The Brotherhood

18

Daniel didn't really know how his pack had managed to jump the line and get stuck on patrol duty in the village, but whatever it was, he hated it. Daniel hated everything about the village. He hated the way that it always smelled like feet. He hated the way that all of the men in the village eyed his brothers with looks of disdain and disgust. He hated the way the women of the village fawned all over them. It made it difficult to get shit done. 

Daniel's hatred of the village was why he'd stationed himself in the woods right outside the village. Kane had specifically told Daniel's pack that someone always had to be stationed in the woods. Daniel had volunteered. He'd rather be here than in the village with everyone staring at him. He hated being the center of attention. 

Sitting out in the darkness had Daniel questioning himself. Maybe there was a reason why his brothers had been all too happy to let Daniel sit out here alone. Every few minutes chills would scrape across his body and Daniel would have the bodily urge to flee. His bonded, Eleanor, seemed restless beside him. Her ears were perked and she kept sniffing the air like something was out there that she just couldn't quite see. It made Daniel want to puke. 

Eleanor's ears perked up again and she turned her head to the right quickly. A growl built up deep within her throat and her hackles began to rise as she slunk forward. Daniel leapt to his feet, his hand on the hilt of the blade at his side. Whatever was out there was coming for them, he was sure of it. Eleanor kept creeping forward, moving toward whatever creature had caused her hackles to rise. 

Eleanor had taken all of three steps forward when Daniel finally heard the creature. Leaves rustled only ten feet away from them. Daniel yanked on the hilt of his blade, wrenching the sword free of its scabbard. There was no way that he was facing the creature in the woods without a weapon. Something instinctual told him that he would need one. 

Eleanor took another step forward, sinking down onto her haunches, getting ready to spring toward the creature. Something made her wait though. Daniel waited with her with baited breath. He just wanted this night to be over. Better yet, he wanted this all to be some horrible dream. That wasn't how things often went in the Brotherhood. No, this wasn't a horrible dream and it likely wouldn't be over for a while. 

More leaves rustled and a twig snapped. From the sound of it, whatever was out in the woods was now only five feet away. It was moving quickly. Daniel was close to wetting himself. What if he couldn't fight this thing alone? Then it would get to the village and the only thing left of him would be his piss-stained pants. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't let that happen. Holding in his piss, Daniel sank into a fighting stance, his sword aloft in the air. 

That was when the creature emerged and it was the most hideous thing that Daniel had ever seen. The creature was all black and looked like it was made out of tar. It towered over Daniel, it had to be at least ten feet tall. It was hunched over though, its spine curving in on itself. The monster had long arms that ended in claw-like fingers that were sharper than most daggers. Its head was oddly misshapen, but that did nothing to hide the needlelike teeth in its mouth. Its feet stayed anchored to the ground as it shuffled forward at an oddly fast pace. The monster had no eyes, but Daniel had no idea whether or not it could still see. 

Chills covered every inch of Daniel's body and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he and Eleanor needed to run. This monster was too big and terrifying to fight alone. 

Daniel tried to signal to Eleanor to run, but he was too late. The monster had already reached her. Daniel stood paralyzed with fear while the creature before him reached out one of its claws and grabbed Eleanor. Daniel took one step forward, only managing to get a closer look as the monster put Eleanor in its mouth. Its needlelike teeth crunched into Eleanor's body. Blood sprayed everywhere, coating the leaves on the ground in red. Eleanor's blood found its way onto Daniel's face, splattering across his cheeks. Daniel barely felt it though. He could barely feel anything over the shattering of his heart. 

He watched in horror as the monster swallowed whatever was left of Eleanor. Daniel waited to be next, but the monster didn't bother with him. Seemingly satisfied, the creature turned away from Daniel and lurched off into the woods. 

Once the monster had disappeared from view, Daniel sank onto his knees. The mud was cold and wet beneath his legs, but he barely felt it. All he felt was the absence of Eleanor's presence in his soul. He wanted to die. Right then and there he wanted nothing more than for the monster to come back and finish him off. Daniel waited for the monster to come back. He waited until his stomach growled with hunger. He waited until his legs began to shake from the effort of holding him up. He waited until his legs finally gave out and he fell face first into the mud. 

That was the way Daniel's brothers found him, lying face down in the mud. They picked him up carefully and turned him over. They searched his face, asking him question after question that he didn't answer. 

Finally, Daniel couldn't take the pain any longer. Sobbing, he cried out, "She's gone! She's gone! She's gone! It took her! It ate her! She's gone!" 

His brothers looked at each other, perplexed. They didn't know what he was talking about. Of course they didn't. They'd been too busy in the village letting the women fawn all over them to notice a giant monster eating Daniel's bonded. Daniel cried and cried, his body shaking with his sobs. He would never continue. He didn't want to live. He wanted to be with Eleanor. 

Daniel grabbed ahold of the shirt of the brother that was holding him. He clenched the brother's shirt in his hand tightly. He leaned toward his brother and growled in his face, "Kill me." 

The brother tried to jerk away from Daniel, but he kept his grip firm. This time Daniel begged, he pleaded, "Kill me. Kill me, please. She's gone. I just want to be with her, please kill me." 

It was then that the truth seemed to dawn on the brother that Daniel was clutching. The brother looked up at those gathered around him with a fierce look. In a commanding voice he said, "Daniel has lost his bonded. He needs to be taken to the medical ward immediately. Make sure that someone is watching him at all times. I mean it, at all times. Everyone else, fan out. Let's see if we can find whatever took Eleanor." 

At the sound of Eleanor's name, Daniel began to wail. He tried to go with the group that was hunting her killer, but he couldn't. He was being hauled away and there was no way that he could stop the force pulling him from the woods. So Daniel let them drag him away and prayed that his brothers would find Eleanor's killer. He prayed they would find that monster and kill it.