The hundreds of feet stomping on the ground made it seem as though a miniature earthquake was visiting the area to inspire mild concern. But no, it wasn't.
The men, women and children sprinting away wished it was a mere natural disaster. At least then, even if it took from them all the same, they wouldn't see a clear hatred on its face.
Several had already died, and despite everyone else fleeing with a passion, they hardly had an hopes.
It had only been a bit more than half a day, but news travelled fast. The entirety of Pelian was assaulted by an unnatural threat. One that these people who were fleeing at the moment, had only been able to escape the advance assault of.
They had been far from a large, dark tower that rose, inspiring horror so deep that it killed with a glance – as the rumours had said, and had been verified. Yet, the real threat was flying towards them right now, making sure every single one of them, would be lost to its claws.
WHOOSH!
Something unseen sped through the crowd at this moment, it's dark body so fast and hard that it dismantled tens into pulpy red and splintered pale bone in a breath. The people screamed as guts and whatever was in them sprayed onto their faces, decorating the ground and their souls with the tragic reality of mortality.
The crowd scattered.
Another enemy?
Something was already pursuing them from the sky!
There was another following on the ground as well?
The screams of people being ran through by the mysterious entity rang out all over the place, despite the separation.
It was terrifying.
A woman drew her daughter into her arms, and slumped to the ground with her. She gritted her teeth and then let out a loud, uneven wail that caused her thirteen year old child to shiver, more terrified of her mother mentally breaking apart than the threats chasing them.
The middle aged woman scrambled on the ground, amid the fine human remains, and found a sharp shard of bone. She didn't even look at it, but she felt it was right.
With a shudder, she looked at her daughter with bloodshot eyes.
She couldn't let her be killed by these monsters as she watched. At least she could give her child the benefit of death by her hand. A more dignified death.
That was what she thought in the moment. Whether it made sense or not didn't matter.
Without further hesitation, she conjured all her strength, and made to drive the bone into her daughter's temple.
But then...
A firm hand stopped her attempt with ease.
Panicked, the woman screamed and looked at the figure responsible, expecting to see a treacherous face gleefully looking down at her.
But no.
It was a kind looking face, atop it a full head of fiery red hair and beautiful blue eyes.
It was a tall man dressed in a dark green armour.
His presence comforted the woman, but only for a moment.
She wasn't from here.
Where she had come from, combatants dressed in similar armour had all perished easily against the monsters. This man couldn't be any different. She refused to give herself false hope again.
As though to encourage her doubt, a dark figure sped towards the armoured man and the woman at an atrocious sped. It targeted the red haired man, going for his head without a fraction of imprecision.
The woman felt her hope finally rest.
Of course it was over, yet the man still held her hand firmly.
A shame. To think they would perish like this.
KRRKCH.
The woman heard a quick, unsettling noise... and then there was silence.
What happened?
She looked up, and saw a large humanoid figure encased in a thick, rugged white layer of what looked ice... but also fire.
"It's alright. You're safe now," the red haired man said to the woman, who shook.
He smiled and then pointed up.
"I know you feel as if all is lost. You can still live. Look up."
The woman followed where the man's finger pointed, and she saw bright golden light in the air.
Wait.
It wasn't just a light.
The sun's rays reflected on a set of shining armour in the air, which then expounded a brilliant glow. A man-shaped glow.
Was it a man flying?
The woman squinted and noticed a silky, exaggerated cape – freakish even – draping from the set of armour, and serenely flowing in air.
It looked exceedingly enticing to the eye for some reason, inviting and calming even, especially when the wide open arms of whoever was adorned in that armour spread wide.
The woman felt hope.
Pure and blissful hope.
Then came faith and strength that made her smile with resolve and stand up.
The same went for her daughter.
They felt rejuvenated... emboldened.
They weren't the only ones to feel this though.
All the people scattered throughout the city were attracted and entranced by the figure in the sky, given a strange sense of immense strength, some almost to the point of taking a U-turn and running towards what had been chasing them.
Theurien smiled at the effect.
He let go for the woman who had dropped the bone in her hand.
'Having you around is handy,' he thought as he glanced at the sky, but a certain shade of darkness below his eyes kept him immune to Red Rage's glow.
It had fought his heart when he saw this woman almost kill her daughter.
Good Deities, what had this world become.
...!
Suddenly, Theurien turned his head.
Another of the dark, speedy creatures ran towards him, then another and another.
There were more of them.
Worse yet, a large shadow was cast over the town.
Something flew low and slow, the rapid flapping of its wings sounding like the violent spin of a tornado.
Theurien didn't pay any mind to that thing though. He wore a fierce face and marched forward, moving past the enemy he had just immobilised with his technique.
The incoming enemies stopped when they were twenty meters from Theurien, perhaps because they noticed the difference between him and the humans they had encountered so far.
With a close look, they looked like men made of black stone, with crooked details on their faces that vaguely resembled eyes, noses and mouths.
They had details of jagged armour on their stone like textures, and from them all, an ominous presence wafted.
'They are different from the ones I faced before, but no doubt just as durable...'
The moment Theurien had this thought, the stone-like creature he had trapped two paces behind him suddenly broke free and lunged at him.
At the same time, the others of its kind bolted at Theurien from the front, ruthless gestures already prepared from their large hands.
An instant before all these creatures reached him – with the one behind him in the lead – Theurien breathed out heavily.
Half a moment later, the space around Theurien turned white and bright. Thickets of what looked like ice... flaring with a brilliant whitish blue flame exploded to cover everything except Theurien.
The man took a step forward, hearing the crunch and hiss of the icy flame below his greaves.
At the very least, the might of Clandestine Glow, an application of the Contrasting Twin Sword Technique, was potent enough to bring an absolute halt to these abominations.
Follow current novels on freewe(b)novel.c(o)m