Night Chase

A person clad in white was sprinting past branches and foliage,the cold breeze against her face.Moonlight casting down making her navigate through the forest without needing a torch.

THUMP THUMP!

A set of heavy footsteps drumming against the ground behind her,leaves loudly rustling.

She ducked before her hijab got snatched by a branch then slid past another before launching herself on the side,hiding inside the bushes.

She covered her mouth and slowed her breathing.A large creature with black fur,appeared between the trees.Standing on two,it sniffed the air with its long snout,the sound of air being loudly pulled in.The beast shaking,its fur blurring.It yawned,showing gleaming white teeth reflecting against the moonlight.

A soft thump.

The beast dropped,standing on all fours.Its tail swinging,black smoke curling with each sway.Sharp claws scratching the ground,wounding the earth.The beast turned its head in the direction of the bushes,triangular ears twitching.The air shifted as the beast slowly nears.

Quickly,she snatched a bottle in her waist pocket and with a sway of her arm,she launched it far to her right.

BANG!

A sudden explosion shook trees.Dust,leaves and twigs flying.The creature paused,turning its head,purple eyes focused.It launched forward,rushing where the explosion was,leaving a trail of dust behind.

She quickly scrambled out of her hiding place and took out a potion bottle hinged to her belt.Shaking it vigorously,light came out.Holding up its neck,waving it.Light spilled on the branches,reflecting something ahead.Spotting a thin string,she hurried over with a small dagger and did a quick swing.

CRASH!

Glasses shattered then a blinding white flash followed.She instinctively covered her face.After regaining composure,she ran to the direction of the flash.

Nestled among the trees,a soft bright circle,pulsing,surrounded the beast.

Bound by multiple luminous strings,pinning it down.The beast glared at her with its vicious glowing eyes.Snarling,baring sharp teeth,ready to tear her apart.Saliva dripping from its mouth.

Holding up the glowing bottle,she stepped forward,dagger on hand.

Seeing this,as if the beast knew what will happen if she got close,it growled and struggled,shaking off the strings binding it down,but its movement restricted.The strings against its dark body.

Then it stopped.

Eyes shining brighter,its irises shifted from purple to magenta.Black smoke rising from the corner of both eyes.Hesitating,she stopped,putting the dagger in front of her as she shifts her foot.Her brows furrowed.

The beast,slowly melting like ice.Strings loosen its grasp as the beast turned into a puddle.Leaving nothing but a dark mass,fading with each second.

She stood there,knowing she can't do anything but watch.

The strings no longer bind anything.

Alert,she holds up her glowing bottle,swerving from left to right.

The beast has departed,leaving her and the strings,fairly shimmering in the night.

She sighed."What a bother..."

Heaving cold air to her lungs,she mumbled.

"I wasted my ingredients..."

Kneeling,she collected the strings.

"This can be reused..."

She got up and carefully circled it.

Looking at the dark forest,the trunks and foliage,she thought.

"I have no more spells..."

She walked towards the bushes,disappearing out in the open.

Glowing bottle on hand and knees on the ground,she grasped amongst the bushes with her right hand.Wet grass slightly pricking her palm.

She felt something thin on her skin.She picked the string up then rounded on her wrist.Bringing out a small bag on her waist pocket,she carefully spilled grounded charcoal to form a circle then tucked it back inside her cloth.

A damp musty scent.

She brought out a pair of flint then struck it once then twice,sparks fell on the ground.A small orange light quickly traced the charcoal,eating it.Flames arose,leaving nothing but a patch of dirt and a smell of burnt soot.

She meticulously drew a circle with runes on the ground with blue chalk.She stood up,knees cracking,making her cringe.

She walked into the forest,bottle lighting up her path,the sound of wet grass rustling.Following the string,retrieving it,forming a bundle bound on her wrist.

After a while,the path revealed a grove.Overgrowing with vines,moss,and brown mushrooms on moist rocks.A couple of streams flowing on both sides from the entrance of the cave.

She entered,her footsteps echoing.The bottle's glow showing rock patterns on the lime walls,her shadow elongated on the ceiling.A slight smell of smoke in the air.

In the distance was a lone campfire,dead.She poured the glowing potion on the embers,the orange liquid mixing with gray ashes within remaining firewood.With her flints,she once again struck it.Sparks popping in then out,flashing light in seconds.

Flames sprout from the dead campfire,alive again.Giving light inside the cavernous cave,revealing a couple of bats hanging on the ceiling,squeaking,wondering why the sun was here.

Flames making the shadows dance.

She removed the circled bundle of strings on her wrist then settled it beside a giant overflowing bag.Multiple glass bottles peeking out.

CLINK CLINK!

She sighed while she rummaged through the bottles then brought out a worn leather journal,it has seen enough.

"Inventory time..."She mumbled.

A bat flew by,screeching,echoing through the cave.She sat on a thin sheepskin mattress,feeling the campfire's warmth.

"Final ember potion."She thought as she eyed the swaying flames of the campfire,ashes slowly rising.

"Return to the fireflies early in the morning."She scribbled on one of the pages.

"I will go back to the town's apothecary to get more ingredients—however..."

She exhaled,tapping her pencil on her chin.

For a moment,the image of the fiend's glowing eyes settled on her mind.

"It knows when to retreat—it will come back prepared."She breathes in then out,letting out a weary sigh.

"Meaning,I may need twice the amount of ingredients—but..."She mulled.

"I don't think I have enough money.I have to enchant traps.However."

She thought back to the fiend melting into a dark puddle dissipating.

"Will the same enchantment work again?

She tched.By the pantheons!"

"I need to rework the spell..."She flipped through the last page of her journal.The sound of paper overlapping with firewood cracking.

A torn page is carefully tucked,filled with elegant writing and detailed sketches.She held the page against the campfire's light.

She skimmed the contents,showing the different sketches of the parts of the fiend.
Shadow fiend—a creature made by the Demon Lord—susceptible to pure magic and physical attacks—immune to physical damage in shadow form

"It didn't mention any kind of purification spell..."

She slumped."As if new info will magically appear!"

She craned her neck to the ceiling,arm over her eyes.

"It can't be helped.I was rushing while in the Royal Library—but at least."

She brought out a necklace hidden on her neck.She held it in the air,twisting her wrist as she scrutinized it.The round hollow glass reflecting orange light.A dark purple smoke writhing inside,faintly pulsing.

Smirking,she thought."Good thing I stole this from the Church."

"I will try to purify the fiend's magic.I hope it won't take long..."

Eyeing the shifting smoke inside,she noticed."So it changes color..."

She inserted the pendant inside her cloth again,a slight purple against her white clothing.She stood up then stretched her body,yawning.

"Prep work..."Thinking as she brought out multiple bottles from her bag,casting more shadows on the ceiling.

Potion bottles rolled on the ground,clinking.While the campfire crackled.Flapping wings in the air as the bats leave the area,sick of the campfire's light.

To prepare for a hunt that wasn't over,she would need to focus,for each second is valuable.