"Sh*t!" Lua yelled in panic, unable to hide his fright. He did not swear often, yet he absolutely felt he needed to in this situation.
Lua quickly rushed back, and found his team members still sitting, yet alerted by his shouting. He quickly tried to calm himself down. When he stopped panting, he explained the situation.
"H-he's dead!"
Lua's haphazard and erratic behaviour made him look like a madman, yet he couldn't stay calm. His breathing was out of order, his mind was dizzy and his memories turned fuzzy. His mind was filled with thoughts of the man he had been sharing a meal with just hours ago.
The team members all looked at each other, as if Lua was insane. Winston was the first to ask questions.
"Y-you're joking right?"
Lua shook his head in despair, signaling that their beloved friend had truly passed away. It was an absolute worst case scenario. Victoria instantly got to her feet, sobering up in a few moments. She ordered Lua, her voice unshaken.
"Take us there this instant."
Lua did as ordered, and rushed back to the scene. He showed the impaled corpse of Anthony, and everyone had similar reactions. The most extreme belonged to Winston, the closest friend of Anthony. He began to vomit uncontrollably.
"Damn it all.. something's hunting us." Luna pointed out the obvious. However, with the loss of a friend, they were in a very disorganized state. If the creature that slew Anthony without letting him make a sound showed up, they'd be picked apart.
Sh*t! He's smart! He took down our healer first.. Why didn't I do anything when I heard the rustling?! Lua instantly blamed himself for their situation. Although he hadn't known Anthony for long, his absence still put a stake in Lua's heart. Both tactically and emotionally, it was a huge hit.
Thump! Something landed behind the group, making an audible noise to let everyone notice its presence.
They turned around, as combat ready as they could be, and the first thing they saw was a vague shadow shrouded in darkness. It was humanoid, but had antlers growing on its head. It was obviously blind as well.
That.. it's the symbol from the gem! Lua recognised the monster instantly, realising the implications of such a thing.
The monster let out a deep chuckle as it slowly approached, its voice reverberating across the room more and more as it got closer. In the end, the creature stepped into the light, letting the torchlight shine on it.
The creature had no defining features. He looked like a human wearing a white skintight suit with nothing to call a feature, excluding antlers. He was horrifying.
However, one defining feature was the dried blood streaming from the general area of the mouth. It looked like it had just had a meal, and now was looking for dessert.
"You son of a b*tch!" Mick lost his patience, and began firing his bow in rapid succession. This behaviour was quite unlike him, and it could only be attributed to his innate desire to never see his friends die once more.
"Mick, stop!" Victoria yelled to stop him, but it was too late.
Three arrows flew to the monster, yet they didn't hit their target. The monster with almost elegant grace avoided them by jumping in the air, rotating its entire body horizontally.
Crunch! The monster leapt at Mick, sending him flying into a wall. Mick's bones crumbled, and blood spewed out from his eyes and mouth. In a single moment, he was lifeless.
Why.. why is this happening? Lua's mind raced, seeing his friends die one by one. In an instant, he was overcome with the desire to survive. We're all going to die to this thing!
Victoria leapt between Luna, Lua, Winston, Arc and the monster, using her body to act as a shield to the hideous creature.
She drew her axe, and challenged the monster. Her face was stern with fury, yet showed no sign of impatience. "Come at me, beast!"
The creature let out a chuckle again, and extended claws from its fingertips. They shone under the warm torchlight, giving an ominous sight. The monster dashed ahead, and clashed with Victoria's axe. While fighting, she ordered Winston.
"Get out of here! Find help, and do it quick! Your combat role is too limited for this situation."
Winston nodded, and rushed to the exit. He went as fast as he can, knowing the fate of his comrades rested with him. He was hopeful, yet not too much.
However, just before he could reach it, his hope was cut short.
Splatter! In the blink of an eye, the monster had slashed Winston's neck, letting his blood roam free in the room. Winston's blood covered the bodies of Luna, Victoria and Lua.
Sh*t! We need to get out! Lua's mind raced for exits, but found none.
In an incredible display of both strength and speed, the monster had broken out of the lock with Victoria and even had time to kill Winston instantly. It was a hopeless situation.
"You swine!" Victoria cursed at the monster, finally snapping and losing her patience. She hit the ground with her great axe, causing a shake that could nearly be considered an earthquake. The ground shook, and the monster nearly lost its balance.
Victoria charged, using this opportunity to her full advantage. She swung, aiming for the monster's head. Just as her axe was going to make impact, it stopped.
A claw had pierced through the heart of Victoria at some period in time, making her unable to finish her strike. Lua, Luna and Arc watched from behind as the claw retracted, and Victoria's body tumbled lifelessly.
Speed.. it excels in speed.. Lua felt that they were outclassed in this aspect. The only person he knew that could output enough speed was the only survivor aside from Lua and Arc.
Luna was furious, yet cold. A fire blazed in her eyes, and she knew she had to finish off the monster, or hold it off for as long as possible.
Luna dashed ahead, her sword in hand. She disappeared momentarily in Lua's eyes.
However, this trick didn't work on the monster. The claws and swords crashed in the air, causing a lightshow like no other. The two deadly fighters fought relentlessly, and Lua could see that the monster was enjoying this. Luna had been the only person it could consider a match.
"Get out of here, you both!" Luna yelled at them. "I'll hold it off, get some damn help! There is no hope otherwise!"
Lua and Arc didn't wait for her to say it twice. They rushed to the exit, while feeling the piercing gaze of the monster behind them.
"Pay attention, freak!" Luna screamed, and slashed the shoulder of the monster. The monster yelled in agony, yet it was able to pull out the sword. Luna had gained a momentary advantage.
Lua and Arc rushed, not daring to look behind them. They kept running as they heard metal clanging, and finally, silence. They had either gone out of range, or the battle had ended.
Tears streamed down Lua's face. It was a traumatising experience.
End of Volume I - Tinkerer