4 Beast of norkwood

"By the gods what is he doing!!!'

Avery's mind raced, panicked yet unable to act as her eyes locked on Raydon and the thing, "Has he finally lost his mind!!"

Raydon glared at the creature with fire in his eyes, his hand slowly reach to his back still making sure that the thing is still I his sight as he does so

The beast spoke once again.

"Your head... Is mine..."

And then the beast attacks.

It's muscles coiled up and thrust at raydon with such blinding speed, upon impact dirt and dust are flunged high from the sheer force of the attack

Avery gasped, she held her breath

A shadow moved, it was raydon, he miraculously dodged the first strike and now it's his turn, with a swift motion he pulled the axe he carried from his back, it was bigger than before and he spun cutting the beast's arm

The thing was able to adjust it's position in time avoiding a devastating wound from the strike, red blood did not flow from the cut, in its place was a viscous shimmering golden fluid, the beast grunted in annoyance and with its second arm launch another attack at raydon

Raydon telegraphed the second attack and successfully parried the strike

Avery's eyes widened, her grasp on reality slowly waned she couldn't understand what was happening. No she couldn't believe what's happening, the thing was able to swing and thrust it's arms at an incredibly high velocity

And raydon was matching it blow for blow

"He...he's fighting it!"

The beast writhe, turned and twisted launching flurries of attacks which are either parried or dodge, and for every failed attack it does it recieves a cut through its thick skin, Raydon struck frequently but more precise, weakening the creature

Every strike the beast made was powerful, capable of obliterating bone as if they where just paper, Avery could see why Raydon is careful when timing his attack,

A single blow would be lethal,

Raydon having weakened the beasts arms slowly made his way near it's body, the beast quickly took noticed and swung at him with sharp sword like claws aiming to sever his head

Raydon dodge, lowering his head to avoid the strike and using his own momentum he struck the beast on it's body with the axe blade causing a catastrophic wound

It should have died.

The beast grunted in pain but recovered unnaturally quickly and was able to land a blow at Raydon using it's legs to strike him with tremendous force

Raydon was thrown into the inn, he's body crashing through the building, Avery's reflex made her took cover, as the dust and debri settled he looked at where he landed and saw Raydons body covered in broken wood,

Her lips trembled uncontrollably and she felt like her heart was about to burst, a loud noise blared from outside, she snap at where it was

It was the beast, it howled with a terrible screech, it's wounds where healing, the minor cuts Raydon made where rapidly being sealed, the massive gouge he caused at the creature's center was slow to recover yet it was healing nonetheless, golden ichor flowing out as it's flesh weaved itself back,

It slowly crawled to where Raydon had landed, intending to make sure he is dead or to claim it's trophy, Avery quivered, she needed to leave now but to where?, Her legs where locked in place,

the beast slowly approach them, it's head opened up with maw full of razor sharp teeth, it was going to kill them.

A loud bang rang out.

The monster stopped, someone dared to fire upon it, the beast slowly turn to see a line of armed guards aiming at the creature,

They where visibly shaking, but they had to do it, they must fight back, then suddenly creature rushed at them with surprising speed,

They all opened fired, the bullets barely piercing it with some of them ricocheting off the creature harmlessly, they could barely load their bullets inside the firing chamber in time before beast Lunged at them and they quickly broke formation

As the skirmish ensues Avery looked on at the hopeless battle, a hand grappled her shoulder causing her to almost scream,

It was Raydon, he was alive, but he didn't look well,

He pulled her, "What the hell women! Why are you still here?!"

She didn't had a chance to respond as raydon quickly change his focus on the sound of gunfire,

"Fuck... they don't stand a chance..."

Finally getting the courage to say something Avery spoke

"W..what the hell is that!?"

Raydon turned to look at her, then back at the carnage through the opening he made when he was thrown

"An amalgari..."

Avery's eyes widened, "an.. an amalgari?!" She had to make sure she heard it right,

"I-i thought they where just stories!"

