Keeper of Life - NaPoWrMo Entry

Valor broke down the door after one knock went unanswered. “Search the entire building!” she ordered. The guardians scoured the rooms, sped up the stairs and started tearing the building apart. It wasn't long until one ran back up to her.

“Matriarch we found three bodies in the cellar, fang marks in two, broken neck for the other,” he said with haste. She was glad despite the tragedy, it was something.

“They were here recently,” said another as she scanned the room with her horn. “Very.”

“Look at the faces downstairs then spread out, two to a team, they couldn't have gone far!” Val commanded.

She tore through the small crowd, her eyes flicking to each then back. She mapped the faces looking for duplicates and looked for those of the dead family. She could hear the trolley slide behind her, the voices of others going to and from the social gathering. She cursed the festival and the extra activity. If this was a normal work day her life would have been made much easier. Again she swore under her breath, time was running out.

As she scanned the crowd she locked eyes with a tall mare across the street. They both paused and looked at each other, muscles tense. For a moment her eyes shifted, a reptilian green. Valor's horn glowed ready and the trolley slid past her. When it passed only the mingling bodies were there. She rushed in, her horn attempting to reveal the spy. Gone.

The grating of her teeth could be heard down the street and she hardly contained her rage. The guardian second in command ran up to her and scanned the street.

“Did you see something Matriarch?” he asked.

“Initiate martial law, lock down District Two,” she commanded. He packed back, startled.

“Matriarch?”

“Do it!” she ordered.

“But the queen, she-”

“Buck the queen, you let me deal with her, now go!” she ordered and the guardian sped off. “I have you now,” she said.