The Ancient Fear.

Kayn looked at the area around the camp, as the feeling of being watched grew again. He tapped the ground next to him, in search of Rhaast.

"What is it?" the Darkin complained as the young Yánléi took hold of him.

"Something is near us." Kayn whispered and got up into a semi-crouched position.

"Something? Like what?" Rhaast questioned.

"I don't know. Something weird. I keep on feeling like we're being watched."

"Trusting your gut, ay? Not bad, if only I'd have done the same in Shurima, I wouldn't be stuck with you, brat!" the Darkin growled.

"Shut up, I need to hear." the Yánléi assassin said through his teeth.

All he could hear was a few crows...but...

Something felt out of shape. Trees, fern, a scarecrow, crows more trees...

...a scarecrow?

Kayn turned his attention towards it.

The scarecrow wasn't there yesterday, neither two days ago, nor when they came. Kayn approached it.

The more he looked at it, the more it irritated him, crept him. Perhaps it was that mistake that caused all of this.

Then,it just fell on the ground and broke in countless pieces.

Something flapped around, that caused the boy to turn around. Kayn ventured deeper and deeper into the forest, as curiosity took hold of him.

Just as he had decided to turn around, another creaking sound caused him to look around him.

The same scarecrow was a few meters in front of him.

The scarecrow slightly twitched, causing the boy to freak out.

A crow landed on top of it, where it began to screech as it faced Kayn.

Kayn's eyes widened, as he discovered that the crow was decomposed and distorted, basically a living body.

"Kill the mind!" an eerie, distorted voice called out for him, combined with the crows screams.

"Kill the mind!"

"Kill the mind!"

Then the chaos unravelled, as the scarecrow began to spasm out and let out an agonising scream.

Kayn screamed too and raised Rhaast, with his heart beat skyrocketing.

Whatever this creature was, it was perfectly designed to inflict dread and terror. The grotesque scarecrow was nothing less than a shambling figure of scrap and shadow somewhat resembling a scarecrow. A torn burlap sackcloth rested over its "face", which was little more than two holes for glowing red eyes and a mouth of rows and rows of jagged metal teeth, secured around its "neck" by a rope which carried three keys.

A mass of red-tinged shadows grew from various points along its body, one large growth emerged from its back, and the rest formed extra arms for it, of which it already had three metal ones made of rusted scrap. One of these arms was connected to its body by a sawblade which emerged from its shoulder.

The creature took a step forward. Its movement was spasmodic, unnatural.

"What are you?" Kayn asked.

"What...are you?" the creature repeated with a creepier, erratic and distorted version of Kayn's voice.

The creature took another step forward. Kayn stumbled back, as the crows grew louder.

"Kill the mind, Kayn! Kill the mind!" the thing screeched as it raised its scythe to strike the boy.

Kayn raised Rhaast and deflected the hit, then stepped back.

"What the hell do you want?" Kayn cried out loud as it attacked him yet again.

The creature let out a maniacle laughter, then a swarm of decomposing crows cgarged from all directions at Kayn, who began waving around his weapon in an effort to stop them.

The crows eventually overpowered him, pinning him on the ground.

As the crow mass pressed against him, the creature stepped over him and screamed yet again.

The biy then turned into a shadow, and went out of a tree, where he began to run towards the camp.

The creature chased after him with its spasmodic movement, as the crows screamed yet again.

Kayn hadn't been more afraid in his entire life. Under other circumstances, he'd had stayed to fight. But that thing just straight up frightened him.

His lungs burned and his ears ringed, yet he kept running for his life. He could hear the erratic flapping that the wings of the rotten crows, and the thumping of the creature's legs.

The boy tripped and fell, then got up and resumed running for his life.

He could see the light of the campfire grow brighter and brighter through the trees. He just had to make it in one piece.

As he passed through the leaves, he could see it all pretty clearly.

Sett behind the fire, with his ears flopped back on alert, same for Ahri. Rakan looking at the other side, towards the village. There was also Xayah, who looked towards his direction with shock in her face. She stretched her arm out, as if she wanted to grab him.

Then one of her feathers stabbed him in the left shoulder, threw him off balance by the sudden pressure and caused him to fall on the ground.

"Kayn, I'm sorry!" Xayah cried out loud and took a few steps forward.

The Shadow Assassin wasted no time and got up again, then rushed towards the others.

"Watch out, it's after me!" he yelled in fear and went close to the others. He yanked the feather out and pressed on the wound.

"What is after you?" Rakan asked, slightly uneasy.

The Ionians all looked at a different direction, trying to pinpoint the creature's entry point. All they could hear were the crows, and then, the scarecrow shambled out of the forest.

"What is that!" Ahri questioned in fear.

The creature turned its head sideways, bending it in an unnatural angle. "Ahri..., why my love. Why?"

Kayn saw the Vesani cover her mouth in horror, as she realised whose words those were.

Xayah grit her teeth in anger, and hurled a few of her daggers at the monster.

As a response, it summed its army of ghoulish crows at the Ionians. The crows blocked the daggers and then flew towards the Ionians.

"I will...know your...greatest fear!" the beast screamed with its distorted voice and then screamed yet again.

Kayn's mind went numb. He felt as if an immense weight pulled him down.

"I know...your greatest fear..."

Suddenly a torch flew from behind them, and crashed onto the creature. The scarecrow screeched and stumbled away.

Kayn looked towards the direction that the projectile came from.

He saw a crowd with torches, pinchforks and scythes, with rage engraved in their faces.

At the front of the crowd stood a young woman with blonde hair, that had a small ice phoenix resting on her shoulder.