Whatever the thing was. It definitely was more snake, more reptile than man.
The thing opened its mouth while the other was still screaming behind them, revealing rows of sharp fangs. Oh God. Stella didn’t know what to do, but her mind refused to believe that she would die like this, pinned down by a thing that shouldn’t exist. When all she had wanted was some peace tonight.
She couldn’t stop fighting, couldn’t resign herself to the fate that was presented to her, and so she simply reared her head back and spit that creature in its face. Apparently caught off guard it closed its too-big mouth again and that’s when she tried to head-butt it. But suddenly the monster screamed as if in pain and then he was gone.
Shadowy movement. Her brain had trouble catching up with the sudden changes, but Stella quickly understood that someone had indeed come to her rescue.
The man went up against her attacker, the both of them moving in a shadowy blur of darkness and patches of light coming from the street lamps. Her eyes quickly searched for the other one as she got up. He was lying on the ground a few feet away, apparently dead from wounds her mace could not have inflicted. She didn’t feel too bad about it.
One las t grunt and scream, and silence reigned the night once more.
Her savior turned around to face her and she looked at him for the first time. His breathing was not labored enough for her taste – not after what he had just done. However she didn’t want to think too much about what that implied and let her eyes move on.
Dressed in black pants and a long-sleeved black shirt, he stood tall; his hair was black and short, but not in a military style so one could still grab a handful if need be. That last thought hit her out of nowhere and Stella blamed the adrenaline still rushing through her veins. His face was hard and strong, and yet soft and caring. But what startled her the most, were his eyes. As if frozen in place, he was staring at her, and there was a war in his dark, intense eyes, anger and bafflement fighting there.
I n the end curiosity won out. And he stepped towards her.
TWO
Nero closed the distance between them in one long stride, lifting a hand to the woman’s cheek but never quite touching it as his eyes roamed her face, probably not able to hide the wonder in them. “How did you survive?”
Her dark eyes were wide, her heart still beating like a drum, and still she tried to smile. “You helped.” She snorted at that. “Well, to be honest, you did most of the ass-kicking so I guess I should say because of you, plain and simple. You.”
He wasn’t talking about the fight tonight. No, not at all. He meant much more than that. Nero shook his head, dropping his hand. How could it be possible? Who would have thought that the moment he scented the poison of the reptiles in the air and followed its trace, everything would change?
He and his team of roamers had been patrolling the hours of dusk, making sure the creatures of night and day stayed on their side of the shadows. But now, approaching midnight, he had been on his way home. Every human still out was doing so at his own peril.
There was only so much the roamers could do, and apparently they had done quite a good job for the last centuries, seeing how humans still ran around utterly blind to the dark truth in front of them. Legends, mystical non-sense, fantastical folly – the humans had forgotten that every story held a pinch of truth. Had forgotten the reason behind fairy tales and bed time stories warning children to go off into the dark. So, as he had done for years now, he had made sure that humans stayed to the safety of their homes and lights, and out of harm’s way as night settled and its’ creatures awakened.
However, when he had caught the reptiles’ scent, he hadn’t been able to move on, to turn away, especially since dying at their hands, or fangs to be precise, was anything but quick and merciful. So he
The thing opened its mouth while the other was still screaming behind them, revealing rows of sharp fangs. Oh God. Stella didn’t know what to do, but her mind refused to believe that she would die like this, pinned down by a thing that shouldn’t exist. When all she had wanted was some peace tonight.
She couldn’t stop fighting, couldn’t resign herself to the fate that was presented to her, and so she simply reared her head back and spit that creature in its face. Apparently caught off guard it closed its too-big mouth again and that’s when she tried to head-butt it. But suddenly the monster screamed as if in pain and then he was gone.
Shadowy movement. Her brain had trouble catching up with the sudden changes, but Stella quickly understood that someone had indeed come to her rescue.
The man went up against her attacker, the both of them moving in a shadowy blur of darkness and patches of light coming from the street lamps. Her eyes quickly searched for the other one as she got up. He was lying on the ground a few feet away, apparently dead from wounds her mace could not have inflicted. She didn’t feel too bad about it.
One las t grunt and scream, and silence reigned the night once more.
Her savior turned around to face her and she looked at him for the first time. His breathing was not labored enough for her taste – not after what he had just done. However she didn’t want to think too much about what that implied and let her eyes move on.
Dressed in black pants and a long-sleeved black shirt, he stood tall; his hair was black and short, but not in a military style so one could still grab a handful if need be. That last thought hit her out of nowhere and Stella blamed the adrenaline still rushing through her veins. His face was hard and strong, and yet soft and caring. But what startled her the most, were his eyes. As if frozen in place, he was staring at her, and there was a war in his dark, intense eyes, anger and bafflement fighting there.
I n the end curiosity won out. And he stepped towards her.
TWO
Nero closed the distance between them in one long stride, lifting a hand to the woman’s cheek but never quite touching it as his eyes roamed her face, probably not able to hide the wonder in them. “How did you survive?”
Her dark eyes were wide, her heart still beating like a drum, and still she tried to smile. “You helped.” She snorted at that. “Well, to be honest, you did most of the ass-kicking so I guess I should say because of you, plain and simple. You.”
He wasn’t talking about the fight tonight. No, not at all. He meant much more than that. Nero shook his head, dropping his hand. How could it be possible? Who would have thought that the moment he scented the poison of the reptiles in the air and followed its trace, everything would change?
He and his team of roamers had been patrolling the hours of dusk, making sure the creatures of night and day stayed on their side of the shadows. But now, approaching midnight, he had been on his way home. Every human still out was doing so at his own peril.
There was only so much the roamers could do, and apparently they had done quite a good job for the last centuries, seeing how humans still ran around utterly blind to the dark truth in front of them. Legends, mystical non-sense, fantastical folly – the humans had forgotten that every story held a pinch of truth. Had forgotten the reason behind fairy tales and bed time stories warning children to go off into the dark. So, as he had done for years now, he had made sure that humans stayed to the safety of their homes and lights, and out of harm’s way as night settled and its’ creatures awakened.
However, when he had caught the reptiles’ scent, he hadn’t been able to move on, to turn away, especially since dying at their hands, or fangs to be precise, was anything but quick and merciful. So he
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