Vengeance Upturned

Vengeance Upturned - Chapter 14

“There!” Figren said as she pointed toward east while they stood on the flattened part of the roof surrounded by a low wooden railing; an improvised watchtower.

Two crawlers reached the first tents, a cloud-like fog slithering behind them. Reaching the makeshift village, it swallowed the canvas houses one by one, and the torches, obscuring all visibility. The sound of thumping paws and growls spoke of creatures hiding within the white cloud.

“What is that?” Emerald said.

Etta shook her head. “I’ve seen it before. When I was traveling, we stopped to spend a night in a merchant’s roadside barn.” Noah… Oh poor, sweet Noah… Etta shook the name and the person from her thoughts. Now was not the time to ponder. “When they woke me up, the fog was already surrounding the barn,” Etta’s voice lowered to a whisper, adding to the already building tension as everyone kept an eye on the approaching monsters, only Adric watching Etta, always giving his full attention to the person speaking.

“New abominations hide within… Some sort of a twisted creature, neither human nor wolf… no, not quite wolf, but close enough. And neither could I guess it alive… or dead brought back. Vicious creatures. I guess more crawlers hide with them in the fog this time, by the sound of things.”

“This doesn’t bode well. Tell us more?”

“They’re sensitive to sound.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, they—”

A piercing scream rent the air and the fog veered of its path, it and the monsters heading for the mill.

“Adric, go check what’s going on,” Emerald whispered urgently, the realization of what Etta meant sinking in.

Adric nodded, and as he slid down the ladder, Etta said, “I need to be down there.” Her eyes followed the oncoming white cloud, and the irony was not lost to her, the white bringing danger. It seemed that no matter what, dark or light, black or white, it all meant danger lately.

“Are you crazy? You’re safer here. We all are,” Emerald said.

“No.” Etta shook her head and shifted her gaze to Emerald. “Those creatures are attracted to sound. You can’t keep all those people quiet… I mean, yes, maybe the people could be quiet, and the children would be a challenge, but the animals? We’re all trapped here. Those monsters are strong. If they all start pounding on those doors… I promised I’d help you kill them, and that’s exactly what I need to do… what I want to do.”

“You really are crazy.”

“I promised to help. And if you don’t give me a weapon and let me get down there, you’re making me break my promise. You’ve got nothing to lose. I’m no one to you. But I can sure help you out a lot. Give me a bow… a sword…. Something!” Etta took a step forward and got into Emerald’s face, her hands fisted at her sides, desperation and Navinya’s prophecy urging her words and actions.

Emerald exhaled. “The moment we struck the deal, you became a part of our family. So there’s much to lose. But I can give you a bow… Figren is great with one as well. Try and take down as many as you can. I trust you two are up to the task.”

Emerald nodded to another man standing guard on the tower and he handed Etta his shortbow and a quiver full of arrows. She turned to Etta and Figren. “Take those two down; let’s see if anything else comes out.”

Etta slung the quiver over her shoulder and pulled out an arrow. She weighted the shortbow in her hand, so tiny compared to the one her father had gifted her, but how different could it be?