Sarah gazed at the pitch-black sky, the remaining sun had disappeared, casting dark shadows everywhere and the darkness was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

She could barely see due to a singular red moon, but it was as looking through darkened lens or shaded windows, everything looked sinister, for once she wished she had her stupid glasses back, Sarah lit fire-balls for additional vision.

The sloped forest itself was difficult to navigate and she didn't like her chances during the night, what would they do if something snuck up on them?

The forest below rung with random activity in such a violent mix she couldn't possibly distinguish it, she thought she could hear wolf howls sometimes though.

Finally she managed to catch her breathe, her legs felt wretched still and she finally voiced her first thought.

"Alex! Heal me Dammit!" Sweat dribbled down and stung on eye on her face, Sarah closed her eyes.

"You're not hurt." Alex frowned and sighed, clearly exasperated, Sarah felt like tearing out her hair and screaming at him.

"You idiot! You forgot you can heal fucking exhaustion!?" Sarah grit her teeth even as Alex's eyes widened in shock, he really was an idiot.

Suddenly Sarah felt helpless, all of these people were too much, Alex was an idiot in desperate need of hand holding, or get his dick sucked as Jessica probably won him over that way.

As for Jessica? Jessica was getting even more insufferable, even screaming at her, did the stick up her ass finally reach her brain?

Eian! Well there was nothing actually wrong with Eian, but still he was too slow to realize these two idiots needed them more than they needed them?

They needed to come to some form of cooperative work, Alex seemed to hate working together and was a stupid insufferable moron along with Jessica.

Sarah didn't see herself as someone whom lashes out, but these weren't normal circumstances and clearly things weren't getting done by being nice and patient.

"...sorry...." Alex mumbled an apology even as he healed her injuries.

Only with supreme will, overwhelming exhaustion, closed eyes as well as cold-hard-logic did Sarah stop herself from incinerating the idiot.

Breathing in and out for a moment, she calmed herself, anger never took you anywhere, she needed to find another way.

It would help tremendously if Eian was on her side, he and Alex seemed to get along well so perhaps he could get through Alex's thick skull.....somehow men connected through the stupid hormone called testosterone, ignoring women when convenient.

Alex and Jessica seemed to have fought....or something, either ways it was convenient, perhaps now she could actually get things done and hopefully Alex wouldn't get all starry eyed looking at Jessica.

During this short time Alex managed to heal her exhaustion and she let out a sigh of relief, everyone seemed indecisive now that they were up the hill or mountain, Sarah though this one counted more of a mini-mountain.

"Alright, what will we do now." Sarah broke the silence, she was frowning.

Things weren't good and she wanted to get stronger fast enough for Adara to finally reveal how to get home, this hell-hole of a planet was out to kill them at every corner.

She was already at ten spirit so hopefully it wouldn't be far, perhaps they had to perform some bizarre ritual to get home, anything would do really, at this point she was ready to do almost anything.

She was very put off that she couldn't be home right now, she missed the soft comforts of her bed, heck hearing the annoying laugh of her brothers would probably bring tears to her eyes.

Her parents droning on and on about useless things would also be nice, they were always worried about her lack of friends.

'Heh, look at me, getting all sentimental.' Sarah shook her head and focused, this was a bad situation and she couldn't afford distraction.

Her earlier question went unheeded by Jessica whom was quietly mumbling to herself, perhaps she was saying obscenities about all of them, despite being a girl Sarah just couldn't understand her.

Alex shot her an apologetic look, but soon he put on a serious face, perhaps he was learning, hells that would be a god-send right about now.

Eian was surveying the landscape with a frown, Sarah could appreciate having him on the team, if he were slightly taller he'd make a truly imposing figure, perhaps Alex with his over-average size could look like that.

Not that it would help Alex personality wise, then again almost anyone could be better than Alex and Jessica in her opinion.

"I see something up there." Eian was squinting looking upwards.

