Undead Dilemma

I sprang at the same time that he did and we collided in mid-air. We fell to the ground, him trying to scratch and claw at me, me trying to stick my dagger in somewhere fatal. As we grappled each other, I could smell why they wouldn’t have heard us coming. I guess the two guard cats had been slacking off some cause this dude smelled strongly of catnip. Still even though it had affected his senses it didn’t have any affect, on his fighting. He got the upper hand, straddled on top of me and was trying to make me push my own dagger down into my chest. But in our struggle to kill the other before we ourselves were killed, he had forgotten that I still had my partner. I tried to push the dagger further up and away as James quietly made his way up to us from behind the Were-cats back. The Were leaned his weight on our hands and it moved the dagger to just an inch away from my chest. I looked up for an instant and saw James leap onto the Were’s back, pulling him back as he brought his silver dagger across the Were’s neck. I laid there for a moment just sucking in my breath as I felt grateful for my friend’s quick thinking on pulling the Were backwards. Had he not I would have died just from the collapsing form of the dead Were.

I sat up and for the second time that day James helped me to my feet. We retrieved and cleaned our daggers, then started to make our way towards the drum beats again. We kept our eyes a little more carefully peeled this time, only luck had been our saving grace with the two Weres. We travelled slowly on for another five minutes, when finally, I could spot a clearing a couple yards ahead of us through the trees. We slowed down to a crawl, keeping ourselves even more into the shadow of the trees. Finally getting to the edge of the tree line I got behind a tree and inched myself around it just enough to see what was going on. I took a quick look around I groaned inside my head. It was a repeat of the cemetery, except this time there were no tombstones and a whole heck of a lot more, bad guys. Cake was yet again laying prone upon an altar stone. There was a fire with a bubbling cauldron about a foot away from her. Around the cauldron stood 3 evil wiccans, I couldn’t quite tell if they were discussing or chanting over it but I didn’t like it either way. Forming yet another cliché circle around this were, 2 sirens, 5 more of the Were-creatures (3 wolf and 2 more cat) and hovering at the foot of the altar was a ghost.

A ghost...now last night made a whole lot more sense. He must have given the ghost her essence to track sometime before I had reached the cemetery. Which was why he had been so cocky telling me she would come willingly and why she had said that message before trying to leave. Two of the Weres on either side of the circle picked up the tempo of the drum beat again and I saw the unknown leader walk into the clearing from the opposite side that we were on. That was luck, because I had been so intent on the scene and my musings that I probably wouldn’t have heard him coming from behind. I crouched low and met James by the bush near the tree he was at. I leaned in close and we whispered out a rough plan. It couldn’t be for sure but it was the best that we could come up with at the time. Since I had already had some experience with our foe I took the lead on the planning. We hashed it out back in forth for a minute and then I took off. James started to silently climb his tree as I crept my way slowly to the opposite sided of the clearing. I picked me out a good one and slithered my way up. Now to wait for the right time and hope that we succeeded in our plan.

I crouched on the limb and watched the robed leader talk to the ones around the cauldron, then he made his way yet again towards the head of the altar. He raised his hands for silence and the drum beats stopped. It was eerily quiet without the sound of those beats. He waited a moment, then lowered his hands back down. Then he began to address his followers just as I thought he would do. I began to gather up the first volley that James and I had decided on and waited for our agreed upon signal. ” Hello my dear followers of the Dark.” He began. ” I am glad to have found so many that agree with my dreams for us.” “In a moment we will finish off the spell that will grant us the power that we so rightfully deserve.” “We will no longer have to hide our true natures, we will be able to do as we wish, when we wish!” He yelled out. The Followers howled and cheered in agreement. He let them shout out their agreement and then held his hands out again for silence. They quieted down. ” I know exactly how you feel my dears.” ” We will take the world for our own and rule it as we were meant to.” “Death will be a fear of the past. We will be unshackled from the fear. Day or night will no longer matter, time will no longer matter, because we will have as much of us that we wish.′

