Chapter 123 Defenseless
When the world is falling apart, what would you do?
Pack Mavez always had a plan in place. Proper defenses. Soldier formations. What to do in the event of an attack. What to do when the walls came tumbling down. But everything had timing in place. And right now, that was what everyone lacked. Monsters seldom charged all at once into the village, that was just unheard of. A handful invading? That was common, but not many got past the walls with alarming speed like tonight.
"Ophelia, get behind me, now!" Killorn roared, yanking her behind him as he unsheathed his enormous sword. Ophelia stood at the edge of chaos, frozen in time. Her heart pounded like a war drum in her chest. Screams and panicked cries filled the air as people rushed into the shelter. The air crackled with an energy that sent her trembling. Her spine grew rigid. Everywhere, there was movement.
Men fending off goblins double their size. Oh god. What was happening? Usually, there was one enormous boss with tiny little minions. Now, all of them seem to have grown. A creature that Ophelia had never seen before bulldozed through everything. They resembled a combination of various animals, whereas others seemed to come straight out of her nightmare. A loud slither filled the air, as flaps of wings could be heard.
When Ophelia raised her head, she witnessed monsters that she only read about in books. Winged beasts. They swooped for her, but Killorn swung his sword, piercing one of them straight in the head.
"Go, now!" Killorn roared, shoving her towards the crowd of children and women racing into the shelter, some of them straight for the castle. From the distance, more monsters emerged. Surprisingly, in her presence, they began to all pile towards them at once. Fiery eyes burning with malevolence. They screeched and cried, the air filled with utter noise pollution. Everything seemed to be chasing and running for the crowd, or, worse—Ophelia.
"OPHELIA!" Killorn lost his patience, reaching for her. He had no time to just save one person, but this was his wife. And right now, she was horrified. "Displodo." Ophelia's palms burned as she shot her head straight into the air.
Loud, horrified screaming pierced through her ears. She saw firsthand what she did. Clumps of flesh, blood, and bones fell from the sky, the monster exploding from the inside out.
Killorn pulled her out of the way before anything fell on her. She heard the panicked cry of a child. "Daddy, Daddy!" a boy wailed over a fallen man, only to be quickly grabbed by a woman who was then pulled back into the crowd.
"Ophelia, no!" Killorn couldn't stop her. "Go and defend your dukedom, I have it handled!" Ophelia shouted, as she seized the opportunity and ran before he could catch her.
Killorn's string of curses was interrupted by a large goblin pouncing straight for him. He hated to admit it, but Ophelia was right. He had a duty to his people. To his pack. As their Alpha. And right now, his men were breaking formation. After slaying the creature with ease, he ran straight into the center of the chaos, shouting orders that'd keep his men motivated and in check.
"L-Luna…" came the pained gasp of a fallen man.
Ophelia dropped to her knees immediately, clutching his hand. A large gap was seen in his stomach, with multiple cuts all over his body. He was quickly bleeding out, his lips cracking and losing color. She didn't want to admit how young he was, most likely no more older than Killorn.
"It's okay, it's going to be—"
"M-my boy," he coughed out. "M-my boy… please…"
Ophelia tightly held his palm, squeezing it. She searched for his weapon and spotted a dagger on his waist. She could save him with her blood. She didn't know how well this plan would work, but she reached for it anyway.
"M-my family… keep… them… safe." His hand fell from hers.
Ophelia froze. She was just inches from slicing her fingers to give him her blood. Instead, he was motionless. Her heart pivoted to her stomach. The shock was a punch to her gut. She buckled over, unable to stop the tears from falling onto him. She whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut, and quietly, shutting his. She had never witnessed anyone dying before and witnessed firsthand, just how devastating these monsters were for the world.
Ophelia raised her head and saw the beginning of the end. She watched in terror as monsters descended upon these men, horrific forms shooting panic into any man. Fallen bodies were seen by everyone, injured or dead, she didn't know. A stench of blood, spilled guts, and death pierced the air. Ophelia didn't have time to recover. From beside her, she heard a loud screech. When she turned, she saw a creature of wings, chicken head, and snake tail dashing straight for her. Killorn was nowhere to be seen.
"Displodo!" Ophelia shouted, thrusting her hand in the creature's direction. Nothing. No burning, searing light, or the reaction she wanted. The monster picked up speed, racing straight for her.
"Displodo!" Ophelia tried again, but it was impossible. She didn't know how she summoned magic just seconds earlier or on that day. But right now, nothing was working. She repeated the phrase, over and over, and shot to her feet. Ophelia wanted to carry the fallen away from the scene, but too late now. She picked up the dagger and aimed. Better this than nothing.
Ophelia threw.
The weapon didn't even graze the creature, going in the opposite direction. She was doomed.
"W-well," Ophelia exhaled once and bolted for her life. She hurriedly looked at the ground for something she could use to defend herself. Everyone was too busy fending off monsters to notice her.
Every man for themselves.
"SCREEEE!" Ophelia was knocked to the ground by the creature. She hurriedly tried to get to her feet, but found her entire body had been pinned by her dress. She turned in horror to see the monster stepping on her skirts. Pain coursed through her body. Her adrenaline kicked in just as the beasts lunged for her, mouth wide open, eager to take a bite like she was food.
They say your life flashes before your eyes before you die. Ophelia didn't see any of that, she didn't even see a blind of light. "Morior." Ophelia experienced a tug in her body. As if something pulled on strings that didn't exist. And just like that, a blinding purple light shot from her fingertips. Her head pounded, her vision growing dizzy. All of her energy drained from a single word. She had never felt more parched than now. The monster shriveled as if all forms of water, fat, and meat were drained from their body. For a second, it convulsed, then buckled and collapsed. Their skin turned ash black and wrinkled, clinging to bones. The creature started to decay on the spot, and Ophelia was growing weaker by the second.
"...lia!"
Ophelia didn't plan to stop there. She raised her hands, gathering all of her mind, and tried to concentrate. She recognized that feeling from earlier. Helplessness. Defenseless. She just needed to gather all of her worst and put it into a weapon of destruction.
Ophelia had never even heard of the words she uttered. She didn't even know what it meant, or where it came from. But she spoke it with fluency, as if it was her mother's native tongue. As if the words were whispered to her long before she was born.
"MORIOR!" Ophelia screamed, giving her last and all into the shout. She tasted blood in her mouth. Her entire body hummed, her skin burning, and she saw hues of violet. Light shot from every inch of her body. Please, she begged. Please let it work. Please. Ophelia was unable to witness if her attempts were futile or not. Her body gave out. She fell backward and saw the stars, her skull blooming with unforgiving pain. She knew this wasn't the place to lie down. She knew closing her eyes meant seeing the heavens when she woke up.
Ophelia exhaled. The moon was beautiful. Round, bright, half full. She could see the specks of gray and wondered, if somewhere, from afar, her mother was watching her. What a beautiful planet, resembling a pearl in the dusky sky. If her mother saw her now, what would she say?
"Ophelia, you must stay with me!" a voice cried out in the background, so feint, and feminine.
Who was it?
Ophelia's eyes rolled back. She was in the depths of agony that bloomed from the inside out. Ophelia could picture Killorn's lecture. His harsh words. His leveled voice. His rough grip on her waist brought her back to reality. His comfort after his scolding. His fear. She could feel the tender caress of her brute husband. She could feel the softness of his kiss on her forehead, despite not knowing how to be gentle. Just before her world went black, Ophelia wondered… if she'd ever make him happy. If Killorn would ever be proud of her… if he was going to make it out of here alive.
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