Page 67 of Crowned A Traitor
The Neutral Lands grew silent, there were no more creaking insects or owls hooting high in the trees.
“Get behind me, Lottie.”
The small wolf whined, her fur standing on edge as her new senses told her what was coming. Lottie slowly padded behind Klara as the red eyes appeared in the darkness of the trees. Klara’s eyes darted left to right. They were everywhere, except for one small gap and there was one thing missing. No yellow eyes were amongst the red. Abadan and her soldiers were still some distance away.
“I need you to be brave and run as fast as you can back to the others,” Klara backed her legs up against the Lycaon. Lottie whined as more eyes appeared, and the panting and growls began.
There are so many,Lottie said her snout lowering, as her instincts told her to submit. Klara nudged her again, causing Lottie to rise, if she submitted to the Hounds, they would kill her in seconds. Klara kept her eyes fixed on the Hounds still as marble waiting for their chance.
“I know, but you are so fast, remember? Fast enough to catch me, but if they come at you. You fight! Don’t submit!”
A single Hound raised a paw to advance, and Klara clicked her fingers hoping the Hound would obey. The Hound lowered their snout, baring its teeth as her eyes locked on the mangy Hound.
The Leader was set apart by its scarred body with barely any fur on its war-torn body. The Leader growled viciously as two Hounds advanced slowly without orders. The Leader snapped its jaw but didn’t lash out, not without orders. They were communicating amongst themselves. The two Hounds stood before Klara submitting. Klara recognized the white spots on the ears of her Hounds and felt the faintest moment of ease as she stroked their bowed heads, while the rest of the search party went into a frenzy of snarls.
“Take her back to the others,” Klara ordered letting them smell her. She hoped they would pick up Wolfgang’s scent on them. The Hounds flicked their ears, and she knew they understood.
“They will protect you,” Klara said, and Lottie cowered beside the Hounds as they flanked her small body. Sensing the death on their fur, Lottie kept her distance.
“Now go!” Klara’s voice echoed through the trees as the Hounds shoved Lottie in the right direction and Lottie growled in response.
“Do you want to die?” Klara stared her down, and Lottie nudged her softly. Fear could be the greatest motivator, Klara thought of Lilith as Lottie turned and ran. Klara kept her gaze trained on the hostile Hounds as they howled for her Hounds to return, but they were hers to command, and they wouldn’t be deterred once she gave them a mission. She let out a sigh as she was no longer able to feel Lottie’s presence.
“Come and get it,” Klara shouted, planting her feet firmly into the earth.
A Hound leapt through the trees baring their teeth and Klara shoved her hand into the Hound’s body hurtling it into a tree. Another leapt into the air and Klara slid along the ground, planting her feet into the undercarriage of the skeletal Hound. The others snarled waiting to attack as the two wounded Hounds whimpered amongst the leaves. Klara ran for it, knowing she needed to take them out one at a time, or they would overpower her.
Klara drew her axe from her back, feeling the weight steady in her palm. Before she could strike, Klara felt the rip of claws down her back. A groan ripped from her as Klara swung her axe, taking off the head of the offending Hound. Staring at the rolling head, a Hound clamped onto her arm, and as she planted her axe in another, its teeth seized her muscle and bone.
With her free hand, Klara gripped its neck and let her revealing magic tear through it. The force of her magic ripped the Hound’s soul from its body. She had never exorcised one of Hell’s Creatures before. She didn’t think she would have the strength with her new heart.
Another Hound came bounding, and she planted a boot into one of its two heads as it tried to clamp onto her leg.
“Klara,” the voice distracted her, and a Hound lunged at her chest, knocking her back to the Forest floor. Her axe flung from her hand, and she couldn’t reach it. The Hound snapped at her face, and Klara reached for a stick and forced it into the Hound’s salivating mouth. The smell of the Hound’s putrid breath forced her to gag as she broke its jaw.
“Klara!” Her stomach dropped as a Hound’s neck snapped to the side; its attention drawn away from her.
Arthur stood a few feet from the fight, his silver binding cuff in hand as he started to transform into his soul state, bringing the Hounds from every corner to him. The sweet smell of such a powerful soul was too much for the Hounds. The distraction gave Klara time to reach for her axe.
“Arthur no,” she pleaded as she got to her feet. Klara tried to run to him. The silver shone in the moonlight as Arthur threw the cuff to her. Without the cuff, the Hounds would take his soul back to Hell. A cuff was a sign of servitude without it he wasn’t protected.
Klara took out the two Hounds closest to her, but more appeared as his bountied soul called to more.
“Arthur, go!” She shouted as some of the Hounds turned their attention back to her. “Don’t,” she begged as Arthur stood unmoving at the centre of the advancing Hounds. A faint smile appeared on his thin lips, while his eyes remained not on the Hounds but on her.
“This is how it was meant to be,” Arthur said as a Hound took hold of his arm and another his leg. Arthur fell and more Hounds appeared out of the soil as Hell’s portal opened.
The bounty on a High Warlocks’ soul was too much to pass up. Tears and rage poured from Klara as she tried to cut through them, but there were too many.
“I’m sorry,” Klara said blinded by the flash of Arthur’s soul being torn from the Neutral Lands.
The force of his soul tearing flung her against a tree. She cried out as her new heart split in two. The disappointed, hungry Hounds turned to her as her eyes flashed white with rage.
“Back to Hell,” Klara roared. The ground began to shake beneath her as her outstretched hands forced the Hounds to be pushed back through Hell’s swirling portal. Those able to resist ran with their tails between their legs. Klara sank to her knees,if the Fae Guard didn’t know where I was, they sure as Hell do now.
“We need to go,” Wolfgang said, placing a hand on her shoulder and she fisted the leaves, her nails sinking into the mud. The silver cuff glistened amongst the filth and tears stung her cheeks.
“If the Hounds are here, the others won’t be far behind. I felt that blast, and so will the Fae.”
