THE LAST GATEKEEPER

Duns Ford

            Crow woke up and was met with the mixed pains of his back. No one was in the attic, not even Azlyn who’d surely fell to worse injuries than he had. The worst came to mind about where Jimmy and Azlyn could be and he quickly put his mind elsewhere. Moving would be a formidable distraction for the time being seeing as he couldn’t do it very well. From what little light there was he figured the storm hadn’t passed yet. He rolled back to the last time he was awake. Oh yes they were cutting the leech out of his spine, how could he forget. He felt the stitches on his back and a cringing pain sent him back down to the floor. Spine fragments tore at his muscles and Crow tried to focus his mind to tactics.

If Dibala had fled and they were cutting a leech out of my back then that must mean-Crow’s thoughts halted when the numbing pain returned. That must mean the Wraiths fled too and everyone’s fine most likely. But then where did everyone go.

Another spike of pain his back and Crow froze in his prone position on the floor.

“Jack!” Crow yelled. No response. He sighed and put his forehead to the floor. He could feel the disease coming up on him again, like an approaching storm on the horizon. His pulse went deep and thundered in his own ears. He’d really gotten things torn apart this time. Most likely his upper spine had been demolished. Never mind the cut in his back; that was nothing. Somebody was coming up the stairs. “Hello?” Crohan asked.

“You’re awake!” Jack said and then came into view. “Good, we’re going to Duns Ford, can you walk?”

“Not at all, my spine is broken, I need an Apothecary.” Crow said. “Is there one in this Duns Ford?”

“I think so.” Jack replied and drew closer.

“Everyone’s outside?” Crow asked and then grunted as he sat up. His skin had gone paler than his normal white which was already pretty pale. He looked like what the Vampires were depicted as when Jack was a child.           

“Yeah, will we need to carry you out?” Jack asked. Crohan leaned his head back and against the wall. Obviously exhausted and in pain, Crow had long and deep breathes. After trying to talk once he only nodded. Jack nodded and then left, he was back soon with Boris and Joseph. They gathered around Crow and picked him up.

The pain for Crohan was excruciating as they carried him out of the Weapons shop and into the remains of sheets held by table legs, a crude form of a stretcher. Crow rolled painfully to the middle. From what he could see, Jimmy was in another stretcher that was already being hauled up into the air by Boris and Joseph. Weaver and Ellis were the carriers for Crohan and Jack was carrying Azlyn.

“How long is it to Duns Ford?” Boris asked. They had begun to move now.

“A days trek.” Joseph said. Crow’s back seized with pain after each step and he slowly fell into his mind trying to get rid of it all. An old technique that was hardly used at all anymore that only his father taught him. He began to dream.

The trek stretched on until it was dark. The last of the light blazed over the western mountains you could barely see. The sounds of wolves blared from the eastern wilds that were much closer and much darker. It hovered over the Baxter’s like an omen. Jack only prayed that they would make it to Duns Ford, hot in the distance with torch light, before the monsters of the night preyed on them. Jack’s pace had become a small little trot and so had the others. The howls became often enough to begin to scare Jack. He’d heard them faint at first but now the howls were becoming louder and louder and soon, soon he could hear their growls. Snarling beastly sounds in the middle of the dark, the only light they had was that that the town gave off. They were sprinting across the plains now and Joseph, probably the furthest in the back, could hear the swift movements of things behind him. Were they wolves? Joseph prayed he wouldn’t find out along with all of his brothers. The light seemed to get closer every second, because it was. There were soldiers, three of them waiting from what Jack could make out and he swept to them and then past them without consideration. The soldiers looked confused for a moment and then the wolves struck.

From what Jack could hear there were crossbows firing, a lot of them and the soldiers had begun brawling with the wolves. Jack went a decent distance into the town and gently set down Azlyn on the ground. His arms ached like hell but they could wait for their rest. He drew his sword and sprinted to the soldier’s aid, realizing how many wolves there were, the others did the same.

Jack slid between two of the three men and immediately slashed down a wolf. Its blood splashed against the ground and the soldiers acknowledged him before continuing. Boris met their side and then Joseph, Weaver and Ellis came. They fought side by side making the wolves’ attempts futile and eventually the beasts gave up. Howls raved on after they’d left and silence drew between the defenders.

“So, who’re you?” One of the soldiers asked. He had a weary look on his face as he turned to Jack.

“We’re from Harold, where’ve you been?” Jack asked harshly.

“Our horses got loose when whatever happened over there happened.” The soldier said sheathing his blade.

“You couldn’t walk?” Boris asked with a hint of sarcasm.

“We were planning on it in the morning.” He replied.

“Well don’t bother now,” Jack said while turning to go to the others. It’s a ghost town now. “Where are the survivors?”

“Wait what? There weren’t any survivors, was Harold attacked?” The solider asked. Jack stopped and turned to the soldier.

“No survivors?” He asked. “What do you mean no survivors?” The soldier didn’t reply. Seconds passed and then Boris entered the conversation.

“What if they went to Ridgeton?”

“They didn’t go to Ridgeton, they’re dead.” Jack said morbidly. “These three need apothecaries.” Jack said pointing to the three.

“Alright, you two get that one and if you could one of you help me with this one,” He said gesturing to Crow. “And one of you will grab the girl.” The two soldiers picked up Jimmy, Boris helped the soldier with Crow and Joseph picked up Azlyn.

The apothecary was in a small building separated from the others. No one inside from what Jack could tell. The soldier approached the door and used a free hand to knock on the door. No one responded for a while and then someone met them at the door. A tired looking woman looked at them and then gestured for them to enter.

“Are you people from Harold?” She asked in an annoyed voice. She opened a drawer and began to scramble around through it in the darkness.

“Yeah, we are, except for the hunter.” Boris said in a less than happy tone of voice than what he usually had.

“Hunter?” She asked inquisitively and found what she’d been looking for, a match. She lit the flame and began lighting lanterns within the room. Jack came to witness Jars and Bottles filled with eye balls and dead spiders.

“You’re not of the black are you?” Jack asked.

“No, but I am of the corn.” She said with a grimace. “The dark is a tool much as the light is. Now who’s this Hunter?” She asked and lit a lantern beside the place where the visitors stood.

“All I know is that he brought the Devils that killed our town and he came from the Wilds.” Boris said.

“Hunter as in Demon Hunter?” She asked and craned her head up away from Crow toward Boris.

“Yes.”

“Well, he won’t die but this boy and this girl look as if they might.” She said moving Crow aside. “What Happened?”

            “Wraiths fought that girl and while under possession one of us stabbed that boy.” Jack said pointing to each respective victim.

            “Wraiths?” She asked and looked up for a moment in awe. “I’ve heard of Wraiths, never seen one. You didn’t happen to get a sample of one of them did you?”

            “Uh, no, I’m sorry.” Boris said and she looked at the others. They all shook their heads. She began and Jack took a seat in the Foyer and closed his eyes.

            Morning came and the Baxter’s slept in the Apothecary. 

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this chapter sucked