A Fateful Night
“I had no choice, if I hadn’t cast it we’d all be dead!” Kathra cried, as they ran franticly through the dense dark woods.
“We may all still die!” shouted Brandora, as she struggled to keep up.
A long baleful howl pierced the night, their hearts sinking, as their worst fears came to life.
“By my ears, it sounds about a half-mile away!” Olarian shouted, so he could be heard over the sounds of them crashing through the underbrush. “I’m not sure we can outrun it, do we try, or find a place to stand our grown and fight?”
“I say we stand and fight!” bellowed Cragul, “Besides, not sure Brandora’s little legs can keep up much longer.”
“There!” exclaimed Olarian, pointing to a large outcropping along a dry creek bed. “We can at least put our backs against that, in case more than one of them hunts us.”
And with that the party formed up, with Kathra in the back, knowing it was her the beast was after.
Their ears strained, attempting to hear the beast before it was on them, but to no avail. Like a shadow, it burst forth from the trees, knocking Cragul aside like he was a small child. Kathra was not prepared for the strength of the beast, as she was knocked to the ground, it’s jaws clamped upon her shoulder as it raked at her with its hind claws.
Olarian tumbled back, attempting to get a clear shot, but before he could Brandora blocked the way, her dwarven made axe striking the beast.
Olarian danced to the left, but had his shot blocked again, by Cragul springing from the ground in a rage, bellowing an angry wordless shout, hammering the beast with his Warhammer.
But the beast didn’t seem phased in the least, it tightened its grip on Kathra’s shoulder and continued raking at her with its claws.
Kathra attempted to fight through the pain, but as it started tearing away at her stomach again, the world went black.
The demonic beast whipped around still holding Kathra’s limp body in its jaws, knocking aside Brandora and Cragul. Finally, a clear opening, Olarian fired off an arrow, but the beast just shook Kathra in its jaws, and then dropped her, running off into the night as quick as it had appeared.