(Marie's POV)

I was hidden behind the fountain. Gray had spoken no words, but his actions had been more than clear. He wanted me to stay here.

I didn’t like the act of the poor frail princess, but I knew when I was out of my depth.

Seeing him transform had been an atrocious experience.

It was terrifying, and I had been closer this time, I could actually see the agony it made him feel.

And now, I didn’t know if it was still Gray who was in charge.

He howled to the moon, acting like a normal wolf.

Except he definitely wasn’t.

Humans always try to rationalize events beyond their understanding. After those few weeks, I had second-guessed my memories about how big Gray’s wolf really was; it couldn’t have been that tall, it was the fear and the adrenaline of the moment.

No, Gray the wolf was gigantic, not leaving any doubts that it was a mystical being rather than an exceptional animal. His pelt was grey with specks of white, and once more, I felt a mix of terror and awe as I watched him stretch and move.

The beast had stopped its prayer to the lunar heavenly body and tilted its head down to watch me.

It was hard not to anthropomorphize the look it gave me. I wanted to believe it was Gray telling me something, like he was happy I stayed silent, but it could also very well have been the Beast, doing something I could not understand with a human point of view.

It did not matter though, as the wolf’s attention was quickly turned towards the vampires getting closer to us.

His howl hadn’t exactly been discrete, but it would have been hard to pinpoint the location.

I could only see one of the vampires, coming from the west, he hadn’t seen me or the wolf yet, which was absurd. He was only twenty or so feet away from us (~8m), close enough that I could see the white of his eyes even in the darkness of the recently closed plaza. Even then, his vision seemed to pass next to us, not able to focus on little me or the giant wolf.

As I looked at him with anguish, I felt the reassuring form of Gray vanish from my sight.

The realization that the giant scary wolf was reassuring to me was a shock, but nothing close to the shock of it just vanishing in thin air.

As soon as Gray was gone, the vampire saw me.

I could see him grinning, and I backed off against the brick structure of the fountain behind me.

“Wait…” I pleaded ridiculously. I didn’t like my reaction, and I got pissed at myself on the spot.

“I’ve found the human cattle!” Shouted the vampire. “Her fucking friend is nowhere to be seen though.”

That pissed me off even more. “If you knew her, you’d know she’d never leave…” I stopped.

Wasn’t that the point?

He slowly came closer to me, enjoying the extra time he was giving me, like the creepiest of sadists. He knew I wouldn’t be able to get away.

I suddenly had the urge to look behind me, but that part of the plaza was empty. Coming from the church were the other monsters in the flesh of man.

My eyes were grabbed by something else, upwards.

I refrained a gasp, I had been acting scared well enough, and settled on saying: “That’s impossible.”

On the top of the fountain, which was not particularly big but had a nice tall sculpture of a dancing mermaid, stood the wolf. It was up there like a glorified god. In full view of everyone, yet with no one even registering its presence.

“Nothing impossible for us.” Answered the vampire edging closer to me. Falsely believing I was talking to him.

I turned back to look at him, newfound confidence running in my veins.

“If you touch me, you will die. Know that it shall be no one’s fault except your own.”

I knew how to talk, and my tone made him stop for a few seconds, but he then continued creeping closer, nonetheless. “You’re a funny one. Don’t worry, we’ll only hurt you a bit. We’ll kill you in front of your dyke bitch.”

I sighed and took the small golden cross in my right hand.

“God’s not going to help you know.” He could reach me with his arms now.

“It depends on what you call a god.” I answered sadly.

I only partly saw what happened next, but it felt like a macabre version of the claw machine in arcades. Where the wolf was the claw and the vampire’s head the prize.

Blood splattered all over my face.

The supernatural creature was missing everything above his collarbone, and I saw what was left of him fall onto the ground like a flaccid ragdoll.

I really wanted to vomit or scream, but the adrenaline helped me keep my mouth shut.

The next seconds were fuzzy. I heard angry shouts, and three of the five remaining vampires flew at unbelievable speeds directly at me.

Which was ridiculous of them.

I was clearly not the dangerous one here.

But still, in a slow-motion-like state, my brain understood that the rapidly advancing bloodsuckers were thinking that I was the one that killed their friend.

Gray had positioned himself back on the fountain.

