Khael felt a little dizzy from the blood he had lost which made it difficult for him to focus on anything clearly. All he could hear was the distant thud of fists against flesh and the occasional crack of gunshots. He forced himself to keep moving, to push past the dizziness.
As he neared the sounds of the fight, Khael's eyes finally focused on Finn, who was being battered repeatedly by something that seemed to flicker in and out of sight. The creature was almost invisible, its form blurring in and out of existence. In a desperate attempt to draw the creature's attention, Khael grabbed a nearby rock and tossed it into the air.
For a brief instant, the creature paused, its form momentarily solidifying as it turned toward him. But before Khael could make another move, it vanished again, leaving him blind to its next move. He stood frozen, relying entirely on his instincts. Every muscle in his body was taut, every nerve straining to pick up even the faintest hint of movement. The silence stretched on, and he stood there like a statue.
Then, without warning, it struck. A flash of motion shot toward Khael's chest, so fast that he barely had time to react. He raised his arms to shield himself, but even as he did, he realized that this attack was different. The force behind it was far more intense than before. The blow collided with his arms, pushing him back and sending shockwaves through his body. He felt the ground give way beneath him as his feet slid a few inches into the dirt.
Khael wrapped his hands around the creature's slimy body and heaved it off the ground, muscles straining as he tried to throw the creature off him and slam it to the ground behind him, but it wasn't like fighting a human. The creature twisted its body unnaturally midair and delivered a crushing kick directly to Khael's chest.
Blood spilled from Khael's mouth as he was thrown back several meters. Before he could even attempt to gather his bearings, the creature struck again. This time, it landed an elbow directly onto his chest, the impact causing a shockwave that sent a cloud of dust rising from the ground. Khael's breath came in ragged gasps as the pain overwhelmed him. The world around him began to dim, his senses fading as consciousness slipped further away.
Just as the creature prepared to deliver another blow, a sharp gunshot split the air, and the creature vanished into thin air with a hushed hiss. The sudden silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the faint sound of hurried footsteps approaching.
"Are you alive?" Finn's voice cut through the haze, a lifeline in the fog of Khael's disorientation. He rushed to Khael's side.
Khael looked at Finn, who was half-covered in blood, his face barely visible beneath the mess. Finn scanned the area, fired a couple rounds into the darkness, reloaded, and turned back to Khael.
"Can you walk?" he asked, urgency in his voice.
Khael nodded.
"Good. I'll keep that thing busy. You get out of here."
Khael took a time to process the words and blinked. Then, with a grimace, he shoved himself upright, ignoring the searing pain that shot through his body. Finn stared at him, shocked for a moment.
"The hell did you just say?"
"Listen, this isn't some joke. We need—" Finn started, but Khael cut him off.
"Save the hero talk. I'm not done yet," Khael wiped the blood from his lip. "Still got a few bones left to break."
He took a steadying breath, standing tall despite the blood that soaked through his clothes and the trembling in his limbs. He looked around the field.
"Now you're the one who's acting like a damn hero," Finn muttered
"Do you think we can win?" Khael asked, turning to Finn with a hard look.
"Honestly, no."
G͢͠R̴͘͞A͡H̴H͢H̢H͛H͡H̢H͜H͢H̛H͠H͘
They stood side by side, eyes locked on the shadows ahead, each muscle tensed and ready. The creature was nowhere to be seen. Finn gripped his gun tightly, while Khael reached for his knife—only to find the sheath empty. It must have fallen when he was thrown earlier.
"Great," Khael muttered.
"Here it comes,"
A blur of motion darted toward them, barely visible in the dark. Finn lifted his gun and fired, each shot lighting up the scene in bursts, casting quick flashes over the creature's twisted form. The thing let out a horrible, inhuman scream.
Khael found himself hoping—against all odds—that their desperate attempt might somehow work. But for the first time, a gnawing sense of defeat crept into his mind.
"So… this is the fear of losing?" Though the words didn't exactly sink as Khael thought. It was more of a fear of helplessness than it was of dying.
The gun clicked empty, and Finn was already moving, slapping a new magazine into place with practiced speed, his eyes never leaving the creature.
