Paranormal By:Keith

Excerpt from: Rage B 4 Dawn: Rise

Even though Rayfor gave Bounty his most fierce and menacing look, Bounty was unfazed.

"They are but kids themselves, Rayfor," Bounty nearly revealed his k-9's out of anger but Rayfor displayed his tamest smile then released Bounty's arm.

"And so, they are kids, kids who should have never meddled in the wolves business in the first instance. I will never risk the health of my family agian, Bounty, especially not in any futile attempt to engage Torant's clan, just to assist kids who were too eager to play in this big underworld of ours. We travel immediately, immediately as in now.

After traveling through the underground tunnels for five full days, the scout, Bounty, reported to Rayfor, as the others camped in a secluded part of the tunnels.

"I have seen what appears to be an opening about a mile up ahead."

Rayfor had already smelled the opening long before Bounty had returned. He also knew Bounty had lost some of his keen senses due to his earlier captivity. He silently forgave Bounty for his shortcomings but he did not reveal to Bounty that his measurements had been off. The opening was only a quarter of a mile ahead, more than an even distance for even a weak werewolf to travel in a blink of an eye.

Rayfor was even more menacing than Columbia. he stood in the opening of the old Mill, took in long deep breaths of fresh air with his eyes closed, chest out. He clutched both sides of the opening, as his body waved like an ocean inside. Rayfor did so, as he was always the first to test new ground. Even though Bounty was the scout, Rayfor was the leader.

Rayfor's eyes quickly flew open as he scanned the outside of the tunnel, adjusted his eyes to the full moon. he stepped out in the open then wiped the Mill dust from his clothes, as the rest gathered around him, emerging from the Mill one at a time. They scanned the length of the town as far as their eyes could see. Bounty was the first to notice the Cantina and headed that way but Rayfor stopped him.

"There," he pointed at the grand building. "The Hotel. This is where we must go."

"This place will make a great place to live, home perhaps," Nina said nodding her head in agreement.

Just as the group began to walk toward the building, Rayfor stopped and sniffed the air. Nina sniffed also, followed by the others.

"Someone else is here. I can smell the," Nina said.

Rayfor swung his head to the left then to the right then looked up toward the mountain. Finding no one in sight, he stepped out in front of the group then did a full turn. Nina stepped up next to him taking hold of his hand.

"What is it brother?" she looked up at his six feet four inch frame. Rayfor shook his head as he continued to look around.

"I don't know quite yet but the air, it smells threatening to our kind. Perhaps it is because we have yet to adapt to the new air."

Rayfor knew better than the rest. There is danger about but he did not wish to alarm the others. He looked down at his sister assuring. His full-length black leather coat suddenly caught a gust of wind and rose in the air behind hi. The entire group panned out in the middle of the road, poised for what was to come. Rayfor swung his head to the right but none in the group saw the eyes of the great beast, who watched, wanting nothing more than to have them all between his steel-like jaws. Rayfor swung his head around in the other direction just as the beast emerged over the top of the outhouse.

"Go!" Rayfor shouted. "To the Hotel building."

The werewolf could only see the silhouettes of the bodies as they moved across the dirt road, sending dust clouds in the air. The beastly werewolf lunged itself from its perch and went after one of the group members but Rayfor moved swiftly through the air and rammed right into it. The force carried the werewolf right into the big bell tower, shattering it and shaking the old bell. It gave way then crumbled to the ground around the two.

The werewolf emerged from the rubble with greater massiveness than before. It shook off the dirt and rubble, refocused then went after the others but before it could get a start, Rayfor, in his purest Vampire strength, grabbed the beast by its right hind leg, pulled himself out of the rubble, yanked on the beast ans stretched out the limb just as Nina came sailing through the air and came down on it with tremendous force. The werewolf howled as it curled its body back and swiped at the both of them with its front claw then raced off as Nina and Rayfor went flying through the air.

Rayfor slid across the road on his back, He was finally able to dig into the earth with his nail-like fingers and stop his momentum. he rose quickly, glided through the air then helped Nina land softly on her feet. She did not like being babied. She huffed and puffed a little and wanted to go after the werewolf. Rayfor told her it would be unwise to do so.

"We are more than likely unwelcome strangers in these parts, Nina. We cannot just go running off on our own personal excursion."

"Yes, but isn't this a personal excursion we are on?" Nina was young and feisty and some times had no patience to make the wise decisions her brother makes for her and the others.

Rayfor picked Nina up by her waist then threw her over his right shoulder as he scanned the are the werewolf had run in the effortlessly bounded over to the Hotel where the others had taken refuge. As soon as Rayfor sat Nina on the ground, he had to grab her by the bak of her collar to keep her from running off. Sometimes she was persistent.

Rayfor pulled Nina inside with the others then scanned the inside of the large area with the gran staircase before them. Rayfor sniffed the air but before he could move, a voice came.

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