"Why the river? Why don't we use another place?" Captain Lain asked. "There sure are other alternatives, no?"
Captain Lain and many other soldiers had been sent to be part of a very important mission. Among the monsters inside the horde, one had to be killed before it reached the barrier. It was one of the many targets the military was aiming to kill, but it was especially dangerous.
It was an Hekratinl, a giant hybrid between a bear and a lion, with brain crystal power that allowed it to change its mass, dramatically changing its speed and strength.
It was basically a cheat. If that thing clashed against the eastern gate, it would destroy it quickly. It wasn't the only thaid that could threaten the gate, but it was the only one able to do it alone.
A team had been previously sent to separate the Hekratinl from the horde, and they had been successful. After keeping it distracted and at bay for several days, they were planning to kill it.
Sergeant Raveena Greene shook her head. "No. The beast has been lastly spotted near the river, but it never dared to cross it. It is a strategic location, and we must capitalize on it. Besides, the place has many advantages over other locations." The woman said this while discussing her battle plan with the captains of the various teams that joined her in this ordeal.
"First, it's safe since the river is deep enough to give us an advantage against the creature. Second, we are closer to the base and have access to a shelter in case things go south. Third, just a few thaids have been spotted there, probably due to the river monsters. So we should expect no sudden attacks by other monsters."
"Yeah, the river thaids are the ones I'm concerned about, and that's why I don't think it's a good place," Captain Lain said. "Look, I have never been there, but the thaids there are notoriously nasty," she added.
"I know, I talked to some people specializing in thaids' ecology, and they said the same thing. However, I think we can use them well," Sergeant Greene said.
"Are you perhaps thinking about making the bear and the river monsters clash?" Lain asked.
"Indeed," Sergeant Greene said, nodding. "The only issue is that we need someone to entice the bear to the river, which is where..."
"Where I come in play, am I right?" Captain Lain interjected.
"Yes. You are the fastest in the whole company; you should be able to escape from the creature. It is too fast for any of us to hope to escape its maw. You, on the contrary, run much faster than us..."
Captain Lain didn't want to end up as a snack for the bear, and being the bait didn't make her happy at all. Still, she understood that she had more chances than others.
"All right then," Captain Lain said.
"Thank you! Now let's get ready!" Sergeant Greene exclaimed. She returned to her room to prepare; everyone else did the same. They would leave soon after.
"Are you confident enough to escape?" Emma asked. Captain Lain turned around and looked at her friend and subordinate.
"I think I am…" Captain Lain answered. However, there was uncertainty in her eyes. The plan was risky, as she would face the beast alone.
Emma had a grim look, but she knew that her captain was the only one fast enough to pull this off. "Just try to be safe, ok? We can't do anything without you. Especially after John's death."
The man was Captain Lain's team member, but during a previous mission, he had been bitten by a Leylarhad, and when they returned to the base, he was taken away and never appeared again. Lain didn't know what exactly happened; she was only told he had died due to complications, but the truth was that he had been executed.
"Yeah, don't worry, Emma..." Lain replied.
They continued talking until Sergeant Greene returned and the other soldiers finished arming themselves. Many people joined this expedition. All members of Lain's team but John were there.
Nico Montgomery and his Delta team were also there, but he wasn't chatting with anyone. He just kept looking at Sergeant Greene with a weird look.
"Alright, guys, let's go," Sergeant Greene said. Everyone followed her, heading towards the river. The group walked inside the forest, moving through the bushes and the trees. It still took them quite some time to reach their destination, the river.
The canal was wide and deep, filled with fish-like creatures swimming in it. The water was clear, but algae were growing on the bottom, giving the whole area a greenish tint. In the middle of the river was a small streak of land, surrounded by rocks and stones, forming a wall against the current.
There was no bridge connecting the two banks of the river. People couldn't cross without using boats. The army prepared one for this operation, and the company used it to get across. When they finally arrived, Sergeant Greene pointed at the water.
