The Pitch-Dark Beast

     A piercing, gravely howl was heard from outside of the cave, and every single hunter in the vicinity was rendered entirely speechless in their abject horror. Not one person present outside could move a muscle, completely overwhelmed by the creature's great might despite not having seen it themselves. They could only imagine how much worse it must have been for the other group in charge of luring the beast out of its home. Oh, how truly terrified they must have been as they stood before it, their hopes for survival in their current situation relying solely on the plan they had concocted. They could only pray that it would lead them to victory. 

     Charlotte looked on with clear anxiety as the howl rang out, her features twisted in fear as she flinched from the sheer intensity of the sound. She swallowed hard, a lump in her throat almost preventing her from doing so. She and Will had already accepted the fact they would be walking into danger—that it would be the most treacherous mission they had embarked upon yet, testing their limits like nothing had before. However, only then was it truly clear just how dangerous an undertaking the request was. As she waited a short distance from the mouth of the cave, nervously anticipating the eventual arrival of Will and the rest of the other hunters with the beast close behind, she could not help but wonder if the two of them were cut out for the possible threats that accompanied working as hunters. The words left her mouth as if they had a mind of their own.

     “Can we really do this…?”

     Will and the team of hunters he had been assigned to stood before the towering black beast, looking on in terror as it let out its deafening howl. The ear-piercing sound echoed upon the cave walls, rebounding about the chamber and causing great pain to all those inside. A few hunters crumpled to the ground out of fear the moment the howl sounded, unable to move an inch. Faris, the hunter ranked highest among those in the group, spoke up to rally the attention of everyone in the group.

     “On your feet, men! We cannot allow our fear to rule us! We must slay the vampire wolf for the sake of all our town's inhabitants! For us and our families, we must be victorious!”

     Among hunters, there was a strict ranking system to separate those with greater skill and experience from those with less, with the ranks typically ranging from copper, to bronze, to silver, to gold, and finally platinum. Will and Charlotte began as copper-rank hunters, but had since steadily made their way toward bronze in the several days following their registration. The leader of Will's team, however, was of silver rank, his skill and experience exceeding that of the pair by a significant margin. He called out to the group in an attempt to calm the other hunters and motivate them to stand their ground as the vampire wolf prepared to strike. His words held weight among the people of the Hunter's Guild, his experience as a more accomplished hunter amplifying their worth, so Will and the others listened. Most of them, anyhow.

     The other hunters gathered themselves, feigning composure to an extent, but ready to fight regardless. Will did the same, taking stance as he readied himself for the battle and drawing his sword. However, one hunter in particular was not so convinced, and he took the opportunity to voice his concerns openly. Now, whether choosing that particular moment to do such a thing was sensible or not… That would be another thing entirely. He was a tired-looking man who looked to be on the scrawny side somewhat, with a cowardly look on his face as he spoke. He was likely in his late thirties, a fair bit older than the average hunter despite his bronze rank. Seeming more concerned with his own safety rather than the obvious threat at hand, he shouted at the other hunters.

     “You can't be serious! You lot are outta your minds! You guys can all throw your lives away, but I'm outta here!”

     With that, he attempted to run out of the cave and as far from the danger as his legs could carry him. However, he and the rest of the group quickly learned that running would be far from easy, perhaps even an impossibility. They had not noticed due to the sheer size of the dark cavern chamber and the somewhat dim light of their torches, but the vampire wolf was, in fact, not alone in its den. Four other lupine monsters, all midnight wolves they realized, resided within the cave alongside the vampire wolf. They appeared to be the beast's pack, and to the great dismay of the hunters, they did not take kindly to having their sleep disrupted.

     Before the man could make it to the passage leading to the cave's entrance, the other wolves sprang from the darkness, bearing down upon him with great speed and quickly reducing him to an indisputable example of what would happen to them should they have tried to escape. He had not even been afforded the time to scream. They looked on in horror, their gazes glued to what remained of the man until they heard the vampire wolf growl fiercely and returned their attention to it. Faris was shaken as well, but his experience as a hunter told him that such a thing could only be expected to befall those that would turn their back on an enemy. And, that was to say nothing of the man's betrayal of his comrades. Without a moment’s hesitation, he called out to the others, his weapon readied as he shifted his gaze from one wolf to the next.

     “Eyes forward, men! We do this not only for ourselves, but for the lives of those that reside in our fair town! We cannot, and we shall not fail! Now, we must slay the midnight wolves, and enact our plan as intended! Forward!”

     With a battlecry that stirred the hearts and minds of every hunter in the vicinity, he moved forward, beginning to do battle with one of the four midnight wolves that were gathered around the group. Will and the rest followed suit, dividing into four subgroups to deal with them while the remaining few oversaw and orchestrated the battle from a short distance away. They would call out to the others if the vampire wolf began to move, but for the moment, it seemed the creature was content simply watching the show. It eyed the hunters with its piercing gaze, not moving an inch to assist its pack. Perhaps it believed the midnight wolves strong enough to deal with the hunters on their own, or perhaps it simply did not care whether they perished or not, using them as well as the hunters for entertainment.

