Chapter 52

From the depths of the mist, a monstrous silhouette began to take shape. At first, it was just a shadow, a massive, hulking form that seemed to absorb the surrounding darkness. As it drew nearer, its details became clearer, revealing a creature unlike anything John had ever seen.

The monster creeped into view, its chitinous body gleaming faintly in the moonlight, it’s form was immense, towering over even the tallest of men, its entire physique covered in thick, segmented plates of dark, almost black chitin.

Each plate was interlocked with the next, forming a natural armour that looked impervious to any blade. The surface of its barriers were slick, almost oily, reflecting the pale light in unnatural, shimmering patterns. Spiny protrusions jutted out along its spine, sharp and menacing, as though daring anyone to approach.

Its limbs were disturbingly long, unnaturally so, and ended in razor-sharp claws that scraped the ground with every movement, leaving deep furrows in the earth. The creature’s head was a nightmarish fusion of skeletal structure and predatory features. A grotesque, angular skull crowned with two massive horns that curled back towards its spine.

Its mouth was a gaping maw filled with serrated teeth, each one designed to rend flesh from bone. But it was the eyes—those cold, unfeeling white orbs—that captured John’s attention. They were devoid of emotion, of life, only reflecting an unyielding malice as it surveyed the group.

John was familiar with that look; it was a look of one staring at its prey.

A gasp escaped from one of the Faelius Hounds soldiers, the man stumbling backward as he recognized the beast before them.

“It’s a Nelith!” he shouted, his voice tinged with both fear and disbelief.

The mere mention of the name sent a ripple of panic through the ranks; a name that seemed carry the weight of stories, of whispered legends about a beast that thrived in the darkest corners of the world.

Some of the soldiers immediately stiffened, their hands tightening around their weapons as if frozen in time, while others exchanged nervous glances, the fear palpable in their gaze.

John’s mind raced, calculating, assessing the situation. The Nelith was a predator, a hunter of men—an apex predator that thrived on fear, and worse, it was right here, inches away from their small group.

His thoughts were cold, calculating—he knew he had to survive, no matter what. He reached for his sword and pointed it directly towards monster with a calm demeanour. He even spared enough seconds to nudge Alex at the side prompting him to remain focused.

But if the latter listened to him or not, he did not care, he already done his part; instead, he waited patiently observing the actions of the others and reciprocating suitable reactions to suit his assumed personna. In particular, he stared at Tiber who was busy forming a formation of sorts and at Barnes who tried his best to keep up with the former.

“Hold your ground!” Tiber barked, though his eyes betrayed his own fear. “We’re not losing our nerve now! Converge at the middle, shields up, Focus men!”

But the Nelith had no intention of allowing them to prepare.

With a sudden burst of speed that belied its massive size, the Nelith lunged forward. Its claws lashed out, slicing through the air with a deadly precision. The attack was so sudden, so ferocious, that the nearest soldier barely had time to react. The razor-sharp claws struck his armor, rending it like paper, and the man was thrown back with a sickening crunch, his scream cut short as he crumpled to the ground.

The beast roared, a sound that reverberated through the trees, shaking loose leaves and sending nearby birds into frantic flight. Its massive tail, lined with jagged spines, whipped around, striking another soldier and sending him flying into a nearby tree with bone-shattering force.

“No!” Tiber shouted in frustration, “Keep your shields up, maintain formation!”

But with a sudden, terrifying swiftness, the Nelith lunged again, this time aiming directly at the cluster of soldiers who had managed to form a shaky shield wall. Its claws raked against the shields with a deafening screech, the force of the impact sending several men staggering backward.

The beast’s agile tail whipped around, targeting another soldier, who barely managed to duck in time, the tail slashing through the air where his head had been just moments before.

“What the Fuck-”

Tiber was momentarily stunned by the sheer ferocity of the beast. His bravado faltered as he watched his comrade’s lifeless body slump to the ground. His eyes widened, and for a brief second, the reality of the situation seemed to strike him in that instance.

“This...This isn’t..”

Sweat dripped down Barnes’ face as he observed the sudden lapse of movement from the legionnaire he had previously placed his confidence in.

