Preys & Predators IV; Monster and Witches Chapter 4

 4.

 

The younger lady had taken her leave then. Lauren stepped back into the hall and saw Carmilla with Annabelle.

“I know what is needed,” Lauen said. “It was Mother’s gift.”

“Your mother’s gift?” Carmilla asked.

“You mentioned runes. I recalled now that Mother gave me a necklace of tiny stones. She told me to hide it. I did, and it is in the mansion.”

“Stones…. Maybe you are right. Those may be the runes that belonged to your mother.” Carmilla said. “I should have known it. I felt the power drawing me towards Lauren then.”

“Lauren is gifted. She could hold all the power of three in herself, but she needs to be complete. Lissa’s runes held the spells, the last learning she needed. It may be there at the mansion. They could have brought it there when they were staying there.”

“There was a small case that one belonged to her. She told me to hold it for her.” Lauren recalled, “I hid it in the room. I know where it is hidden.”

“We can go and get it.” Lauren was excited.

“We cannot go with you. We are needed here to protect the mansion here. You need to …….” Carmilla paused there.

“Lauren, do listen. When you are outside of here, you must not use your spells or anything that you learned here. You are not ready. If you do it, the others will detect you.  They will come for you.”

“The demons?” Lauren asked.

“Not only them but also the other covens. You need to restrain yourself.” Carmilla said. “As I did when I was with you then. We must bide our time till we are ready.”

“I can ride with Father. He will protect me.” Lauren said.

It was decided, and the plan was put into place.

“Rudolf, take Lauren with you. Ride out and head east. Ride without looking back. I and Carmilla will divert the demons off your path. We will draw them to the west of here.”

“I will get my guns.” The man said.

“Your bullets do not work on them.” Carmilla looked towards Annabelle.

“Then give me something to fight them off.” Rudolf looked at Annabelle.

“Iron with silver inside pegs.” Annabelle handed over the items. “They are designed like arrows. Latched them on the crossbow. It will act as arrows, and aim it at the demons. The demons react to iron, as it will burn into their soul.”

“Madness!” Rudolf said. “Bullets are made with iron too.”

“Unmatched to my iron pegs, they are not ……bewitched. I have no other madness you can use.” Annabelle said. “Use it or face the run without the means to defend yourself.”

Rudolf relented to the offer and then went to the stable to retrieve his old horse.

“We have been through many battles. Now we are into another. Ride hard, my dear.” Rudolf had hitched on the horse from the stable to the chaise, the two-seater carriage. He shields the sight of the horse to only look forward.

It was dusk when they took the route past the main gates and then on their journey to the mansion. The demons were distracted by Annabelle’s shield, which she created over the chaise to be intangible to the demons. The spell worked for only a distance, but by then, the carriage should be at a safer distance.

“Father, are we safe?” Lauren asked. She was seated next to her father on the riding seat. She was dressed in the light blue blouse and darker jacket with the skirt over her knee nigh boots. She wore a bonnet over her hair.

“I think so. Your …… Carmilla may have held the demons from our path.” Her father looked around for the sight of the demons.

Lauren remembered the memories there on her previous rides. It was all about evading the pursuers; she was too young to know about it and had remained hidden inside the carriage. Her father was at the reins, and with his left hand, he was holding the gun to repel any pursuers. On the one ride when their chaise overturned, Lauren felt a slight pain in her chest before she faded out. She recalled next being on the soft bedding at the Frankenstein’s mansion.

And then the nocturnal visits by Carmilla.

After so many years, Lauten felt love and warmth then. She never understood then, but eventually with the return to her mother’s mansion, it all began to form in her mind: the roles of her mother and the sisters. And their final wish upon her.

“Guide the coven to bigger accomplishments.”

Lauren had spent a decade with the sisters, both in the astral form, while learning to be a witch and battling the demons. She knew that was the course of action to bring back her own mother, taken by mistake by the demons, she assumed. They did not only want Annabelle but all three sisters. They held the ability to harness the power of three, but without Lissa, the sisters were unable to do it. Lauren was their option, but she lacked some skills inside of her.

“I need to find the runes.” Lauren told herself.

The chaise pulled by the horse was swift in its path, with the passing scenery flashing fast by them. The father was armed with the crossbow and the quiver of iron and silver pegs.

“Madness…” The father mumbled to himself while his hands held onto the reins. It was then he felt the sudden drop in the air conditioning. He looked to the side and saw the demon keeping pace with the chaise.

“Hello, mortal.” The demon floating at the left side smiled. It was a small frame with an unusually large head, with the red eyes and puffed cheeks.

“You almost evaded us. These witches are good at their arts, but I am the crafty one. I went the other way when I knew we were led away. The sphere of shield influence by the witch has weakened, and I was to track your whereabouts.”

“Demon!” Rudolf called out.

“Let us be personal in names. I am Tareek. You may have met the other, Beezer. He is out of the league now.”

“I do not care for your name, demon.” Rudolf handed the reins to the lady. “Hold this.”

Rudolf then grabbed the crossbow. He levelled it at the demon and released the iron peg. The iron peg impacted on the demon in the head, and it swung away screeching in pain. Rudolf was not taking any chances and had latched onto another iron peg.

“Keep the horse galloping. I will guard for more demons.” Rudolf looked to the sides of the chaise. He saw none of the demon but was surprised when Lauren cried out.

“It is in front,” Lauren called out.

“You hurt me.” Tareek the demon appeared there ahead of the chaise on the left, and the iron peg was seen embedded in its forehead, but it was not stopping the demon. Lauren was to pull the reins, but the father stopped her.

“Ride at it,” Rudolf called out. He called out to his horse. “Ride hard, my dear. We defeated them before.”

The horse pulling the chaise towards the demon swerved further out. Rudolf got to his feet and held his balance there while he levelled the crossbow at the demon. He released the second iron peg at it.

It missed Tareek, the demon’s head, and impacted the left shoulder.

“It hurts, mortal. A little lower and you will hit my… heart.” The demon cried out and then pulled out the iron ped from the left shoulder while laughing. “Do we have a heart? I doubt it.”

The demon turned its path towards the chaise on the left. Rudolf moved to get the third iron peg onto the crossbow. He was not used to the iron bow as a weapon and fumbled at it.

“Moronic weapon!” Rudolf cursed when he pulled the string back to latch the iron peg. “Never trust a lady witch again.”

The demon flew at Lauren, who by instinct raised her left hand at it. The demon missed her, or rather, it was impacted off course. The demon was flung to the front of the chaise and then run over by the chaise.

“Who? How?” Lauren was surprised at the act.

“Abel, you scared the lady.” The rider rode parallel to the chaise. “Pardon my brother, but he is a poor marksman with the bow.”

The rider was a young man dressed in the dark shades of the dark hood and cloak, and the crossbow was in his left hand. He held the reins on the dark horse and then approached the chaise.

“Kane Helsing at your service, my dear sir.” The man introduced himself to the man on the chaise. “We will hold off the demon for you.”