Light of the Unexpected Adventure

Chapter 27 The Undead

Gabriella's POV

So, since it's pitch dark outside, I will keep straining my eyes to keep them locked on, whatever that is, even though I'm not able to determine much at all while that thing is moving back and forth throughout the darkness. I can guess what the size may be, but that is still just a guess. It sounds like Leo wants facts from what I can see, and I can't give that to him. I really can't see any more details than that dark silhouette which looks like a constantly moving shadow.

I watch it move from side to side, slinking alone, which makes it much harder to determine what it is until I see it crouching and then, without hesitation, leaping at us. Startled by this, I jumped back and tried to get out of his grip while he tried to re-grip me or maybe steady me in his hold. I keep pushing myself out of his tight grip, yelping out, "Leo!! Watch out! Behind you!" I yell this warning so loudly I'm afraid it might have hurt his ears. But this gets an instant reaction, causing him to flip around, but not fast enough.

Instantly he is tackled by a beast, causing me to be thrown away from him, right before we are all slamming into the ground. I groan out while rolling over the dirt and rocks until I am coughing, reaching up and grasping my chest as I gasp for air. The ground didn't catch my fall as well as I would have hoped, since I had the air knocked out of my body. So, I gasp for air, still holding the cloth upon my chest for comfort. I cannot get up, but I can hear them fighting off to the side of me.

I rolled over to my side while staring over at their fight. The screeching that exudes from this fighting match is piercing my ear drums, making me cringe as I try to see what is happening. But with every screech I hear, my eyes squint shut while my ears are covered with my hands to try to help deafen the sounds. I get a peek at the sight ahead, seeing that the screeches are this beast's claws scraping against the metal of his armor. It is swiping at his armor as he punches and shoves it back just to stand and unsheathe his sword, readying to defend himself.

This sight before me is somehow exhilarating and terrifying all in the same breath. I can't stop my eyes from latching onto him in this intense fight. Watching him naturally dance around this beast in this fight for his life, showing the skills he has accumulated from all the training he has done. It's astonishing to watch. Each swift move he makes looks articulate and thought out. I could watch him do this forever. I keep my eyes on him until I see him look towards me, followed by a double take looking back in my direction. "Don't just lie there.. Get behind me, Gabby!" he yells these instructions as I jump in response.

I know that he is right so I try to stand. I do what I can to get up, but it is much harder than I imagined on my hurt leg. Excruciating pain flies through my body. All I can respond with is groaning out in pain before trying again just to fall down instantly after getting even a hint of weight on it. My body folded from the pain, so I hold my body for comfort as it throbs, hoping the pain will calm, but I think that getting thrown to the ground hurt my legs much worse than they already were. I was able to stand on it just a little bit ago, even if it was just for a moment, but now not even a little weight can be put on it.

Blood seeps through my bandages, getting my attention as I look at the other leg, feeling most the pain from it. That is because there is another cut going down the shin, making the bruises of my broken ankle look framed by the dark red blood. I shook my head before looking forward. I watched him swing and hit this beast. It doesn't seem to faze the beast as much as we would probably like, but it is enough to send it stumbling back for a moment before its next attack.

That is until it lunges forward as Leo swipes the sword, slicing its head clean off. I have never seen such a thing so close to me. I have been made to endure it from afar, but with it this close, there is no way to look away or avoid seeing it. Shock hits me at this sight as I scream out, shaking my head as its human-like face rolls towards me until the head stops rolling right in front of my feet. I can't see much but the moonlight glimmering off of its dead eyes that stare into the sky. Even the black liquid dripping from the corner of its mouth, headed towards the ground is glimmering in the moonlight.

I automatically shook my head while whimpering out, pushing myself back and away from it as best as I could, until the words fell from my lips. "What is that thing?" I asked him while slowly trying to stand to get me away. The worry in his eyes is evident. So before I knew it, he was quickly stomping over to me, reaching out and pulling me up, then making sure I am instantly into his side before responding. "No time to waste, we need to stay together and get out of this place. That is a beast we don't want anything to do with. That is the undead."

"Undead?" I ask in shock, not understanding, because I never knew anything such as this existed. "Yes. These are beasts that have no purpose in life. They just tear and maim as they please. It is said that the darkness of their actions have darkened their skin, causing them to look as if they are burnt, so they are almost impossible to see in the night, only coming to the sounds of the lost that wander these lands foolishly. But I have to admit, I have never seen one by itself, and they are known to screech before attacking, but apparently that is not always the case. We are lucky.. It could have been much worse."

