Everyone turned their heads to look at the beast, their pupils dilating and their breaths coming to a halt.
Sweat started dripping down their backs and their legs started shaking. Not because of the fear-striking howl the brown beast had delivered, but because of the twenty or so figures that slowly revealed themselves in th light of the bonfire.
Everything became quiet. Only the rustling of leaves disturbed the sacred silence. The birds on the tall spiky tress focused their gaze onto the uninvited intruders, their caws intensifying.
They left the small branches they were standing on and circled the small clearing the caravan had made their camp in.
Then, the captain's voice resounded, stirring everyone awake.
"PREPARE FOR BATTLE!"
Thud!
Shwing!
Dub!
The sounds of staffs hitting the grounds, the daggers scraping against the belts they were hanging from and the hands hitting thighs echoed in the entire forest.
All the guards assembled, gathering the civilians near the fire place.
Edith and Helix had already readied their weapons as well— a dagger tied to their belts and a staff held in both hands.
Their gaze carried a hint of wariness.
Edith's breathing become rough, his blood flew fast and his heart went crazy. His face was covered with sweat and his arms had been trembling.
Like a bolt, he turned his head to look at the fireplace, searching for his sister, failing only due to the crowd that had gathered at the place.
He turned his attention back to the approaching beasts. His gaze becoming fierce and his thoughts churning in haste.
He could not go to his sister as his aid was required here. So, just when the captain's voice came, he rushed.
The brown beasts with dark-patches and a long neck with perky ears had been giggling. Their voices akin to the mockery of a laughing man.
Hehehe!
Hehehe!
Hehehe!
A glint of ridicule was apparent in their eyes, as if laughing at the armed mortals in front of them. They stepped forward, bringing their tall necks downward, the grin not leaving their faces for even a moment.
...
Edith was rushing towards a beast, his staff drawn straight in front of him, held firmly by his two hands.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
The sound of his running footsteps was rang like a drumbeat. He rammed the end of his staff into the beast, hoping to make the animal dizzy.
The beast though, turned it's paws sideways, dodging the strike to its head but failing to avoid the hit to its body.
Edith felt the push his staff gave him as it hit the beasts scapula, causing it to buckle.
Edith used his momentum to run forward and deliver a low kick to the beast's paws.
Crack!
The sound of a bone breaking came.
Edith saw the beast's leg twist at a strange angle as he repositioned himself.
The beast itself though, was screeching frantically. Its screams sounding like a sharp and loud whistle. Causing one to shut their ears.
Not wasting a single moment, Edith rushed forward and delivered a downward strike on the beast's head, sending the beast pumelling down onto the ground.
The uncanny state of the beast caused its broken bone to pierce through its flesh, filling the surroundings with blood and gore.
Edith immediately took out his dagger, bringing its shap blade like a lightning and stabbing the wild beast into the neck. The beast's screaming came to an abrupt stop as its life left its body.
Panting, Edith sat on his knees catching his breath.
The sounds of battle entered his ears, the cries of a wounded man, the screaching of beasts elsewhere and the sound of blade tearing flesh. He heard everything.
His mind though, was focused on the footsteps that had been gradually getting closer.
Edith turned around and saw two bloodied beasts approaching him from left and right.
He lifted the corpse of his 'prey' from just before and threw it at the left one, burying the beast under its weight. While himself, he hurled at the beast towards the right.
He held the staff in his right hand, like a javelin held firmly. Positioning his feet to get maximum support, he aimed at the beast.
Taking a composed breath, he hurled his arm forward. The staff dashing at an astonishing speed.
He had advanced to Stage 3! Throwing weapons like a master!
Swoosh!
The staff shot like a large, blunt arrow, cutting the air nonetheless. The spear hit the beast, causing it to give an abrupt screech. Edith himself though, had already begun running towards it.
"Irene, stay safe! I'll be there soon!"
He saw the beast tumble down as the staff hit it, and in his charge, he had already shifted the knife from his left hand to the right, ready to cut the beast like meat on a plate.
He then saw the beast hurriedly get up again and so, Edith changed his grip and...dived at the beast!
He grabbed the brown animal by its tall neck, slamming its chin upwards.
Thud!
Both fell down but Edith pressed his knee against the beast's ribs in his fall, causing them to crack as a result.
"I'm almost done, Ren! Please be safe!"
With the knife in his hands, he stabbed it into the beasts neck, slitting its throat soon afterwards.
A fountain of blood gushed forth, dying Edith crimson. His arms were soaked in the life force of his 'prey' thirsting for yet more.
Hearing the footsteps that had come too close to him Eidth immediately turned to look behind, the other beast had already come too close to him.
He raised his elbow, banging into the beast's jaw as the animal plunged onto him.
With the animal on top, Edith struggled to wrestle free.
He stabbed the animal in its limbs many times, causing the beast to become more mindless.
Dodging the beast's bites, Edith released the hold of his knife.
He held the beast's injured paw and pulled it off the ground, causing the animal to fall down on him.
He rammed his head into the falling beast's neck, causing it's throat to be crushed.
Edith's face was bathed in blood that dripped down from the beast's maw.
He pushed away the animal that had lost strength.
Picking up his knife, Edith wasted no breath to stab the animal to death.
He panted and and his chest heaved up and down. He turned around to look at the clearing that had quietened down. All the beasts were dead and the eerie silence of the forest was restored.
Wiping his face on his clothes, Edith got up. He weakly picked up his staff and walked towards the fireplace.
He wanted to make sure his siter was alright.