Fugitives

The Hunt

They ran through the woods. Howling from the shadow hounds echoed around the dark trees.

"Hurry! Run, Willow!" Kryoz urged as they ran through the woods. There was a shout as Blarg was tackled and pinned down by a shadow hound. The hound yowled and disappeared when Kryoz sent a bolt of lightning through it.

Kryoz helped Blarg to his feet. "How did they find us?" Blarg panted, out of breath.

"That Talon chick. She can see the future." Kryoz answered and pushed Blarg ahead, "Hurry! Go! Imma shock these mutts." He nodded and ran ahead. Willow started to follow but yelped when a purple lasso erupted from a nearby tree and wound around her wrist. A horse galloped past Kryoz and scooped Willow up onto his back with his nose. Eli was on horse Tucker's back.

"There's too many of the hounds, Kryoz! You can't fight them off! He is too strong at night." Eli said. He slid off Tucker's back. Tucker whinnied in agreement.

Something sliced through the air and caught Kryoz's shoulder, pinning him to the closest tree. He yelled out in pain. "Kryoz!" Eli and Willow shouted. Willow slid off of Tucker's back and rushed to help Kryoz. Tucker kicked a shadow hound with his hooves since it was following him.

Kryoz's shoulder burned and he lost feeling in his left arm. There was a blue shard of ice lodged into his shoulder and into the tree trunk behind him. Kryoz winced and seethed when Willow and Eli pulled on the shard. Cold mist crawled across the forest floor, creeping towards them like wispy hands. The air around them dropped in temperature.

"Oh no." Eli mumbled. They pulled again but their hands couldn't get a grip on the perfectly smooth surface of the shard. The mist was now around their ankles like the gloomy fog that made graveyards eerie in movies.

Eli, Willow, and Kryoz tried to pull the shard out. Some footsteps made Kryoz flinch, but Grizzy ran up to them. "Move!" He demanded of Eli and Willow. He gripped the shard. He pulled it out of the wood which shattered it in the process. Kryoz yelled out again. Blood-stained ice was lost in the mist at their feet. Grizzy caught him from falling. His head was spinning while he fought to stay conscious.

Eli ran up to Tucker and touched his side. Eli turned into a black fusion and trotted up to Kryoz and Grizzy. A cold breeze wafted through the trees. When Kryoz looked out into the trees, he saw a pair of green eyes glowing in the darkness.

"Kryoz! Grizzy! Let's go!" Willow shrieked since she was already on Tucker's back. She was wide-eyed at the green eyes too. Grizzy helped Kryoz onto Eli's back. He watched as something silver folded back from Smii7y's nose. The green glow from his eyes reflected off of the condensed air from his breath. Grizzy climbed on behind Kryoz. Eli shrieked when his front hooves were frozen in ice. Tucker galloped over and reared up to stomp the ice. It shattered into ice cubes.

"Run!" Grizzy shouted. The two horses broke into a full gallop. Tucker and Eli weaved around trees. Shadow hounds yipped and howled around them. Eli whinnied when a hound leaped at his legs and sank its fangs into his ankle. Eli toppled over, flinging Kryoz and Grizzy. Eli changed back into his human form and groaned. Blood stained his jeans on his right calf. The hounds howled in excitement since their prey was down.

Tucker and Willow galloped over. "Tucker. Get them back to the others. Willow. You have to heal them before they lose too much blood." Grizzy instructed as he helped Eli up. He hoisted Eli onto Tucker's back in front of Willow so he could use Tucker's neck for support.

"What about you?" Willow asked, tears in her eyes.

"I'll hold them off." Grizzy said as he helped Kryoz up.

"No! You'll need help to take them!" Kryoz argued.

"You're injured and Neo will make Smii7y kill you if given the opportunity! Protect the others. They need you, Kryoz." Grizzy ordered. Kryoz looked away. He knew that Grizzy was right. Grizzy lifted him onto Tucker's back behind Willow. Kryoz's hand went up to his shoulder but winced when he felt the pressure and the blood soaking his shirt.

Mist started to creep around their feet and the temperature started to drop again. "Go. I'll be okay. Imma give them a hard fucking time." Grizzy said. He gave them a cocky smirk. Tucker turned and galloped away from Grizzy. Grizzy bent down and picked up a decently sized branch that would work perfectly as a club.

A thin and pale man appeared from the shadows. Two shadow hounds stood at his heels, snarling. "That was sweet, but you're going to regret that. It's only a matter of time before you're all our weapons." Shade sneered.

"Not without a fight." Grizzy spat. His breath could be seen in the cold air as he spoke.

Shade chuckled ominously, "I suppose so, but that is what he is for." Smii7y opened his eyes as he approached. Grizzy hadn't even realized he was so close. The green glow from his eyes was almost blinding. Smii7y stood next to Shade for intimidation. Grizzy faltered. "Make this easier for the both of you. Surrender." Shade cooed.

Grizzy's grip on his natural club tightened, "Not sure what part of "not without a fight" you don't understand but maybe I can knock it into ya. Sorry, Smii7y."

"Fine. Have it your way. Let me have my fun first, Neo." Shade smirked and his two hounds lunged. Grizzy swung at the first hound. He hit it so hard that it instantly vanished when the wood collided with it. Grizzy tried to dodge the next hound by side-stepping but the dog was faster. It jumped and sank its teeth into Grizzy's arm. He hollered in pain but whipped his arm over his head so the hound was lifted off its feet and slammed its back down on the ground, hard. It vanished too.

Grizzy ignored the heartbeat in his ear and the blood dripping down his arm. Another creature crawled out of the darkness. A two-tailed snake. It hissed and flashed its fangs. It struck at Grizzy but he blocked it with the branch. Its fangs got lodged in the wood. Grizzy ran at Shade with his club raised and the two-tailed snake flailing like a flag on a flag pole. Grizzy had to hit the brakes when an ice spike nearly poked his eye out. He shook the unnecessary weight of the snake from his makeshift club.

Smii7y stepped closer and the blizzard around him started to get more intense. "Com'on, Smii7y. Snap out of it." Grizzy said. The trees started to develop frost on their trunks from his aura. Ice shards formed around Smii7y as he prepared to launch them. A few flew at Grizzy and he blocked them with the branch but it was knocked out of his hands. Purple lassos sprung from the ground and wrapped around Grizzy's wrists. Grizzy tried to snap them with his strength but they were much stronger. Nycta got an upgrade.

Someone clicked their tongue like they were disappointed. Neo and Nycta stepped out from behind a tree. His green eye matched Smii7y's, except for the red and silver, as Smii7y's blizzard calmed down. Metal transformed around his nose until it closed over his nose and mouth. An ability inhibitor, and a nasty one at that. "Grizzy. You should know that violence is never the answer. Didn't your human friend teach you that?" Neo asked smugly.

"Tell that to your right eye." Grizzy shot back.

Neo scowled, "I didn't want to catch you. I was after Kryoz or Tucker. Y'know, real abilitors."

"Let me and Smii7y go and I'll show you what a real abilitor is. For one, they don't cower behind other abilitors." Grizzy replied.

Shade rolled his black eyes, "Enough of this." He walked behind Grizzy and placed the inhibitor behind his head. It folded into a mask and took away Grizzy's ability. Neo came up to Grizzy and took control of his mind.

"Let's go. Aytrix is pissed that we took so long." Nycta said as they started to walk back through the forest.