Crossroads and the Dominion of Four Page 4

  Seneca gazed upward at Dreya, who was circling erratically. She gave a salute to let her know she had received the message and had compliantly delivered the news. She knew it wasn’t necessary, but it was a way of displaying her reluctance to be the message liaison. Just as she began to relax, her thoughts were once again disrupted.

  Seneca, please listen to what I say. Dreya’s thoughts were intensely clear. Do not question what I tell you. You and the others must run north toward the hillside with the steepest incline. Do you understand? You are all in danger!

  Okay, but— Seneca tilted her head toward the sky, but she could not locate Dreya.

  Seneca, it’s imperative, Dreya said. You will continue on the path until the soil is dry beneath your feet. Locate the northern mossy trail, and stay on it until you reach a gully.

  You’re throwing a lot at me right now. We need to find a gully? Seneca could feel her heart racing in her chest. Dreya sounded distressed, and it frightened her.

  Yes, now tell the others! Warn them before it’s too late! Dreya pleaded. Remember this. Get to the top of the hill, and then find the northern trail that leads to the gully. Only there will you find safety.

  But what am I warning them about? Seneca asked.

  There’s no time—they’re here! Now, Seneca! Tell them now!

  “Dreya, wait! I don’t understand what’s happening! Where are you?” Seneca yelled aloud. She spun around, searching the sky for any sign of her. She spotted her circling low.

  “What’s going on?” Jake asked. He followed Seneca’s eyes to the sky.

  “Hey, what’s up with Dreya?” Conner asked. “Shayna, wait up and check this out!” He jogged back to join Jake and Seneca. “She’s circling in the same spot. Does that mean we’re close?”

  “No, I don’t think so. Something’s wrong,” said Seneca. “She told me to warn you guys.”

  “Warn us about what?” Shayna asked. She kept her gaze on Dreya as she joined the others. “She’s flying all erratically. What’s she doing?”

  “She’s circling in tighter revolutions and increasing her speed. Maybe she’s trying to morph into another animal,” Conner said. It was more of a question than a declaration.

  “I don’t think that’s what’s happening. She said we need to run! There’s danger coming!” explained Seneca. She couldn’t take her eyes off Dreya.

  “What else did she say?” Jake asked. She swatted at the air and mumbled incoherently. He could tell he didn’t have Seneca’s full attention. He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. “Seneca, what exactly did she say?”

  “Um, she said we should—I mean…” Seneca’s voice trailed off as she suddenly saw Dreya descending quickly in their direction. “Watch out!” she screamed as she covered her head and crouched down. The others reacted instinctively and ducked to avoid Dreya’s charge.

  “What is she doing?” Conner yelled.

  “Did you see that?” Seneca shouted.

  “Something’s attacking her! They’re like birds or giant waspy things!” Jake’s voice boomed. “They’re chasing her!” He rubbed his hands on his jeans. He had landed on sharp rocks when he fell to the ground in an attempt to avoid contact with Dreya.

  “Not birds—they’ve got faces!” screamed Shayna. “There has to be at least a hundred of them going after her.” Her voice trembled.

  “What are we supposed to do, Seneca? What did she say?” asked Jake.

  “She said run for the northern hillside. Stay on the path too. It’s supposed to lead us to a safe place,” Seneca said. She couldn’t keep herself from shaking. “She said to find the gully—or something like that.” She was sure she’d missed details, but that was all she could recall at that moment, and that was the most important part.

  “You heard her. Let’s go. Come on!” Jake ordered.

  “What about Dreya? We can’t just leave her; we have to help,” said Shayna. She searched the sky but saw no sign of her. “Where’d she go? Dreya!” she screamed.

  “I’m sure she was leading them away so we’d have a chance to get out of here,” said Jake. “We need to move now. I don’t think she would have said to run if that’s not what she wanted.”

  “Jake’s right, Shayna,” said Seneca. “She told me that we had to keep going until we get to safety.”