I nod at that statement before I reply. "I told you there was something behind you. You should be more careful next time. You could have really gotten hurt, or worse, killed. But we could have prevented this if you would have just listened to me instead of assuming my intentions. I was trying to not just help you but myself as well, since I was stuck in your clutches." This comes out of me almost instantly, taking the nervous breath from me, just because of standing up for myself, knowing I was right. I stand there breathlessly as he stares deep into my eyes with his eyebrows furrowed but not objecting, so maybe he thinks I am right but doesn't like it.

I match his glare, not being intimidated by this look from him, because I know that I am right. The tension-filled silence takes over as we stare at one another. Surprisingly enough he honestly doesn't look too mad at all. It's as if he wants to be mad but can't get himself to. I feel his hand squeeze over my hip as he clears his throat, making me wonder what he has to say. But before he can say anything, I instantly feel my leg grabbed as I am pulled out of his grip and then straight to the ground.

My body slaps down on the cold dirt, causing me to automatically scream out in shock and pain as something claws at my legs until its side is sliced by Leoric. This isn't a deadly blow as I watch the beast try to grab for me again, but without hesitation Leo swipes and cuts its hands right off. My mouth is wide open as I look up at him, feeling the tears welling in my eyes out of straight fear. "Leo." I whimper out, watching him reach down for me. I am aching for his help at this rate, so I am already reaching for him this time around. I am scared, and he is my only means of protection in this strange area, as much as I hate that realization because it makes me almost feel helpless.

I wish I could figure out how to take care of myself against these threats, but I have no idea how, because I never knew that even existed. His leather-covered hand wraps around my forearm as he tries to pull me to my feet, but I can only stumble and fall into his side since the pressure on my legs is too painful to try more than that. He sees this as he looks around for something, but I am not sure what. I am trying my hardest to hold the tears back as I sniffle in his strong and somehow comforting hold.

Shaking takes over my body, but I am not sure what is igniting it, the fear, the pain, or the helplessness. Maybe it is all of it at once, but what I do know is that it is overwhelming and taking over. I think he notices this as I feel his hands automatically wrap over my cheeks as he tries to calm me down. "Shhh.. Gabby it's going to be ok. I'm here. I'll protect you." he says this so sweetly as I nod, feeling my grip getting tighter around his forearms as he stares deep into my eyes, which is somehow calming me down. I try to use him and his big body to keep me steady while I try to stand on my own.

With my weight and the pain I feel my legs folding as I almost fall back to the ground. But Leo doesn't let me, his tight hold keeps my body partially up. So with his strength helping mine, I am able to get to my feet, but the weight is almost too much to bare. I groan out loudly with the pain taking over once again. "I can't do this.. I'm sorry, Leo, I can't keep standing. My legs are hurt even worse from that thing attacking me." I whimpered through the fear and pain as he just pulled me closer to him, which honestly made me feel safer even if it was just for a moment.

His urgency to protect me is the only thing giving me strength at this moment. "Stay close to me, as close as you can." I nod before my leg is swiped at again, but this time hitting the back of my knee, causing it to collapse as I fall out of his hold and to my knees at the ground beside him. I see it's another one of those beasts, but before that thing can get a better hold on me, Leoric is slicing its torso in half. I gasp in shock, dragging myself closer to him and through the dirt, following the lead of his hand that is pushing me directly behind him.

I should feel better about this situation since I am now using his hovering body as my shield with his promises to protect me in my head. But that doesn't help me feel any better, since I can see a shockingly huge wave of undead, crawling on all fours over the hilltop and down towards us. When they get within the sword's reach, he starts swiping and hitting many, which helps drag down the numbers of enemies around us, but we are still surrounded and completely outnumbered. There is no way we can win this.

"What are we going to do?!" The desperation is prominent in my tone as I watch the beasts crawl closer with nothing but a dark abyss consuming their features. They're looking cold and lifeless, as if it is death itself coming to take me away into the darkness. "I didn't want to have to do this. I am not supposed to. But the moment calls for it." he says in reply while I keep my orbs glued to the beasts that start crowding around us, pushing one another just to be in front, but that is not as easy as they would want, since there are so many trying this same action at the same time. Which ends up slowing them down. Luckily for us.