The three girls and I, though each individually very strong and proficient in battle, teamed up together to face the owners of the heavy footsteps approaching us from the thickets.
It was because of the sound of the thumps that we all came to the same conclusion: that the ones approaching were beasts. Perhaps an even more dangerous case would be a beast wave. But we hadn't seen any previous indications of such a situation.
This resulted in us letting go of the frivolous attitude and becoming serious about facing the unknown.
The dense shrubs parted; silhouettes of many tall and bulky bear-like creatures appeared, spreading dust and leaves in front of them. They were huffing so strongly that I could see the steam exiting from their mouths, and their eyes had an unusual glean of bloodlust to them.
But something was amiss. Unlike any other bear-type beasts, they could skillfully walk on two feet.