Run

Thomas grabs Fenrir's arm and starts running without saying a word to him. Fenrir sees the horror on his face and realizes that whatever they are running from will kill them if they get caught.

"What about my siblings?" Fenrir says frantically in between his heavy breathing.

"There's more of you?" Thomas asks. He glances back at Fenrir, who seems genuinely concerned about their safety. "Thomas looks ahead again, trying to think of a plan to get them all out of here. "We can save them too."

Thomas stops at the road that leads directly into town. He looks up and sees the wyvern circling overhead. "We're going to have to wait for the perfect time to cross." He says while not taking his eyes off it.

His legs screaming at him to take a longer break, but Thomas ignores his body's cries for help. He knows they need to keep moving when they have an opportunity to do so. Time is something they are running out of.

"Now." Thomas says as he finds the perfect time to cross. He pulls Fenrir's arm, and they quickly cross over to the other side without incident. Thomas glances into the sky as they keep moving. There's no hint that it saw them.

Fenrir takes the lead. Thomas tries to keep up, but his legs want to give out. He keeps pushing through despite the pain. He can taste iron in his mouth as his breathing becomes heavier. He manages to make it to the clearing and collapses onto the ground. His body soaked in sweat, his face landing in a pool of mud.

He takes a few seconds to recover. He manages to pull himself to his feet and looks straight ahead to see two more wolves.

Skoll and Luna take a step back after seeing Thomas. The fur on the back of their neck and back stands up. "It's okay." Fenrir says, calming them down. "He's here to help us."

"I don't trust him." Lucia says as she glares at the stranger. "And neither should you." She tells Fenrir who keeps begging for her to trust his instincts.

Thomas holds his hands up in a non-threatening gesture, crouching down to be at eye level with the younger wolves. Despite his exhaustion, he manages a genuine, friendly smile. "Your brother's right." He says, keeping his voice calm and steady. "I'm not here to hurt you. In fact, I'm trying to protect you. There's danger coming, and we need to get moving."

Fenrir quickly recounts how Thomas saved his life. Luna can see why Fenrir would trust this stranger after what happened. However, she wonders if this man has an anterior motive. "We're not going anywhere until our mother comes back." Luna crosses her arms and gives the man a stern look.

Thomas grits his teeth and looks up at the powder-blue sky to see if the wyvern is closing in on them. He turns his attention back to Luna when the coast is clear. "I'll help you find her, but we need to get out of sight."

Luna explains to Thomas how their mother went to the nearby town. The horror on Thomas's face implicitly tells the wolf pups that she's probably in danger. It might be too late for her. However, Skoll raises his invisible sword and declares war on their enemies. Vowing to take back what was stolen from them. He imagines himself as a knight on a quest to save a princess.

Despite the situation, Thomas can't help but give a small chuckle at Skoll's declaration, appreciating the wolf pup's bravery. He crouches down in front of the young wolf, matching his determined gaze. "I can see that you're brave, Skoll. We'll need that courage," he says, placing a hand on Skoll's small shoulder. "But remember, real knights don't just rush into danger. They plan. They strategize. And they work together."

He looks up to Fenrir and Luna, his eyes somber but resolute. "If your mother went into town, then it's likely she's in danger. We have to retreat for now. That's why we need to move quickly and smartly. And remember, we're all in this together."

His gaze travels from Luna to Skoll, and then to Fenrir. He's asking for their trust, hoping against all odds that they would place it in him. He knows it's a lot to ask, especially considering their current predicament, but he also knows it's their best chance of surviving this.

With one last glance towards the sky, ensuring the wyvern is still at bay, Thomas starts to guide the wolves deeper into the forest, leading them away from the dangers that lurk in the town and the sky above.

....

Suriel slips into a nearby tavern to hide away from the remaining knights. It's nearly empty this time of day. Most of the chairs are set upside down on top of the tables. The dim light shining through the windows gives the place a grim look. It doesn't help that the few people sitting at the bar look like they are drinking themselves to death.

One man catches her eye. His scraggly black beard and hair match well with his dirty and tattered clothing. He is rambling to the bartender about how great of an adventure he used to be. The bartender tries to ignore him the best that he can, listening only when he tries to order another drink.

The man's mannerisms, while he talks, could be mistaken for a theatrical actor's performance of a lifetime. The other bar patrons give him a dirty look as he tries to reenact his fierce battle with a dragon, nearly jumping onto the bar table and knocking several bottles over as he unsheaths his invisible sword.

Suriel is about to walk up and speak to the man when a stranger calls her. "Don't mind him." A young man wearing an outfit that could be mistaken for a farmer says. "He's not a real adventurer." The man takes a swig of beer and slams it down hard onto the table causing it to wobble back and forth. "The man's a fraud."

