In the Dead of the Night
"I wonder why everyone's gathering over there?" Casey asked as she stared at the crowd.
"Probably just one just one of the nerds talking about how they killed the lion, sabertooth or whatever they said it was," Levi replied.
"Yeah, you're probably right. Uhm, what did you mean by you and I are the same? You told me that the other day and I can't help but wonder why?" Casey questioned.
"I just feel like we're the same, your eyes always look like they're longing for something. Maybe you're longing for your family or friends but from that time you tried to cheer me up, I saw it. I think you just want somewhere you can feel like you belong, and that's what I want to build," Levi expounded.
"Hmm, you could tell all of that, from the look in my eyes? Are you sure your power is not mind reading or something?" Casey giggled as she stared at the stars and moons painted across the night sky.
Levi chuckled as well then replied, "That would be a good ability to have."
"I've thought about it and I want to help you create what it is you're planning, but you have to let me know every step," Casey replied.
"Ahh, you may not like some of it but here goes. Where should I begin, firstly..." Levi replied as he began explaining his plan.
"Today was so hectic, that ku-kunnai? Whatever it's called was stupidly strong," Timothy said as he sat down.
"Yeah, we're actually lucky everything played out in our favor," Caleb replied.
"Oh, what happened there when you said your chant and had that stand off with the clooney?" Timothy asked.
"It's called a kunnis and I was trying to bond with it. When I recited the contract, it started a battle of will. I tried to match up to it but its will was j-just overwhelming, so it broke out of the battle," Caleb replied as he stared blankly at his hand.
"So that's what that was. To be fair though it was terrifying but it would be awesome if you could bond with a cloo-ku-karl?" Timothy slowly pronounced as he gave up.
"Ahh you're absolutely hopeless," Caleb replied with shaking his head.
"It's not my fault, and I think Karl is a better name anyw-," Timothy was cut off by a loud scream.
Timothy and Caleb quickly got up and started making their way to the scream. Almost everyone was running away from the sound and towards the bunker. The two forced their way through and tried to see why everyone was running but it was to dark to see clearly. "Wait is that someone laying down there? Did he faint?" Timothy asked as he slowly made his way over to them.
"Hey, dude are oka-," he froze as he saw a huge silhouette step over the person and towards him.
People were still running towards and past them. One person was darting past the body and the silhouette knocked them onto the ground and ripped into them. "What the fuck is that?!" Timothy exclaimed and Caleb responded with, "I don't know, it's too dark to see."
"Illuminare!" someone shouted as a sea of glowing orbs decorated the sky.
"Not you again!" Timothy exclaimed as the silhouette was illuminated to reveal another kunnis, "Burn!"
The kunnis instantly burst into flames, it let out a terrifying roar then charged towards Timothy. Timothy drew his sword prepared to strike, "Mitiges, adiuva me!" Caleb shouted as he stepped in front of Timothy towards the beast.
"Vinculum mecum nunc forma!" He shouted as the kunnis completely froze in its tracks.
Caleb was fully locked into the battle of will, the kunnis will was as fierce as he remembered. It felt like he was climbing up a steep mountain, "aaarghhh!" He let out a scream as he tried to overpower the kunnis.
Suddenly the mountain didn't feel as steep as it was before but he was still far from overcoming it. Timothy stood beside Caleb with his sword just in case the bond didn't work. Caleb eyes were filled with determination as he stared the beast dead in its eyes. Caleb finally felt like he could overcome the beast's will when suddenly the beast became even more terrifying and overwhelming. He could feel the control over the situation slipping through his fingers. "Timothy! I'm losing him!" Caleb shouted as he tried his best to hang on.
Timothy instantly rushed towards the kunnis to lodge his sword in its head. Suddenly from the shadows where the light orbs could not reach, emerged another kunnis with blood plastered all over its mouth. It charged directly towards Caleb, Timothy could not react in time to stop it, "Caleb!" He shouted as the beast pounced towards Caleb.
Caleb averted his eyes to the immediate threat but couldn't react fast enough. He closed his eyes to brace for the impact of the kunnis who was a couple meters away. With his eyes shut and body tense he was shocked to not feel anything yet, he slowly opened his eyes to see a shirtless Levi standing in front of him. He was about a foot taller and his muscles were huge with veins parading his arms. The beast was knocked back and rolled a couple times then Levi bent down to pick up something. Caleb was shocked to see him pick up one of the beast's crystal fangs. The kunnis that Caleb was attempting to bond with had now broken from the battle of will but Timothy still managed to lodge his sword in its neck. It turned towards Timothy and lifted its claws, "Projectile!" Jean shouted as two sharp bone like knives materialized and were launched at the beast.
