WALKÜREN - THE THREE MARIES Chapter Fifty

 WALKÜREN - THE THREE MARIES

Chapter Fifty

- Have you decided what to do, delegate?

- Yes... I'm going to patrol the outskirts of the city tonight.

- Alone?

- No. With a good supply of silver bullets and the company of the three girls...

- Don't you think it's dangerous to take them along?

- Santana, they are the key to solving this problem...

- Yes but...

- If I have any chance of discovering what walks across the plain at night, it is in the company of these three.

- And who else?

- Well, if you have any volunteers, they would be very welcome...

- And what time will they leave?

- We're going to rest a little and around eleven, midnight we leave for the prairie...

- I think Doctor Carneiro will also want to go...

- And you, no?

- Is playing? Torquato and I wouldn't miss this expedition for anything in the world...

- Doctor Santana is right, Juvêncio... we want to see this dino something...

- Then we'll see you later....

And so the group of friends ended the conversation, each going to their own corner to take care of the day's tasks. Santana and Torquato went to take care of the police station, Carneiro went to see Dona Marieta. He left everything in his hands and went home to rest. He would ride in a saddle after having long enjoyed the comfort of a buggy. But all in the name of science. He hoped to capture the dinosaur seen by Juvêncio and Torquato. If he achieved such a feat, he would become famous. And who doesn't want to be famous, right?

The three girls had already been resting for a long time, preparing for the night patrol. Juvêncio tried to go to bed. Of course, in his youth he spent days and days without sleep, chasing his prey. But today such an act was unnecessary. He had already checked his weapons, provided Tornado with a good meal... everything was ready for the moment they were going to go on campaign.

Night finally fell. It was around eight in the evening when the group met at the guesthouse, not only to have the evening meal, but also to decide how they would act... After eating and checking their equipment, the group left towards the stable, to get their mounts. . All armed, with their weapons loaded with silver bullets. Why? Well, they were going to face forces from beyond, and their only defense was silver. Yes, I know that in some cases a crucifix is used, too... but, as Juvêncio said...

- The beast is pagan, my people! Let's hope the silver bullets work....

And so, after checking the harnesses and checking the loads in the saddlebags, everyone mounted and left in line, towards the meadow. It was the night of the Full Moon and the light spread across the field. They were almost at the edge of the town when they heard a stampede coming towards them. Everyone turned to see who it was... and... well, Dona Matilde, the school director, also decided to participate in the hunt.

- But you...

- Delegate, that would be the vision of my life! Please let me join!

- But...

- Look, if it weren't for my research, you would still be going around in circles... please, let me go...

- But it's dangerous for you...

- And for them, no?

- Well, the three girls are used to participating in this type of... hunt!

- I like adventure...

- The problem is that, if things get bad, there's no way we can protect you....

- Get me a gun... I know how to shoot...

Seeing that there was no way to dissuade the teacher from her desire to hunt ghosts, Juvêncio handed her the rifle he carried in his saddle holster...

- Please take care...

- Don't worry, police officer... I know how to handle a gun, I told you...

After an hour or so, the group was well away from the outskirts of the city. From then on they began to be more cautious, weapons in hand, ready to fire at the slightest sign of danger... at a certain point Juvêncio gestured and everyone stopped. He dismounted, began to examine the ground... he signaled for everyone to dismount... and then they led the animals with great caution... apparently, the hunt was closer than desirable...

The first to notice something strange was Santana. He remained static for a few seconds, then, slowly, he lightly tapped Juvêncio's shoulder, who was a little in front of him. The deputy looked at his partner and then at the point he was looking at. Then he noticed a bluish light, characteristic of apparitions from beyond, a few meters away from the place where they were. He motioned for everyone to get down and stay silent, just watching what was happening.

Slowly, almost as if time was frozen, the figure of a monster began to form in the place of the strange luminosity. First, the lizard appeared, as Juvêncio decided to call him. Then, almost in sequence, a strange being, about six feet tall... maybe two meters tall... also appeared. It was next to the lizard. I said "strange being" because, in addition to being shiny, it apparently had feathers all over its body. In fact, that was what Dona Matilde exclaimed softly... but the sound was enough to put the being on alert.

When it turned towards the direction where the group was hiding, they could see that it was a humanoid, but as Juvêncio had suggested before, there was a protuberance on its face, similar to a beak... well, it certainly wasn't. a series...

The strange being's eyes were red, so red that they looked like two balls of fire. The... beak... was his nose, quite long. In a very unfortunate comparison, we could say that it looked like an elephant's trunk... or the snout of an anteater. I couldn't see his mouth....

Anhangá (let's call him that, since we don't have a better name) looked around him, looking for anything strange... the group, upon realizing the teacher's mistake, tried to maintain absolute silence, and the beast was unable to locate them. After searching and finding nothing strange, he mounted his trusty Jurupari and took off. Juvêncio and his gang remained motionless for some time, and only when they were sure that the monsters were no longer in the vicinity did they start moving again...

- Shouldn't we have attacked the beast, Deputy?

It was Matilde, questioning the group's passivity, faced with the sight of their hunt...

- Dona Matilde, we have to understand what we are hunting, first...

- And in the meantime, more innocent people die! I thought you were braver!

Disappointment was written all over Matilde's face. For her, the fact that they did not attack the beast when the opportunity arose, denoted cowardice... and she did not expect Juvêncio to be a coward, due to the fame he had in the backlands...

- Someone once said... don't want to meet your heroes... they will disappoint you...

- Dona Matilde, I'm sorry... but it wasn't the right time to attack the beast...

- Oh no? And when would it be? After he causes new carnage, as he has done in recent days?

- I understand that you are upset. But attacking blindly is not the solution...

- Oh, no?!... And could you tell me, please, what that... solution would be?

- We have to know the enemy first, before attacking, Dona Matilde. Tell me something... we shot the two beings that appeared in front of us... what if there were any more, somewhere around here?

- But there wasn't, delegate!

- And even? And how can you say that?

Izabel intervenes in their argument because she realizes that, if she doesn't, the dispute will continue for a long time.

- Teacher, with all the respect I have for you, please shut up. The Delegate acted correctly. We still don't know what we're dealing with...

- And who are you, to tell me to shut up?

Izabel looks firmly into Matilde's eyes. She feels intimidated by the way her opponent looks at her....

- Teacher, I'm a Walkyria. And I don't intend to lead anyone to the Fields of Paradise tonight...