As the crowd’s worried chatter grew around the grieving mother, Veil noticed dark streaks mixed with blood on the ground.

  What the hell am I supposed to do? I can’t beat something like that. But if we don’t act now, that little girl will die—if she isn’t already… he thought, running a trembling hand through his hair.

  “That’s it? You’re all just going to stand there while every second counts?” Melrone shouted, face hard as stone as he tightened his grip on his bow. “Guess I’ll have to do everything myself around here!”

  Before anyone could react, he took off, following the bloody trail left by the creature. Elzyna froze for a brief moment, then turned toward Veil.

  “We can talk later if you want—but right now, please, I need your help,” she said quickly, her voice edged with panic.

  Veil let out a shaky breath, feeling control slipping through his fingers, then gave her a short nod. Elzyna dashed after Melrone while Veil approached Kaela and the crying woman.

  “Stay here, Kaela. If we don’t come back, run—warn the guild. Don’t throw your life away for nothing. If we don’t handle this carefully, the whole village will be wiped out,” he said in a low voice. “Please, ma’am, stay calm. We’ll do everything we can to bring your daughter back.”

  Then he stood and ran after the others, leaving Kaela behind before she could even protest.

  The blood trail led into the woods, the splatters uneven but still visible—proof that the girl was injured, though not fatally, perhaps.

  And now what? Catching up to them is one thing, but then what? I can’t just charge in—she’s got too much space to move out here. In the dungeon, her movement was limited… I don’t even know how she behaves outside of it, he thought, his breathing quickening.

  After several minutes of running through the trees, faint sounds—like muffled cries—reached his ears. He slowed his pace, moving cautiously until he spotted Elzyna pinning Melrone to the ground, scolding him in a furious mix of shouts and whispers.

  “Are you completely insane? You think this is a game? What were you planning to do—trade places with the girl, maybe?” Elzyna hissed.

  Veil crept closer, careful not to make noise, praying the creature hadn’t heard their commotion. Looking around, he saw the blood trail continue deeper into the forest.

  “Keep your voices down. This isn’t the time. If she’s nearby, we need to stay quiet and figure out how to deal with her first,” Veil whispered, scanning the trees.

  Melrone struggled free from Elzyna’s hold and got to his feet, glaring daggers as he snatched up his bow.

  “Shut up! You’re nobody to tell me what to do, got it? We managed just fine before you showed up! And now, because we let our guard down, a child’s been taken!” he yelled.

  Veil rose to face him, his patience wearing thin, anger boiling under the surface. Melrone’s recklessness, right now of all times, made his blood surge with frustration.

  “You want to play the hero? What do you think you’re doing, huh? You think charging in blindly will save her? You’ll be dead before you even see her—and you’ll drag us down with you!” Veil shot back, his voice firm but low.

  Melrone opened his mouth to retort, but Elzyna yanked him backward with a sharp pull.

  “Enough, Melrone! He’s right, damn it. You’re putting us all in danger. If you really want to die, go be bait while we rescue the girl. But I doubt you’ll be so cocky once she’s got her claws on you,” she snapped, her own voice trembling with anger.

  Melrone sank to the ground, fists clenched, his back turned to them.

  Veil and Elzyna turned their focus back to the forest, every rustle and whisper of leaves setting their nerves on edge.

  “What do we do now? I don’t think the girl’s dead yet—the blood trail isn’t heavy,” Elzyna said quietly.

  “I don’t know,” Veil murmured, regaining his composure. “But since we’re here, we might as well keep going. We’ll figure it out when the time comes. Maybe two of us can distract it while the third gets the girl out.” He sighed. “Either way, I don’t see what else we can do.”

  They moved on, Melrone getting to his feet and following behind, grumbling under his breath. The three of them continued to track the trail for several minutes, moving farther and farther from the village. But as they pressed deeper into the forest, something strange caught their senses.

  “Do you smell that too? It reeks—fresh blood and rotting flesh,” Elzyna muttered, pinching her nose.

  The deeper they went, the stronger it grew. The wind carried the stench right into their faces, thick and suffocating. Finally, the trees opened onto a small cliffside, and nestled among the bushes below was a cave entrance, faintly visible in the dim light.

  “Gods… that smell is unbearable. What could possibly stink this bad?” Elzyna grimaced.

  The nausea twisting in their stomachs made it hard to keep moving. They crouched behind the bushes to get a better view of the cave—and then they understood.

  Bones littered the entrance. Scattered among them were lumps of flesh tinged green, limbs torn apart—hands, entire legs, even torsos left half-eaten on the ground. Swarms of flies buzzed around the carnage.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  And in the center of it all, a dark shadow stirred. The wet sound of cracking bones echoed faintly as the creature gnawed on a severed arm, crouched in a pool of blood.