"Now, remember, stay away from the water," Sergeant Greene said. The soldiers agreed when they saw some ferocious-looking fish jump out of the water. They looked like anglerfish but were even scarier, look-wise.
This type of thaid had a long mouth lined with sharp teeth, which were used for catching prey. Its body was very flat, with four pairs of fins placed around 6 centimeters apart, the first pair being larger than the previous.
These fins allowed the creature to move quickly through the water. The monster was fast and agile inside the water, but it obviously couldn't escape it. The beast's most notable feature was their ability to lure their victims to the river, where they jumped out of the water and brought the creature inside of it like alligators. When the prey was inside the water, these thaids bit them en mass like piranhas while releasing toxic liquids into the water thanks to their brain crystal powers. The victim coming into contact with these gases would die within minutes.
"Nico, what news from the scouts?" Sergeant Greene asked the man.
"The bear is here already, but it is coming slowly." According to them, the monster had just eaten some small animals and wasn't hungry."
"That's a problem," Sergeant Greene said. She then turned to look at Captain Lain.
"It's your turn now. Make the beast come here, and we will do the rest..."
"All right..."
Emma then approached her captain; worry was in her eyes. "Good luck, captain…"
"Thank you, I will need it." Captain Lain replied. She went forward with a dejected look, but orders were orders, and she had to do as she was told.
Dylan and Larry, the remaining two members of her team, approached Captain Lain. "Be sure not to get eaten," Dylan said. "Yeah, it would be a shame," Larry added.
"Yes, don't worry," Captain Lain responded. "I'm a tough cookie..."
"We should move away from the water," Sergeant Greene announced.
Everyone got on their feet and started walking again, leaving the river behind. They stopped, but Captain Lain didn't; she was approaching the bear.
pαпdα Йᴏνê|,сòМ After half an hour of walking down the river, she finally crossed it by using the boat, and after a bit of walking, she reached a clearing with many trees and grass. She was close to Sergeant Greene's and the others' location but on the opposite side of the river.
From the other side, Sergeant Greene was looking at her with a solemn look. The mission basically weighed on Lain's shoulders.
Before she started heading to the beast, she waited as per orders. After a while, she and the rest of the company received a call from the scouts. They were quickly approaching her position. Once they arrived, they started addressing the situation. The captain didn't want to waste time and asked the scouts if they had found the beast.
"Yes. Follow us," the two men said.
They arrived at the beast's location after ten minutes of walking. The bear was lying down under an oak tree. Its belly was full after eating several monsters. It was enormous and incredibly strong, judging by its look.
Its appearance wasn't particularly striking, and it wasn't a very weird thaid, but it was simply a giant bear; though, Captain Lain recognized a lion-like mane around its thick neck.
<Let's see... this beast has a size-changing brain crystal power," the young woman thought. <That could be a problem...> She turned to look at the two scouts.
"Okay, stand back..." Captain Lain whispered to them.
When the scout group heard the order, they backed off and waited near a tree.
Captain Lain stepped forward and summoned her sword. <I really am crazy,> the young woman thought.
"YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" the young woman released a war cry, to get the thaid's attention but primarily to gather the courage necessary to do this crazy stunt. The Hekratinl roared when it saw the tiny human standing close to it.
"Come get me!" Captain Lain shouted mockingly as if the beast could understand her. The truth was that the captain was scared shitless of the monster.
The monster got up and charged toward Captain Lain. The woman immediately turned to flee. As she did, she turned to look behind her, only to see a mountain of muscles and a giant pair of maws chasing her. It was scary.
The beast chased Captain Lain through the forest. She ran past the trees, avoiding vines and other obstacles alike, as the monstrous creature bellowed and roared behind her. With every step, the beast seemed to draw closer and closer.
Captain Lain ran and ran; the beast was closer and closer with each step it made. She kept speeding past the trees, dodging branches and bushes, jumping over rocks, and hurdling fallen trees as she made her way through the forest, avoiding falling to the ground. Then the creature suddenly stopped; that was a problem.
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