The Spider's Ballet

Chapter 009: Shadows Unborn

Desdin arrived at the dock at a furious pace without breaking a sweat. He exhaled and observed the tables turned over and the lone slain citizen in the middle of the chaotic aftermath. Demalyn was sitting with her brow folded intensely, gathering her thoughts. Just beyond her, he saw the corpse of a Fallen creature that had splattered and scattered violently. He quietly approached and calmly asked her, "Where is everyone?"

            She answered, "They went to the woods after the Fallen. I couldn't stop it, Desdin. She messed up and made 'it' come out of me by threading her mind to me. I meant to make that sad boy wait for you to arrive, but it was like my head was splitting in two. Go after them. We need to regroup. I'm sure Cherry had to awaken to fight off whatever was in the town. I will go to her and keep her from overdoing it. Bring the hunters and the two deputies back here quickly. This is not something we can handle if we are each fighting without some preparation."

            Desdin understood and rushed into the van, opening the weapon panel. "Where is my sword?," he muttered out loud to no one in a frustrated manner. He holstered two short swords before pulling on a leather sleeve of throwing knives around his chest and taking a six foot spear with a two foot long blade at the end.

He shut it and went to a closet panel close by. It opened, revealing a suit of black scaled armor adorned with crimson red flourishes around the waist, shoulder, and arms. The armor would be a firm fit to his frame. It had a crack along the chest from shoulder to waist. The helm above it had one horn wrapped around the left side of the skull, with one horn shattered off at the temple on the right. It also had a broken jaw piece that hung loosely.

Desdin only took the gauntlets that formed to a point at the fingertips and tightened them around his wrist with only his palms and the underside of his fingers exposed. He then grabbed the long black coat with silver lace on the shoulders hanging beside it and tossed it on. When he exited the van, Demalyn had already left the scene. Gripping his spear tightly, he bounded from the dock into the dense forest line.

A crowd of people had gathered outside the hospital. Deputies had put up a blockade, and several hunters stood guarding the entrance with Stokely handing out orders. Panicked voices were rising in the crowd. Cherry had regained her senses by the time they had arrived. She called after several of the deputies to tend to Walstaff. She noticed staff from the hospital huddled close by. Some were crying while some wore splotches of blood on their scrubs.

She approached them with a ragged look of concern and asked, "What is the situation inside?"

One nurse that recognized her said, "Most of the wards are on lock down. These things attacked the staff in the morgue before invading the trauma ward. Doctor Hobe, he went to save as many people as he could. He is still there. Oldest, please save Doctor Hobe."

"If you don't have injuries, make yourselves useful and help the sheriff over there," Cherry said. She then turned her tired attention towards Stokely. He ignored her while she was staring up at his face. "Move, let me in."

Stokely gave no indication of budging. He said to her, "Master Vilsin has taken two of our best hunters inside with him to save the Doctor and our citizens. You don't look well and have done your part in saving the sheriff. We'll handle it from here."

Cherry, exhausted, turned and walked away to be alone. "Big dumb bastard."

A car arrived seconds later with Demalyn, who had rejuvenated from the events at the docks. She dashed towards Cherry, embracing her. "Rest dear."

Cherry folded into her. "We have to get in there, Dem. This is bad. Where is Desdin? I need him to knock around that guy at the door because I can't right now."