The kunnis quickly dodged them and retreated to the side of the other kunnis. "Thanks, you guys came just in time," Caleb said.
"Yeah, don't mention it nerd. Xander's actually the one who came up with a plan. There's one more of these things here so he's going to deal with that one but our fight's not done yet," Levi replied.
"Time to get serious, Burn," Timothy said as the blade of his sword erupted in flames.
-
"Screaming is coming from where the tree is, that's probably where it is, let's go" Xander said as he sprinted towards the tree.
With the lights from the orbs they could see the last kunnis chasing two persons. One of them stopped and faced the beast, "Venenum Iacula!" He shouted as a purple smoky dart formed formed and launched at the beast.
The attack missed the head but connected with the body of the beast. The beast seemed unfazed and proceeded to knock the guy away. He turned his attention to the other person there and raised his claws to tear into them. "I won't make it in time to block it, I have to get the person out of danger," Xander thought to himself and managed to dive and push the person out of the path of the claw.
The kunnis swung its claw and the tip of its claws went cleanly across Xander's chest, and the force from the swipe sent him flying head first to the tree. "Radius glaciei!" Emma shouted as she let out a continuous beam of frost.
She looked over to the person who they were trying to save, "Flora? G-," before she could say anything Flora got up and ran towards Xander.
He was unconscious on the ground and she looked at his chest that was overflowing with blood. She closed her eyes and turned her head away so she couldn't see it. "Why did you do something so stupid," she barely muttered as tears streamed down her face, "Dea vitae , quaeso."
She opened her eyes to look if anything started to happen, but when she saw the blood her hands started shaking viciously, "Da mihi vim salvandi agnum," a white light began emitting from her hands.
-
"Could you guys' hurry and finish that one and help ME!" Levi shouted as he dodged the kunnis' attack.
"I'll be right-," Timothy said as he drove his flame sword straight in the kunnis' head, " -there."
Now they only had to deal with the kunnis Levi was fighting. It once again charged at Levi but this time he dodged its claw and then swung his fist with all his might, causing the other fang to break. The force from the punch sent the beast rolling as he started bleeding from the mouth profusely. Timothy set the kunnis on fire and then stabbed it in the neck to finally finish it off. "That was way more exhausting that I expected, cessare," Levi said as his molecular fortification disappeared.
"At least they're dead now, let's go check if Xander needs any help," Timothy said as the four of them made their way to find him.
-
Emma had completely froze one of the beast's leg but it it tried using the other to hit her, "Emma close your eyes! Lux caeca!" Ryan shouted as a blinding light lit up the entire sky.
The kunnis started moving wild and erratic because it could not see. Emma with all her remaining strength tried her best to freeze the rest of the beast. "Ryan how are we supposed to kill it without Xander?" Emma asked.
Ryan with sword in hand replied, "Okay when it calms down a bit try to freeze its other leg and I'll try stabbing it in the head."
Suddenly the kunnis fell on its side and stopped moving completely. "What just happened?" Emma asked.
"I don't know, is it dead?" Ryan asked as he approached the beast with his sword.
When they got closer they realized that the entire body of the kunnis was a dark shade of purple. "Does this have something to do with the guy before?" Emma questioned then immediately said, "Finish it off Ryan, I'm going to check on Xander."
Emma sprinted over to the tree where Flora was using her healing magic. When she arrived she saw the river of blood that had streamed from his chest, "Xander! Flora is your healing magic working?" She asked alarmed.
Flora had her head turned away from his body, with tears flowing down her face and her hands shaking barely replied, "I don't know, I don't know if it's working, please help him."
"Okay, okay we have to get rid of all this blood," Emma said as she used his shirt to try and wipe off some of the blood.
She stopped midway when she suddenly noticed that his wounds had already healed. "Flora, look his wounds have already healed," Emma said to her but she couldn't find the strength to look.
"Then why isn't he waking up?" Flora cried then she muttered as the tears continued, "Why is this happening to me again."
"He did hit the tree pretty hard so he's probably just unconscious, I can feel him heartbeat and pulse. He did lose a lot of blood but most likely your healing magic restored that, or maybe he got his remnant." Emma tried reassuring her but really she was unsure if Xander was truly fine.
"Hey Emma everything good her-, what happened to Xander is he okay? Caleb asked
Emma explained everything that happened to them and then they took him to the bunker to rest. They checked on everyone that made it out safely and Flora helped heal those with minor injuries. Five people died that night and some people helped out in burying the bodies. Everyone was too paranoid to fall asleep that night as they all grouped as close together in the bunker as possible. Raphael and four others fainted to their remnants that night. They had been living comfortably for the past week ,but that night was a jarring reminder of just how dangerous their predicament was.