Nightblade (Darkest night)

‎The resounding roar was undeniable.

‎" We need to move now, then."

‎Amanda quickly kicked dirt on the fire they'd started, instantly smothering it.

‎Around them, darkness covered the land, with only the illumination of the distant stars offering any light.

‎The group of seven frantically raced up the mountain slope, following Cassius' lead.

‎The Talented had partially activated his ability, his eyes glowing ethereally in the darkness of the night.

‎His enhanced eyesight and keen sense of smell pierced through the veil of darkness.

‎With his guidance, the group steered away from the worst of the monsters, sticking to the safer paths.

‎In the distance, the beast's howls resounded through the night, closer than they had initially been.

‎" It's gaining on us, and fast."

‎Lucian glanced at Amanda and Samanth, quietly noting that their speed was lower compared to the others.

‎"We won't make it at this pace, a nd I definitely can't afford to leave these girls behind."

‎Lucian furtively glanced at the remaining members of the team.

‎"We'll need a diversion of sorts, but what can we use?"

‎Lucian quietly sighed, then abruptly came to a stop.

‎In the next moment, he made up his mind.

‎Cassius stopped too, turning to him with obvious confusion on his face.

‎"What's the matter?"

‎Lucian turned to the other aspirants in the group, speaking in a commanding tone.

‎" Talia, we'll stay behind and use another route to circle distract that creature.

‎Talia shot him a look of total disbelief, her displeasure evident at his plan.

‎" Cassius, use your nose to lead the girls somewhere safe. We'll meet up with you after we lose this thing."

‎" If you're worried about speed, I could transform and carry them; we'd be much faster that way," Cassius argued.

‎" Going back to fight that thing is borderline suicidal."

‎Talia hesitantly nodded.

‎All around them in the darkness, the sounds of the night had completely gone silent.

‎"You're right, but you're wrong," Lucian said, shaking his head.

‎" Doing that would make us faster, but you'd be vulnerable to attack, and we'd have to fight while protecting more people."

‎He paused, allowing his words to sink in.

‎"There's no arguing about this.

‎If Talia and I go instead, it's two birds with one stone. At the very least, we'll slow the creature down and meet up with you."

‎Lucian grinned in the darkness.

‎"Best case scenario, we kill that thing and eat just like we had to in the first place. Now go."

‎The two groups split up, heading in different directions.

‎ Lucian and Talia swiftly headed back, circling to flank the beast.

‎" Do you have any idea what we're getting ourselves into?" Talia quietly whispered, her voice floating through the darkness.

‎Lucian smiled wryly, slightly shaking his head.

‎" Honestly, not really, but I do know our chances of surviving one of these things are much higher."

‎His eyes flickered slightly, turning darker.

‎" We're both aspirants from the great Houses no less, and therefore that is our first advantage."

‎Talia frowned, her eyebrows knitting together in contemplation.

‎She was intrigued by where the conversation was going

‎" And?"

‎" And we have a second boon that works to our advantage."

‎" Which is?"

‎" While this creature is intelligent and perhaps much stronger than u, we're human beings."

‎From the dawn of time, human beings had always been physically inferior to most of the ferocious predators out there.

‎ But despite the glaring disadvantage, they clearly stood at the top of the food chain.

‎The reason was quite simple.

‎Their uncanny intelligence and adaptability allowed them to thrive and not only thrive but dominate almost every ecosystem they happened upon.

‎It wasn't through luck or chance.

‎It was simply intelligence, intelligence superior to that of the creatures they encountered.

‎Lucian glanced at her with a curious look on his face.

‎"This creature, can you tell me what it's like? Did you take note of any weakness we can take advantage of?

‎Talia knitted her brows together in contemplation.

‎" It certainly must have a keen sense of smell. I can only assume that's how it's tracking us."

‎Lucian scratched his chin thoughtfully.

‎"I can work with that,"

‎ His gaze roamed over their surroundings for a while, then settled on the remnant of their campfire.

‎His eyes lit up, speaking enthusiastically.

‎" We'll hide, mask our scents with the ashes from the fire and attack it, from our home element, from the shadows."

‎Talia still looked unsure.

‎Lucian threw her an amused look.

‎" Of course, I haven't heard a, shall I say, proper opportunity to test out what I can do. So this will be a great opportunity for me to test the limits of my new capabilities."

