It took Ika merely five seconds to take down the fire warrior. I'll be honest, as Ika knelt over the warrior, holding the warrior by her hair. Sending me back to back glances, I felt a type of way. If it wasn’t for that Goddess blessed Angel coming from the stairwell, I might have had to kill myself.

I pulled out a dagger and threw it just as my savior stepped onto the step that allowed visual confirmation. A second dagger caught him as he dropped whatever was in his hands to grab the blade sticking out of his leg. Poor savior went down quicker than the little warrioress.

Tilting my chin upward and puffing out my chest, I threw a smirk at the little hunter. She rolled her pretty green eyes and grabbed the daggers as she made her way upstairs. I followed her tight ass upstairs, having an all new appreciation for her.

I heard shouts when I stumbled to the top floor but Ika just finished throwing the last guy into a pile. A total of seven men were taken out by a little buttercup.

How embarrassing.

Spinning on my heel, I headed back down stairs to see that the elves had indeed bit the cannon but those weird carriages were making their way over. I guess it was the perfect time to escape.

Out the back door, I barely noticed the shadow attaching itself to me until it did something normal shadows wouldn’t do. Turnings its head to glance at Ika, who hopped out the window on the second floor.

I struck back with my spear faster than a mosquito could buzz in your ear during a nature piss. A scream sounded worse than me walking in on my former comrade’s wife given birth. Shit just grated your ears and didn’t sound conducive towards your health.

Lifting the spear up and the shadow fool made me realize how much I miss real warriors., This little pale shit was squirming on the end of the spear like his mate had his third leg or something. I shook my head at the poor fellow and chopped off his head and tossed his body.

Wasted of energy killing him. I ran over the long grass and hopped the fence as shouts started this way.

Ika was right on my tail but I could hear her breathing and it slowly got louder. Fortunately the shouts got lower and the sounds of trailing feet cave off to maybe three. Four max if we count the one in the air above my bow range.

It would have been a perfect hunt had we not entered a dense jungle like forest. With those sweeping vines that monkeys and fools love to swing by. But they made excellent rope in times of need and rarely disappointed you like cheap blades.

“We are being hunted!” Ika stated the obvious.

I knelt down and buried my hand in the dirt. Even though I could feel the tremors through my feet, I had much easier time controlling my power growth through physical. Or at least, I thought I would.

Focusing my mind, I open myself to nature. Allowing the breath of the wild to run through me. Course through me like a fifth cup of the strongest spirit the pub. A strange sight entered my eyes, something beyond what I could have achieved on my own.

Every tree, root, grass strand, and insect fluttering about entered my head. To top it off, I could feel when they trampled upon the ground. The divots they left behind as they raced to catch up with us. I could tell without much effort that it was two men, relatively small build and one woman. About equal weight and no weapons.

They must be like that fire girl. Have unique power sets that can bolster their speed and strength. My fist sunk into the dirt as it came up in their location, right in front of them. I wasn’t too surprised that they had weak senses and ran face first into a six foot stone fist.

Just to ensure they weren’t getting back up, I opened my hand and slapped down on them.. Well one of them, the other two, man and woman, rolled out of the way. The stone fist melted into dirt as I created another that happened to get blasted by something from the air.

Cursing softly, I stood up and listened to my senses.

“Someone flying with some kind of range ability. Not even five until they arrive. Tree cover.”

I snapped out precise directions as I jogged to a tall tree and climbed up it. Swiftly getting into a high secure branch as I pulled the bow off my back and notched an arrow. My ears twitched behind my thick hair as I listened to the sound of the wind being disturbed.

Ika was like a squirrel the way she climbed a nearby tree a few meters away. I heard her notch her own bow as we waited for our prey. I felt like a kid again. Being hunted while trying to simply go out and notch my first kill.

That nervous energy was like a tick that caused my blood to roar in my veins. I could feel my heart beat sound off in my ears as the prey approached. They moved much more cautiously. The flying person hovered above them and I smirked as he appeared right in my view.

I pulled on the string and took aim all in one second. Two seconds later, the arrow cut through the leaves blocking them and plummeted into the fools’ eye. I adjusted my position as I heard the survivors run to hide from us.

My ears caught the sound of Ika’s arrows the moment before I heard a body thud to the ground.

“Catch the woman alive. I heard something that I wanted to test.” Ika said as she climbed down while I dropped straight down.

Notching another arrow, as I crept to the last target who was breathing all heavy even though she was standing still. Head probably on a swivel as she tried to find the predators hunting her.

I circle the little brunette the moment I caught sight of her. Keeping the low brush between us. The woody feel of the bow and delicate engravings gave me an intense, almost un-surreal feeling as I watched the brunette glance around with doe-like eyes. Her thin lips were parted and her hands wrapped around a small cooking knife.

