Rain poured down faster, drenching the villagers as they worked tirelessly on cutting through the massive tree blocking the water's path. They were making steady progress, nearly halfway through the trunk, their hands slipping slightly on the wet handles of their axes and saws. But despite the chill and dampness, they pressed on, their breaths misting in the cool air, their focus unbroken.
.
Blue scurried across the muddy ground, his little heart pounding. He hadn't seen Wobbles in a few minutes, and worry gnawed at him. Where did they go? he wondered, casting glances around the forest. He couldn't shake the unease building inside him, an instinctual sense that something was very, very wrong.
And then, a faint rumbling reached him—a series of deep, rhythmic footsteps, each one sending a tremor through the ground. Blue froze as the vibrations grew stronger, shaking his tiny frame. The rain obscured his view slightly, but he squinted up through the blurry downpour, his gaze fixed on the forest edge.
That's when he saw it—a looming, shadowy silhouette emerging from the trees.
The creature was enormous, its shape obscured by the rain but undeniably massive. It moved with terrifying grace, each step sending small shockwaves through the ground. Blue's heart raced, his pincers clacking in a mixture of fear and urgency. This… this can't be real.
Without a second thought, Blue scuttled back toward the male villagers, desperate to warn them. He darted across the ground, adrenaline fueling his every step. The villagers remained oblivious, focused on their work, but Blue knew he had to get their attention—and fast.
As the men continued cutting the tree, the sound of something moving fast through the forest reached them, but it was muffled by the rain. Some of them exchanged uneasy glances, sensing a shift in the air, but they continued working, assuming it was just the storm.
Mina's father wiped rain from his brow, glancing down just as he felt a sharp prick on his ankle. He stumbled back, surprised, and that's when he saw Blue, scuttling frantically at his feet. Blue's little pincers waved in alarm, his tiny form soaked and trembling, yet he seemed to be pointing—pointing back toward the forest.
"Mina's friend…?" the man murmured, frowning as he glanced toward where Blue was pointing.
But before he could register the warning, a shift in the air caught his attention. His eyes snapped back to the forest, and he froze, his blood running cold.
The creature was gone from its original position, vanished from where he'd seen it through the rain, and then he saw it—a shadowed, monstrous form leaping into the air, crossing the distance with impossible speed. It loomed overhead, an enormous blur against the rain-filled sky, its claws extended as it descended upon the group.
In those split seconds, Blue acted without hesitation. He lunged at the nearest villager's leg, cutting deep enough to make the man stagger and fall to the ground. The villager hit the mud just as the creature hurtled past, a blur of water and fury, missing him by mere inches.
The creature's claws tore into the side of the massive tree, sinking deep with a shuddering impact that sent splinters flying. The villagers stumbled back, their faces pale as they took in the monstrous sight before them.
Each man reacted differently, but fear was etched on every face.
One villager dropped his axe, his voice shaking. "What… what in the goddess's name is that?"
Another stumbled back, grabbing a fallen branch and hurling it at the beast, though it did little more than bounce off the creature's hide.
Some of the men turned to run, shouting warnings to each other, urging their companions to retreat. Others, too shocked to move, could only watch in terror as the creature let out a gut-wrenching roar that echoed through the forest, shaking the very ground beneath them.
Its roar was deafening, and it radiated a force that made the rain seem to slow. Blue could only stare, frozen in terror, at the creature as it bared its sharp teeth and spread its talons, each one as long as a human arm. The beast's form became clearer, even through the rain—a grotesque mixture of lion and bird, with feathers and fur interwoven along its muscular frame. Its beak gleamed wickedly in the dim light, and its piercing eyes locked onto the villagers with predatory intent.
The air was thick with the tension of impending danger, every villager now acutely aware that they were in the presence of something beyond their worst nightmares.
Blue's tiny heart pounded as he looked up at the towering creature, the primal fear clawing at him almost too much to bear. Yet, he forced himself to move, his instincts screaming at him to protect the villagers, even though he was but a small scorpion against an unstoppable force.
The creature's eyes flicked down toward Blue, narrowing slightly as if acknowledging him—a tiny nuisance, a mere insect in its path. But Blue didn't back down. Despite his fear, he scuttled forward, waving his pincers in a futile attempt to divert its attention.
The creature snarled, and for a moment, Blue felt as if the entire world had gone silent. Every instinct told him to run, to hide, but he stood his ground, hoping against hope that he could buy the villagers even a few more precious seconds to escape.
Just then, one of the villagers, eyes wide with terror, shouted at the others. "We need to get back to the village! Warn everyone!"
Another man nodded, his voice thick with dread. "Run! I'll hold it off!"
Despite the desperation in the air, a few of the men grabbed the tools they'd dropped, turning back to face the beast. They knew they couldn't fight it, not truly, but they couldn't leave their companions behind, either.
Blue watched as they attempted to defend themselves, some throwing rocks, others brandishing axes and clubs. The creature swiped at them, batting away the projectiles with a casual flick of its massive claw. Its gaze remained steady, its focus now locked onto the male villagers in front of it.