Weak Beasts

I was kind of disappointed with how weak the beasts were though. The most trouble I'd had was from the group that had attacked two of my club members. I kept walking with a somewhat down mood. A couple beasts got their teeth into one of my clubs members. Illium yelled in pain as the Snek slowly wrapped itself around his arm.

I shot it off of him from where I was standing. Illium's eyes started watering as Goliath started bandaging him up.

20 xp awarded. 285/800 xp until level 8.

Faith picked up the snek, and held it away from her body.

"I'll take that," I spoke up so I could be heard over the group, "My kill, my crystal."

Faith handed the snek off to me. Savannah made a grab for it as I fished the crystal out of the Snek. I handed the crystal over to her as soon as it was out of the snek. She relaxed visibly once it was in her hands. I would roll with whatever she wanted for now.

It kept her quiet for now. I couldn't push her right now. She might say something I'd regret later. My eyes focused on the path ahead of us, and my infrared picked up another group of people coming towards us.

"There's another club headed towards us," I announced to the group.

I got funny looks from the other club members again, but Goliath motioned for us to slow down in response to my announcement. Then the group came up over the hill. I recognized it as Luke's club right away. My temper flared, but I kept it in check. I was out hunting.

Collecting xp quickly. Well on my way to a level up. I needed to keep that positive note to my thoughts for now. I could ignore them for now. The two teachers approached each other out ahead of the groups.

They talked quietly between the two groups. Coming to some sort of decision before walking back to their respective groups. Goliath stopped out in front of the group. Thinking for a few seconds before nodding to himself.

"We're going to travel with Mr. Montgomery's club until we reach the campsite tonight," Goliath didn't seem to like Mr. Montgomery, "We won't have as many small beasts attack us in a larger group, but we do have to worry about attracting stronger ones. Keep your eyes open, and your weapons ready."

I didn't like this whole team up thing. Our group got shuffled to the back. My body was uncomfortable. At least it wasn't hot in here. I had cold resistance from using ice magic.

I felt the urge to spread my wings as a cool breeze made its way through the trees. I let my eyes fall half closed as I walked along at the edge of the group. I'd let us fall back to the back of the group. I wanted to be as far from Luke, and Conrad as possible. I felt the mana in the air stir weirdly, and the feeling drew my attention.

I walked towards it away from the group. Savannah seemed to be the only one to notice right away. The mana swirled slowly. Circulating like a black hole out in the trees. I couldn't see the mana, but I could distinctly feel it.

"We shouldn't wander too far," Savannah whispered.

Then the rift boomed into existence. About twenty feet out in front of us. The sound was loud enough to make my ears pop. I flinched, and backed away a few steps. I could feel the power of the rift in front of me.

It was a crushing amount of pressure. It made it hard to breath so close to it. Yet I could clearly see a different plane, a different world, right on the other side of it. The rift fluctuated as the image of another world rippled.

"Somethings coming through," I retreated backwards with my gun raised, and trained on the rift in front of me.

Savannah raised her spear. Ready as I could be for whatever that might come through. I kept backing away slowly. A big tiger like cat creature leapt through the rift suddenly. It had a mane like a lion, and big spikes sticking out through the mane.

Damn thing had to be the size of a horse. Claws as long as my fingers. This wasn't going to be an easy kill like the others. I started firing. I aimed for just one spot.

The bullets left a scratch, but didn't get through the muscle. My chest went tight as the feeling my instincts was giving off sink in. This thing was at least as strong as me, and right now I wasn't at full strength. My heart beat fast in my chest as the thrill, and terror of a real fight surged through me. Ethan's fear at the back of my mind added to my own as I tensed up for the fight that was coming.

Savannah's spear flared up into flames. She slashed it downward sending out a stripe of fire. The flames hit the big creature. Singeing a big black line into its fur. It crouched down, and roared at her.

Cries of alarm rang out behind us as the others noticed what we were dealing with. I finished off the rest of the clip in that little raw spot I'd created with the rest of my shots. The big cat turned to me as it got ready to pounce.

"Savannah!" I ejected the clip out onto the ground, and slammed the fresh clip in, "Do you have enough mana to do anything else? Because that hurt him."

Just as the big cat was about to jump my instincts pinged me. I ran forward the exact moment the big cat jumped. Dropped lower as it passed over me. Shooting blindly into its underbelly. The big cat landed behind me.

Hot blood was warming places on my face. I licked the blood off my lips, and a little thrill went through me from the taste of it. I guess I like the taste of blood now. I turned quickly. Pointing my gun at its backside, and firing at its ass end.