The Against All Odds

CH 37 - Banshee's

The horse-drawn carriage drove slowly through the increasingly dark forest. The sounds of crickets and fireflies shed some light on a night that began to dominate. Leo, who was still sitting in the driver's seat, felt his heart beat faster. This forest felt so quiet, and looked quite terrifying.

Sure enough, suddenly in the darkness, a voice sounded that made the feathers goosebumps. The sound of a woman's cry filled with fear. The voice sounded faint, like the wind whispering through the trees, yet clear enough to make her feel uneasy.

The sound of the woman's cry was heard getting closer and closer, making the atmosphere even more tense. Leo felt his horse look panicked, and he knew there must be something wrong here. Without hesitation, he laid Alisha who was still fast asleep in the horse carriage or cariole, making sure she was safe.

Carefully, Leo immediately got off the cariole and approached his agitated-looking horse. He gently stroked the hair and neck of his horse, trying to calm him down. The sound of crying drew closer, and behind the thin fog that enveloped the road, he saw the figure of a person standing with his head bowed.

The fog made the figure look faint, but Leo felt something strange. That figure did not look like an ordinary human. He felt a strange air around him. Leo held the handle of his sword, ready to face whatever was about to happen.

In constant fear, Leo began to reflect on who or what might be standing in front of him. His mind jumped from one possibility to another. Kuntilanak, begal, may be someone who is lost or even who needs help. At the same time his body felt stiff, and his shoulders felt extremely heavy due to growing feelings of anxiety and fear.

"Have it, don't be too paranoid, where there are kuntilanak in this world." - Inner Leo, try to calm yourself. He tried to take a deep breath, gather some courage, and then in a loud voice, he shouted, "Woy!"

However, there was no answer or any response from that figure. Leo tried to walk up to him, with his sword ready for hand. His pace was quick and steady, trying to overcome the fear that kept creeping in him.

However, as he got closer, Leo felt something was amiss. He felt that there was something unnatural in this situation. His fear grew stronger, and his steps finally came to a halt. Something he could not describe, something very strange, made him speechless, standing with a sharp look towards the mysterious figure in front of him.

Feelings of anxiety and fear continue to linger inside Leo, as if creating a strand of thread that stretches inside his chest. He wondered why he felt so afraid of the figure, even though he had fought a monster that was far more dangerous and creepy. The cry that had been so clear, had now stopped, making the atmosphere even more gloomy.

Carefully, Leo began to continue his steps, even though it felt very heavy.

The sound of stepping on a dry branch that broke apart, was heard with a loud voice. Leo immediately stopped his steps and lowered his head to see what he had just stepped on. It turned out to be true, he had just stepped on a twig scattered in the street.

After seeing nothing strange, Leo returned his gaze to the front. However, the figure had disappeared, vanishing from his surveillance.

Leo, with his sword still upright in hand, tried to keep his guard up against the mysterious figure that had suddenly disappeared. Each of his muscle fibers stiffened, and his eyes continued to wander in all directions, trying to catch any clues around him that might indicate danger.

However, the source of the danger may have moved. There was the sound of a dry twig being crushed from behind the trees beside him. Leo immediately turned his gaze towards the origin of the voice. However, as soon as he switched, he instead felt a sudden chill whack over his body from the other side. It seemed like something or someone was standing right beside him. Leo tried to respond quickly, but before he could move, he felt a strong urge that threw him six meters away.

Leo slammed onto the ground, rolling several times before finally being able to stand up with great difficulty. He felt pain all over his body. Luckily, his sword was not thrown away as he received that powerful thrust. The armor he wore under his cloak also left a basin like the marks of a very hard blow.

Leo, despite his breath, still smiled in the face of the mysterious figure that was now clearly visible before him. The figure looked like a mature woman, yet her body had been mostly shattered and was enveloped by black smoke that seemed to fuse with it. His fiery red eyes emitted a real threat. It was clear that he was not a friendly person.

Without a doubt, Leo slid towards the figure with an almost invisible movement. He tried to surprise his enemy with a surprise attack. However, he soon realized that the figure could not be underestimated.

The mysterious figure caught Leo's every move quickly. His red eyeball glanced sharply, following Leo's every step. In an instant, the figure fended off Leo's attack and counterattacked with a deadly claw. Leo felt the claw tear his robe and prick his skin, inflicting a deep cut on his shoulder.

Leo's body was thrown far away, falling violently in the middle of the darkening forest. He felt an uncontrollable pain, but also felt a growing spirit within him. This fight is not over yet, and he must find a way to deal with this wide-mouthed ugly woman.