Upon reaching the Goblin colony, Liam's expression hardened. "We start by clearing the perimeter," he commanded. "There are roughly forty of them scattered around. I'll slip in and neutralize the sentries on the walls before they can raise the alarm."
"I'm going with you," Dan said immediately.
Liam shot him a sharp, dismissive look. "No need. I can handle a few pests on my own."
Without waiting for a rebuttal, Liam vanished into the shadows of the northern wall. Three Goblins were patrolling the ramparts. Liam drew his katana, a frigid, watery aura coating the blade. With a single, elegant strike, he cleaved the first in two, then lunged at the remaining two before they could even draw breath.
Suddenly, a fourth Goblin—hidden until now—sprinted toward the signal bell. Liam's eyes widened. "Damn it!"
He surged forward, pushing his speed to the limit, but the distance was too great. The monster's hand was inches away from the iron clapper.
CRACK!
Before the Goblin could strike the bell, a crimson projectile of compressed blood shattered its skull. The creature crumpled onto the wooden deck, stone dead.
Liam froze. He turned toward the source of the shot to find Dan standing in the distance. Dan held a small vial of blood in his left hand, offering a casual wave and a faint smirk.
Liam said nothing. He simply stared at Dan for a long moment until the rest of the team caught up.
"Roen and I will infiltrate the chieftain's stronghold," Liam announced, his voice devoid of its earlier edge. "The rest of you, sweep the remaining Goblins from the flanks. We take them by surprise."
The operation was swift. While Liam and Roen carved a path to the center to eliminate the chieftain and his elite guard, the others methodically cleared the huts. By the time Dan struck down the last Goblin in his sector, the colony had fallen.
As they regrouped at the center, Dan observed the aftermath. Roen and Liam stood over the bodies of the chieftain and twenty heavy guards.
The guards weren't weak, Dan thought, impressed. These two really are in a league of their own.
"Rest for a moment," Liam said. "The bear is next."
As Dan surveyed the area, Liam walked up beside him.
"Do you need something?" Dan asked.
"Why did you follow me after I told you not to?" Liam countered.
Dan met his gaze. "No particular reason. I just figured my presence wouldn't hurt."
Liam studied Dan's face for a heartbeat, then looked away, his voice cold but sincere. "I still don't like you... but thanks."
Dan watched him walk away. Arrogant as he is, he knows when to swallow his pride. He's got a decent core.
They gathered in the center of the ruins to finalize the plan. Liam took charge. "The bear shouldn't be an issue. Its den is to the south."
"What's the strategy?" Dan asked.
"Roen and I will engage it head-on," Liam said confidently. "The rest of you will circle around to prevent it from escaping. It's a skittish beast; it'll bolt the moment it feels threatened. We only need four for the main strike: Me, Roen, Cain..."
He paused, his eyes landing on Dan. "...and Dan Noctayne. Are you in, or should we sub someone else?"
Dan smiled. "I'm in. But what about the other three?"
Zalin, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "It's fine. The Prairie Bear is beyond our pay grade. we'll settle for the Goblin loot."
They approached the den, the air thick with the metallic scent of fresh slaughter. Inside, a gargantuan bear—the size of a main battle tank—was busy tearing into a deer carcass. Its fur was a matted wall of coarse hair, and its claws looked capable of rending solid stone. The sound of crunching bone echoed through the cavern.
Liam signaled the start. He and Roen charged the beast, while Dan and Cain moved to block the rear exit.
Feeling the intruders, the bear reared up and unleashed a roar that vibrated in their very marrow. It lunged. Roen met it first, his lightning-clad blade flickering like a strobe light as he carved deep furrows into the bear's massive paws. The smell of ozone and burnt fur filled the air.
Liam followed, his movements a fluid dance as he unleashed razor-sharp blades of water. He targeted the joints and neck with surgical precision, yet the bear possessed a terrifying resilience.
The beast slammed a paw down, shattering the earth and sending debris flying. Roen narrowly avoided being crushed, leaving a trail of sparks in his wake. As the bear tried to pounce, Liam opened a deep gash in its shoulder, spraying blood against the cavern walls.
From the rear, Dan couldn't help but admire their synergy. They had never fought together, yet they moved as if they shared a single mind. Beautiful... even if it is lethal, he mused.
But as the battle dragged on, fatigue set in. The bear, driven by primal rage, grew more ferocious. Just as it prepared to break through their line to escape, Cain acted. He unleashed a cloud of abrasive sand that blinded the beast. As it roared in confusion, Dan fired a blood bullet that pierced its cheek, stoking its fury to a breaking point.
Roen saw the opening. He leapt high, his sword a pillar of crackling thunder, and brought it down on the bear's spine. The beast collapsed to its knees, paralyzed.
Liam stepped forward, his eyes locked on the creature's throat to deliver the finishing blow.
Then, the world screamed.
The ground buckled with such violence that Dan was thrown off his feet. Trees snapped like toothpicks, and the very air seemed to fracture. It wasn't just a tremor; it was a cataclysmic earthquake.
But what followed was far worse.
A massive, four-eyed crow tore through the sky, its wingspan so vast it blotted out the sun. A chilling, abyssal aura radiated from the creature, freezing the blood in their veins. None of them dared to move; the mere presence of the bird felt like a physical weight pressing down on their souls.
The crow glanced down—a cold, indifferent look that treated them like mere dust. It extended its talons and snatched the wounded Prairie Bear as if it weighed nothing. With a single powerful beat of its wings, the crow ascended, leaving behind a deafening silence.
Dan was the first to find his voice. "Is... is everyone alright?"
Cain was gasping for air, his eyes wide. "What... what the hell was that?"
"I don't know, Cain," Dan whispered, shaking his head. "I have no idea."
Roen stood up, his face grim. "Back to the colony. We need to regroup and figure this out."
He turned to Liam, who was uncharacteristically still. "Liam? You okay?"
Liam didn't answer at first.
"Liam!" Roen shouted.
"Yeah..." Liam finally muttered, his voice strained. "I'm fine. It's just..." He shook his head. "Never mind. Let's move."
They returned to the partially ruined colony, finding the others in a state of panic. Zalin ran toward them, his face pale. "That earthquake... what happened?"
Cain took the lead, recounting the nightmare—the hunt, the bear, and the monstrous crow that had snatched their prize from the sky. Zalin searched their faces for a sign of a joke, but the sheer terror in their eyes forced him to believe.
"What do we do now?" Zalin asked, his voice trembling.
Dan looked at the darkening horizon. "We gather intel on our surroundings. We don't move until we know exactly what we're up against."
They looked at one another, the weight of the situation sinking in. Their adventure had only just begun, and the shadows were much longer than they had ever imagined.