Was he using magic or something? Was the last coherent thought I had for the next few minutes, as I stopped thinking about anything when, one by one, in rapid succession, the attacking vampires lost flesh, limbs, and organs.

Blood was spraying everywhere, but it felt like most of it was drenching me.

Their screams were haunting but didn’t last long.

Only two remained. I could not see what was passing through their mind, as the wolf finally stepped down its self-made altar of death, and positioned itself between me and the other, obviously less dangerous, monsters.

“WHAT THE HELL!” One of them shouted in unparalleled horror.

Then, there was no one left alive on the square except me.

The two vampires and Gray had vanished. He was hunting.

After a few seconds, the bone-piercing shriek of one of them, echoing through the streets, informed me of the fate that had befallen on them.

I stood there, warm blood that was not mine falling on the cobblestones beneath me and reaching my flesh through the many layers of clothing I was wearing.

Minutes felt like hours.

I saw a naked Gray as Igris calmly walk back next to me and take me by the hand.

She was holding jaws in her other hand and was even more covered in bowels and blood than I was.

She walked back towards the church, with me in toe, as I was way too out of it to stop her.

As I examined her more closely, she turned around to look back at me.

Her eyes were golden, and she gave me a wolf-like smile.

“You’ve been helpful. We shall reward you accordingly. Just a little more patience.”

That’s when I got my bearings back.

“Is that Gray or the Beast talking?”

She stopped, just in front of the entrance. Alik and Astarte were clearly still arguing inside, not interested in any way by what had happened outside.

“Both. The Beast is just…sharing.” I saw the hesitation, felt the growing unease.

“I’m so sorry, Gray.”

“What about?”

“I’m definitely traumatized, but you’ll hate yourself for all this so much more when it’s over. Please remember at least this, you had no other option.”

Gray/Beast blinked, then nodded at me.

We entered the church.

Both of the unnatural children stopped talking and watched as Gray threw the jaws at the feet of Alik.

“Stay here.” She ordered. She forced me to sit down on the furthest away of benches, not hiding her anxious look when she realized how drenched in blood I was.

It seemed the Beast could not hide her humanity completely, this was good.

I would obey, for now.

“Sure, I’ll wait for my prince to kill the dragon. This time. Next one, I’ll throw fireballs and everything, better not leave me on the sidelines again.”

Gray tilted her head in a very canine way. “Fireballs are a great firepower boost; it would be foolish of us not to accept.”

I raised an eyebrow. Was that the Beast being serious or Gray trolling me? I couldn’t be sure.

He didn’t wait for me to analyze him further though, as he turned around and walked towards Alik.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The Elder was patiently waiting.

Gray stopped at the second row of benches, and just pointed at the maimed vampire parts on the ground. “I did as I promised. If you continue with your worship of order, you shall be next.”

But Alik was not impressed in the least. “So? You’re a mage of nature? Something like that? Don’t think I haven’t heard the wolf outside. The only thing you’ve done is give me the right to destroy you. You’re proven to be the one killing Jeanne and her progeny, in a matter that disrupts the First Law. As regent of the North American territory, it is my duty to get rid of you.”

“You are wrong about her, Alik. A mage wouldn’t have survived my hit.” Astarte had lost her smile and was looking at Gray with great interest. She didn’t seem aggressive though, which, considering Gray almost broke my hand when she had seen her, should be good news.

“It does not matter what she truly is.” Alik removed the top of his tuxedo. The child like vampire had the upper body of an Olympian. Muscles were bulging out of everywhere, making him suddenly bigger than he really was.

“Go Licky Licky!” Astarte was encouraging the young vampire from the second floor.

He picked up the large altar behind him with one hand and threw it towards Gray.

She didn’t even bother dodging. The rock and wood broke all around her, and a cloud of dust surrounded her.

Alik didn’t wait, and disappeared from my view, only for me to see him emerge from the dust cloud where Gray had stood seconds prior.

“Above, Licky Licky.” Warned Astarte with amazement in her voice.

I watched as Gray’s form fell from the ceiling above, maybe thirty feet high.

How the hell had she…?

But thoughts about the feasibility and physical prowess needed had to wait, as the action was happening faster than my eyes could see. I had to guess most of it.

