Chương 48: Unexpected

Blick needed to make a choice. He had been passive knowing this was a benefit to him, but now that there were an unknown number of similar beasts heading his way he needed to act. People were safer than beasts. Even if they may try and rob him later. As the cat stood there waiting and the three people had yet to react to the yowl. Blick jumped to a closer tree branch trying to get above the beast without alerting it. Carter saw the movement and called out.

"The beast man is moving in, I highly doubt he is going to team up with this creature. Group and get ready to run back to the river." Without any question or gripe the other two moved immediately. When blick landed on the branch high above the beast he looked at Carter who made eye contact. They both nodded in understanding and Blick released the branch falling silently. At the moment he started falling Carter raised his sword and charged with his two allies following.

Blick clearly surprised the cat when he landed with two clawed hands buried deep in its back haunches. It howled and turned just before the team collided with its now open neck and front legs. The five bodies fell together into a roll as the humans stabbed deep and Blick tried not to get crushed by the huge beast. As it fell onto its side nearly flat on its back, he rolled over and stood fast with both clawed hands up ready to defend himself.

It was a good thing too because as he rose a tentacle lashed out and grabbed his lower leg but wasn't fast enough as he grasped it back with one hand and removed it from the beast with one clean swipe. He rounded the beast seeing the humans removing a tentacle from around the neck of the blonde man. Even in death the tentacles seemed to keep flailing and grasping. Everyone stepped away from the body with horror across their face.

"That's new right?" Blick asked. Carter flinched having focused too deeply on the beast.

"Yeah this is new and it's probably at a solid layer judging how fast it was." The redhead responded.

"Back to the river now!" Carter shouted just before the rest of them heard something breaking through the brush deeper in the wood. The three humans sprinted alongside Blick.

"What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck!" The redhead woman kept saying as they sprinted. Blick realized an issue as the three started pulling away from him. They were much faster. He would be left behind to the mercy of whatever was coming. Before he got too far behind, a large black blur came from the side cutting the three humans off. Clearly surprised by the thing they expected from behind being where it was, they didn't react in time to dodge as it blasted into the two men just missing the woman.

The tangle of bodies tumbled for just a second before smashing into a tree and throwing bodies in random directions. Dax climbed back up and quickly stuck the creature with a flurry of dagger strikes to the face before it managed to gather its feet. The redhead dashed over to help and sliced several tentacles from grasping the blur of a warrior. Carter wasn't moving. When Blick made it to him he saw the man's eyes open but his body was twisted and the thing had pierced his skull with its large teeth.

"He's dead keep going!" Blick shouted out in a growing panic.

"Fuck fuck fuck!" Dax swore as he took off again "I'll watch left, Dax you cover the right let's fucking go!" The woman yelled before the three ran for their lives This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"There is one on this side, it's coming in fast." Dax yelled out just before they broke through the tree line and onto the rocky river bank. They had to slow slightly to not fall over the smooth round rocks littering the area.

"Cats hate water right?" Blick yelled out as the group sprinted straight for the river. Without hesitating they jumped while reinforcing their legs and the two humans made it almost to the middle of the river while Blick made it about half that distance and caught a claw to the calf on his exit. With a yowl five of the cat creatures burst from the tree line to join the one that nearly had Blick. They paced back and forth at the waters edge nipping and growling at one another.

Blick and the two humans treaded water for just a minute before coming closer together. Blick laid out to float so he could heal his bleeding leg.

"So what now?" He asked. The humans clearly hadn't expected his question because they looked at him floating there as they tread water and then looked at each other.

"We don't know. Those things aren't known to anyone. As far as our scholars know there has never been a beast at the solid core. We should make our way back to the gate camp so we can inform the army. Tho I don't know what they could do about six of them." The redhead nods her head in the direction of the six wagon sized monster cats with tentacles sprouting from various places.

"Carter died." Dax said softly.

"He was a great man." The woman responded.

"Blick. My name is Blick. He is Dax I heard the other man yell." Blick pointed to Dax before moving his claw to the woman and asking, "what's your name?" She just looked at him with an eyebrow quirked.

"You seem quite relaxed. I am Paris Hammond. Unfortunate circumstances to meet one another." Blick shrugged "Things have tried to eat me all my life. We are going to be floating here a while, just hang on I float easily. You should hang on and save your energy while I heal. We will need to fight them at some point most likely." The two look back at each other before Dax shrugs and they both swim closer and grab a handful of grey fur.

"So mister floaty." Dax started.

"Since survival trumps map retrieval… what's your plan? Carter back there was the stronger of us and he died" he snapped his fingers, "that fast. The kingdom has a very limited number of solid core fighters. We won't be getting help anytime soon." Paris added "I doubt they'd believe us enough to field any number of capable fighters. It would be easier for them to believe we failed than that we discovered some monsters nobody heard of before. Animals with power no animal on the planet has ever displayed."

Blick chuckled.

"Think we can escape into the jungle on the other side of the river?" Paris scrunched her brow.

"I don't see what's funny, but maybe. Should we try?" Dax cut in, "If they grow the nerve to cross the river after us we would be easily hunted down. I say we float till they give up and go back to their territory."

"Solid point" Paris agreed. With that Blick focused on healing his calf and asked a final question.

"How do you form a solid layer?"