Aelan, along with his cohort, moved in the direction indicated by Cassie. It turned out that she had a very useful aspect, and he even considered recruiting her into the Song clan. Sunny was the scout in their team and had the ability to control his shadow, while Nephis and he were the main strike force of the cohort.
At night, the water level on the Forgotten Shore would rise, flooding the trails. On one such night, they climbed a mountain and discovered a cozy cave. Sunny went out on reconnaissance, while Nephis stepped outside to survey the surroundings. Inside the cave, a small conversation unfolded between Cassie and Aelan.
Aelan, hesitating slightly, extended his Echo to Cassie, obtained from the "Quiet Dancer" clan.
"Here, take it," he said, carefully touching her hand and transferring the energy.
Cassie looked at him in surprise.
"But why?.."
"I don't use it anyway. Now it's yours," Aelan replied.
She looked at him doubtfully, but at that moment, Sunny and Nephis returned to the cave. Sunny reported that the bodies of eight Scavengers lay nearby. But the most terrifying thing was that they had all been killed by a single creature. A giant Centurion.
A tense discussion followed about what to do in this situation.
"We can't leave the cliffs before dawn, and neither can this monster," said Sunny. "But when the sun rises, it will easily spot us. Then our only advantage—the element of surprise—will be lost. If the fight is inevitable, it's better to attack first," said Nephis.
Changing Star looked around and added:
"It's not completely dark yet. I can barely see, but soon the night will hide everything. We need to attack now."
Aelan agreed with this decision.
Standing on a cliff just a few meters above the Centurion, they watched its dark silhouette. The creature was massive, significantly larger than the Scavengers. Jagged spikes protruded from its thick shell, and its chitin, black-crimson in color, looked like ancient armor splattered with fresh blood. Instead of claws, two horrifying bone scythes extended from its arms.
Each of them was long and sharp enough to cleave a Scavenger in half.
They decided that Sunny and Aelan would distract the monster while Nephis delivered the killing blow.
Aelan and Sunny stood on the rock ledge, observing the giant Centurion below. The beast moved slowly, its bone scythes gleaming in the moonlight, while its chitinous shell seemed to absorb the darkness around it.
"Are you ready?" Aelan whispered, gripping his weapon.
Sunny nodded, his shadow stretching out like serpents, ready to strike. In the next instant, Aelan leaped down, landing right in front of the Centurion, drawing its attention. The creature roared, its deadly scythes slicing through the air.
Sunny instantly shifted into the shadows, vanishing from the monster's sight. Meanwhile, Aelan dodged the strikes, delivering swift attacks aimed at its joints. However, the creature's armor was too strong—his blows only left shallow cracks.
Suddenly, the Centurion lashed out with one of its scythes. Aelan barely managed to evade, but the blade came too close, leaving a deep gash on his side. He gritted his teeth against the pain but continued to keep the monster distracted.
Meanwhile, Nephis seized the moment and struck from above. She delivered a powerful blow straight into the creature's back, driving her blade between the plates of its armor. The Centurion roared in fury and attempted to turn, but at that moment, Sunny leaped from the shadows, driving his dagger into the monster's eye socket.
But the Centurion did not give up. In a frenzy, it swung its second scythe, aiming at Sunny. Aelan, without hesitation, rushed forward and pushed Sunny aside. The next instant, the deadly scythe pierced through his body. Sharp as a razor, it sliced him in half.
Blood spilled onto the ground. However, at that very moment, Nephis, gathering all her strength, delivered the final blow, cleaving the monster in two. The Centurion shuddered, let out a final rasping breath, and collapsed lifeless.
At that moment, it seemed that victory had come at the cost of the greatest loss.