Chapter 133: The Horde

On the crystalline screen two circular icon's came to bear, the first resembled that of an eye and had written besides it '567 enemies detected!' a worrying number, no, in fact it was a terrifying number especially considering all were likely to be grimm. The other icon, one of a faintly mossy brown coin only proved that worry further as it mentioned a single characteristic, that of a rare, powerful enemy approaching his vicinity. That of the Tyrant Shambler. Whatever that was Parc did not want to know, nor did he want to challenge it, not when there was such a large horde in bound.

Quickly bursting to his feet he lunged to Lili and tore her from the ground, pulling her into his chest and hooked an arm under her legs to bring her into a princess carry and rushed outside. Lili having let out a surprised chirp when he had done so. Her mind wary with fear initially that he was going to violate her like those men had but calmed when she realized he only wished to carry her. Though even that was proving to be a partially embarrassing event judging by her rose cheeks a misted eyes from the short distance between her and Parc's pheromone exuding body.

Running outside Parc was greeted to the sight of Bertilak standing a decent distance away from Carmine who had seemingly awoken from her orgasm induced unconsciousness. Only to have found herself pushed down face first onto the ground, arms locked behind her back with tightly wound ropes from somewhere. Kurome sitting calmly on her back still patting Carmine's head like she was earlier.

When he'd exited Kurome of course was the first to notice him and the girl he was carrying. Her instincts blaring as she saw how the new, chestnut haired girls eyes hung half open with steam panting out of her mouth like she was going into heat.

"Master is going to be busy tonight…" she mumbled in a voice only her human shaped bench could hear. Earning from the bound Carmine furious wrigglings and gurgled roars as a piece of cloth had been wrapped around her mouth and gagged her from biting or screaming. Kurome thinking that she just needed a bit more of her masters 'care' to fully accept her position.

Bertilak pushed off the wall he was leaning against and was about to walk to Parc when Parc spoke in a hastened tone, "Bertilak where are the bullheads?" his eyes sharp and unwanting of any questions, simply answers.

In response Bertilak nodded off to the side, towards the port where Summer had also mentioned the bullheads were kept. "Not far, few houses down."

"Good," approaching Bertilak he force Lili onto him.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" He asked, a flicker of strange disappointment coursing through Lili's body at being separated from Parc's hold.

Turning on point Parc looked to Kurome, her understanding his look that he needed her for something. Her expression turned serious and she pushed off of Carmine and hopped onto her feet to lightly jog to his side. Looking back to Bertilak, Parc answered, "we've got a horde of grimm coming, along with a Tyrant Shambler. I need you to get Lili and Carmine to the bullhead and prep it to go. I need to find some people."

He didn't look back as Bertilak respond, his voice grave and showing concerned albeit doubtful as he hadn't the faintest as to how Parc knew this. "Do you know how many this 'horde' is?"

"Half a thousand, nearing six hundred including this Tyrant Shambler." Parc replied, casting Bertilak a sideways look to say, "get to the bullheads, now. I want that thing off the ground the moment we get on board. Kurome, there's two people we need to find," with barely a breath between sentences, Parc turned down the street he had come in from the mine and likely where Summer and Ferry would be following from. "Summer, and Ferry, you'll know them when you see them. Black hair, red tips, blue hair, horse ears. Got it?"

Kurome's head quirked at the short description of the Ferry girl, 'horse ears?' she thought but quickly came to the conclusion that it was something Parc had done to the girl. She was actually quite excited to see it for now Parc had her, his bitch and now there was a mare. Perking up with a soft, anticipatory smile taking to her lips, her eyes began to sparkle and glimmer. How exciting, she was sure he wasn't in this world for long, but he already had four new pets.

Were Parc able to hear her thoughts, he would undoubtedly be chuckling and would correct her that on a technicality, he only had one, Carmine. Lili, Ferry and most certainly Summer weren't quite there just yet. For the most part, Summer would take a while to truly get her into his harem. For the reason of her seeming to be someone completely loyal to those she loved. And considering Taiyang and her were married, and he was the father of her daughter, chances were any moves he put into place would be resisted. The other two on the other hand, he felt an inevitability when he looked at them, in part due to their arousal when down wind of his scent that sent them in oestrus. Thankfully even though they were particularly petite—Lili especially—they weren't much younger than himself.

"Mmm, I will find them," and like that Kurome bolted down the road, kicking off the earth to jump onto a fallen piece of rubble which she used to vault onto the higher, decaying rooftops giving her a birds eye view of the area.

