The sight of Bolgart’s silhouette entered Hope’s memory. Even in his final moment’s he was there watching over her, protecting her.
"Palin!" Hope's voice erupted with a ferocity she didn't know she possessed. With determined steps, she sprinted up the gangplank, propelled by unyielding anger.
She lunged at him, with the living metal shaped like a dagger. Yet the tip never met its mark.
To her shock, Palin's hand had instantly closed around her throat, his grip infused with a malevolent strength granted by the gem dangling around his neck infused by the leaking power of the book.
With a smirk on his face, he gripped her neck tightly, robbing her of precious breath.
Amidst the struggle for air, sharp claws fell, striking Palin's arm as Amber unleashed a swift strike, aiming to free Hope from his grasp. Yet, despite the large gouges, he stubbornly refused to release his grip. On the contrary, he tightened it.
Ralina, recognizing the dire situation, shifted her weight forward and transformed. The white scar adorning her right cheek stood as a testament to her resilience in the face of overwhelming adversity, a symbol of her unwavering determination to prevail.
An unmistakable look of annoyance rippled across Palin's features as he beheld the majestic lioness standing defiantly before him. Ralina's golden coat shimmered under the sun's rays, emanating an aura of raw power.
Palin was on the verge of opening his mouth to jeer at the beast, when Ralina lunged. Swiftly, she pounced, her agile form propelled by sheer predatory instinct. While Amber's claws had left deep grooves in the traitor's flesh, they paled in comparison to the crushing bite force possessed by a fully grown lioness.
Palin's eyes widened in terror as bone crunched beneath the relentless pressure exerted by Ralina's jaws, driven by the strength of her powerful muscles. In an instant, the deck of the ship stained by the release of fresh blood.
As Hope fell free, she coughed, struggling to catch her breath on the floor. Ralina continued to thrash against Palin's limb, determined to sever it from his body, further drenching the ship's deck. Palin tore his shirt from his chest to examine his lost limb.
A piercing shriek escaped Palin's lips, but the outburst was short-lived. The black gem adorning his chest reacted with a sudden surge of power. Humming with a dark energy, it forcefully embedded itself into Palin's flesh, sinking deep into his chest. The traitor convulsed in agony, his cries of pain reverberating through the air. Then, abruptly, his anguished wails ceased, replaced by an eerie shift in his expression. The man behind Palin’s eyes had vanished, replaced by something entirely different. Something inhuman.
The haunting echoes of Palin's howl echoed within the shipyard, filling the Feldreken with a sense of unease. Uncertainty clouded their expressions as they stared down the unknown threat before them. Palin's complexion drained of all colour, as if the life force within him had been mercilessly torn away.
His skin slowly turned grey, while his limbs elongated, and features expanded, losing any semblance of human that he once was.
Reacting swiftly, the Feldreken warriors shed their cloaks, revealing layers of gleaming golden armour. Swords, previously concealed at their waists, materialised in their clawed hands as they formed a defensive circle around the threat. Their intent was clear — to strike at the abomination before them.
Yet, just as they prepared to launch their attack, Palin astounded them all. He swiftly retrieved his severed limb from the ground and, with a horrifyingly widened mouth, shoved it down his hungry maw.
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A collective gasp escaped them as they instinctively recoiled from the sight. To their astonishment, Palin's limb regenerated before their very eyes, the severed flesh returning to its rightful place. The black gem, now fully submerged into his skin, seemed to pulse as it grew, solidifying his transformation into an entity far removed from anything human.
A glimmer of understanding flickered in the monstrous creature's eyes as eyed the Feldreken. Though entirely inhuman, its gaze held profound intelligence. With a swift, agile leap, it cleared the circle of Feldreken warriors and vaulted off the side of the ship, descending onto the dock below.
"Damn!" Amber shouted as she bounded down the gangplank.
As they sprinted to catch up with the beast, a horrific scene unfolded before them. The monster, realizing its inability to match the Feldreken in direct combat, resorted to a vile strategy. The apathetic workers near the dock, trapped in their enslaved stupor, were plucked from the ground and mercilessly hurled into the widening maw of the beast.
With each new victim devoured, the creature grew in size, its flesh expanding. The transformation’s speed was alarming. Seven hapless workers were absorbed into the creature's grotesque form, their limbs merging within its body, strengthening its original frame. Its bones and arms thickened until it towered over twelve feet tall.
A thunderous roar shook the streets as the beast proclaimed its dominance.
Hope briefly glanced upward as she continued to run, her gaze fixed on the arrival of black wings on the wind. Kraven landed gracefully on nearby rooftops, followed by a rain of arrows unleashed from black quivers. The dark arrows found their mark, penetrating deep, building a forest of fletching on its grey skin.
Yet, despite their efforts, the beast remained undeterred. It continued to snatch oblivious workers, heedless of the dangers, and force them down its insatiable throat.
"Take it down!" Amber's commanding voice rang out, rallying the Feldreken women to push the workers away from the creature.
With each passing moment, the situation grew worse. Hope's mind raced, looking for a solution, but the monster's growth showed no signs of slowing.
"Ensnare!" shouted a voice.
Ropes materialised out of thin air, swiftly entangling the creature's legs. The beast roared in frustration as its legs were entirely consumed by the ropes, threatening its balance.
Hope turned her gaze and spotted the youthful face of Charles, Karn's closest friend, accompanied by his lover and the two Elementlets.
Scarf, the water Elementlet, glided forward, summoning a needle-thin jet of pressurised water. With surprising force, the jet struck the beast's knee, eliciting a resounding howl of annoyance as its weight shifted, its balance momentarily disrupted.
"Smash the gem!" Charles's commanding voice echoed through the chaos.
Seizing the opportunity, the Feldreken warriors lunged forward, driving their blades into the gaps in the ropes binding the beast's legs. With swift agility, Amber raced up the creature's back, narrowly evading a swipe of its massive claw. She reached for the back of Palin's head, where the remnants of Karn's pack still lay. With all her strength, she yanked, hoping to topple the beast. However, it remained steadfast, refusing to yield. Two of her sisters joined her, but in a cruel twist of fate, the beast's claw descended upon one of them, claiming her as its victim.
The creature clenched the unfortunate Feldreken in its hand, then callously flung her into the depths of its menacing maw. Amber's panicked scream filled the air as her sister vanished from sight, swallowed by the beast.
Yet, to their astonishment, the creature did not consume her.
In a split-second decision, Scarf, the water Elementlet, propelled herself toward the beast's gaping maw. She surged inside, unleashing a powerful burst of water from within its throat, forcefully expelling the Feldreken warrior from the creature's mouth. Scarf herself disappeared down the beast's gullet, sacrificing her own safety for the sake of her comrade.
"Scarf!" Ellie's voice rang out, filled with desperation.
Shaking off Amber from its back, the beast tore free and ripped away the entangling ropes. The situation was insurmountable, the beast unstoppable in its rampage.
A colossal paw loomed, poised to ensnare Ellie, when suddenly its face froze. All traces of emotion vanished, replaced by an eerie stillness. A sharp, shattering sound pierced the air, followed by a torrent of water ripping through the creature's chest.
Instinctively, they all recoiled from the beast as a radiant light burst from within. In a muted explosion, the creature was torn asunder, its flesh instantly vaporised. The force of the blast knocked them all to the ground, leaving them sprawled. Amidst the aftermath, Scarf emerged unscathed, clutching the remnants of a disintegrating black gem in her watery grasp.
A moment later, a soft thud reverberated through the air as Karn's pack landed on the floor