A Hero With/Out Time

Chapter 6: My kidnapping. (Part 4)

"Follow my lead." The Hero stepped out from the shadows and I behind her. We were in full sight.

Faith noticed us first, "Y-you." She paused unsure and turned to her men, "Kill them!"

The Hero took a deep breath as I readied my bow. The first bandit came and with a simple motion she batted him away. The sight of his body flying through the air and crashing against the tables looked almost comical. The others froze.

"Stand down," the Hero gestured her blade towards them.

"Surround and shoot her you idiots!" Faith screamed and grabbed a crossbow from the ground. The bolt released but missed as the Hero dodged by simply moving her head. The other bandits however kicked into gear and began to fire at her. She stayed still, knocking them from the air with scary precision. It was clear she wasn't moving because of me behind her.

"I said stop!" the Hero let out her voice and stomped the ground. The floor shook and the clutter on the floor bounced. A pressure spread through the air.

"Don't be fooled. If you're captured here it's a life in prison or death. Fight for your lives and with everything you've got!" Faith rallied the bandits, playing on their fears as they began to yell in a strange fervour.

The Hero frowned as the bandits lunged at her. They attacked her in groups overcoming her with sheer numbers and slowly pushing her. The problem was she was holding back. If she wanted to, a single sweep of her sword might just kill them all. There was a clear hesitation to kill them in her eyes. I shot my bow and a bandit fell to the ground an arrow in his knee. Their attention turned to me as the Hero was pressed away.

I shot another arrow but I was never good at speed shooting. I was raised not to waste arrows and get it done in one shot. As the few bandits who targeted me charged I started to regret that teaching. I also began to regret not taking a sword before. One of them reached me. He was big, covered in dirt and had a shaggy beard. What chilled me however were his eyes. There was a bloodlust there mixed with panic and a half crazed will to live. I had never seen eyes like that up so close.

"Rain!" the Hero screamed my name. A burst of white light surrounded her and the bandits were flung away. She appeared in front of me as my assailant's blade fell and was knocked aside with ease. Seeing her and how she was really did make me feel insignificant.

"Screw this bitch!" a bandit yelled and rain off to the corner of the room. My eyes locked on to him as the Hero beat away the others. He was heading for the iron seal.

"Stop!" Faith called to him but the man was delirious. He grabbed hold of the mechanism and began to turn the iron gate up as it groaned and a light began to shine from the bars. Whatever was there I didn't want to know and immediately fired an arrow. It flew true and pierced his back knocking him to the floor. The gate which had risen a quarter of the way slammed back done and relief spread through me. Then the sound of it opening came once more. I looked up but the man was still on the ground. There was no one to open it, on this side at least. The gate was being opened from the inside. All of us in the room noticed it. A shadowed hand with white claws holding the bottom of the gate was forcing it up. The runes lit up and whatever was behind it screeched. The sound pierced my ears and forced me to the floor. Only the Hero stood unfazed. No, I was wrong, her hands was shaking.

Suddenly the iron bars split apart and from the darkness beyond something emerged. A cold assaulted my heart freezing my body motionless. The shadowed beast entered the room. It stood tall with long arms attached to overly large hands. Its head jittered with no clear shape but a single fade of light defined its mouth. It reminded me of a denizen of the night but was so much more. With an abrupt snap its head and neck flew down and the man I had shot earlier could only scream as he was eaten.