By the time David reached the forest, Sophie and the knights were about thirty meters ahead of him, stomping loudly over the leaves and laughing. David crouched and snuck closer through the underbrush.

  Calland led, strutting with his chest puffed out like a rooster and Elvara followed closely behind, dragging Sophie by her wrist. Gero trailed behind them, his shoulders hunched. Their knight’s polished armor flashed in the filtered sunlight, and if the situation weren't so grim, David could almost find it funny how out of place they looked in the eerily silent forest. For all the noise they made, the predator was surely aware of them.

  They stopped in a grassy clearing. Calland waved his hand, and Elvara forced Sophie to her knees. Her long green hair spilled over her face. Gero shifted on his feet, looking at her and Calland in turns.

  David cursed under his breath, found a fist-sized rock on the ground and dropped to the ground. He crawled toward as slowly as he could, focusing on the earthy smell of moss to calm himself down. He hid behind an uprooted tree, close enough to hear them.

  Calland plastered a wide smile on his face and locked eyes with Gero “You know,” he said and punched the other knight's chestplate. It didn't look too forceful, but Gero stumbled a step backward anyway. “It was a really clever stunt you pulled, when you interrupted our fun and woke Viel up.”

  “I-I didn’t mean—” Gero’s hand drifted to the pommel of his sword.

  “Didn’t mean to what?” Calland chuckled. He stepped and loomed over the knight. “Didn’t mean to humiliate me? To undermine me in front of the order?”

  Gero shook his head. “It wasn't like that. You crossed a line, so did I. Can’t you see these people have nothing in this shitty little village?”

  Elvara rolled her eyes. “He doesn't get it, Calland. Why bother?” Elvara let go Sophie’s wrist and stepped toward Gero. Sophie jumped to her feet, and started to run, but Elvara caught her by the hair and pulled her back. “Tsk. Tsk. Where do you think you're going?”

  Sophie screamed, her back hit the ground and she struggled to breathe.

  David clenched his fist around the rock. He wanted to throw it Calland’s head, but he knew how quick Calland was in battle. He would cut David down in seconds. Even that monstrous thing couldn't react this quickly. Probably.

  “You need to appreciate life more, El.” Calland looked Gero up and down, then turned his back on him. “Let me amuse myself in peace.”

  Gero still had a hand on his sword. David wanted him to draw the damned thing and stab it into Calland’s throat, but the young knight didn’t have the balls to do it.

  “Anyway.” Calland shrugged. For a moment, he looked almost bored. He drew a dagger from under his vambrace. He crouched, turned then lunged in a single motion. Sliced Gero's neck open, right under the chin, where his chain mail ended.

  Gero’s eyes widened and he fell face-first onto the ground, his sword half-drawn. Sophie screamed and tried to wiggle away, but Elvara yanked her hair.

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  A hum like bees filled the air, and golden strands of light poured out of Gero's eyes and ears. They coalesced above him and drifted up into the sky. David half expected them to fly over to him and reveal his hiding place, but they didn’t.

  “One pest down, one to go.” Calland flicked the blood off the dagger. “Who knows when that damn bug-eyed thing will show up? Ah I deplore waiting… Good thing we stumbled upon some entertainment along the way, right El?”

  Sophie froze, her face wet with tears.

  “You have me, but you prefer dirty peasants?” Elvara scoffed. “Who knows what filth she rolls around in.”

  “El, El.” Calland shook his head, crouched in front of Sophie, and removed one of his gauntlets. “Though a man might love gold-dripped ironskin,” he said, slicing open Sophie's shirt, “sometimes he craves grilled pork.” Sophia slapped him in the face. He smirked and punched her in the stomach. He slid her sleeves down to her elbows and rubbed his hand roughly across her breasts.

  Sophie screamed again, and David hid his face in the undergrowth just outside the clearing. He bit on a root to prevent himself from bursting out. Dry dirt filled his mouth and tears streamed down his face. The nightmare that plagued his sleep was coming to life in front of him, but if he moved now he’d likely get both of them killed.

  Sophie tried to wrestle away, but Elvara’s grip held her firmly in place. Sophie screamed again, and Calland shoved his gauntleted hand into her mouth, turning the screams into whimpers. Then he unbuckled his pants…

  If David was wrong, he was dead. To hell with it. He clenched his teeth, stood up, and threw the rock as hard as he could.

  Elvara screamed, “Watch—”

  Clang. The rock bounced off Calland’s helmet. He stumbled sideways, turned, and looked at David.

  Sophie scrambled to her feet. She pulled against Elvara’s grip with such strength that blood seeped through her green hair. Elvara yanked her down, punched the back of her head then dropped Sophie’s limp body to the ground.

  Calland finished buckling his pants and charged David, sword drawn. David turned and sprinted, weaving between the trees and leading Calland away from the clearing. C’mon, you damn beast. It had to come. He had to be right. He stumbled. The sword grazed his shoulder. Something wet streamed down his back. A loud rumble erupted from deep within the forest.

  “I’ve got you now, you little puke.” Calland said with a laugh.

  David stumbled over a bush, pushed off a tree, and kept going. Warm blood was dripping down his arm, but he couldn’t stop. Calland’s footsteps and clinking armor were getting closer. David swung around a tree trunk, but Calland took the other way around the tree and met him there. David slammed right into his chestplate, then fell on his rear.

  Calland pointed his sword at him. “Not so funny, now, is it? Say your pray—”

  Just as David was making peace with death, a massive black shape came into view. The predator was charging at them, breaking smaller trees along the way.

  Calland cursed, grabbed his necklace then spun around. Just as the massive scythe was almost to his neck, a shockwave erupted from the knight. It tore through the undergrowth, uprooted trees and blasted David and the predator away.

  David found himself lying on his back again on the forest floor, a tree toppling down toward him. He rolled away. The tree landed with a heavy thud, branches lashed his arms and legs, dirt showered his face.

  Daivd raised his head and wiped his face. The predator was tangled in the undergrowth a few meters away, dark smoke billowing from its scythes. It jumped back up, flicked the brush off its legs, and swung its head around. Elvara stabbed her sword into its side, then dodged to escape the claws thrusting at her face.

  The predator skittered to the side then brought scythes down on Calland and Elvara, forcing them to dodge back and herding them away from David. Away from the clearing.

  David clambered up, spat out a mouthful of dirt, and wheezing for breath, his shoulder throbbing, ran back toward the clearing. He heard the monster roar somewhere behind him, heard Elvara curse, heard the clatter of blades against the beast’s carapace, but he kept running.

  Sophie lay in the clearing limply, her scalp bleeding profusely, painting both her face and the grass around her maroon. David pulled out his healing ointment from his satchel, scooped a handful of the slimy stuff, and sank his fingers into the squelching wetness of her hair.