He wouldn't be wrong to call it a demon.
That was the first thing that crossed his mind as his body refused to moved. What he was looking at felt like an abomination, it skin was burnt, not like fresh burns but old ones, it was almost as if he was made that way. It was tall and skinny but not fragile, not weak. It was the kind of thin that hides strength instead of lacking it.
Its limbs were too long.
It's joints bent just a little more than they should have, like its bones didn't fully agree with how bodies were supposed to work, Arms hanging low and fingers almost brushing against the ground. The leg was angled in a way that made standing look extremely uncomfortable, but the creature didn't look uncomfortable at all.
It looked relaxed.
Its face was worse.
Sharp angles everywhere, Sunken eyes that didn't blink, staring past Mirea like she was already dead. A wide mouth pulled into something that wasn't a smile but wasn't not a smile either. Crooked fangs poking out unevenly, stained dark at the tips.
And right on its head, barely noticeable at first, a tiny nub.
Not a horn.
Not yet.
Erlan's blood turned cold.
"Mirea run!" he shouted.
His body finally listened to him.
He moved at the same time she did both of them acting on instinct, but Mirea had no idea what was going on, she only moved because he told her to run. Judging from his reaction, there must be something behind her. She barely had time to turn her head before it yanked hard on her hair.
She screamed as her body snapped back.
Her hands went up trying to grab at whatever was pulling her, her nails digging into burned skin but the grip didn't loosen.
And then she looked back….. a mistake she should'nt have made because that was the most horrible thing she had seen in her 20 years of living.
"Aaaaaahhh!"
The scream that came out of her wasn't just fear. It was raw panic. The kind that makes your throat hurt.
Erlan didn't think twice, he just moved directly, when he got within range, he leapt.
A machete was already in his hands before his brain caught up, he brought it down on the hand with everything he had, his muscle screamed and his lungs burn. Fear turned into the strength he didn't even know he had in him.
"Leave her the fuck alone!" he screamed.
The blade came down hard.
Thud.
It was too easy, too clean.
The hand hit the ground.
Blood sprayed everywhere, dark thick blood splattering the hay and Erlan's face. The demon staggered a step back as it stared at it's hand as if he was more confused rather than be hurt by it.
Then it looked at Erlan with those bloodthirst and crazed eyes, and then it screamed.
Sctretchhhhhhhh!
The sound wasn't loud, it was a sharp high pitched sound that sliced starlight into his ears and vibrating inside his skull, it made his vision blur as he staggered. Erlan clenched his teeth as blood leaked from his ears and the noise kept ringing and ringing and ringing. There was no stopping it, he could only grab his machete well and prepare for the next attack.
Mirea didn't have to think anymore.
She just ran and stumbled behind Erlan, she pressed her body into his back as her hands grabbed his shirt like it was the only solid thing left in the world. At this moment she didn't even remember any of her training, she couldn't, she couldn't remember any spells or theory.
Yeah sure, she had trained, but she had actually never been in danger before. This was different, a scenerio she never thought she would find herself in a lifetime.
Erlan waved the machete weakly, his arms shaking as he did.
"Come at me mother fucker and stop screaming like a damn bitch!," he spat.
His voice cracked.
Screchhhhhh!
It screamed again but this time it moved too, very fast and aggressive.
Erlan badly had time to raise the machete before the demon was in front of him, the blade clashed against the tough burned skin as sparks flew all around them. But it didn't do anything to the Demon's chest, his chest was hard, very hard. Infact the impact of the clash nearly ripped the weapon away from Erlan's hand.
It's remaining hand came in from the side as he punched at Erlan, it was just a punch and Erlan tried to guild himself by raising the Machete again but this time it was flinged out of his hand, it hit the ground somewhere behind him spinning uselessly.
Erlan's eyes widened as pain exploded in his chest! The demon had kicked him hard while he was open. It was so hard that his feet left the floor but that was only the beginning of his torture.
It's claws followed immediately after, it ripped across his chest tearing his cloth and skin like paper.
Ahhhh!
He screamed in pain as the force lifted him completely away from the floor.
He slammed hard into the hay behind him, everything went white in that instant as he slid down.
Cough cough!
He coughed out blood violently as he tried to stand up, clawing at the floor for support but he was too weak.
"Erlan!" Mirea followed immediately after him as she knelt beside him and tried to carry him off the floor.
But his body didn't listen.
There was a burning line across his chest, it was deep and wet, blood soacked through his shirt as it dripped down, it was dripping too fast, every breath hurts, every movement send pain shooting through him.
He tried again but his legs gave out.
"Erlan!" she cried.
Her hands hovered uselessly over the wound, her hands were shaking, and her mind went blank, blood was everywhere and the sight was too much for her to handle. Way too much.
She reached into her robe with trembling fingers.
Her mother's face flashed through her mind in this moment, the argument, the hesitation.
The pouch pressed into her hand, this cost her mum half of her life savings, "only use it if you're going to die" she always says.
She pulled it out instantly. A small stone, cracked with lines running through it.
The rift stone.
The demon leapt as its shadow swallowed them up, it raised its claw and its mouth were wide open, fangs growing. It was ready to finish what it started.
But before it could even reach them Mirea smashed the stone into the ground.
The world exploded into smoke.
Thick, swirling, choking smoke that burned the eyes and twisted the air. Erlan felt his body get yanked sideways, his stomach flipping, his chest screaming as the ground disappeared beneath him.
Then nothing.