Chapter 1: Brave New World
It was cold. A biting cold that went straight to Katlyn's bones, but that was normal for this time of year and she wasn't focused on that at the moment. No, what had her full attention was the shambling bulk of flesh and distorted body parts thundering after the sledge carrying her companions. The sounds of dead trees shattering under its bulk as it bulled forward echoed through the forest.
Another shot rang out as Arty fired his rifle. The ensorcelled bullet streaked toward the monster with a flash of red light before detonating. A mangled roar escaped from the monstrosity, its many limbs and heads focused on them as it continued its reckless charge.
"Well, that didn't slow it down at all. Gods damnit Bren. Can't ye get us moving any faster?" Katlyn yelled over the whistling wind to the slender brunette driving the team of elk, pulling their ride.
"They are going as fast as they can. Do you not think they want to flee as much as you do?" He called back. Katlyn turned her pale blue eyes back to the beast following them. It was large for one of the Warped. Far larger than it had any right to be in this area, at least eight feet at her best guess. It had nine limbs ranging from human arms and legs to those of a deer, and all of them were distorted to grotesque proportions. The same went for the heads. Glares of rage and rabid snarls escaping human and bestial mouths alike. Its flesh was covered in a thick fur that made it a tough target for most of their weapons, and worst of all, it was gaining on them.
Katlyn readied her blade, the sharp longsword held lightly in her right hand as she readied her shield in her left. She was tall, cresting six feet with a well-toned body of someone who had spent their life training to fight. She'd never admit it, but she was strong, especially for someone her age and level. Another shot broke the screaming of the wind as Arty tried to blow the legs out from under the Warped.
They were a small team. They weren't meant to take on something like this. Hell, they were barely meant to be scouting the area.
Katlyn shook her head, trying to bite down the fear as she stood, waiting for the inevitable clash.
Suddenly, the trees gave way to a vast plain of snow. The sudden lack of the black trunks diluting the blinding white made Katlyn squint past her scarf and hood. This wasn't good. The Warped was being hindered by the trees but free to run, it would be on them soon.
A sharp lurch of the sledge forced her to a knee. "The Hells is going on?"
"CLIFF!" Bren screamed back, panic pinching the words as he tried to turn the elk, or at least stop them.
"Feck," Katlyn swore to herself. One heartbeat, two, and the thing was on them. A massive paw made from several human hands swung down, but was knocked to the side by her shield. A reverberating pain shot up her arm, numbness spreading quickly after. She grit her teeth, readying her body for more.
Then the worst happened. With a snapping of wood, the Elk broke free of the sledge. The panicked beasts bolted, leaving Katlyn, Bren and Arty to fend for themselves.
The monstrosity was on them in a blur of flesh, muscle, fur, and antlers. As the point woman of their team, Katlyn was left to take the brunt of the charge. She leapt from the sledge, planted her feet as best she could in the snow, and braced for impact behind her shield. A loud crash sent her teeth rattling and her arm burned as she met the Warped monstrosity's furious assault. She grit her teeth and pushed as hard as she could, magically enhanced muscles forcing the beast to slow, and, after several feet of skidding, stop.
A scream of pain escaped her throat as a claw hooked around her right side, slashing through her leather armor with barely any effort. Blood welled, but the wounds quickly closed as Bren's healing magic washed over her. Kat cursed herself for missing the opening strike, but quickly homed back in on the creature.
She lost track of her party as she focused on her life or death struggle with the Warped. A block to the left let it swing at her from the right. Barely ducking under the swipe, she slashed a line of bubbling black blood across its front. Thankfully, the wound didn't heal. Regeneration would have made this even worse. She stumbled back as another blow hit her shield. Her left arm was numb from the impacts, and keeping the rest of herself away from the many grasping, clawing limbs was tiring her quickly.
Katlyn's eyes darted right as she heard Arty take another shot. He had been circling around the bulk of the beast, peppering its hide with elemental explosions. Fire mostly, but some ice and force here and there. He took particular aim at the heads, hoping that taking them out would stop the beast, or at least confuse it. Bren was somewhere behind her, trying his best to keep her alive while she fought. He, like the others in the group, was young and fresh to his position, and he'd be running low on Mind soon.
Suddenly, there was a yelp to Katlyn's left. Hidden in the snow, a stone had tripped Arty.
"No!" Katlyn screamed. Time seemed to slow down as the Warped turned, sensing weakness, and charged Arty. It was over in a moment. The snow was splashed with red as Arty's final screams were silenced with a sickening crunch.
Katlyn froze. For a couple of seconds, all she could do was stand there in disbelief as she watched Arty get torn to shreds by the creature. She felt numb and slow. Shaking hands grasping at her shoulders brought her back to reality.
"We have to move!" Bren all but screamed as he started pulling her back. She followed, still half in a daze as they moved toward the sledge.
They crouched behind the vehicle as wet noises echoed over the field.
"What are we going to do? We can not kill that thing! And now Arty is dead, and he was our damage. Oh, oh Gods were so fucked Kat. So fucked, so fucked..." Bren's eyes welled up as he rambled in panic, his hands clutching his brown locks. The sudden initiative he displayed moments before he dissolved as fear took hold of him.
Katlyn wasn't doing much better. Her hands shook, and she could feel the terror welling up inside her. This was supposed to be a safe, simple mission. Next to no danger. Maybe a smaller warped, like the two headed dogs they'd seen before. Nothing like this. She could not stop her sensitive ears from picking up each crunch and slurp as the beast continued its meal. Her stomach churned and she heaved, spewing her breakfast across the snow. Thankfully, something about the violent ejection brought her back, let her focus a little more as she wiped a woolen sleeve across her lips.
Katlyn shook herself and rose to peek above the sledge. The Warped was still gorging itself on Arty's remains. "Bren, hey, hey, I need you to listen, Bren." She took his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. "I'm about tae do something really feckin stupid here, and I need ye to do what I say. Ya ken?" A meek nod of understanding was all she got from the terrified man. "Good, I want ye to crawl over that way." She pointed to the right of the sledge. "Stay low in the snow, even better if it covers ye. Be quiet, but be as quick as ye can."
"I understand," Bren whispered.
"Hey, yer gonna be OK." A smile she didn't feel stretched across Katlyn's face. "Now get going. See ye in a minute." She patted his shoulder and turned back to the task at hand.
Taking a quick moment to make sure Bren was well on his way and to make sure the sledge was close enough to the cliff for her plan to work, she stood and slowly walked around to the other side.
I'm gonna feckin die
. Fighting the thought, she steeled her nerves, watching the Warped finishing its meal. At least one of us'll survive.
