Pandora's Curse
Chapter 22

My foot slid back as I prepared to run-

But the screams of my past suddenly rang true and clear and chilled the woods to its bones, freezing everyone in place.

My blood ran still, a frozen river in place as I heard my own breath leave me. I’ve heard those shrill screams. The scream of horses, riled up for bloodlust but an unearthly sound that chilled to the core.

The first time I heard those screams, and the chill of death, the sky was blood and I was breathing in smoke and ash. My body turned to chilled ice at the sound but I knew the sound was from something within the box as I watched four terrifying silhouettes stampede through the billowing red and black ash and smoke in thundering beats.

And I took my box, shakily into my hands and tried to undo the very thing I was made to do.

But now...

The wind, so slight and gentle it had been suddenly stopped as did any other sound as if no one or no critter would dare wish to evoke a sound as the bloodcurdling screeches resonated still through the night air. My skin shivered, goosebumps rising and there was no smoke, no fire, no ash around us. Just frozen silence between the Hydra and Warren whose entire self tensed but his head jerked up, eyes fading away to just black.

The Hydra’s hissed, snarling as they faced the direction the screams had reached us and the one disguised as Marios snarled loudly, its body turning directly to the oncoming intruders. Through the trees and brush was a slight rise and hill where the trees parted aside and the mist billowing around at the foot of the hill parting as another scream echoed to us. The sound of horses squealing in bloodlust and anger and through the mist atop the hill, the mist fading away as three imposing silhouettes stood together facing down at us.

Three figures. Atop three large stallions.

Heart stampeding heavily as my blood ran cold in panic and my fingers clenched around the box as though eager to undo what I’ve just done.

No...I did this on purpose. I-Warren, he needs their help!

“Pan...” Warren stammers quietly and his head turns to me sharply, eyes so wide it was more white than black and mouth gaped slightly. “Wh-” I meet his gaze unsure and nervously when a shriek answers back as the Hydra cries furiously at the intruders.

“Kill them all and get the box!” The Hydra snarls. The horses ahead snarl, hooves scraping against the ground and I hear the three silhouettes unsheathing their weapons in response. Before the Hydra could charge, Warren shouts at me, raising his sword.

“RUN PAN!” And the ghostly screams of horses and thundering hooves over the ground, snapping dried twigs and leaves as three formidable shapes charge down the hill towards the Hydra’s. The slamming of bodies running into each other followed by the sound of battle roars of the Hydra. “RUN!” I start to turn but just barely catch a flicker of steel and glowering yellow eyes and avoid another Hydra that had been sneaking around since.

I duck aside as they lunge at me, feeling myself pulled aside by Warren as he slashes against the hydra, catching its body and splaying it ruthlessly onto the ground. “War, I-” I yelp, a pale looking horse barely missing me as I accidentally stumble into its path.

“You need to get out of here!” Warren snaps, crimson eyes glowering ruthlessly and without further response, sticks two fingers in his mouth and lets out a high pitched, loud whistle. He barely stops when I see someone slashing from behind and shove Warren aside, swinging my box around and slamming it against their head. They stumble aside, shaking their head but level a glower at me as they lunge back only to catch the end of Warren’s sword as he rips them aside. That was nine altogether, Hydra’s and it was nerve-wracking to think how many more were out there.

Nine hydra’s against four men...

The Four Horsemen.

With a thunderous crash of brush and screams of battle in the air, a large, dark red shape burst through the foliage with a shriek, coming to a stop beside Warren. “Warren, what-” I’m suddenly lifted off the ground and placed atop of Adam, legs on either side of his body. War ducks aside as a Hydra lunges at him from behind at my cry. “War-” I scream when I’m grabbed from the side and thrown off Adam’s back suddenly before I can catch my second. Twisting around, facing the gnarly face of Marios who glowers at me, eyes burning ruthlessly at me.

“GIVE ME THE BOX!” He crawls over me, hands clawing at my clothes and arms for the box in my grasp.

"OCHI!" I snarl, crawling back quickly and pulling my legs back and slamming my feet into his face. Snarling as he's thrown back, I jump back to my feet as he lunges back for me. Only to be caught by Warren. Warren slams his fist into his chest, the hydra snarls in retaliation, slamming an elbow into Warren's gut but Warren grabs the back of his head into its face, stunning it, before yanking the creature over his shoulder. Warren turns to me while the creature is incapacitated.

“GO!” I grab my box, nodding frantically and see Adam moving towards me and I quickly grab his mane and one arm over his side, pulling myself over while Adam starts to run off. I barely manage to gain my balance, gripping on Adam for dear life as he ducks between the carnage, snorting aggressively and into the woods, the sounds of violence fading away. Just the sound of air whizzing past, Adam’s hooves thundering over the earth and my own panting breaths as I struggle to catch my breath. Adam leaps over some groves and creaks in the woods, twisting this way and that from the trees as I try to keep my head low and desperately cling onto Adam. They’ll be okay. Warren will be okay. I have to be okay until he comes back. Until he gets rid of the Hydra, once and for all.

