The beast, now lying in a crumpled heap on the ground, let out a final growl before its life faded. It was large—larger than any wolf Kaelen had seen before, its body distorted, as though pieced together from nightmares. He studied it for a moment before turning to Sigrid.
"That thing was a Varkathos," she said, her voice calm but wary. "A creature of darkness, twisted by forbidden magic."
"A Varkathos?" Kaelen echoed. The name felt ancient on his tongue. "Never seen anything like it."
Nessa, standing at the edge of the clearing, gave a sharp nod. "It’s not the first of its kind. The Varkathos are but one of the many creatures that have started appearing in the west. There’s something... darker at play here."
Kaelen’s brow furrowed as he wiped his blade clean. "And what exactly are you after, Nessa? You can’t possibly be hunting these things for sport."
Nessa’s lips curled into a thin smile. "I’m after survival. And if I can find some answers along the way, all the better."
Sigrid, who had been inspecting the body of the beast, looked up. "The Varkathos aren't just mindless beasts—they were bred for a purpose. Someone's controlling them."
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Kaelen’s gaze turned cold. “And that someone is likely behind the destruction of the village. We need to find out who, before this gets worse.”
Nessa gestured toward the horizon. “Then follow me. But you’ll need to keep up. Things are about to get a lot uglier before they get better.”
The group traveled through the night, pushing forward despite the ominous feeling that gripped Kaelen’s chest. The further west they went, the more oppressive the land became. The air grew thick with the scent of decay, and the trees seemed to bend unnaturally, their twisted limbs creaking in the wind.
By the time dawn began to break, Kaelen was growing increasingly suspicious of their surroundings. His instincts screamed that something was out there, watching them.
Without warning, the silence shattered.
From the darkness of the trees, another Varkathos emerged, this one even larger and more monstrous than the last. Its eyes glowed with the same red light, but its body was even more grotesque, with tendrils of shadow writhing along its form. It howled, sending tremors through the ground beneath their feet.
Kaelen didn’t hesitate. His training kicked in, his muscles moving before he could even think. He charged toward the beast, his sword raised high. The Varkathos responded with a furious swipe of its claws, but Kaelen was already dodging, his movements fluid and precise.
Sigrid’s magic crackled in the air as she summoned a storm of energy, striking the creature with a surge of power that forced it back, even if only for a moment. The creature howled in pain, but it wasn’t enough to stop it.
Kaelen took advantage of the opening, leaping at the beast and driving his sword deep into its side. The Varkathos roared, its body twitching in an unnatural spasm before collapsing to the ground, dead.
Nessa was already moving toward the beast, her eyes scanning its fallen form. “Another one down. But we’re just scratching the surface.”
Kaelen wiped the blood from his blade, his expression grim. “Who’s behind this, Nessa? And how do we stop it?”
Nessa turned away, her cloak fluttering in the wind. "I don’t know yet. But I’ll find out. And if you want to su
rvive this, you’d better stick close."