The shadows emerged from the trees, revealing the creatures that had been screeching in the distance. They were small, no bigger than children, but their appearance was far from innocent.
Each one was covered in dark matted fur, their faces twisted into grotesque, snarling expressions that looks similar to monkey. Their eyes glinted with a feral intelligence as they clutched jagged obsidian daggers in their long-fingered hands.
The creatures moved qucikly, darting between the trees with an unnatural speed. Their wiry limbs allowing them to climb and leap from branches effortlessly.
They swarmed in from all sides, encircling Erend and Eccar, screeching louder as they closed in like predators defending their territory from intruders.
"Monkeys?" Eccar muttered, his voice low but tense. "No... something worse."
Erend's eyes scanned the horde. "They're not just mindless beasts," he said. "They're acting like we've disturbed their home."
With a shrill cry, one of the creatures lunged forward, its obsidian dagger raised high. Erend reacted instantly and activating his Dragon Scale skill. His body surging with power immediately.
In a flash, his skin hardened, shimmering as dark red scales began to cover his arms. His claws extended, looking sharp and deadl.
Eccar followed suit, his own body erupting with shimmering black and brown scales, his fingers elongating into razor-sharp claws. The two Dragonborn stood side by side and ready for the fight.
"They're coming!" Eccar shouted as another creature lunged at him.
He swiped his clawed hand, tearing through the air. The monkey-like monster screeched in pain as Eccar's claws slashed across its chest, sending it tumbling to the ground in a heap. But more were coming.
"They will coming from everywhere," Erend said, recounting his last chance in this place.
Another creature leapt at Erend from the trees with dagger aimed at his neck. Erend spun around and using his claw to slice through the air and catching the creature mid-flight. The dagger fell from its lifeless hand as it crumpled to the ground.
The swarm wasn't slowing. Dozens of the creatures moved in from every angle. With their screeches rising into a cacophony of fury.
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They darted in and out of the trees while attacking wildly, slashing at Erend and Eccar with their obsidian weapons. The blows were fast and relentless, but the Dragonborn scales provided protection and deflecting most of the strikes. Those creatures can't hurt them.
Erend gave a small, grim smile, recalling the last encounter.
"Yeah, he was strong. Stronger than I expected. It took everything I had to defeat him. At that time, it wasn't easy."
Eccar looked at him with a flicker of concern, but Erend met his gaze with confident expression.
"But I'm stronger now. And there are two of us this time," Erend said.
Hearing that, Eccar felt a bit of the tension ease from his shoulders. He nodded. "Alright," he said, "It will be easy to take him down then."
They pushing forward deeper into the forest. The air grew cooler as the canopy above thickened.
After several minutes of silent walking they finally emerged from the dense trees into a vast clearing. The forest parted abruptly, revealing an open space that stretched wide before them.
The ground was flat, with patches of rough earth and sparse grass, as if countless battles had already been fought here. The wind moved uneasily across the clearing.
Eccar took a deep breath, surveying the wide expanse.
"This place looks like a battleground," he said, his eyes narrowing.
Erend stepped forward, his gaze sweeping the area. "It is. This is where we'll face the gorilla."
The clearing was quiet now, but there was a palpable tension in the air, a feeling that something was watching, waiting for them. Erend's muscles tensed as he felt the familiar sense of impending danger.
"This is the kind of place where something big is about to go down," Eccar muttered, his wings twitching slightly in anticipation.
"Get ready," he said. "He's close."
Eccar flexed his claws, his own scales shimmering under the pale light filtering through the clouds. "I'm ready."
Two Dragonborn stood side by side in the vast clearing. Waiting.
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