Maybe I'm a Lion
XII
Angry at being fooled by such a creature, Cornelia used her free hand to swing the axe with all her might. Just as she struck it, the creature screeched in pain and released it's grip on Cornelia. She stepped back from the imp and realized her big mistake. The axe had remained impaled on the imp. Now she had no means for defense.
In one failing motion, the creature ripped out the axe from it's shoulder, tossing it aside. It then focused it's attention on a defenseless Cornelia who continued to step back until she hit her back against a wall. The creature loomed over her, and very slowly began to lean in. Cornelia would smell it's breath; like blood and garbage mixed together into one foul odor. It's teeth, were stained a faded pink from all the human flesh it consumed.
Suddenly, it's head slid down and Cornelia's view became obstructed in blood. She could feel the blood pouring on her. Wiping her eyes clean, she saw the creature; beheaded now by an axe wielding Sarabi. The creature remained standing for a few moments longer before collapsing. Sarabi handed Cornelia back her axe; which she thankfully took.
"Was that an infant?" Cornelia asked no longer worried. With Sarabi by her side, she knew she'd be kept safe.
"That was another adult. Infants can't take on their true form yet. They must survive within their hosts. They can, however, fully control their hosts to do as they please." Sarabi explained growing to finally trust Cornelia with the secrets from the otherworld. Cornelia noticed it, much more than Sarabi did. They were both growing to trust each other more and more. Friends through turmoil.
Very much like the creature's awakening, another began to stand. Quickly, the creature shed it's human guise. Before it, a second creature took on its true shape in a shower of blood. From the stage, Thomas appeared. But it wasn't Thomas. Cornelia knew from the way he stood, and the way he moved that he was no longer human, but a host to one of the horrid creatures.
"Protect our young." He said with a finality that caused the other, transformed, creatures to ferociously charge. One of them came at them at such an incredible speed Cornelia couldn't move away in time. Sarabi took it upon herself to push her to safety. The creature hit nothing but the brick wall of the hall. However, it now stood between Sarabi and Cornelia.
The creature that separated them turned its attention towards Sarabi. It saw her for the threat she really was. Sarabi quickly drew both her guns from their place on her lower back. She began firing away. However, this creature demonstrated an impressive display of speed unnatural even for these creatures. It dodged all of her precisely aimed shots by leaping onto the wall and running on it. Sarabi struggled to keep it at bay.
"You can't win!" Thomas roared watching Sarabi's efforts from the comfort of the stage. "Our children will rise, and there will be nothing you can do to stop us!"
Meanwhile Cornelia had a harder time keeping her creature away. It maintained it's distance, but only the length of which Cornelia sung her axe. She made sure not to make wide movement to keep the creature from attacking her. She would be unable to kill it on her own. Sarabi would have to kill her creature then come help her with the one that lingered so close to her.
"You'll see. Our noble queen died for her children and here they will feed!" Thomas declared triumphantly. Yet Cornelia and Sarabi refused to surrender.
Cornelia watched as Sarabi fired, shot after shot until she squeezed the trigger and nothing but a soft 'cluck' emerged from the barrels. Quickly she reached for the spare clips in her pocket to reload. The creature, seeing this, took the opportunity and leaped from its place on the wall directly on Sarabi. She had just reloaded when the creature landed on her. The blow from the creature caused Sarabi to fumble her now loaded guns, and the creature pined her to the ground.
One of her guns was conveniently just a few inches away from her. Reaching for it would leave her exposed to the creatures jagged teeth. Doing the only thing she could think of, Sarabi punched the creature with all her might directly in the jaw as it leaned down to take a bite. "That kitten's got claws!" Thomas laughed as the creature pulled back in pain for a moment before it returned. "But it's no use!" A moment, though, was all Sarabi needed. She placed her arm between her and the creature to stop its bloodthirsty bite.
