The silence of the forest still weighed upon the group as they observed the colossal corpse of the creature. Its misshapen body lay among the trees, exuding a putrid stench that mingled with the dampness of the soil. Edmund wiped his sword blade and turned to Voss and Kieza.
— We need to understand what we fought against. If there are more of these creatures, we must be prepared. — His voice was firm but carried a tone of unease.
Voss nodded, stepping closer to the fallen beast. He drew a dagger and, with a precise strike, widened one of the existing wounds on the monster's flank. A viscous liquid oozed out—a thick, black blood that lightly fumed upon contact with the air. The smell was repulsive, a mix of rotting flesh and burnt sulfur.
— This isn't normal — he murmured, frowning. — The smell is unlike any animal I've ever encountered. It's as if this thing was made of something… corrupted.
Kieza, who had been watching from a distance, stepped forward, her blue eyes studying the creature with both curiosity and suspicion.
— Maybe it's some kind of aberration, an artificial creation — she suggested. — Or an ancient beast that was never meant to be awakened.
Edmund nodded, crossing his arms. His gaze wandered over the creature's body, noticing details that had gone unnoticed in the heat of battle. Its thick, leather-like skin was covered in scars and fissures, as if it had undergone severe mutations over time. Some areas were coated in a dark crystalline substance, hard as stone, reflecting the torchlight in an eerie manner.
— We need to take parts of it for analysis — he decided. — Bones, claws, skin, eyes if possible. Anything that might give us clues about its origin.
The soldiers, still hesitant, began approaching to assist in the extraction. Careful cuts were made, and soon pieces of the monster were placed into reinforced leather sacks. A scholar among the exiles, an elderly man named Gregor, was called to examine the collected remains.
— Fascinating… — Gregor murmured, inspecting one of the claws under the torchlight. — The bone structure doesn't seem entirely animal. There's something… different here.
Edmund gave him a sharp look. — Different how?
Gregor sighed, thoughtful. — I can't say for certain until we conduct tests, but this creature may not be of this world. Or, if it is, it has been altered somehow. Look at this — he lifted a section of the creature's spine, which appeared to have fused with a dark metallic material. — This doesn't occur naturally.
The scholar's words cast an even heavier weight upon the group. Edmund exchanged glances with Kieza and Voss. If Gregor was right, it meant unknown forces were at play.
— We'll take everything back to the island — Edmund said at last. — And prepare for whatever is coming.
Kieza ran her fingers over one of the beast's torn-off scales, feeling its cold, eerily smooth texture. A shiver ran down her spine.
— I have a feeling this is only the beginning… — she murmured.
With that, the group completed their gathering and set off, leaving behind only the empty carcass of the beast, its secrets still shrouded in mystery.