The grey creature lunged.
Mark barely had time to move. He stepping forward with a roar as his blade met the strike mid-air.
Steel crashed against a hand wrapped in unnatural grey arm, the shockwave splitting the mist around them like parting water.
His rune-etched sword sparked violently. The edge dragging against the creature's arm as it parried him with brutal and terrifying strength.
Even with his body reinforced by Magic, Mark grunted under the force.
It was fast and incredibly strong. Each of its movements was precise and deadly with wasted motion like the other grey creatures that only rely on raw instinct to attack. This kind was able to think.
Mark's muscles screamed with each parry as he deflected clawed slashes and brutal strikes that sent ripples through the earth beneath his feet.
The creature ducked low then sweeping a leg out. Mark fortunately still able to jumped, twisted, then brought his sword down in a diagonal slash. However, the creature suddenly vanish and blink-step sideways, then reappear at his flank.
He spun, barely blocking the next strike. His sword grinding against the creature's forearm. A blast of green energy erupted point-blank between them and Mark was thrown back. His boots dragging deep furrows in the soil.
He skidded to a stop, coughed, and stood again.
"Fine," he muttered, wiping blood from his lip. "You want more, you freak?!"
The runes on his blade flared brighter.
The others who can only watch in stunned silence because the exchange was too fast finally decided to move as well.
Behind the party, Darel's group was locked in their own hell.
The creature had barely let Darel breathe before it was on him. The creature attacking with a flurry of slashes and punches.
He blocked the first two strikes, grit his teeth through the pain in his ribs, then failed to catch the third.
A claw raked across his sword arm. Sparks and blood flew.
"Darel!" Yara shouted from behind.
She then surged forward and pushing him out of the way as the creature raised its hand again.
The green light seems flaring in its eyes but Yara was already in front of it. Her own Magic flaring as she slammed a palm into the earth.
A sigil burst beneath her feet, sending a column of stone and fire into the creature's chest. It staggered but didn't fall.
Her gauntlet spun as she channeled Magic energy then sending bolts of raw elemental force into the creature's side.
Lightning danced across its skin but it kept moving as if uncaring and unfazed by that attack.
She then met it head-on, her hands clashing against its clawed hands creating shockwaves that tearing through the mist with every impact.
She gritted her teeth.
The creature slammed a hand toward her face. She ducked, slid low, and countered with a burst of wind that sent it skidding back, but only for a moment.
It straightened, then tilted its head and smiled again.
Yara's breath caught.
Behind her, Darel was trying to stand again, wiping blood from his mouth.
Varn was already beside him, raising a axe to defend.
They were being boxed in. They knew it. But there was no space for fear now.
Jan moved quickly with his instincts that honed by years of battle. He raised his bow and loosed a glowing Magic arrow. Its slicing through the mist straight toward the creature.
But the grey figure tilted its head and leaned aside with casual movement so the arrow sailing harmlessly past its ear.
Before it could refocus, Kaela emerged like a shadow from the underbrush. She had been circling around a moments before and waiting for an opening.
Her twin daggers flashed, aiming for the creature's spine and side. But the creature reacted instantly.
One clawed hand snapped backward, intercepting both blades with unnatural speed and stopping them mid-motion. With the other hand, it twisted and slammed its fist into Kaela's stomach.
A violent crack sound followed and Kaela was sent flying into the bushes with a choked gasp. Her body tumbling like a ragdoll before vanishing in the undergrowth.
Esther and Selene who already gathering their Magic unleashed it at once. Twin orbs of fire surged forward, their heat warping the mist. They hit the creature head-on.
One of its hand raised, flames roaring against its palm. It didn't even flinch. Smoke curled around its clawed fingers but it remained unmoved.
With a movement of his hand it dispersed the fire into spiraling embers that vanished into the trees.
Hund and Thorne already advancing with swords drawn but they have to came to a dead halt. Their feet rooted themselves as fear clenched their insides.
It had just caught a fire Magic attac and not even blinked.
"I think we're not beating that," Hund muttered, sweat slicking his brow.
Thorne said nothing, but his knuckles whitened on the hilt of his sword.
Then the creature moved so fast it become a blur.
In the blink of an eye, it was behind Mark.
Its clawed hand wrapped around his neck and lifted him effortlessly into the air.
Mark gagged, feet kicking, his hands clawing at the creature's wrist. It held him like a doll. Then its other hand reaching up to grip the top of Mark's head. And then it began to twist his head
His spine arched. A crackle of pressure began to build.
But just as the creature's claws dug in and before Mark's head got ripped off, a figure burst from the bushes with incredible speed.
A hand caught the grey creature's wrist, stopping it cold.
Magic flared violently. A shockwave burst outward, blowing back mist and leaves in a wide circle.
The grip on Mark loosened as the creature hissed and twisted to look at the newcomer.
The man who had grabbed its wrist stood tall wearing strange clothing in black color. A faint glimmer of red scales peeking from his arms's sleeves. His eyes flashed golden and red.
"Let him go," the man growled.