Sarah turned to look and saw a lone figure flying in the distance, it surveyed the scene below as the others scrambled about.

It gave off the feel of being in-charge and Sarah mentally cringed at the thought of fighting something strong enough to command all these monsters.

The thought itself would be crazy, Alex and Jessica were incompetent fighters and Eian had the disadvantage of being a close up fighter only, he couldn't possibly harm something in the air.

In all it would fall to her to fight it and she didn't like the odds of going one on one on it, she had just learned her powers, this thing had innumerable years to learn.....as well as grow in strength.

'......then again there's no evidence it would even risk itself to fight us.' Somehow Sarah felt that optimistic thought didn't hold merit, everything here wanted them dead.

"The leader? What do you think man?" Alex questioned the obvious.

"Yeah, I bet it's looking for us....." Eian narrowed his eyes.

Suddenly the creature did something with it's hands, Sarah couldn't get a good look since it blended with the background and was so far away.

Sarah had a sense of foreboding, she hoped it was trying to kill something directly below it and not actively looking for them.

Either way she wasn't sure this little mountain was safe, they came here without thinking really and those monsters might find them easier here if they were out in the open.

"Let's hope not. Let's get behind cover hopefully that will help." Sarah frowned, if that thing was after them it would be a disaster, even if mentally she knew it was likely true.

Alex and Eian turned to face her, they both nodded and they soon found an appropriate spot, it was covered and nothing in the dark seemed out to kill them.

Sarah felt they should perhaps begin moving again, but with the earthquake the land could be churning up monsters from anywhere.

The gears in her mind were turning, she had to think of something, preferably soon, like right now.

"What now? I don't feel like making another cave." Eian looked up as he lay against a tree.

Sarah nodded her agreement, he'd wasted hours building a shelter and it was destroyed a few hours after, building another might be unwise.

"......I think maybe we should keep moving away." Sarah scrunched up her face, being out in the open in the dark was constantly making her see things, she thought the darkness took on a speckle of red.

"Fuck.....we're not advancing. Our guides are dicks and not telling us shit either. Did they know this would happen?" Eian sounded frustrated and shook his head.

Sarah noticed in the corner of her eye that Jessica had turned to look at them briefly as Eian spoke.

She was quietly clutching her spear with both hands to her chest, she looked a little worse for wear but strangely she seemed to be vividly paying attention to what they were saying.

Sarah saw her lips mumble a few things under her breathe, that was.....worrying.

"Well we should come up with a plan. Together." Alex briefly looked at each of them from left to right.

"I still feel we should keep moving." In her opinion they were wasting time talking, Sarah mentally sighed.

'Why won't they just listen?' Sarah rubbed her eyes and felt Alex was just disregarding her plan.

But noooo....one word from Jess and he was ready to jump like a little soldier, frustrating.

He didn't even bother putting anything to the table, no new ideas for what to do.

"I think Sarah's idea might be best for right now. The more distance we put between us and that thing the better." Eian said slowly.

"Exactly!" Her response was overenthusiastic, Sarah winced.

"What about staying on high ground?" Alex would drive her crazy one day.

"We can just find another damn hill later. There seem to be a few of them about." Sarah almost snapped but her tone held an edge.

Alex frowned at her tone, still she was past caring for his 'manly' feelings.

He briefly turned to look at Jessica, whom turned her face away from him, unwilling to meet his eye.

A forlorn look crossed his face before quickly vanishing, he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Fine, let's go." Alex nodded at her, and she let out a slow breathe.

They began moving, they made a circle around the mountain and went the other way behind it, the opposite direction of the flying menaces.

Jessica remained quietly detached a small distance from all of them, not too far but she clearly wanted space, Sarah didn't bother Alex would probably keep an eye on her.

Eian led the way through and Sarah frowned this area appeared to be denser in foliage and more humid, Eian began cutting a path with his axe.