  Seneca grabbed at Shayna’s arm to hold her back, but Shayna wrestled away, her eyes wide with fear. “Leave then! I’m not going until I know she’s okay!” Shayna snapped, trembling and unable to maintain her focus. Her eyes were full of tears that clouded her vision. She wiped them away. “I have to go after her. I just have to!”

  “I get it,” said Conner. “You guys go ahead, and I’ll stick with Shayna. We’ll catch up with you.” He put his hand on her shoulder, and she raised her head in preparation. Shayna knew she didn’t have a choice, and she wasn’t going to try to second-guess her decision.

  “Stick together, and meet up with us as soon as you can,” said Jake.

  Conner nodded in agreement.

  “Those things looked vicious,” said Seneca. “If Dreya’s in trouble, then they have to be really dangerous.”

  “All the more reason for me to go after her and help—she’s my family,” said Shayna. “I have to try!” She brushed past Jake and ran in the direction of Dreya’s retreat. She had decided there wasn’t any time to discuss it further. She’d made up her mind.

  “Like I said, I’ll stay with her. Between the two of us, I’m sure we can take ’em out!” said Conner.

  “Get going, you guys, and be careful because you have no idea what you’re going up against,” warned Seneca. “Look for the gully, and find us.”

  Conner stuck out his chin and gave a look of confidence followed by a thumbs-up. Jake knew it wasn’t worth debating and stuck out his hand, but he was pulled in close for a tight embrace.

  “Take care of Seneca, and don’t let her fall behind,” said Conner.

  He didn’t wait for a response; he turned on his heel and sprinted until he caught up to Shayna. She had just changed direction near a row of massive oak trees.

  “This way, Conner. Come on!” Shayna yelled as she picked up speed.

  Conner followed without question. “Man, I hate the dark,” he mumbled as he jogged alongside her.

  “Stop complaining, Conner. Which way did they go?” Shayna asked.

  “There they are!” he shouted, pointing at a gap between two of the tallest trees. Dreya’s wings were fully spread as she maneuvered and batted at the swarm. “They are really going at her!”

  “Hurry!” Shayna shouted as she raced toward the attack. Conner stayed close behind and allowed her to lead.

  Jake and Seneca watched Conner and Shayna as they ducked under low branches, effortlessly leaped over various hedges, and pushed away bushes that blocked their path; they moved briskly. Jake caught a glimpse of Dreya circling above, but most of whatever was happening was obscured by the dense, tall trees.

  “We’ll see you on the hillside,” Jake called out. He was convinced they probably were unable to hear anything he said. They were running fast and didn’t bother looking back or acknowledging anything he’d said.

  “It’s okay to let them go after her, right?” asked Seneca.

  Jake watched until they disappeared completely out of sight before answering. “I’m sure they’ll be fine.” He sighed. He knew he didn’t sound convincing.

  He turned to face Seneca and was about to elaborate on his opinion, when he lunged for Seneca and tackled her to the ground. The force caused her head to hit the surface hard. The blow disoriented her momentarily, and she winced from the pain. She sat up slowly and rubbed the back of her head, feeling nauseated. The world seemed to move in slow motion as she watched Jake leap into action. She could tell he was fighting, but everything was in a fog. She wondered what he w
as doing as her surroundings slowly came into focus.

  “We’re under attack!” Jake yelled. “Get up, Seneca!”

  She scrambled to her feet, but her head felt light. It slowly registered that something was flying around in the air, but she couldn’t make out what it was. Her head throbbed. She squinted to clear her vision, and her sense of sound heightened; she heard loud buzzing, like a swarm of killer bees. Something thumped her in the back of the head, and she whirled around. She immediately swatted at the air but missed whatever was circling her. She wiped her face against her sleeve to clear the haze. When she opened her eyes, they widened immediately as they zeroed in on clusters of swift-flying objects. The objects were heading directly at them, and they were definitely not bees.

  “Look out!” Jake shouted as he batted his arms through the air.

