“You really should.” Victor snorted.
“Shut up!” Frid threw a wooden spoon at him.
“Hey! That hurts!” He rubbed his hand.
“Get over it!”
“Why can’t you be like other girls?” Victor continued.
“What the hell does that mean?” she hissed.
I tousled my hair, raising my eyes to Solomon.
“I’m off to bed,” I said and he nodded.
It was an early morning hour when I jolted awake in my narrow, lumpy bed. My hand reached out to grab the knife I was never without. I sat up, surveying the dark outlines of the furniture. I remembered going to bed last night and extinguishing the tiny remnant of a candle. Still in a haze, I walked to the only window. The inner yard seemed quiet and peaceful. I listened to the calming night sounds, trying to see beyond the shadows. Absent-mindedly, I played with the blade of my long hunting knife and the coolness of the steel soothed my nerves. I was contemplating going back to bed when a faint sound, not more than a mere whisper, made me step closer to the front door. I froze, listening. At first, I could hear nothing, and nearly dismissed my suspicions. But a moment later, I could clearly distinguish heavy breathing in the corridor. Someone was passing through the halls, exhaling with a low, barely recognizable growl.
I swore under my breath, and put on my leather suit, securing the row of knives I wore on my belt. I buttoned my jacket and put on my boots, before swinging the front door open. My eyes adjusted to the dim light of the moon coming in from the wide windows.
“Sol!” I gave a quick sharp knock on his door and heard a light rustling on the other side of the door.
“Ty?”
“Crawlers.” I said and moved to the next door.
“Frid, crawlers in the castle!” I called through the door and could hear the sound of something falling to the floor, then a loud swearing.
I did not bother with Victor because he never stayed in his room. He was always sneaking out to meet one girl or another.
Slowly, I walked along the corridor, clenching the hunting knife in my hand. When I stepped onto the poorly lit staircase, I paused, trying to catch any noises from the other levels. After a moment of indecision, I darted upstairs.
Suddenly, a chilling screech shook the walls and I sprinted through the dim corridor. It only took me a moment before I saw the Lord of Hogtain. He was swinging his sword, trying to fend off the crawler who avoided his attacks with inhuman speed and agility. My left hand reached down to a throwing knife on my belt and released it, aiming at the head of the undead. I missed the brain, and the blade stuck in the crawler's skull without stopping the monster. I grabbed another knife, but before I could finish the motion, the walking corpse had already plunged its teeth into the old man’s flesh. The next moment, my second knife reached its target and the decaying body hit the floor with a loud thump.
“My kids! Quickly!” Lord of Hogtain shouted, and I sprinted past him into the bedroom.
Two crawlers were trying to reach under the bed, where the children were hiding. Carefully, I approached the beasts, gripping the handle of my hunting knife. In one practiced motion, I plunged the blade into the crawler's temple. The stench of rotten blood hit my nostrils with an all too familiar, nauseating smell. The second crawler was faster, he ran at me and jumped; extending his pale arms. His milky white eyes focused on my face. I unsheathed my throwing knife with my left hand and threw it without aiming, but the monster darted to the side at the last second avoiding it. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to slow my breathing. The crawler lowered its body to the ground, resembling a feral animal. I took out my last knife and stilled. At the same moment, the undead stretched out its body for a jump, I threw my knife and got the monster right between the eyes. At last, its body hit the floor and everything went still.
Sighing heavily, I crouched by the bed.
“Are you alright?” I asked.
“Where’s my husband?” the woman’s voice sounded hoarse.
“Fighting. Lock the door behind me,” I commanded and retrieved my two knives before returning to the corridor.
“Are they safe?” The Lord of the castle shouted when I appeared in the doorway.
Another crawler was attacking him and the old man was not up to the task.
“They’re safe,”
I closed the door behind me, and with one precise motion flung my knife at the monster, landing a perfect hit. Everything fell quiet all at once. Without further delays, I reclaimed my blades and secured them to my belt, before returning to the staircase.
Down in the main hall, I found Victor and Sol dealing with more crawlers. Before I could get closer, a bloody shape emerged from out of nowhere. It took me two attempts to land a kill shot. Picking up my weapons, I looked over, watching their fight. Sol swung his massive ax with incredible power and speed, landing deadly blows. Victor had his short sword in action, decapitating the crawlers. When dealing with the monsters, I had an unfair advantage since I could keep my distance, being too close was a constant risk that I did not have to take. Every little detail mattered and could mean life or death.
“Where’s Frid?” I shouted.
“Isn’t she with you?” Victor looked up.
