Kailath’s eyes narrowed. “What the hell is going on here?” He walked past Franz without sparing him a glance and waved at the two newcomers. “You two, follow me. Angler, keep an eye on the brat. If he does anything stupid, cripple him and use him as bait.“

Anglerfish moved behind him in a blur, disarming and restraining him with a binding spell in a single motion, and forced him to his knees before he could even blink. “If you want to stay in one piece, behave.”

He glared into the two eerie eyeholes of the mask where light couldn’t seem to penetrate and asked through gritted teeth, “Where is my br—”

Franz couldn’t finish his demand before the ground closed in on his face, and everything went dark. The peaceful embrace of the void lasted for nary a moment before a stinging pain from his scalp jolted him awake. They yanked his head backward so he would look them dead in the eyes. “…And don’t ask any questions.”

A laugh bubbled out of his throat. The threat in their voice was clear, but he couldn’t help but find it ridiculous. He spat the blood from his busted lip at their mask and scowled. “You think I care about any of your threats? You bastards killed my brother, you fucking monster!”

They didn’t like that if their tightening grip on his hair was anything to go by. Anglerfish cocked an arm to beat him bloody, but a scream interrupted their altercation.

“Over there, boss! Something big!” A skinny-looking thug turned his flashlight on, dispersing the shadows of the forest.

His former boss unslung a lengthy item from his back and tore the cloth coverings to reveal a massive rifle. Franz’s brows rose.

A Blast Rifle.

What he had always assumed was a massive staff turned out to be a military-grade weapon with enough firepower to inflict a grievous wound on a Tier 2, and a possible concussion to a Tier 3. No Arcanist unaffiliated with the kingdom’s army is allowed to possess such equipment, let alone an outlaw. Anyone caught in possession of them would be executed without trial. Yet, Kailath had it on his person everywhere he went.

The rest of the brutes fanned out around him, taking aim at the illuminated area. Kailath ordered some of them to enter the forest. Knowing the disgusting filth, he probably wants to use them as sacrificial pawns to draw out whatever entity is lurking in the shadows.

Anglerfish punched him square in the nose and pulled him close. “Where were we? Right, you’re not afraid, are you? I will teach you a lesson on how to behave until the boss is done.”

Not giving him a chance to utter a word, they rained blow after blow in rapid succession to the center of his face. His vision blurred and reddened at the edges as his head rocked back and forth from each strike.

He struggled to breathe, but no fresh air entered his lungs. Judging by the warm, sticky mess where his nose should be, it was probably busted beyond recognition, and any attempt to breathe through his mouth left him choking on his own blood and teeth.

His world reeled as darkness crept in. Right as he was on the verge of passing out, the blows stopped. He didn’t know how long it took for him to reorient himself, but when he did, he realized Anglerfish was holding him upright by the hair. It wouldn’t surprise him to find a bald spot at the center of his head with how much they pulled on it.

“Understand how to behave now?”

Silence was his only answer. Anglerfish raised a hand and slapped him so hard it almost made him black out again. Hell, he could feel several of his molars shaken loose.

“I asked you a question. Behaving means answering with a yes or no.” They raised their hand next to his cheek and cracked their knuckles. “Maybe a second round of lessons will do the trick.”

He tried flexing the fingers on his right hand, and they responded. Franz didn’t know if his current condition would allow him to pull off two spells in quick succession, but it was worth a gamble. Whichever option he chose would result in his death either way, so why not go out with one last roar of defiance?

“Round two it is, then.” Anglerfish raised their right arm, preparing to bash his face in.

“Lho—” He choked on the blood in his mouth.

Noticing him try to speak, they lowered their arm. “Well?”

He fought to draw a breath and gave his best approximation of a smile. “Lhook hup.” He snapped his fingers and cast the spell he formulated.

Echo of Solitude.

A semi-translucent dome formed around them, obstructing the passage of all sound, and Anglerfish froze in place—for a second.

But that was all the time he needed.

He snapped his fingers, and the rune on his right hand flashed before it faded.

Incorporeal cyan-colored chains bound Anglerfish to an earthen platform that rose beneath them, restricting their movement. Franz coughed up a mouthful of blood. Drained of the arcane as he was, the cost he incurred to cast the spell was excruciating, but he couldn’t resist smiling at what was to come.

They tried to break through their restraints but grew increasingly flustered when none of the chains budged. Even with their mask on, he could sense their incomprehension, rage, and frustration as they looked at him. Their struggle intensified, but the end was inevitable.

Sanguine swords materialized in the air all around them, humming with power.

Franz closed his eyes.