And while the air rushes pass my skin and hair, pulling at my thoughts and a niggling thought presses against the back of my mind. Something wasn’t right. I just...Something wasn’t right. Wait! It wasn’t just the Hydra alone!

Adam bursts through the woods into an open field, nothing in sight. Except a sudden burst of flaming red flickers in the corner of my eye from behind and I scream.

“LOOK OUT!” I pull his mane to the right as Adam shrieks because suddenly his body jolts to a halt, his front buckling and his body tipping over. And my body thrown right off. I feel myself flying a little before I hit the ground hard on my front, rolling a few times. The wind kicked right out of me as I gasp in shock and loss of air, my vision clouding briefly before coming to a complete stop. It hurts to breathe as well.

Son a bitch, no...Not her.

Panting heavily, my shoulder and chest throbbing, I push myself over onto my side until I roll onto my front, something dripping into my eye and I can taste blood in my mouth. My eyes flickering, everything appearing in doubles and a shock of flaming, blood hair or two mane of it swaying as it moves closer to me, a pale hand and red curved nails outstretched towards me-

Until a huge, dark shape suddenly slams them aside, snarling in anger. Rubbing my eyes quickly to pull myself up, I start to pull away, crawling back as Adam charges at Empousa who smoothly and deftly avoids his attacks to her. But I noticed Adam keeping his formidable body between me and her and my heart swelled.

I thought wrong of you buddy! I’m gonna get you so many apples for this!

Swaying to my feet, I see the box further behind me, a few feet away and start towards it when Adam shrieks loudly and looking back, Adam is slammed flat onto his side, leg twitching and Empousa, removing her foot off his neck from where she snapped it. I stare at Adam, shock coursing through me followed by a bubbling heat that starts its journey through my veins. Adam! Trembling, my arms in fists at my side, I ignore my box, and despite the terror I was feeling, I faced Empousa and raised my fists.

“I’m so sick and tired of you, skýla. The box is not yours, dammit!” I hiss, moving closer, the terror fading little by little with every step towards her. I just had to keep her distracted until Adam revived, that’s all. Five minutes. Empousa was no different from when I last saw her. Beautiful but terrifying, her sickly bloody eyes glimmered coolly at me but her lips turned upwards into a devious, vicious smirk. She doesn’t speak but drops her knife on the ground and starts towards me and lunges at me. I jump aside, moving around her swing towards me and lashing out with my hand and somehow catching the side of her head. She barely reacts in response. Her arm cuts back to me, slamming her forearm across my chest and stumbling me back. I fight to keep my balance as my legs shift awkwardly, and trying to ignore the painful ache and my breathing growing heavy. Empousa starts back at me, fists clenched like a fighter and starts to swing at me. I barely manage to avoid her throws, trying to stumble and catch up but she was relentless and in retaliation, my legs swipes out instead, catching her knee.

She buckles.

I slam my fist against her face. Holy crap! She stumbles back, her eyes blinking frantically as her nose twitches and her lips curl into a snarl and suddenly ducks low, sweeping out her leg and catching against my ankles. I feel my ankles and feet pulled off the ground and tip over onto my side onto the ground with a grunt. I see a shadow loom over me and quickly roll away as something slams on the dirt where I had just been. I roll onto my back just as slams beside me, nails curved out and arm snaking out to my face to tear it apart. No, you don’t! I scream desperately, grasping her hands in each of my own, trying to hold her up. My arms tremble violently as I feel her strength starting to overcome my own. Growling, I squirm and writhe beneath her, trying to pull my legs up between our bodies. I get one leg up, pressing my foot against her stomach and pushing back against her. She tilts and using and using the moment which she loses her balance, I curve my leg around side and roll us over. We roll over until I’m on top and her arms loosen their grip and I quickly let go and throw my fist into her nose, feeling a sharp crack. I continue to throw my fist into her fist, trying to keep her down but she continues to struggle back. Using her knee which slams into my ribs, she rolls me over again, throwing me off her. I roll away, climbing to my feet and she flips smoothly to her feet with a thud and pushing off her heavier leg, throws herself at me. I tip back, catching her arm, and kicking my foot up into her hip. She snarls stumbling back and I bounce nervously on my feet.

We can do this! Kick this bitches ass!