  “What do we do now? How do we even get that thing to move?” Melrone whispered, his voice tight with fear.

  Veil didn’t answer. Instead, he pointed deeper into the cave—toward a small, motionless shape lying farther inside. The child’s skin was still pink, untainted by decay, though it was impossible to tell if she was still breathing.

  “Is that her? The girl it took? Either way, there’s no mistaking it—it’s the same creature from the dungeon,” Veil said quietly, eyes narrowing.

  “I can’t tell for sure from here,” Elzyna replied, squinting. “But it does look like a child.”

  As they whispered, the Cataxys suddenly twitched. Its long ears snapped upright, swiveling sharply as its nostrils flared. It sniffed the air, tense and alert—then, in a blur, it rose and darted out of the cave.

  “Shit, shit—she’s sensed us for sure!” Melrone hissed, dropping low to the ground.

  But the creature didn’t turn toward them. Instead, it sprinted off in another direction, disappearing into the forest’s shadows. Veil blinked, confused—but only for an instant. A realization struck him like lightning. This might be their only chance.

  “Stay here and don’t move. Whatever happens, don’t make a sound, got it?” he ordered quickly.

  He rose and sprinted toward the cave entrance, heart pounding.

  Please let me make it in time. If she comes back now, we’re dead, he thought, panic clawing at his chest.

  The stench grew unbearable as he reached the entrance. The closer he got, the more overwhelming the sight became—the half-rotten remains surrounding him were a grotesque nightmare. But then, something else froze him in place.

  The child stirred. Slowly, she began to move her small hands, sticky with dried blood. She rubbed her face instinctively, wrinkling her nose as the smell hit her.

  Her eyes fluttered open—and for a second, there was silence. Then her gaze focused, widening in pure horror as she began to grasp what surrounded her.

  Tears welled up instantly, her lips trembling before the first sob broke free.

  “M–Mom… Mommy! Where are you? MAMA!” she screamed, her cries echoing through the cavern.

  Veil rushed forward and immediately shielded her eyes from the gruesome scene, pulling her into his arms. She trembled violently against him, her cries muffled against his chest. That’s when he noticed it—a deep bite wound on her left arm, still oozing faintly with blood.

  “Shh, shh… it’s alright, I’m here now,” Veil whispered softly. “You’re coming with me, okay? I’m going to carry you, but I need you to keep your eyes on me, understand? Don’t cry—we’re going to take you back to your mother.”

  His tone was gentle, but the tremor in his voice betrayed the panic rising inside him. Were the creature’s ears sharp enough to have heard the girl’s cries? Was it already on its way back? He lifted the child carefully into his arms and turned toward the cave entrance, the crunch of bones under his boots echoing in the suffocating silence.

  “Eleanor, right? Hang in there, okay? I know it’s hard, but try not to make too much noise,” Veil murmured, more to steady his own nerves than hers.

  Eleanor kept her gaze locked on his, trying to stifle her sobs. The effort made her tremble with short, uneven gasps. Together, they made it out of the cave—only for Veil to spot Elzyna and Melrone further off, their frantic gestures clearly warning that something was wrong.

  Veil followed the direction they pointed, and his stomach dropped.

  The Cataxys stood only a few meters away. Its jaws hung open as it dropped two large eggs onto the ground—eggs of a pale cream color streaked with faint, glowing veins of magma. Lifting its head, the beast bared its fangs, still dripping with fresh blood.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. Of all times to come back…” Veil muttered, clutching Eleanor close so she couldn’t see. “Listen to me, whatever happens—if I let you go, you run, as fast as you can. Understand?”

  She nodded, her tiny head trembling, her eyes never leaving his.

  The Cataxys crouched low, muscles tensing like a predator ready to pounce. Its claws sank into the earth, carving deep cracks as it steadied itself. Melrone rose abruptly and fired an arrow into its path—but it ricocheted off a rock, useless.

  The monster’s sleek body rippled as it moved, accelerating with terrifying speed. Veil threw himself to the ground, wrapping Eleanor protectively in his arms as the beast charged. The girl began crying again, her tiny fists gripping his shirt in terror.

  “Don’t forget what I told you,” Veil whispered near her ear. “If I let go—run. I’m sorry.”

  The Cataxys leapt, claws outstretched, its shadow blotting out the light above them.

  Then suddenly—the air changed.

  A surge of heat flooded the clearing, so intense it burned Veil’s skin where it touched. The sunlight itself seemed to flare alive as a blazing orange streak shot past him. For a split second, Veil, Elzyna, and Melrone could only shield their eyes.

