Chapter 111 - Predator and Prey
In the shadow-thick stillness of the forest, eight demon figures stood cloaked in darkness. Their armor was scratched, cracked in places, and stained with old blood. Clearly worn down from more than just the journey.
"They’ve got a good scout, I’ll give them that," one muttered, pacing restlessly. "No one’s left a clear trail in days."
"Good scout? Fool!" the leader snarled. "I don’t care how well they run. They won’t survive in this forest forever. If they haven’t already died, they will."
"But I swear," another said, his voice sharper, more anxious. "They were here not long ago. I can smell them."
Without warning, the leader turned and struck him across the head with a backhand blow. The impact sent the lesser demon stumbling back with a growl.
"Your nose is the fool here!" the leader spat. "We don’t need to chase ghosts. We find them, we kill them, and we finish this damn task!"
The arguing didn’t stop. It only shifted, became sharper. The demons began to raise their voices. Their armor clanked, their movements sluggish. A few limped. One still clutched a gash across his ribs, wrapped haphazardly in torn armor.
The leader’s eyes burned with fury.
"Damn it!" he roared. "Ten Gaia Masters! Just ten! And yet we can’t catch them?! This is draining my patience!"
He stood there, breathing heavily, fists clenched, surrounded by frustration and failure.
"We rest here until morning," the leader growled, his voice sharp and bitter. "Those stupid lizards get too aggressive at night."