The Aldean Chronicles: Hidden

The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful. Our fear of the Ryppers was turning out to be unnecessary. We're all going our separate ways tomorrow; school, palace, army barracks. The break is over and we won't be together till summer in two months.

We just left a charity ball at the Dolman state-building and are headed back to Tarwick. I was chatting with Sara and Michelle when I heard the first thud.

I'm in a car with Kat and Max, every single person becomes alert. Five seconds later, we hear a second one. The radio comes alive.

"You're being ordered to drive ahead at maximum speed. I repeat do not slow this car down." The voice says

"What happened?" Uncle Max asks in his authoritative voice.

"Some figures were spotted after the thumping. We suspect they're chucking rocks." The driver says.

"And who gave the order to drive ahead?"

"The queen did, she said there's no point risking a fight." He presses the earpiece in his ear.

"Just make sure officers are discharged to investigate, there's a town half a mile from here." Max looks distressed.

We drive as quickly as we can through the long lonely road. On our left and right is a forest that stretches for miles, there's no other car in sight. A minute later, the car at the front skids off the road.

The driver stops and he and the other guard get out of the car. "We'll be back soon, please stay in for your own safeties."

"What's going on," I ask frantically.

"Try to relax Cass." Kat takes deep breaths.

"It's them, isn't it?" I'm too scared to move.

"Remember, these people are trained, they'll take care of it and we'll be on our way." She tries to sound confident but there are cracks in her voice.

Uncle Max unclips his seat belt. "This is ridiculous, I am general of this country's army, I will not hide here."

"Dad," Kat yells but he's already out of the car. I watch from the window as Ryppers begin emerging from the woods. They look even scarier than in the game.

There's a fierce battle between them and the guards. The guards put up a good fight but they're grossly outnumbered. They begin to drop and I don't know if they're dead or still breathing. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, more appear from the woods, there must be at least twenty of them there. That's double the number of guards present tonight.

"Kat, are we going to be okay," I ask, too scared to cry.

"I don't know." She sinks back into her seat and takes more deep breaths. She brings out her phone and tries to call a number. I take the phone from her trembling fingers and call her mom.

"Katya, stay in the car. No matter what don't go out, your uncle and I will take care of it." Aunt Freya says as soon as she picks up.

I soon see a burst of red light through my window, three Ryppers are caught in the flames. "Kat, Cass are you still there," Grey asks in a low voice.

"We're here," I say. "Are you alright, is Lilian fine?" That's when I realize I'm crying.

"She went out there. What's going on, I can't look." His voice is barely holding up.

I look out the window and so many trees have caught fire. More Ryppers emerge.

"It looks so bad." Kat sobs openly and I take her hands. "When are those stupid officers getting here?" She screams.

"They'll be here as soon as they can." I sniff. "What about the officers already here, are they fine?" I look out the window and some are still on the ground, others fighting. "We should do something, we can't just sit here."

"You heard them, Cass, we can't leave the car." She snaps. "Just stop talking."

I stare back out the window, these people are risking their lives for us. I can't just do nothing, but I also can't leave the car.

I try to distance my mind from the fight going on outside.

Someone is thrown against my door, I jump up, startled. He's unable to stand after that and lays motionless on the floor.

I open the door and accidentally hit the guard in the process. "Cass close the door," Kat yells.

I ignore her and slip out of the car. I'm hit by the strong exhaust of flames. There's smoke everywhere, I struggle to control my coughing. Scattered all over the floor are broken glass, ash and debris. I see Seb and Lilian fighting off a horde of Ryppers, Seb shooting fire at them and Lilian blowing air into the flames.

I bend down and check the guy's pulse. I hear one and relax a little bit, he's still alive. Dragging him is impossible though, he's too heavy.

"Cassandra." I hear aunt Freya yell. She wobbles over to me with a glare on her face. "I said stay in the car, why don't you ever listen?"

"He needs help, all these people need help." A Rypper stretches his decaying hand and tries to grab her, it's stopped by another guard. She uses her sword to make a very deep wound in its neck.

"Go back in the car..." Before she can finish her statement, a very powerful burst of flames engulfs more Ryppers emerging from the forest. I look back and see Grey standing there scared out of his mind. "Can no one listen to instructions anymore?"

