They had left the cluster of trees and were now on the straight path that led directly to the school gate, but it was still a long distance to cover.
Though there was a look of relief on their faces to have left the confines of the forest which didn't provide suitable comfort and didn't seem to be an excellent sleep shack.
The cold breeze hampered their movement but nonetheless they trudged on with their goal in mind.
There was an eerie silence that put the group somewhat on edge, they tried to hasten their footsteps, and also they too joined in silence the eerie silence that had enveloped the forest. The air seemed to be getting colder with every step.
Suddenly, it seemed like a shadow had been cast over the sun, everyone looked up.
Wondering what must have blanketed the light of the sun.
Then they saw it, a flying creature three times larger than an average human, they ran back towards the trees to hide In the safety of the dense thicket buy the creature had already seen them, it landed between them and the path that led to school. It's large wings fanning the leaves and dust in close proximity.
Jake could suddenly feel a sharp jolting sensation on his skin and the hair on the back of his neck and arms rising, he looked around him and discovered that the others could also feel it.
Moreover they had magic and he did not, so if nothing they were most probably sensing what he had sensed.
The creature turned to the little group on the other end of the path, it's red eyes glowered over them sending jolts down their spine.
"This is definitely not a level five demon" Jake said with almost a shiver in his voice
"Wait" Tony paused, as if waiting for the impact of his word to sink in and create a dramatic effect.
"What for?" Percy asked, quickly becoming impatient.
"I know that demon"
"Out with it then"
"It's a gargoyle"
"A what!" Lisa was almost paralyzed with shock, Kayla fidgeted at the back of the group while Levi could feel beads of perspiration begin to drop down his forehead.
They had not seen a gargoyle before but surely they had heard the stories.
This was a threat level three demon and it certainly wasn't here to play hide and seek.
What seemed like a stare down battle between the school kids and the huge demon went on for about ten minutes.
This gargoyle stood about eight feet tall and had a body mass that could dent a tree should it run into one.
It dark red eyes spelt inevitable death and doom for whoever it came across, Levi didn't know much about the gargoyle, but if there was one thing he was sure as hell about, it was that this demon was definitely going to attack.
"Draw your weapons slowly. No sudden movements"
Everyone slowly edged backwards, drawing out their weapons, the silent ring of steel could be heard as sword left scabbard. Step after step they loved backwards slowly, Levi could hear Argus voice ring in his ear "if you ever see a level three to level one demon, you should run like your pic life depend on it."
But where exactly could they run to, it was a plain road in sight straight up and down and they were trying their best not to antagonize this demon by making sudden movements.
Suddenly a shrieking laughter filled the air, a sound they all knew too well, it was a sound they couldn't forget in a hurry.
The little creature swooped down and landed on a tree branch beside the red eyed gargoyle.
"Shoot" Jake could now place the connection, from the vengeance in it's eyes to the gargoyle in their front which looked almost like the creature screeching in the tree. "No way" Jake muttered under his breath, it wasn't possible and it can't he possible.
"How do they..." The words trailed off, he didn't even want to think about it.
"Do these things also spawn offspring" Percy cursed, voicing his thoughts
Tony wanted to raise his hands and aim at the creature in the trees but his hand wouldn't move.
Levi could feel the fear radiating around him, he was not left out as his bones also rattled in fear.
He looked at Anna, he could see the terror in her eyes, her usually calm eyes that hardly betrayed her thoughts or her emotions, he turned to Lisa who was having a hard time keeping her hands steady, and there was Kayla who's legs were at the verge of buckling beneath her.
"Guys" Levi said, clearing his throat in an odd fashion trying to hide the terror in his voice "once it attacks, you should fall back and try to distract it with long range attacks while me and Jake will try to immobilize it using our swords" he turned to Jake who in reply nodded at him.
It was all he could manage, he knew they had close to zero chances of taking down the gargoyle.
We might die, but it's better we do it fighting than letting the gargoyle have it's way and hack us to bits.
Levi thought, but even if there was the slightest chance that at least one person will survive they had better take it.
Suddenly the smaller gar on the trees shrieked in it's high pitched tone and pointed it's wings towards them.
It seemed as if this was all the confirmation the gargoyle had been waiting for as it stood where it had staring them down, the gargoyle seemed to be quite fast for it's size.They immediately began to scatter leaving Jake and Levi in the middle of the path where they stood, even as they fell back Anna was already drawing her bow, her arrow aimed straight for the gargoyle's face aiming to destroy it's sight, just before the arrows could reach it's face, it repelled them with it's wings and dashed forward, flapping it's wings in a wide span.