Ika appeared on her far right, hidden behind leaves up high. We both had eyes on her but I felt like my position was a bit weaker. So I let the ground swallow me and I swear my heart didn’t jump into my throat as my head went under. I just pissed a tiny bit but it felt good having this kind of power going through my body.

It felt wonderful and strange all at the same time. Knowing you could control all this dirt. Knowing you could have hundreds of pounds of dirt above your head but it wouldn’t crush you. I licked my lips but caught a few strands of my beard instead.

However, my timing was perfect. No, I had to say, it was beautiful as the tremors rolled through my body. Six fast and powerful beasts that had weird tails ending in blades. Not just one tail but four of them that seem to cut through anything they pass when they aren't careful. And those beasts were reckless as they cut through the jungle.

More than thirty branches were separate from their parents. Littering my floor as they closed in. The woman must have heard them as she seemed to have freaked out but I pulled her down before she could turn and run. Pulling her into my dome shape alcove only to get kicked in the face again.

However, this time I was more than prepared and back hand her right after. She bounced off the wall and threw another kick at me. Growling at being challenged, I grabbed her leg in my left and her shirt in my left and slammed her into the wall.

The dirt walls grabbed her legs and arms as she spit out her air from the impact. I rubbed my jaw as I checked back on the surface.

Oh, shit!

My spear appeared in my hand as I shot up. A stone pillar shot up before me and I felt a pair of feet land on them the moment I breathed in fresh air. I spun and struck like a scorpion hidden in the sands. Moving at my fastest not to be held down as I knew those tails were nothing if not deadly.

One of those beasts reared back as I stabbed into its hindlegs with the mindset of crippling the beast. Yet, its tails swept back faster than flying predator diving, leaving little choice but to drop the spear and sink back down. A mighty roar than three heavy thuds pounce on the ground just above me. I felt their claws tearing at the ground as their tails batted Ika’s arrow out the air.

Gripping my axe, I stepped a few times to the side and came up. Gripping my lifeline with two hands, aiming to take away a leg or three. Yet all I got was batted into the air and to hear them chasing to meet my landing location. I called for the dirt to rise and catch me but I found myself being swatted higher into the air.

“I can’t hit them.” Ika screamed in frustration.

Bloody useless!

I twisted mid-air, bringing my axe around to block a bladed tail aiming for my head. The hit forced me downward into a waiting claw but I was expecting it. Removing one of my hands, I grabbed my sword and thrust it forward with all the frustration I was building up.

My grin faded as its fucking tail block a sure-kill attack but my axe was ready to block the friends follow-up.

“We should flee. This isn’t something we can handle, right now.” Ika said from somewhere up high and safe.

I gritted my teeth as I rolled on the ground, dodging barb fucking tails and big meaty paws. I felt additional tremors coming from fast and heavy feet. Feet that I don’t want stepping on me. I kept trying to ease back but these bastards kept me in the center of the blasted field.

Wait, field? Weren’t we in the jungle? How come I didn’t realize they were pushing me out of the jungle?

Fuck!

I threw myself into the ground and just began sinking in when four tails dug me out with a quickness. However, it was perfectly fine as the sound of the tree crashing made them turn briefly from me. Just enough time for me to make some room and catch my breath.

After all, I am old enough to be these fuckers grandfather.

A ear-peeling roar announces the arrival of a much, much bigger threat. A beast that stood on four legs with four arms that had stone plated armor. Not only that but some kind of grey-ish blade curve over its fist. Its head reminded me of a green skin with tusks like a boar but it had fur like a beast. Round eyes that blended in with forage around it.

There was nothing to say about the bloody presence it was emitting as the six beasts were backing up like cowards. I’ll be damn if I stay there to admire its beauty. My body sunk into the ground much faster than before and I took off running down a tunnel towards Ika as I felt the big bastard chasing after the bastards I had trouble with.

I opened a tunnel up before Ika and she fell into it. Almost face first but lucky shit was as flexible as a feline, landing in a three-point stand like she did. I closed up the gap and started a journey away from the deadly beast.

“How about you bring down one of the beasts into this tunnel?” Ika asked something I should have thought of.

I reorient my thoughts upon the movement of the little pack and redirected our tunnel towards them. The way the dirt slid aside as we walked was kind of mind bending but what was more outrageous was the feeling of the big one crushing the ground a full seven feet deep.

“We won’t be able to steal one without that big beast crushing us.”

“Anything else close?”

I took a moment to search for anything else but find not a single creature bigger than a fingernail. I could only shake my head and keep walking.

“We should practice our abilities. If mine is much stronger to the point that I can move things that I couldn’t before. Then yours has to be way stronger, considering that you were already the second strongest of the tribe.”

I grunted in response.

