Chapter 8: Brutal chase. Wendigo in the dark.

Opening 3: Casey Edwards - Bury the Light

(Play Genshin Impact OST - Feelings of Smothering)

Shadow and Mary were nervous as they awaited whatever creature was lurking in the darkness of the forest. Sweat was sliding down their skins as they were backed into a corner.

'This is unlike what we've faced so far. An entity that is blending in the darkness, leaving little time to react.' Shadow thought.

'No one was able to go through this part of the Vanvid Ravine… It's said that some kind of demonic creature lurks in this dark forest, killing any whom have wandered in.' Mary thought.

The duo had their backs on each other, intending to watch their blindspots in case the creature was able to find an opening. Time seemed to slow down to a snail's pace as the duo were watching the dark forest.

'This is becoming nerve wracking… This creature is clearly wanting us to go in a panic. Mind games are one thing, but this thing is smart.' Shadow noted.

Soon, a demonic bellow of a distorted high pitch scream echoed. The pitch soon became low in a bass tone, but heavily distorted. The sound was unnerving enough for the pair to have shivers on their spines. This made them look more frantically for the creature.

'Where is this thing? I can tell it's close…' Shadow thought nervously.

Soon, rapid footsteps that sounded like stomps were heard. The echos were approaching Shadow and Mary, alerting them. They soon leaped in the nick of time, avoiding an attack that caused deep gnashes on the ground.

"What the…!?" Shadow exclaimed.

They didn't had time to process as the unseen creature was roaring with a demonic tone. The pair were forced to flee deep into the forest, hoping to outrun the creature.

'Even if this thing hunts, I have my doubts it could keep up on speed. Better stay alert though.' Shadow thought.

The pair soon managed to find themselves up on a dead sequoia tree. Both were able to stay in the branches, not willing to go down. They could still hear the creature's steps down at the ground. They were thunderous as they echoed in the dead forest.

'This thing is fast… It barely kept up, but I don't think it can climb this high up.' Shadow thought.

Soon, the pair heard the sound of the dead sequoia tree creaking. Another of wood being torn was heard, alerting them. Shadow and Mary realized the tree was sliced clean from its base, causing it to tumble down to the ground. Having little time to think, both dashed in super speed, launching themselves off the tree before it touched the ground.

"What in the name of…!?" Mary shouted.

The demonic roar echoed in the forest as the creature was tracking the pair down. Knowing their visibility is not useful, they were forced to delve deeper into the forest to confront the creature. A thick fog began to enshroud their surroundings.

'This may work against us, but better to hide for now than recklessly fighting.' Shadow thought.

The pair felt their bodies sweating profusely due to the terror of the creature chasing them. Their hearts raced as they tried to calm themselves down.

(Feelings of Smothering OST ends here)

]

(Play Primal OST - Being Followed)

After some time, a few minutes passed. Not wanting to wait out for its arrival, the pair kept themselves alert, relocating to a nearby tree top. They know the creature was still out there. However, knowing it was still lurking didn't alleviate their fears. It made them cynical enough to be on guard, even when resting.

'Whatever this thing is, I'm not letting my guard down for even a second… Last thing I want is for it to take us down.' Shadow thought.

'Both of us couldn't see the creature, but it's out there… That awful sound it makes is already unnerving enough.' Mary thought.

Heavy footsteps were soon heard before the tree they were on soon begun to collapse.

"Crap!" Shadow and Mary exclaimed.

Both leapt off of the collapsing tree as it crashed to the ground with a resounding thud. The demonic roar of the creature was loud, alerting the pair of its resumed chase.

'Damn it! We can't even hide in the trees. There has to be a way to cut it off.' Shadow thought with desperation.

Shadow and Mary were running at fast speeds to put distance from the mysterious creature. They soon thought of a plan. They intend to separate in an attempt to divide its interest, confusing the beast.

"We have to make it focus on one of us so we can drag it out. Think you can take it out?" Shadow asked to Mary.

"I will make sure I'll take this beast down." Mary spoke with determination, her fear now ebbing away.

The duo soon separated, trying to confuse the creature. However, the creature soon bellowed out in a deafening screech. The sound was not only demonic and distorted, it proved to be disorienting enough to force both Shadow and Mary to cover the ears to block off the sound. Shadow in particular was practically driven mad by the noise, roaring in defiance.

