Kayla Grey stood with the men here. She was used to being out numbered with the male populace when she came to help fight. They heard the sounds inside starting to die as most had left. They were on the north side of the building and the world was silent. Just a dark grey and black. It was hard to see but not impossible. This weather would give the demons the upper hand.
She glanced at the one named Savon. He set off her alarms instantly only because he was different. He wasn't a normal human, but she'd seen that Drake trusted him enough to leave him behind to help the others. That said a lot.
Drake was well known for leading this group. Out of all the rebel groups his had lost the least amount of lives over the past twenty some years. Less than the others, she wondered about this man that she'd heard rumors about.
He was an imposing figure, she didn't think that he'd moved since they'd come out here. He was a statue, his eyes... they sent a shiver down your spine. They were an emerald green with a dark ring around the outside and seemed to glow. He held himself with ease, and a very "fuck off" attitude. He turned his head and looked at her.
"Can I help you with something?" He said to her, no emotion on his face at the moment. His tone wasn't friendly either, okay then. Clearly an attitude.
"No, I'm fine why?" She asked. That seemed out of the blue.
"Staring isn't polite." He answered, his tone was deeper. Eerie sounding. Not quite the same as when he'd been inside. Clearly he was one to speak his mind.
"I wasn't staring." She said. He looked at her for a moment and she almost wanted to take a step back but didn't.
"Lying isn't a very becoming thing."
"I didn't mean to stare." She said correcting herself.
"Better." She felt annoyed at his tone. Like he was dealing with a peasant or something.
"Neither is being rude." She commented. There was a slight sound not far away and they all pulled their weapons. She saw the small smirk on his face like he found something humorous. She decided right there that she didn't like this man.
"Two there." He said in barely a whisper. "Three straight ahead." There was a rush of wind as something passed over head. They all moved and waited taking cover. Above them was going to be the problem.
The fist attack came from straight ahead and it was Cameron that went at it with the grotesque looking creature. It looked like a malformed human with horrible blemishes all over its skin. There was no flesh over the teeth. Just jagged things to look at with black eyes. It was completely hairless, it moved fast and had knife like claws.
After that it was a flurry of movement as the others came in and attacked. Savon watched the shadows waiting for when the demon would appear. He saw it after a few minutes moving fast along the building. It looked like liquid to the naked eye, but to him it looked like a solid silhouette running there.
He cut it off before it could get Todd in the back. It hissed, red eyes glowing in anger. It wouldn't have gotten Todd right away. It would have to wear down the amulet he wore, but eventually it would get to him. Right now it had to deal with Savon. Someone it couldn't sneak attack over and over.
It came at him fast, faster than any human could possibly move. Savon was far better than this thing. He was quicker than the shadow demon and brought one blade down swiping it across the thing's back. It let out a screech and when it bent back slightly from the pain. Savon got it in the neck, hitting hard and taking it's head. His weapons special to cut the shadow demon.
It was satisfying killing it, but he didn't let the euphoria of it get to him. He dropped to the ground as claws raked where he'd been. The flying demon aiming for him. It was brown in color with two wings, a long slender body and tail. It had claw like hands up front and solid hind legs that could cause just as much damage as the front. It's teeth hooked over both the top and bottom jaw.
Through the air it turned and then went straight up disappearing for a minute, he didn't know where it went. He could feel it circling above, trying to make a decision. He moved forward and went to Todd who was having a problem with the demon he was fighting. It was stronger than normal.
"Down!" Kayla shouted not far from them and they dropped as the flier dropped out of the sky. It closed it's mouth where Todd had been, but got the other demon instead. It was dead by the time it hit the ground.
Now that they had more than the demons' numbers, they were quick to get rid of the other three soldier demons. They were all pressed to the wall of the building looking up. They could hear the flapping of wings.
"Have an idea?" Cameron asked.
"We have to get it to land." Savon said.
"How would you like us to do that?" Neil asked snidely.
"You could run out there, play bait." Savon suggested glancing over at him.
"Fuck you." Savon didn't react to the words. He just turned and grabbed one of the demons that lay dead.
"Grab the other two." He said and they moved to grab the bodies and quickly tossed them out a ways. Stacked on each other haphazardly and Savon shook his head.
"We need blood, someone needs to put fresh blood on them. Demon blood won't call as much as human."
"Why don't you do it?" Cameron asked.
"My blood isn't normal. It'll leave if it knows I'm here. You want it to go back and report?" He said.
"I have an idea." Kayla said and disappeared. They heard the flapping overhead. The thing was circling waiting for movement. Kayla came back a moment later handing bloody clothes and rags from inside. These from the injured.
"This will work." Savon said.
"Ready to shoot it the second that it lands." He ran for the pile tossing the shirts down. He stood there and looked up, he gave a shout. There was a screech and it nose dived toward him. He moved faster than the others could track and the thing flared out its wings slowing. Not knowing where he went so fast.
