We made it through to the following morning, but a foul air had come over the team. I was rattled at the loss of Alain, but Mia seemed distressed and Vera downright disturbed.

It was hard to believe that Alain had been captured. We had been traveling with him just the morning before. He had been complaining with us, talking to us. Guarding us, which evidently led to being captured or unthinkably, something even worse by a spike feeder.

And yet he was undeniably absent. One couldn’t pretend he was still around. I couldn’t pretend that he was arguing with Mia over minutia. Or arguing with Mia over politics. Or arguing with Mia over academia. His absence reflected a notable gap in arguments altogether.

Javier remained stoic for the rest of us, not letting on how much he was concerned. I had seen that side of him the prior night, so I knew it was just submerged, not gone.

But I would trust in Alain, just like how Javier did. I could do nothing else for him at this time. Fixating on my worry would only distract me when it came to our fight. I had to remain put together, just like Javier. For the good of the team.

“From here, we’re going to walk to the swamp. Reports indicated the spike feeder was on the outskirts, so hopefully we won’t need to go in too deep. Vera, you and Perry will take the lead. Mia you’ll be off behind them to the right. I’ll cover the left flank. Take care with each step you take now. We’re walking towards enemy territory, and this one is stronger than the ones you’ve fought before.” Notably Alain only said the ones we’ve fought before, not himself, a small token of reassurance.

We nodded, getting into position, the others more confidently than I. I was surprised that Javier was putting such faith in me already. I swallowed my surprise, focusing on the impending fight. I would just have to live up to his expectations.

Each step we took closer and closer to Vessen Swamp was with filled with caution, everyone on edge trying to spy the spike feeder before it spotted us. Clouds crowded the sky, suffocating the light into thin beams from above. The day felt downcast, like it was matching our mood.

So much was focused on our advance. We needed every advantage we could get when we were down a member of the team. It wasn’t about the odds of winning, but the need to minimize as much harm to the team, as victory was all but guaranteed. The magnitude of victory was the part in question.

The amount spike feeders in the world was without limit. Skilled guards were not easily found. This mere culling was at risk to try and mitigate the long term harm it could cause. The mission was already started off wrong with Alain’s disappearance. We had to do our best to ensure that we would have no further issues.

“I think I see it,” Vera said, her voice trembling. She pointed ever so slightly, and there it was, the beast standing out in the distance. It was a hulking thing, body covered in ridged scales where the gaps for the spikes lay. It had a long maw stretching out, eyes on either side of its head. At its other end was a long tail, the whole body covered in obsidian spires intermittently as was typical of its kind.

It was larger than any of the spike feeders I had seen before, but on the other hand, there were four of us and one of it. I couldn’t let fear claim me. If the team fell apart, the spike feeder would be empowered to kill us all. Any weakness was an opportunity for the spike feeder to capitalize upon.

“Everyone, arm yourselves. Better to have whatever we need now.” I called upon my fur coat and my spurs, feeling them overlap upon my person. Mia became decked in her wings and beak, Vera in her horns and hooves. Javier’s tail and tongue had manifested and even his eyes had changed this time. That only showed how serious things were. I didn’t even know he could manifest his eyes.

We continued forward slowly, knowing that there was only one way for us to ambush it, and that would put us out of formation. We would have to wait until it attacked and respond accordingly, taking advantage of the opening we created. It wasn’t a prospect any of us were fond of, but that was what the situation required.

“Alright. According to plan. Vera, Perry. Try to gain its attention,” Javier whispered.

I hated this part of the plan.

“Come on. Come and get me,” I shouted with false bravado. I puffed up my fur with my technique, trying to look like a bigger target. Everything to try and ensure it didn’t attack the rest of the team. If it attacked me, it couldn’t attack the others.

Vera stamped on the ground, raising her horns in turn. Her body was angled to try and make herself look larger. “No, come at me,” she cried. Her voice was normally timid but this shout was loud, a battle cry meant to shake the earth.

The beast turned to us, staring in our direction, as though it was sizing us up. Its beady eyes didn’t move, gazing emptily, body tensing up. It was like a statue. A living, breathing, hulking statue.

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“You big disgusting thing, attack me,” I shouted. I had to do my part.

But it didn’t respond to my words. No, it was fixated on Mia, who had started running off to the side, trying to flank it. All according to the plan, up until the spike feeder had responded. As soon as she stepped within the boundaries of the marsh it moved, lurching towards her form at an incredible speed.

We ran after the two, continuing to scream but it had sensed its prey and bore on down after her, unable to be distracted.

“Don’t worry, keep moving forward. I’ve got this,” she said, undeterred with the enemy boring down on her. Her body started to shine, afterimages trailing behind. Mia dashed by its legs, beak pecking a brief hole, after-images copying the motion just as swiftly. The spike feeder screeched in outrage, needle-filled maw glinting in the afternoon light. The hundreds of sharp teeth lining its mouth looked just as dangerous as the spikes on the outside of the body.

