The overwhelming stench of death hung heavy in the air as the once impressive summoning chamber lay in ruin. The few remaining mana crystals protruded precariously from the cracked walls, barely illuminating the room and its grisly contents.
Small drops of blood fell from the partially destroyed ceiling and ran down the walls, flowing around the many dismembered body parts and congealing into small puddles that littered the pockmarked floor.
The last slabs of the summoning portal, which had once been so imposing, crumbled into a fine dust kicking up into the air. Its intricate runes and magical arrays were mostly destroyed or covered by the copious amounts of blood and gore. The sight was so horrific that, to the average person, it would be surreal, their mind refusing to accept what their senses were trying to tell them.
Crawling towards the only exit, a small, naked girl occasionally let out a little sob as she continually peeked over her shoulder, terror dancing in her eyes. When she was no more than a couple of meters away from the door, a spike of metal, which had once been a shield, snagged onto her metal collar, dislodging it from an impaled corpse before falling noisily to the floor.
The demonic goblin released a small squeal of panic as she slowly looked towards the area she had been checking.
Two glowing red eyes slowly opened - the owner covered from head to foot in gore, melding perfectly with the gruesome scenery - before scanning the room. After glancing at the girl and the wrapped metal fragment, the eyes closed once again as the owner released an angry hiss.
It had taken the boy, who, in human terms, looked no more than eight-years-old, a long time to steady his breathing and repress the unimaginable pain that was wracking his body. The small amount of noise the girl had made was enough to break his concentration. He knew that he was teetering on a knife's edge, and if he allowed himself to fall unconscious at the moment, let alone the risk of the men who escaped returning to finish him off, in his current condition, he might never wake up.
A young, powerful voice resonated outwards in a language never before heard in Acoria. "Leave." The language and tone sounded harsh and menacing.
Not understanding the meaning, the girl sunk to the floor, making herself as small and inconspicuous as possible causing the boy to release an irritated breath, apparently causing him a significant amount of pain as his face scrunched up and droplets of sweat began washing away some of the blood that covered his face.
After a few minutes, his breathing stopped as his eyes opened and he stared at the exit. The boy's reptilian pupils rapidly moved as if he were intensely analysing something down the long, dark corridor before letting out a small chuckle. "It never rains, but it pours... Good, I was getting bored."
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
The boy's voice resonated outwards and down the corridor, destroying the silence and causing the five masked figures, who were moving soundlessly, to freeze. Although the language was alien to them, decades of experience enabled them to tell by the tone and subtleties, that they had been discovered and the owner of the voice was, not only resolved to fight to the death but in an incredible amount of pain.
Curiosity and eagerness flashed across Verz's beautiful, silver eyes as she grinned behind her mask. Being able to sense a Huntsman was already an impressive feat but being able to sense her and her party, which even caused the Sun Clan to shudder in fear and watch the shadows, was on an entirely different level. “Rock, how many?"
Crouching down, Rock placed both of his hands on the floor and silently cast a spell enabling him to sense anything that interacted with the earth around it. The only reason he had not done this earlier, is that a skilled mage would have been able to sense this, alerting them to the huntsmen's presence. "Lot's of dead, two alive, both children. The female child is terrified, the other..."
The sudden pause in Rock's report caused the other four huntsmen, who were positioned to react at a moments notice to any sudden change in the situation, to glance over in concern.
"Is a male who has almost entirely erased his presence. His heartbeat, breathing and even the disturbances in the air. The only reason I can sense him is that he is suffering from an extreme case of mana poisoning and that his core is trying to purify it by absorbing mana linked to his two affinities."
Being an elemental, and having earth as his primary affinity, Rock was peerless in his ability to scout natural environments. Being so deep in the mountain, his already outstanding ability, was greatly enhanced, but even still, his report was so shocking the other members found it hard to accept.
"How is that even possible?" Hissed Kelora in disbelief, her demonic eyes squinting as if Rock was attempting to trick her.
Questioning a party member in the field was considered a grave offence, but even Verz, the leader of the Huntsmen, found it impossible not to question Rocks statement. "Are you sure?"
"I know that even light cases of mana poisoning are almost instantaneously fatal." Rock cleared his throat. "Or that you only get your second affinity when you evolve or grow into your adult form and that concealing your presence is a skill that takes centuries to master. I also know that a mana core being able to purify anything is a sign of a first generation or a God's chosen, but I assure you, I am telling the truth. Inside that cavern lies a being that defies all logic and common sense."
"Sounds like we found our 'hole' in fate," muttered Ethemeusa, eagerness seeping into her voice. "Captain?"
Verz visibly shook in excitement.
It's true. A being that will help me get my revenge and... if that seer was correct, someone who will inherit my clan's legacy, ensuring that it will not end with me.
"We have lost the element of surprise. Breach the room and secure the first child, surround the one with mana poisoning. Do not kill either of them." Commanded Verz as she moved into a crouch. If anyone who knew her could see the devilish grin she was wearing, they would have run in fear. The blood wolf had found her prey and not even the gods would stand in her way.