“Mommy!”
Gala’s ears twitched and she raised her head. That was a human cry, likely from the nearby village. It sounded distressed, something must have happened. “Verse.”
“What, I’m soaking in some energy.”
“Something’s happening in the town,” the translucent Kiji replied, looking down at her sister, tail twitching back and forth. “I’m going to go check it out.”
“Whatever, go on, I’ll be right here,” Verse replied. Her own translucent body displaying the vibrant grass underneath her, brimming with nature’s energy. Her wings fluttered out as if to shoo the other kiji to go check out the noise, before rolling over onto her back and stretching out. Gala nodded and took a couple steps forward, before sensing a quickly approaching being. It was coming from the village towards them. Gala paused, head lowering, and Verse quickly flipped back over, getting to her feet. She’d sensed it too.
As the creature bounded through the tall bushes towards them, Verse jumped in front of Gala protectively, wings out, despite knowing the two couldn’t do much to the creatures of the physical plane. However, this was no creature of the physical plane.
Verse’s face settled into a pout as she straightened, and Gala moved around her to greet the Kiji in front of them who had appeared, a human child in maw. “Vera, it’s been a while,” Gala said. “What’s going on? What’s with that child?”
Vera set down the crying child on the ground. “The village is being attacked,” she said. “I sensed you two were still around, so I came to seek help,” she said, straightening her body and checking herself over for any stray debris that had gotten caught on her in her run.
“Attacked?” Verse said, immediately getting antsy. “Then let’s go!” She immediately turned to race towards the village, wings spreading as she took to the air, yelling something about ‘her free energy getting raided’.
Gala shook her head. “What’s the enemy?” She asked, much more calm about the situation. She too was antsy to get going, but she needed to be prepared.
“It’s some creature on horseback,” Vera responded.
“Dullahan?” Gala questioned.
“No, it’s almost like… It is death itself,” came the reply. “I managed to get this little one out of there on the rush to get you two but-”
“Let us go, we can form a plan as we get there,” Gala said, racing off. Vera nudged the kid into a small secluded area to hide in and quickly followed after Gala who, instead of taking to the skies like her sister, opted to run along the ground with Vera.
They arrived in town in short order, and were greeted with a sight that halted them in their tracks. Bodies lay motionless on the street, and it didn’t take long for Vera to ascertain the life force had already been drained out of them. “We need to find that monster, quickly,” she stressed.
Looking skyward towards Verse, she yelled, “Can you see it!?”
Verse flew around in the sky, peering down angrily at the village below. “I will help search,” Gala said, taking to the skies as well, the two looking not only for the monster, but for any possible survivors.
Vera ran deeper into the village, doing similarly, calling out that she was here to help and anyone still alive should follow her voice. “Keep away from the horse-man!” she bellowed. “Everyone needs to leave town, right now!”
She kept running, shouting instructions, and then came to the town square. A large well sat in the middle of it, and stalls of food and other goods were still standing around the edge of the square where they’d been set up that morning. However, they were devoid of sellers and patrons both. The lack of bodies was something of a relief to Vera, at least, as it might have meant most of the villagers had made it to safety once they recognized the danger.
Then she heard the steady sound of approaching hoofbeats echoing down another street, coming closer towards what would normally be the section busy with the most people. She slunk behind the corner of a building to watch and wait, hoping to spy the monster before it noticed her.
Verse and Gala glanced over the scene below, and also noticed the rider. Having not encountered other creatures of this kind, Gala hung back a bit, but Verse flew down without hesitation to land, not even bothering to hide like Vera had. Others that weren’t Kiji weren’t able to see them after all, right?
That was quickly proven false as the rider took note of the celestial Kiji’s appearance, holding out his scythe as he looked over the intruder in his eyes. Gala landed next to her sister. “He noticed us,” she said.
“No shit,” Verse said, lips raising in a growl. “What the hell is this thing?”
“Not sure, but it isn’t friendly…” Gala looked around, but quickly brought her attention back to the deathman who was racing towards them, his weapon raised. Verse and Gala dodged to either side, working together to draw the horseman’s attention. “Vera!” Gala called for assistance.
Hissing under her breath, Vera darted out from her hiding place. She leapt onto the roof overhead, landing gracefully, and hopped her way across with care. She came upon the street the deadly rider was rushing down, and raced after it, staying on the overhanging rooftops above. Finally catching up, she leapt with claws outstretched, hoping her momentum was enough to land her in the horse’s path.
It almost was. Much to her gross dismay, she misjudged and collided with the horse’s neck, sending them and the rider toppling feet-over-head and into the wall of the opposite building. With an ungracious, haughty “Ugh!” Vera disentangled herself from the mess, and shook herself out. She turned to observe the rider currently being crushed by its strange, emaciated mount, and couldn’t help but chuckle.
“You’re even dumber looking up close.”
The rider seemed to regard her with its empty eye sockets. If a skull could wear an unamused expression, it had one. “Admittedly,” it rasped, “I have had better moments.”
“You know we have to stop you, right?”
“I will not go down as easily as my brethren.”
“I don’t know. You’re already down.”
“...I am not finished.” With a mighty heave, the horseman shoved the lame horse off itself, and rose to its feet with the help of its scythe.
Vera sneered. “You will be soon. Ladies, let’s get ‘em!” she hollered.
“FOR MY FREE ENERGY!” Verse yelled, launching herself at Death.