Dais of Retribution.

The mind-tingling sound of blades striking flesh filled the air for but an instant, and the spell dissipated.

It's over…

He allowed himself a moment of respite to sort through his raging emotions. After half a minute passed, he opened his hefty eyelids to gaze at the deep blue skies above.

Tears ran down the sides of his face as the emotions he suppressed came rushing back at him like a tide. Regret weighed upon his heart like a mountain. His little brother is gone. He swore to their father on his deathbed he would protect him. Yet, he allowed the worst to happen. What would his father say? What would he think of him after everything he had done?

Franz bit his hand. If his brother were here, he would nag him until his ears fell off to stop this shameful habit of his, but doing this or knocking his forehead always prevented him from flipping out. He palmed his temple. As much as he wanted to grieve, now wasn’t the time or place for that. He glanced at Anglerfish, or what remained of them after the spell.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

They lay crumpled on the soil, with blood pooling down from the many stab wounds and lacerations inflicted on them. Dead as dead can be from the looks of it. With their second in command out of the picture, the major problem that remains is Kailath. In his current state, even a handful of lackeys could put him out of commission, and he had no trump cards left.

Movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he looked back at Anglerfish’s prone form. He could have sworn he saw the body twitch… and it did, followed by a sickening squelch that grew in volume with each convulsion.

His eyes widened in dread as their skull split open, and a beetle the size of his fist with numerous barb-shaped tendrils on its back inched its way out.

He recoiled. “A mind scarab!?”

This is bad. This is very bad! If that thing got to him, he’s as good as dead. No, it would be a life even worse than death. He would be nothing but a puppet!

As he scrambled to his feet to put some distance between them, he stopped and stared as a pink appendage shot out from the trees to skewer Anglerfish’s body with the scarab still crawling out and dragged it away.

Franz slapped himself out of his stupor.

Get a grip, idiot!

He picked his rifle off the ground and ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

⁂

The creature coughed up a few tendrils lodged in its throat. That was nasty. The bug attempted to burrow through its mouth and attached its tendrils all over the creature’s maw. It considered itself fortunate to have obtained its corrosive saliva before devouring the strange insect, or things could have taken a wrong turn.

Repulsive as it was, the bug couldn’t harm it, nor did it taste as bad as orange fruit. It couldn’t be picky since prey wasn’t plentiful either, so it will take what it can get.

Thanks to it, however, its second prey got away.

Mind scarab, the human called it.

The creature now understood why some humans in the group irked it. Like their leader and a few others, they gave off a muted presence that made them stand out from the rest. It had watched as the other humans interacted with them, oblivious to their true nature. They lure their prey to hidden locations and inject what the creature assumes is their offspring into them through their mouths. From there, the once human would start emitting the same presence and rejoin the group with none the wiser.

Quite an unusual monster, but more prey for it to feast upon.

It chuffed in amusement as its thoughts wandered back to the humans. They are a strange species. Unlike toads, they care for each other’s well-being. Yet, like toads, they kill each other.

They are also far more fascinating than the toad offspring, especially their taste. They are delectable when eaten fresh, notably the stronger ones. Every bite is packed full of flavor and utterly intoxicating.

The recent experience made its body quiver with excitement, causing a momentary lapse in concentration and making it wince. The wave of power it suppressed rampaged through its body, begging to be released. To be allowed to change its form. To turn it into a higher being.

But it couldn’t.

Not now. Not this close to its prey.

Its eyes narrowed in concentration, stamping down on the urge but still allowing the knowledge and memories to come flooding in. Several humans were able to detect it before it attacked, and alerting them of its whereabouts wouldn’t allow the creature to trim their numbers enough before facing their leader. Their weapons and spells might contain enough power to kill it if it wasn’t wary.

Withholding its excitement was getting difficult, too. The thrill of the hunt beckoned it. Perhaps it was time it indulged in the emotion and satisfied its desire. Here and now, the humans were aplenty.

It grabbed a stone with its claws and threw it at a human facing the other part of the forest.

Without waiting for it to hit its mark, the creature bolted from its hiding spot. A scream resounded, drawing the attention of the group. It glanced at them, watching them charge in the direction it had fled.

Soon, only the stragglers were left behind, gasping for breath and ripe for the picking.

It reeled the furthest one in. Its fellow human continued running onward without even realizing his partner was no longer with him.

Yes, his. Him. Gender. A male.

Their body odor is more pronounced than their female counterparts, and the females have additional sacks of flesh that the males lack. It wondered if those differences affected their taste.

Another panicked yell echoed through the forest. The exhausted human finally noticed his missing kin.

