Bound By Blood (20 page)

             
“Prophecy?” Samanthŕa's ears perked
as she
and
Kaléé hurried
towards the sacred circle of rocks marking the
Lycãons’ sacred
grounds
. Following the
Vlachŕa
's suit, she began
throwing kindling down
and
lighting it
with her mind
.
"
What
prophecy Kaléé ?"

             
"
The one I was to reveal tonight, to you, on Beal-Tene. But n
ot now. Now we need flame!" Kaléé
shouted to any who could hear.
Fire was their best chance. The light would frighten off the Nosophoros.
The fire from
the Drągýn
’s mouth lit the entire area, yet for
this
reason,
the women wanted even more light. More fire.

             
"Kaléé! What Prophecy do you speak of?"

             
“Not now child, not now
,
” Kaléé told her while ordering the others to bring more kindling.

             
Lycãons
leaped
from the dark exterior trees
,
Their eyes were
th
ose
of the wolf and glowed intensely a
gain
st the dark.
Some burned gold while some burned silver.
The storm crashed overhead
and
from the
murky
outlandish
clouds,
moisture began to fall. Their eyes glanced upward in confusion. Rain
?

             
“Impossible.
No electrical
storm of power makes rain!
”
Kaléé
hissed.

             
“We are not dealing with the same storm
,
”
Samanthŕa
reminded her. She became sick with worry. Neither of them could taste the imprint of the one conjuring the
storm but they knew deep inside that it was different from the source working the first one
.
A
s if it was on the tip of their tongues
,
yet they could not name it, speak
it,
or even completely think of it.
This was dangerous because what could not be named could not be destroyed or attacked.

             
Before their hearts could cla
mo
r against the lightning and brutal winds
,
and now rain
, the first pack of Nosophoros was upon them. They paced the shadows
far
away from the fires like hungry rabid
dogs
. Everyone turned and froze, realizing what was circling them from the shadows of the forests edge.

             
Fear
.
             

~
Chapter 6
~

When the Blood C
alls
. . .

***

Will you answer? Will you see?

Will your true nature rise up and embrace me?

Will you ascend or will you descend?

This is just the beginning of a long desired end.

***

             
“
T
he rain will kill the flames!
”
Someone
amongst the faces of flesh and wolf,
yelled
.
             

             
"Our enemy is very clever, indeed." Kaléé noted, her silver gaze blazing through the Priestess. "Without light, the Nosophoros is free to attack."

             
"Then we must
not
give in to darkness."
Samanthŕa
ordered, “Every one of magic and gift join me! We must use our power to keep the fires strong against the rain!”
She turned to Kaléé with haste. “They will go for the weaker ones first.
"

             
"
The Phãegens
," the
Vlachŕa
noted.

             
"They
will
not
stand a chance. Our warriors who can fight must ma
ke a circle and put the Moppães
in the middle of us. Keep
them
near
est to
the fire.”

             
“
Samanthŕa
,
what
is going on?”
Sameŕald
came running with
Dezarãe
and the rest of their sisters. Poor
Keysãe
and
Jezaŕah
were clinging to her in fear. Both were soaked
from the rain
.
The emotions of
Morrgãyne
and
Samaŕah
rippled with confusion.
Dǒntáe
and
other warriors from scattered bloodlines
were not far behind.
Wolves were everywhere.

             
But more importantly, the bleak heavy blackness devouring the light was reaching ever so closer from the forest's deep. And from that horrific blanket of terror, the Nosophoros were free to come closer.

             
“
Prepare yourselves!
In a circle now! Inside the stones!
”
Kaléé
shouted
,
just as a faceless body was snatched from the running crowd and dragged off into the dark
ness. They could hear the faded
sounds of the
being’s
agonizing screams while the blood soiled the air on the fingers of the wind
.

             
Kaléé reached
for the
sisters,
joining hands with the Priestess
,
while others gathered close for the ritual.

