Master Maker

Chapter 29- Screams

We spent most of the day helping Mandrakes men set up camp, a lot of the time I was stopped and told that the men would handle it. I even started smacking hands if someone tried to take something from my hands. Eventually, I gave up and joined Cassie at the river, she had been signing when I  got to her, playing with her hand in the water. I sat down as her hand circled in the water. Only realizing when she stopped that she had been laying with a small fish.

“Are you really a witch?” she asked not looking up at me

“I’m not a witch, sorry Cassie” She looked back down at the water, as her fingertips touched the water the fish returned.

“mommy used to tell people that she wasn’t a witch too. Was it because she was scared”

“what would a witch need to be scared of?”

“she said people would be scared of her, so it was a little lie to keep us safe” Cassie said playing with the fish again,

“Cas?” she looked up with a huge smile on her face as her father walked up to her, she jumped up and ran into his arm, taking his face in her little hands and kissed his nose. I stood up as she whispered something to him and ran off again towards the campsite.

“she’s off to eat and then take a nap, the men made some rabbit stew, why not come get it?”

“I’m okay” I whispered as I sat down again, looking towards the afternoon sun

“you are a brave one,” he said not moving. I looked up at him, the confusion on my face must have been easy to read, Mandrake snickered and sat down next to me.

“Not many would have gone in after a child they didn’t even know”

“you needed the help, and I had nothing better to do”

“Lucis was worried, he has reason to, you are one in a million. I think anyone would be worried to lose you” Mandrake stood up and started walking away. “don’t overthink things, it can ruin the mind” I looked up at him as he walked away, I had no idea what that was supposed to mean. I stood up looking at the river one last time before  I made m way back to the camp. 

Lucis

Lucis and Mandrake were in a tent going over a few ideas on how to get the Pinkies out of the cave. they were second-guessing the myths about the creatures seeing as they acted out of what was believed to be normal. Lucis was visibly getting irritated, his face changed as she walked in. her being around did something to him that he knew was wrong, she made him feel things that no one had ever made him feel before.

“Have we got a plan?” Lilith asked as she walked up to Lucis touching his shoulder and placing her hands down on the table, the movement made both him and Mandrake look at her. Her small body was still covered in dust and grime from the cave, it just made Lucis’ mind go to places that he knew wouldn’t help them right now. he shook his head swallowing hard as he cleared his throat.

“no, most of the stories about these things don’t add up, nothing is the same and every story says something completely different”

“so plan B?” she said looking up at Mandrake,

“Not just yet,” he said looking up at Lucis,

“I figured that each story must have some truth to it, we just need to find out what part will attract them. The small child walked in her face full of blood from whatever she was given to eat

“Why did they take her anyway?” Lucis asked eyeing her child

“not sure,” mandrake said picking her up and wiping her mouth, “you said that she is half Pinkie?”

“somewhat,” Mandrake said not actually paying attention to what was being said.

“what are you thinking,” I asked watching Lucis as he watched Cassie.

“she enjoys raw meat correct?”

“yeah?” Mandrake’s face changed slightly as he held his daughter closer to his body and looked at Lucis.

“How old is it? the meat”

“few days, to be honest” he shrugged and put Cassie down and she disappeared out the tent and into the next one. Lucis rushed out of the tent leaving mandrake and I looking at each other after a few seconds he came back holding a piece of meat

“We need older,” he said loudly holding it up, “they are cave creatures so fresh meat wouldn’t come easy,” he said smiling

 The men got busy looking through the woods for any kills that were left, unsettling, they found quite a bit of it. piling it high in the middle ground of the camp and the cave. the sun was starting to set and soon we were plunged into darkness, torches were lit at the far end of the tree line so that it wouldn't distract the Pinkies, now it was a waiting game. Cassie was asleep in a tent with someone watching over her. I sat behind a huge rock with Lucis and Mandrake as we waited, some of the men were hidden behind rocks and trees. From above I could hear Draco’s wings flapping against the air.

A slight breeze blew from us towards the cave, I got up on my knees peeking out from behind the rock. A weird noise erupted from the mouth of the cave as small creatures made their way out of it. they moved on all fours and if you looked fast enough you have thought they were thing pigs with loose skin. Lucis and Mandrake got up next to them and watched as the pack of Pinkies began feasting on the rotting meat.

“you were right” I whispered to Lucis, the pinkies were growling at each other and fighting if one got too close to another as they ravaged on the meat. Mandrake wove his hand to the men and they started walking towards the pinkies with bags in their hands. I watched as they neared the pack snatching the smallest of the creatures and putting them into bags without much fuss, as soon as the men circled the pack, all hell broke loose.

The pinkies took notice of the men around them. They stopped eating and went quiet, next moment they attacked, angry hissing sounds were soon drowned out by the screams of the men, I stood up drawing my bow and arrow. I aimed and let arrows fly hitting targets in the head or the back, Lucis and Mandrake had joined the attack and were taking down Pinkies as they moved together. The way the two men moved looked like they had practiced it, almost a kind of death dance. I  watched as the pinkies began retreating back into the cave, their green eyes glowing as they looked back, realizing that no one had thought f them trying to escaped I looked to the sky

“Drago!” I shouted as I moved over to where Lucis was standing

“get back” I shouted some men carried bags with the dead creatures and others helped the injured out of the way. Mandrake moved to help men out the way jumping out the way himself as Draco landed. I pointed at the cave, not entirely sure how to do this

“fire” I shouted as I ran and climbed onto Draco. Fire erupted from Draco's mouth, weird screaming came from the cave as the fire flowed into it

“up” I shouted taking my seat between his wings as he took to the air, we hovered in the air for a few seconds, I looked to the cave and the rocks beyond it,

“crush it” I hissed and Draco dropped from the sky, landing heavily on the rocks. At first, nothing happened, I was getting ready to tell Draco to go back up and do it again when I heard a cracking sound,

“Up” I shouted, as Draco took to the sky again the rocks and the cave, imploded and fell, more strange screaming sounded and then everything went silent. The men down on the ground started to cheer and some threw their weapons up in the air and catching them again, Draco landed back down waiting for me to get off and took to the air again, roaring as he flew around the camp and disappeared in the dark sky. I ran towards Lucis wrapping my arms around his waist and hugging him, I  was lifted into the air by Mandrake who carried me off towards the camp, Lucis close behind, his face was unreadable and showed very little emotion as we went.

I stood in a tent taking off my clothes before I wrapped a soft material around my body. The men around the camp had fallen asleep and that left me on my own. I walked towards the river being careful not to wake up anyone as I walked. I could hear footsteps behind me as I walked. I reached the river, looking back to see who had been following me, Mandrake walked slowly up to me, his eyes wandering up and down my body.

“Lilith?” Lucis whispered from behind me