Yuto exhaled slowly, then responded confidently, "I think I saw a Lumivark."
Dead silence. It did not last long.
"That could be true. The air changed after you left. A drop in temperature is one of the effects caused by a Lumivark," Ronan said as he rubbed his chin. "And with that being said, I think a gone Lumivark is the least of our problems."
Rhett grabbed his sword at lightning speed. The other soldiers followed, pointing their blades toward Yuto.
Slowly, Yuto's eyes widened as her shoulders tensed.
"There... there is something behind me, right?" she said, her voice trembling slightly.
The commander sent a hand gesture for Yuto to stop moving and talking.
A low growl resonated behind Yuto. She could feel its hot breath before she could turn. Fear hit her like cold waves. She found it hard to breathe, as if something was pressing hard on her throat. Her heart hammered so fiercely that it felt like it could break out of her chest at any moment. Her hands sweated around the hilt of her sword.
For the first time, Yuto was not sure her grip on the sword was strong enough.
Move.
That was the first thing that came to her mind.
Yuto had barely had time to twist her body out of the way when the beast's claws tore through her fabric, grazing her skin. She stumbled back with a sharp cry.
"Protect his highness!" the commander shouted.
Before the creature could attack again, Marcus swung his sword toward the beast, forcing it to recoil with a furious snarl. It charged toward him, baring its sharp teeth. The commander stepped forward, blocking the attack. The impact resulted in a loud, deafening sound as the beast's rage increased.
Yuto forced herself to stand straight, ignoring her burning shoulder. She was determined to help kill whatever that beastly thing was. She gripped her sword tightly, ready for action.
The beast began circling them, its large paws shattering the twigs and leaves beneath it. Its deadly eyes calculated who was probably the easiest prey among the five. Its gaze met Yuto's.
It pounced toward her.
This time, she met it head on. She slashed upward, steel scraping against its thick hide. The beast screeched as it leapt backward. Ronan's arrow sank deep into the beast's neck, and blood splattered across the forest ground.
The beast collapsed.
A triumphant smile spread across Yuto's face.
"It's down!" Rhett shouted, relief flooding his face.
Slowly, everyone lowered their weapons.
"We should move before more of such things show up," the commander said hastily. He looked at Ronan. "You were right."
Ronan offered the commander a tight smile.
Yuto cautiously stepped near the beast to inspect it closer. She had never seen anything like it in her entire life. The beast looked incorrect. Its body was twisted. Some of its parts were too long, while others were too tight. Its bones looked as if they had been forced to grow in the wrong directions. If one did not look carefully, they would assume the beast had no eyes at all, as its eyes were very small. The area around its mouth smelled of rot.
As she inspected its head, the beast suddenly opened its eyes.
Red as blood.
It whipped its tail forward at lightning speed. Yuto turned, but it was too late. The spike stabbed into her leg. Burning pain exploded up her thigh. She fell, choking a cry down her throat. Her vision darkened for a moment. The shouts of her comrades became a distant sound, fading away.
The commander sliced the creature's head off as soon as it stabbed Yuto.
At the thought of being found out as a girl, Yuto bit her tongue to stay awake. Ronan grabbed a random cloth and tied it tightly around the wound.
"Bear with it for now. We have to get to safety," he said. "Can you ride?"
"Are you blind? The dude can barely move his body. You are going to have to ride with him. We ain't got enough time to play house," Marcus said sarcastically as he saddled his horse.
Ronan took Yuto in his arms and lifted her onto the same horse as his. The rest then mounted their horses.
"We cannot proceed forward into the mountain. We better take the quickest route out. Follow my lead," the commander shouted as his horse started moving.
All Yuto could see were blurry motions. The movement of the horse was very fast, which worsened the pain in her leg and the dull ache in her shoulder. Yuto clenched her teeth, fighting the scream that was threatening to break free from her chest.
I'm sorry. It will be over soon.
She thought she heard Ronan whisper as darkness consumed her vision.