Felice Ronin POV
The wind whipped through my hair as I dashed across the forest at inhuman speeds. My spear, folded in on itself, was strapped securely to my arm. The Shadowpeak Range loomed around me, its jagged peaks almost seeming to pierce the perpetually gloomy sky.
A sudden disturbance in the ground caught my attention. I watched as a worm-like being, easily the size of a small house, shot through the earth, its massive maw gaping wide. Without missing a beat, I flapped my wings, propelling myself forward with an extra burst of speed. The beast's jaws snapped shut behind me, missing me by mere inches.
My heart raced, but not from fear. This was exhilaration, pure and simple. I'd been on the travelling for an entire day, pushing myself to my limits, reveling in my newfound powers. The hunger gnawed at me constantly, but I quelled it just like my grandpa had taught me. I wasn't going to waste time facing beasts unless absolutely necessary. Acheron, the City of Prodigy, was my goal, and nothing would slow me down.
Or so I thought.
A sound like a malfunctioning engine cut through the forest's ambient noise, piquing my curiosity. I redirected my course, following the strange mechanical growl. As I burst through a thick cluster of trees, I found myself facing an unexpected sight.
A massive truck, easily large enough to house a dozen people, stood in a small clearing. Behind it, in a cage, was a beast. It was huge, with the body of a bull but covered in metallic gold scales that gleamed dully in the dim light.
Steam puffed from its nostrils with each labored breath. A siphoning cable was attached to its hide, taking away it's energy.
But what truly caught my attention were the two boys standing near the truck. One had hair as black as night and eyes that shone a startling pink. The other's hair was a vibrant orange, contrasting sharply with his steely gray eyes.
Curiosity got the better of me. I landed softly on the forest floor and approached them, unfolding my spear as I did so. "Hey," I called out, keeping my voice friendly but cautious. "Need some help?"
The boys turned to face me, their expressions a mix of surprise and wariness. The orange-haired one spoke first, his voice low as he addressed his companion. "Karl, why is there a girl with wings in the middle of a forest?"
The black-haired boy, Karl, narrowed his eyes as he studied me. "Maybe she's a specter devourer taking the appearance of one."
"Think we can take it?" Orange-hair asked, his hand moving to the hilt of a sword at his waist.
Karl's nostrils flared slightly, and I realized he was scenting me. "Most definitely," he replied. "Its scent isn't strong enough, probably around feral rank on the cusp of becoming a savage."
I raised my hands, spear still in hand but trying to appear non-threatening. "I'm not a beast, I'm a devourer just like you," I explained. "I'm traveling to Acheron."
The boys exchanged a glance before speaking in unison, their voices flat and demanding. "Name, rank, class."
I nodded, deciding to comply. I could probably take them if it came to a fight, but something about attacking other humans didn't sit right with me. "Felice Ronin, seraph, neophyte."
My words seemed to trigger something in them. The orange-haired boy moved with shocking speed, drawing his sword and dashing towards me. He was as fast as I was with my wings, marking him as a Beastwalker.
His blade slashed downward, but I backstepped swiftly, my wings flapping wildly to put some distance between us. "What are you doing?!" I yelled, incredulous. "I told you I'm a Devourer like you guys!"
Karl's voice cut through the tension, cold and analytical. "That's impossible. There are no seraph class monsters in the Shadowpeak Range. It's solely a habitat for behemoths or specters." His nostrils flared again. "Besides, your scent isn't that of a human, not even a slight trace, like all Devourers have. And those wings... they add to the fact that you aren't human."
His words sent a chill down my spine. What did he mean, I didn't smell human? Grandfather had mentioned that adaptive Devourers had the keenest senses, but this... this was unexpected.
"Still a beast that can already speak, at the feral rank, even if you are a specter it's something I haven't heard of before." Karl continued, his nose continued to flare. "We should bring you back to Acheron for study."
I didn't have time to ponder it further. The orange-haired boy was coming at me again, his sword a blur of motion. I raised my spear to block his overhead slash, the impact jarring my arms. But even as I deflected his attack, I saw Karl lunging at me from the corner of my eye. His speed matched his friend's, and I realized with a start that they were both Beastwalkers.
Karl's fingernails had elongated into wicked talons, a minute transformation, meaning that he had consumed at least half of a beast. They were inches from my skin when I flapped my wings hard, propelling myself upward and out of reach.
My spear twirled, deflecting Orange-hair's sword downward as I created some distance. I landed on a tree branch, my mind racing as I reassessed the situation. Maybe it would be best to just escape. Surely they wouldn't waste energy or risk increasing their hunger by chasing me if I left them alone.
For a brief moment, I considered showing them Grandfather's seal. But I dismissed the idea quickly. They likely wouldn't recognize its significance, and revealing it could potentially cause more problems than it solved.
Lost in my thoughts, I almost missed Orange-hair's next move. He dashed towards the trunk of my tree, his sword flashing in the dim light. With a single, powerful stroke, he cleaved through the thick wood as if it were butter.
I leapt from the falling tree, my wings spread wide to catch the air.
As I hovered above them, I made my decision. "Look," I called down, my voice firm. "I don't want to fight you. I'm just passing through on my way to Acheron. If you let me go, I'll be on my way, and we can all forget this happened."
Karl's pink eyes narrowed as he stared up at me. "You're not going anywhere, you're too much of an interesting beast, besides we needed one to power the truck either way," he said, a smile forming on his face.
Wait would the siphoning work since I was human? Could that be a way to prove my identity? I decided to go against it. Before I could dash away from them, Orange-hair, hacked my tree in twain once more, making it fall to the ground.
I lifted my head and Karl already had his hand-talons above my face, coming closer, by the second.