"ITS THEM!!" he stammered, "Those demons." Zach felt something familiar the instant he heard those words—terror.
"Beatrice, step back..." Zach muttered, looking in the distance. Through the large palm trees and lush greenery emerged a grotesque figure.
Its body was covered in dark, iridescent scales that shimmered subtly in the sunlight, each scale reflecting a spectrum of sinister colors.
Its limbs were a blend of human and feline, with powerful, muscular thighs tapering down to digitigrade feet reminiscent of a great cat.
A long, sinuous tail extended from the base of its spine, ending in a sharp, sword-like appendage. The tail swayed slowly behind the creature.
Zach's eyes widened as the familiar aura hit him.
"Why here... of all times?" Beatrice seemed to feel it too, as her cold demeanor cracked; her lips twisted into a grit.
"What is that?"
"Come on... come on" The beast let out a voice that sounded like gravel scraping against metal; its lips curled into a maniacal grin."you can't run from me forever".
"A Thyxar..." Zach replied. Beatrice had never seen a Thyxar before, so it was understandable she wouldn't recognize one.
The guard yelped, taking a step back. "No... no... you demon!!" He yelled, face filled with terror.
"Oh, come on..." The beast groaned as it walked closer. It noticed two other humans besides the guard—one in light armor wielding a katana, while the other held a hook blade.
"Ohh... what do we have here...?" Its smile widened as it noticed Zach and Beatrice's figures. Sweat dripped from Zach's face.
"T... this aura." It felt like Zach's skin was searing away, but no pain came. Deadly claws poked out of the beast's fingertips, dripping with blood from the guard's fellow comrades.
"Call for reinforcements." Beatrice gestured towards the guard, walking forward to Zach's side.
The guard nodded and took off in the distance, leaving the duo behind with the Thyxar.
"How did they get here?" The entire human kingdom was an island, so the only way to get to the mainland was through the sea.
But the king had thought of that, setting up scouting fleets all over the island. "Wait! Did they smash through the defenses?" That would be impossible, considering once their ships were spotted, the guards would send higher command to the mainland.
The only plausible explanation was the fact that this was a rogue unit. Zach's chest tightened, gripping his hook blades even tighter.
The monster walked closer, about 6ft tall, just as tall as Zach. Its bloodlust eyes trailed off to the bolting guard behind Zach.
"Run, little spark... run faster, make me chase!" A maniacal laughter echoed out of its lips as it crouched down, figure slightly hunched forward.
Zach could recognize that stance from a mile away. "The lounging stance!" Zach gritted. If the guard gets killed, the word won't reach central command.
Zach tried to move his body; he really did. His body tensed; he bolted. But it wasn't fast enough.
The monster turned into an arc of lightning, zipping past the duo in a dust cloud. The next instant, the guard's head spun in the air, terror etched on his face.
The creature stood over the body with a menacing smile plastered over its face. "Mmmhhnn," the creature licked its bloody claws with a satisfied smile, then glanced at the terrified duo.
"Mmm... more toys? Sharp ones." It sniffed the air. "Stronger. Faster." Its tone darkened. "Better..."
Zach couldn't believe it. It's enjoying this...!
"Different... ohhh, yes, yes, not like the others. Hhhahh! More fun for me—don't you dare break too fast!"
Zach stepped back. This guy... Its bloodlust was instant, almost acidic. It was insane.
The fiend moved, and it felt like the world blurred. Zach raised his hook blades to defend, but the blur cut through the air too fast.
Zach found himself in the air, looking at his headless body plop to the sandy shores lifelessly.
"Am I...?" His brain was about to shut down. "Dead...?" He couldn't feel his body; he couldn't feel his mind.
His consciousness slipped into the abyss with the taste of iron. The world blackened into a blur.
It was hot—not the ordinary heat, the one that presses from the inside, like a living furnace crawling through his veins and bone.
His body felt surreal and distant, like a shell already abandoned.
...
what...
Before he slipped away, he heard the Thyxar's maniacal crackle echo through the abyss.
Zach's thought process accelerated. So this is it... Every detail struck him at once—the weight of sand underneath his boots, the tang of seawater, the faint sunlight glimmering at the edge of Beatrice's blade.
Is she...
Zach worried about the gold-rank student. It was apparent; if that thing could kill him so fast, he was certain Beatrice would be next.
But she won't go down without a fight. She would struggle to her last breath. Too bad he wasn't struggling with her, though.
His soul flickered. The guard was dead. His body was lying headless on the sand. What meaning was there to an end?
I don't want this..
Pain flared in him.
I don't want to die like this...
No glory. No desperation. No, he wanted to fight longer, deal one or two blows, and then exit the world like a champ.
But that didn't happen; instead, he was met with cold claws and an extraordinarily long dialogue reflecting his life decisions.
Why'd it have to end like this?..
The darkness pressed in harder; all his senses were gone; only thought remained.
[You have failed] He saw the message hovering in the abyss.
Then light flickered. His sides burned. Arghh... Pain returned. Zach could feel his hand, his legs; he... could see.
What is this...? He tried to move but was constrained.
[Welcome to your first trial, seeker]
[The Thyxar Kingdom has infiltrated your ranks]
Zach's eyes widened. What... what is this...? Familiar sounds filled the air—the sound of horses neighing, the sound of carriage wheels turning.
Then it stopped, and the box was lifted. "Why'd they send us to dispose of the bodies in the lake? We could've just burned them at the castle; no problem."
Zach's heart skipped a beat. "Tch! And leave traces of the count's death as we know it? Yeah, right! Great way to get us killed."