The night here was so dense that it felt almost tangible. Three researchers settled in the shadow of a fallen tree, trying not to build a bright fire. The only source of light was a small oil lamp, covered with a thick shutter. Gigantic trees towered around them, their crowns completely blocking out the moonlight.
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Vine - the leader of the group, adjusting the collar of a heavy leather cloak with the Trade League's brand, was inspecting a worn map, while next to him stood Aris - a researcher and Vine's assistant, checking notes in a leather notebook.
"Hm... about two days if we go along this ridge" - Vine said thoughtfully, running his finger along the terrain on the map.
"The records say that the passability there is extremely difficult, without even considering the local predators" - Aris added.
Vine frowned, trying to find alternatives with a light grunt.
"There is only one way, you can't enter this part of the forest from other sides. And we won't have enough provisions even in this case"
He rolled up the map with a sharp dry crack. The mention of the food shortage made his jaws involuntarily clench, and his gaze - become even gloomier.
"In that case, we'll have to tighten our belts. Master Kyle doesn't pay for complaints. If we don't reach the road in forty-eight hours, we can say goodbye to our licenses."
Aris wanted to add something, adjusting her thin-framed glasses, but froze, catching the eye of York, the third in their squad. He was not looking at the map and did not participate in the discussion of the route.
He sat motionless, his fingers white from tension, gripping the forestock of a steam rifle.
"York? You wh-" - Aris wanted to ask warily, but he interrupted her.
"Shut up." - York ordered harshly.
"Listen... not a sound... even the crickets have gone quiet." - York added, tension felt in his voice.
Absolute silence hung in the forest. The rustle of foliage stopped, as if the forest held its breath. The air became tangibly heavier, and the atmosphere began to take on sinister tones, forcing the pulse of everyone in the squad to quicken. Hearing a deep crunch from the tree trunks in the dark depths of the forest, inexplicable panic and primal fear began to fill their consciousness, almost paralyzing them.
"Light... Aris... put out the fire" - Vine said in a whisper, while his voice could be heard trembling.
She slowly extended her hand to the side, pointing her index finger directly at the flame inside the open lamp.
"Fluve~"
The word having barely escaped Aris's lips dissolved in the still air, and a thin but dense stream of wind flew from her fingertip, neatly extinguishing the lamp's flame. Primal darkness fell, which even the faint light of the stars through the giant crowns could not pierce.
In this blackness, all senses sharpened to the limit. Only Vine's frequent, intermittent breathing and a quiet metallic click were audible - York had taken the steam rifle off safety. Suddenly the heavy crunch was repeated, this time much closer, making the unexpected guests flinch.
Vine slowly took out his pistol, while Aris slowly raised her hands in combat readiness. But despite their readiness, the fear filling their consciousness manifested in their trembling hands and cold sweat. Something was wrong. Their bodies were clearly screaming "Run," but they continued to stand, glancing at each other, hopefully believing that this was another predatory animal they would quickly handle as a team.
But their team spirit vanished in the blink of an eye when the next, deeper and closer crunch resonated simultaneously with a deep, low growl, from which not only the trunks of the giant trees vibrated, but even the earth itself trembled under their feet.
Finally, when they saw the two sinister glints of the creature's eyes in the darkness, absolute horror forced each of them to simultaneously turn in the opposite direction and run away with all their might, leaving their entire camp and provisions behind. Adrenaline hit the blood, turning muscles into taut strings. The crunch of branches under the researchers' boots seemed deafening in the dead silence of the forest, but it was drowned out by the crash that rang out behind. Every step of their pursuer echoed in the spine with a heavy blow, clearly indicating the creature's giant size. York stopped for a moment to shoot, and the loud sound of the shot was accompanied by an even more terrifying and aggressive growl.
"York, don't stop! To the road! Faster!" - Vine shouted while running.
Aris tripped over a protruding root, almost plowing the ground with her face, but Vine jerked her by the cloak, forcing her to run further. Her breathing turned into a whistling wheeze, and sparks danced before her eyes. Behind them, giant trees cracked and burst, unable to block the creature's path. The low growl turned into a guttural grinding of stones. The monster was literally hacking its way through, smashing stones and felling giant trees.
"He... he isn't falling behind! It's too fast for such a carcass!" - Vine shouted.
Then he looked at York, who was running five meters to the side, to give an order.
"We need to split" - Vine shouted, but before he could finish, a terrible and instantaneous picture flashed before his eyes as he continued to run.
At that very moment, literally in an instant, York's body was crushed by the creature's paws, causing blood and pieces of flesh to fly onto the tree trunks, and the gun literally exploded from its own steam and the pressure applied by the monster. The sound of the torn body, York's crushing bones, and the hiss from the pierced steam cylinders of the gun drowned out even the crash of falling trees. Hot splashes hit Vine in the face, mixing with cold sweat.
He did not stop.
He did not look back.
The survival instinct pushed out everything human, leaving only an animal desire to run.
Aris let out a choking cry that immediately turned into a silent wheeze. Her eyes, dilated to the limit, fixed on only a bloody spot where their comrade had been a second ago. The monster did not slow down. York's death was for it only a vexing hindrance on the path. It let out a short, guttural growl, and the ground under the fugitives' feet heaved.
"Jump! Into the ravine!" - Vine shouted hoarsely.
To the right down the slope yawned a dark gap - the old bed of a dried-up forest river. It was the only chance. Vine practically pushed Aris into the void, jumping after her a moment before the massive, stone-bound paw of the beast demolished the tree behind which they had just stood.
They rolled down the slope, scraping their skin against stones and thorny bushes. The crash above did not stop, as the monster, provoked by the smell of blood and movement, had no intention of giving up the hunt. Its heavy breathing came from above, and its claws grated against the rocky edge of the ravine.
As the massive shadow began to slowly slide into the ravine, blocking the last starlight, Vine in terror pressed his palm to Aris's lips, forcing her not to make a sound.
The dull grinding of stone against stone heralded the beginning of the end of their mission, leaving in the night forest only the echo of a fading scream and the heavy tread of what was now relentlessly moving north.