The Call of Nys #5 (Waverly Stump and The 7 Realms)

14 - W A V E R L Y

Constant thuds, like that of hundreds of stomping feet against stone, came first – vague and turbulent. Then, noise of the disturbance soared to a marvelous, deafening height, bringing with it vicious growls and a fraying sound like a grunt from a large creature.

Waverly began to awaken, roused by the increasing discord. Impelled by throbbing pain, she slowly reached for her skull and felt warm liquid dribble over her hands. The sight of blood made her woozy mostly because of its muchness. On the ground, where her head had been, was a pool of thick red that goaded both alarm and a desire to vomit. But given her weak and deluded state, she could not spare a reaction.

With the grace of a drunk, she rose and staggered headlong into a column. To her blurred eyes, the singular post appeared as three. Her attention reverted to the approaching stampede when it began to seem closer than ever.

Run. A small voice motivated, though she was uncertain where it came from.

Using the crowd of pillars that littered the vast domain for support, she hopped ahead, straining to maintain a long distance in between her disadvantaged self and the incoming army in spite of it being impossible as a result of her plodding. Soon enough, the crowd swept in with crushing speed. She lowered behind a pillar in the corner to keep from sight and watched them race toward the horizon; horned, beastly, reptilian and avian creatures, some bipedal and quadrupedal, others completely foreign to her. As they ran, they crashed into any obstacle, causing avalanches and hailstorms in the form of debris.

Waverly shielded herself by folding into a cube, but she was not to be spared.

As the dust settled, she brushed them off, lifted her eyes and found that she was being stared at by a pair of Carknesses. They appeared bulkier than their common kind, leading her to believe that they had possibly been crossbred with something more malevolent. She stilled in the hopes that they would lose interest and move along with the crowd, but the monsters regarded her for a few more seconds before closing in.

Whistle. Again, the small voice provided with urgency, rising from a place deep within her that felt similar to a vacuum. A place she could not put a finger to.

The first try was hopeless, and the second came out as a weak huff. The third sounded like low panting, and the fourth made no noise at all. By then, the lead Carkness was already so close to her face that she could see into its evil eyes. She backed into the sile behind, unable to peel her gaze. The creature huffed a fiery breath and reared to attack.

Then, she tried the whistle again, desperately, and the shrill sound startled both creatures.

True to their nature of imitation, they cluelessly repeated the whistle in unison.

Out of nowhere, Reek jumped into the scene, baring deadly teeth and claws. The Carknesses turned their attention to the dog, allowing Waverly an avenue for escape. This time, she was able to trudge a little faster than before, still burdened by weakness following the excessive loss of blood. No destination presented itself because the whole landscape annoyingly stretched on and on, covered in mist and populated by ruins. Due to the familiarity of the scene, she concluded that she was yet to leave The Hoax.

But with Reek finally in sight, her exit was almost guaranteed.

However, contrary to the outcome she expected, another Carkness emerged out of the corner, bloodied and beaten, but just as vicious. The sight of it told her that Reek had lost the fight.

Within a split second, the creature lunged. She dropped with swiftness and rolled, dodging its weight. It crashed into a row of half broken columns, growling and snarling. When it rose, Waverly's eyes shone at the objects that surrounded its feet. Rods of iron.