SICARII

The battle raged on, the dense jungle turning into a warzone of blood and ash. Luna and Lara fought tirelessly, their movements a blur as they tried to hold back the relentless onslaught of beasts. Purple lightning crackled from Luna's daggers, illuminating her feral snarl, while Lara's Shadow Piercer roared with every bolt, the violent force of her shots splitting the air. But it was clear they were being overwhelmed.

The Nordic representative's carriage rattled in the distance, its horses spooked by the chaos. Inside, the representative and his assistant huddled, terror etched on their faces. "They're supposed to protect us!" the assistant whimpered, clutching at his chest.

"Stay calm," the representative hissed, though his trembling hands betrayed his words.

Outside, Zak and Luca shouted orders, their weapons flashing as they cut down the beasts swarming them. But then, a guttural growl rose above the din. Two of the hulking creatures—a jaguar hybrid with muscles bulging like iron and a scaled beast with venom dripping from its elongated fangs—broke through Lara and Luna's line.

"They're heading for the carriage!" Lara shouted, spinning around to fire her crossbow, but the beasts moved with unnatural speed. Luna lunged, her daggers slashing in desperation, but one beast batted her aside with a powerful swipe of its claw, sending her crashing into a tree.

"No!" Zak bellowed, but he was locked in his own deadly struggle with the eagle beast, unable to break away.

The jaguar hybrid reached the carriage first. With a deafening roar, it slammed into the wooden frame, splintering it apart like brittle bone. The assistant screamed, his terror freezing him in place as the creature loomed over him. Its claws gleamed under the fractured light as it plunged them into his chest. With a sickening crunch, the jaguar ripped out his heart in one swift motion. Blood sprayed across the shattered remains of the carriage as the assistant's lifeless body crumpled to the ground.

"No, no, no!" The Nordic representative stumbled out of the wreckage, his face pale as death. His eyes darted wildly, panic overtaking reason. Ignoring the chaos around him, he turned and ran, his heavy footsteps pounding against the forest floor.

Zak's voice tore through the air. "Don't run! They'll get you!" But his warning was swallowed by the deafening screech of the eagle beast.

The monstrous bird disengaged from Zak and Luca, its wings cutting through the air with a ferocity that bent branches and sent leaves swirling. It soared high above the battlefield, its piercing eyes locked onto the fleeing man.

"No, no!" the representative screamed, glancing over his shoulder just in time to see the beast descending like a living nightmare. Its talons, sharp as swords, glinted in the faint light before they found their mark—his skull.

With a sound like cracking stone, the eagle beast drove its talons deep into his head, the sheer force shattering bone and leaving the man's body limp. Blood pooled beneath him as his lifeless form crumpled to the ground, his wide eyes staring blankly into the void.

"Damn it!" Zak roared, his fury turning his strikes wild. He swung his axes in a brutal arc, slashing through one of the remaining beasts with a surge of violent strength, his rage fueling him.

Luna staggered back to her feet, blood trickling from a cut on her brow. "We're losing control of this fight!" she shouted, her voice tinged with desperation as she parried a jaguar hybrid's lunge with her crackling daggers.

Lara fired another bolt, the recoil jarring her arm. "We can't let this get worse!" Her tone was sharp, but there was no mistaking the strain in her voice. She reloaded with practiced speed, her fingers shaking as the chaos continued to unfold.

The jungle grew quieter for a moment, the sound of wings beating above the only reminder of the eagle beast's looming presence. Its shadow passed over them, a harbinger of death. Luna clenched her daggers tighter, her jaguar form barely holding as exhaustion clawed at her limbs. They were outnumbered, outmatched—and now, out of time.

Zak's voice cut through the chaos, hoarse and urgent. "We need to fall back to Fekka! Now!" His chest heaved, his dual axes dripping with blood, but his sharp eyes scanned the battered team. "Luna, Lara, fall in! We can't take them all!"

Luna staggered forward, her jaguar form barely holding together as she flicked blood from her crackling daggers. "They're relentless… We need to move fast!" she hissed. Her golden eyes darted to Lara, who was already reloading her Shadow Piercer with shaky but determined hands.

