The Dragon's Blood (Part 54)
In which defenses are constructed...
54
“Stay where you are,” Blackmoon whispered sharply at them, the clattering all around them growing louder and louder.
He left his shape-shifting weapon buried in the ground and began walking around the group of them, chanting beneath his breath. She heard his words, old ones that brought up strange images in her head, ancient memories of times long forgotten.
He walked a circle around them and as he did a strange green glow followed him, at first hovering behind him before settling down onto the ground and creating an odd luminous trail that surrounded them.
She resisted the urge to run out of that rapidly forming circle, one hand grabbing thugboy before he could sprint out himself. When he turned back to her, his eyes a mixture of fear and anger, she shook her head, no.
“Stay here, don't leave us.” She whispered, keeping her voice as steady as possible.
He did so, though she could see him tense and tight, ready to spring at a moment's notice.
The woman and her children stayed as well though her prayers grew louder as Blackmoon chanted his otherworldly spell-casting.
Blake only shook his head, keeping quiet for once. She knew there'd be trouble from him soon enough but how or when it would come, she could only guess.
After Blackmoon had finished and they were all enclosed within the green glowing circle, he entered and joined them.
He turned to her, though when he spoke it was to all of them, his voice sounded resigned. “Now listen to me and listen well. What I've constructed for you is a fairy circle. It is a protective shield that will keep you out of the reach of the creatures that have infested these tunnels.”
He paused to pull the dragon's head cane out of the ground, it's glow intensifying as he touched it, illuminating at least twenty of those shrimp things massing not thirty yards from them.
As a unit every last one of them but Blackmoon gasped. The mother practically dropped to her knees, bringing her kids down with her, clutching them tightly to her chest.
“I can't begin to tell you how what is happening all around us is occurring or even why, but I can tell you that I believe I can get you out of it and back up above. I will do this but you must heed my instructions.”
No one spoke up in dissent this time, each and every one of them nodded in agreement, albeit some faster than others.
“I will leave you now,” he continued, his arm going to the mother 's shoulder, holding her up gently but with great strength before she swooned at his announcement. “But you must not follow, at least not yet. You, all of you, must remain within the circle I've made for you. It will protect you from anything that would do you harm down here. You must remain in it and wait until I have returned. I will do so, be assured of it, when I have found a safe passage out of these tunnels. I don't believe I will be long but it may be long enough for some of you to begin to doubt that I will return. Please, even with these doubts, think of the children you have with you before you decide to take these matters into your own hands.”
“Those things,” he pointed at the clattering, chattering pincered things inching closer and closer, growing ever bolder by the second. “They are called Sahajin, and they are ancient horrors from the deep, not seen above water for centuries. They shouldn't be here. None of the creatures we've encountered down here should. The presence of any of them among mankind was forbidden by their masters long ago and their being here bodes nothing but ill omen to our world. If these creatures reach any of you, if you cross the circle, they will kill you, quickly and without mercy, of that be very certain.”
As if in answer to their name being spoken, the monsters became even louder, stumbling over each other in excitement, getting nearer and nearer to the glowing circle in the center of that abyss of darkness.
“Now,” he pulled his hand away from the woman, eliciting a strangled cry from her. “I must go before they surround the circle and I'll have no choice but to combat them.”
“But-- you can fight them,” the distraught, desperate woman gasped, her Latin accent heavy. “You can kill them like you did the …. vampires on the train...”
He shook his head sadly as he stood and walked to the edge of the circle. His blazing blue eyes locked on Lorelei's own, that same eerie connection still between them. Now she found herself wondering if she'd known this man before, perhaps long ago, as a child.
“Not even I can kill everything,” he said, his voice low and anguished.
And with that he stepped out of the circle.
End Part 54
If you find yourself interested in the whole damnedable thing and wanna throw me a few bucks, here's a link to it on Amazon.
Good story...resteemed
Thank you very much, sir. :-)