“Fear not the dark night my children. For this holy Saints Day, we will honor the sacrifices of our forebears. We will remember the effort that allowed us to prosper until now. We will supplant ourselves under Holy Astralis’s blessings for a peaceful and prosperous year. ”

- Father Gowan, Saints Day Prayer

She shrank back from the onslaught, her eyes taking in everything before she made her next move. The priest, guardsmen, and most of the civilian populace had been slain and the remainder crowded around the rubble strewn pulpit in a desperate attempt to beg for their life. Bloodied limbs, bodies and other half eaten parts lay strewn about as the abominations feasted, the dark knights striding forth casually as none could even harm the figures.

Mila’s sister had given her all in her charge, successfully lodging a stake into one of the knights. But, just as she remembered from her visions, the dark knight slammed her against the wall and a bloody pulp was all that remained of her courage.

Sophie had tried to seek the attention of the slender knight, but her attempts yielded little results as the other monsters kept getting in her way. Hence she had retreated with the crowd, hiding in the back and trying to go unnoticed. To her dismay, the dark knights merely gestured for more abominations to pour forth from the doorway. Hounds and other mutants surged forth, the blood still dripping from their mouths from their previous victims.

Anarchy reigned in mere moments, the crowd dispersing in all directions. Their futile efforts were rewarded by being torn to shreds, their bodies writhing in agony from the demonic onslaught. Sophie watched in morbid fascination, still hidden behind a large piece of rubble when a hefty pair of hands lifted her off her feet and chucked her forwards.

“Better you than me knife ears.” A large muscular man yelled.

In but a second all her planning had been for naught. She was thrown through the air and landed in front of a demon hound. Raising her arms in a desperate defence, she cried in pain as sharp teeth pierced through her skin and tore out the muscles from her left arm. Infernal pain wracked her body and she quickly swung her sword at the creature, her feeble attempt missing and earning her another bite to the shoulder.

She cried in agony and pushed herself away. Horror in her eyes as the hound happily chewed her arm whole. Knowing her time was running out, she turned to where she saw the dark knights were and dashed towards their direction. Her staggered steps and pained winces weren’t enough.

Gnarled pus covered hands restrained her, sending her smashing into the ground. She would have cried out in pain were it not for the horrific sight that greeted her. Bloodshot eyes stared hungrily at her, the many maws quivering in excitement at its next meal, its flesh writhing as it held her down. Releasing a roar of satisfaction, the many mouthed creature closed the distance and Sophie screamed.

Her right lung was the first to go, the many mouthed abomination sinking its sharp rotting teeth and ripping out a hefty chunk of her torso with it. The sight of her own innards being ripped asunder made her dizzy, a growing sense of revulsion building up within her. Another mouth violently tore into her leg, the bite alone almost completely knocking her out.

Pain was all that filled her mind, no disgust at the man who had thrown her, no plan to gauge the reaction of the dark knight, just pain. She wished for an end, for the entity to react. But salvation never came. Her own blood continued flowing out of her as the many mouthed creature tore more chunks out of her for its many mouths. Each bite shredding the sinewy muscles the flesh was once a part of, leaving behind lumpy bits of viscera barely clinging onto bone.

Pushing what little willpower she had left into her right arm, she thrust upwards. The seven mouths cried out in surprise, the occupied ones even taking the time to drop her fleshy bits from their jaws. The creature reeled backwards in an attempt to judge its victim and avoid more pain however superficial the damage had been. Taking advantage of the momentary opening, she closed her eyes and with what force remained, turned the blade around.

She jolted as it passed through her ribs, her own bones almost holding back the blow before she shattered them. Like cutting through a meaty slime, she winced in pain and disgust but thrust the blade further down, embedding it fully into her flesh. The air escaped from her sole blood filled lung and her hand could push no further.

Perhaps the creature was too surprised at the sudden attack followed by the abrupt switching of targets. Perhaps it understood the agony she experienced. Whatever the case it was hanging back cautiously, studying her every movement.

She twitched, unable to move herself any further but not dead, not enough. Her limbs had grown numb and her senses had long since been overwhelmed. She groaned quietly in despair, her gamble had failed. She was still alive and the monster was closing in once more. It saw that she was no longer armed or capable and she knew that it was ready to finish its meal. In terror, she gurgled out a soft whimper.

The soft plodding of fleshy squelching feet were the last thing she heard before her own screams joined the chorus of the dying.

“Agh! Ahhh! No! Stop! No more!” Sophie wailed, tears snaking their ways down her face. Her ragged panicked breathing slowed down as she carefully opened her eyes once more. “Enough…” She trembled quietly to herself.

Peaking out, she found herself on top of the tower, the sky turning red once again. Nervously, she patted where her body parts were missing and shivered with relief that they were all still attached.

Sweat dripped from her brow even though she knew the siege had already begun. Emotionally drained, and a little too physically shocked, it took a moment before she could brush herself off. Eventually Sophie clambered over to look over the city once again.

Siege demons launched their payloads, monsters tore through the innocents, talons jutting out of the ground, nothing new. She sighed and her shoulders sagged as she tried to contemplate what needed to be done. Hiding didn’t work, fighting is risky but plausible as long as I keep track of the other monsters. I could try to rally a defence but I doubt the people trust me. Remembering the flying monstrosities she quickly crawled into the tower interior before sitting down on the stairway, hoping she was out of sight enough that no demon would disturb her.

