"Don't be intimidated; hold your ground!" Shouted a voice from the small mob of hunters.

No longer flexing its size, the beast drove its solid body straight at the hunters that blocked its way.

"Shield wall!" Shouted Ryu as he jumped to the left of the charging creature.

Mayumi dived to the monster's right, but its sheer force created active winds that pushed her and Ryu back more than they'd anticipated. The ground rumbled, shaking the boots of those near the charging beast.

The hunters blocking it quickly took the furniture they'd wielded and dug it into the ground. Couches, chairs, tables; all were placed side by side with heavy-armed humans behind them for support.

A Thunderous crash devastated the first line of furniture, the team being sent flying in every direction. A second wave of hunters hunkered down not far behind the first, but it didn't make a difference; Their effort was like trying to stop a cannon with traditional paper. The wolf-like monster ran straight through; its oppressive body forced everything out of its path. The wooden wall was shattered, and those who held it were pushed back as their foe hurtled through.

Once clear of the blockade, the beast did not slow down but turned its massive body right and smashed through the tavern's wall. Extensive wooden fragments flew everywhere, causing humans to turn their bodies away and cover their faces.

"After it!" Shouted Ryu, being the first to move and give chase.

"I'm with you!" Exclaimed Sebastian, leaning over and hammering the feeling back into his legs.

There was a vast hole left in the wall that the twenty or so hunters jumped through. The discolored blue sky was clear, and the sun was high above them, encouraging them with its comfortable warmth.

"I'm going on ahead." Declared Sebastian as he sprinted from the rear of the mob past all the troops.

He ran with his back sharply arched forward, and his arms straightened out at his rear, barely swinging as he made each step. It was an unusual running style, but he was agile and much quicker than any other.

Further ahead, Rachel continued to tug Artie away. After a mere two minutes, both of their bodies had fallen sluggish. They breathed heavily, slowing down to a steady jog. Rachel would feel Artie lag behind every few seconds, so she'd yank his arm, pulling him back into pace.

"Where is it!?" He'd mumble, turning his head back to check behind them.

Artie became alarmed by the slightest sounds, and there was a great deal of noise considering they traveled a town.

Traveling north, Artie could no longer hear the initial dismay from the town's center. The beast's existence seemingly ceased, as if it'd given up and fled.

Exhausted and in pain, he slowed down even more.

"We should be meeting with the hunters from the North Gate soon!" exclaimed Rachel, tugging on Artie's left arm.

"Almost there!" She insisted, looking back at Artie reassuringly.

Artie looked at her pained and with a sunken face. His weak body shook and stumbled as he followed her direction. Hope was not the feeling that moved him; it was an elementary desire not to appear any more pathetic than he'd already had. Artie turned his head back once more, then faced forward and put everything into continuing.

 

<>

 

"Sebastian?" Mumbled Artie, snapping his neck to the left.

There was no sign of the man, a mere collection of wooden buildings planted within 15 feet of each other.

"Was it just my imagination?" thought Artie, as he returned his weary eyes upfront.

"Stop running and throw down!" Shouted Sebastian some distance off.

It was faint, but Artie clearly heard his words. Unlike last time, the voice was slightly ahead of them. Even sensing the direction, Artie could not spot Sebastian or anything abnormal. Just crowded strangers and open shops.

"Where the hell is h-"

The sound of wood being crushed brought Artie to a firm stop, his thin wrist sliding from the woman's grasp.

"The alleyway"

Artie's heart skipped a beat, and his face froze over as his body turned to the origin of the sound.

Only six feet ahead, the enormous beast leaped out from the alleyway on the right. Its right claw already pulled backward and arranged to attack.

Rachel, unable to stop her momentum, crossed directly in front of the alley alone. In the seconds since Artie separated himself from her, she could only turn her head and glimpse his awed expression, painstakingly unaware the silent wolf-like monster was at her side.

"Get Down!" Yelled Sebastian, breathing heavily and trailing a few feet behind the creature.

The large-bodied monster looked like a truck about to run into a bike. Artie watched the massive beast quickly arrive, then mow over the woman.

A blurry black flash shot across his vision, taking the woman with it. One second, she was standing there looking towards him; the next, she was gone.

Artie stood wide-eyed and petrified, his only working arm clutching his rapidly beating heart.

…

The area became frenzied as people immediately began to scream and flee. Artie's gaze was fixed on where he'd last seen Rachel, but he could hear crumbling to his left. A wooden wall fell apart as the jet-black creature stood on all fours and shook off debris.

It took less than a second for the beast to scout out Artie; it adjusted its course, then darted directly for him.

"Sit!" Roared Sebastian, who appeared from above the beast and propelled his legs into its upper body.

After the dynamic attack, he leaped off the monster and in front of Artie. The creature stopped only for a moment, then continued without any signs of pain or damage. It peered at them both violently and quietly as it lowered itself to the ground in preparation to leap.

