Between Two Worlds

Chapter Nine

We walked through the neighboring forest, searching for food. The boys had packed snacks in the small backpacks they prepared for our long journey, but soon the supply of food had dwindled down to just a few leftovers. Brayden and Cade had a massive appetite, and would ask for food after every few hours. Nick, however, was saving his meals wisely and was struggling to defend his morsels from the two hungry savages.

“C’mon, Nick! Just a little bit?”

“There's no way I'm eating anything out here.”

Nick shook his head angrily.

“You guys should've thought twice before eating yours! We can't just go into a restaurant or a gas station and buy food. We barely have any pocket money after someone spent it on water! Brayden, Duma and Thorn can make water with their bare paws.”

“How do you make water?”

“I don't know!”

“Well, I'm sorry! Last thing I want is getting out of shape and dying of dehydration.”

“Can y’all shut up?”

Nick gave Brayden one last deadly glare before turning his head towards Thorn, who was sitting down on a mossy stone. His tail was fluffed up in anger, and he narrowed his dark blue eyes in annoyance.

“I swear,” Thorn growled, “You two are more annoying than a group of sparrows.”

Cade nodded his head.

“Yeah! You guys need to chill.”

Brayden and Nick whirled around and gave Cade a warning look. “You better watch it,” Brayden hissed through clenched teeth, “You were complaining, too!”

Cade raised his hands.

“Well, I'm sorry!”

As the three bickered among themselves, Thorn turned away and walked into the forest, grumbling something about no food and whining.

I turned my head sympathetically as I watched him march off into the dark woods. His attitude has changed since the beginning of the journey, I thought numbly. I wonder why?

“When do we get to eat?” I heard Nick ask in the background as he cut in between Brayden and Cade. The snapping of twigs he made as he walked toward me made me jump, and Nick stopped to raise his hands.

“Aight, I’m gonna stop and get a snack real quick, can you guys wait?” asked a curious Nick.

Thorn turned and nodded. A twig snapped, and the grey wolf immediately shot his head in the direction of the noise. Nick leveled his rifle. Cade and Brayden just stood there, panic in their eyes as they glanced around the clearing.

“I’ll look ahead,” Nick said cautiously, lifting his rifle off the ground. He slowly walked toward the noise. He was slightly shaking, but kept his eyes focused and his posture upright.

I walked behind him, concerned. Nick may be experienced with weapons, but you never know. An Outsider may sense the presence of a newly gifted deity and attack.

Thorn trailed a few paces behind, keeping his gaze sharpened on even the smallest, unnoticeable tidbits. Brayden looked at Cade uneasily, and then took a few steps and galloped after Thorn. Cade threw his arms up in a protest.

“Ahh, come on! All of us are gonna go check out the mysterious death noise in the middle of the woods?”

Hesitantly, he followed.

I kept a close watch on Nick as we walked through the undergrowth, keeping an eye out for unusual movements. I did sense an odd aura, but I didn't mention it. Now wasn't a good time for false accusations.

A twig snapped.

Cade immediately let out a shriek, and Thorn whipped his head around with a snarl.

“Shut up! You're gonna create unwanted attention.”

Cade nodded vigorously, and just as he raised a hand to speak, I noticed a dim, white light behind him.

It's an Outsider, I thought as I raced towards him.

“Get down!” I growled, leaping clearing over Cade’s head and landing squarely on the face of a fox Outsider. It's eyes widened and hundreds of small, sharp teeth formed a menacing smile and I glared at it in anger.

Meanwhile, I heard several Outsiders attack the others. I sensed Thorn’s stress as he struggled taking on three of the dark creatures in an effort to protect Cade, who was cornered between a huge tree and Thorn’s body.

Brayden was nowhere to be seen, but I heard him yelling at an Outsider that was slowly making its way toward him. Thorn had defeated the three creatures and had raced in to help the boy, who had grabbed a huge stick to defend himself.

I couldn't find Nick. I heard several of his gunshots, but I couldn't see him.

