Chapter 48: 45. Callous Calculated Chaos

I know I shouldn't clap. It is entirely inappropriate. To be so callous about life, especially when I am to blame for all of this… Definitely not going to clap. But these vamps are some cool cats. Intruding warm breath pervades the senses on the back of my neck.

The far too intimate neck breathing for my comfort vanishes quicker than it appeared. Less than a second later, I hear a soft thud. Not wasting any time to confirm the cat is inside my fort, I reseal the hole in my ceiling, locking the disrespecter of boundaries cat inside. 

Wild ferocious cat screams and painful claw scratching can be heard inside. Luckily the trapped cat must hate the scratching noises as much as me and stops scratching at my fort's insides before I have to act. Cat screams are prevalent, but I don't mind and let myself relax back in my chair.

Locked into two battles, the cats fighting Calmy do a spectacular job. On the other hand, the two cats facing the hounds aren't fairing so well. However, it is only a matter of time before the vamps finish their meal, and the hounds will lose their only advantage.

Just as I am about to balance out the fight, smoke clouds begin to part, and winged beasts descend upon us. Unlike the shadow cats that strutted their stuff before acting, the numerous bat monstrosities show up kicking and screaming. Screaming wails from the monster bats penetrate the entire battleground. My mind feels dizzy; if I wasn't already sitting, I would want to take a seat. Even my pet cat is silenced, and it has a lot to say—mostly objections.

Relentless wailing from the bats forces stillness in the fights on the ground. A couple hounds try to bury their heads into the ground, ears bloody from the aerial assault. Calmy is also headbutting the ground in a more aggressive style causing slight tremors. Shadow cats are nowhere to be seen. 

Swooping down, the bats begin clawing at all of us. The hounds and Calmy are taking a beating. However, before the bats can finish off either the hounds or Calmy, the five shadow cats ambush the low-flying monsters bringing them to the ground. Once on the ground, even though they have four legs of their own, the bats are no match for the lithe shadow cats and quickly become fodder. After downing their bat, the cats disappear, waiting to ambush again.

To protect myself, I add a roof over my head with two bone slabs creating an a-frame shelter. Windows are cut into the side so I can see to the left and right of me. Most of the action is still on the left side of my fort. Safe from physical aerial attacks, I have a moment to deal with the vocal assaults. My only solution is to wrap my head in a thick magic silk cord. Fortunately, the magic cord adapts to my need and softens wailing screams. Dizziness decreases, allowing me to fight off any bold bat trying to get into my cover.

Even though the bats are close, I still choose to use my bow, tempering the energy infusion so that the explosion is not more danger than benefit. I fire an arrow at Calmy whenever I can, hoping to end the misery. However, my overhead protection is quickly dismantled, and I am forced into the open. Swarmed by bats, I abandon Bo temporarily and summon two blackened iron chitin swords.

Energy bursts from the blades as I whip them around, incapacitating any bat that gets near. Trying to catch me unaware, a shadow cat appears behind me. Lunging in the air, the vampire cat intersects with the sword in my left hand. Two thumps follow as it falls to the floor. Trying to seize my kill, a few bats attempt to swipe the dead cat and quickly meet the same end.

Though it was only a minor moment in the fight that the bats swarmed me, the battlefield changed drastically. Various monsters, some in packs and others alone, have found their way to the battle. What once was a peaceful portal fort is in utter chaos. We got more hounds, larger cats without vampiric fangs, wolves, a flying hawk spitting out fireballs, bipedal tree things, a few more wingless lizards of assorted variety, and a crystal ape monster outsizing all of us.

Boulders are tossed by the ape, and tree limbs are whipping everywhere. The air is overcrowded with smoke and sounds of aggression and pain. Though there are several battles between the beasts, they are slowly making their way toward my platform. Some beasts more focused on me are only being blocked by the numerous bats still trying to kill me. Calmy is a battlefield with its own host of beasts fighting it and over its soon-to-be corpse. Operation Be the Bait is a mess.

The battle rages, corpses pile before me, yet they don't stop coming. I'm about to kill another wave of bats when everything freezes. Bats and other flying things hang in the air motionless. The battleground is silent. Stillness claims the chaos. Out of the silence, a muffled voice fills the air. Realizing I can still move, I dismiss the cord covering my ears.

"Shadow wanderer." The muffled voice, now clear, draws my attention to the sky. "Tell me, demon, why do you disrupt the peace of my lands? And why do you wreak of The Deceiver?" Asks the winged shadow man as he lands on my platform. Dead bats and beasts covering the ground vanish.

Standing a foot and a half taller than me, the large muscular man is more shadow than man. Two horns protrude from the top of his head, curving upwards in dramatic spikes. Long pointy ears stick out from the long white mane on his head. Acting like clothing is a dense shadow aura that forms tightly to his body. Tucked behind his back are massive spiked wings laced with dark metallic feathers.

Sunken black eyes on the demon's pale skin overanalyze my entire being. I can almost feel the weight of the demon's gaze as he calculates me as a threat. As far as entrances go, this guy has got my vote for number one. 

"Do you not speak?" He asks in a firm voice.

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