Kat comes out of the car through my door, her eyes are red with tears. She crouches down next to me. "Cass." She helps me lift the guy's legs. We deposit him in the backseat of the SUV, he groans in pain.

She's unable to use her powers on our attackers, her hands are still shaking. She screams.

I leave her and search for another injured guard. His pulse is dangerously low. I want to drag him but there's glass everywhere. I spot Max and draw his attention. "Can you help me please?"

He's coughing and his eyes are brimming with tears. "This is dangerous." Cough. "Go somewhere safe."

"Just help me, we don't have time for this." We carry him to the nearest car and leave him in the backseat. I turn back and see cars approaching the battleground.

I feel relieved as fully geared officers pour out of the cars and chase the monsters. Medics arrive at the scene and begin to cart off the injured.

"There's one here," I yell from the edge of the road. The victim is a woman with a horrifying and bloody tear on her stomach. Her lips are bleeding, she's been biting hard on them.

"Princess, you should get to safety. This is a battle zone." The medic commands.

To prove his point, a Rypper pops up and lunges at me. I duck back but fall on a piece of glass.

The medic tackles it to the ground and uses a scalpel to stab its eyes. I stand up quickly and push him off it. I shoot fire at the creature, it doesn't affect it. I try again, it growls, more annoyed than hurt.

It recovers and comes for us. In a sudden burst of adrenaline, I release all I can at it and it catches fire before slowly dissolving to ash. I sink to the ground beside the woman and cough.

"I need stretchers, now." The medic yells towards the cars. I look around, our forces are advancing.

The Ryppers stop appearing from the woods but officers still run in to search for more. "Cassandra, are you okay?" Sebastian asks. I shake my head and wipe my eyes. "Your arm, you're hurt."

I look down and see blood trailing down my elbow. "I'm fine, what about you. You must have some first-degree burns."

"I'll be fine, come on." He takes my hand. "Come and stay with the rest."

"Wait, what about her? Will she be alright?"

More medics rush up with a stretcher. "I'll be fine." The guard says. "Thank you."

I sniff and walk away from them. Police are putting tape everywhere and officers are walking around the scene. I see the rest of my family sitting at the back of an ambulance.

"Cass." Kat hugs me. "I was so scared when you didn't come back, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm just glad everyone's alive." I stop crying.

Kat smiles. "The guard we helped, he's alright. We got him away from the smoke and he's doing better." She then frowns and looks away. "The one you and my dad helped didn't make it though."

I feel a sharp pain in my chest. "That's not fair, he shouldn't have died."

"It's okay, it's okay," Seb says softly and hugs me.

More cars appear and the place gets crowded as spectators and reporters try to push through the barricade. The police hold them back, there are still shouts and camera flashes.

Lilian has a cut on her forehead and aunt Freya is limping. "Infante, your shoulder." The nurse calls to him.

He offers me another encouraging smile and promises to be right back. "Come here," Grey says, making room for me next to him. I take the seat.

An officer comes back with our things; phones, purses, jackets. Aunt Freya stares at her injury and curses.

"This is just great." She says sarcastically. Her phone goes off, she groans and answers the call. "No, I'm not doing that. That either, hide the videos from the street cameras." Her eyes briefly flit to me. "Maybe." She wanders off.

Max is walking around talking to officers and making sure everyone is alright. He walks over to us and inspects our injuries. "I can't believe you left the cars." We don't reply. "I'm just happy you're all fine, what did was very dangerous."

"How many people died?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "I don't want to answer that."

"I'll find out anyway, just tell me please."

"So far three, three more are in critical care, we don't know who's going to make it." I whimper. "They knew each day could be their last. They fought with dignity for their country, no better way to go."

Lilian comes back with a bandage on her head. "Cars are here to take us home kids. Let's go."

Grey pulls me up and wraps his arm around my shoulders. I look back at the aftermath of the battle. There's still smoke in the air, the fire is still spreading across the forest and there's pools of blood everywhere. Worst of all, the place reeks of death.

We walk towards the cars, reporters take as many pictures as they can. They also shout questions at us. "You should get that looked at," Lilian says, noticing my arm.

"I'm fine," I reply. A way is made for us among the frantic citizens and we're rushed into a car.

More cars escort us safely back to Tarwick. There's no need, I know the Ryppers won't attack again tonight.

But they'll be back. They'll be more attacks. And it will be my fault.