Start Of The Journey

"I did not appreciate the way he spoke to me." Invidia told Daemon

They were walking down a road, making their way to small town that was miles from Mordercai's farm. 

Daemon shrugged, "Mordecai speaks like he's the king of the world." He said, "But he means well." 

Lydia walked alongside Daemon, "He's your friend?" She asked, "How did you two meet?"

"I don't know." Daemon said as he rubbed his hair, "I just remember he was there all my life. Mordecai and I grew up together, basically. His father and my father were friends as well, as well as their fathers before. When I became an Adventurer, Mordecai was already a top-tier Horse Breeder that the King himself praised." 

Zaphira smirked, "He's a crazy Artificer too." She said, "Never seen anyone pull off a magic rifle. Those things are rare an unbecoming."

Daemon nodded, "Mordecai is insanely talented." He said, "Trust me, Invidia, your friend will be fine with him. Nobody touches any horse on that farm without meeting a nasty fate." 

Azael spoke up, "Guys." He said, "Something is wrong." 

He stopped and looked behind him, down the road where they were walking. He had a serious look on his face and his body tensed up. 

Daemon stopped and looked at him, "What is it?" He asked

The others also stopped and looked at Azael who was at the back of the group. 

"You sensed something?" Zaphira asked, "Or is it the wind?" 

"It's not the Wind...." Azael said, "Something is following us." 

"Nonsense." Invidia said, "My senses would've picked it up. And the mage is finely tuned to the Arcane." 

"I got a name, goldilocks." Zaphira said with a smirk

"Azael, what's wrong?" Lydia walked up to the monk, "I don't think anyone is following us." 

Daemon narrowed his eyes, "He's right." He said as he looked down the road

There was nothing but fields on the side of the dirt road, the fields stretched out for miles as far as they could see. There wasn't a sign of anybody behind or in front of them. 

Azael was focused, scanning the area with his eyes. Something told him that they were being followed, despite all his senses not picking anything up. Since Daemon just agreed with him, it made him more paranoid of what he was trying to look for. 

Daemon walked past Zaphira and Invidia, "Get your weapons ready." He said, "It's a Shadowcat. A big one." 

"Eh?" Lydia said, "T-There's Shadowcats in these parts?!" 

Invidia widened her eyes and immediately crouched, touching the ground with her palm. She then began to sweat slightly. 

"Curses!! How could I be so stupid?!" She growled, "My apologies, my mind was somewhere else! It won't happen again!" 

She immediately drew her bow and readied it, looking around them as if looking for any signs. 

Zaphira drew her rapier and readied a stance, "Shadowcats...." She said, "Nature's boogeyman.....ugh....i hate those things...." 

Daemon stood in front of Azael as they all faced the direction they came from, "Get in the middle, Azael." He said, "Shadowcats target the largest in a group as a sign of dominance." 

Azael nodded and slowly stepped back to the middle, standing between Zaphira and Lydia who was barely drawing her sword. 

"Barrier" 

Zaphira cast a small circle of light that surrounded the group. 

"It shouldn't pounce on any of us without us knowing." Zaphira said, "Invidia, do you have eyes on it's whereabouts?" 

"Shadowcats are elusive and highly dangerous." Invidia said, "Once they're one within the sightless plane, they're incredibly hard to track. To think the Monk was able to tell it was stalking us....it got careless...." 

Shadowcats are massive feline predators that use Shadows to cloak themselves within the sightless plane; a mirror world that is unseen from this plane. They stalk their prey for miles, ensuring they're ready for the feast. 

Despite knowing they're stalked, a Shadowcat's prey is still disadvantaged. 

Daemon drew his sword, a massive black greatsword that immediately emitted a thick orange aura that everyone felt. 

Lydia widened her eyes, "W-Whoa...." She said, "That's.....a lot of Fury...." 

"Stay focused." Daemon said seriously, "I haven't fought a Shadowcat this big before. It's stronger than all the other ones I killed. It's a dangerous one, I didn't notice it until Azael pointed it out." 

Zaphira looked around, "How can you even tell?" 

"The sightless plane is merely that." Invidia said, "A plane that you cannot see. Actions within it could still be heard, felt, tasted, and even smelled. Shadowcats are careful stalkers, they make sure you cannot hear their footsteps, feel their presence, or smell their scent." 

"Stay alert." Azael said as he readied a stance, "I feel it....it's close...." 

Suddenly, the light of the circle next to Lydia shone brightly and in an instant, the young Fighter dodged backwards as her blade let out a bright spark. 

"Ah!" She exclaimed as she composed her self

Daemon looked back at her, "It attacked you?" He said with surprise

Lydia had parried the Shadowcat's claws, she was a bit shaken up and panting slightly. 

"I...." Lydia said

"Are you okay?" Azael asked

"Yes..." Lydia replied

Zaphira looked to where she heard a low thud and pointed her rapier at the spot, "Here Kitty~~" She said with a smirk

"Thunderbolt"

Suddenly, a powerful bolt of lightning shot from the blade's tip and struck at the spot where Zaphira aimed at, causing an explosion of lightning. 

The light of the circle shone brightly behind Invidia who noticed it in time. 

"Curses!" She said as she threw herself at the ground completely flat

She felt a gust of wind on top of her; the Shadowcat had pounced over her. She then heard a low thud in front of her and behind Zaphira. 

"Mage!" She called, "Behind you!" 

Zaphira widened her eyes and looked behind her, feeling an anxious level of danger. 

Suddenly, a black blur flashed past her and an explosion of blood erupted, splashing the Tiefling in the face. 

"Ahh!" She exclaimed, "What the fuck?!" 

The group then saw as Daemon pulled his greatsword out of a massive beast's neck. It was three times the size of Daemon, had black and grey fur and it resembled a Tiger more than anything. It laid dead on the ground as Daemon leaned his sword on the shoulder. 

In the split-second that the Shadowcat had landed in front of Invidia and behind Zaphira, Daemon rushed past them and thrust his greatsword in the beast's neck. How Daemon could tell where its neck was, it is unknown. 

"Hm..." He said, "This is an old one, huh?" 

"You killed it?" Lydia said in awe, "That fast?" 

Daemon nodded, "While it was bigger than your average Shadowcat, it was definitely older...." He said as he pointed at the maw of the beast, "The white and grey hairs point it out. That and he was definitely slower than your average Cat..." 

Invidia stood up, "What's a Shadowcat that big and old doing on these parts?" She said as she walked over and examined, "Their habitat is the forest, not fields like these....hm.....look.....these scars...." 

The group huddled over to see where she was pointing at. There were massive scars on the underbelly of the beast, claw marks. 

"Something hurt it." Invidia explained, "Shadowcats have a healing factor but sometimes the wound leaves a scar. Judging by the way these scars look.....they're a couple of weeks old. And Shadowcats could go a few weeks without eating properly. This one must've been starving...." 

"Was it run out by something bigger?" Azael asked, "A bigger and younger Shadowcat?" 

"Those aren't Shadowcat claws." Invidia said as she ran her finger on the scars, "This is something else.....No....it can't be...." 

Daemon raised an eyebrow, "What?" 

Invidia looked at him, "These are Wyvern Claws...." She said, 

"A Wyvern did this."