             
Samanthŕa’s
mind was sharp
,
causing her to come to
a very frightening realization. She broke free from
Kaléé’s
circle long enough to grab
Dǒntáe
before he could hurry away.
“
G
ather whatever warriors are sober enough to stand and go with
Rameŕas
. If we can’t keep the fires
burning, we are going to have trouble.
Keep the Phãegens from panicking and straying off. The Nosophoros will pick them off one by one if they can.
We know not what will happen if a Phãegen  is bitten or how quickly they can be turned.
”
Samanthŕa
shouted
over the noise.

             
"You think they can be turned to something more unthinkable?" He raised a disgusted brow.

             
"I know not! I know nothing this night. I just know we need to prepare for anything!"
             
She stood up on her
tiptoes
still not matching his height but enough for him to see her eyes. In a low but stern
voice,
“If these fires die then there will be nothing to keep
away
those things in the forest. Understand? I refuse to let any of my blood be a meal to those hideous
abominations
.”

             
“I swear on the warrior within
,
my
P
riestess, none of ours shall fall
.
”
H
is voice was deep with determination
.
This was good enough for her so she
let go of him. She had to make sure he was in the correct frame of mind to face what was about to come.
Dǒntáe
was one of the experienced warriors. Only he could inspire the other warriors,
sober or
drunk, young or not, to face what was ahead. Many of the warriors
with them
were young and had never tasted a battle yet. She had faith in
Dǒntáe,
though
;
he would make them treacherous
in a matter of seconds
.  

             
Samanthŕa
rejoined the circle and looked up towards the stormy skies.
The more clouds that formed, the more of their fog unfurled towards the ground, and the more of that which came, the more distance the Nosophoros were able to move.

             
So many questions she had concerning this night and all that had happened so far would have to wait. She had fire to summon now. Her eyes closed. Her
sacred
words joined with those
of power
who stood beside her:

“
Fire and flame
,

Fierce
and untamed!

Bring forth your furies unto the night!

Ember and ash!

Show us your wrath!

Let nothing weaken your imperious light.

Water falls by
your enemy
's call
.

A challenge you must rise and meet.

Join with air, moisture beware.

And l
ay our enemies at our feet.
”

             
Their power
rose up in the form of smoky red light and
unleashed itself and its vehemence. The winds came to an abrupt stop as the flames began to swallow them up before they could sweep across the land. Heat lightning flashed murderously and the
only sound they heard was the C
reatures struggling to find more darkness
, retreating
. The fires of the circle began to rise forty feet or more.
Samanthŕa
and the other women looked at each other and began to melt with relief
.

             
But it was too soon to celebrate. All at
once,
their power ceased just as abruptly as it began. The rains dumped down upon them like someone tipping a
gigantic
bucket. The fires
fought to
strengthe
n
their fury against the rain
,
but it was
of
no use. The waters from the sky were to
o
strong and suddenly it became apparent that the hand of power which claimed the new storm had power over
them
as well
. Someone or something was aiding the Nosophoros
,
just as it took
Samanthŕa’s
power
before when she fled the T
avern and had her first confrontation in the forest.
What in all of
Hadãe
had the power to organize th
es
e uncontrollable C
reatures?

             
Answers to such mysteries would only come too late . . . .

             
In massive
numbers,
the Nosophoros began to leap across the dying flames.
Lycãons
giant in size
,
caught
the unholy things in mid air by the throats as
paws touched ground and
t
hey tore and shook them without mercy
. With hard clashes
of warrior or wolf, they collided
as the creature’s vicious screams and cries shattered their ears. They were careful not to draw
and swallow
the Nosophoros blood. The
ir
blood was like acid.
Instead,
they shook them until they broke their necks. Their necks were a weakness.
Some Lycãons bit to
o
deeply, falling to their
backsides
--
shaking fur and teeth to rid themselves of the acid that
tried to
destroy their mouths. Their ability to heal raced against the speedy, destructive
e
ffects of the blood.
If they could heal . . .
if
. . . .