Chapter 12–Too late

In the heart of the snow-laden Woodlands, where the canopy of trees formed a white-roofed haven, a grim tableau unfolded. Stretching across the open field were rows of tall wooden pillars, covered in deep scratch marks and some cleaved in half, bearing witness to a fierce struggle. Beneath the snow lay a patch of grass, now as black as charcoal, marking the site where the boys had once clashed with the formidable Glacier bear.

At the centre of this scene stood Nico, Rico, and Banko, their figures silhouetted against the wintry landscape, while Elara knelt before them, parting the snow-covered ground. With a flinch, Elara uncovered the object of her search,the missing bow.

Elara: MY BABY!!

Elara's ears twitched with delight as she tenderly cradled her bow, her expression portraying a rare moment of unbridled joy. The boys, taken aback by this uncharacteristic display of emotion from their typically reserved mentor, watched in wide-eyed astonishment, their surprise palpable in the air.

Elara: Let's hurry up and get back home before it gets la-

Just as Elara was about to propose their return home, her words caught in her throat as her gaze shifted towards a colossal cloud of smoke billowing from the direction of the village.

Banko: Um…is smoke supposed to be that big?

Banko asked with tone showing concern

Elara: That cloud smoke…looks just like…

Elara's voice was barely a whisper as the memory of the female figure amidst the inferno of burning houses and charred corpses seared itself into her mind.

Elara: WE NEED TO GO BACK NOW!!

The boys: Y-yes ma'am!

The boys followed Elara's order, still puzzled by the strange smoke, as they hurried through the snowy trees towards the village.

…

The fiery glow from the burning village houses illuminates the face of the robed figure, unveiling its ghastly features. The figure is a male adult with green skin and jet-black nails, dressed in a drab grey robe. His eyes blaze orange, his ears pointy like those of elves, but without their elongation, and his teeth sport menacing fangs both above and below. His visage is grotesquely ugly, akin to a blobfish, leaving no doubt that he is far from human.

Overwhelmed by fear, the children remained silent, unable to muster a response to the hideous man's inquiry. Yet, the man misconstrued their silence as a tacit confirmation of his query.

Ugly man: Wait, it actually grips?

The ugly man laughed like a lunatic.

Ugly man: IT ACTUALLY GRIPS!!

With urgency driving them, Maximo and Romeo seized Gabriella's hands and bolted away from the grotesque man, their feet pounding against the ground in a desperate bid for safety. However, the ugly man made no move to pursue them, instead advancing slowly in their direction.

The children veered towards a narrow path between two burning wooden houses, hoping to use the flames as a barrier against their pursuer. Yet, their plan proved futile as a cloaked figure effortlessly traversed the fire, steadily closing in on them.

Forced to change course, the children darted towards another path, only to find it blocked by another cloaked figure. Before they could devise another escape, multiple cloaked figures encircled them, trapping them as the repugnant man drew nearer.

Ugly man: There's nowhere for you to RUN!!

As the man seized Gabriella's slender arm, pulling her closer, Maximo acted swiftly, releasing her and lunging towards the assailant. With a surge of adrenaline, Maximo delivered a forceful blow to the man's groin, aiming to incapacitate him and free Gabriella from his grasp.

Ugly man: GAH!!

Overwhelmed by the intense pain of Maximo's punch, the man crumpled to his knees, clutching his groin in agony. Seizing the chance, Romeo swiftly pulled Gabriella away from the incapacitated man, his grip firm as he propelled them both towards the gap between the encroaching cloaked figures, their only path to freedom.

Romeo: COME ON!!

Romeo called out to Maximo, who was trailing behind them.

Maximo: We need to find Rico and his friends when we get out!

Gabriella: Mmmh,mmmh

Gabriella nodded in agreement to Maximo's words, her voice ringing out in a high pitch from behind her closed lips.

As the cloaked figure observed the children's attempt to flee through the gap, they braced themselves to obstruct the path. However, they abruptly froze in place, becoming as rigid as stone, leaving Romeo perplexed by their sudden and peculiar behaviour.

Romeo: (What the-) Ugh!?

Romeo's head collided with an obstacle, causing him to tumble backward onto the ground. Wincing from the impact, he gingerly rubbed his head to alleviate the pain. As he glanced up, his eyes widened and his mouth fell open in astonishment at the sight of a towering figure with green skin looming before him. The figure gazed down at the children with piercing emerald eyes, casting a formidable presence.

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Tall figure: What's this?

Tall figure: Leroy, didn't I make myself clear?

The towering figure shifted their gaze towards the ugly man, addressing him as Leroy with an air of irritation. Their voice, though calm and collected, vibrated with an odd resonance through their oesophagus, a stark contrast to their intimidating appearance. Despite lacking a shirt, the figure exuded a powerful muscularity, unmistakably male, with tusks protruding from their mouth. Red rune-like tattoos adorned their body, adding to their imposing presence. Every strand of their hair was tightly pulled back into a ponytail, accentuating their formidable demeanour.

Leroy:Fine,fine I'll kill them.

Leroy advanced towards the children, his grip tightening around the ordinary battle axe handed to him by one of the cloaked figures. With a menacing glare, he raised his arm high, the blade of the axe glinting in the dim light as he prepared to strike at the helpless children.

As Leroy's axe descended towards Gabriella and Romeo, frozen with fear, Maximo sprang into action, hurling himself in front of them to shield them from the lethal blow. The axe cleaved through the upper half of Maximo's skull with sickening force, slicing his eyes in half and unleashing a torrent of blood as his severed skull, eyeballs, and brain matter scattered to the ground in a gruesome display of carnage.

