Heroes and Wolves [book 1]

Chapter twenty-nine

Layla

The monster towers above me, with defined muscles, a large head and overgrown long black hair. Pointed claws come from each long slim finger - the sharpness of which is the same for its canines which are held in a protruding narrowing mouth. 

     "You are alone aren't you Layla?" The voice sounds again and I realise its coming from the monster.

     "You can talk!" 

     "Oh, my dear Layla, I can do more than that" the beast kneels and I back away by digging my feet into the dirt and pushing off to create more distance between us but this progress is completely diminished when the Monster just takes one step forward with its large, animalistic, feet. "Only sprained your wrist. Lucky because I could easily make you immobile. You're so afraid. I can smell your fear and your heart is racing wildly" The dark animal looks at me, red eyes burn into my green and I cannot move, though I realise that this is the first time I have met the monster face to face and I know that they have many advantages over me with my height, muscle well, most likely everything about me, however, there is one thing that I am and the monster isn't. 

I am a Guardian Angel.

I look down at my angel but horror spikes through me as it's not there. It's not on my wrist? 

     "You have nothing to protect you now, NOTHING!" I am knocked onto the ground by the monster and my hands are pinned with one of their massive own. The pressure applied to them causes me to scream from discomfort but the monster doesn't let go.

The lip of the monster's mouth curls upward, showing teeth as their head dips down to my stomach and an unbearable throbbing pain suddenly emits from my right side. The pain from my wrist is overshadowed by this unbearable feeling. A burning ache rises from my side and the cool air of the forest doesn't soothe it at all.

The monster stands and looms over me. Blood is dripping from their mouth. My blood. I was bitten by the monster.

     "Now I want you to see this" the monster chuckles and backs away into the dark of the trees. 

The sound of crackles and pops echo around the woods. The crunches and snaps continue until they change into loud vicious growls that lower in volume until grunts and heavy breaths are all that I can hear. All this change in a matter of seconds.

"I'm still here you know" In my pain ridden-mind, I am assuming it's the monster, but when I repeat the voice in my head, it sounds different. It's still low, gravelly but it's not mixed with darkness with an underline vicious tone. I oddly recognise it too.

"Show yourself!" I manage to crawl to a tree and lean against it. 

The searing pain still ruptures everywhere around my body and my vision has started to blur in and out of focus. The forest grows silent as I mentally prepare myself for wherever the monster will show from. I would physically prepare myself as well but I am in pain.

Two red orbs of light show in the dark in front of me but they soon disappear as my gaze locks onto the sight of a lean, thin silhouette in the distance. My fluctuating blurred vision isn't helping the situation of seeing definite outlines of shapes because it almost gives the impression of a person standing there but why would a person be out in the Folklore woods?

The silhouette moves and the someone or something to be honest as I really don't know who or what is creating this, but it steps out from the trees. 

The rays of moonlight are broken and staggered through the thick branches of these woods. This light might be limited but each shine helps to highlight a different feature of whoever is walking towards me. 

Dark curly hair bounces with every step and their lips are curled into a smirk. I have an odd feeling of familiarity with them like I have seen them before. I could almost say I recognise them. Just like I did with their voice. 

With rounded shoulders and a pace that's constant towards me, when sparking blue eyes greet mine, I'm glad my vision clears but I'm surprised because it's Maylock. 

Maylock?

     "Maylock? Why are you in the Folklore woods?" I manage to thread a question together through my pain as he approaches me.

I think nothing of it until he grabs me by both my shoulders making a sharp and intense pain come from it as I am lifted up off the tree and then slammed back into it making bark scatter on me and the floor.

     "Maylock! What do you think you are doing?" I scratch his arms to try and make him release me from his sudden hold but it doesn't work.

He pushes me further into the bark. I'm completely pinned by his hand on my chest. 

     "Stop this Maylock. Get off me"

     "You really haven't worked it out yet have you? Shall I give you a clue?" He closes his eyes and opens them soon after. His iris is glowing bright red. Red! He produces a thunderous growl which shows sharp canines within his mouth.

"No! It can't be you! This isn't real!" Maylock couldn't possibly be the monster of Folklore.

He smirks as his devilish eyes diminish and his canines shorten back to human size but he is not human, he is a monster.

After all this time it's been Maylock! The monster of Folklore is Maylock! No wonder he came when I was scratched, he was the one who did it! I am so angry at him and myself that I have put trust into this man. I could have died when I lost control while flying! I could have died being put into that fight with the mavlins. He made me go to the city without any knowledge as to why I am in danger. Wait. He didn't tell me when I asked and was prolonging the explanation of it until I got back because he is the monster! The Guardians also don't know the monster's purpose because the monster is Maylock. Oh my god.

     "You're so alone" he menacingly chuckles. "So weak. So stupid" From his words I lash out with my hand but he catches it and growls triumphant.

Claws dig into my knuckles making me wince until mumbles of voices echo around which causes Maylock to retract his hand. He's heard them too. Since he's distracted, I don't think about the consequences of my next move as I rifle my other hand toward his face. I contact his cheek which causes the pressurising hold on my chest to release as he stumbles back from me as exasperated growls come from him. 

I shout out from the sharp pain that resonates from my left hand. I shouldn't have done that but at least I'm free. 

The echoing voices rise again, louder this time. I have no idea where they are coming from or what is being said.

     "You are not escaping this place Layla. It's just you and me. It will always be you and me!" Maylock bellows. His eyes glow red for an intense second as his gaze scorches into me. 

A white sphere shows above his head. It's exactly like the two I saw in the city. This time I'm actually wishing for it to smash onto the ground so that when I am blinded, Maylock will be too and I can use that as an opportunity to get away. 

As I wait for gravity to take its effect, Maylock realises the sphere is there and he thunders towards me. I retreat from Maylock, moving wide and turning at different angles to try to reduce his quick advance but it's failing. Maylock is calm. His movement is swift as he passes each tree with no difficulty. He even rips off an entire branch that was in the way of him. As my heart pounds from this one-sided chase, I keep the sphere in my sight, wanting and hoping it falls but when my back hits a tree my options disperse as Maylock stalks closer to me. His eyes glow red and his monstrous canines grow as he brings his hand up, his fingers spread wide and ready to strike until I see it; the sphere. 

My wish is granted. 

The sphere drops and the ground ahead of me ripples like a bomb has gone off. Every tree collapses as this force continues to make its way towards me. The ground behind Maylock cracks and falls, making a white void and nothing else. Maylock keeps his strive toward me until the cracks catch up to him and before he can inflict a scratch upon me, he suddenly explodes into many tiny pieces followed by the environment around me erupting into a mass of white light and I wake sitting bolt upright on a bed.