324: Under attack (part 2)

Under attack (part 2)

Whatever had seized Andreas's attention, the sheer terror in his eyes when he uttered her sister's name compelled an immediate response from Adela.2

"Go! Please! Protect my sister and mother in the manor!"

"Haiyah!" Andreas bellowed, leaving Adela and the knights in his dust as he raced toward the nearest thicket. Adela knew that he would abandon his horse and proceed on foot the moment he believed he was out of sight, casting one last anguished look back at her before vanishing into the thick line of trees.

Adela turned her gaze toward the perplexed Viscount who struggled to keep pace with the reactions of the noble Lady and the haughty merchant from House von Conradie.

"Prepare your men! Issue immediate formation orders!" she urged, her anxiety causing her knees to tremble.

"..."

She glared up at the man who continued to stare at her, bewildered.

"Viscount!"

"My Lady, I did not intend to alarm you earlier. We are well-prepared to engage with the scouts. They surprised us on a previous occasion, and yet we managed to subdue the enemy."

No, Andreas's reaction carried a graver tone than what the knights could handle.

"Viscount! Prepare to engage the enemy!" she snarled at him, her protective instincts surging. "This is a direct order!"

"We are under attack!" the Viscount bellowed, more irritated by the young Lady's disrespectful tone than entirely convinced. "Assume a defensive formation!"

The knights who complied wore similarly bewildered expressions as they did their best to follow orders. Their eyes darted around the surroundings, searching for an invisible foe. Some looked skyward, while others scrutinized the ground beneath their feet. They exchanged uncertain glances as they covered each other's backs, pondering the nature of the impending threat.

It was at that moment that war trumpets resounded from a distant tower. As if caught in a chain reaction, subsequent trumpet calls followed rapidly, signaling that whatever the enemy was, it was closing in at an astonishing pace.

"A breach in our defenses!" the Viscount's shouts now carried a sense of urgency. "Form a protective circle around Her Ladyship! Guard Lady Adelaide with your lives, men!"

The cries that filled the air were fraught with desperation and hopelessness, an unacceptable state of affairs. Adela had no desire for human shields willing to sacrifice themselves, prolonging the inevitable by mere minutes. She needed to devise a strategy, and time was not on her side.

Whatever was approaching, it was clear it wasn't human. That realization triggered an immediate idea.

Adela turned her gaze toward the youngest-looking knight on horseback near her and shouted, "You there, ascend the hill and issue orders to release all our Falcons!"

"Yes, My Lady!"

Adela had never attempted to summon Kannen from such a great distance, but there was a first time for everything. She brought her thumb and forefinger to her lips and emitted a whistle that reverberated throughout the open space.

It took precisely four heartbeats for Kannen's piercing cry to slice through the sky, racing with the wind to reach her.

"Anyone among you knights who possesses a falcon should summon it!" the Viscount shouted, his eyes brimming with admiration for Adela. He unsheathed his sword and assumed a defensive crouch in front of the noble Lady who fearlessly issued the correct orders, refusing to succumb to the paralyzing fear that enveloped them as they confronted the unknown.

In the next moment, they all understood the nature of the imminent threat.

The mutant hyenas launched their attack from three different directions, moving with unnerving speed and agility. Their appearances were a nightmarish and grotesque sight, and once they closed in on the circle of knights, the three of them moved incredibly slowly.

The first of these monstrous hyenas emerged stealthily from the thick sunflower stalks on Adela's right. Its fur was mottled, grayish-black, with patches missing in various places revealing scarred and disfigured skin beneath. Its eyes emitted a sickly yellow-green glow over its dull, yellowed teeth. It moved in silence, only the faint rustling of sunflowers betraying its presence.

From the left, the second hyena approached, its fur a patchy mixture of brown and ashy gray. Its eyes were an unnatural shade of purple, gleaming with predatory intelligence. Its gnarled, elongated claws dug deep furrows into the earth as it advanced, and its breath emitted a guttural growl that resonated through the field.

Bounding forward from the rear, the third mutant hyena had a chaotic coat of once-spotted fur, now a jumbled mess of dark blotches and pale, ghostly patches. Its eyes were a cold black, and its movements were fluid, like a ghostly specter gliding towards its prey. Its harsh, discordant laughter sounded akin to a deranged human woman and pierced the air—a frightening sound that made the blood of the knights run cold.

"Aim for their eyes, men!" the Viscount shouted as the hyena on their right pounced upon one of the knights, the three closest to him immediately engaging the creature.

"Maintain your formation!"

"Close the circle!"

The Leaders' orders were suddenly drowned by the approaching shrieks emanating angrily from the sky above. Kannen, at the forefront of a flock of falcons trailing behind him, descended from the heavens. They launched a collective attack on the second hyena, covering its entire body as they clawed and bit into it with their sharp talons.

With her heart pounding in her chest, Adela attempted to tap into the light within her and channel it to bolster the knights and the falcons. Yet, every effort to direct it outward seemed to only concentrate it within her.

"W-What is happening?" She stuttered. 

It was the final hyena that took everyone by surprise as it reared up on its hind legs and then executed an incredible leap, landing squarely in the midst of the circle.

"Charge!" the Viscount shouted, realizing there was no other option but to leave Adela's side and join the men in attacking the third hyena, now dangerously close to the Lady. In a chilling turn of events, the beast appeared to single out the leader of the knights, delivering its first deadly strike directly to the Viscount, killing him instantly.

"Viscount!" Adela cried, capturing the attention of the creature. For a fleeting moment, their eyes locked before Kannen swooped down from the sky, leading the charge with the rest of the falcons and knights who had vanquished the other two hyenas.

What had just happened?

Adela had caught a mere glimpse of the creature's eyes, and in that split second, everything within her shifted. She recognized the agony of the creature; it was clear as day that whatever had mutated the animals had not only changed their appearance but also possessed them.

As she watched the knights and falcons release the creature from its agony, one question dominated her thoughts: Who was the true monster behind them?

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