Gabriella and Romeo instinctively turned their bodies to confront the source of the sudden push that had saved them from the axe's deadly trajectory.

Gabriella and Romeo's eyes widened in shock as they beheld the horrifying sight of their brother's lifeless body sprawled on the ground, the upper half of his head gruesomely absent, his eyes and brain matter mangled and covered in blood, a tragic testament to his selfless act of sacrifice.

Gabriella: MAXIMOOO!!

Tears streamed down Gabriella and Romeo's cheeks as they sobbed inconsolably, their anguished cries echoing through the air as they called out their brother's name. Leroy, unmoved by their grief, clicked his tongue in annoyance, determined to end their lives with a single swing of his axe. With a swift motion, he yanked the weapon from the ground, readying himself for another deadly strike.

Uncontrollably, Gabriella began crawling towards Maximo's lifeless body, driven by grief and desperation. Simultaneously, the towering figure raised his arm and directed it towards Maximo's corpse, a brilliant flash of light emanating from his palm. Reacting swiftly, Romeo lunged towards Gabriella, grabbing her hood and forcefully pulling her away from the figure's outstretched arm, shielding her from the impending danger.

In a selfless act to protect his sister, Romeo sacrificed himself, inadvertently placing himself directly in the path of the figure's arm. A scorching wave of fire erupted from the figure's palm, engulfing both Maximo's lifeless body and Romeo in flames. Romeo's agonized screams filled the air, but as the flames consumed him, his cries faded into an eerie silence, leaving behind only the crackling of the inferno.

Leroy: Hey!, that was my kill

Tall figure: It wasn't my fault, the kid jumped in front of me

Leroy and the tall figure engaged in a heated argument over the tragic demise of Romeo, their voices filled with tension and frustration. However, in an unexpected turn, they shared a moment of dark humor, jokingly referring to the incident as "killing two birds with one stone," their laughter tinged with a macabre sense of irony amidst the devastation surrounding them.

Gabriella: AH…AH…AAAAAAAAH!!!

Gabriella's anguish erupted into a severe mental breakdown, her screams piercing the air as she thrashed wildly. Aggressively, she clawed at her face, pulling at her hair in desperation, and pounded her head against the unforgiving ground with reckless abandon, consumed by overwhelming grief and despair.

Gabriella, her upper torso trembling with emotion, unleashed a primal scream into the dark expanse of the sky, her voice echoing with raw anguish and despair, a haunting lament to the cruel twists of fate that had befallen her and her loved ones.

Gabriella: MAMA!!

Gabriella: PAPA!!

Gabriella: RICO!!

Gabriella's sobs punctuated the air, her voice choked by hiccups as tears streamed down her cheeks, her grief palpable in every quivering breath.

Gabriella: Big..brother…

Gabriella: …Nicholas…help…me…

Enraged by Gabriella's emotional outburst, Leroy seized her by the hair, yanking her towards him with brutal force. In a desperate bid to defend herself, Gabriella sank her teeth into his hand, her actions driven by a primal instinct to resist her assailant's violent grasp.

Leroy: OW!!, YOU LITTLE B##CH!!

With a swift and powerful motion, Leroy raised his axe high into the air, aiming his strike with deadly precision at Gabriella's left arm, targeting the joint that connected it to her torso.

Gabriella: AAAAAAAHHH!!

Gabriella collapsed onto her back, writhing in agony as she rolled across the ground, her severed arm trailing behind her in a spray of blood. Her blood-curdling scream pierced the air, echoing with such intensity that its reverberations remained as loud as the original cry, echoing endlessly in the distance.

Gabriella's body and breathing began to slow down as her vision was also slowly fading as she watched the tall figure aim his palm at her. Suddenly-

With her strength waning and her vision fading, Gabriella strained to focus on the three silhouettes emerging from amidst the flames. Determined to see them clearly, she summoned the last ounce of her remaining strength, her eyes brimming with tears. With a small grin, she extended her right arm, palm open, towards the figures approaching from behind the tall figure, a silent plea for aid in her darkest hour.

Gabriella: My…knight…

As the wave of fire engulfed Gabriella's body, she did not scream in agony like Romeo. Her voice, already worn from screaming, had broken, but there was more to her silence than mere exhaustion.

Leroy: Who are they?

Confused by Leroy's question, the tall figure and the other cloaked figures in the vicinity turned their heads behind him, following his gaze to see who Leroy was addressing.

Behind the tall figure, amidst the grim scene of burnt corpses and flying embers from the blazing houses, stood Elara, Nico, and Banko, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief, with the exception of Rico.

With a visage consumed by unfathomable rage and an aura pulsating with unbridled killing intent, Rico's expression was a mask of fury. His teeth ground together audibly, his muscles tense and bulging as his fists clenched with such force that his knuckles turned white. Every sinew of his body seemed to strain against his skin, his sheer intensity palpable in the air around him.

Tall figure: What's this feeling?

As the tall figure's gaze fixed upon Rico, who stood resolutely at the centre with Elara, Banko, and Nico, a sense of dread gripped the tall figure's heart. Fear coursed through his veins, his body drenched in sweat, and his hands trembling uncontrollably. Despite his towering stature, he felt small and vulnerable in the face of Rico's overwhelming presence.

Tall figure: Why do I feel…

Tall figure: Like I'm standing before the devil in the flesh.

Chapter 12 ends.