Onslaught 1 (Vitrian Secrets Series) Read online

  “It's calling for assistance. It knows it would not be able to finish me alone – We need to take Wanda to a safe place.” Marcus was hasty.

  “What! More are coming?”

  “Yes, and we need to save Wanda!” Marcus answered.

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  Part 4

  Time ceased to exist in Celina's world as she stood motionless, watching the humongous thing in front of her in the room. Apprehension took over her body system, and immediately she lost consciousness of what had just happened to her son because standing four meters away from her inside the room was a huge beast.

  Celina stopped talking to Marcus and lowered the phone that was to her ear slowly in disbelief and then she backed up slowly until her back hit the wall behind her.

  The room was now totally on fire. The fire burnt everywhere inside the room, and this time the fire was different from the dark flame that was invoked on Adrian. This new fire radiated from the tall and massive creature that was bending to fit into the room. It was definitely too big for the room, but Celina couldn't see it very well in the fire except for its red and angry eyes.

  The creature had deep red eyes that were staring furiously at her. The creature was humongous; it is evident that if it stretched out entirely, it would have been extremely tall. It was covered all over in grey hair that had a taint of white and blue to it, but Celina couldn't see it well due to the darkness, and the fire that filled the room didn't help either.

  She couldn't understand how the creature came about, although she knew it had something to do with the dark fire the other woman had summoned on her son. She knew the mysterious dark fire the woman called on Adrian must have raised a powerful and unknown demon from the Abyss.

  Like something had vexed the creature, its eyes remained deep red as it narrowed them on Celina. Smoke from the fire was still on its body, fading away little by little, but the creature wasn't burning, although the room was engulfed in the blaze. Celina could see that the beast wasn't disturbed by the smoke burning and evaporating from its body.

  The creature suddenly roared in anger, forcefully moving its face forward and towards Celina without moving any other part of her body. Celina shrieked and came back to reality at the sound the creature made.

  She moved swiftly and ran straight for the stairs. She ran, literally jumping down to the last step and heading for the same door she was struggling to get open earlier. The creature broke through the wall easily and leaped to get a hold of Celina at the entrance door. Celina screamed and tried the door handle, the handle turned, and the door opened. She didn't realize it, but the man and the woman in the red robe left the door open when they stepped out. Celina ran as far as possible into the woods, oblivious of the fact that the black winter jacket she had on was unzipped. She had put it on while she tried to leave the house initially. She drifted to the left and right as she ran with her silk knee-length nighty moving in the direction of the wind. She heard the creature behind her as the beast crashed through the wooden wall and door of the house. It rushed after her, but Celina didn't stop. She only kept running farther and farther into the woods in the thick darkness of the Norwegian winter.

  Massive sounds of wood breaking, and cracking followed behind her, and Celina turned gently but did not stop running, and neither did she feel the cold of the winter's night, though she was sweating profusely due to her running. As she looked back to observe the creature, Celina saw as trees parted on every single push the monster made by just waving its right or left hand, like the trees were little sticks. Suddenly, she noticed the creature leaped from the trees that parted. Instantly, she stopped running and, like in slow motion, watched as the beast jumped some meters above her. It landed about five meters in front of her and didn't skid or slip, it landed, and a gigantic sound resonated in the mountains where they were.

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  Part 5

  The cold did not matter to Celina; neither could she recollect what had just happened because a new threat stood between her and life. There was no doubt the creature meant to harm her, but she couldn't figure out why the creature wanted her dead or why it ran after her with intense fury. She knew screaming would not help because she was at the mountain top, and the next inhabited house was a distance away, so if she screamed, her voice would be lost in the winds.

  Celina stepped back quickly, sweating and panting heavily from the run through the woods. She took three steps backwards, without turning back – she walked back very slowly. Her eyes and all her senses were fixed on the creature. She could see the beast was very precise; if she had continued to run without looking back when the creature leaped, she would have ended up directly in front of it, and it would have quickly picked her up with its very large hands.

  She studied the creature very well; she did not understand what it was neither had she seen anything or any demon like it before.

  Unwittingly, Celina dipped her hand into her jacket, remembering she had picked up her Praying Méndez when she was planning to rush out with her son - Adrian.

  The Praying Méndez glowed but not as bright as one would expect it to for a committed Vitrian, who has dedicated her time to prayer. When Vitrians prayed, they have supernatural powers, which made their Praying Méndez glow. The weak glow was an indication that Celina had not been spending adequate time on her prayers. She knew the Vitrian rules; weak prayers meant an inadequately charged Praying Méndez, which means she becomes easy prey for demons. Celina had been mentally and physically disturbed for over a year since she'd been having visions seeing children being killed, and it had bothered her tremendously.

  “I command you to go back to your home; to the Abyss,” Celina demanded as she brought out the Praying Méndez. Any creature commanded with a glowing Praying Méndez adheres to the command, and Celina knows that was her advantage over the beast.

  The creature groaned the instant it saw the glowing Praying Méndez. Although it wasn't very bright, the creature stepped back, covering its eyes with its massive hands. It could not look into the supernatural light that the Praying Méndez emitted through its heavenly glow.

