Daughters Of Hera

Chapter 26-Two Stones

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The atmosphere was tensed, The monster was getting closer now, wanting to strike fastly.

Tiki grabbed May's hand and they bashed through the wooden shutters, shattering it.

The next thing he knew, they were free falling into the unknown, soon enough he landed.

There was dried hay that caught him softly, he also felt a sharp pain as he did land, there was a bit of bruising on some parts of his body, but he was safe.

He panicked for a while, looking to the window whence he fell, to make sure the monster didn't follow too, then unconsciously searched for his companion.

On a better note, May was safe, still shivering with fear, but untouched. Tiki thought about how much help his sister would've been in this case, but he swallowed the bitter pill of regret, for him to move on.

They weren't too far from the Monastery when they began walking, before May asked. "You knew they was hay there didn't you? You didn't just make me fall from the middle floor of a building, to the ground?"

Tiki nodded, then replied, "yeah! I knew there was." he lied, squirming as he glanced at the sky, and once again he could see the sparkling stars and the entrancing moon, all where they should be, softly he tapped May and gestured her to look too, she did.

"They're back! Oh thank Demeter!" she said joyously.

And they stared at it again, to be sure it remained. "Where to now?" asked Tiki.

"I really don't know, but we have to report to the high council of Holy Vestals what happened here tonight, and when we do they'll know where to go from here," she replied, as they were walking on the narrow street, which was desolate at this time.

Something inside Tiki wasn't entirely relieved, but he said nothing, but without an intension, he stared at it again, the sky that is.

Instead of a sky glittering with solar stars, there came the darkness, that choked the sky with it's filth of blackness.

A great sense of panic trumped in Tiki's nerves, like a body being jolted out of a dream into a nightmare, his breathing became shallow, he was quick to turn around screaming, "It's here again!"

Hysteria gripped May, "What is?!" she asked, although she knew what the answer might be already.

"That thing followed us here," replied Tiki disdainfully, then May glared back and saw it, the monster; the killer, the spine-chilling blood thirsty murderer, whom was after them.

With a quickened pace and hurry they tried running, May wondered why in particular it was hunting them, maybe she thought, they were the last survivors, and she gasped and shuddered as the mere thought left her, all the vestals in the monastery were probably dead too; how many were living there at that time? Fifty? Sixty?

"We have to run faster!" screamed May, she wasn't only suggesting the notion at this point.

The monster screeched loudly, this time the noise drilled itself into their heads, like a knife.

They couldn't run anymore, that screech was a warning, an ultimatum, it meant, run and your death would be painful, remain and your death would be swift.

Those were the monsters' options it demanded, so they halted and stayed, not because of the options presented, but simply because of fear had gripped and creeped every assurance they had, of getting out of this situation alive.

"What do you want from us, leave us alone!" yelled Tiki. He thought since he was goner, he should do it bravely.

The monster didn't respond, the darkness accompanied it still, like a cape. The monster relaxed it's hands and limbs, on it tiny figures began to creep, the tiny figures slid under the monster's skin, they were worm-like and gross, till it punctured out, hemorrhaging green slime, piercing out of the monster's body, they were four of them, slime etched on their bodies.

They reminded Tiki of the maggots he saw, in the pits of the Megara.

They also grew in seconds, into monstrous maggots, as tall as a small boy, something eerie about them materialized on the place were the faces were supposed to be, they were faces there alright, but not the maggot kind, they were human faces, with eyes, mouth and noses.

Tiki thought he had seen it all, but here were large maggots with human faces, in front of him.

May gasped as she saw them, it was not a gasp of fright, but of recognition. "That's—That's, Vestal Amani's face and—and . . . Vestal Rakass', those slimy maggots stole their faces!" she wailed, still not quite comprehending what she saw.

The maggots-with-human faces advanced towards them, sliding on the ground, green slime colored the ground, wherever they passed.

Tiki thoughts raced, he pondered for what it was worth to see if there was a way out, moments went by as the maggot began dreading near.

Then a solution came, a barn stood not too quite far. "The barn . . . We could lose them there," he said, with a haste.

May looked at him, like he had gone mad. "How does a barn have to do with anything that's happening here?!" she asked.

"A stable. A horse should be there. Near a barn." he replied.

Although it made little sense to May, she seemed hesitant, until Tiki asked "Do you trust me, May?"

May stared at him in astonishment, then spoke with a resounding "No! You're a stranger, how can I trust you all of a suddenly?!"

It wasn't what Tiki wanted to hear, he dragged her irregardless, to the barn.

As they raced there, a small stable was recognized near the barn, and surely a horse stood dormant, gazing on hay that was left, the horse was alone and aloof, it whined and neighed as they appeared, startling it.

Tiki laid a saddle on it's back, and May was the lookout, she did her own job too well, cause as she stared a darkness was approaching swiftly, slimy maggots ran with it, with the vestals faces on it, "It's coming, hurry!" she blustered.

Another cheap idea came to Tiki, "No, let's not go yet. Let it come meet us, I have another plan." he said, with a profound determination in his voice.

May stared at him in disbelief, one would reckon that she'll trust Tiki, but of course she didn't, she ran straight to the horse and mounted it.

The slimy maggots where inside the stable now, they opened their mouths, other than the elongated sharp teeth they had, they were series of the teeth advancing deep down to their frightening throats, like a white shark.

Tiki picked up two stones, hitting them together, hoping to spark a flame, at first he didn't and only a glint came out, but he tried again and a spark came out, to start a fiery fire in the hays that lay stagnant, then it consumed and burned with a blazing fury.

So Tiki hurried to mount the horse, staying at the back of the impatient May, who gestured the horse forward, and in a quick speed, they fled.

While the maggots screamed an eerie sound, as they burned a shriveled, looking back Tiki could see the barn, blasting and burning behind recognition, like how all arsons do.

The monster wasn't in pursuit, although they still couldn't call it a win or victory, but they were safe, even if it might be only for this brief moment.

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