The moon shrouded the dense forest in an eerie luminescence as a chilling wind whistled through the towering trees. The dirt road ahead seemed to stretch endlessly into the darkness, where the only sounds were the rustling of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl. Two weary travelers, Emma and Jacob, trudged along the worn path, their shoulders hunched from the weight of their backpacks.

Emma glanced over her shoulder, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Are you sure this is the right way, Jacob? It feels like we've been walking forever."

Jacob adjusted his hat and peered into the inky void of the forest. "I'm positive, Emma. According to the map, there should be a clearing up ahead where we can set up camp for the night. We'll find it soon."

As the night grew darker, their footsteps grew heavier with exhaustion. The surrounding trees seemed to close in on them, casting long, ominous shadows that danced in the moonlight. An unsettling silence settled upon the forest, broken only by the crunch of leaves beneath their boots.

Finally, they reached a small clearing bathed in a faint glow from the moon. The air was thick with tension as they dropped their backpacks and began to set up camp. Emma gathered firewood while Jacob pitched the tent, their movements hurried and anxious.

Just as Emma finished stacking the firewood, a sudden chill filled the air. The flickering flames of the fire seemed to dim, casting long, distorted shadows on the ground. Emma's senses sharpened, and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

"Jacob, do you feel that?" Emma whispered, her voice barely audible above the crackling fire.

Jacob froze, his eyes scanning the darkness. "Something's not right. We need to be cautious."

Before they could react, a bone-chilling roar erupted from the forest, shaking the very ground beneath their feet. The roar was followed by a flurry of movement, branches snapping and leaves rustling violently. A monstrous creature burst forth from the trees, its massive frame silhouetted against the moonlit sky.

Emma's heart pounded in her chest as she stared in horror at the menacing creature. Its hulking, muscular form was covered in matted fur, and its eyes glowed with an otherworldly intensity. Long, razor-sharp claws extended from its massive paws, and its snarling, jagged teeth dripped with saliva.

Fear gripped Emma and Jacob, paralyzing them for a moment before instinct kicked in. Jacob grabbed Emma's arm and pulled her toward the tent, his voice trembling with urgency. "Get inside the tent! Hurry!"

They scrambled into the tent, their hands shaking as they fumbled with the tent flaps. Just as Jacob managed to close it, the creature lunged at them, its claws slashing through the air. The tent shook violently as the creature's claws tore through the fabric, ripping it to shreds.

Emma screamed as she felt searing pain tear across her shoulder. Blood stained her clothes, mingling with the terror that coursed through her veins. Jacob fought back, desperately trying to fend off the monster, but he was no match for its savage strength.

With a final, bone-chilling roar, the creature struck Jacob with a powerful blow, sending him flying through the air. He crashed against a tree, his body limp and motionless. Emma's vision blurred with tears as she watched the monster loom over her fallen companion, its malevolent gaze fixated on her with a hunger for blood.

Summoning every ounce of courage she had left, Emma crawled backward, her wounded shoulder throbbing with agony. She reached for her backpack, her trembling hands searching desperately for something, anything, that could help her defend herself.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Her fingers closed around a small, sharp hunting knife—a gift from her father before they embarked on this insane journey. Gripping the knife tightly, Emma steadied her breathing, her mind filled with a mix of fear and determination. She knew she had to fight for her life.

As the creature advanced, its snarls reverberating through the night, Emma mustered her strength and lunged forward, slashing at the beast with all her might. The knife found its mark, sinking deep into the creature's side. A guttural growl erupted from its throat as it recoiled, momentarily stunned by the unexpected resistance.

But the respite was short-lived. The monster regained its composure, its fury intensifying. With lightning speed, it swatted Emma's knife away, sending it spiraling into the dark. Emma's heart sank, her last hope now lost.

Desperation fueled her actions as she scrambled to her feet, her injured shoulder screaming in protest. She cast a desperate glance at Jacob, lying motionless on the ground, and made a split-second decision. She had to run, to find help and return before it was too late. As she turned to run she felt the beast's teeth sink deep into her shoulder that was already pouring blood and she let out a shriek that would be heard for a mile in any direction.

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I decided to use Levitate on myself and clung to the back of Stella's belt as she ran, allowing me to keep up without straining my tiny gnome legs. We had put a few miles between ourselves and the town when I spoke up, "So, where are we headed now? I might have some camping gear in my inventory. We could set up camp anywhere and get some more rest."

Stella replied with a hint of annoyance, "Are you forgetting that we left a group of people in your room who know we're making an escape? It won't be long before a large party of angry, murderous adventurers is hot on our trail."

I chuckled, "No need to worry about that. When I attacked them with Divine Fire, it doesn't stop just because you can't see it. The spell has a Damage Over Time effect that burns them from the inside, and they would have been dead before we left the inn. The best part is that since it's a divine spell, they didn't even realize it was happening; it felt like healing energy." Stella came to a sudden stop and looked at me with a horrified expression, about to say something, but we were interrupted by a loud scream.

"We should see what's going on," I suggested, cutting off whatever Stella was about to say.

Shaking her head as if trying to clear a disturbing image, she turned and sprinted toward the source of the scream. Within seconds, we stumbled upon a scene straight out of a horror movie. A grotesque, shadowy creature had a young girl in its grip, her shoulder in its mouth as she struggled fruitlessly to break free.

Releasing my grip on Stella, I quickly cast Divine Shield on the girl to prevent further harm. I summoned my Spirit Guardians, sending them to attack, and began to cast Divine Fire. However, before I could complete the cast, my Spirit Guardians reached the creature and swiftly dismantled it with a single strike. I abandoned my spell as a notification appeared in my vision:

Well, that was anticlimactic. The girl fell to the ground as the creature fell in 3 separate pieces, rolling away from its maw. I cast a hasty Divine Light heal on her, and she healed almost instantly. With a gasp of sudden relief, the girl noticed Stella and managed to say, "Thank you for saving me... JACOB NO!" She rushed toward a motionless body slumped against a large tree. After a thorough inspection, her sobs grew uncontrollable, repeating, "No, no, no, Jacob, you can't be dead."

"Don't worry, I've got this," I reassured her in my squeaky gnome voice, stepping forward. I cast Divine Mind for its instant effect, followed by Resurrection. A brilliant column of white light shot up from the fallen man, his body convulsing as he gasped for air. I followed up with a Divine Light spell to restore him to full health and casually said, "There you go, all better now. No big deal."

Stella stared at me in complete disbelief, her voice a hushed whisper, "Did you just use divine resurrection magic? That's impossible. Nobody can bring back the dead except Necromancers, and even they only revive the corpse, not the person." She covered her face with her hands and added, "We need to have a long talk about what you can do and whether it's safe to reveal those abilities in front of others. In this case, I think we might be alright with these two because they'll likely be so grateful that they won't want to risk exposing your powers."

"Yes, mother," I retorted with a touch of sarcasm, "From now on, I'll make sure to check the rulebook before I perform any miracles. Happy now?" I didn't wait for her response, already moving to check on the two individuals we had just rescued.