SKREEEEEEEEE ~ BRUGHH ~ KRAKKK!
The shriek of a Borgull slammed into the Alpha from the side, just before the creature's claws could reach Mera. The two monstrous bodies crashed through the trees along the roadside, followed by Hugo, who landed directly between his daughters and the savage Werewolves.
Hiii~ghhh~pprrrtt!
Seeing their father standing in the middle of five encircling Werewolves, Mera and Miya slowed their horses.
"Do not stop. Keep riding until you cross the bridge!"
Hugo shouted, ordering his daughters to keep moving and leave him behind.
"D... Dad! Miya, come on...!"
Mera could only stare at her father's back as he stood tall, protecting them. With a heavy heart, she urged her horse forward again alongside Miya, crossing the bridge that stretched before them.
KHHRRRR~GHHH!
The growls of the Werewolves rumbled as they charged at Hugo simultaneously. Their razor-sharp claws, as hard as steel, struck toward every side of his body.
Grebh ~ SRINGGG ~ JLEBB!
Beneath the pounding rain of the night and the lightning that split the sky, Hugo gripped a spear and an axe in his hands. Sliding low across the ground, he slashed through several Werewolves' ankles. Then he spun swiftly and hurled the spear straight into the head of one of the creatures.
Bragh ~ Bragh ~ SHLAK!
The pounding footsteps of two Werewolves echoed as they ran across the bridge in pursuit of Mera and Miya. Without wasting a moment, Hugo severed the bridge's ropes, sending the two creatures plunging into the depths of the gorge.
BRUGHH ~ WUSHH!
Without warning, the Alpha slammed into Hugo's body, sending both of them plunging into the abyss below.
"DAAADDD...!!"
Mera and Miya screamed. Both immediately jumped from their saddles and collapsed at the edge of the cliff, staring into the mist-filled chasm that swallowed their father whole.
***
Meanwhile, in the Ardu Hills.
The hunting party led by Xasu's arrived at the waterfall where Hugo and his two daughters had rested. They found nothing except the remains of slaughtered Werewolves and the traces of a campfire.
Braghh ~ GRRRR-RRHHH!
The surviving Werewolf pack leaped down from the slopes of the Ardu Hills, ambushing them from above. Cries and the sound of flesh being torn apart filled the gaps between the steep hills.
SRINGG ~ CRACH ~ JLEBB!
The sharp sounds of weapons being drawn and swung cut through the Werewolf pack beneath the rain that drenched the entire hillside.
"Strike their hearts and cut off the necks of those disgusting creatures!"
Xasu's shouted, issuing commands to his members.
"Return to hell!"
He finished his words by driving his blade into the heart of the last Werewolf attacking them.
"Leader, we found horse tracks leading north, toward the bridge."
Said the female hunter with the red markings on her face.
"Good, Xusi. We are getting closer now."
Xasu's replied, patting Xusi on the head.
"We move. Head for the bridge leading to the Qardoom Ice Mountains."
Xasu's mounted his horse once more, leading his remaining members forward as they raced to close the distance.
***
Meanwhile, at the edge of the abyss :
RRRRGH ~ BRETHH ~ SRAKKK!
Amid the depths of the chasm, Hugo and the Alpha were locked in a fierce battle. The Alpha tried to claw and bite Hugo with its massive body, razor-sharp claws, and deadly fangs. Hugo fought back, blocking its attacks and countering with the axe and spear gripped in his hands.
Their bodies were swallowed by the dense mist filling the abyss, caught in a brutal struggle between life and death. Only silence remained at the mouth of the steep chasm, on the border between the Ardu Hills and the Qardoom Ice Mountains.
"DAADD...!"
Mera and Miya screamed almost at the same time.
They immediately jumped from their horses, panic and fear clearly etched across the faces of the two fifteen-year-old girls. Their bodies trembling, they ran as fast as they could toward the edge of the abyss, watching their father fight until the very end as he gradually disappeared into the thick mist below.
AWOO-AWOO ~ HAUUU ~ HOOOO!
The surviving Werewolves on the opposite side of the chasm howled in unison. They gave Mera and Miya no time to stand there and watch their father being swallowed by the abyss. The pack quickly turned westward, searching for a way around the chasm toward the girls' position on the other side.
"Miya, come on...! We have to keep moving. We cannot stay here waiting for Father."