“See? This is easy. It can’t handle me,” she said, dodging it as it took a slow swipe at her body. It slapped one of the after images, tearing straight through it, her distorted body falling to pieces.

“Don’t get too confident. It’s attacking you. We’re already off plan,” Javier called out. He continued to inch around, hoping to slowly get into position, believing there was still room to recover from this unscripted result.

“I’m much too fast for it. It won’t be able to connect with me.” She jumped in to attack, hoping to quickly gouge out a chunk of its flesh and run off yet again. Her skill set was best served with hit-and-run tactics, given the nature of her beast soul. She wasn’t a heavy hitter by any means, but she knew that speed would always prevail.

Her beak was about to pierce its arm, but the flaw of the jump was realized. A predictable trajectory is traceable, even to a mindless spike feeder. Its hands suddenly reached out, catching her in the air, her afterimages collapsing back into her body. It squeezed tightly, shattering her technique into thousands of pieces of fragmented shimmering flesh.

She gasped out, trying to push away from it, but she was far weaker than the monster. No matter how she struggled, she couldn’t break free from its grip. Its spikes scraped against her skin, drawing blood, and then the unthinkable happened.

It pulled her closer and closer to its giant maw, the gaping pit of teeth shining wide. Another second, and its mouth collapsed around her, trapping her between its teeth. Blood spurted out over its gray gums, trickling towards the earth.

I felt ready to collapse at the prospect of losing another teammate already. First mission out and we were already losing everyone. Everything was going horribly wrong.

“Fuck,” Javier said, starting to run forwards, body disappearing from sight. From an observable standpoint, it was essentially just Vera and I versus the spike feeder, even if I knew that Javier was around, just invisible.

A wail emanated from my side, piercing through the air. “No,” Vera cried, lining up her horns with the beast. Air gathered around her, a torrent of force coiling around her horns. The gales spun rapidly, visible to the naked eye. Her legs ground into the earth, tearing chunks of dirt out as her body angled to lunge.

“Not yet,” Javier’s voice shouted from the empty air. “Not while Mia is clasped so tightly. Not while she’s at risk. That might just get her cleaved in twain.”

Vera’s frustration grew evident from her tensed body, ready to leap forward when Javier gave the sign. But not a second before. She was holding fast, obeying Javier’s instructions unerringly. This was her faith realized on the battlefield.

“Oh shit,” I muttered, as the spike feeder started rapidly shaking its upper torso, twisting from side to side. The movements were rapid and forceful, thrashing about with its feet planted firmly on the ground. Mia cried out, wings rapidly flapping as she remained level with each rotation from underneath the mouth, angling the force in time with the spinning body. Her arms were moving maybe ten times for each rotation— I couldn’t track it any further with my feeble eyes.

The assault continued on for about ten seconds, Mia’s frantic flapping being the only thing preventing her body from tearing apart under the force of the rolling. All of her energy was mustered towards mitigating the death roll, fighting for dear life to survive the attack she’d gotten trapped within.

And then spike feeder stopped, its jaw going slack, opening enough for the rest of Mia’s body to be visible. It was over-exerted from the effort of trying to wrench Mia to death, heavily panting while it stood still.

“Now, Vera,” Javier shouted. She grunted, her taut body cutting loose, all of her energy focused ahead of her. She pushed off the ground, kicking up a great cloud of dust behind her. Her body closed the gap and slammed into the spike feeder, horns pushing against the pallid flesh. Vera narrowly dodged impaling herself upon one of its errant spikes. I could only presume the placement of her strike was assured to remove the chance of self-inflicted damage. It wouldn’t do good to be so careless when charging in.

When the first impact had finished rippling through the beast, its body pushed back against the soggy ground, the accumulated wind around her horns detonated. The condensed air exploded into a second impact, the solid roar of the wind pressing against its flesh. It pushed it even further, feet digging wide trenches in the ground from force of the blow.

The beast hobbled over, clutching at its wounded stomach, Mia falling out of its grasp. She dropped upon the cloven earth, body crumpling on contact. Her body was battered, covered in puncture wounds wherever her skin was visible. Other parts of her were covered in long scrapes, piercing through her clothing. Everything was soaked in blood. We would be lucky if she was still even alive.

“Another one?” Vera asked, wind starting to gather around her horns again. The air whistled as it condensed around her prominent horns, her suction drawing me towards her from the sheer force.

“Yes, another one. Don’t let up. Keep on doing whatever you can to distract it and weaken it until my return. I’m taking Mia away from this place. Most importantly though, don’t get caught. No one else is allowed to get hurt,” Javier said, appearing once again with Mia’s body in his arms. He ran off into the distance, cradling her wounded form against his now-soaked chest, leaving only the two of us to deal with the spike feeder.

“Well shit, this isn’t good, Vera,” I said, going closer. I wouldn’t be able to jump in to try and help Vera if I was on the other side of the swamp. I had to be prepared to insert myself between the two if necessary. Anything to prolong our time here.