Armageddon

“Do you see what he really is?!” Michael yelled in her ear, dragging her downstream.

“Stop!” She cried, fighting at him desperately. She managed to escape his hold, stumbling toward Vlad. Michael picked up another rock, holding it above her head.

“I’m sorry, this is for your own good.” He declared, bringing it down on her skull.

Vlad watched in horror as Tia collapsed at the Human male’s feet. His claws penetrated the Earth, a howl escaping him. Michael balked slightly, studying the wolf. He shook his head and lifted the unconscious female onto his shoulder. He glared at the struggling mass before him.

“You will never have her,” he spat before turning and carrying her further and further away. Vlad willed himself to stand, only remotely conscious of the stick that had remained wedged into his skull. The Wolf trembled in rage, dragging its body after the Humans, but Michael had picked up speed and gradually vanished into the trees ahead. Malone jumped up and down in panic, scratching at its eyes.

“They’re dead! They’re dead! The border guard is gonna eat them!”

“Malone,” Vlad grunted, fixing himself to stand. “Send word home, gather the guard. We will march on the Humans.” Numbly he walked forward, taking his time. One step after another. His knees didn’t buckle, his eyes never darkened; he wouldn’t allow himself to fall now.

The small Imp studied him before climbing onto his back, its green eyes looked about until it spotted something not right. The small creature examined the large area of wet fur atop Vlad ’s head. He touched the branch there, an unknown amount piercing the flesh. “Leave it, it’s stopping the blood loss. Go, now.”

It chittered to itself and quickly scrambled into the shadows.

Michael panted heavily as he leaned against a tree. It was getting harder to navigate the terrain. The trees were thicker, closer together. He had finally managed to scale the last mountain and now he gazed down on his home.

He’d never seen it from this distance before. The towers stretched high into the sky and the whole city seemed to sparkle. Cars drove around the towers like any other day and he could hear the faint echo of city life. His grip tightened on Tia’s leg as his mind calculated the best path down.

Once his breathing evened some, he began again. Each step was hard-won, and he found himself having to glance down constantly at the roots of the trees, which curled upward and around each other in a perilous network, to avoid tripping. It wasn’t long before he noticed the ground beneath his feet had disappeared altogether beneath the massive roots, some larger than he was, and the only glances upward he could spare was to make sure he was headed the right direction.

Sweat blurred his vision and he jerked his hand to his face, wiping the liquid off his brow. His foot slipped then, and suddenly he was no longer standing. The two of them began to fall down the mountain, their bodies slamming against the trees and through the thicket. A thick branch near the base of one tree pierced Michael’s side and he let out a cry. His body finally slammed one last time against a root that was standing higher than the others, and his cry became a low, gasping moan as he tried to find the breath that had been knocked from his lungs.

Tia, barely conscious, rolled onto her back. It was a strained motion, taking all her strength. She looked up into the sky, a sky so blue and inviting she longed to fly through it once more. Michael stumbled next to her then, the thicket around him snapping as he forced his way through. He fell next to her, his blood coating his hand and pant leg.

“We’re nearly there,” he breathed, his voice raspy. “I can’t wait to shower,”

“I’m... kill you...” Her dry lips barely allowed her voice to flow through.

“You’ll thank me when you come to your senses.” He forced himself to his feet, one hand exhaustingly grabbing at the collar of her shirt. The world itself seemed to move as she was lifted onto his shoulder once more.

Michael stumbled through the trees, the forest growing thinner and younger. He saw a glistening light reflect ahead and hope welled inside his chest. A wolf howled not far behind him and he jerked back in a panic before turning back toward the light ahead, numbly racing as fast as he could.

“Did you hear that noise?” Someone nearby asked.

Michael saw the guards before they saw him and with one final lunge, he leaped through the last of the trees, falling at their feet. Tia rolled a few feet before coming to a stop on her back.

“What the-?” Another voice yelped.

Michael brought himself onto his elbows, tears in his eyes. “We need medical attention. There’s a monster coming! It’s been chasing us. Call the guards!” He stared wildly at the sentries, his eyes burning with urgency.

“It’s Tiana! Quickly, call HQ! Bring back up!”

Tia ignored the men fluttering over her. She ignored their questions. Slowly she moved her head, her eyes resting on the forest. More and more people came – men with guns; doctors, who began to treat her as they showed up; a transport team, standing by as they waited for their President’s daughter to be stable enough to move.

“We need to leave,” Michael pleaded, his voice several decibels higher than usual. “We need to get out of here! We can’t stay here any longer!” His words fell on deaf ears. A drone overhead whirled loudly, filming the group of people who refused to heed the warnings of a minor.

In an instant, Tia knew she was being watched. There was a darkness to the trees, a yearning. She slowly reached a hand towards the thicket. Not a moment later, alarms began going off all around the city. Distant echoes screamed in their direction; alarms just overhead blared for all to hear.

A computerized voice spoke loudly: “This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill. Please, return to your homes. This is not a drill.”

Michael gaped as the men around them started getting pinged one by one. Several different voices spoke out of their communication devices, all saying the same thing. “Radar is picking up movement in the trees! It’s happening on all sides! We’re completely surrounded, watch the trees!”

“The trees?” Michael echoed, looking towards them cautiously.

“There’s reports of movement all around the city,” One of the guards echoed in disbelief. A few others approached the thicket.

Tia willed herself to stand, rolling onto her side. A few doctors grabbed at her, attempting to pull her back onto her back, but she tugged her knees beneath her, her shaking arms pushing herself off the ground despite their efforts to keep her down. Two more grabbed at her, attempting to pull her back onto the grass, but she continued to rise.

Michael stared at her in horror. A few nearby guards stood back. One even raised his gun, only to lower it in the next moment.

“You’re just like them,” Michael gasped. She pried the people off her, taking one uneven step after another. She focused on the eyes in the trees, the eyes only she could see.