Seeing this, Mera understood. Neither her life nor her sister's would be safe if they remained there.
Forcing herself to be strong, Mera wiped away her tears and grabbed Miya's arm, pulling her away from the edge of the abyss. Leaving behind their father, who was still fighting the Alpha Werewolf at the bottom of the chasm.
Without delay, Mera and Miya mounted their horses again and urged them forward as fast as possible. They rode toward the Qardoom Ice Mountains, following the map Hugo had given them. Toward a distant, cold, and treacherous land a place completely unfamiliar to them. Hoping it would be safe, and hoping that their father had survived and would one day catch up with them.
KRINGGGGG ~ TRANGGG!
The Alpha's claws crashed against Hugo's axe as it tried to tear his body apart. Hugo continued struggling to hold back the Alpha's claws as they sought to rip him to pieces, while both of them plummeted freely toward the bottom of the abyss.
"GRRRRRRRRRR ~ AWOOOOOOOO ~ AGHHH!!!"
The Alpha opened its jaws wide, attempting to tear into Hugo's shoulder. Using both of its claws in rapid succession, it tried to lock the axe and sword in his hands.
"Ahh... you devil, you should not exist in this world...!"
As the Alpha focused on restraining his weapons, Hugo took advantage of the opening. Using both knees, he drove one hard into the Alpha's jaw. With gravity pulling them downward through the air and only moments to act, he spotted a gap and immediately thrust his sword straight into the Alpha's heart.
"WHIIII ~ NNN ~ GGGH…"
The Alpha's howl echoed deep and tragic between the walls of the abyss. As Hugo's sword pierced its heart, the beast fixed him with a predator's gaze. Then, with its final strength, the Alpha swung one last claw strike, its talons coated in venom, straight into Hugo's chest.
Berth!
"ARGHHH... AHH!"
Hugo clutched at his chest, torn open by the Alpha's claws. Blood poured between his fingers. He struggled to stop the bleeding as his heart pounded violently. The signs of the Werewolf's venom had already begun spreading through his body.
SKREEEEEEEEE ~ BRUGHH ~ KRAKKK!
The shriek of a Borgull rang out as it flew through the mist between the walls of the abyss. Stretching out its talons, it swooped down to catch Hugo just before he could crash into the river below.
BYURRR!
The Alpha's body plunged into the river. The powerful current immediately swallowed and dragged it beneath the water, carrying the creature away into the flow until it disappeared from sight.
***
"KRRREEEEE ~ AAAAAAAKKKKKH…"
The Borgull landed at the edge of the abyss, releasing Hugo's body onto the ground.
"Arghh... Damn it! Ah... ah... Hogkaxu Adhum Ne X... Xum... Zabadhu Aqum... Hogkaxu Adhum N... Ne Xum... Zabadhu Aqum... Hog... Hogkaxu Adhum!"
Breathing heavily, his body beginning to tremble from the Werewolf venom, Hugo immediately cut his palm and crawled toward a large boulder. Chanting an incantation, he used his blood to create a magical holographic symbol. Moments later, his body collapsed into convulsions as he felt the Werewolf venom spreading through half of his heart.
"SKREEEEEE ~ NGGH!"
The Borgull let out a wary growl and stepped back several paces, its eyes fixed on the sky. Just after Hugo completed his incantation and hologram upon the stone.
WWWRRRR ~ OOOOOOOO ~ MMMM
Far beyond the mountains and rocky plains, across the open sea, the sound of beating wings echoed through the distance. It tore through the atmosphere at the speed of light, crossing space and time, piercing through layers of clouds as it rushed toward Hugo's location.
KHOSHHH ~ BRAKKK!
A colossal silhouette appeared in the sky, its wings spanning fifty-eight meters from tip to tip. Along its back and tail ran a row of dorsal crests. It circled above Hugo's position, its sharp, curved claws stretching nearly two meters in length.
DHUARRR!
The sky seemed to collapse as the creature landed. The thunderous beat of its wings and the impact of its claws shook the ground beside Hugo's dying body. As it settled, a massive thagomizer at the end of its tail swung from side to side, smashing nearby boulders into pieces.
"KRRR ~ WARRRRRRGGHHH"
A deep and majestic growl rumbled from the creature as it raised its head and opened its powerful jaws, revealing rows of protruding fangs lining its mouth. The Borgull immediately lowered its head before it in submission. This creature was a Dragon.