"COME ON YOU SON OF A BITCH! COME OUT AND FACE ME!!!" Shadow bellowed.

Mary watched in surprised fear as she realized what the creature was doing.

'It's trying to disorient us with its screech so it can take us out quickly…! I have to reach Shadow before it does!' She thought.

The creature screeched out once more, disorienting Shadow. In a fit of desperation, the Gandálfr began to swing his sword wildly. The heavy footsteps were heard reaching to him till his sword struck a small rock, creating sparks. This startled the creature, forcing it to retreat with a terrified roar.

'What the…? Did the sparks caused it to retreat? If that's the case…' Shadow thought.

Mary was able to reach Shadow in time. She stood in front, hearing the creature's footsteps approaching them.

"Get behind me!" Shadow ordered.

Shadow soon created a stream of fire, blocking off the creature's attempt to reach them. This caused it to bellow a frighten screech before disappearing in the dead forest. However, it left the pair with realization.

(Being Followed OST ends here)

"So this thing is afraid of fire… So now we have a way to take this thing down." Shadow spoke.

"That's why it was often unseen and so fast. It's camouflaged in the darkness. That's why that thing is avoiding the fire, both to hide its presence and to prevent the flames reaching it." Mary followed.

"We now have a way to turn the tables against this thing. Mary, we should be able to trap the creature in a clearing using my fire abilities." Shadow said.

"That way we can take it out. I can shower it with arrows from my bow to slow it down. You can use your sword to take it out." Mary said.

"We have a plan so let's put it into action." Shadow agreed.

]

(Play Primal OST - Man vs Beast)

The unseen creature was dashing across the forest. Shadow and Mary managed to catch up to it, scaring it by using fire to change its direction.

"That's right you beast. Let me lead you to where we can set the stage." Shadow taunted.

The creature roared as the flames diverted it away to a dark clearing. It was disoriented by the flames that soon sprouted around, preventing it from rubbing back to the forest.

"We got it in the clearing. Do it." Mary said.

Shadow bellowed with a warrior's spirit, using his fire elemental abilities to create a fence of fire by racing through the grass. The flames soon created a perimeter, trapping the creature in a ring of fire.

"Let's see how you can handle this." Shadow commented.

The creature bellowed in a panicked tone, clearly fearful of the flames that surround it. It barely had time to recognize it was in a trap. Soon, a shower of arrows cane in view, though they couldn't be seen clear enough due to the fire disorienting the creature's sight.

"Now's your chance!" Mary called out.

Shadow managed to locate the creature in the darkness. He leaped forward and took advantage of its disorientation, piercing its chest with Zenyōso in its fire form. The creature's appearance was fully revealed: a disheveled emaciated creature with long arms holding wicked claws, jagged teeth, and a humanoid demonic appearance with blood red eyes glowing in the dark. Two horns akin to deer horns were shown. The creature roared with a demonic tone, desperately attempting to put the flames out that surrounded its body.

(Man vs Beast OST ends here)

"Burn to ashes, you sonuvabitch." Shadow spoke with disdain.

"Go to hell you bastard!" Mary followed, equally disdainful.

The creature screeched as the fires soon consumed it, leaving nothing behind, not even ashes. All that was left was a black soot mark from where it stood in a panic.

(Play Wild ARMS 3 OST - Soaked with Fear)

The pair watched in disdain as the flames that once danced in the creature died out. Though they were able to fight off the adversary, it was a hollow victory, leaving little solstice. The pair ventured through the forest to continue with their objective.

"This ravine is filled with perilous dangers. We don't know what to expect, especially after dealing with two stressful situations." Shadow commented.

"The trials should be fewer now that we made it this far. The Gradient Flower should be up ahead." Mary said.

The pair continued forth. However, a sinister voice echoed in Shadow's mind.

"DId YoU tHiNk ThEsE tRiAls ArE eAsY tO oVeRcOmE? YoU wIlL nEvEr ReAcH tHe GrAdIeNt FlOwEr BeFoRe ThE cOrRuPtIoN tAkEs YoU." The distorted voice taunted.

Shadow knew the Lobhadh Brainse poisoning was taunting him. He suppressed the voice, knowing he was near the objective at hand.

(Soaked with Fear OST ends here)

(Ending 3: Play Cold Bullet Blues by Kurosaki Maon)