  Celina could see that the glow affected the creature, but she expected more. Demons were supposed to dissolve and go back to the Abyss once they were commanded to go back to the Abyss with a Praying Méndez at hand. But this creature did not disappear. Seeing that the heavenly glow in the Praying Méndez affected the creature, Celina took two steps closer to it and demanded its return to the Abyss with more confidence and a more commanding tone.

  “Go, I command you, back to the Abyss. That is where you are meant to be.” She raised the Méndez up, slightly above her head, so it was in the sight of the creature.

  Shock gripped her, and goosebumps erupted on her entire skin when the creature roared out loud in anger. She could hear the fury in its roar. Though the creature's face was buried in its arms, which were crossed across its face, Celina had never seen, heard, or experienced any demon stand against the command made via a Praying Méndez. She took a look at the Praying Méndez in her hand and wondered what was wrong. For a moment, Celina thought maybe the no effect on the creature was because her prayers had been sporadic and weak lately. But she knew that as long as there was light in a Praying Méndez, it had to work. Any demon facing it should disintegrate.

  The creature groaned and forcefully moved its leg back one step. Celina noticed the slight movement back. Although it wasn't what she was expecting, it gave her courage. She held the Praying Méndez up high.

  “I command and bind you to this boundary, not to cross it,” she said and then looked at the Méndez. She knew the glow in it would not last all day because she had not been praying adequately; nonetheless, she was ready to wait it out until the Méndez was out of light.

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  Part 6

  Marcus paused for a moment and studied his wife briefly. He could see she was engulfed in fear. She was not a Vitrian but had
been informed about the Vitrian ways and given the gift to see demons because she was married to a Vitrian. She waited for her husband to answer her question if more demons were coming. Not that she could do anything if more demons were coming, but she pressed her husband for an answer.

  "Yes, Sofia, more demons are coming that is the call for assistance or help from one Night Furfur to another," Marcus replied and then began to rummage in extremely high haste for something in his drawer.

  “What are we going to do?” Sofia's expression was designed by fear.

  “We have to leave this place. Every trace to find us is linked to this house. We have to be out of here right now.” Marcus brought out a unique object from his drawer. An object about his arm’s length; shaped like a thin cone and made of wood and silver.

  “Your Praying Méndez,” Sofia called the name of the object that Marcus had picked up. He picked up some other objects that were made of silver and had the Vitrian symbol on them. The Vitrian symbol was the same on the knife he just used to fight the Night Furfur. The symbol was harmless to humans but deadly to any demon. It was a supernatural symbol that glowed whenever a demon was present near a Vitrian. The symbol had a design with a thin cone in the middle that had two snakes wrapped around it and wings at the top. Marcus concentrated on the objects as he focused on them, and he shrunk them in size as he concentrated.

  “To the car! More demons would be here in a few seconds.” Marcus pulled his wife towards the door. He knew she was relatively new to the Vitrian's way of life, so he didn't complain whenever she was slow to react or didn't know what to do.

  At the entrance, Marcus pulled Sofia's and Wanda's jackets and threw them on Wanda and his wife. His wife only looked at him; she was disturbed, and at the same time, annoyed that everything he promised would not happen to them had suddenly unfolded in the middle of the night. Marcus took hold of his own jacket, placed the shrunk objects in his hand into the elastic hooks inside the jacket. Marcus wanted to put the jacket on when a loud sound of a heavy object landing on the rooftop startled them. Sofia shrieked in fear and pulled her daughter, who was also fear-stricken, very close to her body.

  Marcus wasted no time thinking about what was on the rooftop. He pushed the door open and pulled his wife and daughter out behind him. Sofia was going to inquire about the roof when the creature jumped and landed in front of them.

  Marcus instantly brought out his Praying Méndez; the object glowed sufficiently bright instantly in front of the demon, showing he was a praying Vitrian and well equipped to fight the demon. A supernatural heavenly-like light emanated from the Praying Méndez, blinding the demon. The demon cried and crumbled as it tried to move back.

  “I bind you,” Marcus began to command. “I bind you and order you back to the Abyss, your home.” The demon grunted as the unquestionable order it had been given took effect. Abruptly, it began to fight with an unseen power that seemed to hold its wings and body tighter and tighter. Within a few seconds, the Night Furfur disappeared.

  Marcus wore his jacket and pulled his wife hurriedly towards the car. He drove off fast as snowflakes fell from the sky. Sofia, on the other hand, held on tight to their daughter, her heart throbbing hard in fear.

  She had heard about how Vitrians battled with demons, but she had never witnessed any of the battles. She had been told demons didn't come attacking Vitrians because demons are aware that Vitrians can destroy them.

  “I am dropping you off at the church!”

  “Dropping me off ... and where would you be going?” Sofia complained.

  “I will be luring the demons away.”

  Sofia looked at her husband, who kept his eyes straight on the road as he drove fast. She did not believe what he was saying, and she suspected that he would be going to Celina's.

  “What if a demon attacked us or attacked your daughter? What should I do? I am not skilled with the knowledge of fighting them as you are.”

  “They are not going to come looking for you there. Sofia, you know this is not an ordinary place; it is a place of protection. The demons would not even see you once you step into the compound.”