It grinned. It would receive an answer to its question soon enough.

Their little game of hunter and the hunted continued for a matter of minutes, and it claimed three more humans before their leader cried out to them.

“Listen up, you pathetic lot! Don’t lose your miserable heads over a few missing bastards! Gilan, Anxle, lead the men back to the camp. Kimmons, Nel, Ged, Oz, with me. We’ll deal with this rat.”

They split into two smaller groups, with most of the weaker humans led by two infected out of the area. Just as it placed a single paw forward to pursue the larger group, the five of them turned like a single entity to stare right at it.

It froze. How did they know where it was? They were nowhere close to it.

After the last human left, they started walking towards it at a pace that was neither fast nor slow. It should have felt threatened, but the creature couldn’t detect any signs of aggression or danger coming from them. Instead, they almost seemed… amiable?

As they closed the distance, it crouched, prepared to lash out at the slightest change in behavior.

They stopped within reach of its tongue. Good.

Their leader took a step to the front. “No need to be hostile, youngling. My name is Kailath. Do you understand what I am saying?”

It didn’t deign him a response. What is this false human aiming for?

Kailath tilted its head. “I’m sure you understand some of my words. You possess intelligence that a rare few of your Tier have. It shows from the way you hunt. I would like to offer you a deal. Nod if you are interested, or shake your head if you’re not.” It raised a hand. “Before you respond, know that if you’re not, we will consider you as a dumb beast intruding on our hunting grounds and kill you.”

As soon as he finished talking, the four behind him placed a hand on their weapons.

It held itself back from grinning.

Aside from their weapons and minor spells, what else can these things do to harm it? Its maw encompassed their head. A single bite is all it would take to end them. Unless they’re just overconfident… or stupid. Even so, it was curious about this ‘deal’ they mentioned. It decided it would devour them depending on what they had to say.

It nodded.

“Excellent.” Kailath clapped. “You intruded on our territory in search of food. We can help you with that. In exchange, you will do what we tell you when we tell you. We have an extensive network to keep the stronger humans away from you so you can eat and hunt at your leisure, and we get the pests out of our hair. A win-win. De—”

The upper part of his head exploded in a splatter of blood, brain matter, and scarab chitin.

All of them were rooted in place from shock, but the creature reacted a split second faster. It kept low to the ground, darting into the dense foliage. Explosions went off behind it as they started firing at whoever their attacker was.

The creature didn’t hear or smell anything before it happened. Either the projectile from their weapons exceeded its expectations, or it was one of those spells.

According to the knowledge it gleaned from the humans it devoured, no member of their group knew any spell powerful enough to harm it. However, considering how it failed to perceive the attack, the risk was too great for it to continue lingering in the area.

It continued sprinting until the explosions faded behind it and leaped into a tree. If its attacker chose to chase after it, it would give them a surprise of its own.

So it waited.

Time passed, and the skies changed from blue to orange while the Sun moved along its trajectory. Just as it decided that it worried for nothing, it paused.

It raised its head and sniffed. The scent of blood is in the air. Something wounded is drawing closer, and this presence… It lowered itself back down, preparing to strike.

“Wait!” A human male with a bloodied face crept forward with his weapon aimed at it.

The prey that got away.

“I know you understand me. I saw Kai—that thing talking to you.” He took a deep breath and continued. “I would like to strike a deal with you.”

Another deal… It motioned him to continue with its head.

“You want food, and I can get it for you. Better yet, I can provide you with information. From what I overheard, you’re young despite how you look, so you probably don’t know where to go and the dangers around you. The information I can provide will help you with that. Sound good so far?”

It nodded.

He looked down and mumbled, “Okay, okay, so far so good.”

Lost in thought, he continued murmuring and bit his hand; then, he looked back at it and said, “Apologies. I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Franz, what’s your name?“

The creature just stared at him.

After an awkward moment of silence, he scratched his head. “Right, you can’t speak, I guess. Anyway, I can provide you with food and valuable information that you can’t get from anyone else.” His gaze turned serious. “Before I continue, I need to know. Can you identify people who have been infected by mind scarabs?”

It took a second to consider its answer. It shook its head.

Franz raised a brow. He composed himself and said, “In return, I ask of you to fight together with me to protect my village and the kingdom. Is that acceptable to you?”

An interesting proposition. It desired food and knowledge, both of which the human claimed capable of providing, but to fight alongside them? To face stronger entities like the huge crocodile or the colossal avian?

…

It nodded.

“Great!” He pumped a fist. “Now, we have to…” He started mumbling again as he turned around.

The creature bit his head off.