Back in the glades, Hilida clung to survival, her breath ragged as the shadow of a great lidthrag loomed over her. The apex predator of the crimson glades had her cornered, and its presence was nothing short of a death sentence.
She had sent up a red spark earlier, a desperate signal for reinforcements. Yet, the situation she now faced was beyond her understanding. What had begun as a routine attempt to track the signal of an applicant's entry token had brought her face to face with the lidthrag, a monster few lived to encounter.
'Where are they?' she whispered, her voice trembling as she ducked beneath a swipe of its claws. Her own spells flew in retaliation, but each one seemed to falter, lacking the power they should have possessed.
Hilida's focus was fractured by the grotesque sight that hung before her: a headless corpse clamped firmly in the beast's jaws, its lifeblood dripping in sickening rivulets. Despite their clash, the lidthrag refused to release the macabre trophy, its determination unsettling.
The sight of the mutilated body gnawed at her resolve. Her spells grew weaker, the gruesome image sapping her concentration. Still, she fought on, knowing full well escape was impossible. The lidthrag was far too swift for any human to outrun.
And yet, in the back of her mind, a sliver of hope flickered. Reinforcements had to come soon – if they didn't, her fate would be sealed.
Footsteps rustled through the bushes, drawing Hilida's desperate gaze. Relief washed over her as she saw familiar figures emerging from the foliage.
Jorian, her brother, was the first to arrive. Without hesitation, he clapped his hands together, unleashing a shockwave that forced the lidthrag to stagger back momentarily.
'Jorian!' Hilida cried, her voice trembling with a mix of relief and exhaustion.
Within moments, Grahost and Illiar joined him, their expressions darkening as they took in the horrifying scene before them.
'Is that...the missing applicant?' Grahost asked, his voice unsteady as he stared at the headless body dangling from the beast's jaws.
Illiar glanced at his compass, his face pale. 'There's no other explanation,' he confirmed grimly, pointing towards the lidthrag. 'The token's signal is coming from there.'
The air grew heavy with the realization. They hadn't just found a beast – they had uncovered a sinister clue tied to the grim fate of the applicant.
Hilida's eyes darted around, searching frantically. 'Where's Noidron?' she asked, her voice edged with panic.
'Sister…' Jorian snapped, his tone firm yet strained. 'Worry about yourself for now.'
Grahost stepped forward, shielding them both with a resolute glare. 'Stay back and relax. We'll handle this.'
The siblings reluctantly retreated as the remaining staff members – six in total, excluding Noidron and Fingal – closed ranks to confront the lidthrag. Their hands rose in unison, channelling the raw power of seasoned maegi.
Unlike novices, full-fledged maegi drew directly from their own reserves of magickal energy, their focus sharpened by years of practice. Whilst wands served as useful amplifiers for emergency situations, they were unnecessary luxuries for them.
The lidthrag acted first, its predatory instincts razor-sharp. It lunged towards Illiar, its massive paw poised to strike. Illiar barely managed to react, conjuring a shimmering barrier just in time to deflect the blow. But the beast, undeterred, used the momentum to pivot mid-air, targeting another staff member.
Before anyone could intervene, the lidthrag changed direction once more, pouncing on Grahost. Its claws slashed deep, sending the maegi crashing into the bushes, bleeding heavily.
'Leave him alone!' Illiar shouted, thrusting his hands forward. A beam of radiant blue energy surged from his fingertips, lighting up the glade with an ethereal glow. The lidthrag recoiled, but its aggression didn't wane.
The other maegi launched their counterattack in concert. One summoned a torrent of energy, another conjured jagged spears of ice, and two others unleashed flames that danced wildly in the darkened glade. The spells struck the great lidthrag in quick succession, driving it back but failing to fully subdue it.
Even wounded, the lidthrag's resolve was unshaken. Its jaws clenched tighter around the lifeless body it carried, blood dripping onto the crimson grass. Then, with terrifying speed, it shifted its focus to Hilida and Jorian, sensing an opportunity to secure another kill.
'Jorian, watch out!' Illiar shouted, but his warning came a fraction too late.
The white-furred predator closed in, death looming over the siblings. Just as its claws reached for them, a figure erupted from the thickets – a maegi whose fists crackled with electrified magick.
Planting himself between the beast and the siblings, the newcomer struck with precision, slamming his charged fists into the lidthrag's throat. Sparks erupted, coursing through the creature's body, its fur standing on end as agony rippled through it.
The beast's jaw finally went slack, and the mangled corpse it held tumbled to the blood-soaked grass below.
The great lidthrag whimpered, its ferocity extinguished by pain and exhaustion, and disappeared into the dense shadows of the glades.
Illiar prepared to give chase, his magick coiling at his fingertips, but Noidron stepped in, his commanding presence halting the younger maegi.
'Leave it,' Noidron said firmly, his voice tinged with authority. 'We've more urgent matters to address.'
Illiar hesitated, but one look at the grim scene around him made him relent. Grahost lay slumped against a tree, his injuries grave and his breaths laboured. Hilida knelt nearby, still trembling and clutching at her robes, her breaths shallow as she tried to recover from the ordeal. But most alarming of all was the mutilated corpse of the missing applicant, Odrean, lying in a grotesque heap amidst the blood-soaked grass.
Noidron approached the mangled body, kneeling by the remains. He let out a heavy sigh. 'What bad luck. To encounter a monster like this – it's a tragedy.'
The corpse was barely identifiable, its flesh torn and shredded, marked by deep gashes and savage bite marks. The head, of course, was gone entirely, leaving behind a grisly stump.
Jorian, ensuring that Hilida was stable and no longer in immediate danger, stood and joined Noidron by the corpse.
'We should cover him up and return to the college,' Noidron announced, his tone carrying a note of finality.
Jorian nodded but found his gaze drawn to the wounds. Something about them struck him as odd. Kneeling closer, he carefully examined the injuries. Amidst the lidthrag-inflicted damage, he noticed peculiar inconsistencies – lacerations and punctures that seemed too precise, too deliberate to be the work of a wild beast.
He straightened and began surveying the surrounding area. His eyes fell on the corpse of another lidthrag impaled by a frozen spire, its fur steaming faintly as the ice melted. He crouched by it, inspecting the body. The claws on all of its paws were missing, crudely severed.
'Someone's been here,' Jorian muttered, his voice low as he continued his search.
Nearby, he found a patch of darkened, dried blood staining the earth. It seemed older than the blood around Odrean's body. Beside the stain, half-buried in the dirt, lay a dagger. The weapon's blade was smeared with dried blood.
'This doesn't add up,' Jorian thought, gripping the dagger. He turned it over in his hands, studying its craftsmanship. The blade seemed more suited for combat than hunting – a weapon meant for precision and lethality.
He glanced back at Odrean's corpse, piecing together the fragments of evidence. The lidthrag was responsible for some of the injuries, undoubtedly. But others? They hinted at human intervention.
'I should keep this to myself until I'm certain,' Jorian resolved, pocketing the dagger.
His thoughts were interrupted by Noidron's voice. 'Jorian! Fingal is here. Let's return.'
Jorian turned to see Fingal emerging from the shadows, his expression tense but relieved. With a final glance at the bloodied clearing, Jorian joined the others.
As the group prepared to leave, the mystery of Odrean's death lingered in Jorian's mind – a dark puzzle waiting to be solved.