Chapter 14 : Embers

The glowing gaze of the creature in the bushes intensified as it got closer, the bearded man slept with his arms crossed staring into the dying fire, as the other two men slept soundly.

With a single step the creature singed the grass under its hooves, with a single breath it filled the area with thick smoke, the creature walked moved closer to the men, that was when the bearded man set his eyes on the foul thing,

Its flesh was grey, its face was long and twisted, it had horns like tendrils, and a hunched back, it dragged its massive claws behind it and it lumbered to the men, it's torso resembled a starving person, it's ribbed were showing, its legs were long and thin. The patches of fur on its body radiated a fiery glow and the air around it was filled with sparks and falling ash.

The bearded man shaken in fear but managed to snap himself out of it, he managed to yell out to the other two men "IT'S A DEMI-LICH!"

The two men woken up by the loud man grabbed their swords which they kept under their sleeping bags and turned to face the beast.

The demi-lich was now mere inches away from the bearded man's face, in an instant it pulled it's arm back, seemingly without recoil, and pushed it back at the man, sending him flying into a bush.

"Henry!" Yelled the prince, breaking eye contact with the demi-lich for a second, he focused his gaze back on the creature, only to find it inches from his face.

The creature swung his claw at the prince, he blocked it with his sword, the sparks created were but a few drops in a sea of embers, "HAH, gotcha' there didn't I?" the prince said, with a grin, despite his brave words, his hands were shaking. The life of luxury made him lose his connection to his connection with the life and death reality of everyday life.

The creature unhinged its jaw in what seemed to be an instant, the air turned scorching warm for a second before the prince's vision was engulfed in a flash of white light,

Moments later, the prince opened his eyes, "Am I dead...Is it over?" the thoughts ran through the man's head, but he was alive before he was the bearded man, a hand over his head and a sword in the other hand.

The prince now realised what happened, "ROBIN!" the man yelled, he turned to the beast, then back to the bearded man, "You idiot... why did this have to happen..." the prince said through his choked sobs.

Tears ran down his face, instantly turning to steam as they streamed down his red cheeks.

The demi-lich has now cornered the two men near a steep cliff, it unhinged its jaw again, the prince tried to dodge the attack, but he must have sprained his leg, there would be no way he could dodge and carry his friend away from the blast radius at the same time.

The prince's morbid thoughts were interrupted by a sudden kick to the chest from the pale man, the prince looked at him as he found himself rolling off the hill, the pale man had removed the cloth from his mouth and said his farewells without a single word, but with a smile.

As the flame for the beast turned to a distant light, a large explosion lit up the forest, for the second time.

Atop the hill...

"You shouldn't have come, you should have run..." the bearded man said.

"Says the burning man..." the pale man smirked.

The two turn to the beast, staring them down, preparing another attack.

"This is going to make one hell of a story." Laughed the bearded man.

"Yeah, and we'll make sure to tell it to him first." The pale man added.

"Sorry to say, but I doubt we'll get the chance unless you run..." the bearded man said, standing up, using his sword for support.

"No way, how could I ever... face my buddy as a c-" the man's speech was interrupted by a wave of flames charring everything around the creature, it sniffed the air once... then retreated back into the forest.