23

Mika charged after the mist but lost sight of it once it hit he top of the stairs. It left no scent trail behind. It was as if this thing was pure spirit.
"What the fuck?!" Ari gasped. the image of the wriggling worms still replaying in her mind.
"That's what a fucking wendigo looks like?!" Devion said in utter astonishment. "Holy fucking shit!"
Bradley had regained some composer and stepped closr to them. He was shaking pretty badly. "Are you going to be okay?' Ari asked softly.
"I froze." he studdered.
"It was all very terrifying. We were all caught off guard Bradly." she tried to reassure him.
"No, I mean I was frozen. I couldn't change, I couldn't speak I couldn't move." he said urgently. "It was like around it was ice."
Deviona and Ari looked at one another with puzzelment. "We need to know what we are up against before trying to hit it head on again. Where is Mika?"Ari insisted. Devion looked vacant for a moment. "He didn't go far as soon as the thing hit the top of the stairs Niko said he never saw anything."
The three of them raced up top to see if extra eyes could help."Niko you didn't see a mass of smoke or anything?" Ari questioned.
He shook his head," No. The wind got a bit wild up here but that was it. And then before I knew it Mika was at the top of the stairs in full pist off werewolf mode." After Mika had done a premiter check he returned and shifted back to human. "I got nothing. No scent, no tracks its gone."
"We can not stay at this location." Devion said.
"We do not know if that thing has returned to the vampire." Ari added.
"Hell as fast as it was moving it's probably sitting having drinks *with* the vampire right now." Bradley said as he stepped to the edge of the building looking out into the court yard.
"We need a different hide out. And fast." Mika growled.
"I know a place near were I was staying. The thing didn't know I was there." Bradley offered.
"Pack up we leave now." Mika ordered. The group grabbed what they could hastliy get away with.
The sun had long set now when they left the building. Everyone was on edge, they were near a nest and the creature they all whitnessed today had their minds reeling. Mika had everyone shift and had told Ari to climb on to his back.
"We will need to move quick. Just hold on. If you see anything just squeeze your legs three times. Okay?" he'd told her. He knew his eye sight was far superior than hers and he'd see things long before she did but it gave her comfort to contribute.
They'd gotten about 5 miles into the city when the moans of the deaders were heard. It began as a low hum, but as they rounded a corner the sound bounced back telling the group there was a 10 of them nearing and more groups in other locations.
Bradley and Devion broke off to see if they could get clearer idea where the groups were. Ari watched as the black wolf and the brown wolf slipped into the night. No sound as their paws hit the ground. Mika sunk low as they rounded a corner ducking behind a crumbling wall. Ari looked back to see Niko line up to Mika's right watching a small hoard of 10 shuffle toward them. Ari slipped off Mika's back and pulled her long blade from it's sheath resting on her lower back. Mika nodded once and turned back to the mob. Ari began moving into position to angle from the back as Mika and niko done the same. As soon as the hoard had passed they attacked. Wihtout a sound Mika pounced and grabbed one by the head and drug it off behind old debry. It never had a chance to make a sound. Ari slipped up behind what was once a woman whose face had been torn long ago. Silently she thrust her blade into the temple of the woman. Her groans stopped at once and she dropped. Ari looked up to see if any had noticed but the deaders just kept the same pitch and direction. Shuffling along unaware they were being picked off one at a time. Niko done the same attack as Mika pouncing and taking a man out by the head. No time to set off an alarm. The attack felt like it was long but in reality it only took a matter of minutes. Ari would take out the furthest in the back, then Mika would claim one in the back and then Niko. This kept going till the last two deaders remained. Niko had went to pounce but the deader tripped and landed on its back, this sent Niko flying over the thing and skidding. At once the deader saw a meal, the tone and pitch of its moan changed. The other one sounded off repeating it's partner. In the distance they could hear the alarm had been heard as a large group picked it up. Ari slammed her knife into the forehead of the one on his back as Mika tackled the other reaching for her. He did not do a clean kill this time. He shook the thing around like a rag doll, flinging gore with every shake. Finaly the crunch of the skull was heard and the movement stopped. She pulled her blade from its skull and wipe it on the remaints of its clothing before climbing onto Mika and sheathing it
No sooner had she settled back on to Mika when a frieght train hit her. Niko crashed into her full force. It flung her off Mika and stunned her. She crashed to the ground several feet from him and slide across the gravel. Mika skidded on his paws for one moment but remained upright. Seeing that Niko's charge was deliberate, he turned and bite at Niko's flank. Growling and challenging Niko to attack again. Mika positioned himself between Ari and his new threat, Niko. Snarls and snapping brought Ari back around. She shook her head to clear the stars now in the corner of her vision but in the moon light she could see Mika's eyes reflecting red in the moon light. Niko's did not. They were solid black orbs. Mika was seeing completly red at this point and wanted nothing more to tear apart Niko. Niko launched at Mika and he met him mid air. Their jaws and massive flangs scraping against thier fur and flesh. Mika drove his large claw into Niko side and threw him a few yards away. Niko summer salted through the air. The sound of the other hoard was becoming loud. Ari's head was spinning but she was trying to get up and protect herself. She heard the pounding of feet and then the hush of something suddenly stopping near her. She looked up to see the large balck wolf standing near her in a protective stance growling. The brown wolf did not hesitate and went after the grey fighting Mika. The brown nipped and bit at the tail of the grey wolf. Mika's massive jaws bite down on the hind leg of Niko and a loud crunching sound could be heard. The wolf cried out and pulled back an slashed at Mika's face with his front claws. Mika released Niko. Movement over the hill could be seen now- a massive group was baring down on them.
Devion nuzzled Ario to climb on top of him. Niko looked toward the deaders coming and howled before he slipped off into the shaddows as the hoard saw their intended targets. Several ghouls lead the charge and were faster. Devion took off with Ari. She held on for dear life, trying to open her eyes to see around but the concussion just caused her to feel sick. She heard the wolves snap and snarl. Shuffling and cries from dying ghouls told her that Mika and Bradley had met the group. She didn't know where Devion took her or how long he had ran. When he stopped she remembers everything just going black.