“Legionnaire, what’s the plan?” Barnes asked urgently, his tone tinged with desperation. He quickly moved closer to the man, seeking some assurance that they weren’t all about to be slaughtered by this monstrous foe.

But Tiber’s response was like a death knell to Barnes’ own confidence. He could see and feel the fear in the man’s distraught gaze, the uncertainty in his posture, making his stomach churn with dread. Barnes was left on edge as he pressured the man to give orders.

“Legionnaire?! Your orders!” he now shouted.

Tiber seemed to momentarily snap out of his panic, his voice quivered as he called for a retreat, his usually commanding presence diminished by the impending doom dawning upon him.

“We... we’re retreating!” he barked, voice cracking with the strain of suppressed terror. “Fall back now! Barnes, your group covers us!”

Barnes’ eyes widened in shock. “What? You can’t just—”

“Do it!” Tiber snapped, his desperation palpable. “Or we’re all dead!”

The Nelith, sensing their hesitation, advanced slowly, its massive, chitinous legs crushing the underbrush beneath it, its maw dripping with anticipation.

Just as the group started to pull back, Kael’s voice cut through the chaos, sharp and resolute. “No!” he shouted, turning to face Tiber and the others. His eyes were wide, but not with fear—there was something else there, something almost fervent. “We can’t retreat! If we run, we’re as good as dead. We have to endure and fight this thing off!”

His words hung in the air, almost absurd in the face of the Nelith’s monstrous presence. Yet Kael spoke with a conviction that made the soldiers pause, even as the beast loomed closer. “This creature,” Kael continued, stepping forward as if to confront the Nelith directly, “it’s not invincible. We’ve faced worse and survived. We stand our ground, and we fight it off!”

Tiber blinked, caught off guard by Kael's sudden defiance. His grip tightened on his sword, the knuckles white. “Are you mad?” Tiber hissed, eyes darting to the approaching beast. “We’re outmatched!”

But Kael didn’t back down. “Retreating now is a death sentence! You saw what it did to our men! We turn our backs, we’re done for. But if we stand our ground, use what we have, we can drive it back!”

But the Nelith had already grown impatient with the human chatter. It moved with terrifying speed for its size, one of its massive, chitinous claws shot out like a viper. Before anyone could react, the claw closed around a nearby soldier, lifting him off the ground.

The man barely had time to scream before the Nelith brought him to its maw. With a sickening crunch, it crushed his head, a spray of blood misting the air. The beast chewed slowly, deliberately, savoring the taste as if playing with its food.

A horrified silence fell over the group, broken only by the grisly sound of the Nelith devouring its prey. The sight of the soldier’s lifeless body being so casually consumed shattered what little resolve Tiber had left. His eyes filled with blind terror, and without a second thought, he turned and ran, abandoning all pretense of leadership, all semblance of honor.

“Retreat! Retreat, damn it!” Tiber screamed, pushing past his men in a frantic bid for survival. His mind had snapped, and all that mattered now was survival.

“Get out of my way!” Tiber shouted, his voice laced with hysteria. He made a move to shove Kael aside, desperate to flee from the nightmare behind him.

But Kael was faster. With a fluid motion, he drew his sword, and in one swift, brutal arc, he decapitated Tiber. The former leader’s head spiraled through the air, eyes wide with shock and terror, before it hit the ground with a dull thud. His body stood still for a heartbeat before collapsing, blood pooling in the dirt.

Kael then turned towards the stunned soldiers, his blade still dripping with Tiber’s blood. His eyes burned with a savage light as he pointed the sword at the rest of the group. “Anyone else want to run?” he snarled, his voice carrying the promise of death. “If you do, I’ll cut you down myself! We fight, or we all die here!”

The men froze, torn between the instinct to flee and the fear of Kael’s retribution. The Nelith, momentarily distracted by Tiber’s violent death, resumed its slow, deliberate advance, each step a reminder of the inevitable.

Barnes turned to his group, his mind racing. He knew the situation was dire thus he made a hasty gamble. “I agree! We must fight!” Barnes exclaimed, trying to steady his shaking hands, he turned to his group of eight. “Prepare yourselves fuckers... we’re going to fight.” A tinge of madness seemed to infect his tone as he readied himself against the beast.