  Fiery talons slammed into the Cataxys’s jaw, hurling it sideways into the cliffside. The impact shook the ground.

  Veil raised his head just in time to see it—the same radiant creature they had freed from the hunter’s trap. The Phoenira.

  It landed with the grace of a flame dancing in the wind, its wings spreading wide as they burst into brilliant fire, flooding the clearing with blinding light and searing heat.

  Veil tightened his grip on Eleanor and sprinted toward Elzyna, doing everything he could to get the child to safety.

  “What in the gods’ name is a Phoenira doing here? Why now?” Elzyna breathed, awe in her voice as she watched the majestic creature clash with the darkness.

  Veil reached them, placing Eleanor gently into her arms.

  “Go. Now. This is our only chance—get her back to the village!” he ordered.

  “Go? But—what about you?” Elzyna asked, alarmed.

  Veil rose to his feet, pointing toward the two battling creatures. The Phoenira’s claws tore relentlessly at the Cataxys’s slick hide, flames scorching through the corrupted flesh.

  “Someone has to stay behind. If that thing weakens it, I might be able to finish the job—make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Veil said quickly, his eyes hard with resolve. “You take the girl back to her mother. That’s what matters most right now.”

  “I’m staying with you,” Melrone said under his breath. “I can still help you with my bow.”

  “And who’s going to protect the girl if you get attacked and Elzyna has to fight? Think for once and don’t screw this up! She’s safe now—just like you wanted—so go. NOW!” Veil shouted, his voice sharp enough to cut through the chaos.

  Elzyna hesitated only a second before lifting the little girl onto her back, holding her securely as she turned to leave. Melrone followed close behind. Eleanor twisted in Elzyna’s arms, tears streaming down her cheeks as she reached out a small hand toward Veil.

  Then they vanished into the forest, and Veil turned back toward the battlefield.

  What now? he thought bitterly. It’s all well and good to play the hero, but I don’t have the strength to fight something like that.

  The Cataxys was struggling to move, its body twitching and unsteady. Veil couldn’t see why, but he sensed that if the Phoenira stopped now, he might have a chance to end it. Yet something had clearly driven the fiery little creature into a frenzy.

  It spread its wings wide, raising them high as glowing embers spiraled around its body. The sparks seemed to draw inward, pulled between its wings—forming a small orb of fire that grew larger with every passing second.

  The orb swelled beyond anything its small body should have been able to sustain, the heat warping the air itself. Veil’s lungs burned with every breath, the wind whipping around him in wild, scorching gusts.

  Then—silence.

  A perfect, impossible silence, as if the world itself had paused. The Phoenira’s wings folded sharply inward.

  A blinding white flash engulfed the forest, followed by an ear-splitting roar and a wave of destruction. Veil was thrown backward, tumbling across the ground as trees bent and shattered under the force of the blast.

  Seconds—or maybe minutes—passed before the ringing in his ears faded. Dazed, he pushed himself upright, staggering as the world tilted around him. His vision swam, but he forced his eyes to focus.

  Before him lay devastation. The forest was gone—trees uprooted, the ground cratered and broken. He stumbled toward what remained of the cliffside, where the cave had once been. Now, it was nothing but a jagged hollow, a crater of stone and debris.

  The Phoenira was still there, motionless at the center of the blast. The light radiating from its body flickered weakly, dimming… until it softened into a gentle, steady glow.

  “Well… damn,” Veil muttered hoarsely. “You really don’t hold back, huh? I’d hate to have you as an enemy. The Cataxys already scared me enough as it was.”

  The little creature turned suddenly, its molten gaze locking onto something. Then, without hesitation, it darted toward a patch of scorched earth. Veil followed at a slow pace, curiosity overtaking his exhaustion.

  It stopped beside the two eggs the Cataxys had dropped earlier—now cracked and half-buried, but still pulsing faintly with light. They had been thrown several meters away by the blast.

  Veil crouched down, watching as the Phoenira nudged them carefully into place. A tired smile crept onto his face, relief washing through him despite the pain.

  The Phoenira noticed his presence and arched its back defensively, fur bristling as flames shimmered faintly across its body.

  “I’m not going to hurt you,” Veil said softly, lowering himself to sit on the scorched ground. “After seeing what you can do to protect your eggs, I’d be an idiot to even try. So… thank you. For saving me.”

  The little creature gathered the eggs between its wings, holding them close. Then, after a brief glance back at him, it took off in a burst of light, vanishing into the distance.

  I really thought that was it for me, Veil thought, letting his eyes drift shut. Dying like that… what a pathetic way to go.

  His body gave in to exhaustion. The wind brushed gently against his face, carrying away the lingering heat of the flames—leaving only the natural warmth of the sun upon his skin.