10 minutes before.

The volatile energy within Grane’s vessel churned and seethed. He locked onto the white, all-seeing eyes of Gregory—the man who had become an unexpected thorn in his side.

“Who summoned you?” Gregory asked, to which Grane responded mercilessly by charging at him. The earth underfoot exploded, sending dirt and rock splattering all around the dense forest. The air whipped his face as he got so close that he got a whiff of his flesh. But so close was still too far. Claws colliding against a massive tower shield, he sent the bodyguard hurtling away. A bang chased. Feeling danger, Grane somersaulted to the side, narrowly avoiding the strange projectile.

Gregory looked at him with a smile. “Answer my question, demon.”

Grane spat. “I was not summoned.” A lie, but there would be disastrous consequences if he told the truth.

“You’re lying to me.” Gregory pouted with a cheeky smile. “And here I thought we were making headways, building trust.”

While the human spouted his words, an arrow slammed into his side. Dashing towards safety, using the tree’s as an obstacle, he glanced through the trees passing-by. She was there. The hunter. Grane snarled. He couldn’t waste any more time. He needed to get that tasty treasure from the boy, and then he’d be out of here to accomplish his task. And then he’d be free.

Freedome. With that sole thought rampaging through his mind, Grane accumulated the blood energy within his core, swelling it until it was at least quadruple the size. His once healthy body filled with rippling muscle turned gaunt. Cheeks sunken, ribs displayed; his fingernails grew longer, sharper. He couldn’t stay in this state for very long—but he didn’t have to.

Disappearing, leaving only a thin blood veil in his wake, he reappeared next to the archer. Her eyes opened wide. But something was missing. It was a surprise at his sudden acceleration, not fear, as he expected.

A crack reverberated across the trees and an impending sense of danger took hold of him once more. Grunting in anger, Grane whipped his head back to avoid it; only for another explosion to immediately follow. His plan was simple—avoid the first shot and attack right after. Gregory had planned for that. But how? Could he see the future?

Grane fell into his trap, but it was too late to care. He continued his next attack regardless of the danger he was placed in. However, by the time his attack arrived, that hulking bodyguard that had saved the child from before blocked his strike once again. The result was the same; Grane struck him back without him able to put up a struggle, but another loud boom took its place. This one was stronger.

Shouting in anger, Grane retreated amongst the trees once more. He was growing desperate; he knew that. These people had back-up coming, just like before.

Maybe he’s reading my thoughts. Grane readied himself to try something different. He closed his eyes and focused on his mind. You wouldn’t be the first, human.

Grane snarled and cut off all thinking. He crouched down, getting himself on all fours. He dug his feet and fingers into the soil, his back hunched over. A beastly growl left his mouth as his eyes hazed over in primal fury. He had no thoughts. He had reverted into a mindless beast. He attacked.

He unleashes his beastly fury. Attacking everyone all at once, with no strategy or thought, the difference was immediate. It didn’t take long for him to be in front of the hidden archer once more. This time he wasn’t interrupted. In the blink of an eye, he tore his hand through the woman’s chest. Blood flowed directly into his body. He opened his jaws wide and snapped off her head. Strength filled his container.

Grane had to cut his meal short as the bodyguard retaliated; without his shield this time. Red covered his fists. Grane grinned. It was an ability similar to his own—Hemokinesis. Muscles building, almost turning to iron, the man’s fist collided against Grane’s skull with enough strength to split metal.

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Propelled through the air, Grane twisted gruesomely and entered the forests again. He spotted the expressions on their faces. From caution to anger. That was good. But then he locked eyes with Gregory once again. His emotion remained static. No, that was wrong. It had changed. His eyes were… squirming.

Gregory swished his long coat out of the way and brandished another gun. This one was bigger. He pulled the trigger, fire spurted out of the barrel, but Grane frowned. It wasn’t even aimed at him, what was his plan—

He shot again in the same direction. A moment later, the first bullet tore through his thigh with no warning. Pain. He couldn’t heal it, either. What was that projectile made of? Grane quickly cut off his thoughts. He couldn't get complacent.

Transforming back into a beast, he resumed his attacks, but Grane sensed a change. He had gone from the hunter, to the hunted. Numerous bullets had now torn through his flesh and bone. Only because of his beastly instincts did he escape with his life.

Gregory’s eyes had changed again. A golden ring flashed within one of them. He was crying tears of blood.

Knowing that the sharpshooter couldn’t keep up whatever he was using for long didn’t matter. Because Grane was about to lose his life. Another shot blew open his knee as he fell to the ground. He slumped over with a pained groan and watched the approaching Gregory. He stood above him and aimed the barrel at his brain. He felt the danger radiate from him.

Grane knew that if only he could get his hands on him, he’d break him like a twig. His body was pitiful… and yet this was the result.

He had been summoned to a small town and yet he’d already met his patch. Grane growled. So be it. Then he felt it; a royalty descended upon his conscience. A being so strong that he wouldn’t—couldn’t—refuse.

“You have failed me,” he said as pain stabbed into Grane’s brain. You will not fail me again. Escape. If you die, I’ll hunt you down in the afterlife and use your soul as an Ingredient. I know Death personally, Grane, Elder Blood Mage.”

The connection ended and Grane only felt an emptiness take hold of him. The Lord had taken something from his body just then, but what that was, Grane really didn’t want to find out.

Gregory’s eyes turned to normal as he wiped the blood from his eye. “I wish you hadn’t done that.”

Turning his attention to the human, Grane mocked, “What? No smile?”

“I promised her parents I’d get her back safely. She didn’t trust me. Seems she was right,” Gregory said coldly as the other humans vigilantly stood side-by-side. “It was a nice trick you did. But I don’t only see thoughts. I see everything.”

“Did you see this?”

Grane asked as from up above, space tore open, sending a purple haze leaking out into the world. Darkness spread along with it, consuming everything it touched.

Gregory looked up in shock “The Krag?”

And that wasn’t all. From the fragmented purple darkness spreading high above, a set of 5 enormous claws reached out from within the Krag. Then its head emerged, long, spiralling horns like a ram adorned its skull. Its face had no eyes or mouth—only stumped ears and slits for a nose.

It roared so loud that the tree foliage was blasted backwards like a torrent of wind had battered their leaves.

Grane used the opportunity to dash away. But something grasped him. The bodyguard held him tight. Grane struggled and thrashed, yet the giant wouldn’t let go. Grane grunted and started directly absorbing the human’s strength.

Forced to let go, a swordsman took the bodyguard's place, slashing his blade across Grane’s chest. Grane flesh was pulled so thin, that the sword glided through his skin like cutting through chicken flesh.

The monster above roared once more and directed its whole attention on him. It was nearing, its whole body now out of the Krag. It was the Lord's doing. Grane took in his situation. Gregory was no longer here. Had he run away? Grane didn’t blame him as the titan drew closer.

The bodyguard and the other soldiers seemed to have realised that fact as they retreated in haste. Grane let out a breath of relief. Grinning, he retreated straight for the monster. It loomed high above the trees. Grane knew that more humans would hunt the best. They’d never let it live. But that was good. It would allow Grane to leave these lands uncontested. Unhunted. Perhaps that was what the Lord had organised. To be able to summon a creature of such magnitude from the Krag himself…

Grane shuddered. As he passed by the trees at high speed, the trunks blurring, he spotted Gregory smiling in the distance. Grane’s heart tightened. Why was he here? He heard a crack.

The next second, his vision shut off. His flesh was touching the ground. It was wet. His life faded.