Chapter 5

The Ever-Living was standing there looking at me. Thinking furiously, I tried to remember where my bow was. It was with the others, not twenty feet away.

'It's going to be okay Janey. Me and Jessie will protect you.' I whispered. 'Now you need to duck down and hide, okay?'

I could feel her nod, and I suddenly sprinted over to the others screaming 'Jessie' with all my breath. Slowing down by smacking into the tree with my side, I put down Janey hoping I hadn't hurt her. Taking a deep breath, I picked up my bow and checked it. I grinned and nodded quickly as I saw Janey running up with my quiver of arrows before hiding.

I hoped that Jessie was within hearing distance but hadn't been found. With the thought that she had been killed my vision blackened and I lost my breath, terrified.

The others had gathered round, Walter carrying his axe menacingly. I pulled out an arrow and aimed it in the direction I saw the Ever-Living. At the trace of black movement I fired. I heard the sound of metal on metal as it hit and I saw the ravager pushed backwards slightly into full sight.

As Emily screamed beside me I saw it shuddering slightly and pulling out the arrow from it's chest, throwing it away. It started moving towards me, pulling out a fearsome black stone club with stone blades sticking out of it. A brutal, deadly weapon.

'Shitfuckbollocks.' I whispered before suddenly hoping Janey hadn't heard. The thought flashed into my mind that Jessie would never forgive me if I taught Janey to swear.

I quickly fired twice more, trying to hit it's head. In my rush and fear I missed once and hit it's shoulder with the other. I was never all that good with a bow anyway. As it continued forward ignoring the arrow I threw the bow to one side and ran backwards a way pushing Emily slightly.

Emily was left standing, frozen, between me and the Ever-Living, until she noticed that I had retreated. Screaming again she came back towards me and hid behind me again. Walter had frozen, his axe held out but shaking. John was nowhere to be seen.

Even worse, I could see two more Ever-Livings moving at a quick walk towards us, also pulling out the brutal clubs.

Meanwhile I had pulled out my sling and one of the stone bullets, swinging it round my head. Releasing it, I fired it towards the Ever-Living. It smashed into it, pushing it backwards. This time it took longer to start coming towards me, moving at a jog with the bladed club held high.

With nothing else to do I fired again and again, luckily hitting it square in the side of the head with my last shot. It staggered and fell.

Disbelieving but jubilant I stared at the fallen body, before the squeal behind me distracted me and I looked up to see the other two Ever-Livings furious and running at me.

I have to admit it, I pissed myself.

Two indestructible people eating monsters that you'd been brought up to fear running towards you with nasty intentions. I think you'd do the same.

Nearly too late I started swinging the sling to fire and fired a random shot. It smacked one in the chest, slowing it down. I winced as the other one came on, to stare in wonder as an arrow appeared in its chest pushing it to one side.

I grabbed Emily and pulled her sideways away from the Ever-Living, surprised that the sling was still in my hand and I hadn't huddled over in fear. Looking over, my face split into a grin as I saw the archer who had saved me: Jessie. She hadn't been hurt.

Looking back, the two Ever-Living had started dragging the one I had felled with the bullet to the temple. With another arrow or two from Jessie they gave up and retreated.

Somehow, I have no idea how, we had survived.

The Ever-Living was already starting to wake up. Standing over the body on the floor, I fired another bullet at close range into it's temple again. It dropped back into unconsciousness and I was thankful that they didn't bother with helmets.

Jessie walked up to me, and looked down at my wet crotch, raising one eyebrow.

With the slightly manic reactions to the adrenaline still coursing through my body I grinned at her. 'You shut up.' I said jokingly. 'I'd like to see you keep from shitting yourself in fear in my position.'

She shrugged and smiled, letting it go. Pulling out a skinning knife she knelt down to cut it's throat.

'Don't bother.'

Jessie looked up at me curiously. 'Why not?'

'It'll just heal. It's an Ever-Living.'

She gasped, with a sudden shiver, backing away.'Okay, I'd have done the same too. I'm not going to take the piss.'

'Why not? I lost the piss.' I chuckled.

Emily came around behind me, looking in disgust at my crotch. Although I noticed that she'd quickly changed her leggings before coming up. 'Its a what? An Elving?'

I shrugged and started babbling. 'Close enough. Hmm ... Elving, I like it. Thats a lot quicker to say. It's an Ever-Living. Lets get it tied up so I don't have to keep shooting it in the head. I've only got so many bullets.'

'An Ever-Living? But, but... '

'They're a myth? Yeah, I know. Can someone pass my my pack? I have a change of trousers in there and some rope. But maybe not enough. Is there any more rope? I hope so.'

As I babbled while removing the black armour, Janey came up to me dragging my pack. The Elving was wearing some clothing under the armour so I didn't try to keep her away.

'Thanks Janey. You were a lot of help. See, if you don't suck your thumb you can warn me faster.'

With a smile she eagerly nodded.

'Now, can you all turn around and look the other way a moment. I need to change.' As the girls turned around I took off my piss stained trousers and used my water bottle to dampen one of the legs. Trying to ignore the giggles of the three girls and hoping it had nothing to do with me I quickly cleaned myself and put on clean trousers.

'I'm done now.' Quickly I pulled out some rope and hobbled together the Elving's ankles since I knew how to do that from doing boars. Since I'd never tied a human up I tried moving my arms around to see the best way to do so: behind my back, in front, arms crossed, all over.

'Ummm, Mikhail, what are you doing?'

'You ever tied a guy up Emily?'

She blushed. 'N-no.'

'Well, then, you can't really help me. Janey? You tied someone up yet?'

She shook her head earnestly, as if I were asking a serious question.

I just looked the question at Jessie. 'No, but I'll remember you're interested in that sort of thing.' she said, grinning.

I chuckled back, not quite sure what she meant.

In the end, since I didn't even know if it was possible to kill an Elving I just guessed that he couldn't be strangled properly and tied his wrists to his neck so he couldn't undo his ankle ties.

With another bit of rope I made a leash to pull the Elving along. It was already starting to come around again, the slightly crushed side to the head filling out again.

'Okay, we need to get going. The other two may be back with more. Walter!'

He lumbered up, face red and embarrassed, I guessed from freezing earlier.

'Could you please pull along our guest, and well, chop him if he looks like he's about to escape. Sorry if I'm babbling, I get like this after close encounters with death. Its that or get angry, and I think this is better and more fun. We're going now, right?'