Littering the cave floor were hundreds of statues of all kinds, broken, intact, of men and beasts and other kinds of beings, beautiful or otherwise.
Many were wrecked apart on purpose as if venting anger.
The only statue that exceeded their height, even as adults was the statue of the knight being eaten by the humanoid creatures.
A weird sound reverberated throughout the cave. They instantly got alert but detected nothing.
Their breathing, the scuttling of insects and rodents, the dying echoes, and something slithering on the damp cave floor were the only sounds that kept the gloomy cave system alive.
All of a sudden,
....,
" Luna " (Mantle)
" Yes, father. " (Luna)
" What happened to Mantle-chan? " (Mantle)
" You took a blow that would seriously damage your real body with the sliver of your will and even hid it from them to act mighty and strong. Almost half of your body was literally destroyed yet you hid it behind the unhurt portion. I can't act all casual with you anymore. " (Luna)
" Don't worry little one, the ones who defeated me were a 'Hand of God' level magician and the tamed mythical beast, one no inferior to a superior dragon. You needn't feel bad at that. " (Mantle)
.....,
All of a sudden,
A stench, foul enough to clog their sense of olfaction, pervaded their noses. The environment turned cold as a blizzard invaded the cave's interior. A howling voice, akin to a wolf, alerted them. The sound felt like rumbles from something heavy hitting the floor.
The moment Sarcony constructed a barrier of light, (A skill she learned from Aria) something fast and strong hit the barrier, cracking it. The mysterious object reeled back though, hissing in pain.
It was then the tetrad (Sarcony, Mo'er, Sakura, and Maria) saw the appearance of the assailant.
It was an emaciated man(?) whose bones made visible impressions on the skin. His(?) lips were probably bitten off, judging by their ragged edges. His(?) claws(fingernails?) and teeth were sharp and ragged, like that of a feral beast. He(?) was tall, almost double the size of an ordinary human. Blood caked his(?) mouth and fur that grew all over his(?) body. The places where his(?) body touched the barrier were badly burnt, further enhancing the foul odor his(?) body emitted.
It was the 'Incarnation of winter', 'Embodiment of Hunger' and the 'Personification of Selfishness'
It was a Windigo.