It looked at the pile and its nose flared, there was nothing more appealing to this creature than fresh meat. It dropped to the ground looking around and opened its massive jaws. It was going to just take one of the bodies and eat it as it took off. Not exactly the brightest creature, not capable of super complex thoughts and decisions.
However the moment it landed its fate was sealed. Shots rang out as it was hit with bullets. It made a horrible sound as it fell over and thrashed on the ground. Savon ran toward it as did Todd and Cameron. They made quick work of it, hitting it in the neck with their weapons to kill it.
"Come on, we have to move fast before more show." Neil said and they ran to the vehicle. It was a truck that was left and they climbed in the back as there wasn't much room in the cab. Savon thought to just run but took the ride instead this time. He glanced back through the fog for a moment just in thought. As he felt nothing at the moment he let his acolyte subside. His eyes growing darker.
"Which one are we going too?" Pat asked through the back window to Neil who was driving. The ground was bumpy but no one complained at the speed with which they drove.
"To Harper's." He called back to Pat and the others who nodded. The only one that didn't know where that was, was Kayla. She was part of a different group that moved around and fought. They were rogue groups of humans that fought the demons.
It was a very hard battle to win and they had to get to the head of the snake which was even harder. So they went after his limbs instead. He hadn't managed to open any other major gates or pathways to let others through. Just small rituals here and there to let lesser beings through.
"Hand up the med kit." Leo said and Cameron handed it through the window. Leo had a horrible slash up his left leg. A few of the others had wounds as well. They hadn't seen Leo's until he moved his pant leg. Savon looked at it, he thought that he smelled blood, it called to him.
"Want help?" Kayla asked him.
"Sure." He said and she scooted over and helped clean out the wound. "We'll just wrap it, can't do stitching with the bumpy road." She said with a smile.
"Yeah, I'd prefer to not be moving for that." Savon watched her move. She had quick sure movements as she worked on Leo.
"Feel anything?" Todd asked from where he sat. Savon took his gaze from Kayla and looked at him. He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes growing brighter for a moment.
"Yes," he said after a moment, like he had trouble for a second. "but nothing is following us. They are back there. The distance from them is growing, nothing to worry about." He said turning forward, and looking at the cab of the truck as he sat near the tail gate.
"Why do your eyes change color?" Kayla asked and it grew very quiet around them. The others looking at Savon just waiting. She looked around them for a moment.
"Was that the wrong thing to ask?" She said unsure. Everyone noticed, no one commented on it, or flat out asked him. Most just figured he wouldn't answer. Sometimes it was easier to pretend you didn't notice.
"They just do. I'm not normal as they will gladly tell you." He said gesturing to the others.
"He's possessed." Pat said and Savon just looked at him with annoyance. He was far from some weak demon that couldn't have a body of it's own.
"Possessed?" She asked looking at him and had the same look as the others. A "why is he with us?" look.
"I'm not possessed, did you see my eyes go black?" He asked the others.
"They don't just have to turn black." Leo said.
"But if he was possessed they would change a solid color. You always see the whites of his eyes." Todd said. Savon looked at him, glad someone paid attention.
"That's true." Kayla said. "They just do?" She asked him.
"Please enlighten us as to why they change color. You never answer questions. How do we trust you if we don't know what you are?" Leo asked.
"Because helping you and saving your life doesn't count?" Savon asked. What they say doesn't really matter, in the end you will be left and they will be dead.
'What a wonderful thought.' Savon said to himself sarcastically.
"I've already told you. I'm half acolyte." He said.
"Because we all know what that is." Leo said.
"It's what Astor calls himself." Kayla said looking at him. Savon smiled and pointed at her.
"Very good. Most don't seem to remember that."
"What is an acolyte?" Todd asked, "What's the difference really? Not to be rude." Savon looked at him and gave a sigh. Savon gave a shrug as well.
"Tell me what a human is." He responded. "Besides a being that lives and breathes air." They looked at him, no one really having an answer for that.
"But there is something else in you." Pat said. Savon just looked at him. He wasn't going to have a heart to heart with this man about who and what he was. It would just be wasted energy and they'd just really believe him possessed then.
He looked away from them and it grew quiet, no one really speaking. Savon shifted slightly leaning forward and staring at the bed of the truck. He kept his head down because he knew his eyes had changed involuntarily. The marking on his body was burning, shifting slightly. This had happened before, but unlike then he dealt with the pain quietly not making a sound outwardly.
It burned, like someone was trying to rip it from his skin. They couldn't of course. His acolyte was part of him, belonged to him like he did it. Was born and had it seared to his soul shortly after. He knew who was calling to him. He ignored it, shut that pathway down long ago. He was stronger now. He wasn't going to be owned and with each year that passed Astor's hold on him would slip that much more.
Savon looked over his shoulder back the way that they came. Savon wasn't going to be caught. Astor misjudged him from the moment that he'd come into this world. Now he was paying dearly for it. However Savon wasn't out of the woods yet, he'd have his hands full if Astor came for him before he was ready.