Raydon ignored her babble and rose up to face the beast,

"W-what are you doing?, You can't just go back there!

He was already running outside,

She could only watch as he makes his way through the mangled remains of the guards.

the beast tore through them with ease, their weapons barely do anything to the monster aside from angering it

One guard remained, his legs where torn, he whimpered and sobbed, he tried crawling away from the amalgari but the beast simply pinned him down, the man pleaded and beg for his life, but no words can satiate this beast, it only sought slaughter

Before it could kill the man the beast lurched back, howling in pain, Raydon had stab the beast's back with the spear tip end of his axe,

The monster thrashed around trying to knock him off, Raydon gripped the beast hide and continued to stab with wild abandon until the beast rolled forcing him to disengage from his attack, the monster roared and with pulled both it's hands to strike at Raydon with tremendous fury

Raydon was able to block the attack in time, the force of the beast's punch created a violent boom followed by a powerful shockwave, dirt and dust was flung away and the cloaked Raydon wore was ripped from him.

Raydons hidden form was revealed, beneath the dirty cloaked was shining black armor covering his entire body,

Raydon countered with a swift strike and quickly took several steps backward,

He stared the beast down with fiery eyes,

"Death has come for you...".

The armor glowed a dim red, its metal plating shifted and moved, an angular helmet from the back emerge Encasing Raydon's head in metal, red eyes appear to glow from the helmet bearing sharp teeth and a monstrous look, he lunged at the beast with weapon in hand

The monster opened up it's arms and tried to crush Raydon with both hands, Raydon dodged and swiftly slashed at the monsters legs causing it to stumble, using the momentum from the first attack he struck the beast head, it was able to move away slightly it and quickly countered his opening

Raydon tried dodging but the strike connected with his body

This time however the attack was ineffective, a red light flickered around Raydon when the beast struck him and he was only pushed back

Raydon stumbled back before charging at the beast once again, the amalgari roared in rage and launch strike after strike after strike, Raydon pushed on through the storm of claws, parrying them and any attack that managed to bypass his defensive parries where deflected by the same flickering light

The enraged monster pulled back both it's arm for a single devastating attack, it's muscles swelling and the veins around it bulged, it will crush him, like a coiled spring being released the monster unleash a devastating attack at him, Raydon twisted his body just in time to almost Dodge the attack, the beast claws scraped the surface of his armor where the same red light flickered with greater intensity and created a bright momentary flash sending sparks flying

Raydon saw the opening and with a mighty heave he brought down the axe blade upon the monster severing one of its arms

A flood of yellow liquid gushed out from the beast shoulder, it let out an ear piercing screech and pummeled the ground in rage with it's remaining arm,

The beast was in pain, Raydon took the opportunity to finish the monster off with a clean strike to the heads he charged but the beast took notice instantly, as Raydon got close he was grabbed by the monsters remaining hand, the monster thrashed him around like a dog with a ragdoll, the armour might protect him, but the he will be rattled and bruised inside,

The monster continued to toss him around until it felt a surge of burning pain in it's hands, it toss Raydon away and roared in rage, it's hands was burnt, it look at Raydon. With furious eyes.

His armour was covered in dirt but the red glow from before returned, his armour was being heated

The beast grab a large chunk of a nearby house and threw it at him, Raydon reactively shielded his body with his hand as the object struck him, the makeshift projectile broke into splinters as it made contact with him,

he looked and the beast was upon him, it pounced but raydon evaded and quickly leaped at the monster, a feat which should have been impossible when wearing heavy armour, raytdon took out the monsters eyes with his own fist tearing them off,

The monster let out an awful roar of pain as it panicked and stumbled wildly swinging it's one remain arm breaking anything in it's way until it tripped and fell on a nearby building

Raydon saw this as his chance to end it all, he grabbed his axe and rush at the monster aiming to impale the amalgari with it's speartip

The monster could sense it's approach but it was too late

Raydon thrust and impaled the monster causing it too howl in agony,

But yet it didn't die,

It grilled the weapon embedded on him

And it spoke in an ancient deep voice

"Do you really think this will kill me ...ruinknight?"