I shifted my stance on the limb and prepared to begin the attack. “The girl...” He began. “Is not yours!” I yelled out as I threw the first volley. James and I threw out our globes of silver flakes, holy water, the smoke grenades and reaching in my coat I pulled out the prepared spell globe, aimed and threw this one directly at the ghost. I watched as a small portal about the size of my hand opened up and sucked the ghost into...well I don’t know and I don’t care as long as it is not here. It closed back up and I jumped down and calmly walked into the clearing like I wasn’t a bit scared. “Ah…the boy.” The leader breathed out. “I was kind of hoping that you, might show up again. “Oh yeah, you like watching me destroy your comrades and unravel your little plan?” I asked. “Not in the least but I do so enjoy your cockiness.” He replied ” Youth has such a great belief in their abilities.” I looked around as he was talking to me. I counted that the ghost was gone, the Weres were down and out, the sirens were passed out and the witches were on their knees coughing and choking. I looked back up at him. “I meant what I said she is not yours, and if I have to die to keep her out of your hands I will.” I told him.

“See this is what I mean.” He stated “I can’t let you have her.” “Everything in my plan hinges on her.” “I know why you need her. I told him. “Ah so just a little bit wiser this time. And if I was seeing things correctly you happen to bring back up along with you.” “It won’t help but I commend your thinking.” He praised. He waited a beat and I took the bait. “And why won’t it help?” I asked. “Ah, because what you and your friend couldn’t know was that I had a back-up plan myself.” “For just in case you did happen to find out and come yet again to rescue your damsel.” “I had a person waiting and at the ready, just in case, and he has just gone to start act three of our little play.” “And now I yet again will take my leave of you while my other hidden friends come to finish you off.” “If they haven’t well then I hope you enjoy MY little surprise.” Suddenly out of the trees I saw six more Weres melt into the clearing. As they moved in the leader walked away for the second time.

I darted my eyes around quick and said silent thanks that for the moment the witches and sirens were conked out. I turned my attention back to the Weres. There were three werewolves and two were-cats. They half crouched and started to form a circle around me. I lowered into a crouch as well pulling out two of my silver daggers. I was waving my head back and forth waiting for one of them to begin the attack. They tightened the circle around me and I saw the largest werewolf in front of me bunch up to launch. I readied myself to take out as many as I could before they brought me down when suddenly James came shrieking from the trees on my right. The Weres shifted attention to my friend. The two were-cats broke off from the circle around me and loped their way towards him. The werewolves tightened themselves back around me. I shifted a bit to my left and threw my right dagger at the one in front of me. I was just dodging back to the right, when I was pushed to the ground from behind.

I pulled my head up out of the grass and leaves and was roughly pulled up by the Weres. One of them grabbed both my arms and pulled them behind my back. The other one advanced forward extending his claws out for maximum damage. “You put one scratch on this jacket you butt-sniffer and I will make sure that you die slowly.” I warned him. He growled at me and the one holding me let go of one arm and cuffed me on the back of the head. I let the cuff move me until I fell forward onto my knees. Using the maneuver to block one of my arms I reached into my jacket and pulled out one of the silver flake globes. As the one behind me tried to jerk me back to my feet, I pulled myself forward. The one in front of me lunged at me with his mouth agape and I flung the globe into his mouth. I twisted away from him and towards the last one. His attention was on his buddy who was currently collapsed and writhing on the ground so I lunged myself at him, slashing with my dagger as I went. I caught him across the chest. He howled and swung back with his arm, knocking me back into the ground.

My breath wheezed in and out of my lungs. My vision wavered with spots going in and out everywhere. It was just starting to clear when the lone werewolf made his way into my view. He leaned down and reached to lift me up into the air. He pulled his arms back and I knew that in a couple seconds I would go flying and slamming into something yet again. His arms had just started their forward movement when I saw a dagger come flying through the air. I watched it stick into his neck as I went soaring. I slammed down once more into the ground. Wheezing once again I levered myself and watched James walk over to me smiling. “You definitely are going to owe me something with all this life saving I have been doing lately.” He laughed at me. ” I seem to recall a mission not too long ago where I was saving your life numerous times.” I quipped back at him. ” Too true my friend. So we will call it even then.” He replied.