Once Upon An Extinction

In the darkness of the truck, Maev set her sword aside and tried to feel her way to the door. She couldn't let her new friend fight them alone. The human would try to open the door and join him.

As she gently felt the area in front of her in a crawl, the little hands of Blood grabbed hold of her dress. Maev stopped to let her catch up, but instead Blood wrapped cold arms around her. The human was confused and angry. She wanted to help Fiend, but she didn't question the decision of her other friend. Maev tried her best to stay silent as she began to cry.

The light of day faded quickly and soon the area was bathed in darkness. Low-glowing eyes stared at the large monster. The undead readied themselves for a charge in the darkness but were stopped when a bright light illuminated the area, causing the corpses to shriek. A bright diode illuminated, hidden in the fur between his broken antlers, letting Fiend see the area around him for nearly thirty feet. The event seemed to anger the undead and they growled impatiently.

In reply, Fiend let out a loud roar that was part beast and part machine like a lion with static and audio artifacts. The undead began charging at him and Fiend did his best to fight them off. He punched and backhanded them away, holding them from the truck. The undead came at the monster in groups of four and were quick to grab or bite. Fiend tried to strike them before he could be overwhelmed by numbers but began dripping on the floor from wounds.

Bodies began to pile, making it awkward for the others to charge Fiend. The hybrid knew it would be difficult to hold the creatures all night, but his plan began to take shape. As if from thin air, a giant centipede of black and red pounced on the crowd of undead.

The insect immediately began devouring the creatures. The centipede was a fearsome creature with its scarred, iron-like exoskeleton. Its black legs were like living spears, skewering the undead and handing them over to the underside where an uncountable amount of tiny appendages grabbed hold and sent the corpses up to the head. At near two hundred feet long and twenty high, Fiend could not see all of the centipede.

The danger of the undead had passed. Those who were not eaten had scattered into the darkness. The undead knew better than to crowd together at night, but had been preoccupied with their human prey. The cadavers would not risk regrouping.

Fiend held his ground in front of the cargo door. The giant insect turned its attention to the killing machine and came near, putting their faces close. Although injured, the centipede knew the monster before it was dangerous. Standing defiantly, Fiend was another beast of the extinction. It would not risk a fight with the hybrid.

After a brief retreat of a few feet to continue glancing at Fiend, the insect took its leave into the dead of night to continue fighting an endless hunger. Guard not yet withdrawn, Fiend looked around slowly. He tried to spot any eyes in the darkness or a sign that he was not alone. It would be foolish to think the area was devoid of creatures, but he didn't think any prey would make a move while the giants were hunting.

Opening the door slowly as to not startle those inside, Fiend filled the truck with light. The smiling faces of Blood and Maev met him. The human's face was moist from her tears and she scrambled over to hug Fiend. The hybrid held the door up with one arm so he could wrap the other around his friend. He joined them in the back of the shipping truck and turned out his light, the three of them huddling together in the darkness.