Snapping awake, Hanor was certain something somewhere had moved, but what he could not tell. Waiting anxiously in the dark, a sudden flapping noise outside was immediately followed by scratching sounds like knives scoring a window. Creaks groaned as if something substantial had perched on the rooftop of the Out-house, dauntingly so.
Through the pitch of night, fears ignited, further misplaced noises etching into his imagination. Unable to discern anything specific, the only other sounds were of his sleeping companions, ensuring life continued unperturbed for them at least. A deeper rumbling from the floor at the end of his bed was of the giant newcomer Hallen, who seemed equally oblivious to what he now sensed. Tingles of fear quivering through him felt ominous, additional sounds outside alarming him to what darkness could inevitably hide beneath its haunting shadows. Something was definitely out there.
Situated at the end of the inn, their room was above the Out-house with the Enclosure running away from their location behind; hardly ideal if trouble was afoot. Out of reach from the clawing limbs of the two trees on opposing sides of the Inn, there was ample space for something to walk on its roof. Heart beating rapidly through the long silence, Hanor quickly decided it was too big to be a sky-wing. Supposing it was waiting for something, scouring the landscape from its temporary perch perhaps, he dared to hope it was merely resting and would leave soon. The fact it was just on the other side of the wall was incredible. Eerie, the silence drew his attention out towards the enigma, inviting him to imagine what might be lurking there.
Pulling his blanket up to his chin for comfort, the subsequent silence conjured up doubts about what he had originally heard. Nothing at all seemed to be moving. Calming down, he wanted to believe it had gone.
Relaxing back into the mildly comfortable bed, a sudden lurching scratched at the roof outside making him jump again. Heart faltering when huge wings started beating hard, climbing higher until barely audible, a deathly silence followed. Frightened by the unknown, numbness pinning him to the bed, he could not help but feel something was about to happen, something terrible. Balanced on the edge of expectancy, surely one of the others must have heard it.
Before an answer came, a heart-stopping explosion suddenly erupted, shaking the floor of their room. The impact felt like a massive falling rock had crashed through the roof of The Enclosure. Other figures from within the room abruptly leapt to their feet equally concerned.
“What was that?” Bane cried through the darkness.
Other voices responded, but Hanor’s attention was diverted to the horrific screams now howling from somewhere below. Terrifying wails cried out for aid, for help, for a quick death as the horrifying noise of despairing kyboes filled the room. Mixed with another unworldly sound, something was attacking the stricken animals, stomach wrenching cries now permeating the walls. Too close for comfort, if it was capable of going through the roof then it was quite capable of breaking through this thin wall.
“Follow me,” Kifter cried, pulling open the door. More terrorized screams from below yowled, squealing for freedom, for hope.
By now, the whole inn was alive with frantic calls, bodies clambering into the pitch corridor. A lantern lit somewhere ahead helped guide them along the narrow passage to the stairs. Keeping hold of Hanor’s arm, Kifter led them on, the young man gaining a measure of calm from his protectorate. Hallen was at the rear, trying to steady both Nole and Bane. Despite that, any words were drowned out by fleeing bodies or the sickening noises coming from The Enclosure. Kyboes could be heard kicking at bolted doors, desperate for freedom, but the horrors showed no signs of ending.
Down the stairs they filed frantically. Not entering the Out-house but following the other visitors into the leisure room and out through the front door, screams continued wailing throughout the building, warning everyone to what they might find. No intruder deserved to get away with inflicting such terror, sharp curses burning young ears. Weapons were drawn, knives, swords or anything solid enough to use. Many seemed eager to put an end to it until they stepped out into the open where the sounds of death echoed even more hauntingly, some stalling at the terrible noise.
Noticing the double doors to The Enclosure lay wide open, thankfully, some Kyboes had escaped and could be seen running along the main road, too traumatised to slow down. Even so, some were still clearly trapped inside and at the mercy of the savage in their midst. What kind of person or creature could cause such horror? Some brave men drew near to The Enclosure, only to stop short of entering, fear stalling the mightiest of men. Shouts bounced haphazardly around. With no clear leadership evident, people cursed at the lack of direction, hoping for a mighty one to take charge courageously.