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Kael seized the moment, his voice cutting through the chaotic murmurs as he brandished the bloodied sword that had just ended Tiber’s life. “Listen up!” he barked, his tone brooking no argument. “We hold our ground, or we die here! Shields up, form a line! The rest of you with ranged weapons, you aim for its eyes, its joints—anything that looks like it’ll bleed!”

The soldiers scrambled to obey, their movements frantic but determined. Kael moved among them with swift efficiency, forcing them into two groups. Those with shields, mostly his men formed a trembling but resolute shield wall in front of the beast.

Behind them, the rest of the men with crossbows and bows fumbled with their weapons, hands shaking as they tried to load bolts and arrows. Hawk and Mouse was part of this group whilst the rest of Barnes’ men, John included found themselves amongst the shielded men.

Kael positioned himself at the front, just behind the shield-bearers, his presence a stern reminder of the price of disobedience. “Hold the line!” he roared, stepping forward with sword raised.

“Don’t let this thing break us! Ranged group, wait for my signal—then let loose everything you’ve got! We’ll show this monster that men aren’t so easy to kill!”

His words, meant to rouse the soldiers, barely reached the Nelith’s ears. The beast, unimpressed by the human bravado, let out a guttural roar that shook the earth beneath their feet. It charged forward, its massive claws slamming into the shields with a force that sent men staggering back. The shield wall buckled under the impact, the soldiers gritting their teeth as they struggled to hold their ground.

Kael, undeterred, swung his sword at one of the Nelith’s limbs, aiming for the chitinous plates protecting its legs. The blade glanced off the hard surface, barely leaving a scratch. The Nelith retaliated with terrifying speed, its clawed limb striking Kael in the chest. He grunted as he was thrown back, slamming into the ground with a dull thud. Despite the pain, Kael forced himself up, his gaze locking onto the beast with a mix of fury and grim determination.

“Now!” Kael shouted, signaling the ranged fighters. “Fire!”

Bolts and arrows flew through the air, aimed at the Nelith’s eyes and joints. Some found their mark, embedding in the soft tissue between the chitinous plates, but the damage was minimal. The Nelith barely slowed, its body absorbing the blows with a sickening indifference. One arrow struck close to its eye, causing the creature to flinch, but it only seemed to enrage it further.

With a deafening roar, the Nelith swiped its tail, the spiked appendage sweeping through the ranks. Three soldiers were caught in the path, their bodies flung aside like ragdolls, bones snapping under the force. The shield wall faltered, men crying out in pain and fear as they tried to reform, but the beast was relentless.

Barnes' gaze snapped to Rook, who had been one of the front-line shield-bearers. He had been holding his ground, but the Nelith’s tail lashed out again, and this time, it struck him squarely. Rook was harshly lifted off his feet, crashing into a nearby tree with a sickening thud.

He slid down the trunk, leaving a smear of blood behind. Seeing this, Barnes’ heart dropped as he stared at Rook’s crumpled form lying motionless on the ground.

“Rook!” He shouted, his voice raw with panic.

Barnes tried to push back and help the downed man, but the pressure of bodies and the looming threat of the Nelith forced him to hold his position. The fear of losing another man gnawed at him, but the reality of the situation demanded focus. The wounded and the dead couldn’t be his priority right now.

With a deep breath, Barnes forced himself to swallow his fear and called out to a towering, muscular man with the strength to match his name. “Bull! Take Rook’s place!”

Bull hefted his shield, stepping into the spot Rook had occupied, his broad frame filling the gap in the line. The shield wall reformed, but the strain of holding off the Nelith was evident in the tense faces of the linked men.

Desperate, Barnes turned to Sarge beside him, his mind racing for a plan, any plan, that might save them from this nightmare. “Sarge,” he said, his voice barely holding together. “What the hell do we do? We can’t keep this up!”

Sarge looked at Barnes with cold, calculating eyes. Despite the panic swirling around them, he remained eerily calm, his mind seemingly working through the problem like a puzzle. “We need to target the weak points,” Sarge said, his voice low but steady.

“That chitin of its is tough, but there are gaps. The joints, the eyes, the underbelly—those are where we can do real damage.”

