Nightfall

Chaos, absolute chaos greeted us when we stepped back inside the atrium. People were running and screaming while Houls in various forms attacked them. There was one in the form of Betsey who had impaled two men with its tails. Both men shook as it ripped out chunks of viscera and drank from the growing puddle of blood.

Another monster, a one-eyed scaly monster, with decrepit molding limbs and a round belly, had its long barbed tongue around a bluish guard whose body had gone limp. It was currently buried in the guard’s side that had a gauged hole for it to bury its snout and eat. It tore chunks from the guard’s intestines which were draped around its neck like a wreath.

Three beautiful women were dancing merrily over their bloodless-strewn victims, and I narrowed my eyes at the delicate form of these familiar women. I’d have to stay clear of them. Over by the side, the queen was in battle mode, swinging her bone staff at a skinny woman who wasn’t bad with trench knives, but they weren’t a weapon you brought to fight a staff with. Still, she was younger and more agile, with more energy. She only had to outlast the queen.

I saw Greg knocked out and Betsey standing watch, growling over his form as the half-dog half-crocodile turned red eyes on Greg’s fallen form. I should have just left him there, but I had to help.

“Andromeda, can you help Greg? He’s down and about to be doggy Houl treats,” I said, staring at a mortified Andromeda. Evidently, she had never seen such savagery before. I placed my hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. She blinked and opened her mouth but nothing came out. Instead, she grabbed a cowering Donny and headed toward Greg’s side. She squatted low getting on all fours and something was activated as a deep yellow glow encompassed her form, and encased her in a metal anthropomorphic suit of fur and metal. A silver wolf stood in place of Andromeda!

It growled low as the Houl howled lowly. Like me, it had no effect on her although Donny froze. He was helping Greg to consciousness. I stood keeping an eye on him. Andromeda circled the half-and-half animal Houl and jumped over its tails as they came pounding the ground where she was a few minutes ago. I snapped Donny from his trance and grabbed Greg’s lapels before hoisting the man up and slinging him over my shoulders.

Andromeda circled the Houl, patiently stalking like the predator she had become. The Houl batted at her with its tails and Andromeda jumped over them again, her paws landing soundlessly against the blood-strewn ground. Her tail flicked back and forth and she smiled a big wolf smile mocking the Houl. She finally struck and attacked. It was fast and the fight was quickly over, when Andromeda lounged at the throat of the Houl. It gave a long wail as her sharp teeth tore through the tough neck like paper mache and tore it out.

The Houl gagged in its own blood and slipped down, making an even bigger puddle. It lay twitching for a few minutes, before lying still in death. Andromeda licked her maul and howled. The three women cheered and howled and the monster ignored us and kept eating. Andromeda growled at the three women who smiled and kept dancing. She slowly approached the women.

“Andromeda no! The queen needs help and I can’t guard Donny and Greg and help her without your help,” I said wary of the dancing women. They were far stronger than Andromeda thought. They weren’t women but wolves in sheep’s clothing. I didn’t want her anywhere near them. I had a feeling they could control me and if that was so, I didn’t want Andromeda or Donny to suffer because I couldn’t disobey the Houls. They were by far the most insidious.

Andromeda bared her teeth at them but turned around and stalked toward my side. I ran my hand through her silver fur and watched as she preened. I didn’t like animals but for Andromeda, I’d make an exception. How was she getting back to being human from this? It seemed as if she was stuck as a silver wolf. And while I was ok with that, I desperately wanted to hold her again. Guess I’d be holding a wolf for the time being.

I slipped my hand to her head and rubbed her ears. “Good girl. Stay here while I help the queen.” I dropped Greg unceremoniously to the ground and headed to where I’d last seen the women fighting. The clang of metal alerted me to the younger woman being blocked, possibly for the nth time. The queen had to be getting tired. I used my Houl-like speed to blend with the rest of the monsters and hurry to where the queen was indeed faltering.

The woman smiled. “Well Auntie this is good…bye!” she gritted out as she attacked. I put on a burst of speed and caught her arm before it could reach the surprised queen’s open guard. The woman tried to escape my grasp but I held on.

“So I guess we have you to blame for the Houl attack?” I said glaring at her blue eyes. They sparkled with insanity.

“They are only to feast on those who side with Auntie,” the woman said, shrugging and smiling. She was as bad as the Houls. The Houls were monsters of a kind. She was of another kind. The kind that lacked empathy and compassion for others. They were shit rulers.

“Amadee! You and the others have brought ruin to this peaceful place. Who do you think you are going to rule when this is over?” asked the queen as she caught her breath.

“People will blame you for this attack for doing nothing when we were attacked days ago! I’ve got the Houls working for me! I control them! They won’t betray me!” said Amadee as she brandished her knives at me.

I ducked under her swing stepping into her guard and grabbing her by the throat. I lifted her close to me and dangled her a few feet from the ground. She was short.

“You…cock…sucker…let…gurgle…me go!”

I smirked. “Fighting off your goon squad and watching my girlfriend turn herself into an animal to beat another has really made me…hungry. I’m part Houl so guess what I eat?”

Her eyes widened in fear and she began to shake. “Blood.”

“Got it in one, princess so if you don’t behave I’m going to eat you as a snack.”

“I’ve got a blood disease!” she cried, smiling.

“And that’ll probably make you taste disgusting and give me indigestion, but nonetheless I’ll still end you,” I said showing my fangs. She cried for the Houls to help her.