"Me? A kitten? Ha!" Sarabi scoffed with deadly determination despite the struggle. Using this surge of perseverance, she aimed her gun directly at her arm; the only thing keeping the imp away. "Maybe I'm a lion!" she asserted before she fired.
In one failing motion, the creature ripped out the axe from it's shoulder, tossing it aside. It then focused it's attention on a defenseless Cornelia who continued to step back until she hit her back against a wall. The creature loomed over her, and very slowly began to lean in. Cornelia would smell it's breath; like blood and garbage mixed together into one foul odor. It's teeth, were stained a faded pink from all the human flesh it consumed.
Suddenly, it's head slid down and Cornelia's view became obstructed in blood. She could feel the blood pouring on her. Wiping her eyes clean, she saw the creature; beheaded now by an axe wielding Sarabi. The creature remained standing for a few moments longer before collapsing. Sarabi handed Cornelia back her axe; which she thankfully took.
"Was that an infant?" Cornelia asked no longer worried. With Sarabi by her side, she knew she'd be kept safe.
"That was another adult. Infants can't take on their true form yet. They must survive within their hosts. They can, however, fully control their hosts to do as they please." Sarabi explained growing to finally trust Cornelia with the secrets from the otherworld. Cornelia noticed it, much more than Sarabi did. They were both growing to trust each other more and more. Friends through turmoil.
Very much like the creature's awakening, another began to stand. Quickly, the creature shed it's human guise. Before it, a second creature took on its true shape in a shower of blood. From the stage, Thomas appeared. But it wasn't Thomas. Cornelia knew from the way he stood, and the way he moved that he was no longer human, but a host to one of the horrid creatures.
"Protect our young." He said with a finality that caused the other, transformed, creatures to ferociously charge. One of them came at them at such an incredible speed Cornelia couldn't move away in time. Sarabi took it upon herself to push her to safety. The creature hit nothing but the brick wall of the hall. However, it now stood between Sarabi and Cornelia.
The creature that separated them turned its attention towards Sarabi. It saw her for the threat she really was. Sarabi quickly drew both her guns from their place on her lower back. She began firing away. However, this creature demonstrated an impressive display of speed unnatural even for these creatures. It dodged all of her precisely aimed shots by leaping onto the wall and running on it. Sarabi struggled to keep it at bay.
"You can't win!" Thomas roared watching Sarabi's efforts from the comfort of the stage. "Our children will rise, and there will be nothing you can do to stop us!"
Meanwhile Cornelia had a harder time keeping her creature away. It maintained it's distance, but only the length of which Cornelia sung her axe. She made sure not to make wide movement to keep the creature from attacking her. She would be unable to kill it on her own. Sarabi would have to kill her creature then come help her with the one that lingered so close to her.
"You'll see. Our noble queen died for her children and here they will feed!" Thomas declared triumphantly. Yet Cornelia and Sarabi refused to surrender.
Cornelia watched as Sarabi fired, shot after shot until she squeezed the trigger and nothing but a soft 'cluck' emerged from the barrels. Quickly she reached for the spare clips in her pocket to reload. The creature, seeing this, took the opportunity and leaped from its place on the wall directly on Sarabi. She had just reloaded when the creature landed on her. The blow from the creature caused Sarabi to fumble her now loaded guns, and the creature pined her to the ground.
One of her guns was conveniently just a few inches away from her. Reaching for it would leave her exposed to the creatures jagged teeth. Doing the only thing she could think of, Sarabi punched the creature with all her might directly in the jaw as it leaned down to take a bite. "That kitten's got claws!" Thomas laughed as the creature pulled back in pain for a moment before it returned. "But it's no use!" A moment, though, was all Sarabi needed. She placed her arm between her and the creature to stop its bloodthirsty bite.
"Me? A kitten? Ha!" Sarabi scoffed with deadly determination despite the struggle. Using this surge of perseverance, she aimed her gun directly at her arm; the only thing keeping the imp away. "Maybe I'm a lion!" she asserted before she fired.
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