  “You are leaving us because you want to go and help Celina,” Sofia let her thoughts out as she stared in deep annoyance at her husband. “I have been a fool believing you truly had nothing to do with Celina. She has poisoned you all.”

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  Part 7

  Marcus turned to his wife gently, and his face expressed both concern and seriousness. He loved his wife dearly and understood that his wife could not appreciate what he was doing. However, as a Vitrian elder, it was his duty to go help those in need, and Sofia, who was not born a Vitrian would not understand it or appreciate it and more so when Celina was involved.

  “Sofia,” Marcus tried to explain gently. “You know I have to help anyone in need of help. I'll get you to safety and go help others. If you were in Celina's shoes and I was not home, would you have been happy if Xavier or Alexis or Bathe didn't show up to help? Tell me honestly; how would you feel?”

  “Then let Alexis help her! After all, he is her husband.” Sofia complained bitterly.

  “You know Alexis has been away for the last few weeks in London.”

  “Why can't you see everything happening is linked to Celina,” the young woman continued and sighed. “Celina is the one behind everything; Zacharie's problems as the medical and spiritual head of the Vitrians, Alexis’ problems defending his decisions as a leader, Bathe and Luciana's marriage in trouble ...”

  “Sofia, not now ...” her husband shouted.

  “Not now?” Sofia paused for a moment and stared at her husband in confusion. “You've just told me you would be dropping us off and then going to Celina, and you expect me to be quiet about that. It is either me, Marcus, or ...” Marcus’ phone rang out loudly, startling them. It continued to ring until Sofia picked it up.

  “Who is it,” Marcus inquired in haste as Sofia picked up the phone and gazed at it.

  “Xavier,” Sofia voiced out, calming herself down.

  “Put it on speaker, please,” Marcus requested, making sure he wasn't going to let all her moaning get to him.

  “Marcs! Marcs!” Xavier sounded disturbed in his deep voice as he called his friend by his old teenage name.

  “I am here, Xavier,” Marcus spoke out loud enough for Xavier to hear him.

  “Oh, thank goodness, where are Sofia and Wanda?” “They are with me,” Marcus answered. “We were attacked earlier and have just left the house.”

  “You were attacked?” Xavier repeated in bewilderment. “Alexis just called me. He sounded confused and disoriented.”

  “What do you mean?” Marcus was shocked that Alexis would sound confused. “It is not in Alexis' nature to seem confused.”

  “Yes, I know, he is looking for Celina, said he got a call from Celina that Adrian is dead that he was burnt alive.”

  “What!” Sofia was shocked. “Who would do that? Bathe.”

  “I don't know,” Marcus shook his head. “You and I know that Bathe would never do that to her.

  “No. That is beyond Bathe,” Xavier agreed, but his voice was weak like he was not sure of what he was saying about his friend Bathe.

  “Where are you going to be? Where are you taking Sofia and Wanda to?” Xavier asked.

  Marcus turned to his wife. He and Sofia looked at each other for some seconds. Sofia understood the look on her husband's face; it was that look he wore when he was uncertain about something or whom to trust.

  “I will call you later; there is a bit of urgency here.” Marcus tried to change the discussion. “You call up Luciana, and let's know if Bathe is home or not. Sofia and I would look for Celina.”

  “Okay, good.” Xavier went off the line.

  “You didn't tell him you are dropping us off.”

  “No,” Marcus answered gently but didn't look at his wife.

  “Xavier and Bathe are your best friends.”


  “Yes, I know, but the situation calls for wisdom. I don't know what is happening or how demons seem to be targeting us now. I can't reveal your safe place to anyone, and I can't take you and Wanda to where I have to go; it won't be safe. Though Xavier might not be the one behind all this, he might mistakenly pass the message to the wrong person.”

  Realizing that her husband honestly was trying to protect her and Wanda and not just dumping them to get away to Celina, Sofia kept quiet on the allegation of him going off to find Celina.

  “Do you think Bathe would do such a thing – I mean burn Adrian alive, do you?”

  “No, Bathe would never do that.” Marcus continued to speed towards the church. “Although I know Bathe's relationship with Celina has been rather complicated lately, Bathe would never hurt a child.”

  He could sense the calmness and change in his wife’s tone. He drove for a few more seconds and then continued.

  “You know, it would make me feel so much better if you could just trust that I am looking out for you and Wanda.”

  “I am sorry,” Sofia said gently. “I am just shocked that we are under attack, and my brain can’t stop buzzing on who is behind all these. It seems it has to be someone who knows us all very well, someone or people who know where we all live,” she replied but unknown to them as they discussed, another giant demon that had been sent to them to make sure Wanda was killed, had been following them.

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  Part 8

  Marcus and Sofia drove for a few more minutes in silence. Marcus' foot was on the accelerator throughout. He accelerated the car at the highest possible speed, making sure they were as far away from his house as possible. What he did not realize was that a third Furfur demon had been sent to their home, and it had been following them. Wanda, who had initially burst out in a deep cry owing to her mother's trepidation, which she could feel from Sofia's gestures and voice, was now fast asleep in Sofia's arms.