A warm sensation floods your face waking you up, instinct takes over turning your head to the side seeking to escape from the brightness that blinds you, however, upon doing so you see a large puddle of blood - still fresh – on the floor to your side, fearing the worst you get up as quickly as possible but instantly loses balance and fall with your back turned to where the light is coming from, your head and body ache, before you is what seems to be a table in which you were resting against and on it's top right corner is a bloody hand print.
Trying to get up again you move your left arm forward but a terrible pain strikes causing you to immediately use your right one to alleviate some of the weight on it and finally get up, once standing you look to your shoulder, finding an improvised bandage where the beast bit you, feeling it difficult to remain up you find another bandage on your leg also noticing that your sight hasn't adapted to the room brightness quite yet.
Without wasting any more time you try to decide where you are: The walls are tall with stained glass windows that become triangular near the ceiling; behind the table there is a mess of boards and broken wooden chairs covered in dust; between you and the light source there are rows of benches – also cover in dust – and the ones closer to the light are broken and splashed with blood.
Curious to know what happened you begin moving forward, as your eyes adapt to the brightness it becomes possible to distinguish three light sources, the entrance and two windows whereby the left one is completely shattered and has a viscous substance dripping from the glass pieces that remain attached to the frame, exiting through the widely-opened doors something disturbing take hold of your attention: Underneath the left window is the body of one of the creatures - apparently dead – you can't believe that what you see can exist, it has curved horns on its forehead much like a ram, its fangs are big and protruding from its jaw like the ones from boars, in its back are large bat-like wings and its body is covered by bone scales like the ones of crocodiles although they present a grey colour and “rough” texture – so to speak – similar to the structure's walls.
- Where in the World Below am I? (You ask yourself).
Following the trail of perforations that the creature left on the wall, you realise that this structure is in fact an abandoned church, remembering to have seen gravestones last night your attention turns to the field behind you, it is exactly as you remember it except for the body of other dead creature with its wings ripped off and its neck turned in such an impossible way as if it had been broken, staring at it you can't help but ask:
- What are these things?!
- … Am I going mad?
Millions of questions run through your head, your heart speeds in despair and your hands sweat uncontrollably, however, just one question is enough to extinguish the remaining of your sanity...
- Where is the beast?
At the precise moment in which you ask yourself that, footsteps approach from your right, looking over your shoulder you think about running but given your conditions it becomes clear to be a bad idea, closing your fists and turning to the direction of the foot steps, a heart attack almost claims your life if it wasn't for the sight of Diana coming closer. Upon seeing you up she runs to your aid:
- Orion?! You shouldn't be up, you're shaking.
Whilst she guides you out of the shade you finally realise that your bandages were made out of your shirt and that your coat had fallen down back inside the church. Diana grabs it and covers you, pointing at one of the creatures you ask:
- What happened when I was unconscious?
- It's a long story, we should sit down.
You two sit on the grassy ground where the sunlight shines and, in a serious tone, she begins:
- After we hid on the church the creatures begun attacking the beast, we did not knew what they were or their intentions but there wasn't much we could do either. While Brutus, barred the door, Erwin watched outside through the window and I tried to keep you alive, the creatures seemed to have the advantage given the sounds we could hear but in a blink of an eye one of them crashed against the window and before it could get up a loud sound of bones breaking echoed and the beast appeared trying to enter, Erwing shot many times and I think one of the creatures pulled the beast away. After that, Erwin said that the beast killed other creature causing the last one to grab it and fly towards the forest behind the gravestones.
She speaks pointing west. You interrupt her, looking at the dead creature:
- Fly? You mean... these things can fly?!
- That's what Erwin said... To be honest, after last night there isn't much that can surprise me any more.
She answers nodding and after a short pause, continues:
- We though about going out and seeking help but we did not new exactly where this is and given our conditions we would've been easy targets for either the beast or the creature so we spent the night on guard and taking care of you. And that's sort of it.... Erwin and Brutus went to check the surroundings and probably will be back soon.
Having stopped shaking and feeling warmer you joke:
- Well... at least I'm not going mad alone, haha.
As you two wait Brutus and Erwin's return, Diana seems uneasy and from time to time looks at the dead creatures worried, at the instant you decide to ask her if she's alright the other two show up, whilst they come closer she helps you get up. It is possible to notice Brutus look at the dead creature with an air of despise whilst crossing the cemetery, Erwin, seeing you standing, celebrates:
- Yes! You're alive pal!
- You won't believe what you missed last, it was crazy! (He adds with his eyes shining with enthusiasm to tell about it).
- Diana has told me already but its good to see you guys are ok too.
Even after you finish your sentence, Diana and Brutus continue looking at Erwin stunned and confuse by his good humour and behaviour, just by the way they look at him is possible to say they're questioning how is it possible for him to not be affected by the horror and nightmare that was last night. Diana, still conflicted, tries to focus on what is important:
- So, have you guys found something?
- No sign of the beast or the creature but...
Brutus pauses briefly and looks at you, causing you to fear what he's about to say.
- At less than two kilometres on this same direction is your village Orion.
Like a locomotive speeding at full steam, your heart begins racing and flashbacks from your return from the war flood your mind.
- Let's go!
Leaning on Diana's shoulder you head towards the village limping, the pain on your leg increases with each step but is not enough to distract you from your fear that the beast might get there first. The path is difficult, there is no road or trail only grass and trees, the sun that warmed you before now hides behind grey clouds, all are quiet, even Erwin that now carries the same worried expression as the others.
Upon reaching the village's wall your body shivers exhausted but another problem presents itself, the air is occupied by a morbid silence and there is no entrance on this side of the wall. Letting go of Diana and running in search of the main gates, despair takes over you whilst the others shout for you to wait, tripping and almost falling you sharply take a right turn finding the front wall in parallel to you, another right and in seconds the heavy iron gates – that are still bent – become mere shadows behind your back, running to all directions all you see are closed doors and windows with some even barricaded, by the corner of your eye you seen one of them opening, using all the energy left in your body to stop and look, you manage to stay up enough to see Irene before subtly passing out.
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