Zero, FOURTH
FOURTH
A cozy sensation wrapped me as I stood next to the fire.
She lied on the straw bedding, her body covered by a large quilt, with her neck up so to be eye to eye with me. After she proposed an intimate encounter I had remained still, fixing on the only part of her which moved--her blue eyelids, over her solid yellow eyes. Even if portrayed by such a different creature I remember what that kind of expression meant, that subtle smile and delayed breathing which increased my own anticipation.
I was about to move back under the quilt, begin my concealed exploration of her, when we both heard a clang. The way she was transformed by that, how quickly fear transpired from her enlarging eyes and nostrils was upsetting. She quickly rose from her bedding and so bared her body, the quilt dropping over the sword that I had forgotten in bed. Turning my eyes up to hers I saw her sharp teeth just like when I startled her hours before.
Under the terrible impression that the sound we heard was that of the sudden opening of the entrance door, I didn't waste any time and threw myself on the bedding the moment she moved out of it so that I could retrieve my weapon. Moving the quilt away revealed the sword, and I grabbed it by the hilt clenching my teeth--having neglected the armor and not finding the robe necessary I was now forced to confront whatever it was, naked.
Hoping it was only the wind, but not having heard one outside, I moved around the fire to look down the torch-lit hallway--and what I saw took my breath away.
Three hooded figures stood in the hall, one right on the threshold and down the middle of the hallway. They were armed but that wasn't what immediately caught my attention--rather the fact that I could see they weren't made out of flesh! directing my eyes to the nearest one, I couldn't understand why or how I could see through its hands, one of which held a short sword like mine. Similar in shape to me, the being was wearing a robe that was both black and hooded--though I could glimpse at its eyes, which were like little red fires in a mouth-less face of burning white.
There was no time to question the being as it gave me but the time to realize what I was about to confront before assaulting me. It charged rapidly but no faster than I could have, raising its sword, the rushing air dropping its hood to reveal the ghastly features of its bald head. Having time to anticipate the delivery I did not think when moving one step and executing a lateral up-cut that didn't just intercept the opponent's sword but also truncated its arm.
The mouth of the being really was a horrible black hole as it shrieked, the burning eyes of red dying like coals; a few more seconds and its translucent white skin turned to dust. The two that I could see were joined by another four waiting down the hall as they walked towards me, side by side, flanked by the four torches on each side of the wood-barred tunnel; I was prepared to take them on without questioning a body that knew what to do, whose hand I was holding transmitted deep trust and confidence.
I only waited and from their steps I could tell they were afraid of me and of how I could look right through them; my robed, sword wielding opponents came to a stop where the tunnel forked when I heard her approach me from behind, give out a shocked murmur before I cried, "Stay back!"
No time, and I had to defend myself from a combined attack. I used a kick to get rid of one and it was horrible how I felt my leg go right through something like gelatin, yet what mattered was how it worked; it distracted me as I parried late and was grazed, forced back as I parried another blow before slashing one of the two sharp edges of my sword across that hooded monster's face.
Three robes and the transmuted ashes of the terminated at my feet, the rest wanted to come up and have a try at me all at once. Even if I was tired beyond belief I considered how no more than three could fight me at a time considering the width of the hallway, one from which I did not want to retreat from for fear that they could get to her.
Even though she was clawed, jawed and quite large, in those very moments I had not considered relying on her for protection. But now that I was looking at four against one I wanted to turn around to see if she was there, as I could no longer hear her.
I bit my lower lip seeing that she wasn't there, thinking that perhaps I would not count on her: especially having told her myself to stay back. I was regretful when I exclaimed, "I may need your help soon!"
Not counting on it I prepared myself to take on three, and while looking through and between the line of advancing figures I could see more coming in to join the party, maybe ten in total as I was forced back not very sure about a safe way in and out the range of their swords.
I stepped back into the bedroom when something sparkling and burning went over my head and crashed into the beings right behind those that I was afraid to confront. The log thrown by her made one of the monsters on the front-line turn, allowing me to move in and cut it in half before shouldering the nearest one and going to the ground with it. I felt the thump of her steps as she charged down and into those things after I planted my sword into the head of the one I was over. I was crouching and getting up when I parried a sword coming from behind, then I threw myself over my back and rolled to pull me up; I blocked again and again, forced closer to the fire behind me--pushing down and with all my might I jumped back and through the flames, burning the hair on my bare legs but clearing the dangerous gap. Another two had made it into the bedroom as I turned back and closer to the straw bedding, kicking over the empty cup she left by it. I crouched and picked it up with my left hand before I tossed it in one of the monster's faces. Our swords clashed but the monster was late to recover and gave me an opening. While the other two advanced I could tell that she was still fighting in the hallway, and that scared me; I could barely keep up with those two, one of which I finished right before she came back. The monster was startled by her appearance, turned to her, making it easy for me to drive the pointy tip of my steel short sword through its ectoplasmic spine.
"You're bleeding," I said, looking at a cut over her chest that was as long as my forearm.
"You too," she replied.
It made me touch the gash on my upper left arm with my middle and index fingers, to the proceed to lick and taste my own blood; I looked to the ground and felt very dizzy for a moment. "Are they gone?"
"They ran away," she replied.
Dropping my sword to the ground I turned my forehead up slightly only so to look at her through my hair. I was about to ask her a question that I knew was pointless to ask, and she figured what was on my mind turning her eyes away yet approaching me only to go around to the other side of the fire. I was quiet and that was probably why she added, "They could come back, we have to find out where we are and what were those thing... tomorrow."
"What makes you think that this night will ever end?"
She turned away from the fire and hopped back to the bed and where the quilt was. "You better get some sleep if they come back."
It was her to carry the quilt back in the bed and use her neck to draw it over herself.
"I need to get that armor on before I do so," I told her.
"Good idea," she said, but I could tell a slight disappointment.
I sighed before moving away and said, "I won't take any chances. If you like, we'll do it when I can say we're safe."
"I wasn't going to ask it of you after that," she said, "and thanks."
"Thank you," I said, "I wouldn't have made it without you."
She nodded gravely before moving back out of her nest and towards me saying, "It's best if I follow you and be close to you when you're fitting that armor."
I was surprised by her remark, "You're right," I said, then moved down the hallway where the robes and swords of those strange attackers were scattered on the ground. I made it to the entrance hall, finding the door was closed.
"Did they just leave and you closed the door for them?" I asked her, sitting down so to fit the armored and padded pants.
"You can tell I killed some before they did."
"Can't say there were alive can you, they were unlike you and me."
She didn't reply and that same problem of not knowing who we were silently concerned us both as I found a shirt and wore it before putting the armor on and strapping it. Nothing disturbed that procedure but when I stood back up I could hardly keep myself straight, having to hold on to the earthen wall in order to make my way back to the bedroom. Feeling a little better I set some logs on the fire after retrieving the one she used as an effective diversion.
Only after a little while did she come into the bedroom and said, "Now get some sleep, I'll watch over you."
Getting in the nest she adjusted her neck, body and tail so to make herself more comfortable; now prepared in case they stormed our house again, I buried myself under the quilt and made myself very comfortable against her before being happily devoured by sleep.