Chapter 3

“Hello again my dear friends...” she walked up to the shelves filled with books and checked if anything was disturbed. This and other little things were just another precaution she put in place so that she wouldn’t be found. It was necessary she thought as she took out the most dangerous piece of literature she had ever held. It was a small book, not bound in leather but more an assortment of notes. Notes from her grandmother, or so she assumed. She has never met her and there was no name on the notes. There was a feeling though, a feeling saying she was right.

‘Bloodmagic...’ she didn’t even dare saying the word out loud, lest a ghost or shadow hear her. The notes described rituals, spells and the basics of the school of magic. A school that was more than frowned upon by the Empire...and all other kingdoms she was aware of too. It was fascinating to her though, combined with her knowledge of plants, herbs, medicine and different magical formations she learned from Jonathan and books he provided she was sure it would someday be possible for her to learn it. ‘Still no breakthrough though….’ she thought as she put back the notes. The notes she read so often now that she could write them on paper from her mind without thinking twice. She couldn’t bring herself to destroy them though...they held some connection, some memory to her family that she wouldn’t want to lose, even with all that has happened…

There were only five books remaining in the room that she hadn’t yet read. Two of them were on history and the other three simply stories of heroes fighting evil. She left those three for the end on purpose for they held the least interest to her. ‘Let’s start then...’ she thought as she took the history book she started already with her upstairs and went into the bed she first freshened up to read. The smiling girl read for a couple hours before sleep caught her exhausted body.

Eleonora shot up from the bed, covered in sweat breathing heavily. “Let the past be the past.” she whispered and calmed her breathing. She was about to go back to sleep before she heard people talking outside. She got up and sneaked to an open window. “Please help me mister...” a womans voice was heard, quivering and afraid. Elly raised her head and looked outside. A woman covered by bloodied rags was standing near one of the guards. He run to the woman trying to talk to her when the second guard came out of their assigned quarters.

“Don’t...” Elly whispered in shock. “DON’T!!!” the second guard yelled but it was too late. The woman suddenly grew hauntingly long nails and teeth and ripped apart the guard in front of her while laughing. Blood and pieces of the guard flew for meters and an eerie silence covered the night. Ellies eyes were fixed on the scene as a strange interest overcame her. She couldn’t look away as the second guard unsheathed his sword as he slowly backed away saying a prayer to whatever god he worshiped. He seemed experienced but one guard was likely not enough to stop a shape shifter. He moved back to a more open space while shouting. “WAKE UP!!!” he got into a defensive stance as the shape shifter ate what it could from the first guard it killed. “WAKE UP AND FLEE!!!” the guard shouted and movement started in parts of the village.

Elly and the guard both knew that once they fled there was only a small chance of them surviving. He was the defense against anything that would approach the village but once they left it everything that was prowling the forest would be their predator. They would need at least three hours to reach the city even if they ran. A guard was enough to easily dispatch everything living so close to the city, even magical beasts. A shape shifter was different though, they didn’t stay in their territory, all they wanted was kill and eat. The only thing stopping them was a group of trained warriors and even then they often experienced losses.

“SPREAD INTO GROUPS AND RUN TO THE CITY, LEAVE EVERYTHING BEHIND AND DON’T LOOK BACK!!! I WILL HOLD IT BACK AS LONG AS I CAN!!” the first people left their houses in a scramble, horrified by the prospect. They fled down the road after getting over the shock. Some simply stood there murmuring something to themselves. The shape shifter slowly stopped eating, its form of a woman now completely removed, two meters tall and twice as wide as a human. Terrifying teeth and claws were glinting in the moonlight. Its white skin shifted as it prepared to move.

Three brave men with swords and a spear came to the guards help. ‘Stupid, you will only hold him back...’ Elli thought from her spot in the small yet undiscovered hut. The guard closed his eyes “Mirana, goddess of light. Fill me with strength and courage...” he opened his eyes as power flared up, a glowing hue partially covering him “to banish what lays in the dark….” his eyes started to glow golden as he prepared for the shifters charge “to protect….” the shifter didn’t wait for him to finish, neither was it important. His power was already there and he was ready.

The shifter charged and the ground cracked where he jumped off. Blood filled the night as one of the men was instantly cut in two. The guard cut at the beast with incredible speed and power, the sword blurred to Eleonora’s eyes and the sound of it scratching against the skin of the monster made her cover her ears. The shifter hissed as it backed up and looked at the guard. A burning line appeared on its skin where the sword had touched it. ‘Not enough...’ thought Elly and so did the guard.

One of the men screamed as his pants filled with warm liquid and he ran. The guard couldn’t even shout before the beast was upon him, tearing his head off. Only two were remaining now. “The night is dark...” started the man “...yet here we stand.” finished the guard. And so they stood and the monster charged. It focused on the guard. As its claw ringed against his sword the remaining man stabbed his spear into its side. A swipe of its other claw destroyed both the spear and the mans torso. He went down without another sound. The guard was superior in technique, dodging the beast and striking in retaliation but his sword couldn’t cut deep enough. After another three hits the guard finally managed to cut deep, one leg of the beast nearly coming off. His sword was stuck though and he barely dodged as he let go of it to not be mauled by the beasts claws.

The beast hissed and removed the sword. It threw it away with its massive strength, the landing was neither seen nor heard by anyone present. The guard got to one of the swords on the ground in time to strike at the charging shifter, shattering it in the process. He blocked one of the beasts clawed hands with his arm, cutting deep but not through. “AAAAAAHHHHH!!!” he shouted as he plunged a dagger he had on his belt into the beasts face. It couldn’t pierce its skin. The beast closed its clawed hand around the guards neck and lifted him up.

A horrifying crunch resounded as it bit down on the mans head, killing him instantly. The silence returned and Elly watched on. Both scared and fascinated by the scene she just saw. Her legs were trembling and her heart was beating faster than it had in years. Her instincts took over as she moved a step back. In the silence of the night the beast turned to look at her. Their eyes met and Elly was overtaken with fear. She stumbled backwards as the beast charged towards the hut. She crawled on the ground behind the bed and tried to open the hatch to the secret cellar. It opened as the shifter reached the window and tore through the stone wall with its massive claws.

Eleonora fell into the hatch as it closed behind her, landing painfully on her back. She moved backwards to the wall while quietly sobbing “Please….Please...Please...Please...” her back hurt tremendously and one of her ankles seemed to be broken but the adrenaline overshadowed the pain. A warm feeling spread around her groin as the smell of piss filled the room. All her experience and training so far with both Mike, Jonathan, surviving in the woods….and her mother...changed the next seconds in a way that would lead to her survival.