Holy wow...  Whitemantis has once again gone above and beyond the possible to deliver something magnificent! I am still in awe. Thank you thank you for this wonderful piece!

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From no where had it come. With no warning. No sound. No presence. No threat of killing rage or heavy breath. It was like the beast didn't even exist. And yet, it very much did.

Shadowing behind Quick, it stood nearly 3 meters tall. It, for gender had no meaning to something such as that, sat on disjointed and digitigrade legs of congealed shadows. Bunched cords of muscles made in the form of mockery - from where no light could escape. It's broad chest was a mass of shadows, swirling shapes just on the edge of sight. Something ephemeral. Beautiful even, perhaps, had they not been the half seen forms of screaming faces, wailing in agony and terror. From its back, monstrous bat wings of midnight stretched out, making it seem all the bigger, all the more fierce. To think anything like this could fly, was both a hilarious and terrifying thought. Its arms sank down past its thighs, easily the height of Quick from shoulder to monstrous claw. Muscles of shadow rippled, reforming themselves even as more emerged and grew only to sink below the shadows. A constant state of change. The only true stability then, were its eyes. Infinitely deep sockets of darkness.

Somehow darker than the rest of its body. The blackness there was heavy, like gravity, drawing everything in without any chance or hope of escape. Fangs of eternal night dripped black ichor from its maw, open and hungry.

Shin had moments. Quick had seconds. Without thinking, without knowing, he grabbed her - the roots falling and forgotten. With strength he did not know he had, he pulled her to him and spun about - trading place with her as his back faced the monster, almost embracing her as he ejected her from his grasp in the same moment - the closeness dispelled by supreme urgency. "Run!" was all he was able to shout as barked commanded that brooked no argument. The force of his shove kept her balance, but gave her at least a chance of momentum.

She had cleared his arms, as he felt the world go white with pain. There wasn't even time to step to the side or get ou of the way. Something Truly and totally monstrous connected with him, and really it was no hyperbole. His spell protectives and armor shredded to nothing, like wet paper against such a fearsome onslaught. Shin, inwardly knew that he had left the ground, absently watching himself sail through the air as if sleeping - of course the pained shock on his face bellied the truth of the situation. With as many breaths, the beast had shattered Shin, throwing him like a rag doll against a far tree.

He coughed blood, sliding down it weakly, only to brace himself with a paw to try and stand, his mouth working in a hoarse plea 'Run'.

Wheeling about, the little fox darts around - outside of the sweeping range of those cataclysmic claws - and cracks open a liquid light. Using Shin's trick to sully night-sight, but weaponizing it further. But, possessing only a few of these globes (typically used as tracers for a mark), she has to make them count as best she can. Aiming one for the ground beside the wolf's crumpled form, she lets the delicate sphere fly. It pivots through the air - dancing. Refracting light as it careens a glinting arc through the air. Spinning on an axis towards its target...

Alchemic light erupts in a flair, railing hard against the seething shadows. A barrier to block the beast, or at least deter it from finishing its work... hopefully.

There seems to be a lot of that going around.
Hope.

Hoping for respite, Quick flings another of her green-and-spiral globes - last in that pouch - at the broken shape that used to house a quiet laugh and an apologetic soul. If it hits, it won't be enough to heal him fully, certainly - but it's something. Enough to get him up; maybe to have the space for his magics to do their work.

And with that, she's pelting the vile creature again, barking at it in a fox's dialect of chittering jeers - making sound to smite the silence and keep it on her lilting trail.

The world continued to shake.

The Demon pursued Quick, if that was truly what it was. Growling now with rage. It didn't like the light. It didn't like the light one bit. When the light had hit near Shin and then again when she began pelting it. Oh it did not like that one bit. The light near Shin, had offended it. It had roared, loud enough to drive Quick into unconsciousness. Loud enough to powder Shin's bones. At least the one's that werent already dust.

But when she hit it with the light. Oh, how it howled. The trees around it shattered, leaves wilted, branches snapped like kindling. Ear drums burst, the sheer shock of the sound was enough to make Quick stumble back, enough to drive her to her knees even to say nothing of utterly and totally devastating her hearing - as sensitive and profound as it was. Had she not been euphoria-ed, she might have regretted the jarring sensation of her teeth nearly braking, or the rumble so loud that it felt her ribs might surely snap.

And then it decided it wanted to killer her, very very much.

It stomped at her, faster than any beast of such size had any right. Its eyes somehow desired her all the more. And with each sweep of it's claws it spoke in destroyed forest for her. Each swipe eviscerated trees, left long furoughs of dirt, or tore the air before her. If she hadn't been quick and as small as she was, she would have surely been dead several times over. Each globe of light dashed against it, evoking louder roars. And yet, each spark of light is absorbed by the darkness, as if it was trying to smother each in turn. Unwillingly to let the light exist for too long.

It howled and snarled, infuriated that it could not claim her life. More than simply her life. It wanted her.

And then, there was light. First a point, a single point of light radiating from the monster's enormous chest. It staggered, the ontological shock of it confusing it. It knew what it meant, everyone there did. But in this it found surprise.

Shin let out a low, lethal growl, both his swords plunged deep into the monster's back. It brought its claws up, to fathom them, shivering as it did so. With a roar Shin pulled out both his swords, letting the beast stagger. It fell. To a knee. Shin growled, light ebbing from his paws again, his swords once more glowing bright as day each. Hissing white death. The monster of shadows Reared back up, as if to roar in hatred, in defiance. Shin was there before it could, stabbing it again with all the force that would kill any man in full plate out right several times over. Light and black ichor burst from its chest were its heart would have been, the 'blood' evaporating as it touched the blade.

"Just die already" she growled, spinning with that peerless grace born anew, with his sword held in a two handed grip. Light flashed and shadow ceased to be as he parted its head from its shoulders.

He let out a long breath, panting, teeth gritted growling all the while. He just looked at Quick, saying nothing, still clenching his sword in a Death grip.

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Shin and Quick, being totally badass! Thank you again so much to the one and only  whitemantis

Shin ©  wanderingPariah
Quick ©  chinburd
Artwork ©  whitemantis

Do not repost without written permission.