Taking steps back, the sudden movement startled Zan and Friends. Though the beast remained fairly far away, it was now much closer to them. What disturbed Zan most of all, however, was how its nose, once hovering through the dirt like snake through sand, now was in the air and pointed at them. Both of the beast's nostrils flared with snot flinging off it. Zan now held his blade so tightly he threatened to drain color from his flesh. "Get ready, guys. It has our scent."

Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty-one seconds. "Where is that damn lift?!"

Unable to resist looking anymore, Zan glanced back to see the lift nearly lock into place. Nearly!

Twenty-two. Snarling and howling, the beast looked directly at Zan and Company. Its eyes met Zan's own and then it charged.

Twenty-three seconds and then Zan heard a loud click.

"Jiehong! Smoke grenade!" Zan shouted.

"We only have one left!" Jiehong replied but tossed the smoke in a can anyway.

The smoke spread as the creature charged at them. Finding its visibility changed for the worse, the creature did what Zan hoped it would do. Slow down. Take caution. Grunt and slowly renew its approach. Twenty-four. Twenty-Five.

A green light blinked into existence. The gate opened.

Just as the werewolf-like beast tore its way through the smoke, Zan and Whiskey and Jiehong (along with the two soldiers who stayed behind), were safely aboard the lift and pulling away from the site.

Taking in a big pull of air and then howling like Zan had never heard it howl before, the beast forced Zan to cover his ears. This was when the beast scampered and ran off but not to flee. In stunned horror, Zan and Company watched as the beast got a running head start and leaped with wild abandon across the chasm, landing on the outside of their lift like a fly in a spider's web.

Shouts, screams thundered from the lift, Zan included, as everyone lunged their blades at the beast, hoping to land a lucky killing blow.

Up closer to the monster than he ever would have liked to have been, Zan saw firsthand its bloody forest fur interrupted with gigantic parasitic creatures of a kind Zan had never seen and hoped to never see again.

As he was stabbing the beast (poorly...) while it ripped apart the partly walls of the lift, the Screen Master chirped into Zan's ear. "Aim for its joints. Creatures in the werewolf family are susceptible to their joints being targeted. Without their ability to leap and jump, their fighting ability is dramatically reduced. As it their ability to deploy their claws."

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Not overthinking it, Zan saw the creature drop into the lift with them. Without even thinking, Zan screamed, "Kill it! Don't give it an inch!" as he charged at the creature with his sword. Because he had haste on his side and acted bravely in the moment, Zan's quick acting successfully saw his sword stab through one of its arms. He withdrew the blade in shock -- shock at him having the courage to assault the beast -- and renewed his efforts with a second attack.

Missing, Zan's second attack was merely the prelude to a flurry of blows from his allies, who likewise charged the beast. With nothing to lose, the battle everyone knew would be vicious and bloody began in earnest.

The beast stumbled back in pain. Though its body language screamed horror, the creature did not relent and surged ahead, using its good claw-arm to clear space for it in the lift. Circling to its rear, Zan searched for a good time to attack; Whiskey did likewise, but she slid herself underneath the beast and began slicing at its body. Realizing she did not know about the joints, Zan yelled, "Hit the joints! Hit! Joints!"

With a kick, the beast sent Whiskey tumbling to the other side of the lift, her impact against the crude safety rail causing the entire lift to swing thereby dislodging everyone and thing within. Everyone except the two soldiers, who, by the grace of their well-forged boots, managed to hold their ground. "Die beast!" both yelled as their spears struck into the beast's body; Zan again shouted for them to target its limbs.

Nearly at the other side, Zan hoped the group would see the were-beast and rush to their aid. They were so close! They just had to hold out for a little longer!

Steadying himself once the cage stabilized, Zan Lunged himself at the creature with the tip of his sword going first and through one of its legs, just as a soldier struck its other leg. It howled once more and this time with such ferocity, everyone, as though it were a reaction inborn, covered their ears least their sanity and ability to hear vanished with its roar.

The beast used this opportunity to take revenge. Following a massive unhinging of its jaw, the beast bite the upper half of one of the guards, nearly engulfing him whole. Zan could do nothing while the guard was assaulted. Once the howl ended and their sense of space returned, Zan acted, but by then, it was too late. Innumerable teeth markings etched the man's body by the hundreds. By the time the beast released the man, he bled out nearly instantly. Zan saw only the shock in his face as one moment he was alive, rationalizing the damage inflicted on him, while in the next instance, he died.

His face looked confused. Bewildered. Then he died. Zan would remember his face for a long time.

And the werewolf-beast fled. It tumbled its way out of the lift with its one good leg and vanished into the distance below, clearly preferring its chances to survive an incredible drop than with them.

Glancing at how far away from the other side they were, Zan felt little relief in seeing them nearly there. Blood, viscera, and shattered metals littered the lift. Images from the encounter -- the smells, the horrid sights -- obnoxiously filled Zan's head despite his distaste for them. He heaved and heaved, trying to puke but so worked up, he could only make the motions. Zan's body shook with an intensity he never before knew. He felt wicked, chained, terrified, sure, but he also, paradoxically, felt alive.

With a heave and a click, the lift secured itself onto the station.

They had made it across.