The Earth's Last Witch

(1) Alpha Xerxes

Silence fell over the forest. It wasn't an unusual occurrence, but on a full moon- it should have been echoing with the howls of the many beasts living there. But this wasn't a forest like any other. This forest was home to the fiercest beasts to ever roam the world. These beasts so monstrous, intruders never made it past the thicket of trees that were marked the natural border of the forest. A natural made barrier between one 'world' and another.

On the one side, the one that was overrun by war, supernaturals and humans lived- fighting a never ending war of hatred and power. The other side, however, hid horrors that cared not for who, or what you were. It mattered not to them what blood ran in your veins.

The remnants of those murdered, were a warning sign to others who thought of entering the forest. Yet you still had the few that were desperate enough to risk their lives for shelter under the trees. But those poor souls never got to see the light of day again.

And then the screams began.

Vampires were herding shifters out of Alpha Xerxes' territory, towards the trees of that most dangerous forest. The vampires had been left vulnerable when, surprisingly, the alpha charged through the village to cut down the invaders. Somehow the alpha had mange to get the news of their invasion quicker than they expected. But it didn't matter, as long as they got a few shifters to their Lord's and ladies.

But little did the vampires know that they were leading both the captive shifters and themselves towards what was certain death. Little did they know of the monsters prowling that border of trees for unsuspecting prey. It would be the beasts lucky day.

The cries got louder, disturbing that deathly peace that had fallen over the forest. Perhaps the vampires were too frightened to notice that death awaited them. But the shifters knew. Their cries piercing the air, begging their alpha to save them before they could die a bloody death. But they were already past that barrier, inching further into the forest. Towards a trap. The vampires moved swifter, hauling the shifters over shoulders or dragging them behind as they ran for what they thought was safety.

Branches snapped to their left and the vampires turned to snarl only now noticing the yellow eyes staring straight at them. More branches snapped ahead of them and a pair of blood red eyes watched them. The shifters had gone quiet. They were surrounded by different coloured glowing eyes, each different shapes and sizes. The vampires had the decency to look petrified as they stared at the forms approaching them. They would not live to dawn, they would not live to serve their masters or to see the fall of the human eastwards that hunted their kind down.

But before the beasts could catch their prey, footsteps approached. Shifter warriors. They shifted back into the shadows, hiding themselves to watch more food fall into their claws. Alpha Xerxes at the head of the group stormed through the forest motioning for his men to surround the vampires.

"Alpha!" A female shifter screamed out trying to alert him of the monsters that came out of the shadows and into the moonlight that shone through the canopy of trees.

There were fifty supernaturals and who knew how many beasts. The odds of survival were still exceedingly low.

"We're all going to die," a whisper floated off the lips of one of the vampires.

One of the vampires dropped the shifter he had strung over his shoulder and ran. Ran in the direction they had came from. A stupid move on his part. Two beasts, that made the earth groan when they walked, took off after him. Not moments later, a shrill agonized scream filled the night. The group shuddered. The vampires released the shifters, each taking on fighting poses. They would go down fighting. A bone chilling sound of nail on rock was a taunt of what was to come. And with that, the horrors of nightmares pounced on the group.

Two scaly beasts, that looked like a combination of a lizard and a vulture, tore through a vampire like he was made of paper. Blood sprayed in all directions, guts and innards raining down on them. Another beast, a porcupine crossed troll beat two shifters to a pulp against the trees- spinning them around him as if he was playing ring-a-ring-a-rosy. Just a more grotesque version. More unmentionable beasts swiped with claws at shifters and vampires a like. Alpha Xerxes fought back, horror running through his veins as he witnessed the damage the monsters could create. If these beasts could be bought to fight in the war against the humans, then the shifters would stand a chance of winning. But he knew they would never listen to reason. And he had doubts he would live to even bargain with them.

But the world shuddered, a hush once more falling over the forest. Even the beasts halted in their feasting. Their eyes flickered behind them before they were running. Running from the prey they had waited with drooling mouths to eat. And those still alive cringed, sinking to the ground in hopes of hiding from whatever fiend had scared the beasts away. How terrible it must be to make even the colossal monsters run in fear. They wouldn't even live to tell stories of this savage horror that could make even a group of beasts flee in terror.

They held their breathing as they trembled on the ground. No one dared make a move should they be hunted down for sport. Perhaps whatever demon was coming would have mercy and end them quickly. One bite. One gobble. One flick of the wrists. But they couldn't have such hope.

Alpha Xerxes was praying to any and all the gods he could remember. They had never come through before, but perhaps they would show some mercy this time. At least towards the innocent shifters of the village he had sworn to protect. He felt safe knowing that the rest of his people would be safe under the care of his beta Tundra. A mammoth of a man with a heart of gold and fierce determination to protect the innocent.

And so they waited. As the world trembled, as the trees bowed and as death approached them.