Night 63: Road to/from Doyleton

[dividedby]

[From here.]

But being outside was probably just as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than it was being trapped inside the bus with that nurse.

Besides the many other deformed nurses that were roaming around here, Zero caught sight of numerous forms flying overhead, casting large shadows on the ground as they passed by. They looked like...eagles. But deformed and horrific-looking, just like the nurses. At first, they seemed content to simply circle overhead, screeching, like vultures swarming above a carcass. But then many of them suddenly swooped down and headed straight for some of the prisoners running in the street.

Kind of like the one flying at Zero right now.

"Kh--!" The once-Reploid barely managed to dodge the monster as it dived for him by falling to the ground and rolling back onto his feet. The bird flew upwards again, slowly flapping its wings, then circled around as if to try again, another eagle joining it. To avoid them, Zero quickly moved out of the open, where he was obviously a target, and circled around one of the buses, keeping his back to it for cover. But he knew he wasn't going to be safe here...not when there were nurses on the ground and so many eagles above.

Not since the night he had become temporarily stronger had there been so much visible chaos... And if that one prisoner hadn't started a riot, this wouldn't be happening right now...!

As he stood contemplating the best route for escape, Zero glanced around quickly, searching the fleeing prisoners for anyone familiar or anyone who might need help. He was defenseless, so protecting someone else would only get him so far (and he certainly didn't want a repeat of two nights ago), but they all might have a better chance of survival if they grouped up...

[Leanne, Lana, and Harvey, WHERE YOU AT.]

Comments

[idolism]

_{[from here and about to team up with a fellow aquila-target.]}

… Only to wind up in the middle of a feeding frenzy as the birds began descending on fleeing prisoners.

Aidou hadn’t forgotten the rumors regarding who the birds chose to attack and why, but he had long ago chosen to ignore them. The only thing that mattered was the knowledge that the beasts would attack him if given the chance. Personal experience had taught him so the hard way. At the same time, he also knew a little of what they were capable of since he had fought them before. That was an advantage. A small one, but an advantage all the same.

As he avoided a group in the middle of a disagreement with the foul creatures, the vampire sorely wished he had his abilities back. If there was ever a night for Landel’s power-repressing device to break…

[stylebythemile]

[from here]

"Ungh!"

Sonia landed on the ground much harder than she'd expected she would, but she'd finally made it out, at least. And she'd managed to land on her feet. With this body, she could never tell when something might be a problem until it became one. That included jumping off the back of a bus with longer legs than she was used to.

She didn't get a chance to look around before a large shadow suddenly fell over her. Her mouth fell open and she quickly looked up to see something swooping down toward her.

"Ahh!" She just managed to dive out of the way before hearing it cut through the air behind her, and the sounds of more screeches coming her way had her climbing back on to her feet in no time. She frantically looked around and saw two more of the things in a nosedive, heading straight for her!

Teeth clenched, she ducked to the ground and rolled under the vehicle, clutching the back of her head until she heard the impact of the creatures hitting the bus and their fading screeches as they flew away.

She steeled herself and crawled out from under the bus, her eyes on the sky. Those creatures were sure to attack her again the moment they saw her, but she couldn't just leave the other prisoners! Not wasting another minute, the princess checked that the coast was clear and ran out from behind the bus, heading toward the chaos on the other side of the road.

But she hadn't made it that far before one of the monsters landed in front of her, causing her to skid to a near stop and bolt in a different direction.

It was then she noticed someone right up ahead. She'd run into more of the things if she went left or right! If the boy didn't run away now, the eagle might go after him, too! "Look out!"

[idolism]

Jeez, they’re everywhere! Every time the noble avoided getting clawed by one, two more birds seemed to pop up in its place, and each of them were fiendishly large terrors in their own right. The creatures weren’t necessarily the most lethal of Landel’s monster arsenal, but in numbers they were undeniably dangerous.

