Falling Branch

The mutant, enraged and wounded, lunged at Vlad, its claws tearing at the air.

Vlad, hampered by the dead weight on his ankle and the throbbing pain in his chest, scrambled back, firing his pistol. Each shot bounced off of the creature's outer shell like drops of rainwater.

It was nearly impossible for him to aim at its exposed parts with the mutants' rapid movements.

Lana danced around the creature, her sword a constant threat, forcing it to divide its attention.

But it was having none of it.

The mutant bashed its clawed hands against Lana's blade, the impact sending her flying meters away without a single groan. Then it returned its focus onto Vlad.

Vlad fought with a desperate rhythm, a chaotic ballet of near misses and close calls. He felt his movements growing sluggish, the air in his lungs still tight from the earlier blow.

He parried a wild swipe with his left arm, a jolt of searing pain shooting up to his shoulder. He gritted his teeth, fighting through the agony.

Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind tore through the upper canopy. The crimson leaves above them swirled violently. Vlad glanced up instinctively, expecting the massive bird-like creature to descend.

But the flying beast wasn't as close as he expected.

The silhouette against the blood-red sky began to rise. Its vast wings beat with powerful strokes, carrying it further away, spiraling upwards into the crimson haze. A baffling change in its predatory intent.

Vlad's attention — by a guttural roar from the immediate threat snapped back. He stumbled as the mutant's claw caught his injured left arm in a brutal swipe. A sickening crunch echoed through the branches, and white-hot agony exploded in his forearm.

He cried out, his pistol clattering onto the bark. His left arm throbbed with what felt like a broken bone.

Shit!

His body forced a cough, a wet, rattling sound, and a gout of dark, viscous blood splattered onto the mossy surface beside him. The earlier impact had done more damage than he realized.

God damn it… Vlad thought, wiping the blood off.

The mutant, sensing Vlad's weakening, pressed its attack with renewed ferocity. Its claws, tipped with razor sharpness, tore through the air, forcing Vlad to stumble backward. He tried to raise his injured left arm in defense, but a searing lance of pain shot through him.

He could feel his bone at most was dislocated, not yet broken. But the pain was excruciating with every desperate movement nonetheless.

He dodged a wild swipe, his footing precarious on the mossy bark. The mutant's heavy body slammed against his legs, sending a jolt of agony through his already bruised chest. He gasped, the air rattling in his lungs, and another cough came out. Spitting more dark blood onto the crimson leaves. His vision dimmed momentarily, the edges started to blur.

He tried to defend with his right hand clumsy with pain and exertion, but the mutant was too fast. A claw slammed onto his chest, leaving a burning trail of agony. He roared in pain, the sound swallowed by the gusts of winds.

Shit… not like this…

He rolled desperately, trying to put some distance between himself and the relentless creature. The severed arm on his ankle snagged on the bark, hindering his movement, making him an easy target.

The mutant loomed over him, its glowing green eyes burning with triumph, it raised its sharp talons for the killing blow. Just as the razor-sharp talons descended, a blur of motion erupted from Vlad's side.

Lana, her face a mask of emotion Vlad couldn't discern, slammed into the mutant with the force of a charging ram. Her longsword, a silver arc in the dim light, bit deep into the creature's exposed neck. The mutant shrieked a high-pitched, guttural sound that echoed through the trees. It staggered back, thrown off balance.

Lana kept moving forward, and her sword stuck in the creature's tough skin, shaking from the hit. The mutant retaliated, forcing her to let go of her sword. She stood between Vlad and the mutant, her weapon now a gruesome extension of the creature itself.

Vlad wanted to say something but he needed all the energy he could muster for something more important.

The mutant, though severely injured, still drew breath. Its glowing green eyes burned with renewed rage, fixed on Lana. It snarled, a wet, gurgling sound, its remaining claws scraped against the bark, trying to stand.

Vlad, his vision still wavering, saw the precarious situation. Lana was unarmed and he was not in a position to do much.

Just our fucking luck!

Vlad pushed himself onto his ass. His eyes unknowingly glanced upward from the pain. Then, his eyes snapped wide, a glimmer of hope ignited within him.

The mutant had been pushed right under the dangling branch.

His eyes darted to the mutant — almost on its feet. He scrambled, ignoring the horrific agony in his arm and took the other pistol from his waist and fired at the mutant's remaining leg.

The bullets flew — poorly aimed and desperate. But by a stroke of luck, one stuck true right where he needed.

The bullet thrashed onto its knee and made it stumble once again.

Now was his chance!

He aimed upwards and fired away at the vines holding the massive branch above. The sound caught both Lana's and the mutants' attention.

Understanding dawned in Lana's emerald eyes. Vlad's desperate plan was now clear. But the mutant, its instincts razor-sharp, also grasped the imminent danger.

It moved with lightning haste, its injured body still surprisingly agile as it scrambled to get out from under the impending doom.

Vlad cursed under his breath. He realized in that split second that the time it would take for him to shoot through enough vines to bring the branch down was too long. The mutant was already halfway out of the impact zone.

But Lana reacted instantly. Her eyes darted around, seizing the only available weapon. She grabbed a thick, sturdy stick, as long as her arm, lying discarded amongst the fallen leaves.

With a grunt, she hurled it with all her might at the mutant's head. The crude projectile struck with a dull thud, a frustrated snarl escaped the creature's mouth. The damage was minimal at best but It bought them a precious few seconds.

A desperate, reckless idea, formed in Vlad's head out of pure adrenaline. He lunged for his dropped pistol, still lying on the bark a short distance away.

He snatched the weapon, and then, in a move that defied logic, threw it upwards with all his remaining strength, aiming for the thick cluster of vines where they connected to the massive branch.

Please work!

The pistol spun in the air. In that heart-stopping moment, Vlad focused his gaze and fired. The bullet streaked upwards, striking the flying pistol with a sharp crack. The force of the projectile sent the weapon hurling upwards with renewed velocity.

With a sickening crunch, the spinning pistol thrashed against the thick cluster of vines. The impact, combined with the bullet's force, made the energy core inside burst in a powerful explosion.

The vines groaned, then snapped. The massive branch broke free, plummeting down with terrifying speed.

"Lana! Move!" Vlad roared at the top of his lungs.

Lana barely cleared the space just as the massive branch crashed down onto the scrambling mutant below.

The impact shook the very tree they stood on, sending a shower of leaves and purple blood exploding outwards.

Vlad's gamble paid off.