The Elder looked above him, and dodged Gray’s attack in the nick of time. Once again, dust and rocks flew everywhere.

The Elder came closer to me now, but he wasn’t noticing my presence, fortunately.

Gray had disappeared again.

“What the hell is happening, Astarte?”

“Dunno. Definitely not a mage though.” She seemed to have fun.

As he was looking around, his eyes fell on me.

“Come here.” The little vampire said menacingly.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” I informed him very matter of fact-ly.

“I think the girl is right, Licky Licky. And I like her.”

“I won’t hurt her, but I hate hide and seek.”

I began moving on my right, as the bench was blocking my back, but he was incredibly faster than me.

As his hand gripped my arm, I couldn’t stop a shriek of pain as he held it way harder than a child could have.

But then I stopped. His hand and part of his arm was still gripping me, but it wasn’t attached to the rest of his body. It fell on the floor.

Alik looked at his severed member with surprise.

I watched Gray, on the other side of the bench, licking her bloodied left hand.

“SO PREDICTABLE.” I shivered at her rough voice; it had been the Beast speaking this time for sure.

“You hid behind your friend?” Alik asked. A new hand had begun replacing his lost one already.

“She’s so tasty, everyone wants a piece of her. But she’s mine.”

Alik threw a punch towards her, but it was slower than before, as even I could see it.

Gray didn’t even dodge, and just took the blow on the cheek like it was a feather.

Alik couldn’t hide his shock, then, realizing something, he looked at his torso.

“I’ve got two hands.” Informed Gray.

I watched his torso as well. A hole, terrifyingly chirurgical in nature, had appeared around the middle of his chest. Gray took a bite out of a blackish piece of flesh in her other hand.

He fumbled back and fell on his belly. Dark blood flooded the stone ground underneath. He began crawling back towards the center of the church.

“Astarte!” He shouted.

Gray walked behind him, showing her naked body ostentatiously, flexing and enjoying what seemed like a perfect relaxing evening. “Impressive. You can survive without a heart.”

“ASTARTE!”

“What? I told you not to do it. A few centuries old, and you think you know everything already. You should have taken a step back when I said I didn’t know either, but NoOoO, you have the Law. Urgh.” Finally answered the supernatural teenager.

Gray began almost dancing, coming closer and closer to her prey.

“By bringing order you think to preserve the world. The only thing you preserve is unchanging violence, rules of destruction and stagnant water.” Gray put her foot on his back. She turned him around to face her. “You hurt Marie.”

“I wasn’t going to kill her.”

I saw doubt in Gray for a fraction of a second.

“You are an agent of Order.”

“The world needs order!”

“The world needs balance. Balance is the perfect amount of chaos. Order is unnecessary when you cherish death and life the same way. You are everlasting, but you do not change.”

I couldn’t do anything, or maybe I didn’t want to do anything. Gray would hate herself if she just finished someone so defenseless, but, wasn’t it necessary?

Gray lifted her right palm in the air, ready to strike. “What is the point of immortality if you never change?”

Before she could kill him, Astarte teleported right in front of her. Gray quickly stepped back, but Astarte’s hand gripped Gray’s jaw, and forced her on her knees.

“I’ve heard those words before.” The immortal said.

For the first time, I was fearful for Gray’s life. “Gray!” I shouted.

(Gray POV)

“Gray!” Shouted Marie.

The strength of the millennia old monster in front of me prevented me from moving adequately. I stood very still, waiting for the opportunity to break her grasp. At the same time, the anguished voice of my lover made me slowly emerge from the trance-like state I had been in.

“I’ve seen you before.” Astarte didn’t bother with Marie, only gazed upon my face. “Wasn’t there an Oracle in Nineveh that looked just like you?”

“So what? Never heard about doppelgangers?”

“Yes, I’ve heard of them. It’s a myth though, as in my now five thousand five hundred years of existence, never have I met one. So…”

She spoke in Assyrian. “I bought the rights to share your bed once. Do you remember that night?”

The memory forced itself to the surface, and I could not stop myself from reacting.

“Oh yes.” She spoke English again. “You’re the one. You were beautiful then, but nothing close to what you look like now. What can feel like a human, and still survive for five thousand years?”

Now.

