sky…yet the moaning continued to grow.
As the night drew on, the fleeing band of refugees climbed higher along the hillside and moved ever Eastward. Where was that Beli? Would he know they were coming? Would he look for them?
Kymeth was roused from her thoughts by a low steady growl from the path ahead. Moonlight lit the path well enough but whatever it was, it was dark. And very large. She put her hands out beside her to stop the group and to be still.
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| Mama is NOT happy |
Another low growl. Closer this time… and the very large bear came into view.
It continued to walk slowly up the path, snuffling and snorting from side to side as it made its way forward.
Ama slipped out from behind her mother and stepped up toward the bear. She held out her open hands and asked the bear if it had been resting well or was it particularly tired this evening. “Would you care for anything to eat? We may have a few rolls and maybe some cheese.”
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| He was a scary bear! |
The bear stopped and looked at her for a moment. He moved closer and started sniffing Ama. What sounded like a series of grunts and a growl to Kymeth was heard very clearly by Ama as “You look a bit more tasty than a lump of cheese.”
Ama felt her throat tighten and pulse race. The bear was staring straight at her! Kymeth’s hands tightened on her shillelagh and she started forward.
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| Beli Mawr indeed! |
Oooooooooooo
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