     The battle began, and the hunters fought with all their might against the four midnight wolves defending their leader. Will was fighting the midnight wolf closest to the chamber's exit, close beside the remains of the man that had attempted to run away. He could not help but glance over at what remained of the man, his fear getting the better of him for a moment, and the midnight wolf took advantage of the opportunity to lunge at him. Fortunately, his fellow hunters stepped in to save him, holding the creature back and standing firm in defense of their own as Will snapped out of it. No longer occupied by his thoughts, he growled in frustration and struck himself with his free hand. He slapped himself in the face, the pain serving to clear his mind before he at last began to fight alongside his comrades. They surrounded the midnight wolf on all sides to limit its movement, proceeding to attack it from its blind spots. It was a strong opponent to be sure, but they could certainly win if they took advantage of their comparatively large numbers.

     It took some time, but eventually, the midnight wolf grew weak. In its desperation, however, it attempted to break their formation and join one of its fellows. Its large tail lashed out at Will, knocking him backward and taking his comrades off guard. As they scrambled to remedy the situation, it struck one hunter with its claws, causing grave injury and leaving him unable to fight. Will recovered from being struck, only to see his fellow hunters struggling to fend off the midnight wolf. It became apparent that it had been saving its strength for such an opportunity, and it was now fighting with all its strength to incapacitate them. He could not allow it to happen. He could not let those that had assisted him fall due to his own failure. So, without a word, he lunged forward, feeling his arms and legs growing warmer by the second. He raced towards the midnight wolf, raising his sword and preparing to strike as his limbs became incredibly hot, almost painfully so. Power seemed to flow through his veins like electricity, and with a powerful swing of his blade, the wolf suffered a grievous wound and was defeated.

     The midnight wolf met the stone floor with a resounding thud, having fallen to Will's devastating strike. He let out a shaky sigh, struggling to collect himself after his small victory against the beast. He could not have done it without the help of his fellow hunters, and once he had finally regained his composure for the most part, he immediately looked to the one that had been injured. He cursed himself, wishing he had done more. If he had, perhaps they would not have been hurt, and perhaps the wolf would have fallen sooner. One of the other hunters in his group walked over while he was lost in thought, placing a hand on his shoulder. He was older, in his late twenties perhaps, and there was a soft smile on his face.

     “Don't blame yourself for this,” he said, attempting to reassure Will. “This is what it means to be a hunter. Besides, he might still survive this if we're able to do our part and lure the vampire wolf out of this cave in time.”

     Will met his gaze with a tinge of regret in his eyes, still upset by the situation. But, he simply nodded, choosing to take the man at his word and focus on the task at hand. He looked around at the other hunters in the chamber, seeing that they were all either finished with their battles or nearly done. After just a few more minutes, all four midnight wolves had fallen, and while the hunters had sustained some injuries, most were ready to continue the fight. Those that were not were instead entrusted to those that were known to have some knowledge of medicine. That way, the most skilled hunters would be able to fend off the vampire wolf without worrying for the injured. Although, it would still be incredibly difficult. Even a single misstep would spell the end for all of them, so they approached the vampire wolf with caution, standing in formation as they prepared to lure it out of its den at last.

     As Will and the other hunters prepared to do battle with the vampire wolf, Faris, the leader, spoke up before they could go any further.

     “Stand back! I will provoke the beast myself. Those of greater strength and skill will support me, and the rest will tend to the wounded and carry them outside. Understood?”

     “Yes, sir!” the other hunters responded in unison.

     Will nodded, his expression more serious as his eyes shone with determination. Everyone was ready to finally put what they had planned into action and draw the vampire wolf toward the others lying in wait outside. Faris approached the towering black beast, the certainty of his movements demonstrating his own resolve. He slowly reached for his belt and unhooked something from it as he drew closer to the creature. It appeared to be a vessel of some kind, a small jar sealed tight with cork and rope. He held it firmly in his hand, and once he was within range, he hurled it at the wolf with all his strength. The jar arced through the air before striking its face and shattering on impact. Its contents splattered all over the wolf's muzzle and neck, causing it to reel backwards. Will and the other hunters were unsure of why the vampire wolf would reel from such a paltry strike, that was until the smell reached them. It was a truly terrible odor, sour and pungent, awe-inspiring in its foul nature. It smelled of death, of decomposition, and it was enough to provoke the beast into action.

     The wolf let out a thunderous howl before lunging forward with incredible speed and swiping at Faris. Faris barely managed to avoid its razor-sharp claws, taking a large step back and raising his blade to meet them while holding firm where he stood. The force of the blow was met by his steel, thus saving him from injury, but his blade broke in the process. He was forced backwards a considerable distance, so he took the opportunity to retreat alongside Will and the other hunters. He was behind them by a significant margin, though that was to their benefit. If he was to fall, even if he perished, they would still have the chance to escape without him.

