Chapter 225- Monster (Patreon)

Monster

Closing her eyes while inhaling and exhaling a couple of deep steady breaths, Ishara banished the pain. The golden pupils flashed open, as she viewed the white world from those mesmerizing, vertical slits. With a speed faster than an agile thief, she burst across the knee-high snow on athletic feet. The black, fitted leather greaves displayed her toned legs and thighs to hidden eyes.

Navigating the predetermined, winding path through the foot of the hills, she raced between the natural cliffs into the open clearing. Maintaining her pace, the footfalls of the lithe figure followed a straight trough in the snow. Crossing the narrow, concealed board, she stopped in the middle of the desolate clearing.

The termination of her slogging boots initiated yelling and whooping war cries which startled even her expectant ears. Clumps of unnoticed snow erupted from the perimeter of the clearing as a circle of goblin warriors carried out their grand entrance. Above the cliffs surrounding the clearing, a dozen goblins held a taut rope. It lashed among the snow under the strain, sending fluffs of the white landscape flying.

The performance stirred a shadow from the nearby cave. Chu emerged with Zubyia shuffling behind him. Shaking his head in satisfaction he commented while showing a thumbs up to the Hakkim.

"This is a much better run than yesterday. Zubyia, let the goblins know this is what I want. The ambushing group will wait here together with Ming and I. Until we receive the signal, we'll inspect the cave."

Waving off Ishara who nodded before retracing her steps, Chu rejoined Ming in the cave. The older teen busied himself in wrapping a torch.

"Ishara will spend her time with Lucy and Dyna as they bait the Kurat. I doubt anything can sneak up on those two. She only needs to provide us sufficient time to prepare the ambush. I daresay our trap can kill or seriously injure a Snowbear."

"That is good news Chu but why do you want so many torches for this small cave? With this amount, I dare say there won't be a shadow inside. And why did you also make Pug return with this stuff?"

Ming asked while nudging the toe of his boot onto a heap of torches stacked on the shadowy ground beside him. Chu shook and pulled down the wrapped scarf around his face and then rubbed away the cold.

"Insurance."

***

Darkness stirred within the depths of the forest as a tree moved.

A pair of slumbering crows shrieked while scattering feathers on their frightened flight in the night.

As the towering figure drew near, the shadow revealed itself to be no tree but a humanoid construct. Large, reddish eyes materialized to deliver fear to the breathless creatures hiding nearby. A clawed foot covered in scales emerged next, attached to a leg and thigh the size of a man's waist. Gray-colored scales lined the mangy torso, clustered with clumps of matted fur.

The heaving chest highlighted the massive shoulders bearing colossal arms. They dropped with an abnormal length as the over-sized three-claws hand reached the knees. Under the faint light from the stars, the layers of hair and scales appeared like monochrome bands. They circled the arms in a series of night and day.

An extended, muscular neck supported a head shaped like a horse. The similarities ended there, however, as the stuff of nightmares began.

A long mouth ended under the scaly, blazing eyes, long enough to fit the arm of a muscular man. The overlapping teeth protruded from the blackened, cracked lips ready to tear off that unfortunate arm. Remnants from the latest meal decayed among the incisors while promoting the fragrance of death. Wide nostrils flared from the snout, spewing out a length of snot and pus.

A pair of fiendish horns curved and pointed towards the heavens as if in defiance. Coated and discolored with patches of different hues of blood, it created the image of a diabolical figure. Something birthed from the deepest planes of hell.

Raising a hand large enough to encircle the waist of a grown woman, it ensnared a thick overhanging branch. When the cracking and splintering subsided to the eerie silence, it held onto a crude post. The pupils of the bulbous eyes narrowed as the sinful demon wetted a middle claw with its saliva.

Carving into the side of the wood, it placed the post upright while steadying it with a single claw at the top. The next action would have caused Chu to utter a string of curses as the abominable creature released it pointed claw. The post wavered and then thumped on the snow.

Issuing a guttural growl from a smirk designed to kill the fainthearted, it then shifted to follow the new direction. The hulking monstrosity had not gone very far when its eyes narrowed. The pointed ears flicked around at the top of the head until pausing as if achieving serenity.

An ungodly smile rose from the murderous maw.

Bursting into a sprint unnatural for its hulking frame, the fiend dashed towards a tree. The height and churning power moved its clawed feet above the high snow. Without restriction from the fallen snow, it arrived at the tree and slammed a clawed hand at the roots. The tree groaned from the force of the blow while the hiding Jaga leaped in a hasty retreat.

The aggressive roar of the forest predator failed to deter the towering attacker, as the next hand swiftly grabbed its victim in mid-air. The terrified squeals of the big cat soon ceased under the cracking of bones and slurping of blood...

***

"What do you think Lucy? Is Chu right about this? The forest is vast without end you know. We might be sitting in the snow for weeks just because of some goblin scout who didn't return to his tribe. Poor sucker might have died from hypo... hippotermia."

Dyna muttered while pulling her cloak closer for warmth. Ripping into a strip of jerky, her eyes continued gazing out from the crude vent they had cut from the snow.

