Sebastian followed the faint, golden light that guided him, stumbling out of the suffocating darkness of the forest into an unfamiliar and desolate terrain. Before him stretched an endless desert, the air shimmering with oppressive heat. The ruins of what appeared to be a once-great kingdom were scattered across the land, half-buried under dunes of sand.
"Where am I?" he muttered, his voice hoarse.
The ground beneath his feet crumbled, and he tumbled down a steep, sandy slope, clutching Isiah tightly to shield him from the impact. He finally came to a stop at the base, groaning as he adjusted his aching body.
Sebastian looked down at Isiah. "Hey, you good?"
The infant chuckled softly, blissfully unaware of their dire situation.
Sebastian sighed, brushing sand off his cloak and standing up. As he lifted Isiah, his eyes fell on the horizon, where the ruins of a once-mighty kingdom lay beneath the searing sun.
"Damn, it's hot," Sebastian muttered, shielding his eyes from the glare.
A faint rumble from Isiah's stomach broke the silence.
"Hungry, huh?" Sebastian smirked, his own stomach growling in agreement. "Yeah, me too. Let's see if this wasteland's got anything edible lying around."
The Ruined Kingdom
Sebastian wandered through the skeletal remains of the kingdom, its grandeur reduced to crumbled walls and shattered towers, all suffocated under layers of sand. Time and the harsh environment had swallowed this place whole.
He searched the ruins for any sign of food but found nothing. The land was barren, devoid of life save for the occasional skeletal remains of creatures that had succumbed to the harshness.
"Are you serious? No food!" he exclaimed, frustration boiling over. "What did I expect? This place is a graveyard."
Isiah whimpered softly, and Sebastian knelt down, trying to soothe him. "I know how you feel, kid. I feel like crying too."
Suddenly, the sound of collapsing stone shattered the silence. Sebastian spun around, his eyes widening as he saw the source.
Emerging from the ruins of a massive temple was a creature unlike any he had ever seen. It was gargantuan, standing taller than the largest towers of Cathona. Its grotesque body was a fusion of leathery skin, bone-like protrusions, and twisted muscles. Its arms were as thick as ancient tree trunks, ending in claws the size of scythes. Its legs resembled the massive pillars of the ruined temple, each step causing the ground to quake.
The beast's head was elongated and reptilian, with glowing yellow eyes that burned like twin suns. Its jaw was lined with jagged teeth, some as long as Sebastian's sword, and saliva dripped onto the sand, sizzling as it hit the ground.
The monster dragged a massive corpse in its jaws—a creature nearly as large as a house. It tore into the flesh, blood spraying in grotesque arcs, but it hadn't yet noticed Sebastian.
His breath caught in his throat as he whispered, "What the hell...?"
This was no ordinary predator. This was Kharthus, the Devourer, a monstrosity born of the Dead Man's Land. Stories spoke of its cruelty and its insatiable hunger, but seeing it in person made those tales seem pale in comparison.
Sebastian quickly placed Isiah in the hollowed-out shell of an abandoned building, hidden from view. "Stay here, kid. I'll be back with food," he murmured, his voice shaking.
The Standoff
Sebastian stepped into the open, his sword drawn. Kharthus continued to feast, its massive jaws ripping flesh from bone. Sebastian took a deep breath and shouted, "Hey!"
The beast froze mid-bite, slowly turning its colossal head. Its glowing eyes locked onto Sebastian, and for a moment, there was silence. Then it growled—a low, guttural sound that seemed to reverberate through the entire desert.
Sebastian tightened his grip on his sword. "Yeah, that's right. Over here, you ugly bastard."
Kharthus rose to its full height, towering over Sebastian like a mountain of rage and hunger. The sun cast a long shadow across the ruins as the beast opened its massive jaw and let out a deafening roar.
The Battle: Colossal Fury
Kharthus charged with terrifying speed for something so massive, its footfalls shaking the ground like an earthquake. Sebastian barely managed to dive out of the way as the beast's claws slammed into the ground where he had stood, carving deep trenches in the sand.
Sebastian rolled to his feet and slashed at the beast's leg, aiming for the vulnerable joints. His blade struck, but it barely scratched the beast's armored hide.
The monster swung its tail—a massive, spiked appendage—and caught Sebastian in the ribs. The impact sent him flying through the air, crashing into a crumbling wall. Pain shot through his body as he struggled to stand, coughing up blood.
Kharthus roared again, shaking the ruins, and lunged forward. Its jaws snapped inches from Sebastian, who ducked just in time. He drove his sword upward, stabbing the soft tissue of its lower jaw. Black, steaming blood gushed out, and the beast howled in pain, shaking its head violently.
Sebastian was thrown off, landing hard on the sand. He scrambled to his feet as Kharthus swiped at him with a claw the size of a carriage. He dodged, the wind from the strike nearly knocking him over, and countered with a slash to the beast's arm.
The blade found purchase, cutting deep, and the beast recoiled. But its fury only grew. Kharthus reared up on its hind legs, its shadow engulfing Sebastian, and brought its massive weight down with a deafening crash.
Sebastian rolled out of the way just in time, the shockwave of the impact sending him tumbling. He gritted his teeth, adrenaline coursing through his veins. "Come on, you overgrown lizard!"
The golden light from Isiah began to glow brighter, illuminating the battlefield. The beast paused, its glowing eyes narrowing as it turned toward the source.
Sebastian seized the moment. He dashed forward, climbing onto Kharthus's back as the creature thrashed and roared. He drove his sword into the base of its neck, the blade sinking deep.
Kharthus bucked and twisted, trying to throw him off. Sebastian held on with everything he had, driving the blade deeper and deeper. Black blood sprayed everywhere, coating him in the creature's foul essence.
The beast let out one final, earth-shaking roar before collapsing to the ground. Its massive body twitched, then fell still.
Aftermath
Sebastian rolled off the corpse, landing in the sand with a heavy thud. He lay there for a moment, staring at the sky, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. Every muscle in his body ached, and blood seeped from multiple wounds, but he was alive.
He forced himself to his feet, stumbling toward the building where Isiah waited. The golden glow faded as he approached, and he scooped the infant into his arms.
"Told you I'd be back," he murmured, managing a faint smile.
Isiah giggled, reaching for his face, as though oblivious to the danger that had just passed.
Sebastian glanced back at the massive corpse of Kharthus, its lifeless eyes still glowing faintly. "Guess even the Dead Man's Land has its limits," he muttered.
He began carving meat from the beast, knowing it was their only chance of survival. The ruins around him whispered with an eerie silence, but Sebastian didn't care. For now, they had food, and they had survived.
But deep down, he knew this was just the beginning.