Gustav approached the charred lizard, dragging against its scales with a metallic scrape. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath; a gush of wind pushed out from around him, pushing the smell of his old restaurant outwards. His eyes snapped open, his teeth gritting as he swung the sword.
One of the remains of heads collapsed to the ground with a thud. Gazing at the sword in his hand, a faint shimmer dancing along the edge, Gustave let out a hearty chuckle. The group inhaled the aroma, tears framing the edges of their faces.
One of the women arose, her puffy eyes sunken into her skull. "It's a wonderful smell." Her voice trembled. "I want to go home; I'm tired of being here."
Another woman approached her, pulling her into an embrace. "Me, too." Tears poured down their faces as she continued. "We can't go back now, though; we have to make it to the town... somehow."
Ahead of them, Gustav glanced back. His face a canvas of quiet pity. He clenched his jaw and turned away, the warm aroma of his ability hanging in the air.
As he sliced the lizard's flesh, the members inched forward like rabid dogs, drool pouring out of their mouths, their eyes darting around desperately. Each slice of meat hung heavy in the air, their gazes flickering between the food and the lifeless lizard, as if weighing the cost of survival.
Stripping the chard skin of the lizard, Gustav made makeshift plates, handing them to everyone, including Milo. Gustav sank down onto the pebbles, his chest rising and falling, sweat dribbling off his forehead. The group tore into the charred meat with trembling hands, their jaws working frantically, as if afraid the meal might vanish before they finished.
Milo looked towards the gift, wrinkling his nose, refusing to accept. "I will not partake in your garbage."
The group exchanged uneasy glances, their brows furrowed as Milo set down a pot adorned with intricate food tapestry. He slid the food inside of the vase, a light glowing from within. With a steady hand, he reached inside and withdrew a plate, the aroma of freshly cooked steak wafting up in steam.
Some of the members glared at him, scowls etched into their faces. Grinning back as his teeth sank into the steak, Milo laughed, enjoying more than just the meat.
Brandon scarfed down his food, licking the grease off his homemade plate. He glanced around, the shadows in the cave stretching long as the rising moon seeped through the entrance. Without a word he lay down.
Like a flock of sheep, the group trailed after their shepherd, heads down, following without question. Mors sat in silence as he rubbed his hands along the rusty sword, feeling the powdery metal greet his skin. Eventually, Mors' eyelids drooped, and the night pulled him into a slumber.
As the sun's first light bled into the cave, the group stirred, quickly assembling to send a small squad out. One of the men got up, a grin plastered on his face. In his hands, he clutched a small pouch.
"Look at what I've got!" The man stumbled forward, shaking the bag in Brandon's face.
Brandon looked at him with wrinkled eyebrows, his hair still disheveled as he arose from the cold stone floor. "It's just a bag jack. Have you lost your marbles again?"
Jack shook his small leather pouch with a yellow smiley face stitched on it, up and down. "Of course not, dumbass! It's my grand ability!"
Jack glanced fondly at the pouch, his face flushing with a mix of pride and embarrassment as he gently stroked its surface. Brandon sighed, stepping back with an eye roll as he scratched his chin, clearly unimpressed by Jack's antics.
Brandon pointed toward Rain, Jack, and Mors, his hand slicing through the air. "You three, go gather supplies. We need a whetstone for your sword and some materials for weapons."
Jack nodded, his eyes lighting up like the sun. "Of course, boss, we won't let you down."
Brandon slapped his forehead, his handprint reddening on his skin. "Yeah, sure. Anyway, when we were falling from the sky, I spotted a river in the opposite direction of the town. We'll need a few yucca plants and some sticks."
Rain nodded, her eyes casting a shadow down her face. "Anything else we need?"
Brandon shook his head, waving his hand dismissively. "No, that should cover it. Hopefully, this will be a good learning experience for Jack. Rain, you're the oldest, so you're leading the team. I've put Mors with you in case things go wrong—he'll be able to warn us."
Jack's face went pale as he heard the last part, sweat dribbling off his forehead. The group spun around, their steps unsteady as they stumbled out of the cave. Their shoes offered little protection against the biting cold of the stone floor.