Barnes nodded, clinging to Sarge’s advice like a lifeline. “Hawk!” he shouted behind him to group of ranged men, trying to channel Sarge’s calm. “Aim for the eyes, the underbelly—anywhere it’s soft! Make those shots count!”

But even as he yelled, the Nelith struck again, its massive claws crushing the shields and sending men sprawling. The beast’s maw snapped down on another soldier, lifting him off the ground before shaking him like a ragdoll. Blood sprayed from the man’s wounds, his screams cut short as the Nelith bit down, severing his torso from his legs in a gruesome display of power.

Hawk fired off another arrow from his bow targeting the weak points of the foe ahead, he heard the cries of Barnes but even he was stumped, “I’m already trying! The son of a bitch is just too damn fast!”

As if in response to their futile efforts, the Nelith lunged sideways, its maw snapping down on another unfortunate soldier who had stepped too close. The creature’s jaws crushed the man’s skull with a sickening crunch, blood spraying across the forest floor. It seemed almost playful as it chewed, the horrifying sound of bones breaking echoing through the trees.

Kael, still on the front line, continued to rally the shield-bearers with a fierce battle cry. “Push forward! Don’t give it room to breathe!” He swung his sword with renewed vigor, striking at the Nelith’s leg, aiming for the joint where the chitinous armour was weakest. This time the blade surprisingly sank in, drawing a deep, dark ooze which spurted from the wound.

In response, the Nelith roared, more in anger than in pain, and reared back. For a brief moment, the line held, and the men felt a glimmer of hope that they could actually wound this monster, that they could fight back and survive.

But the Nelith was not retreating from its shallow wounds. Instead, it slammed its massive body into the shield wall again, causing the entire line to fall back a full metre. One soldier’s shield even shattered under the force, leaving him vulnerable to the creature’s next attack.

And that was all it took before he was zeroed in and devoured by the monstrosity.

Barnes could see the fear in the surrounding men’s eyes, the way their hands shook as they tried to hold their ground. But he knew that there was no other choice. Retreat was no longer an option; they had to fight, to stand and face the monster with whatever strength they had left.

Barnes’ heart pounded in his chest as he glanced upward, eyes flickering with a silent prayer to Adam and Eve, the gods he’d never prayed to this fervently before. But desperation made a believer out of anyone.

He turned to Sarge, who stood beside him, his composure still unshaken despite the carnage around them.

“Help me up,” Barnes said, his voice tight with determination.

Sarge raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask any questions. Without a word, he bent down, gripping Barnes by the waist, and with considerable effort, hoisted him up. Barnes scrambled onto Sarge’s shoulders, finding his balance amid the shaking ground and clashing steel.

Barnes' sudden rise above the fray caught the attention of the others. John, who had been watching everything from the back with the detached scrutiny of someone with far different priorities, couldn’t help but take notice. Even Kael, fully engaged at the front, turned his head slightly to see what Barnes was up to.

The hulking figure of Bull, already an imposing presence on the battlefield, looked back as Barnes shouted his name. Their eyes met, and for a moment, there was an unspoken understanding between them. No words were needed. Bull knew what Barnes was about to do.

With a grunt of effort, Barnes leaped from Sarge’s shoulders to Bull’s. The large man barely flinched as Barnes landed on his broad shoulders, the weight almost negligible compared to the burden of the battle raging around them. Barnes steadied himself, gripping Bull’s head to maintain his balance, his eyes locked onto the towering form of the Nelith just ahead.

The creature, still thrashing and tearing through the men with a terrifying ferocity, was focused on the soldiers trying to pierce its thick armor. But Barnes waited, watching for that single moment of distraction, a lapse in the beast’s attention. The moment came as the Nelith shifted its focus, turning slightly to expose its massive neck.

Barnes seized the opportunity. “Launch me at the fucker!” he roared down to Bull, the command barely audible over the din of battle.

Bull didn’t hesitate. With a roar of his own, he planted his feet firmly on the ground, coiled his massive muscles, and threw Barnes with all the strength he could muster. Barnes flew through the air, a human projectile hurtling towards the beast with reckless abandon.