     So, the entire group fled the cavern chamber with the vampire wolf close behind and rapidly gaining on them. If things remained as they were, the wolf was guaranteed to catch up with them before they could ever reach the mouth of the cave, but Faris had one last thing to keep the beast at bay. He reached for his belt as he ran and unhooked yet another putrid jar, hurling it backward at the wolf and striking it with deadly accuracy. The wolf's face was splattered with even more of the foul, repulsive mixture, causing it to come to a stop for a moment and let out a sharp yelp. This allowed the hunters to put more distance between the creature and themselves, the cave entrance drawing closer with every moment that passed. They ran with all their might, each injured man being carried by two that were of able-body. They would not allow any further casualties, and leaving their fellows behind was out of the question.

     Charlotte and the other hunters waiting outside of the cave's entrance were alerted by the fearsome howl of the vampire wolf as it began to chase the group inside. All of them readied themselves as a deep rumbling echoed out from within the rocky passage. Charlotte herself had taken the opportunity to expand her senses outward and attempt to locate all plant life that she could possibly make use of to entrap or attack the beast upon its arrival. Fortunately, while there was no surplus of possible targets, the incredibly large trees that grew in the inner parts of the forest were sure to be of help, so she kept track of the ones closest to her as she awaited Will's return alongside his group. As the rumbling within the cave drew ever closer, Charlotte and the other group of hunters gathered near the cave mouth in formation, prepared to meet the beast with their full might as the first group approached rapidly.

     Another minute passed, and the first group sprinted out of the cave as fast as their legs could carry them. They joined with Charlotte's group outside and had a few able hunters tend to their wounded immediately. Once the wounded had been left in good hands, the entire fighting force turned their attention to the passage leading into the cave. The vampire wolf was fast approaching, but that was not all. They quickly realized that Faris himself had not made it out of the cave yet. He was still sprinting towards the exit, the vampire wolf hot on his trail. It looked as though he would not make it in time, so he shouted to the other hunters as he ran.

     “Don't worry about me! Strike the beast while I have it occupied! That will be your chance!”

     The other hunters were in strong disagreement with his order, but they also understood that they could not allow the wolf to wipe them out or escape. If they did, the forest ecosystem would have hell to pay, as would the town and all its residents. It was a terribly difficult decision to say the least, but they knew it was for the best. Will, on the other hand, was not so resolute on the matter of leaving Faris to perish alone. With fists clenched and a familiar warmth building in his limbs, he made a decision of his own, one that he would not back down from no matter what argument he would have been faced with.

     Faris and the vampire wolf approached the cave's entrance, but before he could join with his fellow hunters, he was tackled to the ground. The beast had him, pinning him beneath its powerful limbs with fangs bared. It looked as though his end had arrived, and he seemed to have accepted that fact. Or, at the very least, he was resolved to feign as much for his comrades, though none of them could have hoped to know which. However, before the beast could sink its teeth into the man, it was struck from the side with tremendous force. Will had made his move, rocketing forward and striking the wolf with his bare fist, putting as much power into the blow as he could to get it off of Faris. His attack sent the beast reeling, nearly lifting it off the ground. It slammed into the wall of the cave's passage, sending great vibrations through the stone. Faris immediately got to his feet with a look of shock on his face, but before he could question what just occurred, he was ushered off by a few of the other hunters to receive medical treatment.

     Will had done what he so desired, saving Faris from the clutches of the vampire wolf through the use of his amazing power. He had truly done it. Unfortunately, the consequences of his actions soon made themselves known. As the force of the beast's impact with the cave wall reverberated through the stone, a cave-in began as a direct result. The stone rumbled and shook overhead, groaning in protest at the vibrations that had moved through it in waves. The mouth of the cave began rapidly collapsing over him, and in seconds, the unaware Will would be crushed. Seeing this, Charlotte could not stand idly by and allow such a thing to happen. Riding on a burst of adrenaline, she dashed towards him at full speed, diving forward and tackling him out of the way. The cave collapsed behind them as they slid into the rocky passage, sealing the exit and trapping them inside the cavern. Faris looked on in horror, running over to the sealed opening and shouting into the rocks in hopes that his voice would reach the two of them 

     “Are you two alright?!” he called out. “You need to get out of there! We'll try to make an opening from outside! You two avoid causing another collapse!”

     Charlotte and Will slowly rose from the floor as they groaned in unison, attempting to make sense of what had occurred. They looked around the dark passage in a daze, their gazes landing on the exit sealed with countless rocks. The seal was not airtight, and they could faintly hear Faris shouting from outside, but it seemed that they would not be escaping for some time. It was then that they heard it. A horrible, gravely sound that shook them to their very cores—it was the growl of a beast. Somehow, Charlotte had neglected to realize what should have been the most obvious consequence of saving Will from the collapse. Now, at that moment, they were face to face with it. The vampire wolf stood before them, and they were completely trapped. They had nowhere to run.