The Waters Secret

The Stone Boy - Pt. 2

"What is that?" Asir asked in horror as the creature lumbered forward. Raven turned quickly glaring at the large man sitting on top of the beast. It might have been a bear once, but it was not the creature it once was. Driven by pain and madness, the creature reeked of death.

"Asir, go. I can look after myself." Raven told him as Asir hesitated.

"Sounds like someone is a little full of herself." A voice hissed from the shadows behind the leader. "Oh, she is a pretty one. Thank god, we can finally replace that worthless rat." The tall greasy man purred as he looked her over.

"Yes. But she has that same darn look on her face. We are going to have to break her first. What a pity." The leader chuckled as the other two behind him echoed his dark laugh.

"Talk all you want. You will never succeed." Raven growled pulling Seril from his sheath. She held him gingerly. Worried the blade might react like last time.

"Raven!" Tristan shouted as he slid between her and the enemy. "They are really bad men! I watched the leader try and force himself on a boy that looked like you. They are nothing like Diamond. These guys are the Hounds. The assassins I warned Hank about." Tristan growled standing between them.

"The odd thing knows us." The smallest one grunted before falling into a string of coughs. The leader frowned back at him as he scratched the spreading rash on his arm. The bears growled at each other making the leader hiss.

"No matter. We just want the girl. Get her. Kill everyone else." The leader grunted as the smallest one rushed forward. Tristan hissed as the bear charged for them. He needed to protect his friends, but what could a small cat do against these things? Tristan stumbled when he felt the tingling urge to become something more. His form shifted and moved as he collided with the large creature. He roared in challenge as his new form stood ready to fight.

The rider on the bear swore as he forced his mount to attack the stone creature that had changed from a cat into a bear. The angered bear tried to bite his stony hide making Tristan growl as he bit him back.

Coleron hissed waving his hand for Darla to abandon the bear and fetch the girl. Darla did as the leader asked, sliding off his mount and dodging around the stone creature now tangled up with the rotting bear.

He coughed annoyed that he wasn't feeling well, but a girl shouldn't give him that much trouble. Raven dodged his first attack, using her blade to deflect his. So, she was a fighter? This should be fun.

"Evan, go help him out. That rat has obviously been poisoning him too." Coleron growled as he glanced at his hands. Large red welts were covering his hands and wrists. Holding his weapons would be very painful now. So far Even didn't seem as affected.

"How do you think he managed to poison us like this anyway?" Evan asked making no move to dismount.

"Oh? Poison you say. Then this should be easy." A deep voice purred from behind them. Evan spun swinging his pole arm and blocking the young man's attack on Coleron. The move caused dizziness, making Evan pant to quell the rising nausea. The stranger locked eyes with him smiling brightly as he grabbed the pole arm in both hands.

"Thanks, I needed more metal." He told him with an evil grin. Evan stared at him confused before the boy started to warp his weapon, manipulating the metal so that is was no longer a polearm.

"What are you?!" Evan squeaked as Coleron huffed moving behind him.

"Me? Oh. I am death." Simon purred watching as the weaker man shivered in fright. Someone was trying to kill these assassins off, but due to their pride, they acted like it wasn't affecting them. A shout had them turning back to the lake front where Raven easily out maneuvered the weaker opponent. The small dusty man was bleeding from multiple wounds and screamed in a soundless rage as he continued to fight back.