I kicked Alik body under her, he grunted and hit her on the legs, making her lose her balance slightly. She eased her grasp, enough for me to jump back.

“What you’ve told me haunted me for centuries, Oracle of Chaos.” She seemed unfazed.

I looked at Marie, who was questioning me with her stare at what was currently being revealed but also showing me that expression of anguish and fear I hated to see so much.

“If I ask you to run away. Will you?” I asked of her.

“Never.” My best friend answered.

I stared back at Astarte. Her childish demeanor was gone. She was in deep thoughts, searching for long-ago memories.

“I don’t remember what I told you.” I told the girl that was once revered as a living god.

“I was tired of all the fuzz in Babylon, and I needed holidays. I was told by…I don’t remember who…that a beautiful Oracle gave so strange prophecies, even the grand priests couldn’t understand them. So, I came to Nineveh, and asked to meet you. How sad you looked. I wanted you. You resisted me, saying an Oracle needed to be pure. Or maybe that was another one, I don’t remember.”

“I didn’t want to touch your childish body.” The horrible scene went back in full, without Ray’s exterior point of view, the emotions would have overwhelmed me.

“Yes! That’s it! How ridiculous, I was considered quite the beauty in those times. How sad those changes about the age of consent. It adds some kink, I guess.”

I did not say anything.

“So, I can’t let you kill Licky Licky here.” She kicked him in the head as a way to point at him, which made him grunt once more. “And I want you again.”

“NO.” I swore.

“You can’t touch her.” Shouted Marie at the same time.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take you both. Then I’ll kill the Oracle.”

“Why?!” Marie asked.

“Don’t worry I said. You’ll be fine, you’re ‘protected’ after all. But she needs to go, her words were…”

“How futile is your way of life, claiming it is pleasure while it only brings boredom.” I said in Assyrian, then, in English. “Is that what I said?”

She gave me a furious look. “So, you remember now. Scratch what I said before, I’ll just kill you.”

She disappeared from view, but the Beast had taught me much already. Maybe it would be more correct to say he made me remember.

The faster they went, the harder it would be for them to dodge. My foot flew in the sky, I couldn’t see her, but I felt the changes in the air.

My heel struck her skull, but she did not fly away this time, grabbing my arm to stay in place.

Most of her face was broken, but it did not stop her. I took a punch in the gut, but I was forced to stay in place, and took a second hit on my chin.

My razor-sharp nails instinctively went to cut her neck, but it wasn’t deep enough to rip off her head.

I dodged her kick by moving forwards, but then she dodged mine by jumping on my shoulder.

Less than a second had passed.

She had let me go, so I took a bench, and threw it around. It flew and broke some of the lights. As I dodged some new strikes by pure instinct, I used an opportunity to break the remnants of light sources. The church went pitch black, except candles around the altar.

“Smart.” Approved Astarte.

She looked at me. We had taken a fair bit of distance now.

She smiled at me. I returned it.

She blinked. I was gone.

“Oh, very nice. Where did you learn that?”

“I HUNTED. NEVER HAVE I STOPPED LEARNING.”

“Magic? No. It’s way crazier than that. It’s just the perfect art.” Astarte was analyzing the situation with amusement now.

“Nothing is perfect. There is always better.” I countered.

“I have no idea where you are, I know you’re there, but it could be in front of me or behind, nothing gives it away. Guess I’ll just take the hit in the face…Or I’ll have a guess.”

She moved, once again looking like teleportation, right above Marie, exactly where I was.

I couldn’t dodge the kick and struck the ground hard.

Marie ducked down, but it was way too late. “What the hell!?”

“Trying to get away with her, weren’t you?” Astarte stood between me and Marie.

“Don’t touch her.” I warned.

“What? Of course not, don’t worry about that. I just want some fun, nothing more.”

Anger rose inside me. “Let’s get you some fun, then.”

Fifteen minutes.

For fifteen minutes, we battled it out.

Marie hid in a corner, but both I and Astarte protected her from the flying debris and avoided any fight close to her.

Maybe it was because of that, but after ten minutes, my anger settled down, and what was a death fight slowly transformed into a normal spar.

Whatever damage I did to her, she regenerated instantly, and even if every hit I took hurt like hell, I did not bleed.

