They didn't howl, like you would expect a Loupgaru or werewolf to do. Instead a deep, almost sickly coughing bark reverberated off the trees as about five Loupgaru bounded towards them.
Three were running at them on two legs, while the other two loped like rabid beasts on all fours.
All of them had lost their human disguises, their grotesque facades looking more like Frankenstein had sown together parts of man and wolf to make something out of a nightmare.
The man in black was calm and focused as the beasts rushed them, his sword stance firm like a samurai's before a Mongol horde. When the monster in lead jumped with claws extended, it was as if her ally were dancing. His knee bent slightly as he leaned into the attack, one sword coming from one direction to push the creature into the edge of the other sword, severing the creature's chest in two.
Light on his feet, he spun around the falling body to stab into the heart of another that tried to take him from his left flank.
One of the monsters galloping on all fours broke away from the group to charge her, an extra long tongue wagging from its extended jaw as if it were trying to taste her fear.
By now, using telekinesis to grab nearby fallen branches and hurl them at her attacker was more of a reflex than an actual thought out act, but Leta's aim still needed some practice.
She managed to make a lucky hit and strike as the approaching monster got within ten meters of her with two large pine branches.
You would think that being impaled by what amounted to two wooden spears through a lung and through the abdomen would kill someone or at the very least slow them down.
Instead, the Loupgaru screamed and stumbled but managed to right itself and lunge at her. By some miracle, the two protruding branches hit the dirt before it's claws could pierce her flesh as she fell backwards
Leta shrieked in terror as the monster above her screamed then snarled, reaching for her with its dagger-like claws. While its lunge attack had failed due to the wooden branches that she had managed to hit it with, the attack had pushed the makeshift spears through the creature's skin. With the monster's heavy weight, the creature was slowly sliding towards the ground, and in turn, its claws were creeping closer towards her face.
Without concern for her own safety or the repercussions of her actions, Leta grabbed hold of the wood spears and channeled Electric Misconduct.
Zap!
The two spears exploded in a spray of wooden shrapnel, sending splinters ranging from the size of a toothpick to a tent stake in all directions.
[THE HOST HAS RECEIVED PIERCING DAMAGE FROM WOOD SHRAPNEL.]
Leta screamed in pain as several pieces of wood pierced her arms and face, but was lucky to avoid being hit by the larger chunks.
The same could not be said for the Loupgaru.
Not only did the spears explode outside - causing the creature to now resemble a man sized porcupine - but from within as well.
Pencil thin pieces had shattered inside and pierced vital organs while one of the largest chunks had managed to hit under its jaw and through to its brain.
[NANITES REROUTED FOR SHRAPNEL REMOVAL].
For all of two seconds, Leta experienced the odd itching sensation of her skin forcing out splinters and chunks the size of a finger.
Then her attention was suddenly pulled away as sharp teeth clamped down on her foot and dragged her through the legs of the dead creature above her.
The other Loupgaru had finally caught up and was pulling at her like a rabid dog with a bone, long teeth on full display as clamped down on her sneaker.
Leta shrieked, trying to kick it away and managing to land a few blows. One well aimed kick to the snout caused the Loupgaru to whine in pain as it pawed at its bruised nose.
She turned - to try and crawl away or get to her feet and run, she didn't know - but before she could get far the monster had bit deep into her left arm, its finger length fangs seeming to pierce completely through her flesh.
Leta's throat was nearly raw from the scream that ripped out of her as the Loupgaru bit down then thrashed it's head from side to side as if it was attempting to rip her arm completely off her body.
Delirious with pain and running on instinct, Leta reached up and curled her fingers into the coarse fur of the creature as if they were talons.
Without a second thought, she activated Sacrificial Hand.
A strange sense of peace filled her body as exhausted nanites cannibalized the absorbed unprogrammed nanites, replenishing her energy in the process and spreading up healing all of her wounds.
The howling pain of the Loupgaru was nothing but an echo across a meadow to Leta as she felt her body knit itself back together again.
When she focused back on the creature, she was shocked to see it shriveling up before her eyes as if all of it's vitality were being stolen.
Dark black hair faded to gray and strong muscle and sinew went lax and shrank. Even the teeth that had latched onto her arm had turned yellow before falling out of blackened gums.
In seconds, where once a raging monster stood over her like a victorious predator, a wizened old creature looking a century past its prime lay huddled in the dirt, breathing its last.
[HOST HAS ABSORBED 2,402,568 UNPROGRAMMED NANITES FROM CORRUPTED - LOUPGARU. 1,298,451 UNPROGRAMMED NANITES HAVE BEEN DISMANTLED TO REPLENISH PROGRAMMED NANITES FOR HOST HEALING.]
[THE HOST HAS 1,105,046 UNPROGRAMMED NANITES.]
Leta unclenched her hand from the neck of the creature, watching in fascination as finger length splinters were pushed from her hand.
All of the damage she'd sustained in both fights healed before her eyes, her wounds puckering closed then vanishing without so much as a scar.
"Well, that's useful as hell." Leta breathed in wonder.
She still had gaping holes in her shirt and jacket from the first attack, but other than that she was completely fine.
"What new devilry is this?"
Leta looked up to see the man in black frowning at her as he stood over several bloody corpses that had once been their attackers.
"Uh… cool right?" Leta tried to brush off her sudden healing, but her ally was having none of it.
"I have known only one other Chosen who can heal wounds, but she cannot lift objects with her mind or send electric currents through her touch. And, while some of the Blessed can drain vitality from their enemies, they cannot heal wounds without so much as leaving a scar."
Once again, he pointed one of his short swords, now covered with the blood of the creatures, in her direction.
"Be you friend or foe? Speak now!"