“I mean, what if this isn’t all we can do. I remember reading myths about our tribe and how some think we originated from a type of magus shifters. I believe that wherever we are is enhancing our natural biology. Which means that we could grow stronger.”

I grunted again because what else do I say. I heard bedtime stories my mother told me to make me want to be a hunter. I heard of the old bastards in the pub singing of how great we used to be before the bluebloods decided to civilize us.

“I believe that if we practice enough that we could grow as powerful as our ancestors instead of just having more strength than those inbred bluebloods. Also, with your power we should create an underground city. Too many things could attack us in those buildings. You see how weak the humans are and we look like them except the rounded ears. The predators might consider us like them.”

A sigh couldn’t help escaping me as we walked down a very dark, earthy tunnel.

“I can see how the underground thing might be plausible but a city? For who? Who do you think I would like to protect?”

I’m sure she couldn’t see me but I felt a judging stare. Sadly, these assholes are the reason I lost my mate and I have no reason to offer them help beyond a barter goods.

“Our people? You can’t just leave them alone. You’re not as young as you used to be. You were already beaten by at least two people. Still walking around with that wound from where the human shot you.”

My shoulders rolled and the former wound ached. It took a lot longer to heal after pushing out that bolt. Stupid human modified crossbows.

***

When we got back, I couldn’t help but notice that the night sky might have been black but there were no stars. Looking towards the stone jungle, there were lights all over the city. The sounds of roars made me walk into the building with haste. These creatures are even worse than the ones at the edge of the wildlands.

Smarter, faster, and built to kill.

What the fuck happen to this place for creatures to evolve like this?

Before I could dig into what this shit show was, I noticed that Ika was following me all the way back to my room. I was going to turn and see something but my instincts were flaring like war drums on a warm day.

I held up my fist and pulled out my dagger. My breathing went from relaxed to alert, I felt the adrenaline rushing through my veins. Another strange power rushed through my body, I felt lighter, stronger, but most importantly, younger.

My feets barely tapped the ground and I was that one step closer to the door to the neighboring room. I eased the door open and crept to the adjacent wall. I glanced at Ika and she nodded her head. I noticed her eyes lit up like a fire in the night.

A brief moment, a weird noise entered my ears. I couldn’t make out the quiet whispers or breathing. I couldn’t even hear my own body functions and just for a second I almost snapped her neck. Next second, I could make out the little quiet whispers of our guest.

“Didn’t you say they would be back tonight?” a male voice asked.

“He will. He’s old and perverted. You know how these fuckers are. They can’t get enough of the power.” a female voice responded.

“Fucker sure taking all day.”

“Are you sure you can even take him? I saw him take out a gang of Freddy’s boys…”

I took that moment to come through the wall. My senses guided me to my first target and I cut him down before he even knew what was coming. The second guy barely turned his head before his head went flying. I noticed two fools faster than the regulars, they had their crossbows out and was turning towards me.

I picked up one of their friends and tossed him long ways to block the vision of the two fools. I kicked off the ground and flew parallel with the bloody body. My body was hidden and I couldn’t help but grin.

“What the fuck?!”

The roar of their crossbows were loud as hell but it was too late for them as their buddy knocked them down. And I landed right on top, making several quick stabs that left them nothing but lunch meat for the dogs.

I rolled to the left and shot to my feet to find out that Ika took out the last two men. My nose twitched as I thought about how she stole my kills but my more sensible part shut down the animal in me.

I did kill two near the wall. A third, fourth, and fifth after I threw the third. So overall, I outperform little miss sunshine.

Plus, I have the trophies. Speaking of, the women seemed to have grown by three. Three new ones were slender or well more muscular. Holding those crossbows like they planned to do something with shaky hands.

Chuckling, I wiped my blade on one of the rags and turned to the three women.

“Drop the crossbows and I won’t kill you.” I didn’t expect them to know what I was saying but they dropped the crossbows.

“Go into that room.” I pointed behind them and they slowly backed up with hands raised like I was a dangerous predator that you shouldn’t show your back to.

I couldn’t help chuckling as I followed them. The old women were huddled into a corner behind the bed. Acting like startled doe who just had their hope diminish.

Putting away my dagger, I pace on the other side of the bed while laughing.

“Ladies, I won’t have to hurt you if you obey me. You will eat, you will get to enjoy your little luxuries.” I chuckled at my own joke as I glanced at the broken window their friend went out of. “Now, I’m stepping back and cleaning up the mess you made me do. You ladies, be very calm and easy going. Don’t make sudden moves. Don’t make sudden decisions. Just behave.”

It was awkward knowing they knew exactly what I was saying even though I was speaking in my mothers’ tongue. However, each girl nodded and I turned around. I began clearing up the bodies by tossing them out the window.

Ika collected the crossbows and then left. A little too fast, sigh. I guess there is nothing left to do but sleep.