And What I Found There - Book Two

31. Out of the Church At the Backdoor

Suddenly the enormous stain glass windows behind the stage shatter as a monstruous wolf twice the size of an elephant breaks through. It lands on the screeching arm of Myx and wildly begins mauling them.

I know that wolf! And I've honestly never been more thrilled to see it before. It's Vyndren's animal soul spirit! He's trying to save me!

"Vyndren!" I call to his wolf with relief. "I -" I suddenly break off as I see Cruor behind the wolf, his staff begins to glow as he summons a spell. "Look out!" I call.

The wolf whips around before the old man can release his spell and the wolf suddenly lunges forward, snapping Cruor's body in half with its mordacious jaws. I cringe as green blood goes flying into the air.

Rain pours in from the busted-out windows and from beyond the church I see flashes of red magic bursting outside and hear the bellicostic roars of unknown monsters echoing over the thunder.

The enormous wolf suddenly bolts towards me, its long claws tear up the floor as it runs. I frantically try to get out of the way but the wolf suddenly sweeps me off my feet with its muzzle and I land on its back just before it careens through the locked doors.

We shatter through and I am finally outside again. It's dark enough out here to be the dead of night! Freezing rain falls chaotically from black storm clouds in chilling waves while thunder and lightning crackles and explodes above us like bombs going off in a warzone. The procellous wind forces all of the trees to bow submissively and already a flood is rising from the swampy ground.

The wolf skids to a stop and shakes out its pelt. I anxiously scramble off it and splash down into knee-high water. How is this even possible?! I wonder with disbelief as I see headstones floating around me. We're on a freakin' hill!

But honestly the flood, the raging storm, and all other concerns evaporate in sheer horror as I catch a glimpse of Vyndren fighting in the middle of a horde of enormous monsters. These beasts are the gargoyles that were on top of the church, I realize with alarm.

These creatures are like nothing I've ever seen before, not only are they over seven feet and covered with hulking muscles, but they have mammoth feathered wings and are equipped with long fangs and talons and have deadly horns surrounding their heads like crowns. Their tails are spiked like maces and the ridges along their spines are sharpened like razor blades.

In addition to looking horrifying, they also have insane powers. I watch as they rapid turn into solid stone again to block Vyndren's swords and they quickly come back to life to attack the Dark Rider the moment his blades bounce off their rocky armor.

I've never seen my Dark Rider so overwhelmed before! His own black blood is splattered over his face and his clothes are torn from the gargoyles' talons. Despite having two blades, they seem of little use against these stone monsters.

Vyndren manages to lift a gargoyle into the air with magic and swiftly crushes it into a burst of scarlet flares before another gargoyle abruptly slams into him, ramming its horns through his side.

He's thrown into the water, blood pours off him as he staggers back up, managing to block another gargoyle's horns with his swords before he swiftly rolls behind it as another one charges. They collide with a deafening clash, and I watch with shock as they crumble into a pile of broken rocks.

But Vyndren's still outnumbered by ten more.

His wolf suddenly leaps into the fray, savagely snatching one gargoyle up in its jaws before it slams the creature into another, shattering them on impact.

Abruptly three more gargoyles leap down from the church to land on the back of the wolf spirit. They force the enormous animal down to the flooding ground and wildly begin beating it with their tails. Without his wolf, Vyndren is quickly overwhelmed again. One abruptly seizes his wrists and wrenches his swords free before it slams its spikey head into his chest.

"No!" I scream, pressing my hands to my mouth in terror as Vyndren is hurled to the ground with the gargoyle's head still pressing down on his chest. The Dark Rider seizes its horns and struggles to lift them free from his flesh, but the gargoyle suddenly rams its head into him again. Black blood flies into the air. "Vyndren!" I cry with horror.

Two of the gargoyles suddenly see me, their stone eyes glow bright red at the sight of me and they swiftly lift into the air with their wings.

"No!" Vyndren frantically summons enough strength to wrench the gargoyle's horns free and wildly hurls the enormous monster to the side. "Adara! Run!" Another gargoyle suddenly barrels into him.

I stagger backwards in fear as I look up at the gargoyles descending for me. I scream as they dive down.