I watch as Mika goes through the left entryway. "Is she sure this is okay?" I ask, watching her disappear. Lyla nods and Cia enters the right path. Lyla signals me to come with them. "Silvaus and Julian can go together inside the middle one. Now let's search for this creepy thing. I want to get this over with" she whispers and signals them to the middle path. I see both men widen their eyes and sigh.
I glance up at the words up above the entrances. Something tells me this mansion was built on top of this monster's home. With that in mind, he probably wasn't too thrilled or maybe he didn't care at all. I'm sure this helped the wendigo lure victims in. Whether it was from this secret location or somewhere else.
I feel an incredible urge to run. I don't know why but the atmosphere of this place is giving off bad vibes. I wonder if there are any survivors...wait...that's stupid and I should stop. There's no way on earth that a wendigo would keep anyone alive. I just hope a bunch of werewolves and a dhampir can actually kill this thing. I have no idea if something as creepy and powerful as this can top us.
Cia scrapes a claw on the stone wall and Lyla halts her. We look up and a few puddles of something laid in our path. We were in an entirely new area. It looks like a huge open room and the walls are covered in tree roots.
Lyla slowly walks in and scans the area. My eyes adjust to the darkness and I sniff the puddles. Blood. There are puddles of it everywhere. Did the wendigo leave this?
"This is gross...is this old or fresh," I ask, crinkling my snout in disgust.
"Not sure. My nose is a little confused. Maybe it's old but hasn't dried. Can't tell" Cia answers, observing and sniffing the blood. She looks up and notices Lyla panting. I swiftly turn around, searching the area. "Lyla! What's wrong? Is it using its powers?" I ask, panicking. Whatever was going on I didn't like it.
A blood-curdling roar echoes through the area and I flatten my ears and wince. Cia and Lyla do the same and we stand there, petrified. "You don't think that's...it sounds horrifying!" Cia whimpers, her eyes widening in fear. Lyla shivers and takes a few steps back, bumping into a wall. "I think that was it. It's terrifying alright. Not looking forward to seeing how hideous he is. Well, if we even get to see it" Lyla responds, laughing nervously.
They both have pure fear in their eyes and it wasn't helping at all. My heart is beating out of my chest and I take a breath. I hope Julian and Silvaus are okay. Wouldn't want them to already be near it. However, you can't always be quite sure.
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Ah, here I was again. Standing face to face with the body. Silvaus takes a step back and stares at it. He crinkles his snout then covers his nose with his claw. "You telling me...this was the guy who died? Looks like that damn bastard had a fun time chewing on him. It's disgusting!" He sneers in disgust.
I cover my nose and look away, "I really didn't want to come back here but here we are" I sigh.
Another ear-piercing roar echoes through the walls and around us. I drop to the ground and cover my ears, wincing in pain. Silvaus growls then shivers. The roar fades away and I open my eyes. I felt like they are watering up. Not sure if I felt the need to pee myself or cry.
I slowly stand up and take a deep breath. No, I'm not going to be scared anymore..not this time. We need to get rid of this monster before its too late. I have too...we have too.
I firmly grip my arm with my other hand and move on ahead. Silvaus sniffs the air and follows behind me. We stop in the middle of a room. The same room I was in. I notice the fountain and my heartbeat quickens. Silvaus takes a few steps in front of me and sniffs the air. Then he begins to pant.
The air around us grows cold and a few snow flurries fall. My breathing is a little difficult but my fear rises again. A lump in my throat forms and I dig a hand into my hair. My eyes widen and I feel my hands becoming clammy. I look at Silvaus who stands there, taking a few breaths. He leans down and a howl rips though the room. I feel the ground begin to shake.
We back into each other and a demonic voice gurgles around us. The stench of rotting bodies and blood fills my nostrils. I wince and take a step back, crinkling my nose.
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"You have returned. Let us draw a pact of our blood. These wolves are nothing compared to us!" The deep voice echoes.
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The Crypt stalks out of the darkness, revealing his hideously grotesque features. Its feet crunch the fallen bodies beneath them and his eyes
The wendigo's face is mangled and a row of jagged sharp teeth line his mouth. His eyes gleam and blood covers his mouth. His lengthy humanoid body twitches and his massive claws rake the ground. Large black buck horns stick out of his head and his mouth forms an unsettling grin.
"I think I shit myself" Silvaus whispers, his voice shaking. I nod in agreement and we both slowly back away. The Crypt laughs and his demonic voice echoes.
