He stood there in the middle of the forest alone trying to get his thoughts together. But they were leaving him in a sneaky way. The calmness he got used to ended in the moment he appeared on this side of the teleportation pad. It was much better with Gilyon’s friendly company than being alone. All alone. With his hunger growing with every moment, with his grueling urge to belong somewhere tormenting him even before all of this… Sisindra was the only person who could understand him, tell him the perfect words to encourage and he didn’t had the faintest where he could look for her. Was it even possible that he will meet her again? With burdening thoughts he set out into the forest once again as there was nothing else to do.

Taking a bit rest from dawn and starting a new night with the daily routine, Freyan tried to find his way back to the road to Ga’Balgala. He thought he could restart from there searching for those beast or at least think through again what he wanted to do. But it seemed the forest doesn’t wanted to let him go so easily. On the second day it was clear he got lost. Wandering aimlessly this time started to bore him. Or more like frustrate him. Convinced he is getting nowhere walking about he stumbled into a swamp. The ground started to become loose. Moving forward sometimes his feet sunk until his ankle even after he started to watch his steps. Then came the fog sneaking up on him almost as if it was sentient. With every minute Freyan tried to navigate through the tricky terrain, the fog became slightly thicker. Yet he only realized his vision becoming impaired when he could only see the next ten meters. After that his view distance narrowed rapidly until he couldn’t see a thing but the mixed greenish-gray haze blocking his sight.

Freyan started to descend to the state of panic in a few seconds. He was to afraid to even take a step. Who knows how deep will be the swamp where he puts his foot next? Would he been still a human he could probably hear only his rushing heart beat. But there was just the silence.

Until a small snapping sound caught his attention. The thought came to his mind when he heard the click in the library the same way. So putting aside every other thought he listened. He even closed his eyes at one point. Focusing on the sounds around him, his hearing improved rapidly. Seconds after attention reached its peek he was convinced there was something moving behind him.

One step. Two step. I was slowly approaching him. Making sure he won’t be certain from which direction it will come. One step. Two step. There was more than one.

He readied the magic he could muster. He readied it, still didn’t let it manifest just yet. The power coursed through his body back and fort trying to escape to do its owners biding. But it wasn’t the right time, he had to be patient. It was a strange but invigorating feeling.

The steps were getting closer slowly, almost all calculated. Then at one point they stopped. Even if the two different creatures were probably not in the same distance both of them stopped. It was now or never. Freyan released the readied magic in a concentric dark energy burst hoping it will reach the creatures. A faint yet disturbing screech was his answer. He hit at least one of them. He dared to tread one step carefully ever paying attention how dense is the surface under his feet. He faced the direction where the animal like scream came from. He focused his magic on that vague area shaping his magical attack in a not perfect cone like shape. And he got his answer in and other hurtful hiss.

That was the time he got shot by a glueish residue from the back. It almost covered him whole, and the power of the slime slamming into him almost made him fall to the ground completely. He crawled away carefully but he wasn’t quick enough. The creature from behind run towards him trying to stamp him to death. He managed to kick Freyan with one leg but couldn’t totally smash him into the swamp.

It hurt. It really hurt. As if all his bones got crushed. Luckily the truth was only some of his ribs got broken. Angered by pain, Freyan coated him self in dark energy. So when one of the creatures tried to smite him again he wasn’t the only one getting hurt.

Little by little as the creatures got hurt again and again the fog started to lift slowly. Now he could see hazy shadows in the green mist. The uncertain figures didn’t told him much, but it was better than nothing. These shadows usually meant the part of the creatures, a leg hurling to kick him, a head coming to bite him. Now that he could find a relatively firm place to stand observing the dance of shadows allowed him to evade most the attacks. The creatures were taller than him, so only in these moments he had the opportunity to hit back. And the only reason that one of the creatures didn’t tried to swallow him in whole was his dark aura hurting them. An other dark slime spit pushed him to the ground, surprised or not he had to crawl away quickly. In a panic reflex he hurled an energy bolt in the direction of the head snapping its jaws just near him, almost biting him in half. A loud shriek filled the otherwise silent swamp, and other one followed like a sad echo from the other still living creature. One of Freyan’s attackers collapsed with disturbingly quiet thud.

In that same moment the fog seemed to vanish. At last Freyan could see the creatures. They were the same breed. Their skin pale white, four legs long and thin. Their body skinny as if they suffered from malnutrition. And their head resembled a dog’s somewhat deformed in a longer shape without eyes or eye sockets.

Well at least what was left of one of the creatures head. As that blast made in panic almost destroyed one side of the monsters skull which was laying on the ground. Its black sticky blood oozed out becoming one with the mud of the swamp. The still living one towered three meters above Freyan. He looked up seeing the creature grinning its teeth viciously. Freyan mustered his speed to get up as the thing lifted up its leg to strike. Its feet decorated with four long razor sharp claws. Evading the incoming attack Freyan thought to fight claws with claws. He grabbed the leg by its delicate ankle thrusting his own claws into the skin and channeled dark energy to his hands. The creature screamed and as Freyan tried to pull the beast to the ground it also pulled back. In this contest of strength Freyan seemed lacking as the creature sent him flying in the air. Freyan smashed into a near three then landed on the ground in pain. Yet he wasn’t the only who was in suffering though as the beast ankle tore of in the endeavour. The creature’s constant screaming somehow made Freyan being able to focus more easily. All he needed just one more shot. A shot just like moments before. He got on half of his knees and aimed as best as he could. The magic missile hit the creatures face, but it needed more then one to take it down. What magic he could conjure now didn’t have enough power to take the beast down with one shot. So he hurled two more missile towards the creatures head. He missed once, but the second did the trick in the end.

Both of them collapsed on the ground. Obviously only Freyan would get up later. But for now he rested a bit. He didn’t cared for the fact that half of his face was in the mud. He was covered in monster-spit and blood anyway. For now he couldn’t decide which one was more disgusting.