9 Chapter 9

Aria-

I was running blind, there were roots sticking out of the ground everywhere, I was doing my best to navigate, but it was so dark. I tripped, falling into a clearing. Shit! As I stood to run back into the trees, Abigail grabbed me. Her talons gripping my body pinning my arms to my side. I let out the loudest scream I could, hoping someone, somewhere would hear me.

Dario-

I pushed forward through thick trees tracking the scream. I could vaguely see broken branches and disturbed earth. I kept following that trail, never slowing down.

"Dario." Ryans voice caught me off guard I almost swung at him, "Whoa! Hold it man, look theres a clearing. That's where the scream had to of come from." He had to be right! I bolted forward, heart pounding I broke through the tree line. As I did I saw the biggest Harpy, and in her filthy claws, My Aria!

With Ryan and my father flanking me we rushed the monster, as it realized we were there, it screeched and tried to take off. But Ryan was ready, he let his arrow fly. It struck the Harpy in it's rib cage, causing it to drop back down, but not let go. I turned to us, I could see the pure animal rage within her eyes. She let out a screech, this one so loud I could feel the very Earth beneath us shudder. Suddenly, I saw several figures emerge from the tree line.

They started running for us, "Dario, you get your Goddess, I'll handle the party crashers!" My fathers order wasn't needed, but I understood. The Harpy was focusing on Ryan who had started shooting at her, she was distracted, I took the opportunity. I ran, sword in hand aiming for the monsters leg. I swung and hacked it clean off, the Harpy yelled in a terrible scratchy voice, "YOU BASTARD! THAT GODDESS IS MINE!" I was ignoring her focusing on getting the talons pried off of Aria.

"My warrior! Thank you!" I smiled down at Aria, "I'll give my life for yours my Goddess." As I got Aria free, Ryan yelled for me, "DARIO! MOVE!" I turned to see the Harpy coming for me, only one leg stretched out to grip her screech breaking the night.

I grabbed Aria and pushed our bodies to the side and rolled, as soon as we stopped, I was up and ready for the fight. Ryan was still shooting at her pissing her off, father was fighting off dark figures that I couldn't make out.

We were outnumbered, I didn't know if there was anything we could do to turn the tide. However, I was getting Aria home. I looked to her, she didn't have fear in her eyes, just sadness. "Aria, what's wrong?" She looked at me, a sad smile touched her lips. "We aren't going to get out of this are we?"

As the words registered, I realized she might be right. I shook my head though, "I swore I would get you home. I never break my promises." I took off after the Harpy again to help Ryan, once that thing was dead we could help Father. I pulled out my shield, and ran for him.

Aria-

As I watched Dario charge after Abigail again, I wondered if there was anything I could do to help. I looked around, when I saw Quillian tied up near the tree line. Archemities! That giant bird could really help us here!

I went into the tree line, enough to be hidden, but so I could still see if anything was coming at me. I made my way around and crouched behind Quillian, "Hey, can you call Archemities to assist?" Quillian grunted, "Only if you untie me." "Why are you tied up in the first place?" He didn't say anything, "Fine, die here like the rest of us." I started to leave to be closer to Dario again, hoping he would cave, he sighed.

"Fuuuuuuuuuck! Fine." He let out the whistles to summon his bird. The wind suddenly shifted, I looked up as the clearing went dark, the great bird covered the light of the moon. It swooped down, grabbing Abigail, and flew away. Dario and Ryan looked over at Quillian, seeing me Dario rushed over as Ryan went to assist Master Ekon, Darios father. When Dario got to us he wasn't angry at me, he looked at Quillian, "Why the fuck didn't you summon that bird sooner?" Quillian shrugged, "No one asked." Dario was angry but looked at his father and Ryan, "What are those things?" We all looked over, the black figured that seemed to dissipate everytime a sword was swung.

Quillian chuckled, "Those things are the Earthly form of a Morphling. They feel on your souls." Dario knelt down, "Do you know how to fight them?" Quillian laughed, "There's no fighting them. You can try to run away, or fight until the sun comes up." Dario grunted, then looked at me, "Stay here." He stood and ran to his fellow warriors. I could hear him telling them what was going on with the Morphlings.

They were basically being chased around only really waving their swords in the air. "How do they feed on the soul?" Quillians voice was dark, "They wear you down, they entrap you within their smokey tendrils, or they wound you then the smoke they are made of enters your body and absorbs your very essence." "I can't imagine what a horrible death that would be…" Quillian nodded agreeing with me, "I've seen it happen. It isn't pretty. What's worse, is there is nothing anyone can do. Once the Morphling enters the physical shell, there is no getting it out."

I watched my warrior fighting, the Harpy was gone. Sunrise wasn't too far away, we could survive this. "Where did Archemities take Abigail?" I must have caught him off guard, "That thing was Abigail?!" He looked at me with fear in his eyes, "Shit!" "What's wrong?" I was worried now, "Abigail is a true monster, and has followers. You have to untie me! I need to join this fight, now!" I didn't believe him, if Master Ekon had him tied up, there was a good reason. "I'm serious, I was sent here by Zale to spy on your warriors and make sure you were dead. However, at this point my life is now on the line. If your warriors die here, so do I!" Quillian was panicked, I felt like he was telling the truth. "If I free you, how do I know you won't try to kill me or any of them?" "DO YOU REALLY THINK I'M GOING TO TRY ANYTHING WITH MORPHLINGS AROUND?!"

He was right, if he tried to run those things would just hunt him down too. They hadn't come after us since we aren't fighting or running. I leaned down, and started to untie Quillians wrists. As soon as he was free, he grabbed a sword from one of the bags dropped near us and ran to join the fight.

His fighting was on par with the warriors, Dario was surprised to see Quillian fighting with them. However, he had no time to react. In total, there were five Morphlings, three warriors and a God. I was still standing on the sidelines, useless as usual…