Chapter 582 - 582 - The Darkness Takes Form

From the encroaching darkness amidst the faint, hollow, flickering trapezoids that were cast by the sparsely placed half-burnt candlesticks on either side of the rocky wall, Scarlet could just barely make out what seemed to be a roughly humanoid-looking silhouette. 

Rough because whilst it had a bipedal, standing posture, the upper half of its body, had some strange peculiarities.

From the distance, as it made ragged, jagged movements as it closed in on the brother and sister duo, Scarlet couldn't make out the finer details as of yet. 

"It is coming this way." Scarlet said, her voice filled with a mixture of anxiety, pity, and concern. "We are not ready."

"I know." Was the only response Drake let escape her closed lips, to let something for Scarlet to bite on. His stance was firm, his eyes cold, his expression showing an emotionless, calculating determination.

'I was useless before. I failed my friends, I failed his family… no, our family! I can't repeat the same mistake again… We have to survive… The truth is, we don't even know who or what we're up against. It all feels like we're dealing with demons, the spawns of hell, and all I can do is to run away.'  Drake took a moment, calming himself and focusing his nerves on the vibrations in the dark at the distance.

As the moments mercilessly passed, slowly the faint vibrations in the darkness stepped into the faint pillar of the candlelit corridor. A grey, furry, strong forelimb appeared as it entered the hollow trapezoid of light cast on the rocky cavern floor. 

Four dark claws protruded from the tip of each of its phalanges. The creepy appendage sailed across the air as it firmly landed at the very center of the light source. Swiftly following through the joint, a large, muscular body covered in dark gray fur revealed itself, just as the second forelimb, similar to the other but mirrored in their position followed its leading partner and firmly took up its stance at the center of the illuminated area.

The body, similarly to the abominable captive back in the camp at the surface, resembled mostly a worgen, a bipedal evolved version of the wolf family of beasts. Yet, just like with the other one, this one also seemed to be an unholy fusion of another creature, another insectoid, a scorpion.

Black chitin armor covered his upper leg, providing a sturdy protection from most attacks all the way from above its knees towards its shoulders.

Like a naturally made raincoat or a strangely made fitting suit of body armor, large panels of ebony chitin covered all of the crucial, critical parts of the creature.

From the back, towering above its wolf-like bestial head that had large compound bug-like eyes, a large tail, with a sharpened bulge at its tip loomed over him like the cursed scythe of the Reaper.

Still, despite its armor that was attached to its body, or the floating, most likely venomous tail above its head, the creature, this unholy monster was approaching towards them calmly, silently. 

It didn't seem to show any visible reaction, emotion on his face. From a first glance, one could have mistakenly thought that it did not see the invading duo ahead of it. Yet, he or she would be wrong, as the trained eye could spot the minuscule reactions, micro movements in each of its steps, in every one of its actions.

Scarlet and by now, Drake also was keenly aware that there was no way out. The creature had them in its sight. They were aware that their only path would be to continue forward and try to first reason with this forsaken race.

As Captain Don had said to them when they all set out this morning: 'Hope for the best, prepare for the worst!'

—

With a steady, constant pace the creature slowly walked closer and closer to the duo of siblings. Drake and Scarlet were standing side by side, gazing at the incoming monster with a stern, serious expression donning their faces.

Whilst Scarlet still had a tinge of emotions besides the fixated somber resolve that shone in his brother's eyes, she held both daggers in her slender hands steadily. The blades facing towards the creature were raised in front of her squinted, stern gaze. Despite the slightly trembling eyelids and the minuscule curvature in the edges of her leps, Scarlet was ready to unleash all her might without hesitation.

If nothing else, despite knowing that the odds would be against them, her time as a gladiator has taught her not to falter even when facing such hopeless odds. The countless beasts are it human, orc, or whatever predator they had thrown at her, she always managed to overcome the odds in the end.

"Be ready, Scar." Breaking the ensuing tense silence Drake whispered to his side. His tone was steady, clear carrying no hints of emotion at all. Slowly, but steadily their short but fruitful time together with Aiden and his family of weirdos have gradually calmed his haughty passion, replacing it with the cold determination of a cold-blooded killer. 

Both him, and his sword spirit, Mort have learned a lot from their friend and his outlook on life. His usual calmness as he faced every situation, yet at the same time, his determination to push himself to his limits just to ensure that those that are close to his heart would not be hurt in the slightest.

His willingness to go to whatever ends he needed, no matter the outcome or the consequences. If his dear sister or that black-haired priestess would come to any harm, Drake was sure that Aiden wouldn't hesitate an instant to tear down the entire city of Higrove if that would ease their suffering.

Scarlet was caught off guard by the new nickname, making her lose her concentration and crease her brows as she glanced over to her left, looking at her brother's fierce gaze. 

"Scar? Where did that come from?" She whispered, fixing her gaze, turning it back on the still calmly, steadily approaching monster. 

As the creature left the trapezoid shape of light cast on the ground by the first candlelight and stepped into the second not too much later, they could see the small changes in the creature's stance. 

A small smirk-like expression began to don its fanged mouth residing under its elongated nose. Its long, sharp and slightly curved ebony claws were glinting ominously under the flickering faint light the small flame of the candle cast from the neighboring wall. From the previous, calm and easing stance, now the creature's hands, whilst still resting at its sides, were now fixated into a clawing posture. 

Without a shadow of a doubt, both siblings were sure that the creature had no intention to resolve their meeting peacefully.

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