“That’s…some…impressive defense you’ve got… here.” She panted.

“And…you’re…a…monster.”

“Thanks.”

I saw in her eyes she was ready to attack again. She had tells, old ones, that informed me where her next strike would come from. She feinted too, but I had analyzed her enough, soon…

“STOP IT.”

Marie was now in the middle of the church, looking like she had enough.

“This is clearly going nowhere, and you’re destroying one of my favorite parts of the city.”

Now that I looked around, it was a miracle the church was still erect, as half of its walls were gone.

“Erm, Marie, move, please? You know, crazy child monster.”

“Well, no. You may be crazy stronger than everyone else, but right now, you look like two junkies having a fit. As it is my job, I shall stop any such behavior.”

“I’m not a junkie. I’m basically a living god.” Astarte pointed out.

Marie turned around and just looked at her.

I saw Ana in that move.

“You’re a junkie. If you want me to call you the God of Junkies, Ass, be my guest.” She finally said.

“Erm.” Was Astarte’s only response.

“I’ve been in a corner for ages. I was scared at first. Now I’m furious. Freezing, blood all over me, now with a second layer of dust on it, becoming almost deaf because of all the fucking explosions going on everywhere. And for what? You want to rape, us, oh big god of Junkies?”

“Uh, No.” Astarte answered, now clearly confused as to what was happening.

“Good. Did you have your fun?”

“Erm, yes?”

“Good. Could I go take a shower, now? And I don’t know, you two continue your battle another time? In like two centuries when I’m long gone and dead?”

“I’ve had my fill for a while, I guess.”

“GOOD!” She turned to face me now.

At the same time, I heard sirens and blinking lights appearing behind me in the city square.

“You!” She didn’t seem to care.

“Yes?”

“How do you feel.”

“Erm. Horrible. I want to vomit. I was kicked hard, and I’ve got a killer headache.”

“Well, that’s too bad. Let’s go take a shower, I need relief.”

“Yes M’am.”

“Call me M’am once again…”

“Sorry Marie.”

I followed her outside.

Cops and strange black cars had invaded the location, ten or so men and women in police uniform, as well as some wearing military garbs, were coming to our position.

“Oh. What now!” Marie exclaimed.

“Hunters, I guess.” I told her.

“Do you think King is there?”

“Probably?” I answered hesitantly.

“PERFECT.” She didn’t seem that happy.

I was right, from the people coming towards us, King was one of them.

“Wait, lower your guns. Those are the humans that…” She shut up when she saw me naked, and both of us covered in blood.

“Are you two alright?”

“No.” Marie answered vehemently. “I want to go back home. Give us a lift back home.”

“Okay... Wait for a second, we need to check if you’re hurt.”

Before Marie could kill what was almost our friend, I intervened. “We’re fine, but Marie is well…in shock, if you want information, just talk to Astarte inside.”

“As…ta…rte?” The other hunters around us immediately ran towards the church, and some medical staff followed them with stretchers and first aid kits.

“Hunter, what the hell is happening here?”

An old man, with more weapons, blades, and grenades than clothing, came to meet us.

He had scars all over him and had no hair on his face or head.

“Sir, those are the two humans that were to be interrogated by the elder tonight.” She did not salute or anything, but by the tone of her voice, he was definitely the man in charge.

I would have liked to introduce myself, or at least make myself look like the most normal person in the world in front of him, but I was covered in blood, most of it around my mouth, naked, and more importantly, Marie was ready to burn the whole world to get inside warm water.

I could feel the air boiling around her as I was thinking about it.

“Sorry sir, I need to bring them back home. They need a shower. Astarte is supposedly involved.”

“Shit. Sure, go, I want their testimony ASAP though, got it?”

“Yes sir.”

“Let’s go talk with the old god, then.” He said as he left us.

King had officially saved the world.

“Thank you, Lieutenant.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s a miracle you’re still alive. And call me Lily, I’ve seen you naked now.” She gave me a wink.

Was she flirting with female me? No, she was trying to hide her nervousness.

“Are you flirting with my girlfriend?”

Uh oh.

“No, no, sorry Marie. You can call me Lily as well.” And she winked at her too.

Marie actually cracked a smile.

As it was the second time in a row she saved the world, Lily King was now my new hero.