"Chu doesn't make mistakes often. I also have a nagging feeling that we should not face this Kurat in an open battle. Even if its a week until it comes, I think we should find out more about this demon beast before engaging it at the ruins. For the last few days, Chu has the face he usually shows when something bothers him."

Lucy replied. She adjusted a wooden branch over the enclosed trench they occupied. Her actions caused small white flakes to fall from the concealing snow above. A torn quilt blocked a small tunnel at the rear leading to the outside. Stretching her legs, Lucy looked down from their hillside foxhole to a sparsely tree populated environment.

Among the few trees and white landscape, a cloaked figure rested beside a tree stump. The long black hair and red skin from her uncovered head easily outlined her position. The lonesome beauty seemed out of place within the forest. Rising, she jumped on an old log and paced around.

"You know, even from a distance, Ishara looks pretty. She seems like she has the same age as Big Sis and is even prettier. It's a wonder how Chu maintains a straight face around her. If she was a human, men would probably fight wars over her."

Dyna rambled while voicing her thoughts. Her eyes strayed in time to capture the glance from Lucy. The look prompted the redhead to perform damage control.

"Well, I mean that obviously, Chu wouldn't fall for appearance alone. He isn't shallow like Ming. She is also kind of proud, I think that's a problem. Ishara is not the talkative type so it might not work out. The skills she showed is definitely a stopper since he would not go for someone strong..."

The redhead coughed on the realization she was digging a deeper hole for herself. Her words seem to be describing this elder sister of hers. Lucy turned to stare into the pair of fidgety green eyes.

"When we return home, I am going to give you a bath. You smell like a wolf. Then you and I will have a chat. Don't feel Miki didn't tell me what you were encouraging in the forest at night. You little Panderess."

"It's not my fault Lucy. You know I have a loose tongue when I'm around you all. It's all Sakura's fault since she is not around to reign me in. I blame her for all my problems."

Dyna mounted a hasty defense riddled with holes.

Lucy chucked lightly on hearing her lame excuses. Two days had passed since they organized this stakeout. During that time Dyna dug herself into so many numerous pits that Lucy lost count. Down in the clearing, Ishara had to rest huddled within a tree root. The blue-eyed girl peered out the small vent and breathed in a lung full of crisp afternoon air.

Then she froze.

Seconds later a wolf howled a lonesome tune as if crying from the mountain to the full moon.

Under the evening sun, another wolf howled even closer as if answering the cry.

"That doesn't sound like it is coming from the north. What is Fenrir doing in the south? Is he chasing tails again? Wait till I... mmmph!"

Dyna cocked her ears while muttering with a frowning face when Lucy cupped a hand over her mouth. Signaling the younger girl with a finger to her lip, she peered out the small vent. The redhead slowed her breathing when Lucy removed her hand. Dyna possessed enough experience to know when a prey lurked nearby.

The crunch of faint footsteps treading into snow paused for a moment and then continued in the winter forest. Lucy inhaled softly causing the faint ribbon of smell only she could see to become thicker. The transparent ribbon exited the hideout and curved in a wide, lazy arc to the left and somewhere behind.

Lucy waved her hand and finger to communicate and inform the crouching redhead. The smaller girl had shed the guise of a young girl for the natural appearance of a predator. Both girls stiffened themselves like coiled springs waiting to explode. The blue and green eyes narrowed in anticipation while scanning the vicinity.

The first movement which attracted their attention was not a living being. A pointed shadow undulated over the snow about thirty paces away. It paused as if startled by the slope of the hill and then retreated. An eternity that might have caused a villager to sweat buckets and lose their minds began. For the two girls, however, the prolonged time increased their anticipation.

Sure enough, the shadow returned with a crawl followed by its slinking owner. Creeping, a Jaga slithered past them on the side to a decaying log halfway down the hill. The hunter twisted its body and peered out from behind the camouflage to the clearing. At the base of the gentle incline, Ishara returned to huddle beside the stump, ignoring another call from a wolf.

Lucy watched as beast scanned and sniffed the air before crouching in preparation to strike. Ishara may not have yet earned the status of companion but she was no enemy. Even though the Hakkim possessed the skills to defeat this large predator, one never knew when injuries might occur.

Her hand was reaching for the loaded crossbow when a small hand clamped over her wrist. Dyna shook her head while pointing to her ears and then to outside. She touched Lucy on her nose with a finger and moved it to the vent.

'Fenrir wouldn't open his mouth for a little Jaga. There is something else out there.'

Dyna hoped to convey her interpretation to Lucy. The older girl frowned before placing her nose closer to the vent. Smells from behind them proved difficult to discover since they originated downwind. She was about to explain this to Dyna when her ears twitched.

The steady thumping bloomed quickly. By the time Dyna heard it, an unidentifiable stench assailed Lucy's nostrils. They peered out just in time to witness the large cat spin around while snarling and discharging a warning swipe of its front paw. A monstrous shadow descended from above, blasting away the snow in the process.

Amidst the explosive entry, a giant hand wrapped its claws around the terrified predator.

"What the heck... mmph!"

For the second time that day, Lucy covered the redhead's mouth.