Suddenly the forest cleared and the ground became a squishy bog-like texture, Sarah frowned, they had to evade these parts and she quickly formed a plan.

"Let's edge around on the forest and evade everywhere thats soft. Form up in a line. Eian grab a spear from Jessica and prod the ground with it. " Sarah tried to think of anything else.

"No." Jessica clutched her spears.

"Give him one." Sarah narrowed her eyes and snapped out of her thoughts, this bitch was something else.

"No." Jessica shook her head.

'Someone please. Anyone, give me patience, because if you give me strength I'll strangle her.' Sarah closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breathe.

"Just give him one already. He lent you an axe remember!" Sarah was losing patience by the end, the latter part seemed to get Jessica's attention.

"...Fine." Jessica's lips thinned.

"You don't need to yell, Sarah." Alex frowned, Sarah gave him a chilling glare.

Jessica grudgingly handed Eian a spear, she gripped the other all the tighter, she seemed insecure.

Soon two axes hung from their respective belt straps on Eians left side and he began walking the edge of the forest prodding the ground, evading any signs of a squishy ground, they followed Sarah's advice and walked in a line, Sarah was last.

Then Sarah saw the strangest thing since coming to this world, a pack of wolves was running in the direction of the vampires, that wasn't the strange part, they evaded the group of humans and left them in peace.

Sarah narrowed her eyes, they were probably heading to fight those flying vampire monsters, were they that much of a threat? If so then it had been a good idea to move away from the leader.

The forest monsters kept evading their group's path strangely, the first battle they had were two overly large boars and that was probably because they were directly in front of their way, Sarah killed one and Eian killed the other.

Something whizzed past Sarah from behind, making her jump in fright, suddenly she heard a screech, turning she saw a huge reptile charging her jaws agape, ready to kill.

Sarah freaked, screamed shrilly and channeled lightning at it, the raptor fell screeching and died, it's previously unseen mounted-reptilian-rider also fell on the ground twitching, Sarah shot a bolt of lightning and killed it as well.

Sarah blinked to make sure her eye's weren't deceiving her, everyone was reacting differently, Eian was alertly looking about, Alex was asking her if she was okay, and Jessica was staring at the dead monster with a poker face.

Jessica's reaction caught Sarah's attention, did she finally grow a spine?

'Unimportant.' Sarah turned to look at the dead reptiles.

The mount itself favored a Veloci-raptor, the fore-front legs however stretched all the way to the floor but she didn't know if it used them to run as well.

Its leathery hide was striped with various greens from the forest about, the underbelly was a lime-green favoring yellow and it's back held a saddle.

The rider had been a humanoid reptilian with a snout and jaw sticking out slightly longer than a humans, feathers for hair and the skin was like that of a crocodile.

The humanoid's snout rounded upwards towards the skull, it's digits held claw-like finger nails, it wore little clothing only protecting the lower body and was armed with a primitive short-bow.

Over all the duo favored a bed-time story nightmare for children, Sarah wasn't inclined on fighting them en mass.

"Guys, what now?" Eian turned to look at them after he finished looking around.

"Sarah, are you alright?" Alex must have asked her the question for the forth or fifth time by now.

"Yes Alex, I'm fine. Also I don't know Eian. Give me a second." Sarah suppressed an eye-roll and begun thinking on Eian's question.

"Geez, Sarah. Eian man, I think there are more about. Do they seem more dangerous than the vampires?" Alex turned to look at Eian.

".....I don't know, depends how hard their skin is. Sarah can kill them, but those bows could be a problem too. Not to mention the friking dinosaur mounts. I kind of want one." Eian smirked and shrugged.

"Any chance they're neutral and this one attacked out of surprise?" Alex frowned at this own suggestion and his voice belied his disbelief at the matter.

"Alex....You're kidding right?" Eian raised both his eyebrows in exaggerated disbelief.

"Yeah man, I am. Was just hoping something doesn't always want to kill us for once." Alex sighed.

