Chapter Eighteen

                                    

                                          
I watched stunned at the bodies that belonged to my brother and mother. How could they give up their very selves in order to achieve revenge? They would have died for nothing the moment they were taken over.
                          
The King and Queen seemed to gaze over the vast area surrounding them as they stood without fear. They seemed bored to be in this situation, to be honest. Do we not matter to them? Do we not even compare enough for them to pay us even the slightest bit of attention.
                          
"Zra Lati, do you smell that?" The Queen said in a voice beytraying her intrigue. "It smells familiar. A scent that has not filled this nose in countless years." The King lifted his head and took in a deep sniff, smelling the air around him.
                          
"You're right." The King seemed to cast a smile in our direction. "It is a smell I have long missed. A smell I am content to know once more. It seems that our calling might allow us some fun. How long has it been since we were entertained?"
                          
"Since that ant, Sylas, banished us to that rotting realm." The queen replied in disgust. She must really hate the Sun god.
                          
"Michael." The lead Hunter said next to me with a smile. "Why don't you allow us the priviledge to welcome this King and Queen." He seemed to say sarcastically.
                          
"That is not a good idea." I replied holding Rose tightly. "Human's have no chance of survival against those things. It's best to run and hope you are not caught in the crossfire."
                          
"Nonsense." The Hunter bellowed. "We are the last of the True Hunters. The Yanagrai. We are not merely human. We can handle ourselves." He continued with a serious tone.
                          
In an instant it seemed that all the Hunters present disappeared and reappeared within striking distance of the King and Queen. I heard the soldiers gasp at the sudden movement. It may only be sinking in now that they are surely outclassed in this situation.
                          
Dozens of swords swung down towards the King and Queen, yet they seemed unfazed. They looked to be more focused on finding the origin of the smell they were talking about previously. The swords snapped at the contact of their bodies causing the Hunters to stumble slightly.
                          
They regained their composure as one of them to the left darted for the Queen. Before his hand landed on her left arm, it suddenlt fell to the floor. Blood gushed from his severed arm and coated the Queens red cloak. The Hunter stumbled backwards with a cry of pain.
                          
I could barely even see what was happening. I only noticed a slight movement of something moving behind her before the arm fell. It seems that the King and Queen are not so weaponless than I first thought.
                          
"Michael." Oberon's voice suddenly sounded from my left, making me jump slightly. "They have some sort of thin bone whips that they can use at will. With speed not within our grasp currently." He sounded impressed to be honest.
                          
"Oberon, where is the Supernatural Council?" I asked him letting my anger surface once more. "Are they not supposed to assist in a disaster such as this one?"
                          
"I am not sure." Oberon said slightly ashamed. "I cannot reach any of them. They have blocked off my communications. It seems they intend to sit this fight out. They want no part of it."
                          
My anger grew more and more but thanks to Rose, it didn't grow out of control.
                          
"Pathetic!" I almost shouted before I glanced back at the Hunters trying to fight the King and Queen. What I saw left me stunned.
                          
Only two of the original Hunters were currently still alive and standing. The rest now lay bloodied at the King's and Queen's feet. Some missing various body parts. I knew they would be outmatched, but not to this extent. I thought they could at least do some damage.
                          
I watched as the leader of the Hunters placed himself between a younger female Hunter and the enemies before him. She looked sort of familiar but I couldn't place it. But what I could tell was that he would do anything to protect her.
                          
However, he could not do much. He to fell to the incredibly fast whips that shot forth and buried themselves within his chest. Being lifted into the air, he coughed up blood as he turned his head to me. The pleading look in his eyes affected me more than it should have. I don't know how, but I instantly knew what he was requesting.
                          
I pushed Rose towards Logan, as I filled my legs with as much power as I could muster. My feet left the ground at the same time the boned whips left the chest of the Hunter. I sped towards the female Hunter, grabbing her and rushing her to safety to the soldiers to the left. I placed her down, listening to the curse words that fell from her mouth and ignoring the tears that rolled down her cheeks.
                          
I pushed her state of being out of mind, focusing on the King and Queen behind me. I turned to face them, and noticed their gazes on me. Their smiling faces as their eyes glanced over my entire body.
                          
"He is not what I was suspecting, but he will do." The Queen said with another bored tone. "It would've been more fun if there was someone more powerful than that ant."
                          
"Calm yourself, Thraten'ya." The King said with a smirk. "Let's not insult the poor boy. He is trying. Although his efforts must dissappoint his father, he is, nonetheless, trying his hardest." He chuckled loudly.
                          
I used as much power as I could must and shot towards them, my golden eyes shone brighter and my hair grey a few more inches. Suddenly the leathery wings tipped with hard talons sprouted from my back. The hard dark horns reappearred upon my forehead as my tail shot out behind me swaying in the passing winds.
                          
Somehow I was making used of two forms at once. Is this what Erebus meant when he said I could adapt? That I could use more than a single being as my power source?
                          
My power instantly shot up which caused the King's right eyebrow to shoot up. The Queen seemed quite excited that I could raise my power in an instant, with a huge smile appearing on her face.
                          
I willed myself to go faster and just as I reached within striking distance of them I sped up more. I disappeared and appeared behind them in an instant. I brought down my now clawed right hand, aiming for the King's back.
                          
I put as much energy as I thought was needed into the strike. Unfortunately, I was too slow. Faster than I could see, the King and Queen disappeared. I hand come down, nonetheless, causing the energy to hit the ground with a loud smash. The ground broke apart as a cloud of dust shot forth around me.
                          
I quickly glanced around me not finding them. How could they outspeed me? How fast were they? Is this what it comes down to? Am I really going to make a difference?
                          
I quickly had a terrifying thought, and looked up. both the King and Queen were floating twenty meters above me looking down with a smile. Suddenly the King disappeared. I couldn't track his movements. How fast were these Ancients? Do they even have limits?
                          
Suddenly, I saw hand in front of my face, but it took longer than it should have for me to register what it meant. The hand came in contact with my face and I was pushed backwards and down into the earth beneath me.
                          
The impact knocked the wind from my chest as pain erupted within my entire body. I could feel my wings snap at the base as they now were only attached by the flesh and skin of the wings themselves. The ground cratered around me, going at least two meters deep and over fifteen wide.
                          
My eyes widened as the pain refused to let up within my body. It became to much as I could barely focus enough to move any part of my body. My eyes fell to the right and I saw the dissapointed face of the King.
                          
"Is this all you have to offer?" He asked in a bored tone, mimicking that of his Queen's. "You are a dissappointment. You should've been stronger."
                          
I lay there defeated wondering how I could possibly save Rose, when I couldn't even save myself. My fears were answered with a loud rumble coming from the shattered Greystone pack house. The ground around it cracked open as dozens upon dozens of Ancients began to crawl their way out of the still open portal.
                          
How can we possibly defeat this many, while they are protected by the King and Queen. How will I protect Rose? That is a question, I couldn't answer and it filled me with more fear than anything before.
                          
I am going to lose her.