  Seneca lunged, swung wildly, and grabbed hold of a squealing winged creature. She threw it to the ground and kicked it under a pile of leaves. She could hear it rustling and snarling in rebellion. Before she could retreat, another one rapidly approached with claws displayed. It swerved and avoided Seneca’s attempt to block it. It hastily grabbed hold of Seneca’s hair. Her blonde tresses glowed in the moonlight. Her hair was a sharp contrast to the dark background of the night and an easy target.

  “Let go of my hair!” Seneca screeched in a raspy voice. “I’ve had enough, you grungy beast!”

  She grabbed it with both hands as it ripped hair from her scalp. Seneca winced and shrieked, throwing her attacker into a nearby bush. Before she turned around, another assailant scratched at her neck. She peeled it away as she felt her skin tearing beneath the creature’s sharp nails. It hung on with a death grip and refused to release. Seneca clutched it hard and pulled as she let out a holler to help mask the intense pain.

  “That hurt, you nasty bug!” Seneca clenched it tightly in her fist. “What’s your problem?”

  She shook it hard as it struggled to break free. It turned its head toward her and spit out a green substance that shot just above Seneca’s shoulder and sizzled upon impact in the trunk of a young rowan tree. Seneca turned to see the mark it left. It was the size and color of a small pea. The putrid green liquid boiled as it burned a hole in the bark, leaving a mark of decay.

  “Really? You were actually trying to spit that on me?” Seneca asked as she eyeballed the creature. “How rude!”

  The captured fiend grimaced as it pushed hard against her hand. It growled and jerked its head back, but before it could release another lethal dose of venom, it was sent crashing into the same bush as its companion.

  “That should teach you some manners,” mumbled Seneca as she turned to assess the situation. Jake was skillfully defending himself.

  “Jake, they’re shooting some kind of green stuff!” Seneca warned. “Don’t let it get on you!”

  “They’ve already tried!” Jake yelled. “But you can stop them. You’ve gotta hit them before they make that noise that sounds like they’re regurgitating their lunch.”

  “Gross!” Seneca spun around, looking for more on the approach.

  “You’re telling me.” Jake readied himself for the next round.

  He slammed two creatures into the ground, and they tumbled several yards. He circled and punched hard to send another careening sideways into a tree. It fell facedown and hit a low-hanging branch. It attempted to right itself but toppled over and landed in the dirt below, where it remained motionless.

  Seneca watched Jake take several of the creatures out with multiple swings. She stared in awe as he synchronized his movements to connect hard with each approaching attacker just as they made the sound he’d described and before they could get in close. His timing was impeccable.

  “Seneca, watch out!” Jake yelled.

  He leaped over a fallen tree limb and spoiled the approach of a lone attacker. It was just above Seneca’s head when he spotted it. He curled his hand into a tight fist and knocked it away before it could do any harm. Inadvertently, as he brushed passed Seneca, he bumped her hard enough to send her crashing to the ground. Her head hit the ground with a thump.

  “Ouch!” she moaned.

  “Sorry, Seneca. Are you all right?”

  “I think so. Thanks. I didn’t see that one.” Seneca sat up and rubbed her head.

  “I guessed as much.”

  “You can’t keep knocking me down like that. I don’t think my head can take it,” she grumbled.

  “Uh, sorry,” he replied. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” He smirked when he thought about how often she had hit the ground. He knew she was small, but he also knew she was tougher than she looked, even if she protested.

  “I’m fine. Just give me a hand,” she said.

  He pulled her back to her feet. She rubbed her head in search of bumps or blood. She began wiping dust from her bottom as she looked herself over for additional injuries. “Oh my god, Jake! What the—”

  “Come on, Seneca. I didn’t hit you that hard,” Jake protested.

  “Forget about that. Look!” Seneca pointed to the approaching swarm. They had regrouped and doubled in number. They were flying directly at Jake and Seneca.

  “Run, Seneca! Run!” he yelled. “Look out!”