Artie still had not looked away from that spot in front of the alley. Immense amounts of grief piled up within him. The image of the woman rested in his head as his eyes swelled up with tears, his throat becoming tight, and his body shaking uncontrollably.

"Took you long enough…" said Sebastian, his voice impatient and lacking its usual humor.

Several hunters had run into view from the right, each armed with weapons.

"Let's move," Whispered Sebastian, taking an exceedingly slow step backward towards Artie.

Bright yellow eyes observed him and Artie the entire time. The beast did not blink once, nor did it display any interest in the approaching hunters. Sebastian moved in a way he could easily maneuver an attack, his legs wide apart, his hip lowered, and his sights facing the monster. Every inch he crept back was an inch further the dangerous creature advanced.

"On three," Breathed Sebastian as he firmly wrapped an arm around Artie's waist.

"Three!"

Swiftly ducking below Artie, Sebastian picked him up and slung him over his shoulder. The athletic man firmly planted his feet on the ground. With a mighty leap, he bounced forward towards the incoming help. The second he moved more than an inch, the wolf-like monster dashed for them.

Sebastian's movements were unquestionably superhuman. The wind blasted against Artie's frail body as they bolted like a raging train, their aggressor close on their tail.

"Behind me"

A composed and slowly spoken woman raised the heavy shield she carried and hoisted it in front of herself. Sebastian, following her command, leaped directly over her and rested at her back with Artie.

The black-furred beast threw its weight into the shield only a second following their repositioning behind the woman. The destructive force knocked back the woman and her heavy weaponry. The Two men who took shelter behind her were also propelled backward when her body collided with them.

"Mayor Wana!" Yelled an unfamiliar voice.

"I'm fine," insisted the woman, standing and once again positioning the shield upright.

A low growl emitted from the beast as it started to circle slowly. As it relocated, the woman positioned to block its view of Artie.

"Charcoal…" Thought Artie, pulling his knees up to his chest and wiping his tears.

Glancing up at the woman guarding him, he identified her as the hunter that gave the speech before his first hunt. Dark skin, long black hair, and a heavy shield and sword wielded. It was her, except she did not carry the same stone weapons. Her newly equipped shield was shiny, black, and round. The object was wide and long enough to cover her entire body and guard those behind. It did not resemble stone or metal but bore a resemblance to reptilian scales, like a snake or lizards.

"It's going to get warm," Warned the woman.

Artie did not understand what she meant; he simply eyed her as she dug her shield into the earth, then pulled up her leather sleeve. What happened next unnerved Artie even more. The woman hovered her arm over the dark shield, then with her sword, she cut her own flesh. Blood ran from the wound and onto the large shield.

The smell of charcoal intensified, then both the shield and the sword began to churn. The objects twitched with a will on their own as the scale's spread apart and inched open like flaps. A moment later, a quarter-sized ember jumped from the shield and onto the floor, quickly sizzling away. Just as the woman warned, the temperature around Artie had been rising steadily. Following the ember, eerie black smoke began to emit from the weapons.

The woman widened her stance on the ground then pulled her arms wide apart, creating a T-pose. Then with great force, she tugged her arms inward and banged the two mystifying items against each other.

On impact, raging flames burst forth from her weapons. An uncomfortable heat and intense light lit Artie's entire body and forced him to scooch back a few feet.

"Hot," Artie grunted, raising his left arm over his face.

He could not see past the woman and her large shield, but he heard steps rapidly approaching. She stabbed her sword into the ground then, with both hands, grabbed the flaming shield. One foot leading far in front of the other, her body arched forward, and she slammed the fiery object into the ground and pushed against it.

Violent winds and an intense crimson-colored flame whirled backward upon impact. Unlike the first clash with the beast, the woman's body only slid back afoot.

"Don't forget we're behind you." Reminded Sebastian, flinging himself in front of Artie to shelter him from the wild flames.

"Surround it!" A man shouted.

The armed hunters took a oval formation around the wolf-like beast that stepped back after its run-in with the strange shield.

Seconds later, another wave of steps found its way onto the scene. Ryu's mob had caught up and aided in surrounding the creature, though still unarmed.

Following the sound of crackling, yellow sparks lit the area. It only lasted for a moment before a straight beam of light rocketed up into the air. It was only 20 feet off the ground, but the beast had reached such altitudes in a mere second.

The creature hovered and looked down the swarm of hunters. Or at least it looked that way because of its distance. However, the jet-black monster had its gaze fixed directly onto Artie, Silently and patiently, peering at him.

A minute later, it leisurely turned, then took its leave from the town.

Artie's head hung high as he watched the beast retreat. Unable to determine whether he was glad the beast left or devastated, knowing he would encounter it again.