I screamed.
The creature screeched louder.
Kade yelled and cursed furiously at it.
I pushed my back farther against the brick wall, too shocked and frightened to run as the creature and Kade began having a one-on-one death match.
Even through the tears filling my eyes, I could make out the horrid beast's features now.
A squished face, like a bat's, masculine, bulging arms, a hunched back, clawed feet and hands, and blackish/grayish leathery skin. Not to mention the enormous, also bat-like, wings sprouting from its back, with prongs protruding from the jagged points along the bottom of the finger-like bones inside each wing.
A long tail swept behind the creature furiously as it opened its wide mouth, aligned with razor sharp teeth, and bellowed at Kade. Its pointed ears and small horns made it look no less frightening. But Kade didn't look frightened. He didn't look shocked, either.
He looked pure angry. And in his eyes, I could see a bit of... recognition? Don't tell me these two know each other.
Suddenly the tides turned and the creature was hurled in the opposite direction of Kade. It screeched louder as Kade stood to his feet and brushed some dirt off his now filthy and... oh God... bloody shirt.
I hadn't realized it before but the creature had ripped into two different places along Kade's frontal region, one across his left shoulder and another on his lower stomach.
His face was covered in splotches of dirt and his eyes flared with nothing but rage.
I was kind of scared of him now.
But he seemed unaffected by his injuries and straightened his back challengingly, motioning the creature with just his eyes.
The creature, who had flown a good ten feet, recovered from its blow, shaking its head and trying to refocus on its target.
How had Kade thrown it that far? Based on its pulsating muscles and seemingly large form, I'd guessed it would be at least the weight of an average man.
I could be mistaken.
"Looks like you've crawled out from your cage. Who unlocked it? Your dear master?" Kade snapped in a rude tease.
I suddenly focused all my attention on him. What did he just say? Did he really just broadcast his recognition like that?
Cage? Master? Kade really knew this thing?
I was beginning to say "What the heck is going on and what the hell is that thing?" before I was cut off by not Kade but the... wait. What?
Was I hearing right? Seeing right? I was cut off by the creature! Not Kade, the creature! It actually talked!
"Did you think it'd hold me for long? You and your friends have too much confidence, boy," it said, it's voice raspy and mixed with growls. I jumped, now beginning to believe I was losing my mind.
No way this was happening.
But no way would Mom and Dad be able to pull something like this off.
"We knew you'd be back. We just didn't know how long it would take," Kade added nonchalantly, as if this were all normal. Did that mean he was...
"Well I've returned. And soon, so will Salazar. He's not happy with you and if you haven't noticed already, he's not someone you want as an enemy. I'd be careful if I were you, Freelancer. There's a bounty for your head. And many of us are craving the prize," the creature added.
My heart beat came to an abrupt stop. Freelancer? I gazed heavily at Kade.
"I'll take you down again if I have to, Xur. And this time, I'll make sure you stay down. As well as your little puppet master, Salazar," Kade barked with an extreme amount of confidence.
Freelancer? The word still rang in my head.
"Oh, you need not worry, warlock. Salazar's not exactly focused on you at the moment," the creature, obviously named Xur said, his head slowly turning towards me. I almost gasped at the piercing amber eyes that stared me down, the pupils narrowed like that of a cat's. They were so... bright, so... frightening.
"Your little wizard friend, Galendale, prophesied a strange visitor, correct?" Xur asked, not even waiting for Kade to answer. "Well look what the cat dragged in."
Kade turned his head towards me, curiosity and suspicion flashing in his eyes.
Oh no, he didn't have the right to suspect me. Didn't Xur just call him a warlock? A Freelancer? What was he doing being associated with this creature anyway?
"You've heard the rumors of that ol' coin, right? The one Galendale and a couple other wizards accidentally screwed up on and was said to have time traveling powers?" Xur mentioned, displaying his sharp set of canines with a broad smile.
"The one Thomas's wife was given because Galendale knew you guys would be after it?" Kade asked, as if the two of them were carrying on a causal conversation.
Xur turned his attention back on Kade and continued to smile broadly. "Yes. Everyone knows my kind tend to collect things that may be of important value. But after we found out she had taken the coin, the hunt for her grew stronger. We wanted her blood and we wanted her coin. Eliza was our main target."
The empty pit in my stomach grew deeper as the conversation continued. All of this was... real. Everything. And now this creature was talking about my great-grandmother who had died fighting so hard for her life.
"The coin was never found and we never got to Eliza in time. She set fire to herself to rid all traces of the Astor's twisted bloodline. And she succeeded," Xur continued.
Hearing Astor made my teeth grind. Did this thing really know my last name?
"But I sense it. This girl, she has the blood. She has the twisted bloodline! I was told a riddance spell was cast on it and would work after one hundred years or either break after two generations. Which means, this girl is the first child of the third generation. And she has the coin. She's from the future, Kayden. Take a good look at the first ever time traveler known to your kind and mine."
Xur and Kade stared hard at me, raging excitement in Xur's eyes and pure curiosity in Kade's.
"The great-granddaughter of the so called 'Mysterious Eliza'," Xur mumbled, walking closer to me on ugly feet and knuckles.
Kade stepped defensively in front of me.
"Your blood is very unique, girl," Xur said to me, completely ignoring him. "No one knew what your grandmother was and now, no one will know what you are. You aren't human, is all I can tell you."
I didn't want believe the hideous creature. He was just trying to intimidate me, right? Oh, who am I kidding? I didn't know what to believe anymore.
"Welcome, Descendant of Eliza," he continued. "You have discovered a world that is not known to many outsiders. But I guess I can consider you an insider now since the Descendant of the Great Warlock has found you. But I warn you, dear child, that just because you're under the protection of the 'great' Freelancers, won't keep my kind and I from hunting you down. We're desperate for whatever unknown genes you have coursing through your blood. And now, you will suffer the same mental torture your precious great-grandmother endured before she killed herself."
"That's enough!" Kade yelled at Xur. "I suggest you fly your ass back to Daddy before he grounds you for staying out too long."
The two of them suddenly locked gazes, Xur snarling and growling at the boy. I couldn't necessarily say who'd win in a fight. Xur was some kind of strange, masculine beast but Kade also looked strong and was supposedly a "warlock". A good one, I hoped, in case another fight did break out.
"Fine. But I'll be coming back, Freelancer. That girl's blood is special to my kind and we are gonna do everything we can to get our hands on it. And when Salazar returns, she won't be the only one on his hit-list," Xur remarked, his voice deepening into a lower growl.
And with one more snarl, he backed away and expanded his enormous wings. A few feet of running and he leaped into the air, flew a good distance, and disappeared behind a seemingly vacant building.
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Hey guys!
So things are really kicking up now. I'm trying to make up for all the boring parts but for me, details are important. Anyways, thanks for reading and stay awesome! ;)
BTW "Xur" is pronounced "Zer".
Also, if you haven't noticed, I'm using "grandmother" as a shortcut instead of "great-grandmother". It's just easier. :)
-Ash