The trio stopped at the woodland edge.
Ahead of them was a clearing that curved around the trees Aura grew up in. A pretty field of dandelion, but beyond that, roots expelled from the ground and twisted bark reached higher towards the skies with bony fingers.
They were so far from the compound now that the smoke in the skies was merely a dot in the distance. Despite feeling as though she had abandoned hundreds of people in desperate need, she couldn't bring herself to care as much as she knew she should. Not when she was going to enter the belly of another monster for one reason.
She glanced at Hayden beside her, wondering if he felt as though he had abandoned his people for the sake of staying with her and only saw awe in his eyes.
"The rainforest." Hayden mused, gaze glassing wistfully at the sight. He had shifted and changed back into his training bottoms, leaving his chest bare, skin glinting with sweat and muscle.
Aura looked back toward the brown of the bark. It was warmer toned than its woodland counterpart, sturdier and ominously inviting. Shrubs littered the forest floor, opaque mist wafted between the understory and canopy layers. After that it was dark. You couldn't see anything through the trees, especially not at this time of night. You couldn't see to the leaves that must crown the emergent zone without flying your way up there. It seemed like it went on forever, spilling its foreboding essence onto the field.
Auras stomach pooled with unease.
"I've never been this far from the compound before." She admitted to no one in particular. Immediately she was confronted with the fact that there was a lot more to this world than the simple forest of rabbits and deer.
"No ones been this far in years." Tanya grimaced, her pale naked form, free of flame but glittering with embers as she settled on the ground beside them. "The rainforest is too dangerous."
When Aura sent her a questioning gaze, Tanya continued. "In this world of shapeshifters, there isn't just humanoids that can transform into a single animal. There are spirit shifters that take any form of their choosing. They're deceptively wicked and have the cunning to match a couple of really nasty bastards."
Aura vaguely remembered something about this from Markus' tutoring growing up.
"There are the bishi." Hayden continued, jogging Auras memory. "They normally take small forms and are usually harmless. They'll only irritate you. The lorkai is what you have to look out for."
"I remember." She breathed.
The lorkai were known for luring victims to their death. They could take any form of their own choosing and often used it to their advantage.
"Those cannibalistic fuckers better not come anywhere near me." Tanya grumbled, "I'll burn them all alive."
"We should stop here." Hayden announced, glancing at Skye. "We need to rest, we won't do much good against demons on low energy."
The powerful beast rumbled beneath Aura in protest, as though to say she had the energy to keep on. But one glance at Tanya and you could see exhaustion setting in her bones.
And despite the argument building in her throat Aura knew he was right. So when she slid off of Skye's back it was in acquiescence.
They decided to sleep in the woodland edge, keeping their distance from the rainforest until it was time to confront it. Tanya settled by a thick tree, curling against its root, covered in her training clothes. Hayden shifted into wolf form, body of snow white sleeping by another tree between them.
YOU ARE READING
Don't Let Them Catch You
Paranormal"When the stars retreat, and the moon bleeds blue. When love bows to a pure soul, free of vengeance, and hatred and sorrow," his words were ushered, as if he were telling her a secret, "Is when I'll be with you." At the time, Aura didn't understand...