I dug my claws in the fox and dragged it away, and I threw it against a tree. Another Outsider had creeped from an overhanging tree and landed on my back, pinning me down.

With a growl through clenched teeth, I transformed into my griffon avatar and I flung it away with a powerful beat of my wings. As I released a battle screech from my beak, I took to the air to search for Nick.

No sign of him.

Worry started to cloud my thoughts. I tried to connect to him through his crystal, but to no avail. I never saw him on the ground, either, but I got a glance if Thorn protecting the two boys.

I had completely forgotten about Ryker and Micah, and suddenly I felt the pain searing through the stag’s body. He was defending the crippled falcon from multiple attacks from all angles, using his antlers and his hooves to repeatedly block blows.

I landed next to Micah, using my wings to push remaining Outsiders away. I had to bite into a smaller one to avoid getting stepped on by the wolf Micah had finished dealing with.

Suddenly, I heard a loud screech as Thorn was pulled under a wave of small Outsiders. His voice was cut off as multiple creatures tore at his pelt.

Alarmed by the numbers of Outsiders attacking, I raced to help him, despite my injuries and Ryker. But in my process of coming to his aid, I was grabbed by another Outsider. It’s teeth dug into my calf and pulled me under, and I let out an anxious shriek of dismay.

Cade and Brayden were left unprotected.

Micah was swarmed.

Thorn was covered in tiny dark bodies.

I was caught.

We’re all going to die, I thought miserably. We failed our mission. We didn’t save the world. We didn’t help anyone.

Just as I felt the last string of energy leave my body, a small projectile had flown through the air, leaving a streak of light as it shot towards Thorn.

Suddenly, I was freed of the Outsiders as the light burned into their flesh. They disappeared into the darkness, and I watched them run until they were only dusk colored specks.

The others!

I turned my head, and I rested my wings as I saw Thorn was free of his attackers. Blood was covered all over his jaws and massive paws as he stood over the bodies of the rancid-smelling Outsiders. His eyes burned a dark blue, and he gave me a nod.

Where are Cade and Brayden?

I spotted the two boys cowering behind the massive tree Brayden was hiding behind. Thorn had finished the job on his side, and was racing to help them, but there was no need.

The small blur of light was Ryker.

And he was flying straight towards an Outsider.

Cade and Brayden raised their hands to protect themselves from the dark creature that bore down on them. Thorn was occupied again, and I was rooted to the ground in fear.

I watched in silence at the fox avatar reared up to bite into Cade’s flesh.

Ryker immediately got in between the boys and the Outsider as it bit deep into his feathered wings. With a bone cracking twist of its jaws, the fox had the upper hand and it tore into Ryker with a single s***h of its claws.

“Ryker!” Cade shrieked, reaching out with a hand to pull the peregrine away from the Outsider, who smiled with satisfaction as Ryker fell from its mouth with a thud.

Ryker’s crystal had shattered, and he lay lifeless on the cold earth.

“No! No!”

I immediately bounded towards the boys to protect them against the fox. Thorn had made his way as well, but his eyes were dull and exhausted from fighting already.

When he saw Ryker’s body, he stopped mid stride and fell, his eyes wide in grief as his legs fell underneath him.

Ryker can’t be dead, I thought miserably, trying to keep my footing upright. My joints had begun to stiffen and my head started to throb with a thundering pain. He can’t be dead.

Brayden had begun to shed silent tears as he hid behind Thorn, who watched the remaining Outsiders flee. His gaze was lazy, but searching, as he didn’t make a move to chase them farther into the undergrowth.

However, the fox avatar Outsider was still here.

And it was glaring at Cade.

“You! How dare you attack my friend!”

I whipped my head around at the same time Cade had lunged forward, his hands clenched in a tight fist as he swung it at the fox.

“Cade, no! Let us deal with-“

I was cut off a the boy landed a direct hit in the Outsider’s chest.

Thorn threw his body over Brayden and Micah as a blinding light surrounded Cade.