  He struck with his fists and connected with hard punches. Jake was amazed at the creatures’ resilience. His blows stunned them only for a moment before they returned with another attempt. Seneca turned to help but was shocked to see how many they’d have to fight off.

  “I’ve got this covered, Seneca. Get out of here!”

  “No way,” she said as she swatted one to the ground with a backhand slap.

  “I’ll be right behind you. Run!” Jake sent two colliding into several more on the approach. He could tell the creatures weren’t going to let up, and they had to retreat, as Dreya had warned.

  “Seneca, go!” he said. He was forceful.

  Seneca saw in his eyes that he was not in the mood to argue. She knew he was right.

  “Duck!” he shouted.

  Without hesitation, Seneca lowered her head as one zipped past her ear. It made a quick turn and came back toward her to attempt another strike. Jake shoved Seneca hard in an effort to get her moving faster. She turned and took off in a fast dash toward the hillside. As she ran, she realized what was happening. They were under attack by the same flying beings that had surrounded Dreya. Her head began to throb, and she knew she’d hit the ground hard one time too many, but there was no time to focus on the pain. Her adrenaline surged as the pain subsided, and her instinct to survive kicked in. She kept running.

  Jake quickly caught up to her. He stopped momentarily and swatted at the air, slapping down two that were flying parallel to each other. He hurried to catch up to Seneca. She was losing momentum, but he admired that she hadn’t stopped.

  “They’re angry little beasts!” said Jake.

  “Yeah, and committed to being the victors!” replied Seneca, breathing hard. “Listen to them. They sound awful!”

  Their attack cries were a blend of screams and high-pitched growls. While Jake found the sounds annoying, the noise wasn’t what made them dangerous. He surmised that whenever they made a grotesque gurgling sound, they would release their fiery discharge. He watched them spit out the liquid repeatedly, but he had avoided contact thus far. Any surface the substance came in contact with burned or withered.

  “Watch out, Jake!” Seneca screeched. She glanced over her shoulder as several closed in fast. “More are coming!”

  “I’ve got this!” Jake hollered.

  He veered to the right as he swung hard with his left fist to connect with three that flew too close together. They fell to the ground in a heap and disappeared in the tall grass. Two more attempted to scratch at his face, but he held them off by swinging wildly. They were persistent; one shifted direction and managed to claw at Jake’s shoulder from b
ehind. He grabbed hold and threw it into a nearby trench. An oversized bullfrog leaped to the spot, extended its tongue, and lapped up the dismayed creature. It was rapidly ingested.

  “Bon appétit!” Jake called out, smirking with satisfaction.

  He could almost swear the bullfrog winked in acknowledgment, but there was no time to dwell on the oddity of what he’d just seen. He prepared for another bout of attacks. He sprinted toward Seneca, who screamed as a creature attempted to grab hold of her hair, but she successfully shook it free and kicked it aside.

  “What’s with all the hair grabbing?” Seneca shouted.

  “They’re really annoying! Argh!” Jake shouted as he shook off one that had latched on to his shoelace.

  “Ouch! Get off me!” Seneca shouted. She threw the attacker down with as much force as she could. It hissed as it went tumbling into a thick, mucky ditch.

  “We have to get to the hillside! Go north!” she hollered as loudly as she could. “That’s what Dreya said!”

  She was winded, and her throat was dry. Her head ached, and she was beginning to see double because of the continuous spinning and dodging.

  “They’ve retreated a bit,” Jake said. “Let’s outrun them before they regroup!” He ran past her. “I hope Dreya was right about heading this way.”

  She was thankful he took the lead. She was unable to focus on anything except hitting the attackers. Jake had been wrong; the creatures weren’t retreating—they were regrouping.

  “They’re coming back, so watch out!” Seneca said as she vaulted into a fighting stance. “There’s one!” She pointed above his head.

  “I’m ready,” Jake replied through gritted teeth as he spun around and slapped it squarely in the face. Its black almond-shaped eyes closed tightly as it remained suspended in the air for a brief moment before it made gagging sounds and dropped rapidly to the ground.