The group staggered to the riverbank, their chests heaving with ragged gasps. Jack dropped to his knees, the sharp stones biting into his flesh, drawing a pained wince. Sweat dripped from Rain's brow, and she swiped it away with a shaky hand, while Mors, by contrast, looked unfazed, his t-shirt showing only faint streaks of sweat.
The water was roaring as the waterfall beat on the small pond below. White foam churned at the surface, veiling the depths below. Rain stumbled towards the banks of the water, unable to hear the ringing in her head. The river swelled unnaturally, and a massive tentacle studded with jagged teeth erupted from the depths, slamming into the ground with a deafening boom.
Mors spun on his heels, his vision blurring, and bolted towards the tree line. He seized a rough branch, its bark biting into his palms, and hauled himself upward, his teeth clenched in desperation. Glancing down, he saw the others scrambling after him, tears streaking their faces as they clawed at the branches.
Hidden among the dense foliage, they watched as the massive, octopus-like beast lurched onto the shore. Its bulbous head towered above the treetops, dripping with water as it swung from side to side.
The ground quaked with approaching footsteps, each one accompanied by the splintering wail of collapsing trees.
Jack had blood pouring down his lower lip as he gazed at the approaching figure. "Karn..."
Rain had sweat pouring down her face, tears streaming from her eyes as she whispered. "You named it that..."
"Yeah..."
The beast that had stalked the group tore through the trees, its hulking body supported by six legs and armed with jagged claws. Its face, concealed beneath a gleaming, shell-like carapace, sent chills racing down their spines; Karn locked eyes with the octopus-like creature and unleashed a deafening roar, shaking the trees and sending tremors rippling through the earth.
Above Karn, four massive, crystal-like thorns materialized, shimmering with an eerie red glow. With a flick of his wrist, one shot forward, spearing the octopus's head with lethal precision.
The creature crashed to the ground with a bone-shaking thud, its limbs twitching in final spasms. Karn buried his face in its corpse, his breath heavy with triumph.
Sweat poured down Mors's face, his grin wavering as he muttered, "So that's its ability... What kind of monster is this?"
Mors gripped his hair, pulling on it slightly, his gaze ripping through the back of the beast. 'I can't believe this... There has to be some kind of weakness... we won't be able to win.' The weight of his sword pulling down on his waist.
Karn rose from the mangled corpse, blood dripping from its jagged claws. Without a glance at the group, it lumbered back into the forest, the earth trembling beneath its massive steps and shattered trees marking its path.
The group darted down to the riverbank, snatching up yucca, whetstones—anything that might be needed. Tears streaked their faces as they fled back toward the cave, their sobs mingling with the distant roar of Karn.
The group stumbled through the forest, their feet aching as every root bruised their feet. The air laced with the scent of sap, and grass grazed their noses, making each one of them relax.
Mors sat down on a nearby stump muttering. "Damn..." Mors shifted around in the seat, lying down. "That shit was terrifying."
Jack looked over, rubbing his forehead. "Right, though terrifying doesn't even begin to cover it."
Rain slid the hair off of her face, which was glistening with sweat, looking at the two younger men. "Honestly." Her voice hidden by her heartbeat. "How are we going to even win against something like that?"
The group exchanged uneasy glances, the weight of their predicament settling in. Mors stood up and began to stretch, his fingers rubbing the moist grass by his toes."
Stretching his calves, Mors began to speak. "Let's continue and make it back to the safety of the cave."
The group nodded, performing their own stretches. Looking ahead, their gazes hardened like stone. They began to sprint once more, passing through the refuge of the trees towards their hideout.
Stumbling into the cave, they collapsed onto the cold, unyielding floor. Their eyes landed on the rest of the group huddled around a disorganized heap of sticks and scraps.
Mors dragged himself to his feet, staring at the chaotic pile with a raised eyebrow. "What's all this supposed to be?"
Brandon chuckled, jerking a thumb at Price—a wiry man with sharp eyes and a faint smirk. "Price and I are going to whip up some equipment for everyone."
Price brushed a stray lock of hair from his face, his gaze steady. "Tomorrow, we start training."