Women in love VI - Man vs Creature

Falko squared his shoulders as he faced the creature they called—the Horguffler—a dark, twisted figure cloaked in shadows. Its wings stretched out, smoke curling from its body as it stood over the Countess's bed. The creature let out a low, guttural growl, its glowing eyes locked on him.

"It powers might lie in manipulation, but I cannot be careless..." Falko muttered to himself, gripping his dagger tightly. His mind raced as he calculated his next move. "If I can break through its illusions, I might stand a chance to kill this creature since others would be able to help. In order to do that I will beat up this monster until it gives up."

The Horguffler shifted, sensing his resolve, and took a menacing step forward. Its form flickered in the dim light as if trying to weave another illusion to confuse the women to attack Falko. He knew if Shalana entered the fray as an enemy things would become ten times more impossible for him, so he had to act quickly.

"Not this time," Falko snarled, rushing forward with his dagger poised. He held the grip of the dagger in a way that would allow him to clearly pierce the monster.

The Horguffler on the other hand lashed out with a long, clawed hand, aiming to slice through Falko's side. He narrowly dodged, rolling to the side and slashing upward with his dagger. The blade barely missed the creature's abdomen, grazing its smoky form.

"Ugh! You're quick for a piece of shit," Falko said through gritted teeth, trying to regain his footing. The Horguffler let out a hiss, clearly irritated by the missed strike.

The creature's wings flapped, sending a gust of foul-smelling wind through the room. Falko covered his nose, grimacing at the stench that only he seemed to perceive. But then he heard Leena's voice from behind him.

"Falko, stay focused! It is trying to twist our senses again! I can feel it, this smoke is dangerous for us."

He nodded, keeping his eyes locked on the creature as it shifted its form once more. For a split second, the Horguffler's face morphed into something that looked like a human—but it didn't remain for long as it turned back to the ugly creature sneering back at him—a monstrous being with bat-like wings and smoke leaking from every pore.

Falko didn't hesitate because he couldn't. He darted forward, slashing at the illusion with his dagger.

"So, you don't like when I get close, huh?" Falko taunted, circling the creature. He could see it was strong, but he had learned its main strength was manipulation, not physical power. If he could land a few well-placed hits, he might be able to drive it off or better yet kill it.

The Horguffler snarled, clearly frustrated. It lunged again, claws aiming for his chest. Falko dodged to the side, slashing at its wings this time. His dagger met flesh, and the creature screeched in pain, rearing back.

Good. I can hurt it, Falko thought, his grip tightening on the hilt of his dagger. I just need to keep pushing.

But the Horguffler was fast. It recovered quickly, swiping at him again with deadly precision. Falko ducked under the blow, feeling the wind from its claws graze the top of his head cutting few strand of his hair. He swung upward, aiming for its torso, but the creature dodged, its wings beating furiously as it flapped into the air.

It hovered just above the ground, glaring down at him with those glowing eyes. "You think you can defeat me?" the Horguffler's voice hissed, its words echoing through Falko's mind.

Falko gritted his teeth, ignoring the invasive thoughts. "What are you trying to say? Speak human or just die," he spat, narrowing his eyes.

The creature's laughter was a dark, chilling sound but it was not comprehensible for Falko. "You cannot escape what you desire most, human. I see into your very soul."

"Shut up!" Falko shouted, charging at it again. This time, he aimed high, leaping into the air with his dagger raised. The Horguffler flinched, swiping at him with its wings, but Falko was faster. He twisted in mid-air, bringing his dagger down hard onto the creature's shoulder.

The blade pierced through its smoky flesh, sinking deep into the muscle. The Horguffler let out a bone-chilling screech, its body convulsing in pain as Falko wrenched the dagger free and jumped back.

The creature reeled, clutching its shoulder, black blood oozing from the wound. It howled in agony, the sound so piercing and unnatural that everyone in the room clutched their ears in pain.

Falko stumbled, the screech reverberating through his skull. He could barely keep his balance as the noise filled the room, a sound like nails on a chalkboard amplified tenfold. But he refused to fall.

Through the haze of sound, he saw the Horguffler writhing in pain, its wings twitching violently. Black, tar-like blood dripped onto the floor, staining the once pristine room.

"Falko!" Leena called, her voice strained as she covered her ears. "It's bleeding!"

He nodded, struggling to stay focused as the creature's scream continued to assault his senses. His heart pounded in his chest as he realized they were close—closer than ever to driving this thing away.

The Horguffler, still clutching its shoulder, turned its glowing eyes on Falko. Its form flickered, as though it was losing control of its physical shape. "You... will... pay for this," it hissed, its voice trembling with fury and pain.

Before Falko could respond to it's gibberish, the creature let out one final, ear-splitting shriek. Then, with a sudden burst of strength, it lunged at the wall, crashing through the stone with a deafening impact. The wall shattered, chunks of debris flying in all directions as the creature escaped into the night.

The room fell into silence, save for the faint groaning of the crumbling wall. Falko lowered his dagger, breathing heavily, as he watched the Horguffler's form disappear into the darkness.

He wiped the sweat from his brow, glancing around the room. Leena, Rhea, and Shalana were slowly regaining their composure, shaking off the lingering effects of the creature's influence. The Countess lay still on the bed, her body limp but breathing steadily.

Her nightgown was already half done, but neither Falko nor others had the freedom to care about her nudity. Just looking at her face, it was rather evident that she was not having a good time.

Falko sighed, his heart still racing from the intensity of the battle. He looked down at his dagger, black blood dripping from the blade. The Horguffler had been wounded—badly. But it wasn't dead.

"It'll come back," Falko muttered to himself, his expression grim. "But not tonight."

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. A group of guards, finally free from the creature's manipulative grip, burst into the room. They froze at the sight before them—the broken wall, the disheveled Countess, and Falko, standing in the center of the chaos, his dagger still stained with the creature's blood.

At first they thought it was Countess blood, but upon closer inspection, they quickly understood it was not time for them to act stupid and arrest the people that helped their countess. These guards were better than that.

"What happened here?" one of the guards demanded, her eyes wide as she took in the scene.

Falko met her gaze, his face tired but resolute. "We drove it off. The creature—the Horguffler—escaped, but it's wounded. We'll need to be ready for when it returns."

The guards exchanged uneasy glances, but none of them questioned him because they couldn't. They moved quickly, some tending to the Countess while others examined the broken wall.

Leena, now fully recovered, walked up to Falko's side, her eyes scanning the room. "You did it," she said softly, a hint of relief in her voice. "You wounded it and saved us."

Falko nodded, though he didn't feel triumphant. "Barely. It'll be back, and next time, we need to be more prepared."

Rhea and Shalana joined them, both looking worse for wear but no longer under the creature's influence. Rhea's expression was conflicted, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. "I… I almost hurt you," she murmured, shame flickering across her face.

Falko shook his head. "It wasn't you. It was the Horguffler. Don't blame yourself."

Shalana, though pale, gave him a firm nod of approval. "You fought well, Falko. Better than most would have in your place."

The group stood in silence for a moment, the weight of what had just transpired settling over them. They had survived the night, but the battle was far from over.

As the guards worked to secure the mansion, Falko turned his gaze to the broken wall, the night air chilling his skin. Somewhere out there, the Horguffler was licking its wounds, waiting for the next chance to strike.

But Falko wasn't afraid. He tightened his grip on his dagger, his resolve burning brighter than ever and his ego more build up than ever as it was his first time encountering a monster alone without his group taking the lead.

"We'll be ready," he whispered to himself, his eyes narrowing. "Next time, we finish this."