Sucking in a thick breath of stale, ocean air, Parc's eyes fell shut. There was only so much dead village Kurome could sift through. He needed to get on his own search and retrace his hell path which they were most likely to be following to get to him.

If only they had followed the corpses.

***

"Ferry, stay close," Summer held her arm out to the horse eared girl by her side. A thick mist had come to encapsulate them and presumably the village. Thicker than most days. It sent signals flaring off inside Summer's mind, whatever had suddenly brought in this fog was not natural. A semblance?

Either way, it made traversing the village dangerous, so they ended up taking shelter in the most standing of ruined buildings to hopefully wait out the mist as it was even messing with Ferry's nose. Though the stench of freshly spilled blood that coursed through the streets was likely also an issue with it.

Staring out the window Summer clenched her teeth, fingers curling on the windowsill. Worry to her eyes for Parc's safety. She doubted he would have any hope against those two huntsmen, they were experienced, maybe as much as her, maybe even more so. Him being out here alone in mist he couldn't traverse was just asking for something terrible to happen.

"Will he be okay?" Ferry asked, her voice a soft whine as she came to stare out the same window as Summer.

Maybe it was because Parc was the first person she had met in a decade, or maybe it was that oddly attracting smell he exuded, but he had somehow come to get ingrained in Ferry's mind for her to be actively worried for him. Even just remembering his smell had caused Summer to gulp lightly. But shook her mind free of 'that' thought. Reasoning she had Tai, and wasn't going to cheat on him. She would never.

"I'm sure he will be," she said with a easily noticeable, unconfident smile she was putting on just to reassure Ferry.

Ferry's eyes still fell and clenched her upper arm with a nervous whine.

***

A time later, no longer than an hour or two the mist surrounding the village was seeming to thin. Not entirely, but enough that they could see the opposite end of the street. "This seems good," leaning out the broken window Summer swivelled her head left and right, catching sight of one of the murdered men Parc had left in his wake.

It was a sight she hated to see, it went against everything she was trained for. She wasn't supposed to be a killer, nor was any other person. Hell, it was all too common to come across one corpse or another when out on a mission as a huntsman, but knowing they were murdered by a human, and not a grimm… that… that was another thing. "Let's find Parc quickly and get to civilization, ok?" it was a question more for formality than for answer.

"Yeah," Ferry answered, letting Summer take point to exit the building and into the thin mist. As they entered into the street, Ferry's legs came to a stop, her ears flaring like radar dishes leading her to turn her head down the street where they had come from. Bang… bang… pop… screams… thudding of feet against concrete. People were running, shooting, fighting. They were getting closer and closer.

"Summer," Ferry's voice trembled nervously, meeting with Summer's eyes as she grasped and let her whip come undone. Glaring down the street. A sign that sent Summer to grasping her borrowed storm spear tight to face down the street. Slowly backing away, but keeping their eyes locked on the faint, humanoid shadows rushing towards them.

The sounds soon became audible to Summer, the originators of which also became visible to both as a crowd, a few of the captured people were found to be running down the road. Their faces logged with fear and horror. One of them saw Summer, meeting eyes with her but separated to rush past her, leaving the huntress spinning to follow them down the road. It didn't take long for her to realize what it was they were running from as when she turned back to where Ferry was looking, she saw them, dozens, no, hundreds of red eyes and luminous yellow teeth in the mist. Shamblers, lots of them.

Her face went pale alongside Ferry's. On their own, Shamblers were simple, one minded creatures. But when together… when together they were a whole new threat.

"A horde. FERRY RUN!" in unison both girls turned and rushed down the street, using both their aura's and own skills to kick off the earth. Behind them loud rumbling as hundreds of feet cracked the earth.

The shamblers, they were running. Their flesh addled feet squelching under them as in their collective they practically turned rabid and would turn into something the girls had come to call 'Runners' something which only ever came to exist in hordes.

They seemed to just be faster than the horde, but that meant little to the untiring many. Then they came across them, the 'surviving' slaves, now though, they were anything but alive as all their bodies, all five. Were crushed beneath the feasting hordes of grimm who tore at their bones and devoured their flesh.

"How!?" Summer exclaimed, there was a horde behind them and before them? How? Had they come in from another side of the village?

"Summer what do we do?" Ferry turned her head back to the rushing horde, her vine based whip that she had gotten from Parc pulled taught in her hands.

"What else? We fight!" It really was the only thing they could do.

***

Sorry for late publish. Completely forgot to do this.