"Go! I'll cover you!" Lara shouted, releasing a bolt that screamed through the air, the dark energy trailing like smoke. The projectile hit its mark, piercing the chest of one beast mid-leap and sending it crashing lifelessly into the undergrowth.

Zak didn't hesitate, grabbing Luna's arm and pulling her forward as the forest around them seemed to come alive with shadows. The beasts pursued, their guttural growls and screeches echoing in the dense jungle.

"Lara, keep firing!" Zak ordered as they sprinted, branches whipping at their faces, the damp soil slick beneath their feet. Lara didn't need to be told twice. She spun on her heel as they ran, planting her feet just long enough to fire a rapid volley. The crossbow roared, each bolt screaming into the pack of beasts behind them. One fell, then another, but more kept coming, their hulking forms visible in the flickering light of Luna's daggers.

"They're not stopping!" Lara panted, her voice breaking as she reloaded. A scaled beast lunged from her flank, but she twisted at the last moment, firing a bolt at point-blank range. The impact sent her stumbling, but the creature crumpled to the ground, its head nearly split in two.

"Keep moving!" Zak barked, his voice filled with urgency. They crashed through the jungle, the heavy sounds of their boots drowned out by the guttural snarls closing in. Luna, her jaguar instincts flaring, whipped her head around. "They're gaining on us!"

"We're running out of time!" Lara snapped, firing another shot but missing this time, the bolt sinking harmlessly into a tree. Her movements were slowing, her breathing ragged.

Zak skidded to a halt, turning to face the beasts for a brief moment. His axes swung with brutal efficiency, forcing the nearest creatures to pull back, snarling. He turned back to the squad. "We can't let them catch us. Fekka needs to know what's happened here."

It was then that Luca stopped. His boots ground into the earth as he turned, his sword gleaming in the dim light. His face was set, his normally calm demeanor hardened into resolve. "Go."

Zak spun. "Luca, don't you dare—"

"I said GO!" Luca bellowed, his voice cracking like thunder. He stepped toward the advancing beasts, his sword raised high. "We can't all die here. Someone needs to report back."

"Luca, no!" Lara screamed, her crossbow shaking in her grip. She raised it as if to cover him, but Luca's fierce glare stopped her cold.

"Do as I say! Run!" he growled, his eyes briefly meeting each of theirs. Then he charged forward, his blade cutting through the air as the first beast lunged at him.

Luna hesitated, her claws twitching, but Zak grabbed her shoulder. "He's right. We have to move."

With gritted teeth, Zak pulled Luna and Lara forward, and the three broke into a desperate sprint, leaving Luca behind.

Behind them, Luca fought like a man possessed. His blade sang as it cleaved through muscle and bone, his movements fueled by raw determination. The first beast—a jaguar hybrid—fell with a guttural roar as Luca's sword split its chest. He spun, his weapon meeting the claws of another beast, sparks flying as steel collided with bone.

"You want me? Come get me!" he roared, slashing in wide arcs to keep the pack at bay. His strikes were precise but savage, each swing buying precious seconds for his comrades to escape.

The beasts surrounded him now, five of them circling like predators toying with their prey. One lunged from the side, but Luca ducked low, his sword carving upward and ripping through its throat. Another came from behind, its claws raking across his back, but he twisted, gritting his teeth against the pain as he drove his blade through its abdomen.

"Is that all you've got?!" Luca shouted, blood dripping from his lips. He swung again, but the creatures were relentless. One managed to sink its claws into his arm, forcing him to drop his sword. With a savage roar, Luca punched it with his free hand, knocking it back, but another beast tackled him from behind, driving him to the ground.

"Run…" he gasped, his voice faltering as the beasts piled on him.

The last thing he saw was the glint of Zak's axes disappearing into the jungle, and he managed a faint smile. They'll make it.

The sounds of the battle faded as Zak, Lara, and Luna continued their escape, their breaths ragged and bodies battered. Luna glanced back, her jaguar senses still picking up the distant echoes of snarls and growls.

"He's gone," Zak said flatly, not looking back. His voice was heavy with grief, but he forced himself to focus. "We can't stop. Not yet."

Lara's hands trembled as she clutched her crossbow, her face pale. "He bought us time… We can't waste it."

The jungle ahead was vast and unrelenting, but they pressed on, the weight of Luca's sacrifice driving them forward.