He collided with the Nelith’s neck, his body slamming against the chitinous plates with a jarring impact that nearly knocked the wind out of him. But Barnes clung on with a fierce determination, his fingers finding purchase in the narrow gaps between the beast’s armor. The Nelith let out a furious roar, thrashing violently to shake off this new irritant.

But Barnes held fast. With gritted teeth and burning muscles, he scrambled up the creature’s neck, using the chitinous ridges like handholds on a cliff face. The Nelith twisted and turned, trying to dislodge him, but Barnes was relentless, inching closer to its head.

The creature’s horns loomed above him, wickedly curved and dangerously sharp. With a final surge of strength, Barnes leaped from the Nelith’s neck, grabbing onto one of the horns. The Nelith shook its massive head, trying to fling him off, but Barnes held on with a death grip. He swung himself around, searching desperately for his target.

Then he saw it—the creature’s eye, glimmering in the dark like a massive, hate-filled orb. With a guttural yell, Barnes drew his blade—

“EAT THIS FUCKER!!!”

And, with all the force he could muster, drove it into the Nelith’s eye.

The beast’s reaction was instantaneous. It let out an ear-splitting shriek of pain and rage, its entire body convulsing as it tried to dislodge the source of its agony. Blood and viscous fluid gushed from the ruined eye, spraying across Barnes as he twisted the blade deeper, ensuring the wound would be fatal.

But the Nelith was relentless in its fury. With a massive, clawed limb, it reached up and grabbed Barnes, its grip crushing the air from his lungs. As the beast prepared to fling him into the darkness, Barnes summoned the last of his strength. He knew he had only moments left, and he had to make them count.

"HAWK!" Barnes shouted, his voice strained with pain and desperation as he struggled against the creature’s iron grip. The words were barely out of his mouth when the Nelith’s claws began to tighten, ready to crush him.

Cutting swiftly to Hawk, he already had an arrow nocked, the bowstring drawn back to its full capacity. His eyes narrowed, focusing intently on the Nelith’s remaining eye. He knew what Barnes intended, and he didn’t need to be told twice.

"Already ahead of you, boss," Hawk muttered under his breath, his tone a mix of steely determination and grim resolve.

He released the arrow, the tension of the bowstring snapping with a loud twang that seemed to resonate in the silence that had momentarily fallen over the battlefield. The arrow flew true, cutting through the air with deadly precision. Time seemed to slow as it soared toward its target, a singular hope to bring down the monstrous creature.

The arrow struck its mark with a sickening thud, piercing the Nelith’s remaining eye. The beast roared in unimaginable pain, a sound that shook the ground beneath their feet. Its massive body convulsed, the agony of its now-blind state driving it into a wild, uncontrollable rage.

In its final, desperate act, the Nelith hurled Barnes away with terrifying force. The momentum from its furious movement sent him crashing into the distance, disappearing into the shadows of the forest. His fate remained uncertain, his body lost to the looming darkness.

Kael, eyes blazing with resolve, saw the moment of opportunity as the Nelith, now fully blinded and enraged, flailed its massive limbs wildly. He wasted no time, his blade already in hand as he charged forward with grim determination. His focus was razor-sharp, and he aimed straight for the vulnerable points he knew the Nelith had—its tendons and joints, the places where the beast’s massive strength could be compromised.

With precise strikes, Kael slashed at the Nelith’s legs, cutting through the chitinous armor with expert finesse. Each cut was a calculated move, designed to disable the creature’s mobility and ensure its eventual defeat. The Nelith roared in frustration and pain, its remaining eye now a pit of darkness where no light could penetrate.

Bull, the massive brute, lumbered forward with a fierce battle cry. His immense size and strength made him an unstoppable force. With a powerful running shove, he slammed his entire body against the Nelith, using all his weight and strength to drive the beast down.

The impact was tremendous causing the Nelith’s balance to be thrown off completely.

Already weakened by the assault on its tendons and its blindness, the beast toppled to the ground with a bone-shaking crash. The entire forest seemed to tremble under the weight of its fall, sending debris to scatter in all directions. The monster's flailing limbs also crashed against the forest floor, sending up clouds of dust and detritus.

Kael, seeing the creature down but not yet defeated, seized the moment to rally his men. His voice cut through the chaos like a war cry, commanding and unyielding.

“KILL!!!”