Armageddon

Part 12

The mansion was secured. The Prime Minister's twin daughters, Isabella and Vivian, had jumped at the opportunity to put to the test their combat skills; together they stalked the hallways and removed any unwanted guests. They burned the bodies, including the corpse of Michael - which had been trying to reattach itself - in the large, circular driveway found at the front of the mansion.

Their father - the Prime Minister - a middle-aged man with brown hair and chocolate brown eyes, also acted; by placing a barrier spell. Together he and Alex instructed the remaining Humans on what to do. Once the Humans got over the shock and denial, they quickly set up routes and escape plans for civilians in the city.

Once finished with their clearing, Isabella and Vivian each led a group of Human soldiers into the fog to set up safe houses for survivors retreating to President Ramsay's mansion. Alarms sounded throughout the city, and the President himself directed orders over the loudspeaker, guiding everyone.

Jaya slipped into the fog in his pursuit for the Mastermind of it all while Alex led a group of soldiers into the city to gather the survivors. Along with Alex's group, each member of the Fae guard escorted several Humans soldiers through the city for the same purpose, while one group of three Fae guards went out alone for the sole purpose of disposing of the Ghouls.

Tia slipped through the guards, the unnatural darkness of her shadow seeping out into the air around her feet, surrounding her in a dark mist. Occasionally the mist became thinner as it spread up around her, giving the air a shimmering effect as the two royal Faes masked her presence from anyone who might try and stop her from leaving the compound.

She hesitated at the front gate, looking back toward the mansion. She could hear the panic as people scurried about. Pressing her lips together, she turned to face the city hidden in the unnatural fog. The silence was deafening. The darkness at her feet swirled briefly and she pressed forward.

The Human female ran through the abandoned streets. Vehicles had crashed from above, causing fire and destruction. A tall skyscraper groaned and shifted slightly, the remains of what had once been a raging fire now smoldering along the base of the building, leaving it stained black and broken. Bloodstained the pavement and a few body parts were left amongst the debris. Her feet padded along the street, the sound light and soft like a feline, when suddenly something lunged out of the alley she was passing, flinging itself at her with a screech of death. She jumped back with a start; her wide eyes fixated on the half-eaten face of a Ghoul.

Long black shards shot up from her shadow, cutting the creature into clean pieces. As the body parts fell to the ground, they each caught on fire, the shimmering blue flames devouring the beast before a single drop of flesh or blood could hit the ground.

The next moment Tia landed on the ground, poised and ready for a fight. The ashes of the creature crumbled away and whatever threat had been there was now long gone. Hesitantly she stood up straight, processing what had happened and how fast it had occurred. She looked down at her shadow, which seemed to be bubbling up and swirling around her feet. An eye formed and met her gaze, and she felt the air on the back of her neck stand up.

"That's mortifying," she grumbled before shaking her head and moving on, ignoring the eyes now watching her.

"You were just attacked by a half-eaten Human and you have the nerve to call us 'mortifying'?" Diaval's voice sneered.

"This is less than ideal..." Vlad mumbled, his voice distraught. He sounded like he was crammed tight in an elevator.

Picking up her feet she began to move again. She ran and searched with avid determination, refusing to slow her pace while her companions obliterated several ghouls along their path. She kept going even when her pace grew slower, heavier, and her feet made more noise on the pavement. It wasn't until she could not move anymore that she stopped.