Chapter 159: An Beast from Underworld

A soft rustling of leaves and chirping of birds stirred in the thick wood. Ahead, Alpha Lleus used his eyes to scan while he and Daisy continued to gather dry branches in preparation for campfires with fireworks. Yet, there was something clinging in the air, "You know," Daisy said binding some sticks together, "I could never have thought that you, out of all Alphas, would do such a lowly job as collecting firewood." Lleus chuckled and slung another thick log on the growing pile. "An Alpha must always be prepared, whatever comes, but we may need some extra warm for the night, anyhow, and besides, I had rather do something with my hands than sit, waiting.". Daisy nodded. Since he'd come out of the coma he'd been restless-do anything but sit. Clearly his mind wasn't straying too far away from. Meanwhile Viktor had gone off to get them something to eat with Alfonso; the two of them had vanished deeper into the woods an hour or two previously for a serious game. Just as Daisy would have reached for another log, a sudden explosion tore the quiet woods apart, sending the firm ground heaving beneath their feet. Another guttural roar rumbled far away between treetops, sending birds in panic to flight as their skying whorls joined the faint cries of the frightened villagers across the distance. In an instant, Lleus's head jerked upright, "That's not a normal animal," he said, his eyes narrowing. A shiver chased down Daisy's spine. "Something's off," she whispered very softly. Alpha Lleus dropped the firewood and took off running in the direction of the noise, Daisy running as hard as her little legs could carry her to keep up with the strides that stretched out before her; they finally arrived into the open outskirts of the village and on the farmland, where a bad scene was unfolding. Across the fields was such a monster creature, with a huge body of pointed shining black scales at least fifteen feet high; his taut muscles wrinkled. He had the head of a wolf but from those eyes looked positively fiendish; his lips lined with row upon row of pointed teeth. Farmers shrieked, running in every direction and scattering instruments and produce as the beast ripped through the field. He trenched heavy claws into the earth and left great furrows scarred into the ground. "By the Moon," Daisy breathed with terror. In another turn Lleus turned, changed in one second-full growl out It flung at him its terrible head, and the sound of bones rattling was terrible as it roared again. Instantly it let its razor-sharp claws fall upon him, yet happily he dodged to one side, dived down at its exposed flank beneath. Straight into it his big jaws champed deep down. He screamed in a circle and kicked out to either side, so that the violence with which he kicked sent Lleus flying across the heath. He got nimbly up and shook the game from him. A new opportunity gave way until with all his strength he hauled it at the creature. This time it struck the chest, which growled and took a step backwards, but did little except seem to make it much angrier. The red eyes fixed on her, then in one bound, it charged. "Daisy, move!" shouted Lleus. Jaws of the big beast tore through the air beside her, little time to move before they did; she rolled sideways, her heart pounding as earth cracked beside her from the weight of the impact. Lleus sprang at it once more, this time for its throat. His teeth closed over the vital spot in a powerful vice and, with a great twisting of his neck, he pulled sideways. There was a growl, chokingly, as the beast bucked wildly, yet Lleus held on, squeezed until he felt its resistance weaken. Finally, with one last vicious jerk, he tore out its throat. It let out a strangled, gurgling noise before falling to the ground, it's body twitching in the throes of death until it lay still. A thick black smoke oozed from it's wounds, like sulphur fume. Panting, Lleus stepped back and shifted to human form. A great heaviness weighted his chest as dark ichor coated his hands. Daisy ran to his side, wide-eyed in horror. "You… you killed it," she whispered. Lleus wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. "I had no choice," he muttered to the stilled body of the creature. Their heads jerked toward the running feet pounding the earth. Viktor and Alfonso burst into the clearing with arms to their sides, their furious scanning about. "What happened?" Viktor asked in a boom of voice while zeroing into the monster-like creature's corpse. Lleus blew out noisily. "That thing attacked those farmers," he said. "I had to put it down." Alfonso approached the beast warily, his boot jamming into its head. Across his face a shadow fell of something coming into view. "Look at this." He yanked its head forward, tugging back a fold of thick skin along the curve of its neck to display something that had been seared onto the raw meat beneath-sigil, or a corrupted rune, flickered dimly through it in tiny, hot prickles. Daisy's eyes went big round. "That… that's an underworld sigil." Lleus set his mouth, face expressionless. "Meaning that makes it deliberate." Viktor half turned to him; exchanged one wide-eyed look with Alfonso. "Ariadne." His tone dropped grave, measured. Lleus fisted his hands. "She's up to something," he growled. "Whatever it is, it's worst than we thought." Alfonso booted the dead beast. "Sending underworld creatures onto our lands? That is not a show of force-merely a message. She is preparing for something." Viktor nodded. "Which means we don't have much time." Lleus's back was to the creature now as he set his eyes to the horizon to come. His heart was racing more urgently than it ever had. "We need to find Reika," he said matter-of-factly, "more now than ever." Daisy laid a reassuring hand on his arm. "We will," she promised. "We won't stop until we do." Everybody nodded to each and every face at its height-but little did they know the game inside Ariadne's head. At least one thing was for sure: this was just the very beginning of something tragic.