‎Talia smirked, pursing her lips.

‎" Careful, fool, that kind of arrogance will get you killed," she inwardly thought.

‎Talia had not yet succeeded in manipulating the elusive energy despite being able to feel its flow around her.

‎" What else can you tell me?"

‎Talia frowned, thinking back to the encounter with the Tenebrian creature.

‎" It's large, about twice your height, and walks on four large paws.

‎It has a stinger for a tail and a grotesque, monstrous head, almost like a squirrel, except it's got horrific fangs instead of cute teeth."

‎Lucian chuckled in amusement at the analogy.

‎ " I think we can call it a squinticore."

‎Talia stared at him in puzzlement.

‎" What do you mean?"

‎He shrugged, gathering ashes from the smoldering remains of the campfire.

‎"From what you've told me, it's like a squirrel and a manticore, a squinticore sounds quite appropriate."

‎" What's that?"

‎Lucian almost did a double-take.

‎" You know from those old stories, lore about a creature with parts of different animals?"

‎Talia shook her head, focusing on getting the ash on her suit.

‎She scoffed, shaking her head slightly.

‎" Weird."

‎Lucian grinned slightly, crouching to the ground.

‎The creature's roars were getting closer.

‎"Better smear those on and make yourself scarce. We'll ambush it here; we have the advantage of being at a higher altitude."

‎Lucian stared at her, his expression inscrutable in the dim light.

‎" What?"

‎" How good are you with those pistols of yours?"

‎Talia cocked her head, frowning slightly.

‎"Good enough."

‎" Good enough to take out its eyes?" Lucian asked, almost challengingly. Talia's eyes hardened, shining with steely determination.

‎" I should be able to. "

‎Lucian nodded, slinking back into the shadows.

‎" I'll be the bait, you'll take out its eyes, and then we'll move on from there. "

‎The two quickly melded into the surrounding rocks and then waited.

‎As it turned out, they didn't have to wait for long.

‎A few moments later, the grotesque monster burst onto the scene.

‎Dark fur covered the entirety of its body, with its limbs ending in gleaming, sharp claws, clearly meant for butchering and dipping flesh apart.

‎Long webs of saliva drooled down from its maw, falling to the ground in viscous, thin streams.

‎It growled slightly, walking around the campfire remnants.

‎Its nightmarish tail swished through the air, the stinger oozing acidic venom that sizzled on contact with the ground.

‎Lucian's expression darkened at the sight of the creature.

‎A wry smile appeared on his face, his eyes glinting murderously.

‎"Well, I made my bed, now to lie in it."

‎The monster sniffed the ground, then raised its snout to the air.

‎It let out a thunderous roar that ripped through the air, echoing for miles around.

‎In the next moment, a dark figure nonchalantly stepped out of the shadows of the nearby rocks, coming to a stop a short distance away from the creature.

‎In the short time Lucian had to prepare for the fight, there were no elaborate traps he could prepare, given the short amount of time.

‎So Lucian simply abandoned that plan, opting for another option that still worked to his advantage.

‎Studying the terrain.

‎Traps, brute force, and skills were not the crucial things in winning a fight.

‎Knowing the battlefield and using it to outwit and outmaneuver the enemy was also another way to win the fight.

‎The "squinticore" stared at him warily, exposing its long jagged teeth in a beastial snarl.

‎" Here we go," Lucian thought, swiftly unsheathing the two dark blades at his side.

‎" Better make this work, Talia."

‎Taking a deep breath, he darted forward, sprinting headfirst to the jaws of death.

‎Umbralis faintly coursed through his body, boosting his speed.

‎His figure blurred through the space, appearing in front of the beast in an instant.

‎Talia watched the mad dash from the safety of the shadows, disbelief and shock flashing across her face.

‎" What the hell is this lunatic doing?"

‎Talia expected Lucian to strike from the shadows, but contrary to her prediction, and against all logic and reason, the uncanny scion faced the dire creature head-on.

‎Talia quickly aimed Hawk at the charging creature, her mind completely concentrating on tracking its every move.

‎She relaxed her breathing, loosening the tension in her wrist.

‎Her finger lightly curled around the trigger, waiting for the slightest opening to take out the squinticore's eyes.

‎In the next moment, the creature pounced, closing the remaining distance in a heartbeat.

‎Talia gasped slightly, her eyes widening in disbelief.

‎