Chapter 36: Den Of Monsters

Alicarde made his way to the docks, the air thick with the salty scent of the sea and the distant hum of machinery.

Shadows crept behind him, stretching long and ominous as the night deepened, his familiar's glowing violet eyes visible within the inky darkness that clung to his form.

The steady rhythm of waves crashing against the docked ships was a constant backdrop, in the salty night.

His steps were slow, deliberate. His eyes, dark and gloomy, scanned the area with a sharpness that belied his outward calm.

Every muscle in his body tensed, his hand instinctively reaching for the familiar weight of his sword as he closed the distance.

"Anne will be fine... she has to be," he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. His voice was quiet, swallowed by the sea breeze as the tension hung in the humid air.

The scene ahead was dimly illuminated by a faint vehicle light in the distance, casting long shadows over the landscape.

The area was otherwise shrouded in darkness, thick and oppressive. As he drew nearer, the low murmur of human voices reached his ears. He slipped into the darkness, becoming one with the surrounding crates and debris, moving with the grace of a stealthy Nightshade.

A large truck was in the middle of the dock, its trailer standing open and empty. Mafia thugs were dragging terrified people out of view, herding them like cattle toward an abandoned building nearby.

Alicarde's gaze swept over the scene, noting the dark shapes flitting between the humans and the guttural growls coming from the unseen creatures that lurked in the shadows. His heart sank as the realization hit him, the thing that took Anne wasn't alone.

He watched in silence as the last of the victims were shoved inside, the mafia grunts slamming the door shut behind them.

Alicarde clenched his teeth in disgust, his mind reeling from the sight of humans feeding other humans to monsters. But he couldn't act rashly. Anne came first.

'Hmm... seems like the city's underbelly is neck-deep in this mess,' he mused, recalling Malefica's warnings and the persistent rumors that had circulated throughout the city.

'They must've been behind all the other kidnappings.'

He crouched behind a stack of crates, observing the mafia men as they huddled together, talking in low voices, their fear palpable.

"Do you think the boss knows what he's doing?" one of the men whispered, glancing nervously at the surrounding shadows.

"He better," another replied, his voice trembling. "These things give me the creeps. But the boss says these deals keep our pockets full."

"Shut up," a third man hissed. "You wanna end up like those poor bastards inside?"

"Yeah, my bad," the first man muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

Another man, standing apart from the group, lit a cigarette, the glow of the flame briefly illuminating his scarred face.

"I don't know about you sons of bitches, but I think this is easy money. All we gotta do is grab some people off the streets. Kidnapping those pregnant women was even easier. Heh, just punch 'em in the gut, and they go quiet real fast."

"Geez, man, you're a piece of work, you prick" the first thug grumbled in disgust.

"Well, they don't call him the Mad Dog for nothing," the second man chuckled. "We'll just call him a rich prick when this job's done."

"Yeah, and maybe next time, we'll grab a couple of rich girls. We play with them a bit then feed them to monster" another thug chimed in, laughing darkly.

Alicarde's stomach churned. These men were trash, reveling in their cruelty. His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, the urge to slaughter them all nearly overwhelming him. But he couldn't. Not yet. Saving Anne came first.

He slinked around the side of the building, searching for a less guarded entrance. Moving like a shade, he avoided the mafia guards and the prowling creatures until he found a narrow passage leading into the building.

The closer he got, the louder the sounds of screaming and inhuman growls became. His skin crawled with unease. He couldn't allow himself to imagine the worst. Anne had to be okay. She had to be.

Inside, the scene was far worse than he had expected. The floor was slick with blood, and dismembered bodies lay strewn across the room, intestines and organs piled in grotesque heaps. The walls were smeared with dark, congealed blood, and the nauseating stench of rot filled the air.

Alicarde fought the urge to vomit, forcing himself to breathe through his mouth.

Every step he took crunched underfoot as he accidentally stepped on human bones, skulls cracked open and flesh half-chewed. His heart pounded in his chest, a combination of fear and rage, as he pressed forward, determined to find Anne.

A faint noise from one of the rooms ahead caught his attention. He froze, sword drawn, every muscle ready for combat.

