章 96: Monster Hunt, part 2/4
Later the same day:
Tall trees with thick branches dominated the landscape, their dense foliage creating a mosaic of green hues. Pockets of sunlight penetrated the canopy, illuminating the forest floor. A winding path, natural and untamed, stretched ahead.
Tia, cloaked in a black traveling dress, walked with a calm grace; the sporadic sunlight made the ornamental sword on her hip gleam, piercing the prevalent gloom.
The four tall men in traveling coats stuffed with heavy, treated leather silently surrounded her like sentinels, their eyes meticulously scanning the surrounding woods, hands resting near their weapons.
The forest's silence was palpable, exacerbating Tia's awareness of every sound. Each snap of a twig or rustle of leaves heightened her alertness.
'It is quiet; a predator must be nearby.'
The shadowy dance on the forest floor, spun by the movement of leaves above, heightened the eerie atmosphere. Every rustle of the leaves and crackle of twigs underfoot was a sinister ballet of sounds, echoing the forest's ominous embrace.
Out of this silence, a voice emerged, its masculine tones cutting through the quietude like a dagger. "Madam, maybe we should turn around. A lot of dark creatures were spotted in the forest recently."
Tia's gaze shifted subtly towards the mercenary leader. The vivid sky-blue of his coat seemed almost defiant amidst the forest's muted tones. 'Wearing such a bright color to a battle is like asking for trouble,' she mused inwardly. Despite his gallantry, the choice of attire betrayed a hint of naivety.
Tia's response was a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders. Her steps continued, unwavering, the leaves whispering secrets beneath her shoes with each footfall. "You told me there are wyverns in the mountains, and I want one."
The path they treaded inclined, and the underfoot became riddled with massive rocks veiled under a thick layer of decaying leaves. 'There is no way I will return with empty hands,' Tia's inner voice echoed with a resolute tenor.
Each step forward seemed to amplify the isolation of the forest—every rustle and crack beneath their boots was a reminder that they were heard, showing the positions to the predator.
"Halt!" The abrupt command from the burly leader clad in blue ricocheted through the eerie silence of the forest. His sword and shield were drawn, and the entire group froze, an orchestrated stillness echoing the sudden intrusion of alertness amidst the forest's serene yet haunting atmosphere.
Tia's senses were razor-sharp; every rustle of the leaves and subdued sounds of the forest amplified in the echoing silence following the leader's command. A swift movement, almost imperceptible, flickered at the periphery of her vision, high in the crowns of the trees.
'Something is definitely there.'
With her breath held, Tia's eyes, piercing and discerning, sifted through the trees' elongated shadows.
"I think we have a crawler here." The leader's voice, authoritative yet laced with an unmistakable edge of caution, shattered the ominous silence.
Every mercenary tensed—their eyes, previously scanning meticulously, now darted with intensified vigilance.
Their leader with sword and shield, two mercenaries with spears, and at last, one with two crossbows fanned out, each covering a different angle and keeping Tia in their center.
The silence was heavy, punctuated only by the distant rustle of the canopies.
Tia's mind raced. 'What are crawlers? Never hea...'
A sharp, piercing shriek cut through the silence, and the tree branches above them cracked. "Giggigi!"
With a swift, shadowy movement, a grotesque creature plummeted from the dark embrace of the trees above, its coal-like eyes a haunting gleam of menace.
Arrows whistled through the air, piercing and stabbing into the monster as the mercenary wielding crossbows fired.
With alarming swiftness, the twisted humanoid figure with arrows sticking out of it, its body unnaturally contorted, fell upon the blue-clothed mercenary leader, the creature's impact against the heavy shield forcing the man to his knees.
The creature, grotesque in its twisted form, bore grayish-pale skin stretched over a distorted skeletal frame resembling that of a human.
A spray of blood painted the dry leaves beneath them as the monster swung its long, bony claws.
Tia remained still, her eyes sharp and observant, taking in every detail of the unfolding confrontation. 'You are so ugly... I've never seen anything like this.'
The long, bony claws on its arms clawed against the shield with loud scraping noises, trying to get to the human hiding beneath it.
"Help! I am holding it!"
The mercenary's companions were quick to react. With agility belying their robust forms, they lunged forward, swords and spears aglow, aiming for the creature. But it was swift, retreating with a backward leap and landing on all fours, emitting another chilling "Giggigi" from its twisted, greyish human-like face.
'I should help them at least a bit. Preserving my energy would be useless if I let my guides to get injured.'
In this moment of temporary retreat, Tia acted. A deft flick of her wrist and a crashing shockwave surged through the air, lifting the twisted humanoid figure and sending it crashing into a tree.
The creature's shriek of agony was almost human, echoing the torturous distortion of its form. The tree, unable to withstand the force, cracked and fell.
The mercenaries yelled and leaped to attack.
"Attack!"
"This is our chance!"
Emboldened, the mercenaries charged. The ground quivered under their advance, and their glowing blades cut through the eerie air, meeting the creature's pale flesh. Dark, viscous blood oozed from the incisions.
The monster spasmed one last time.
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