01.17 - Wild Hunt

The dusk of the following day had nearly surrendered to nightfall when the group arrived at the meeting spot, a small clearing in the forest framed by artificial lights. Their automobile had taken them deep into the woods, where narrowing streets had turned into dirt roads before vanishing entirely beneath the thick underbrush.

Terra was already waiting, casually adjusting her shoulder-length white hair. Silver scales framed her arms and face, and even the shape of her eyes evoked a serpent’s gaze. As the official intermediary between the Hunters’ Guild and the ‘Ruler of the Forest,’ she wielded considerable influence, though neither Luc nor his friends had ever met any of the elusive rulers themselves.

“It seems you brought the whole lot this time,” said Terra.

“The more, the merrier,” said Mary. “I think the nine of them can handle the quest.”

“The nine?” Luc asked. “You’re not hunting with us?”

“Terra and I will be overseeing the hunt,” said Mary. “We’ll only step in if necessary.”

“So... Terra’s coming along too?” Hannah asked. “Is there anything unusual going on this time?”

“No,” said Terra. “Consider it an inquiry into why the Lesser Shadow Fiends are proliferating. It also doubles as a request from Mary.”

“A request?” Hannah asked.

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with,” said Terra. “Just focus on the hunt. The sun is gone, and the fiends won’t exterminate themselves.”

“Just a moment,” Mary said, retrieving several Artificial Cores from her pocket. “I’ll set up the Light Wisps.”

She infused a minuscule amount of her Aura into each Core, one by one. Each sphere became encased in a translucent sheen, glowed softly, and then lifted into the air. When the last Core was prepared, Mary activated another program, instructing the floating orbs to follow Luc and the others.

Only Terra and Mary remained without a light source. After a short briefing, the two vanished into the upper branches of the nearby trees, leaving Hannah in charge of the group.

They began their journey deeper into the forest, following the formation proposed by Hannah.

Mary and Terra observed them from the trees above.

Sascha took the position of vanguard and scout.

Following behind were Rogue and Hannah as the frontline.

Uriah, Gabe, and Mirai were positioned in the center, looking after Rafe and Rem in the backline.

Luc was positioned as the rearguard but also doubled as sniper and artillery.

They faced minor resistance for most of their march. The few stragglers were taken care of by Sascha or eliminated by Luc.

Half an hour later, the group reached a wide clearing within the forest.

Sounds of slashes and blunt impacts echoed through the night, and the smell of blood, sweat, and damp soil filled the air.

Then they reached Sascha, who had not reported back for a while. She was in the middle of a fierce brawl, surrounded on all sides, with more enemies drawing in by the minute.

Any sane person would have at least attempted to retreat, but Sascha was slashing through enemy after enemy while more and more Lesser Shadow Fiends rushed in to replace the fallen.

Her own wounds kept closing fast, but she was burning through her Aura reserves faster than they could replenish.

“Sascha, fall back!” Hannah screamed through the skirmish. “Luc, your turn! Focus on the enemies in the back! Fire away!”

Just as Sascha tried to heed the call, two more enemies jumped at her from opposite sides. The right one went for her throat. She barely skewered his face with the claws on her right glove, then severed the Core from its mask.

The other one dug into her left arm. Her face turned to a pained grimace, and a series of curses escaped her mouth.

The Lesser Shadow Fiend’s bite left a deep wound that was ripped open further by Sascha dashing toward her allies. More and more blood spilled on the ground. This one was deep enough not to close on its own any time soon.

She clenched her teeth, then retaliated with her right hand, claws flashing in the dim light, severing the remaining foe’s Core.

Sascha had almost reached the group. The remaining enemies pursuing her came close to catching up but ran straight into an ice wall conjured by Rem. Some of their neck bones snapped, killing them on the spot, while other enemies severely injured themselves.

The enemies further back came to a halt and spread out to flank the group instead.

Before they could rush in, Uriah stomped onto and liquefied the earth and mud around the now stretched-out group formation and shaped it into thick walls to their sides, blocking further enemies from surrounding them.

Meanwhile, Luc emitted five projectiles in response to his sister’s call.

They went down close behind Sascha. Every impact was followed by a huge explosion. A wave of hot, compressed air washed over the battlefield, cracking the ice wall. Some of the dried twigs and cones on the ground caught fire, but their embers died down soon after.

The shockwaves pushed Sascha further toward the group.

The impacts were close, far too close for comfort.

Rafe left his position to tend to his sister's injuries.

Just as his Aura began to cover the wound, the spilled blood and torn flesh from the ground rushed back to Sascha’s arm. Blood drop by blood drop, tendon by tendon, muscle fiber by muscle fiber, the wound slowly closed.

The foes, blocked off from attacking the groups from the side by Uriah’s earth walls, rushed to the front and back of the formation.

Rogue kept his position at the front, readied his daggers, and surveyed his surroundings as the enemies came closer and closer.

He seemed relaxed, even as half a dozen foes closed in on his position.

The first couple of them suddenly changed their behavior, seemingly losing control of their direction, stumbling around like drunkards, only propelled forward by their remaining momentum.

Rogue spared no time and dug his right dagger into their masks, severing the Cores. The others followed suit.

The Light Wisps illuminated the group’s center, casting long shadows against the earthen walls erected by Uriah as further enemies closed in on the groups position. Luckily, the Lesser Shadow Fiends could only move within connected shadows.

Meanwhile, Hannah rushed to support Luc and secure the back of the formation.

She mowed down foe after foe with pinpointed hits to the Cores embedded on their masks.

The remaining fiends abruptly stopped their assault and vanished into the surrounding shadows.

Silence followed.

Just as relief was about to set in, a new eerie presence stirred.

No animal sounds.

No buzzing of insects.

Just the occasional gust of wind flowing through the trees around the clearing.

A beast emerged on the opposite side of the clearing, larger and more menacing than the others. Nine black tails flickered behind it, and nine glowing Cores of various colors were embedded in its mask.

It stood there for a long while, its gaze locked on the center of the group.

The other fiends were lurking in its wake. They slowly encircled the group but kept their distance, as if waiting for a signal to rush in once more.