Khael's eyes stayed locked on the enemy, As the creature crouched low to the ground, preparing for its next strike, Khael reached over, grabbed Finn's arm, and squeezed.
"Run!"
In an instant, both of them turned and sprinted toward the cliff, not daring to look back. They poured every ounce of strength into their legs. Khael felt his broken ribs grinding painfully with each step, but he didn't stop. He couldn't. Not now. If they could just make it to the camp, they might stand a chance.
The camp had weapons—heavy tools designed to take down colossal beasts. One perfect shot, and the creature would be nothing but dust. That thought was the only thing that kept Khael's legs moving, despite the agony.
However, the weight of reality started to sink in as the seconds passed. Fatigue finally caught up with him, causing his eyesight to fade and the world around him to spin. Finn was a few steps ahead, his form growing smaller and smaller in the distance. Khael pushed himself harder, but his body was betraying him.
The creature's scream echoed behind him, louder, closer. But Khael's legs felt like they were getting slower with every step. His vision darkened, and before he could stop it, his legs buckled. He hit the ground hard, his breath ragged and shallow as he dropped to his knees.
Everything went black. His body refused to move, but he could hear the sound of Finn's footsteps fading into the distance. The creature's scream grew louder and louder, but Khael could no longer feel anything but the overwhelming weight of his own exhaustion.
Stupid body…
…
It hurts…
…
I guess…this is the end…
…
Sorry ma…
He opened his eyes slightly to confirm that Finn was no longer there. But all he could see was the thing approaching him quickly while on all fours. A faint smirk curled on his mouth as he accepted his fate.
But then, in a blur of motion, the creature leapt over him as though he were no more than a discarded leaf. Khael's heart skipped a beat as his eyes snapped open. The creature was heading straight for Finn.
In that instant, something deep inside Khael surged. He instinctively stretched his hand and caught the creature's leg. It faltered as the unexpected grip knocked it off balance.
Now, its focus turned to him. Khael forced himself up from the floor, gritting his teeth against the waves of pain that rushed through his damaged body.
His fists were clinched tightly at his sides as he stood in a defensive stance. His knees were bent slightly for balance, and his feet were shoulder-width apart.
"Let's throw hands,"
The creature lunged again, claws slashing through the air with deadly intent. Khael ducked just in time, throwing a quick jab to its side. The impact was solid, but it barely flinched.
The creature twisted, launching a rapid kick that caught Khael in the ribs. He stumbled but quickly regained his stance. He countered with a series of rapid punches that struck its torso, but the creature absorbed the blows and struck with a vicious swipe.
Khael ducked, narrowly avoiding the claws, and delivered an uppercut that sent the creature reeling. It snarled, launching back at him with uncanny speed. Khael sidestepped and landed a punch to its face, but it spun, kicking Khael hard in the gut.
He hit the ground but rolled back up, staying on the offensive. They exchanged blows in a blur, fists colliding with flesh and bone. Khael ducked under a wild swipe, throwing a knee into the creature's chest, forcing it back.
The creature stumbled but quickly regained its balance. Khael pressed the attack, throwing a combination of jabs and hooks. The creature swiped at him, but Khael ducked, countering with a sharp right hook.
His fists flew in rapid succession, landing blow after blow until the creature staggered. It lunged again, but Khael leaned to his right and lend a brutal kick to its midsection. The creature snarled, trying to recover, but Khael pressed on, his fists a blur as he unleashed everything he had left.
Both sides were unwilling to give up as the battle heated up. Khael ducked under a powerful swing and retaliated with a vicious uppercut, connecting squarely. The creature staggered but quickly regained its balance, snarling as it lunged forward once more. Khael barely had time to brace himself before the creature crashed into him, both of them tumbling to the ground in a chaotic heap.
Khael stumbled to his feet again. His whole body was burning hot. As he turned, he saw a wicked claw pointing straight at his eyes, its sharp tip inches from them. Time seemed to slow as dread washed over him, and he realized he couldn't move fast enough to avoid it.
"Shit…"
But just then, the beast was thrown off path by a strong blow that struck its skull directly. When Khael spotted the stranger standing next to him, his focused gaze was momentarily disrupted, and he blinked in surprise.
"Chief?"