"Alright, let's keep going. The vampires can fly and some can most likely use magic. These things seem primitive, so the vampires must be more of a problem." Sarah interrupted their banter.

The direction they chose soon led them to an area with sparse trees, Eian kept testing the ground as a precaution and the occasional animal they heard or saw ignored them.

Eian stopped and the group's advancement ground to a halt, at first Eian ignored them, then he asked them to be quiet, he was listening.

Sarah jolted at the sound of something whooshing then a meaty thud followed by Eian's creative curse.

"Ambush!" Eian screamed shortly after cursing.

"Take cover!" Sarah ran behind a tree and everyone else did as well.

"OW!.....Where?!" Alex was shocked.

Sarah noticed he also got hit but in his bicep and the arrow only sliced him as it had passed.

"Left!" Eian tore the metal-tipped arrow lodged in the meat of his leg, it hadn't penetrated far though.

Sarah took a peek only to see a trio of reptilian humanoids with large bows approaching slowly on foot, an arrow almost caught her before she took cover again.

She prepared two fire-balls and cast them randomly at the archers quickly and took cover again, she peeked and saw the archers were behind cover and one shot an arrow at her, she hid again.

Eian ran out from cover screaming and Sarah's eyes bulged, was he really that crazy?

Eian threw himself sideways and rolled, then he took cover closer to the archers.

"Shit! Be careful man!" Alex was hiding and clearly confused on what to do.

Sarah took a quick look at Jessica and saw she was hiding as well, but she had a focused look on her face.

Sarah heard a heavy padding on the ground and her eyes almost popped out when she saw a giant crocodile the size of a small car with packs attached approaching them at a fast pace.

She threw her fire-balls at it, the crocodiles face took the impact and kept charging, she heard Eian scream something.

Then a man made of rock charged the beast, it speared crocodile in the neck and arrows bounced of its rocky carapace, it had to be Eian, he was attacking the crocodile with spear and axe.

Sarah readied lightning bolts and waited for a chance as Eian taunted the enemies, he seemed well protected so she wasn't overly worried for him.

Alex and Jessica weren't doing anything yet.

Suddenly Sarah saw Eian suddenly blinded the crocodiles right eye, he withdrew it as the beast thrashed viciously, Eian kept fighting it.

Sarah saw a clear shot and lit up a reptilian archer, the other two archers ran pat towards them, just as Sarah was about to channel lightning but Jessica moved in the way, Alex gaped along with Sarah but he followed Jess.

Jessica stabbed an archer straight in the throat, dodged an arrow from the other even as she left the first archer gurgling and then stabbed the other's bicep.

The injured archer dropped its bow and lashed out with it's claws but Jessica dodged it's desperate attack and Sarah didn't see what killed it but it dropped dead soon after.

Jessica stabbed the dead monsters a few more times then looked in Eian's direction, Sarah turned and saw Eian had killed the overly large crocodile, it had to be a travesty against nature for them to grow so large.

'...........' Sarah drew blank for a second before turning again, she squinted her eyes to make sure they weren't deceiving her, maybe something killed Jessica and took her place?

Alex stood there looking like an idiot, a bug would fly in his mouth if he stayed that way.

He had been more than useless, though he had already healed Eian and himself of injuries.

"This thing has a lot of stuff on it's back." Eian brought her to her senses.

"What does it have?" Sarah eyed the packs on the crocodile.

"Seems like mostly meat. What kind I don't really know. No, wait....there's some antlers in this side pocket so it's probably deer." Eian shrugged as he took out the antlers.

Alex alerted them to a small patchy hut nearby and they scoured it for enemies, there weren't any so they got back to the packs.

The packs were full of meat, but they also held some arrows, a few pots, an assortment of tools, pelts and staggering amounts of rope.

Sarah looked upwards quickly and noticed while the second sun had descended some time ago, the moon turned a darker shade of red.