MIKA POV:
The sounds were awful, I felt my stomach twist in knots as we approached. The sounds that the feline was making were like nothing I've ever heard. It was about as pleasant as nails on a chalkboard.
We advanced cautiously. I was up in the trees, bow at the ready, as they came into sight.
It was a bloody scene. There were about 6 males on the ground, some of them were mangled, others were covered in large black patches where they were poisoned. There were a few females on the ground too, mostly older, it looks like they took their own lives. All the bodies were feline; lions, tigers, and cheetahs.
We passed over the horrific scene, towards the grotesque noises. Some branches and bushes were mangled, with traces of blood and drag marks. We followed it.
The noises finally subsided as we closed in on the chimera. It had just climbed off a tiger female (in tiger form) who was bleeding from various wounds. White sticky liquid fell from the chimera where we was mounted on her and dripped from her lower body, which was bleeding.
It was clear what had just happened, and why the noises were so horrific. I felt my stomach drop at the sight. She had been bitten by the snake head on her left shoulder. She couldn't move or defend herself. The Chimera was at least 3x as big as her, even in her tiger form. She laid on the ground, still paralyzed, and seemed to be in shock.
I felt disgusted and angry. Bile rose in my stomach as intense emotions surged though me.
The snake head, which was watching the female on the ground, suddenly snapped up and looked right at me.
I gasped.
Damnit, I forgot to remain calm.
"Mika!" I heard Marshall yell from a distance off to the left.
The Chimera ran towards me, I quickly and shakily raised my bow and took aim. I fired my first arrow, which hit the lions back haunches (I was aiming for the snake). I moved as quick as I could as I prepped the second arrow. The chimera was big, and slightly wounded, which made it a little slower. Thankfully I should have time for one more arrow before he gets too close. I took aim at the snake's left eye and fired. This one hit the target.
The Chimera stopped and the snake head whipped around violently, trying to dislodge my arrow from it's eye. I took off through the trees, trying to put some distance between it and myself. I didn't get far when I heard Marshall jump on the Chimera.
I looked down and he was trying to bite off the snakes head again. I felt my breath catch in my chest as I remembered what happened last time. I quickly stopped running and readied my bow and arrow.
Ishi seemed to leap out of nowhere, like a crazed warrior, and landed with her spear dug into the chimera's upper back. It roared loudly and bucked, but she held on and kept driving her spear deeper, twisting it as she went - it was making very unsettling crackling noises.
Meanwhile Marshall was working his way though the snake's neck. He had to stop to spit out some venom, and was flung off by the wild bucking of the chimera. He ended up smashing against a nearby tree, landed with a loud thud and a yelp.
The snake head took aim at Ishi and I felt pure fury, like fire in my veins, erupt from me. I released my arrow at the snake's head before it could make a move on her. This did not ease my anger; I ended up yelling out as I rapidly fired arrows at the snake. My anger hit it's peak and little flames erupted from my fingertips, lighting the arrows on fire as I released them one after another - hitting my target perfectly every time.
Marshall was on the ground, looking for an opening. When my flaming arrows reined down on the snake like hellfire, he looked up at the tree where I was -dumbfounded.
I ran out of arrows faster then I thought I would. Which seemed to snap me out of my trance. The flames from my fingers died down and I took a look at the battle below.
Ishi had managed to pierce it's spine and paralyze it, the snake head was flailing wildly and Marshall was gnawing the rest of his way though the head of the snake to detach it.
Ishi, with great effort, removed her spear from it's upper back, and plunged it into the back of the chimera's upper neck with a loud crack.
I jumped down from the tree. "Are you guys okay? Did anyone get bitten?" I asked nervously.
"All good here." Ishi said, looking cool.
"Not a scratch." Marshall said as he limped over.
Ishi raised her eyebrow at him, as if to say, 'yeah, right.'
"Mika, you and I will attend to the tiger. The dog can skin our kill." Ishi said as she wrapped her arm around my shoulder and led me away. I looked back at Marshall who was looking at me like he was concerned. We will have to figure out what those flames were all about.
We walked over to the battered female who was laying on the ground in a daze. My heart ached for this poor girl, no one deserves what happened to her.
Ishi didn't seem the least bit bothered. She merely kicked the tiger to get it's attention.
"Is there a water source nearby?" She asked the tiger.
The tiger just stared at her blankly, still in shock.
Ishi growled, and I grabbed her arm before she could lose her temper. Ishi stopped and looked down at me.
I looked at the tigress and asked gently, "can you point to it? We need to clean your wounds."
She looked at me blankly as well, then her eyes rolled to the right, then back to me. I understood.
"Thank you." I said.
The tigress finally passed out.
