Genesis 2.0 (Monster Apocalypse Survival) Sci-Fi/DarkFan/Horror

Chapter Forty-Three

"There is much you need to know, but now is not the time," Joe says from where he and Aeriel stopped. "Are you hungry? We are running low on supplies, but there is enough for you."

"I'm not hungry," I say. "I want answers. What other monsters are out there, waiting to devour us?" I need to know, and I'm going to drop the subject for another time. Normally I'd shrink under the grim glares of the Angel Triade, but not today.

"We'll tell you everything you need to know when we make camp," Joe says, his voice offering no chance for argument. "Now, let's get a move on."

Daniel nudges my arm and nods to the trail Joe and Aeriel leave behind. "I'll tell you if Joe doesn't, let's just get going." And he starts after them. Anger rises inside of me, how dare them drag me into this mess then leave me blindly following their every order. They need me, not the other way around. I'd survived fine on my own before Daniel showed up. Granted I had been tired of running and hiding. But this is ridiculous.

I grudgingly trudge through the ankle-deep sand, hoping it stays out of my more tender places this time, as a bath probably isn't in my near future. Disgusting—yes, avoidable—no, unless we happen upon a small cove or something.

Lost in my daydream about hot showers and fluffy towels, the attack catches me off-guard.

Aeriel and Joe are the first to engage, with Daniel quick in their heels. Ember appears in my hand, along with the scorpion-skin brace. My skin shivers in revulsion, but my eyes go to the enemy. They look like overgrown dogs. Their heads are massive in comparison to their bodies. Long, scrawny bellies embellish the sunk-in backbones, and none of them have any tails. Their teeth are long and sharp, able to tear a limb from body.

"What the heck are they?" I yell at Daniel and rush to join him.

"Were-jackals, stay back!" he yells back and moves to shelter me.

I skirt around him moments before his wings burst out. The longer we're together, the more I learn about him. I knew he'd try to protect me, no matter the cost to him or anyone else. I also knew he'd try to thrust his wings between me and the foray.

I snap back to the on-going battle by thrusting Ember into the open jaws of a beast coming right for me. It emits an ear-bursting yelp and backs off, but I'm not done with him yet. I give chase, following it off the beaten path and into the brush. Limbs and underbrush snag at my clothing and skin, but I ignore the small flares of pain. I never take my eyes from the beast's nubby tail.

We burst out into a small clearing and I stop short at coming face-to-face with an entire pack. Compared to the ones that attacked, I was looking at ten times that number, all lined up, waiting for me or someone. The front line is poised to spring, so I slowly back up. When one larger one snarls, flinging drool across the ground at my feet, I stop moving and cling to Ember for dear life.

Can I take them all on and survive? Why had I been an idiot and chased after the stupid thing in the first place? What had I been thinking?

"You were thinking that you could hold your own," Daniel says from behind me. "Don't move," he adds and presses his chest against my back. "Joe and Aeriel are coming up from behind them. Hopefully, we won't need to fight them."

"How can we not?" My arms start to shake from holding Ember outstretched.

"If we can get the alpha to shift, we may can talk our way out of this," he answers and his breath upon my neck calms my nerves.

Joe and Aeriel appear from the woods behind the jackals, and the largest one turns to study them.

"We wish you no harm this night," Joe calls softly. "May we seek counsel with the alpha?"

A green airy mist forms around the largest beast, then suddenly we're looking at a man. He's naked and I feel my cheeks heat. I look everywhere but there but it's so difficult not to glare. Like his beast form, his ribs stick out, his stomach sinks in and his arms are so small, I wondered how his beast form carries him. Toothpick thin legs complete his malnourished body.

"You come upon our lands and harm us, then wish to speak?" He asks in a guttural voice. "We've lived peacefully since the End, now a human and three angels come along. What do you want?"

"We just want to pass through your lands on our journey, you attacked us first," Joe says. 

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