Nightfall

Betsey and Andromeda must have gone far for me to not see them in this open plain. I shot through the plains with faster than human speeds. Let me put it this way. I ran so fast, that the grass swayed, but never bent under me. I barely touched it at my speed. I was at the site, where Andromeda was guarding a downed Betsey, from a Scorli, a half-scorpion, half-lion creature. It had the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion. Its face was a mutated mess of both creatures. It bared the eyes of a lion but the snout became a mandible with big pincers. Venom secreted from its tail. The spine was a hard shell but it had fur everywhere else. The legs were powerfully built and the paws were huge! Andromeda couldn’t beat this alone. As it was, Betsey was down and I hoped the Cockerdillian would make it.

I watched as the Scorli lunged at Andromeda but Andy was fast on her paws and evaded the tail, dodging the swing from the right then the left. It was above then below. She dodged by jumping swerving and ducking. Eventually, the Scorli would get her too though and we’d have two dying members. All I could do however was watch! Snap out of it girl friend in danger! Come on! I didn’t know if I could take the Scorli on tho. I slapped myself and ran forward. I was going to try though!

I approached without a sound and yet the Scorli knew I was there because it evaded my grasp. I grabbed thin air and ended up dodging to the right when the tail swung at me. Thank goodness for my speed. I joined Andromeda in her run around as we dodged the tail. It slammed into some driftwood and splintered it. I gulped. That would be us once we tired. Leaped and somersaulted over its head, kicking it. I made it angry and Andy paid for it as it grew more aggressive in its lunges.

It was a mistake on its part to lunge just as Andromeda lunged. Andromeda was the bigger animal and won the tussle grabbing the Scorli by the scruff and hauling it to the ground, pinning it beneath her. Its tail however was free. Just as it was about to sting Andromeda, I felt adrenaline roar within me and I zipped to where she was grabbing the tail and halting its movements. I twisted the bone till I heard a Snap! The Scorli whined. It was lucky I had drank the buck’s blood earlier or it might have been dinner.

A commotion through the tall savannah grasses and Greg popped his head into the clearing coughing and pointing at the dejected Scorli.

I nodded. “Go on and heal her but Betsey might be dying.” I walked to the only tree that was nearly dust from the Scorli’s punishing tail thrusts. Andromeda trotted over to me and sat down staring at the darkness with me. I chuckled and petted her behind the ears. “Why did you go so far from camp?”

She glanced at me with her dark eyes, butting her head against mine, and barked

“Betsey wanted to talk to you? About what? The camp was safe.”

“She whined, staring back at Betsey’s still form before barking low.

“Betsey didn’t want Greg knowing this? What is it, Andy?”

Andy barked again and left to cuddle Betsey. Greg was inspecting her and bandaging her wound. Tears were falling from his eyes at her lack of breathing.

“I want to bury her by the river,” he said, slowly picking her up and carrying her like a baby. Her tails dragged on the floor uncurled from her back like usual. Her tongue lagged out of her mouth and her bright eyes were dull. When we arrived at camp, Donny took one look at us and knew.

“W-who died?” he asked glancing from Greg to myself. He couldn’t see Andromeda.

“Was it Andy?”

“No, Betsey,” I said and he calmed, his shoulders untensing slightly but a few tears fell.

“B-Betsey?” He turned to Greg and he nodded showing Donny the body he carried in his arms. Donny gasped and came closer slowly gliding a hand down the Cockerdillian’s furry body.

“Are you burying her?”

Greg nodded. “By the river. Want to come?”

“Y-Yes.”

I nodded and went into the tent to grab the only shovel we had. “Let’s go.”

We trekked to the river unseen by any predators and made it to the second camp where we started to bury Betsey. Three familiar howls ripped the air and Donny shook. Laughter followed.

“I see we arrived a bit late,” said a familiar blur that faded into a beautiful woman with long dark curls and blood-red eyes. Elana. Two other blurs followed. Her sisters no doubt. They didn’t take shape however only remained blurs which unnerved everyone.

Elana approached Greg, light on her feet. She made no noise. Neither did the blurs as they encompassed Greg before moving on. She smiled wickedly at Donny and he shuddered. I pushed him behind me as Andromeda began to growl loudly, her hair standing on end as if she was electrocuted. I passed my hand through her ruffled fur and tried to calm her down. She glared at Elana and kept growling but stayed put.

“What do you want, Elana?” I asked, rubbing my knuckles down Andromeda’s back. She kept growling and I looked up. Elana was almost in my face examining it.

“Smile,” she commanded and I was rather surprised at her concern.

“Pull my finger as hard as you can,” she said, holding out her hand. I took it and did as told. My strength was nothing when it came to hers though, as she only had to squeeze back lightly and I winced.

She glared at the others. “Has no one witnessed your pallor or strength fading?’

I shrugged. “I’m still the strongest out of all of them so no they didn’t. We don’t exactly know what was done to me. This could have been another change.”

She huffed. “It isn’t. You are different from us and can survive off diluted blood, but you still need human blood. Unlike us, you don’t need to kill to eat. A few drops are fine.”

“He isn’t a monster!” yelled Donny, stepping forward, and I pushed him further behind me.

She smiled and glanced at Donny, her eyes bright. “Of course, loud brats are always delicious and you happen to have one.”

Donny backed away from me, fear in his eyes, and I rolled my eyes. “Sorry, not interested. I guess we better find that outpost fast,” I said, crossing my arms and staring her down, smiling.

She rolled her eyes. “It is to the north at the base of the mountains, about two weeks away. You’ll starve before you make it there.”

“That’s a chance I’m going to have to…”

“I can’t allow that. You are our only chance against them.” She grabbed Andromeda by the scruff and stared deep into her eyes before nodding. “You’ll do. We’ll turn you back until you reach your base and can deal with the furry problem on your own.” She raised her hand where a bluish stone rippled like water on her palm. She froze all of us in time, then touched the stone to Andy’s forehead and chanted a few words, upon which her sisters hissed back a reply. Then as if by magic, the same yellow glow encompassed Andromeda, and there was a whirl as her wolf face disconnected from Andy’s and folded like a fan to resume being the collar of her jacket. More whirring and machine disengagement, as metal folded against her clothes and was lost in the special folds I always wondered about. Andromeda sat on her knees, fully human again, and I was unfrozen to meet with her.

The three witches laughed as I scooped Andromeda’s shaking form in my arms and smiled, breathing her in. She clawed at my shirt still believing herself a wolf. I picked her up and led her to the tent by the waterside. I couldn’t hear Elana and her pack anymore. From the tent, I heard Greg’s cry of jubilation and Betsey’s small whine.