Legend Of Pandora

Chapter X: Invaders

Cloak, the old woman and the people she called the "keepers of Pandora" Were getting ready to start walking towards the Bloodmixian village.

Cloak wasn't very happy with it. He wanted to live alone in the woods, not to go on another adventure. But he had no choice.

The woman, who apparently was called Belle, was very cheerful about it. She had her creepy smile up and you could see she was excited about it. Cloak found her very disturbing and quite very strange.

"It is time, Keepers!" She announced to her crew.

"We will raid their village and take what's ours!"

The crowd cheered. They got up from their seats and started exiting the building. They were around 20 men, and all of them were old. Cloak felt very strange around them.

They all started walking, with Cloak on the lead. He knew the way to the village.

Belle sung strange songs to her people, and from the looks of the men Cloak knew they thought she was very strange as well.

* * *

Phoenix, Wolfe, Heeshe, The man-horse and Shae, which was still unconscious, arrived at the other village. It was much bigger than theirs, and had way more people. The horse-man, who had introduced himself as Horace, Led them through multiple markets and houses until they reached his cabin. Though it was more of a palace.

Horace unlocked the door and they went in. There was a beautiful, big dining room, with around 10 chairs all circled around a large, white table. Above it, hanged a glass chandelier.

"Sit down, please." Horace said. They all sat, and Heeshe put Shae on a chair near them.

A servant arrived and filled the table with plates full of fruit, vegetables and what not.

Horace laid back at his special seat for horse-men and took a bite out of an apple.

"Try out the berries, they are very sweet. We grow them ourselves."

Wolfe was unimpressed and wanted to get to the point.

"Quit trying to welcome us and ask it already." He uttered.

Horace took another bite of the apple, then put it down on the plate.

"Ah yes, the girl. What poisoned her? I assure you, this room is as private as it gets." He prompted the servant and he left the cabin, locking the door after him.

"Have you heard of Pandora's box, Horace?" Heeshe asked.

"Frankly, no I have not. What is it?"

The four of them spoke for a while, talking about the serpent's attack and the brawl of blood, and the creature that came out of the wreckage. Horace seemed worried.

"Whatever this box does, it might want to spread." Horace suggested.

"If it does, then the entire world is in danger."

"Then we and the Serpents have a common enemy." Phoenix pointed out.

"I'm not sure they would see it that way." Horace replied.

"Anyways, we should probably send Shae to the doctors." He said and got up from his chair. He strided to the door and opened it. Heeshe and Wolfe lifted Shae out of the room.

"Servant, Please deliver this girl to the doctors." He commanded. "Heeshe, go with her and explain her problem." He continued and Heeshe did as he said.

Shae was put in a bed, and a doctor, which was either a cat or some sort of ocelot, started treating her.

Horace closed the door again and turned back to Phoenix and Wolfe.

"Now, let's discuss this leader to leader." He sat back down, and threw the core of the apple he ate into the bin. He took another apple.

"You like apples, huh?" Wolfe mocked him.

"Indeed." Horace answered.

* * *

"You can belong to us." Said the creature.

"All you have to do is let me change you.

Shae was unsure.

"What are those changes?"

"Nothing bad." Said the creature. "You will not be a foolish, useless monkey girl, that's all."

Shae moved one step towards him.

"Do it." She said.

The creature grabbed her and pulled her closer to him. He bit her, and she felt an ache on her back. The creature started using his teeth to pull off her skin. She screamed in pain, but before he finished; she woke up.

She saw Heeshe and some ocelot-woman above her.

She immediately touched the area the creature pealed off, though her skin was suddenly there.

"Heeshe?" She whispered.

* * *

"If there are creatures coming out if the location where the box is activated, it means they would likely want to expand." Horace theorized. "Your ruined village is currently their space, and they would like to have more."

"So those freaky creatures want to take over our world?" Wolfe asked.

"Something along those lines, yes." Horace answered.

"Then we and the serpents have a common enemy. This could be the key to peace between us." Said phoenix.

"They don't want peace." Said Horace. "They'll just fight both of their enemies at once."

"So what if we take them out?" Wolfe suggested.

"Then it would be just us and the freaks." He continued.

"You don't have an army, Wolfe." Horace reminded him.

"I'm aware." He replied. "That is why I want yours."

"Frankly, I do not think they would have a chance." Horace confessed. "I won't let you lead them into a massacre, Wolfe."

"Let us try the more peaceful way." Phoenix suggested.

"We will invite The Anaconda to a civilized discussion."

"The Anaconda doesn't give a damn about your civilized discussions, Phoenix." Wolfe mocked her. "She'll kill you before you even get to the topic."

"Not if we show her how dangerous our common enemy is." Phoenix said.

"Let's bait the creatures to their stronghold so they would fear them."

"Even if it fears them, we are no value to them as allies." Said Horace.

"Whatever." Said Phoenix. "I'll do my plan alone."

She walked out of the room.

"Nice way to kill yourself, Phoenix." Wolfe shouted as she shut the door.