Chapter 157: An Old Sound

As the group ran across the bloody flooring, with the children trying to avoid any confrontation with their people, still disturbed by all of it unfolding onto itself, whilst the adults simply stayed focused and ran like mad. Pria would be carrying Harvard in her arms, with the group taking stops to wait out the carnage so they can leave easier. To intervene now would be to waste energy, and to waste energy now would be a death sentence, especially in the state the world is becoming. They could even see that the ground was starting to pulsate, small streaks of red poking out to try and drag any corpses left in the aftermath to ensnare and drag into its cave, sounds of teeth gnashing and consumption within the dirt. It was here, and it is trying to take advantage of the genocide between everyone.

After about an hour or so, they would be given some peace, a break from the madness outside of its walls, letting them take a breath and check up on the boy, while others would scout out for the chapel. "He's still unconscious. I don't think he's going to be waking up for at least a week from now. His body feels like one big spider web, everything's interconnected and disproportionate." Pria would state, using her Healing magic to see if she could fix the veins and have Harvard's body function properly through his blood vessels as his energy cost. Due to him not opening his eyes, however, she grits her teeth in knowing she was wrong.

"Chapel's a few minutes away. We can actually run there if we feel like saving time." Solomon would ask, to which Stolas interjected.

"Nah, it's best to save up as much as possible. Right now, He's vulnerable, so rushing in would definitely have him be in trouble way easier. It's best to walk it." Solomon would make a concerned expression, knowing that Stolas may have a point in that matter.

"Right, but who'd be likely to jump us right now?" As he asked his question, Solomon would have Pria carry Harvard once more, with the others going on ahead.

"Lots of people. The weird Nuckelavee thing, the Villagers, Publiq, Malak, Heck I wouldn't be surprised if some of the monsters we killed off would come back for revenge. The way this world works is up to a singular person. If he can do it, he would've done it already..."

"So what you're saying is, he's involved with making that clown actually being a threat?"

Stolas would pause himself as he'd hear such an answer, and when he thought about it a little bit more, he'd nod. It was too convenient of a situation for the Knight to usurp the throne and have a style of magic to counter Harvard's own. "You'd think he stopped by and wrote that in?"

"It's gotta be. He's the one who's magic made us stuck here in the first place. Remember, he's writing his own Self Inserts and changing the whole narrative to be AGAINST us. There's no way he's gonna let us slide with even the simplest of victories."

"What are you two talking about?" Pria would ask, which would stun the two children. They'd laugh nervously as they realized they were talking about it so openly. Just as Stolas was about to speak up, however, a noise was heard. It was faint, yet with how quiet it was in their area, it's audible. It was a whistling sound, one that follows a pattern, a pattern that made the Avian's eyes widen in fear. 

Low. Medium. High.

As soon as he'd turn towards the sound, The beast would take advantage almost immediately. Pria would move herself to defend Stolas, dropping Harvard so that both of the children would catch him, taking a direct hit to her stomach by its sharp claws. She'd be quick in using Healing magic to bond her flesh with the beast, preventing it from pulling back. Both of the children would take advantage in striking at its head, casting a cluster of stars and gnats to scatter and invade the monster's skull-like head, burning it alive while gnawing away at its mind. The beast would bellow a loud roar before it tried to escape.

SHIKK!!

Its hand was completely lobbed off, pushing itself back in retreat. As soon as Solomon tried to rush in, however, a cavalcade of vines erupted from the earth, acting as a wall to protect it. He'd see from the corner of his eye another monster, one that they do not recognize as much. Allied with the Wendigo-like beast would be a monster having wooden-like skin, sap running down its body. Drill-like fingers, branch-like legs, and hollow eyes, it was clear its a monster with a legend behind it. The Wooden Monster would be quick in casting its magic, growing a forest through the use of the plains, trees stretching out and shaped like hands, reaching for the sky as if attempting to grab it. Immediately afterwards, it would have the branches turn themselves and stretch outward, trying to aim for the unconscious child, to which Stolas would block with his stars, coating it around through Aquarius and burn the branches before making contact. Just as he did, however, the Wendigo would be quick in striking back, reaching forward to aim for a chop across his neck. Solomon would be next to react, casting a barrier around the group to deflect the strike. "Oi....You really want to attack a defenseless kid over here?" He'd ask, to which the Woodland's response was to slam a large oak into the barrier, setting up multiple to try and break into it. Solomon merely created a second barrier, before allowing Pria to heal the first one. "...They're really after Harvard, huh?" He'd tell himself, shocked they'd go to such lengths.

"THAT'S CHEAP!! THAT'S NOT EVEN COOL AT ALL!! BE A MAN AND FIGHT PEOPLE THAT CAN STILL FUNCTION, YAH JERKS!!" Stolas would yell, to which the Woodland tried to respond by spawning a root from under the barrier to stab into his trachea. Pria would be quick in grabbing it and ripping it out from the dirt. Something was immediately off in this scenario than the others. As if the wood-like monstrosity wasn't enough, the fact they recalled the Wendigo is blatant evidence that the writer was aware of them from even outside his book. He was doing his research in such monsters.

And such research happened to pay off in the form of making such beasts to be a new opponent. The others would realize such dangers was made, but it would be too late to try and intervene. Zazel would recognize one of such monsters all too well, and would run towards the warzone to warn them.

To warn them...about the Marrow.