Raydon responded

"No... This will".

A sudden flash of hot white light engulfed both of them.

Norckwood ruins 7:20 AM

It was a sorry sight, the outpost was in ruins and many corpses where strewn about, Virn looked on as his hunters prod the destroyed settlement for any survivors, they had received reports from their scouts of an amalgari attacked. They where too late

He lead his horse to carefully move through the ruins, he could see buildings torned and split apart, homes and businesses destroyed

He could see his subordinates cleaning up the bodies of the casualties lining them up, most of the people who died where guards, and only a few civilians who where caught in the crossfire, innocent people who's lives where abruptly cut short, he was ashamed to admit it but he was thankful the casualties where minimal, he strode to inspect the remains,

One of the hunters stood up in attention, "Captain... It's terrible" Virn looked on, the mask covered the hunters face but he could feel his despondent tone, "If only we weren't late..."

Another hunter comes rushing to him, it was Lyra, she was panting and sweating, "Captain! We found it! The amalgari!"

Virn's grim face contort into that of anger, "where is it!, Where is the demon!!"

"N-no captain, it.. it was"

Dead

They all looked in awe at it, or at least what was left, indeed it was the amalgari but it was only the lower half of it, it fleshed was burnt and it's skin had melted creating a pool of bubbling gore, the corpse was still warm, the upper half was no where in sight

"By the gods..." A hunter muttered as they slowly approach the beast, spear and cannon ready, "d-did they had explosives??"

" I doubt this poor outpost had any explosive weaponry and the energy required to do this much damage would be nothing short of those cannons the Aeurunites fielded" Another hunter responded

Virn eyed the corpse with an uneasy look,

"What form do you think this is captain?" his accompany hunter spoke,

Before he could answer lyra interupted, "an aberant most likely"

The hunter looked at her, "hah! An aberant? Don't be silly girl, it's too small for it to be-"

Lyra cuts him off "But it is, look" she pointed, "it's only has a pair of hind legs and it's tail isn't fully developed "

"Tsk such small deviation doesn't mean it-"

"No. She's right, it's an aberant" virn interceded

"Although their bodies vary from individual to individual, their are distinctive body parts that indicate their form types"

"O-oh I see captain"

Virn looked at lyra with interest, "seems you know a lot about the prey we hunt,"

Lyra stiffened and visibly blushed "o-oh it's nothing Captain, it's important we know what where up against after all" she tried to force a laugh

She seemed so young and so innocent to be a hunter, but then again children younger than the age of 10 are inducted into the organization, he is no different from them, he changes his attention to the monstrous carcass, the same sense of dread fell upon him, he could feel the unease trickling down his spine

"Could it be..." He says faintly

"Captain! Captain!"

A hunter called out, they all snap their attention towards the man

"A survivor!, We found a survivor!!"

Their eyes widened and they quickly rush to where the hunter is at

A young man is lying limply on the ground, he was weak and his legs where cut off, death was approaching him fast,

"We found him buried under pile of wood, he has lost too much blood and necrosis has already settled in, there's nothing we can do"

Virn turns his pitiful gaze on the poor man, he dismounts the horse and slowly approaches him, he kneels down,

"What did you see?..."

The unexpected question surprised the hunter, they where expecting comforting words to come out from their captain,

The dying man coughed and slowly and weakly moves his eyes to face the Virn,

"M-m.. monsters... Monsters have come from the shadows"

Virn nodded in acknowledgment, he assumed he was referring to the amalgari, he wanted to ask a question but the man spoke once more

"T-wo of them, a giant beast and.. a...a shadow in the form of a man.."

Virn eyes widened

"A monster.. in the shape..of .. of..a man .."

"What do you mean?!"

The man did not respond,

Virn pauses,

He was dead

He slowly stood up, he was sweating profusely, and his face was a mix of fear and anger

"He is here..."

End