Vitrian Secrets by Dele Andersen (book club reads txt) 📕

“The arrowheads have been dipped into something that knocks us out on impact,” the young man continued.

“I thought I noticed something like that when I saw the arrow,” Bathe said.

“I saw them,” a woman added. “They're coming down the mountaintop using ropes.”

“How many? We should shoot back at them.” Becky spoke before Bathe could.

“Ten or more,” the first man answered. “I agree we should fire back at them.”

“No, they are Vitrians, remember?” Bathe said.

Wanda couldn’t believe he didn’t want to retaliate. She wasn’t the only one staring at him in disbelief. The thought of what Bathe was hiding or up to filled her mind.

“They aren’t trying to kill us; their arrows were meant to knock us out,” Bathe said. “We didn't prepare for that. If we fire our arrows at them, we will kill our brothers and sisters. You don't want that type of blood on your hands. It's a curse to kill another Vitrian.”

“I still don't agree with not shooting back,” the lady who spotted them on the mountaintop said.

“We can take ten or twelve of them easily,” one of the adults added.

“That's if we don't have any demons to fight also,” Becky said.

“With demons, we will be outnumbered,” Petter said.

“Okay,” Bathe said. “We need a safer place to fight from—a place where we can get Wanda away from the open. We don't want any demons attacking in the open.”

As if Bathe's words had summoned a demon, a massive sound like a plane colliding with the tall trees came from above them. A considerable part of a tree trunk with the branches and leaves fell; it crashed to the ground. Something powerful was breaking apart the trees. Within a second, the two big trees in front of them moved and shook vigorously as leaves fell from them.

Everyone staggered backward. They turned toward the top of the trees, taking up fighting positions. Most of them had their Praying Méndez in one hand and a Necatus in the other. Others pulled an elongating knife out of their jackets. For the first time, Wanda noticed they all wore jackets with elastic hooks and straps inside to hang their fighting tools. Others had the hooks attached to their beltline, with several Necatus and shrunken knives hanging from them.

A large creature dropped from above. The impact on the ground was colossal. Wanda and a few other Vitrians shuddered.

“Bathe!” Wanda called in horror. She knew their worst nightmare stood in front of them. The grayish-white creature rose from its squatting position in slow motion and roared with all its strength. The veins and muscles in the creature's face stood out, and the sound echoed across the mountaintop. It leveled its head and looked at the Vitrians. Its gaze settled on Wanda.

“What is that?” Becky asked, her voice frightened.

The Vitrians pulled back, dragging their feet on dry leaves.

“The demon I challenged two days ago,” Bathe breathed, and his response shattered all hope.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Chapter 12

Bathe’s words made them hysterical. The entire Vitrian community had heard of his unfortunate encounter with the bizarre creature in front of them.

Wanda looked into the beast’s eyes, and for an instant, she thought about what Becky had said to her at training: “People will be injured or might die today.” Maybe it only came to get her. After all, the creature tried to get her days ago, but Bathe and her mum blocked the beast.

“Bathe,” Wanda said beside him. “I don't want anyone to get hurt. I think it only wants me.”

“It would kill you with a single blow,” Bathe said. “We are not here to do a trial with a beast. We are here to find the rebels.”

Bathe's tone didn't waver; neither did he look back at Wanda. Wanda could see Bathe was determined to see her safely through the journey. He looked at Petter and handed him the keys to the car. “Take Wanda somewhere safe.”

The creature twitched its nose, like a rat perceiving an odor in the air. It raised its head, and its gaze shifted from Wanda and the Vitrians to the trees behind them.

Wanda felt movement behind her, and then a horrible, nauseating smell followed. The strong rotten egg smell caught everyone's attention.

Wanda turned, knowing the smell could mean nothing else amid the woods with only trees around. In the split of a microsecond, she felt her heart stop beating. She felt like gagging at what she saw.

The demon stood in a shaded copse of trees about thirty feet away; its body shape was so warped in places that Wanda couldn't believe it possible. Its head was lower than the head position of any other animal, making the shoulders of the seven-foot creature look higher than they should be. Its ears were big and pointed like a bat's. The black eyes landed on Wanda like it had found its food for the evening.

“Bathe,” Wanda said.

“Not now, Wanda,” Bathe said, concentrating on the creature in front of him.

“Bathe, you need to see this.” She raised her voice, almost shouting, and at the same time, the creature opened its mouth. Razor-like teeth and fangs on both sides of the mouth ran from top to bottom jaws. The fangs were each as big and as long as the forefinger of a grown adult. Between the fangs were other smaller, razor-like teeth. Its upper body was like that of a bat, but its two legs were like sturdy horse legs. Where the hoofs were supposed to be were three sharp talons, stretching up from the legs and curving back to the ground.

“The Night Furfur.” Petter said its name slowly. He stood to the side, watching both the Night Furfur and the first creature from the corner of his eyes.