Arms out, swinging punches aimed for my chest and head as we fought hard. I pushed hard and strong as I could, my muscles and skin burning and aching all over but I screamed at myself to not stop fighting. Remembering a move I had seen Warren do, with my right foot, I swung it out and then in towards her. I felt the top flat of my sneaker slam against the side of her knee which dropped her with a snarl. But as she dropped, she rolled forward so fast I wasn’t prepared at all and stood in front of me, her back to me, catching my raised arm. And with my arm extended, she pressed her backside and weight up into me and suddenly the world was flipping around with me. I landed on my back with a heavy thump, my head jerking but I catch Empousa as she twists around, her eyes burning and blazing frantically. Gritting my teeth, I slam my feet against her chest, stumbling her back but she continues to come back. Suddenly a knife in hand looms over my head and I grasp her wrist, using both arms to hold up her weapon while she tries to push down against my arms. The knife trembles in her grip slightly and inches closer to my neck.

Come on! Come on! We did something earlier against a stupid harpy, come on. Fight, dammit! I scream at myself, panting hard as she growls, eyes blazing frantically as she pushes her whole weight against me. My heart rampages furiously through my chest and my blood runs hotly like grease writhing and sliding closer and closer to a fire. Everything burns, my muscles, heart, blood and skin...it burns so hotly, so painfully. A tingle burns through my shoulders, running up my arm like I just hit my elbow and caught a funny nerve. I feel the tip of cold steel touch the bottom of my throat and I burn. A burn lashes through my palm into my fingers, tingling and vibrating and a flicker of yellow sparks around my fingers clutching her hands. And Empousa’s eyes widen before suddenly a sharp glitch of pain runs through my palm again, shocking me and suddenly with a jolt, I feel my arms shove against Empousa, throwing her back with violent force, several yards away.

Panting and gasping, sweating trickling all over me and my arms twitch painfully but I stumble to my feet, just glancing down at my hands momentarily. What just happened? I...I did something? I did it before, a couple times now but, this was-

Empousa hisses lowly and I straighten up, facing her violent crimson gaze as she glowers darkly at me and her bronze sword now in hand. I see movement behind her as Adam starts to twitch and come to but for now, I’m alone. Swallowing heavily as she raises her curved bronze sword at me, I tremble, legs bent and ready to move and do whatever I needed to do. I’m not dying. I’m getting out of this! Gritting my teeth and Empousa storms towards me dirt kicked up from her heavy steps as she runs at me and I-

I watch a horse, black as onyx blaze right in front off me, cutting Empousa from my sight and a hideous shriek and stampeding hooves before it runs out of my sight. Frozen and jumpy from the sudden appearance but I meet Empousa’s gaze who stares at me frozen in mid step, frozen in shock all over. Her face twitches in a snarl, eyes widening in blank shock. And in my own shock and confusion, I watch a thin line of red slowly appear over her snow white throat, running heavily down her chest like a stream. With a gargle and gasp than stuns me to my core, Empousa stumbles back, swaying on her feet and clasping her throat before she sinks to her knees. Her eyes meet mine, a flickering red that suddenly fades to black and her body drops sullenly to the ground. Shaken, and shocked, my hand instinctively touches my throat as I stumble closer and stand over her. Her eyes twitch, looking around, her body convulsing and twitching as it slowed down. Her eyes flicker to me and blood chokes her as she gargles through it all.

"A job...well...done..."

And never moves again.

Oh my God...

A loud nicker and snort, I see Adam rush over the field, leaving me behind and I start to yell after him, grabbing my box when thundering hooves pound the ground from behind. And looking back, seeing a huge black shadow atop of another black shadow sprinting right at me, has me running away desperately. No, no, no! But I feel something grab the back of my shirt and suddenly my feet are hauled off the ground and thrown over a hard lump that rocks and bounces. Cursing aloud at them, legs shaking as I try to push myself up, terrified of hitting the trees as we run through the brush.

“LET ME GO! NOW!” With a whinny, the horse suddenly comes to a halt, skidding slightly over the ground and I feel my body pulled off the back of the horse and suddenly dropped to the ground. My knees buckle and I fall back onto my behind with a grunt, using my hands to hold me as I shake my head from the blood rushing up there. Raising my head, I’m staring in a small clearing and nine bodies littering the ground with sightless eyes and smoke billowing from their now sunken skin. The face of Marios stares angrily with dead slitted eyes at nothing, black blood dripping down its mouth and neck.

It’s...dead. I crawl back nervously, almost afraid to watch the body come to life if possible and turn away-

Only to meet a glowering black crimson eyes of an onyx stallion as it glowers down at me, hooves knocking against the ground as if tempted to stamp me into the earth. Shakily, I crawl backwards, glowering back with a sneer, and the rider suddenly drops from the back of the horse with a clank of steel, a figure of black I couldn’t see them as they melted into the night. With a rush of air, I never saw the molten steel until it was pressed lightly against my throat right under my chin and my heart dropped along with my stomach and blood.

Oh God, oh god, oh god! Please, I know I probably deserve this but Warren, anyone-

The blade tenses against my neck, ready to slice through my throat and my own breath is frozen as I see nothing flash before my eyes except terror-

“NO! DON’T TOUCH HER!”

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