Escape From Antoria

Escape From Antoria Part 40

Part 40

There crowded together on the other bank of the water pool were at least two thousand people but that wasn't what shocked me. It was cruel intensity of their eyes, which didn't frighten me in the adults as much as the children whose faces should be filled with innocence and joy but instead were filled with deadly hate and murderous desires. Some of them were even on a leash of some sort as they were straining against some unknown force but were literally frothing at the mouth as they strained to get at us. They looked like rabid animals.

I rushed towards Nate and grabbed his hand, pulling him close to my body before pulling him to the waterfall away from the possessed people and closer to the rainbow that had just descended on top of the waterfall so that hundreds of winged people wearing some weird kind of battle armour appeared out of the beautiful lights.

I immediately spotted my daughter amongst them but as she descended the hill and joined us I noticed a lot of other young looking faces. She held tightly onto Aurora's hand giving it a squeeze before walking over to me. She gave me a hug. "Hey mum." She said before pulling away. I couldn't help beam with pride at the sight of my daughter. She was amazing; I just hope we all make it out of this alive so I can spend some time getting to know her.

"Oh hey Ryan." Izzy called over my shoulder. I turned my head, ignoring the savage beasts not even 20 metres away and laughed at his shocked expression.

"Umm...hey?" He said unsure of who he was talking to. I bit my lip to keep from laughing. You could have so much fun with this.

"What you don't recognise me? I have aged like 19 years and I do have wings but I'd thought this would at least help you recognise me." Izzy said with impish delight. I've got a feeling that my daughter might be a bit of a trouble maker.

I looked over my shoulder at Ryan and the other sorcerers who had been there when Izzy was born and every one of them stood gaping as their eyes transfixed upon her marked hand.

"Izzy" was whispered on many of their lips.

"The one and only." She said in a bright cheery voice which I know she didn't inherit from me, I am never that cheery.

I was about to ask her something when the Elder we had seen yesterday, Elder Roman I think, waltzed into the group. "I know this is a big reunion and all but we have an enemy to defeat." He said in a stern tone of a leader before glancing over his shoulder at the slavering beasts. "They have not completely broken through the divide between worlds and they were unable to locate the gateways that are used by our people thus they have forcibly broken through the middle ground. It won't take long so you must prepare yourselves."

I looked over to where the slavering beasts were straining against some unknown force. That is what he must mean, as soon as they break through the battle will begin. I also noticed that even though they appeared to be snarling there was not a sound echoing from them.

"OK everyone, get into positions." I barked out in a military style order. The sorcerers and villagers startled to attention at my voice and began taking up positions along the bank of the pool.

For about 10 minutes we all stood there with determined expressions plastered on our faces not allowing a single thread of fear to intrude as we waited for the moment of battle to arrive. The snarling from the demons seemed to become more ferocious and primal as time went on and slowly as battle loomed and the barrier between earth and the middle ground thinned, the sound of their snarls echoed faintly between the worlds to reach my ears.

I reached across the space between Nate and me and I grasped his hand, in fear, reassurance and most importantly to feel his love.

One simple touch gave me the resolve to push away any lingering fear and set within me a passionate will to defeat these demons or go out fighting. I know looking at all of the determined faces around me that we would lose many people today but we were fighting not only for ourselves but for the survival of all the worlds from the demons infecting them with malice, destruction and fear.

The only sound that signalled the breach in the middle grounds barrier was a faint pop. I don't know why but I was expecting something louder but no it was merely a pop before all hell broke loose.