The forest seemed endless, every shadow stretching longer than the last. The canopy above blocked most of the sun, creating a dim green world of shifting leaves, damp soil, and air so heavy it clung to the skin. The Emberclaw Raptor was wounded, but a wounded beast was often more dangerous than one unscathed.
Hunnt crouched low, pressing his hand against the dirt. A faint smear of blood stained his fingertips, dark red against the soil. He narrowed his eyes at the trail ahead. "It's close. The wounds are slowing it, but it's not stopping. It's heading deeper."
Corwin walked silently beside him, hammer resting lightly against his shoulder. His sharp eyes scanned the broken foliage. "It's moving fast, but sloppy. Every claw mark's uneven. It's panicking."
"Panicked monsters lash out harder," Hunnt replied. He stood, fists tightening around his gauntlets. "Stay sharp."
Pyro darted across a fallen log, his small body moving like a streak of golden light. His ears twitched, tail flicking as he sniffed the air. "Master, I hear it. Not far ahead—snarling. Something's chasing it too."
Elara adjusted her bowstring, the monster-material arrows she'd prepared gleaming faintly in the filtered light. Her breath slowed as she kept her aim low but ready. "If something else has been drawn in, we're in for a harder fight."
The party moved as one, steps measured, breaths controlled. Each of them knew the forest could turn hostile in an instant.
---
The sounds reached them first: claws scraping bark, branches snapping, a deep guttural hiss. Then a shrill screech ripped through the air—the Emberclaw Raptor. But beneath it was another sound, heavier, like scales dragging over stone.
They broke into a small clearing where sunlight cut through the canopy. The Emberclaw Raptor limped on one leg, blood seeping from earlier wounds. It hissed at the shadows, tail swishing with fury.
And from those shadows emerged another predator: a Forest Fang Lizard. Its long body rippled with muscle, scales mottled green and brown to blend with the forest floor. Its glowing eyes locked on the Raptor, tongue flicking hungrily.
Two predators. Two threats. And the hunters caught between them.
Hunnt stepped forward. "Corwin, you're with me on the Raptor. Pyro, keep the lizard distracted. Elara, provide cover for both fights. We can't let either of them corner us."
"Got it," Elara replied, already pulling back an arrow.
Pyro bared his teeth, SnS gleaming. "Nyahaha, I'll dance with the lizard, Master. Watch me shine."
Corwin simply nodded, hammer lowering into striking position.
The Emberclaw Raptor shrieked and lunged, claws slicing through the air toward Hunnt. Soru flared beneath his feet, his body vanishing in a blur as he sidestepped and countered with a gauntlet strike to its ribs. Sparks flew, the impact reverberating up his arm.
Corwin stepped in at the same moment, bracing with Tekkai as the Raptor swung its tail. The shock rattled through his body, but he held firm, hammer crashing down on the beast's injured leg. The crack of bone echoed, forcing the monster into a stagger.
---
Meanwhile, Pyro faced the Forest Fang Lizard. It snapped its jaws, teeth flashing like daggers. Pyro twisted with Kami-e, his lithe body slipping just past its bite, claws raking across the lizard's eye ridge. "Too slow, nyaah!" he taunted, bounding away before it could retaliate.
Elara fired, her arrow whistling through the air. It struck the lizard's shoulder joint, staggering it for a moment—just long enough for Pyro to circle and slash at its tail.
Hunnt kept moving, weaving through the Raptor's furious swipes. Kami-e let his body slip just under a claw strike, his gauntlets crashing into the beast's lower jaw. "It's slowing! Keep pressing!"
Corwin's hammer arced high and smashed into the Raptor's shoulder. The monster roared, stumbling, blood splattering across the ground. For the first time, Hunnt saw its movements falter.
But victory was not so close.
The Raptor's eyes burned with feral rage. It let out a piercing screech, slamming its tail into the ground so hard that dirt and rocks sprayed in every direction. Hunnt raised his arms in Tekkai, absorbing the shock, but still felt his legs buckle under the tremor.
The Fang Lizard took advantage, lunging at Pyro with jaws wide. He barely slipped aside, Kami-e twisting his body into impossible angles, but its tail whipped across his chest, knocking him into a tree. "Nngh—!" Pyro hissed, shaking off the impact.
"Pyro!" Hunnt called, fists tightening.
"I'm fine, Master!" Pyro coughed, scrambling back to his feet. His tail flicked defiantly. "Just a scratch, nyaah."
Elara shifted her position, heart pounding. Her eyes flicked between the two battles. She fired another arrow, this time at the Raptor's injured leg. The shot struck true, slowing its lunge toward Hunnt.
"Perfect timing," Hunnt muttered, charging in with renewed focus. His fists slammed into its exposed ribs, one after the other, his gauntlets cracking against bone.
Corwin followed, hammer crashing down in a two-handed strike. The Raptor reeled, blood spilling from its mouth as it staggered.
---
The Fang Lizard hissed, circling, waiting for an opening. Pyro crouched low, SnS ready, eyes narrowing. "Come on, ugly. Try me."
It lunged again, but this time Pyro met it head-on. His shield deflected the snapping jaws, his blade stabbing into its throat. The monster thrashed, tail smashing across the ground, but Pyro twisted free, rolling with the blow.
"Now, Elara!" Hunnt barked.
Her arrow sang through the air, piercing straight into the lizard's eye. It shrieked, flailing blindly. Pyro leapt onto its back, slashing again and again until the creature collapsed, tail twitching weakly.
---
The Emberclaw Raptor saw its chance and roared, lunging at Elara. She gasped, but instinct took over. Soru burst beneath her feet, sending her sliding back just in time to avoid its snapping jaws. Her heart pounded, but her grip on the bow remained steady.
Hunnt darted in, fists smashing into the Raptor's jaw, forcing it upward. Corwin swung his hammer with a roar, connecting with its temple. The beast let out one last screech before crashing into the dirt, trembling once… twice… then falling still.
---
Silence.
The only sounds left were the hunters' ragged breathing and the rustling leaves. Blood seeped into the soil, the metallic scent filling the clearing.
Hunnt straightened, wiping sweat from his brow. "Two down. But…" He glanced toward the deeper forest, where the shadows seemed to thicken unnaturally. "…that roar earlier wasn't either of them."
Pyro dropped to the ground, panting but grinning. "Nyahaha… Master, we did it. But something bigger's waiting, I can feel it."
Elara lowered her bow slowly, trying to calm her racing heart. "If that's true… then this was only a warm-up."
Corwin's hammer rested heavily against his shoulder, his eyes narrowed. "Stay sharp. The hunt isn't finished."
Hunnt looked toward the deeper shadows of the woods, fists tightening. "Then we keep moving."
The forest seemed to breathe with them, silence thick and heavy, as though something far greater waited ahead.
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✨ Hi amazing readers! ✨
I'm beyond excited to share not just one, but two epic stories with you!
📖 Final Fantasy: The Unwritten
Step into the vast multiverse of Final Fantasy—where heroes, destinies, and untold adventures intertwine in ways you've never seen before.
⚔️ Renegade: Arsenal of War
Follow the journey of a relentless tech soldier who forges groundbreaking weapons to end the war once and for all.
Your support means the world to me—every read, comment, and share helps bring these stories to life. 🌌🔥 Together, let's explore the unwritten and fight through the arsenal of war!
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