The Zodiac Cycle

2.13 Harpy Down

"What do we do now?" Alex asked as the others disappeared into the trees.

"Why are you just letting them leave?" Keith turned to look at me.

"It's their choice." I turned myself and started walking in the direction of the castle. "Who am I to stop them?"

"Guys?" Rebecca tried to step in.

"You are their leader!" Keith sounded angry for the first time since I had met him. 

"No I'm not." I crossed my arms as the other five that had stayed stepped in line with me.

"Yes you are! You were born to be!" he persisted. I tried to shake off the pit that had grown in my stomach. I was scared.

"Guys." I ignored Rebecca, I wasn't done yet.

"I'm not just the Leo, I can make my own choices."

"Clearly" he remarked sarcastically.

I turned to look at him. He was glaring at me, his whole body tense and his feathers fluffed out defensively. 

"If you have a problem with it, feel free to leave." 

"Guys! There's something coming!" Rebecca shouted "so stop arguing about every little thing!"

I looked at her. She was breathing heavily and had a very concerned look on.

"What's coming?" I asked her, attempting to lower my voice.

"I don't-" then I heard it too. Someone or something was running straight for us from the direction of the castle.

It ended up being a group of people, mostly vampires, some of other species or mixed species. They all wore the same maroon and black armor. My brain immediately kicked into defensive mode, the same warm tingling feeling coming from my hands as I summoned my bow. The others quickly followed suit, with Keith falling back a bit and Brianna picking up a large branch from the ground. 

The person farthest in the front of the group jumped at me with a sword raised above his head. Carson jumped in front of me, parrying, resulting in the loud clashing sound of steel swords. I stepped to the side and nocked an arrow that appeared when my fingers pulled against the bowstring. Rebecca was attempting to knock out our attackers, and Alex remained near her, fighting off anyone that got too close with their naginata. Iris was in full-on offensive mode, able to use her swords as if they were extensions of her wings. Brianna was back-to-back with her, in a bit of a panic with her stick.

I spotted Keith out of the corner of my eye, holding onto the trunk of a tree with an unsure face. 

I spotted the shift behind him out of the corner of my eye.

I shouted his name. 

Warn him. Help him.

Too late.

Keith fell to the ground, unconscious as his attacker straightened herself with her bat.

Carson reacted first. "I'll get him" 

I nodded to him, facing back in front of me as another flurry of furious attacks rained down on me.

Please let him be okay.

I twisted my bow around someone's staff, managing to pull it out of their hands and into mine. If we were going for close-combat, it was probably better for me to have a weapon more suited for such. I spun the staff around me in a full 360 and knocked back several people who had gotten too close for comfort. 

I took a moment to glance to see how Carson was doing with Keith. I turned just in time to see Carson get tackled from a winged attacker above. He tried rolling to throw them off, but they managed to remain atop him. I attempted to run over to help him, but the person with the bat came at me from my right. I caught the bat before it struck my head and pulled it to the side, kicking the person back. I then threw the bat at the winged person on top of Carson. The person jumped off of Carson to avoid it, and he jumped up.