Elana’s sugar-sweet voice sounded in the silence. “How is my pet doing?”

Her sisters giggled behind her. I swept my bangs from my face and frowned. “I am not a pet.”

“No, you are far more dear. I was talking to the girl,” she said smiling wide enough to show her fangs.

Amadee twisted her head and smirked squirming in my grasp. “I command you to… hey are you listening to me?”

Elana flipped her dark hair back. “Not really. Your command has little importance. We can’t be commanded anyway. Our cousin the Nibbler can, but not us.”

She turned to me. “I see my blood had some effects and not all are done showing themselves yet.”

I sighed. “What more can there be?”

She smiled. “You’ll see.” She turned back to Amadee blood red eyes glowing. “Well, are you going to eat her or can I? She smells scrumptious!”

I tuned my hunter senses to Amadee and she smelled like a chocolate truffle. Tempting but I had already eaten that guard and I only ate out of necessity I wasn’t a Houl! I turned Amadee over to Elana and watched as she giggled and dragged the girl to her sisters.

“Sisters! This human dared to control us…as such, her punishment is death.”

“No!” Amadee cried as she struggled in their iron grip. I remembered that grip. It was as solid as steel.

“Yes! Now I have dibs on the neck,” said Elana hands on her hips.

The three witches were soon feasting on Amadee, as she struggled less and less. I turned to the green queen. She was watching the three beautiful women eat.

“Better not to watch,” I muttered as I turned to face where I left Andromeda and Donny. I headed back to them, no doubt Greg was finally up. Hopefully, we could slip unnoticed from the atrium and make camp somewhere far away tonight.

When I got back to my pack there was a dog, a boy, and Greg to greet me. Greg was humble. He was busy tending to Betsey who was whining and laving his face with spit.

I turned to Andromeda. “Andy I love you fur and all, but if you even act like Betsey I’m going to collar you,” I said.

Andromeda let out a whine and I sighed raking my hands through my hair. The danger wasn’t over and I was arguing with a wolf!

Bending down I lifted my chin. “Okay! Okay. Once. Don’t keep licking me like Betsey. I will not appreciate it,” I mumbled. Andromeda drew herself on her hind legs and licked my face. I shuddered in disgust but let her lick on. She was greeting me after all. She lowered to her hindquarters and barked.

“Yes, the danger is still real. We’ve got to leave. We’ve done all we can. It’s up to those alive to restart now,” I said glancing as a shout caught our attention. A bunch of men were killing the one-eyed monster with harpoons. It shrieked a dying wail and collapsed in a puddle of slush as a harpoon slashed its belly open. It was made of air! A stink encompassed the room and Andromeda whined while I gagged.

“Air and shit,” I muttered watching as a nearby man retched.

Greg stood unbothered by the smell. “If we are leaving we better go now while the attention is on that thing,” he pointed to the Nibbler and I agreed nodding and whistling low. Andromeda barked and Betsey came alert. Donny looked traumatized and I pitied the kid. He was a pile of clattering teeth and shaking bones.

“It’s not going to be better out there, Donny. You can stay here while Andy and I get back to the outpost somehow,” I said gently patting Donny on the back.

The kid shook his head. “P-Please d-don’t l-leave m-me here!”

I nodded. “Ok. Come on then. Grab your pack.” I turned to Andromeda who was busy growling at Betsey, who was growling back both tails twitching.“Whoah! Hey, down missy! I know Andromeda is territorial but that comes with being a wolf.” I faced Andromeda who whined with her tail between her legs. “Calm it,” I said narrowing my eyes at her and she barked at me.

“Good. Can you lead the way again?”

Greg intervened stepping up. “I can lead the way. I know this place like the back of my hand.”

The others still didn’t know he had brought me to the cells. I was wary of him now. I shook my head. Better safe than sorry. “Andromeda has the smells of the tunnels now and can avoid danger. She leads.”

Greg sighed and nodded petting Betsey. She trotted over and barked which caused Andromeda to growl for some reason and both were growling at each other again.

I petted Andromeda on the head. “Cool it now,” I whispered kissing her head and rubbing her ears. She relaxed and I squatted down for another face lick. Instead, she rubbed her head against mine and barked taking point. I smirked and followed putting Donny in the center as he held our only light, and he felt more secure too. We started once again for the tunnels.

There were dead people everywhere we looked. The Houls were still feasting on them. Donny, not holding it any longer retched.

“I-I c-can’t k-keep g-going,” he whispered shuddering and retching again. I held his hair from his face. He collapsed crying and shaking. On any given day I would have stopped and let him rest but we needed to be gone from there. Maybe these Houls might not touch me thinking I was one of them but the same couldn’t be said for the rest of them. I was a protector now and I wasn’t leaving one of my own behind.

I squatted and brushed his bangs from wide green eyes. “Come on Donny. I’ll carry you. Get on my back.”

He glanced at me confused but I grabbed him and hoisted him on my back, standing from my squat. He clung on digging his knees into my ribs and strangulating me. I wasn’t immortal that I knew of. “Not so tight, Donny!”

He relaxed his grip and I breathed easy again. I started forward and Andromeda barked. “Let’s go,” I said as we picked up the pace. The tunnels were a mire of loops and twirls that made me dizzy. I’d hate to live here. I’d never find anything! Andromeda seemed to agree with me as she snorted when I groaned “Another one!”

“Greg laughed. “We’re almost out. Your pooch chose the scenic route.”

I grumbled. “There’s an easier way?”