"How do you know this?" Suriel walks up to his table and takes a seat on the other end. Suriel takes note of the many scars on the man's hands.

"That son of a bitch will betray you at a moment's notice." The man winks at her. Suriel glances at the exit in case she needs to make a quick escape. "Don't worry, I don't think anyone has figured out who you are yet." The man takes another swig of beer.

"It's a small town, I think the locals are too afraid to talk to the knights."

"But we outsiders aren't." The man points out. "If half of the rumors I heard are true, I would get a pretty nice bounty for turning you in. Unless we could come to some sort of agreement." The man gives her a sinister smile.

"I-don't have much money."

"I don't need money." The man moves his chair closer to her so he can lower his voice. "We can slip into the bathroom so you can pay me with your body." The man says as he fondles her breasts.

His actions are met with a slap in the face. Suriel runs out of the bar and trips on the road just outside. Her clothing is soiled with mud and dirt. She gets up to her feet only to realize that the knights are walking her way. They see her, but Suriel doesn't move, she knows she can't outrun them.

The man walks out of the bar rubbing the spot where Suriel had slapped him. "Sir Bertal, what are you doing here?" The knight says as it approaches. Its masculine voice echoes through its helmet.

"I'm wondering what's taking so long for the guests to get to the party. Are you the one I should blame?" Sir Bertal gives the knight a distasteful look. "I always found it strange how much money they spent on your armor. They're imbued with dragon scales right?"

The knight nods his head wondering where Bertal is going with this. "I'll put in a request to withdraw funding." The knight tries to protest, but Bertal isn't having it. "I came here after you did, and yet I found this criminal before you." Bertal moves closer to the knight and places his hands on the knight's helmet. "How incompetent are you?"

"I'm sorry Sir." A female knight approaches and grabs Suriel by the arm. Her armor is lighter and has a feminine look to it allowing her to be more agile. "I'll take care of her right away."

"Not so fast." Bertal says as the knight takes out her sword to kill her. "People who horde demons need to be killed on display. Bring her to the center of town."

They drag her to the town square and Bertal orders the knights to strip her of clothing. "Why not just kill her?" Shelly protests. "I understand her crimes, but why dehumanize her like this?"

"To show what happens to those that break the covenant." Kells' words put a smile on Bertals' face.

"Exactly." Bertal stares at Shelly as the knights strip Suriel of her clothing while the town watches. "Some people prefer death over humiliation, in this case, we provide both." He takes a gander at Suriel who tries to cover up her nakedness. Her left arm covers her breasts while her right hand covers her vagina.

"This won't do." He motions for the knights. They grab her arms and force her to her feet. Sir Bertal walks up to her with a large grin on his face. "Being naked is one of your most vulnerable states. To do it in such a populated area in front of all these people who were already judging you must be one of the most humiliating experiences." He moves closer to whisper in her ear. "It's also a massive turn-on for me."

"Knees." Sir Bertal says as he takes a step back. The knights force her to her knees. Bertal grabs her by the throat to move her head up. He places his fingers around Suriel's left eye socket and jams them into her skull.

The soft tissue gives way to the pressure, allowing his fingers to slide in between her skull socket and her eye. "AAAAAAAAH!!!" Suriel's bloodcurdling screams echos throughout the town and the surrounding landscape of green forested mountains.

Kell's expressionless face haunts Shelly as she glances over at her to see her reaction to this crime against humanity. She feels compelled to step in and stop this once and for all. However, the crowd of onlookers' demand for blood makes her cower in fear. Men, women, and children watching, and all wanting this woman to suffer.

Bertal gently clenches his fingers around the back of Suriel's eye, pulling on it and separating the eye from the optic nerve. He pulls her eye out and releases his grip from her. He admires his own handiwork, gazing at the color of her iris, and his reflection shining brightly off her decapitated eye.

Blood runs down Suriel's face, dripping down to her breasts, down her things before making its way to the ground next to her knees. Bertal shows her eye to the crowd who are too eager to give him a cheer.

He grips it tightly in his hand, crushing it like a grape. A red watered-down liquid with a hint of white highlights forces its way through his fingers dripping to the ground. Bertal turns his attention towards Suriel again. He pulls out a dagger and disfigures her face, cutting deep slashes indiscriminately.

Once he's done, the knights drop her body. They let the bloodthirsty crowd kick the rest of the life force out of her. Breaking her bones as she starts choking on the blood that her body tries forcing her to throw up.

Kell takes note of Shelly's horrified face. The way she looks at the crowd of savages goes against the covenant. All with be punished according to the code of conduct. Those who do not participate in the bloodshed will become the prey.