I want to flee but something is holding me back. It's as if the hope Thando and everyone else has is lingering in back of my mind. If my life is nothing but mid life crisis so be it. I should be pulling through for everyone...for Ophira. The one person who I willingly stayed with throughout all of this.
I turn back around and a claw swipes underneath my feet, knocking me to ground. I fall on top of a skeleton and quickly jolt back up. I glance up and see the wendigo face to face. Silvaus howls and leaps onto his back. He digs his claws and sinks his teeth into the back of its neck. The Crypt shrieks and I scramble to my feet.
I bite down on my wrist and morph my blood into a sword. I swing the sword and it slices through wendigo's face. The Crypt stumbles back and Silvaus leaps off returning to my side. Upon closer inspection, the wendigo began to heal itself. I feared this would happen.
The wendigo's skin begins to bubble and reform. He stands up completely unharmed. The Crypt howls in laughter and advances towards us. Then he stops.
The wendigo sniffs the air and turns around. I squint my eyes and make out what was going on. It's a white wolf...Mika?
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Lyla's ears perk up to a bark. She barks back, "It's Mika! She...located the Crypt" she states, running up ahead. Cia runs after her and I feel myself calm down. There's still a lingering of fear I have.
We enter a cold snowy room and there stands the most hideously disfigured monster I have ever seen. The ground is covered in blood, old and fresh alike. The Crypt's past victims also lay there in ruins. It's disgusting.
Julian stands there with Silvaus and Mika dashes around it. The wendigo swipes a claw at her and she leaps over it. Mika nips at its grotesque feet and dodges another incoming claw.
Lyla snarls and raises her claw towards it. She a burst of fire engulfs her claw and she shoots out a fireball. The wendigo dodges to the side and swiftly lunges towards her. Cia jumps in, biting his legs. The wendigo swipes a claw at Lyla and Cia grabs it. The wendigo slams her into a wall and releases his claw. Cia growls and leaps towards him. The Crypt quickly swings its claw, raking it across Cia's shoulder. The sheer mass of the claw's strike sends her flying. Cia staggers to her feet and snarls.
A nasty claw mark covers her shoulder and blood slowly trickles down it. Mika rushes to her and places a paw on her wound. A mist-like veil wraps around her shoulder and disappears, leaving a scar. "I-I'm sorry. I can't fully heal it" Mika apologizes. Cia shakes her head and places her claw on her shoulder. "Half healed or not. A wendigo's strikes can be just as bad on a human. If not deadly. You did what you could" she assures her, a smile forming on her lupin lips.
Lyla snarls and shoots a few more fireballs. Two successfully hit the wendigo, charring his shoulder. The Crypt screeches and darts past her. With a howl, he rams his horns into her back. Lyla tumbles to the ground and I leap towards it.
Next thing you know his claw comes swinging towards me. I quickly roll to the side and crouch in front of Silvaus. He leaps over me and slams into the Crypt. I look to Julian who stands there petrified. "My powers seem useless. Our attacks are pointless!" He panics. I glare back at the wendigo and growl. "Can we even tire it out or are we just tiring ourselves out?!" I blurt out. I hear Julian groan. "We really are doing the opposite of what we thought we could do" he answers back, sighing.
The Crypt lifts its head and unleashes a blood-curdling roar. Everyone drops to the ground the snow stops. It rises up and points a claw towards us. "Daughter of the Moon and Prince of Blood. That is who I want. Do you dare test your strength against me? If you do then follow me to the forest. I'll be waiting" it bellows, turning around disappearing into the darkness.
Julian and I exchange looks. My heart was beating rapidly and I could see uncertainty on Julian's face.
"That ugly freak didn't just say that? Did it?" Silvaus asks, panting and kneeling on the ground. I glance at him and shake my head. "It knows what it wants. You guys clearly can't do much. I'm sorry" I respond squinting my eyes through the darkness. I could see a dim light flickering through. It's a secret exit from the mansion into a forest. Possibly the rest of the Shadow Forest we haven't seen yet.
"We have to. I don't want you all dying right now. Cia's already been struck and you all look tired" I say, glancing back at Cia. Lyla sighs and waves a paw. "Well then get to it. I know my grandmother's right about you two. Don't fail us now" she says. I nod my head and look up at Julian. He closes his eyes then walks towards the exit. I stand there solemnly then follow him.
I stop midway and look back at the others. Mika goes up to me and nudges her nose to my claw. "Go" she whispers. I sigh and disappear into the darkness.
I stand next to Julian and the light fades from the exit. He takes a step forward and I grab his hand. He looks back at me and gives me a weary smile. I gaze at him for a moment then turn my head. We head through, entering the dark forest.
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