Aidou wasn’t positive how many he could take down by himself before he tired, and the thought angered him more than the actual monsters themselves. “Back off, beasts,” he growled, kicking one in the sternum hard enough to send it reeling back on one leg. Quickly, he dodged under its wing before it could strike him, and for a moment it seemed he had found a clear patch of ground.

At least until he turned and saw one of the other prisoners fleeing in his direction with a monster right behind. No such luck.

“What do you think you’re doing? Don’t scream at me!” And don’t follow me with that thing, he thought, though it didn’t much matter. There was already another bird on his other side, bobbing toward him on taloned feet. Before he could become sandwiched between them with the female, he took off toward the trees. “Run away!”

Fighting was a good option at times, but fleeing was even better.

[stylebythemile]

Whatever the guy just said to her was drowned out by the screeches of the creature behind her. But now another one was following them! If they didn't find cover quick, they were bird food! Her shoes scuffed loudly against the gravel as she took a sharp left turn toward the forest, running on a slightly different path to the boy so she could steer them away from him.

A quick glance over her shoulder told her that it worked! Except now she had two of them on her tail!

Almost there!

She heard their talons scraping against the loose rock. They were too close! She didn't know if she could make it!

Before she could dive forward under the trees, a great force hit her in the back that sent her world spinning. The impact knocked her off her feet and off the road, and she continued to roll sideways until she was surrounded by darkness.

A few seconds passed and Sonia coughed and sputtered. She pushed herself up on to her hands, taking note of the dirt between her fingers, and shook her head. The screeches. They were gone! She looked around, wide-eyed, and saw the darkened trunks of towering trees. She could hear the commotion on the road from here.

The girl tried to get on to her feet. "Ah!" She quickly sank back to the ground, trembling. Her back was killing her! Despite that, she silently took a deep breath and managed to stand on the second try, with the help of the tree next to her. As she gingerly dusted herself off, she could feel bruises coming out underneath her clothes. But her back felt even worse. She reached a hand around and up to feel the damage. Something had sliced through her jacket, and she was pretty sure the wetness seeping through the tear was blood. She'd never had an injury this bad. She must have been hit by one of their claws!

Suddenly, she remembered the guy she saw. Was he okay? He couldn't be hiding far from here, unless he'd wandered deeper into the forest.

Okay, Sonia. Now focus. The princess shuffled toward where she thought he had entered, trying not to cringe at how much it hurt to move. She had to ignore the aches and pains for now.

[idolism]

Once the vampire realized the birds had veered off toward the other target, he came to a stop, letting the twisting branches of a bush conceal him from sight. Had they chosen the easier meal to chase? The monsters might have been dull creatures, but they were still hunters at their core--Aidou expected one lone female would have struck them as simpler to bring down.

And he wasn’t terribly sorry to think it, either. As long they weren’t trying to eat him!

Still, Aidou watched with some curiosity as a series of large, rotting forms emerged from the trees, the beating of their powerful wings stirring up the air around them as they rose up to rejoin the flock overhead. They were empty-handed by the looks of it, but even if they’d run the girl to ground, surely they would’ve stayed to finish the kill? And if they were feasting, they definitely would’ve remained to eat. It made Aidou think they hadn’t caught anyone after all, but the disturbed air told him a different story.

Blood. It was dispersing on the breeze like a beacon to night time predators in the vicinity. Being one himself, Aidou could smell it clearly.

For a long moment, he just stood, letting his attention drift to the tangle of scents in the air. Actually, there were so many now, it was starting to be difficult to tell them all apart. Worst place for a vampire to be, when he wasn’t supposed to be feeding on live blood… And when the scent from the woods started moving closer, the pressure to keep his mind on anything but blood became that much more intense. Was it that girl again…? Whoever it was, they sounded like a rampaging boar from all the noise they were making in the brush. It wasn’t difficult to pinpoint where it was coming from. “Shut up,” he breathed. “You’re too loud.”