The building was vast, and from the sounds of it, the creatures were scattered throughout. He moved slowly, making his way toward the source of the noise. It was coming from behind a closed door.

Sword ready, he pushed the door open slowly, his violet eyes glowing in the dark as he prepared to strike. He moved toward the sound behind the desk. But instead of a monster, he found a little girl crouching behind a desk, clutching a small figurine of a superhero.

Alicarde blinked, his stance loosening as he took in the sight. The girl couldn't have been more than ten or eleven, dressed in a dusty pink shirt and blue skirt, her face streaked with soot and tears.

She trembled, her tiny form shrinking into the corner of the desk as if she could make herself invisible.

"Hey, little girl... what's up? How did you end up here?" Alicarde asked softly, trying to put on the gentlest expression he could muster, though it was difficult, given the circumstances.

The girl remained silent, her tear-filled eyes wide with fear. She clutched her figurine tighter, clearly not trusting him—perhaps with good reason. Alicarde sighed, understanding her hesitation.

His gaze drifted to the figurine she held. "Is that Storm Man? And it's a limited edition, too. I love Storm Man. He's the strongest superhero out there."

The girl's eyes flickered between her figurine and Alicarde, still wary but a little less scared.

"Don't worry. I'm not one of the bad guys. I'm here to help," Alicarde assured her, his voice soft.

Her eyes brimmed with tears again, but this time, they were accompanied by a flicker of hope.

"Really? You're here to rescue me and my mommy and everyone else?"

Alicarde's heart clenched at her words. 'Her mother... she was brought here too?' he thought, but kept silent about it.

"Yes, I'm here to help. The bad guys took my friend, too," he said with a faint smile.

"Then you'll save my mommy?" she asked, her voice trembling with desperation.

"I'll do everything I can," Alicarde promised.

"Promise?" The word came out as a shaky whisper.

"Promise," he nodded.

"What's your name kid" Alicarde asked softly

The girl sniffled, wiping her tears. "My name's Lily. Lily Walker."

"Nice to meet you, Lily. I'm Alicarde, but you can call me Ali if you want," he said with a gentle smile.

"Okay Mister hero" the girl whispered.

Errgh... I'm not a hero just Ali would be fine" Alicarde reiterated.

"You're like a superhero... You came to save me," she said with wide, innocent eyes.

Alicarde chuckled softly. "I'm no superhero, but I'll do my best."

He gently asked, "Can you tell me what happened here?"

Lily took a deep breath, her voice barely above a whisper as she recounted the horrors.

"Bad men took us. They brought us here, and then the monsters came. They took my mommy... I hid, but I could hear her screaming."

Alicarde's chest tightened. "I'll find your mommy, but I need you to stay here and be very quiet, okay?"

Lily's eyes widened, and she shook her head fiercely. "Please don't leave me! It's scary here, please..." she begged, tears streaming down her cheeks again.

Alicarde hesitated, torn between the need to protect her and the danger of bringing her along. But leaving her here alone wasn't an option. He sighed and crouched down, meeting her at eye level.

"Okay, listen. If you come with me, you need to be very quiet. This place is filled with monsters, and I'll be fighting them, so you can't make a sound. Do you understand?" Alicarde whispered urgently.

Lily nodded, her fear less visible than before.

"Promise?" Alicarde extended his pinky finger toward her.

"Pinky promise," she whispered back, linking her small finger with his.

"you got to remember a pinky Promise is sacred, so don't make a peep, okay" Alicarde whispered still unsure if he should bring her along.

Alicarde  gave her a slight nod and picked her up, settling her on his back. She clung to him tightly, wrapping her arms around his neck but keeping silent, just as he had asked.

With renewed resolve, Alicarde rose to his feet and moved toward the door. He had to save Anne, Lily's mother, and anyone else he could. As he crept through the hallways, the sound of feasting grew louder. Rounding a corner, he spotted one of the creatures hunched over a body, tearing into its flesh.

Alicarde's grip tightened on his sword. He dashed forward in a blur, slicing through the creature's neck with a single swing. Its decapitated head fell on the floor, leaving a fountain of its lifeblood spraying out.

Lily was silent, only holding on to him harder. The slaughter had begun. He would kill them all and save Anne.