Disclaimer: I do not own Ragnarok Online. This story, however, is completely mine and may not be redistributed or used without my approval.

Chapter 19

It was a silent...thirty minutes until we started hearing moaning and groaning of the monsters. The noise came louder and louder as we pressed on, and it was clear that some of the people were on the verge of panic and just running away in fright.

"Is it just me..." Crono tapped my shoulder while riding Raijin with me. "Or is there a shortage of people?" His breathing hinted nervousness. I looked back and surely, the group seemed smaller than we started out with. Raisu got the idea and rode up to Dante with the both of us.

"Dante, people are disappearing." She said.

"What?" He looks back. Just as he was about to say something, a loud scream could be heard. We looked onward to the front party and saw a female priest on the ground with one of our knights trying to defend her.

"Kyle!" Tempest ran forward and helped the Priestess up. "What happened?"

"There's something...up ahead." Kyle was shaking with fear. Dante raised his hand and motioned the small army to halt. With another hand motion, his knights unsheathed their swords and the archers prepare to fire their arrows.

The silence was eerie and made everyone nervous, even I was shaking as I held my flamberge tightly. The Pecos weren't better off either. They were fidgeting and it was obvious they wanted to flee. There was a faint rustle to the right of the party.

"There is more than one..." Hwan, a very skilled Hunter in Valkyrie's Requiem, pulled his arrow back and glared at the dead forest. "They've been stalking us."

"Shoot an arrow in." I said, my eyes darting around the place, not able to focus on one point. "It'll make them scatter and show themselves." Hwan hesitated, but with Raisu's nod of reassurance, he shot into the forest. Moments after, chaos arose.

Monsters scattered from all around us.

"Priests take cover! Wizards hang back and cast Storm Gust! Hunters, shower arrows upon the monsters! Assassins, Grimtooth! Knights, Blacksmiths, CHARGE!" Dante reacted as if it was a natural reflex for him. His men immediately took their places around the three carts we had with us. I turned to Raisu, awaiting orders.

"What?" Raisu gave me one of those confused looks. "We charge!" I sighed and shook my head. It was so typical, but we were disciplined enough to carry this task out. It was a regular routine now.

Tempest advanced slowly while Healing the rest of us. Crono and Hwan advanced slowly with Tempest, but not to Heal, instead to shoot ranged attacks at the enemy. The rest of us charged into the mob like lunatics.

Slash after slash, we look out so many of the dreaded monsters...but they just keep coming.

"There is no stop to it!" Tempest said as he tried to regain Spirit Power.

"WATCH OUT!" Hwan yelled and shot an arrow toward Tempest. It barely misses the Priest and hits a Dullahan, piercing it's skull and killing it.

Crono was retreating due to the many hits the monsters were giving him. He has no time to cast his spells any longer.

"Crono!" I yelled and Healed him as much as I could before a Loli Ruri sent me flying into the mud. "HOLY CROSS!" I slashed the monster and paralyzed it for a short while...enough for me to get up. But before I could turn my attention toward the Loli Ruri, more monsters started to mob me. "God damn it!"

"Brandish Spear!" Raisu chanted, killing the Quves around me. "Grand Cross them!" I nodded and caste the deadly spell and killed the rest. "Nice work."

"Thanks for saving my butt." I said in return and turned my attention elsewhere.

Throughout the battle, I could feel my blood boiling...and I was running out of Holy Water...