Chapter 46: Going Hunting (3)

A screech split the air, loud and grating like iron on stone. Without thinking, both boys dove in opposite directions just as a massive shape tore through the space where their heads had been. The wind from its wings slammed into the ground behind them as the creature soared upward, its rust-red feathers gleaming like blood in the scattered sunlight. It circled, then began to turn again. "What the hell is that?!" Theo shouted, stumbling to his feet. The leaves on the tree they’d used for cover crumbled to ash. Branches withered. The bark cracked and peeled. Liam’s eyes widened. "It’s not normal!" Theo cursed, his voice cracking. "It’s an AoE monster! Area of effect! We can’t get close!" The rust-feathered bird shrieked again and tucked its wings, diving toward Theo. Liam hurled an enchanted arrow. It flared bright, hissing through the air. The bird twisted in mid-air, narrowly avoiding it, the arrow sinking into a tree trunk with a thunk. Theo didn’t wait. He threw his own, forcing the creature to climb higher in a weaving motion to avoid the hit. Liam was already sprinting toward his arrow, feet pounding over dry leaves and dirt. He grabbed the shaft, then stopped. The arrow was dull. No shimmer. No warmth. The magic was gone. "It ate the enchantment..." Liam whispered, horrified. He turned and sprinted. "Theo! The bird destroys enchantments! It’s corroding them. My arrow’s dead!" Theo didn’t need convincing. He was already running, boots thudding the ground as he dashed after Liam. The forest exploded into motion again as they weaved between trees, ducking under branches, breath ragged. The monster shrieked, the sound chasing them like a whip. Leaves crumbled around them. Bark turned brittle. Even the air seemed harder to breathe, thick with the stench of rot and ash. "We need cover!" Theo shouted. "There’s a ridge that drops west. We might lose it if we slide!" "Let’s go!" Theo and Liam raced through the forest, the rust-feathered bird screeching behind them, always a wingbeat too close. Their hearts pounded, lungs burning, but they didn’t stop. They couldn’t. If they stopped, they would die. Liam gritted his teeth, looking back. "Ridge! Down there!" He shouted. They veered sharply, leaves whipping at their faces. The ridge stood just ahead. If they could just reach it... The bird dove, its talons stretched wide. Liam turned mid-sprint, slamming a glowing palm into the air. A shimmering wall burst to life between them and the descending monster, a radiant C-rank barrier. It was his only skill. The beast’s talons smashed into the glowing construct. The impact knocked it back, wings flailing. Theo stumbled, but Liam grabbed him by the collar and dragged him forward. "Move!" They reached the ridge and jumped. Gravity took them, sliding down the sloped incline, arms shielding their faces from jutting branches and rocks. They hit the bottom hard, rolling to a stop in the undergrowth. For a moment, there was only silence. Then the bird screamed in fury. Liam looked up and swore under his breath. "No, no, no..." The bird banked in the sky, wings flaring out wide. It hovered for a second, then beat them once with a force that cracked the air. A wave of energy surged downward. The energy was corrosive, and pulsing with decay. It rolled across the forest like a tide, warping everything it touched. Trees withered. Rocks crumbled. The soil cracked. "Get down!" Liam shouted. He didn’t wait. He raised his hand again, forming another barrier around them. The decaying energy slammed into the shield. The light flared, holding firm... then began to flicker. Liam’s body trembled, veins bulging. Blood leaked from his nose and ears as the strain took hold. His barrier held... then, finally, the wave dissipated. Liam dropped the shield and collapsed to his knees, coughing violently. Theo knelt beside him. "You okay?" Liam nodded weakly, wiping blood from his chin. "Can’t use that again," he rasped. "That was... too much. My body’s not built for it." A weak body like Liam’s FFF-rank body cannot use a high level skill for too long. Above them, the bird let out another cry. A shrill, victorious sound. It circled slowly, preparing another attack. Theo looked up, his face pale. "It’s not giving up." Liam groaned, trying to rise. "We need a new plan." "Let’s get out here." Theo didn’t wait for Liam to object. He helped Liam up, and they stumbled to their feet. Around them were the remains of what the wave had touched, everything crumbled into dust. They stumbled through the undergrowth, trying to move uphill, away from the ridge. Theo’s arm was under Liam’s shoulder, half-dragging, half-carrying him. Liam’s boots scraped against the earth, his weight growing heavier with each step. Then, Liam collapsed. His knees hit the ground, his breath wheezing. "I... I can’t," he gasped. "My legs... I can’t move." Theo turned, panic rising in his throat. "We’re almost there. Just hold on." Liam shook his head. "You need to go." "What?" Theo blinked. "Leave me," Liam whispered. "I used too much. My body’s fried. Your body is still okay. You can make it." "No," Theo said. "Run, damn it!" Liam barked. "I’m dead weight!" "I said no!" Theo’s voice cracked, raw and furious. "You think I’d leave you behind? You think I’d let you die out here alone like some stranger? You’re like my brother, Liam." Liam’s hand trembled. "Theo, please!" "You shut up." Theo stepped in front of him, facing the sky. "You saved me back there. Now it’s my turn." Overhead, the rust-red bird circled once more. Then, it screeched. A horrible, grating sound that sounded far too much like laughter. It beat its wings. "You don’t have any spell or skill that can block it." Liam snarled. "Just go! Leave me!" Theo glanced at Liam over his shoulder with a dark grin. "Make me." A familiar hum filled the air. Theo’s heart skipped. "It’s doing it again..." The bird beat his wing hard, and the world pulsed. A wave of sickly, decaying energy shimmered across the trees. Theo clenched his fists, standing in front of Liam. His whole body tensed. He couldn’t block it. Couldn’t outrun it. But he could stand. "I’m not leaving you." He said. "Not now. Not ever." The energy wave burst toward them, devouring everything in its path. Trees crumbled to dust. Rocks cracked and dissolved. The very air seemed to rot. Theo stood firm. Liam watched him from the ground, eyes wide, mouth open in a silent scream. "Theo!" Then, the world went dark.