“We are outnumbered,” Becky said in a frightened tone. Another demon appeared not too far off from the Night Furfur.

“Selene—Greek demon of the moon,” someone muttered as they watched the other demon beside the night Furfur come into view. “How on earth are rebels summoning such things from the Abyss?”

Wanda felt as if she’d been thrown into a pool of worms when the creepy demon called Selene walked into view. She pressed herself into Petter behind her. The beast had two big hands fitted into a body that was crawling on tiny legs; it was like a human-size centipede. Its head was the combination of two animals Wanda couldn't fathom, but its eyes were reptile-like. The tiny legs and the way it crawled grossed her out.

“Get your arrows ready!” Bathe shouted.

The Night Furfur launched at the same time Bathe spoke. It took a step, and wide wings appeared, matching the size of the demon.

The moment the Night Furfur moved, the creature from the trees broke into a run, quickly closing the distance between it and the Vitrians.

“Don't wait for me, release the arrows,” Bathe shouted as they were attacked from both sides.

Like watching a movie, Wanda saw the creature that had attacked her and Bathe on their way to the fortress get to them first. It roared as four different arrows struck its body.

Wanda turned to see it in front of Bathe and two other Vitrians, who had brought out long, heavy-looking knives and machetes. Before they could strike it, the creature leaped over everyone and landed on the side where Wanda stood. Wanda turned to see the Night Furfur was already upon her. It opened its mouth wide for the kill toward Wanda's head.

The creature sent a heavy blow to the mouth of the Night Furfur that sent the disfigured demon flying backward. It crashed into a tree and fought to get up as its taloned, horse-like legs wobbled.

While the Night Furfur struggled, Selene, the other demon, climbed on the grayish-white thing. Selene swung its two large human-like hands on the grayish-white creature and sliced its talons through it, but the creature didn't move or cry out.

Bathe pulled Wanda backward as the other Vitrians staggered away, observing the unprecedented fight between the supernatural creatures.

“What’s going on?” Petter asked Bathe.

“That's impossible,” one of the adults said as everyone stared in amazement.

“What is it?” Wanda asked, seeing the shock in their eyes.

“They are not supposed to fight each other,” Bathe said. “A house divided against its own cannot stand.”

“How can this be?” Becky blurted, waking from the trance she had gone into at the sight of the grayish-white creature fighting Selene and the Night Furfur.

“I don't know, but it gives us the opportunity to get out of here.” Bathe's words were rushed.

“We don't have enough cars for everyone,” Petter said, his words also quick.

“Damn the rebels,” one of the Vitrians cursed.

“They planned it well,” Becky said. “Got rid of our cars and then let the demons loose.”

Like a flash in the sky, the Night Furfur landed on top of the jeep Wanda rode in. The weight of the demon pressed the roof inward. The demon gave an ear-shattering cry as its bat-like mouth stretched open. It focused on Wanda and the Vitrians while the grayish-white creature and Selene fought on. The Vitrians released their arrows, and they penetrated the Night Furfur easily but didn't stop it. It wobbled on the jeep, then spread its wings and jumped off. More arrows launched as it leaped. Wanda flinched, knowing the arrows might not be enough to stop the big demon from launching at her and tearing into anyone in its path apart.

Before she could cover her eyes, she noticed the Night Furfur's wings wobble in the air. It stumbled as it flew over Wanda and the Vitrians, who all bent at the same time to avoid it. It crashed on the far side with a heavy item on its back: the grayish-white creature. It had jumped and collided with it in midair.

The creature pinned the Night Furfur down, pulled, and tore off one of the wings. Fresh red blood spilled from the deep wound. The Night Furfur cried in agony, and then the gray creature sent a blow directly to the demon's head. Wanda, Becky, and a few other Vitrians shuddered at the powerful strike. The blow crushed the skull of the Furfur and ended its misery. The Furfur disintegrated in a wink.

Everyone stepped back as the gray creature stretched and adjusted its body, wriggling it to get rid of the pain from the talons that had cut through its flesh at several points. Wanda looked back to see that the other demon, Selene, was dead too; it disintegrated just as she turned to see it, and they were left with the grayish-white thing.

This creature wanted her and wasn't willing to share.

Bathe mumbled something about the wounds of the creature, like he had seen a weak point in the beast. Deep red blood spilled from the creature’s arm where one of the other demons had bitten it and from the chest where the Night Furfur’s talon had poked it. No demon ichor wept from the wound. Its face was wet from the battle, and though its deep red eyes revealed it was vexed, the fight hadn’t seemed to stress it physically.

“Petter, Becky, get Wanda away from here,” Bathe said urgently as he and the other Vitrians stood at attention, waiting for what the creature was going to do next.

“Noooo,” the creature shouted immediately when Bathe spoke.

Wanda