Midday, the sun beaming down upon the burning outpost. Not a shadow insight outside of the tree line. It was the absolute worst conditions for a battle against a foe such as the Albino Gritcas. None knew this better than Gerin, whose frantic panicked eyes were a window straight into his terrified soul.

“The beast has yet to strike, beware its tail!” He yelled, circling the area back to back with CAL and Anaya.

“Toxin spikes right?”

“Were we only so fortunate, the Albino fires a light ray from its tail. It burns through steel in seconds. Listen for the cackle in the air prior to firing.”

The trio stood still for a moment, observing their surroundings. Searching for the slightest glimmer of movement among the carnage.

*CRACK*

Anaya was the first to spot the disturbance, the snap of a branch right in front of her. Launching herself several dozen feet into the air, she didn’t even need to warn the others of what just happened.

Gerin quickly rolled to the side, allowing CAL to catch the invisible beast’s claws with his blades.

“Woah! You’re a biggin’ aren’t you. Your paw’s almost as big as me!”

Using the pressure valves in her legs, Anaya shot herself back to the ground, impaling the beast in the back. A thunderous roar of rage erupted from the beast as her Spear head tore cleanly into its flesh. Releasing its attack on CAL it hopped back, Anaya attempting to hang onto it, stabbing it repeatedly as she did so.

“Sister Anaya, incoming.”

Gerin unleashed a volley of arrows into the Griticas, each finding its mark beautifully and detonating upon impact. Each hit forced a jump or bounce from the beast, leaving Anaya laughing and screaming like a madman as she held firmly onto the beast’s back.

Slamming his blades together, Cal merged them, forming an impressively ornate warhammer. Quickly running toward where he presumed the beast’s head was.

“Ride’s about to get a whole lot rockier, Anaya!”

The final arrow erupted upon the beast’s hindquarters in perfect sync with CAL’ hammer slamming against’ its face. Sending the Griticas into a tailspin across the outpost. The force of the combo was more than enough to knock Anaya off its back and send her face first into the dirt.

“Crap! Shouldn’t have hit it that hard. Are you okay Anaya?”

Face covered in dirt, she sat up with a slight daze, “You worry too much Warrior CAL! Health and Safety is no concern!”

“Then stay there Sister Anaya. We will finish the beast.”

Walking where the beast landed, little more than Anaya’s bloody spear and a shattered tooth lie in its place.

“It has moved? To imagine it moving after taking a hit from your hammer, a horrifying image.”

“Agreed but where did it go? I definitely felt something break with that hit.”

Seeing the pool of blood, trailing off behind to the side, CAL followed it. Coming to a terrifying conclusion.

“See Warrior CAL! Perfect health!”

She said as she rose to her feet, unaware of the bloody puddle forming behind her.

“Anaya move!”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

The Griticas grabbed Anaya in its mouth, slamming her on the ground several times before throwing her into the jungle.

“SISTER!” Gerin screamed, running over to her with reckless abandon.

The beast’s bloody feline face turned toward Gerin, ready to pounce.

“No, no. That was one step too far.” CAL appeared in front of the Griticas, his hand firmly on its nose. Both hands glowing with the green outline of armored gloves.

The beast quickly found itself regaining consciousness several hundred meters in the air. Looking around in panic as it began falling back to the surface, a flash of green appeared before blacking out again.

Rising to its feet after being slammed into the ground, the Griticas, now visible thanks to all of the blood covering it. Growled defensively at its mechanical foe. Its features clearly reminiscent of a 20 foot panther, with its tail ending in a gun like barrel.

“H-Hold Warrior CAL!”

Both CAL and the Griticas turned to Anaya, wounded and as she was, she slowly approached CAL.

“This beast insulted me.” She said though broken ribs, every breath just as painful as the last. “Family and those I hold in Esteem, both saw this attack. The beast will die by my hand!”

Pointing her spear at the beast, CAL opened his mouth to dissuade her, but the fire raging behind her was more than enough for him to forgo such foolish actions.

“He’s all yours.” CAL said as he stepped aside with a polite bow.

“Brother Gerin! Warrior CAL! Interfere at your own peril. I will have a new pelt!”

Anaya’s Augments whirled to life like a motor, jumping forward she brought the spear down with explosive force. The Griticas narrowly dodged the attack, pouncing toward her with the intent to kill. Releasing the spear, and redirecting all power to her right side, the ground shook slightly as she stepped forward, uppercutting the feline. Sending the Griticas flying several feet into the air. Landing with a sickening crunch, Anaya smiled at her work.

“Beast, I grant you mercy! Crawl away, never return. I give you life.”

Turning to her companions, and jumping for joy over her quick victory she ran over to them.

*CRACKLE*

Stopping almost instantly, Anaya rolled to the side. A beam of light cut though where she had just been, Vaporizing everything in front of it, including part of her hair.

The Griticas rose to its feet once more, its broken jaw hanging limply, it howled with blood curdling fury. Charging Anaya and firing multiple light beams at her. Turning to face the beast, Anaya put all of her power into the augments, dodging each beam with lightning-like movements. The beast quickly covered the gap between them, pouncing once more, Anaya leapt over it. Grabbing its tail as they both landed, she felt her augments burning, as she pulled the full weight of the beast over her shoulder and slammed it into the ground. Ripping its tail off as it crashed to the hard earth, smashing its skull open in the same moment.

It was a stunning feat to lift the Griticas and an even more stunning feat to throw to the ground with the force of a blacksmith’s hammer upon an anvil. Though perhaps it was too stunning of a feat. The once blue lights of her augments shifted to a flashing crimson. Barely able to breath from the stress of the act, both of her legs gave out on her. Failing to catch herself as her arms equally gave out, she fell limply… right into CAL’s arms.

“This is not good Anaya. You overloaded your augments.”

“Stop worrying Warrior Cal, I’m… fine.”

Passing out from exhaustion.

“Crap! Gerin, We need to get back to the village. Now!

Within minutes they were on the move, no longer restricting themselves to the trees. Gerin, though fast and more agile than most other hunters, was barely keeping pace with CAL. Who was cutting a path through the thick brush like a flame in a cotton mill. He didn’t even bother going around the Yeager Trees, choosing to cut a hole straight through them. These mountainous trees which measured fifty feet in width, were little more than uncut door frames to him. At some point he couldn’t even see CAL anymore, he just started following his trail of carnage.

By the time Gerin reached the palace, CAL had already handed his sister off to the medics, and was being calmed by the Elder.

“Are you absolutely sure she will be fine? What about her wounds? Could the overheating affect her ability to heal properly?”

“I say again, I will handle it. Her wounds are not fatal, and I have handled overheating augments before. It will take a couple days, but it will be fine.”

If CAL could have vented steam in response to the situation, he would have. Remaining cross armed and tense as he looked off towards the medical ward across the village.

“Relax my metal friend, all will be well. Go home to your ship and recover, I will send word to your light friend of any updates to her condition.”

CAL sighed heavily, realizing there really was little he could do at the moment. Resigning himself to his ship, he gave a small nod to the Elder and Gerin as he approached before leaping out of the village.