The Wight

Then the towering monster vanished, yanked through the portal like a piece of popcorn plucked from a bucket during a movie. The centipede didn't even get a chance to struggle. Loud cracks rang out as its body shattered under the force of the hand and it was pulled into the rippling pink energy. 

The portal snapped shut behind it, leaving the street in silence once more. The golden letters that had "identified" the hand disappeared as well. Alex and Claire exchanged a wide-eyed look. 

The Centipedes aren't at the top of the food chain? 

A shiver ran down Alex's spine as a thought, equal parts horrifying and electrifying, ran through his head. 

What if they're actually just centipedes? Are those massive things literally nothing but bugs in the grand scheme of things? And if they are… what does that make us? 

"That made a lot of noise," Claire whispered. "We should get moving before something comes to check it out and finds us." 

"Good idea," Alex muttered back. They set back off, moving a little faster than they had before. 

They made it all the way down the street and turned the corner, only to find that their luck had run out. A humanoid figure knelt by a warped house, scooping large handfuls of a torn-up root into its mouth. Curls of shadow rolled off its body, wafting away from brownish-grey flesh. It was difficult to tell exactly where the shadows ended and body began. 

The monster's gaze, two motes of dull red, snapped over to them and it rose to its feet in a smooth motion. 

Wight (Novice 3) 

Claire drew her sword. "I've got this one. I've fought them before. Just stay back. It won't be too hard to take out." 

"Hold on," Alex said, catching Claire by the shoulder before she could step forward. "You're injured. I'll take it myself." 

"You're a Novice 1," Claire pointed out, keeping her eyes on the Wight as it sized them up. "It's dangerous." 

"Exactly," Alex said. A smile pulled across his lips and Glint flexed his talons. "Which means I'm going to get a better reward if I take this out myself. It's not as strong as the Shade, so I should be able to handle it." 

"You're a bit insane, aren't you?" 

"If we want to get strong enough to survive this place, then I think a little insanity isn't misplaced," Alex replied. 

The Wight groaned and took a hesitant step toward them. It seemed confused by their lack of action, but Alex didn't mind. If it was going to let them set the terms of the fight, he certainly wouldn't complain. 

"If you're sure," Claire said doubtfully. "Just be careful. The System isn't going to register as much of a challenge if it knows I'm sitting around to back you up, so I'll actually have to stay away if you want to handle it without help. Just be careful." 

"Thanks." Alex nodded his appreciation, then nodded to the Wight. "Glint, come on. Let's go kill this thing." 

Glint darted into motion. The small Shardwalker sprinted up to the Wight, which lurched out of its spot and reached out with grasping hands. 

"Dodge!" Alex hissed. "Prioritize avoiding attacks over landing them!" 

Glint skipped to the side, then brought a jagged claw raking down over the Wight's arm. The humanoid monster let out a hiss of pain. Its fingers extended into tendrils that reached out for Glint, attempting to wrap him up. 

Alex edged around the side of the fight as Glint leapt over the tendrils and brought his claws down across the Wight's chest. The monster staggered back, then whipped its other hand into Glint's chest. 

The Shardwalker flew back and slammed into a building with enough force to crack several of the spikes on his back and leave a small dent in the stone. Glint fell to the ground amidst tinkling mirror fragments. 

Alex's hands tightened. Glint was still a Novice 1 monster. No matter how clever or fast he was, the Wight outclassed him. The smartest way to handle the fight would have been to work together with Claire — but smart didn't mean beneficial. 

He couldn't afford to play things safe and he couldn't constantly hide behind Claire. If he did, they'd both die the moment they ran into a monster she couldn't properly handle. 

I need to take all the damn challenge I can whenever we're up against a monster I have even a sliver of a chance to take out.  

Glint staggered upright and the Wight reached for him again. He dodged back, then raked his mirrored claws across the extended hand. They cut deep into the monster's body, but it didn't bleed. 

The Shardwalker was forced to jump back as the Wight swung at it again. Glint just barely managed to avoid the attack. The previous one had clearly shaken him pretty badly. Even if Glint didn't seem to have emotions or desires, the monster was still a living being. He couldn't just take blows and keep going. 

He's going to lose if I don't back him up, and I don't fancy my chances against that thing alone.  

Alex flexed his fingers. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and he shifted from foot to foot. Glint jumped at the Wight again, only to find a grasping hand in his path. The Wight grabbed him out of the air and tendrils tightened around his body, starting to squeeze. 

Now or never.  

Throwing caution to the wind, Alex burst into motion. He threw himself forward, driving his shoulder into the Wight's back. The shadowy creature let out a pained grunt as he drove into it with all the force he could muster. 

Its grip on Glint loosened for a brief instant and the Shardwalker took the opportunity to rip into the Wight's body, raking jagged claws down its face and torso. Alex shoved himself away, but he only made it a step before long fingers wrapped around his foot and yanked him off his feet. 

All the air exploded from his lungs in a pained grunt as he hit the ground. The Wight grabbed Glint with its other hand, ripping him away from its face and pulling Alex closer. Its mouth opened in a hissing wail and its grip on his leg tightened until the bone groaned beneath it. 

There was no way to break the monster's grip. It was too strong — and so Alex didn't try to escape. Instead, he gathered all the energy he could muster and shoved himself toward. He shoved himself off his free leg and slammed his fingers into the Wight's left eye. 

/Author's Note///

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