Marshall made quick work of the chimera and came over carrying the packs. I ended up carrying those as Ishi recruited him to help carry the tigress to the pond, which wasn't exactly nearby.
It took us an hour to reach the pond. Ishi told us that we were just outside of the chimera territory and should be okay to rest for a while as long as someone stands guard.
I set up camp a little ways from the water and settled Marshall inside a tent. He was going to get some sleep while we took care of the tigress. He planned to take the first shift keeping guard while Ishi and I slept.
I joined Ishi over by the water. The Tigress must have transformed back to a human while she was passed out by the pond. She was a small framed girl who appeared to be no older than 18, with long black hair and thick lashes. I covered her with a towel. Ishi was nearby tossing rocks and sticks into the pond.
"When do you think she will wake up?" I asked Ishi.
"Soon." She said as she bent down and scooped some pond water into her drinking horn.
She carried the drink in her hand as we walked over to check on the girl. Ishi then tipped her cup upside down and poured the freezing water on the poor girl.
"ISHI!!" I grabbed her hand a little too late, she had already done the deed.
The girl was startled awake. She had huge orange eyes. She seemed frightened as she looked around.
"Sorry about that. You are safe here with us." I said to her as I grabbed the oversized towel and wrapped it around her more tightly.
She still didn't say a word, but I felt her relax a little in my arms. I stayed close, hoping it would offer her some comfort. She was avoiding our gazes, staring at the ground.
"You will be safe as long as you tell me what I want to know." Ishi commanded, in her most menacing voice.
"Ishi!" I was appalled at her behavior. This young girl has lived through things that no one should have to.
Ishi reached down and grabbed my arm, yanking me up and away from the scared girl.
"Don't play nursemaid to the enemy." She scolded me.
"Enemy? She's just a young girl!" I shot back.
"Yes, enemy. She was with that group the Chimera slaughtered. I bet she knows where our sisters are." She turned her menacing glare from me, towards the girl.
I was shocked. that thought didn't even cross my mind! I was so appalled by what happened to her that I didn't even stop to think about why she was out there. I turned my gaze towards her as well.
She started crying. Ishi threatened her, telling her that we would tie her to a tree in chimera territory if she didn't tell us everything. At Ishi's threat the girl started crying hysterically and threw herself at Ishi's feet, begging her not to do it.
"I'll you everything -sob- please, anything but that!" She cried.
Ishi kicked her away, "Then tell us what we want to know." She said coldly.
"I don't know much… we were heading to meet another group." She rubbed her eyes and started to calm down as she continued, "My mom was turned out from her tribe when I was a baby. She took me and wandered, we never settled down. She met a male named Hinkley, and he told her that he and her could be mates and she could join his tribe if we agreed to help them. My mom agreed before knowing all the details. We were already committed and on the way when she found out about the Chimera…."
"What was the job? And who were the people you were with?" Ishi asked.
"There were other females who were recruited just like us, we found it a little strange. The males were all tribesmen of Hinkley's, they didn't say much to us, he was the only one who talked to us. He never told me what tribe he was from, so all I really know is his name and that he is a tiger. Or was… a tiger…" She trailed off. "The job was to help them carry things that they were going to trade in a nearby city. However once we got into the Chimera territory, some of the girls went missing. We found out that they were tying them up in the woods for the monsters, leaving them like a crumb trail. When we found out, we tried to run away, but they stopped us. All of us girls fought back, but then the Chimera came… My mother and the mothers' of the other girls that had been sacrificed took their lives and urged me to do the same. I was too much of a coward, I didn't want to die… I ran, but it caught me… and.. it.." She started crying again, her body shaking with silent sobs.
"I'm so sorry…" I practically whispered.
Ishi seemed disgruntled and stormed off towards camp. I crouched down and tried to comfort the girl. When she finally stopped shaking I asked her name.
"Mallory." She replied.
"My name is Mika. I'll make sure to take care of you, so don't worry, okay? Maybe you should wash up in the pond, I can go get you some clothes to wear while you do that." I said in a calming voice.
She grabbed my hand when I went to stand up and sheepishly asked me, "Do you think.. Do you think I Have one of 'those' inside me now?" She choked out the last part.
I didn't know the answer to that. I want to be honest with her, since I would want someone to be honest with me.
"I'm not sure. Only time will tell. I will be by your side, no matter what." I patted her back comfortingly.
"Thank you." She said as more tears slipped from her eyes and down her face, "I'm glad to have met you."
"Go ahead and wash up, I'll give you a bit and come back with clean clothes." I said to her.
She nodded in response. I walked back to camp where Marshall and Ishi were arguing in low voices.
"Dumb dog! That could attract attention!" Ishi hissed.