It wants me to train myself, that much I can understand. But what is the truth it wants me to see? Blood of blood, kin of kin, so something about kinship or family ties…maybe I have to save Mila’s family? Sophie furrowed her brow as she realized how daunting the challenge started to get. They didn’t trust me at first because who would trust an elf? She scoffed, besides that how do I get all three of them to safety? She lingered for a few more moments before reluctantly heading downstairs.

Chaos reigned in the streets as her rest had already taken longer than anticipated. A poor soul, crying for aid was having his insides devoured by what Sophie could only assume was a bloated bile covered werewolf creature with the man spilling out of its jaw. Spotting her, the young man cried out for her aid, alerting the werewolf thing to her position. To her relief, it merely glared before returning to consume its meal.

Sophie sprinted as fast as she could towards the church, the side streets already filling up with abominations. Guards and civilians made desperate last stands where they could and she yearned to help them but knew it would change nothing.

A few soldiers near the church spotted her approach and made to shoot her when what seemed to be the commanding officer quickly stopped them before waving for her to hurry. The man turned to slap at the door and Sophie finally saw what caused the screams outside the church. It was at that moment when the officer turned that an uncountable number of monstrosities burst forth from the nearby streets. A coordinated onslaught that marked the beginning of the end for the ones within the church.

Dashing behind a wall, she peered out to see little mutant goblins, elongated faces scarred and branded, thrown forwards like sacrificial fodder. This attack, the guards repelled easily enough, peppering the vile creatures with pike and shot. Then came the mutant abominations, stitched together like patchwork monsters, barrelling forwards as the guard recovered, smashing through the hastily set up palisades. Demon hounds hunted in their wake, surrounding the church and hunting any who dared to run using their teeth alone to tear through metal and flesh alike.

The officer it turns out was the armoured guardsmen she had seen collapse through the doorway. He turned around just as an abomination pierced him through the chest with its spear like arms, his face of surprise and pain visible even to Sophie. Blood poured forth from the wound only for the abomination to begin battering the man into a pulp with its spare arms. His temporary survival then hinged on one of his subordinates managing to light the abomination on fire using a nearby brazier, the creature reeling back to strike against the offending soldier just in time for the church door to open. Thus the officer would play his role and scare the denizens within.

Sophie had frozen in place watching events unfold, seeing the carnage before her very eyes and now unsure of how to get in the church. A rough clank behind her alerted her ears to the approach of the dark knights. In her panic she spun around and barely avoided the axe strike that smashed into the wall she stood in front of. She dropped to the floor at the sight of the horned knight standing over her, the impassive bringer of evil merely grunting when he pulled the axe from the wall.

She scrambled away the mountain of metal and sprinted for the sides of the church, hoping the majority of creatures would be too distracted by the guards to notice her passing. To her dismay, whilst the dark knight let her get away, one of the demon hounds spotted her and began racing in her direction. She pivoted just enough to avoid the massive jaw ready to snap into her, but not far enough for a stray claw to rake itself across her arm. She squirmed from the pain but wasted no time running away in the few moments it took for the creature to recover.

Seeing her chance, she sprinted towards a pile of fallen rubble and tried to use it to boost herself up one of the pillars outside the church. Though she succeeded in getting a grip, she was left dangling halfway off the ground when the hound caught up. Unwilling to allow its prey to escape, it lunged upwards sinking its teeth into her ankle, the pain nearly making her lose her grip.

Kicking and screaming curses, she felt her boot smash repeatedly into the creature’s face until a soft squishy pop was followed by an ear piercing wail. Her leg grew leagues lighter and she managed to pull herself up the pillar, her chest heaving from exertion and pain.

“Over there!” Something screeched and Sophie made the fatal mistake to follow the voice.

Her eyes landed back on the horned knight pointing up at her with one arm angled downwards. Before she could comprehend the knight’s stance her eyes managed to catch the flicker of a spear. She blinked back her surprise at the jolt her body felt when the spear pierced through her chest. Slightly confused she tried to avoid the next blow and felt her injured leg give way.

“Damn…” She murmured as she wobbled in place unsteadily.

Before she knew it the second projectile found its target and the ground was the last thing she saw.

Her head burst open with pain and Sophie nursed her still twitchy leg. She took in the sight of the city under siege once again and felt a pang of despair crawl its way into her heart. I don’t like dying very much, she whimpered to herself, but no response came.

In a sudden fury she bashed the bracelet against the marble floor of the tower. Her raged channeled into a powerful blow that only made her wrist sore as neither the tower nor the bracelet gave way.

“Fuck! The hells do you want from me anyways?! What am I even supposed to do?!” She screamed up at the heavens.

Silence greeted her and she remained resolute in her questioning, glaring at the sky even while she trembled from rage. She looked back down at the bracelet, no blue glow or even a peep in response.

The two shared a staring match long enough for her to continually grown more incensed with each passing moment. Her trembling evolved into a physical shaking that almost saw her smashing the bracelet repeatedly against the tower. The briefest moment of clarity had halted her however, and she chose to just send out rude thoughts on the off chance the entity reacted.

Time was not on her side however, and loud screeches echoing from above made her shoulders sag as she realised the two bird demons had spotted her. Defeat barely edged out anger within her body and she sighed from exhaustion. Unwilling to experience the pain of being torn apart once again she swallowed her fear and stepped off the tower’s ledge. I hate heights.