Assassin by Tiffany N. (notion reading list .TXT) 📖

dozen Demon Trackers, who were known throughout the Omega Organization to find and destroy nearly every safe haven there was in the West Continents, all clad in black, blood stained armor and mounted on Hell Pigs. Yes, they were called Hell Pigs. Most of you were probably imagining black fire-breathing horses with sharp teeth or something, but these giant moving sausages were bigger and a lot more intimidating. They also have an amazing sense of smell (just as strong as they smelled themselves).
In a blur of muscle and tusks, a loose Hell Pig charged, smacking full force into the side of Jordan's elephant. The two giants stumbled their way fast towards Jake. He rolled out of the way, just in time to avoid being stepped on. Sadly for Jake, one of the Demon Trackers spotted him and raised it's bow. The arrow whizzed past his face and impaled itself in a tree, which melted and turned into a puddle of acid a moment later. Jake took note in his head not to get hit by one of those.
While all Jake could do was dodge for his life, he was mostly worried for everyone else in the camp. It was his job, after all, to help evacuate everybody before it could get any uglier. As he looked around, he had spotted Mrs. Cooper herding most of the children like goats out into the safety of the secluded forest. That was good news. But what about everybody else?
"Thank God! A sign of life!" Jordan sighed.
Jake turned around to see him stumble up to him, battered and bruised, holding a club, but otherwise in good shape.
"Have you seen Marcy?"
Jake only looked at him blankly. "Who? And why is this your top priority at the moment?!"
Jordan rolled his eyes. "My elephant, who else? My pore Marcy is probably scared half to death and wandering... not knowing what to do!"
Jake didn't think that was the case, seeing how the elephant was fighting with that Hell Pig.
"Don't worry about... her, I guess I should call it. You're better off with me!"
A volley of the acid arrows started raining down, burning through boulders like cutting warm butter with a knife. The battlefield was now dotted black like a dalmatian dog's fur. Jake knocked aside some of the arrows with his sword and now it had broken in half because of the acid. Jason's club also had a hole going through his club about the size of a dime.
"I think you do have a point." Jason said.

Jake and Jason did their best not to attract attention to themselves. Jake ducked behind tent after tent, slowly making his way throughout the camp searching for anyone left behind. There was a loud moan from behind them and they whipped around. There was someone under the ruins of one of the fallen buildings.

The painful moaning was nearly inaudible from the crackling of fire, the cries of men and demon. “He… help… somebody… I can’t feel… my body…”

Jake glanced at Jason and he nodded without a word. They both took one end of the fallen rubble and started to dig furiously. “Hey! You in there! Don’t die on us, we’re coming to get you!” Jason called. Soon into their excavation, Jake was drenched sweat, his back hurt from carrying heavy rubble. The fire that raged made it hard for him to breathe properly. They both nearly collapsed when the last piece of rubble was removed, revealing a small boy with soft blond hair covered in dust and soot and his eyes looking rather heavy were a brilliant golden brown. Jake stood on his feet shakily and scooped up the kid gently. He was much lighter than he had expected. On the boy’s back was a long gash from his right shoulder to just above his left hip. It was no doubt that a Demon had inflicted this wound.

“We better get out of here fast. I don’t think anyone else is left in camp. Let’s head for the forest before the Trackers get bored with the solders and find us!” Jake said.

“It’s a miracle this kid didn’t die. Those stones were a pain in the ass to lift…” Jason complained. “But his injuries looks rather worry some.”

There were three explosive sounds in the distance almost like thunder. On the other side of the camp in the sky, Jake could make out the figures of the two Eagles tumbling in the air with another large creature with its scales colored a deep forest green. Even at that distance, he could see the creature unhinge its jaw and release a sound that resonated through the battle field, ringing in the soldiers’ ears and piercing their unsteady hearts. Despair hung above Jake and he felt like something was dragging him down, making him feel suddenly heavier.

“D-don’t listen! Cover your ears…! Now!” the boy struggled to move and his small hands clasped Jake’s ears. Jason instinctively did the same.

Something was off. Even with the boy’s hands covering his ears, it was impossible to block out every noise on the battlefield. But, all Jake could hear was silence. The heavy cloud that weighed him down was suddenly lifted. The creature in the sky snapped its jaw closed and its leathery wings thrust downwards, lifting it higher in the air. The two Eagles were pushed away by the powerful wings and they spiraled down to the earth. It went into a blind rage and frenzy, attacking everything, both human and demon. It seemed as if the Trackers had been drawn to face the creature as he could see the Hell Pigs galloping towards it.

The boy’s hands suddenly went limp and fell to his sides, swinging back and forth. “Hey! Kid! What happened? You ok?”

Jason went up to inspect the boy. “He’s unconscious. We have to get the forest now and take him to a doctor.”

They hauled themselves through the camp. It hasn’t even been half an hour, but the devastation was tremendous. It was painful for them to look at their home in shambles. Behind them they could hear the battle raging, but the solders cries became fainter and fainter. Jake took every fiber in him to not look. He knew they were losing.

“The heck was that green thing…?” Jason muttered. “God, its roar nearly split my head…”

“A demon possibly?” Jake suggested.

“But you saw it didn’t you? It was attacking the demons too.”

Jake thought as they dragged their feet through the rubble. “Then, it’s probably the Forest Guardian.”

Jason scowled. “You don’t really believe in those stories do you?”

Jake thought about the stories again that every Omega has heard of at least once. They say Guardians were nature spirits from the demon world that took physical form on Earth. They say if there was a disturbance in the peace kept in the land, they would incarnate into a beast with fearsome power, enough to destroy both human and a demon army. But no one has ever seen them before. Those who sighted them were usually gone mentally insane.

“… It’s possible though. At this point, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t believe.”

They reached the forest edge. The air was suddenly cleared from the smoke that clogged their lungs. A woman appeared before them and escorted them to where the others were. The camp residence resided inside a forest clearing. They worked rather fast, for the medical tents were already up and the injured had all been taken care of. Markus and the soldiers had not returned yet though. Jason patted Jake on the back and staggered off too look for Marcy. Jake carried the injured boy into one of the tents. The doctors took him in and that was the last Jake saw of him that day.

Jake sat down to rest leaning against a tree. He could no longer hear the sounds of battle in the distance. The fight was probably already over. Jake intended to wait for Markus, Bon and Lucky to return, but had instead started to nod off. His fatigue was greater than he imagined. Suddenly his bones began to ache and his body began to become stiff and sore.

“How can I think about sleeping when everyone else is fighting? Seriously, I’m not an old man yet…” Jake muttered and he slowly drifted off to sleep, darkness enveloped him comfortably.

Icy cold water ran from his head and down his back and Jake snapped awake, still under the same tree. He rubbed his eyes and glared up into the tree. Bon and Lucky were cracking up and nearly fell off of their branches; in their hands was a large empty tub that once held water.

Chapter 7: Marionette

-Coming Soon!-

Chapter 8: Reverie

-Coming Soon!-

Imprint

Text: Tiffany N.
Images: Tiffany N.
Publication Date: 12-27-2011

All Rights Reserved