[h1]Forest Shrine[/h1]

[hr]

The moment the medusa began to run, grabbing her fellows, the heavy footfalls quickened. At first, the rhythmic sound simply sped up, but soon it became clear that whatever manner of creature was approaching was galloping after them, dragging snapped branches and scraping against bark as it moved.

The green orbs came closer and closer. The sickly light they produced was growing brighter.

It was clear that it simply wasn't possible to outrun it so easily, and now---

Finally, it was revealed.

It was at least four meters tall.

The fleshless face of the creature resembled a deer's skull, with an enormous pair of antlers. Its lower jaw, attached seemingly by mere sinew, hung open and let forth a stream of dark mist as it galloped closer. The rest of its body was composed of a skeletal frame, hair and skin clinging to its bones, in some places torn away to expose them.

In these sports, further black mist issued forth, and centipedes could be seen crawling from these ragged holes and dropping to the forest floor beneath them.

Wherever its hooves touched, it almost seemed as if the plants beneath it wilted, withering and decaying rapidly in a dark, twisted, oozing remnant of what had once been.

And it was gaining on them.

Each massive stride of its hooved feet brought it closer. The breathing sound that seemed to emanate from the creature, and yet came from all around them, grew louder.

It sounded disconcertingly like the breath of a human being.

It was almost upon them, jaws opening wider as an unearthly hiss escaped its gaping maw, and then---

A golden wall of light sprang up from the darkness, intercepting the lurching creature. Its neck seemingly snapped, bone jutting through the dried skin and patchy fur, its head bent at a sharp right angle.

After only a moment, it stepped back, a sickeningly fleshy sound coming from within its body as its neck slowly realigned itself.

Greenish fluid dripped from between its gaping jaws, now, a few small centipedes falling from its maw.

The source of the wall of golden light stood before it.

[url=https://i.imgur.com/tbrYmP4.png]It was a girl[/url], glad in black and gold clothing and wearing a wide-brimmed hat. In one slender hand, she gripped a smooth wooden staff, currently held in the air.

Her petite figure was dwarfed by the skeletal monster. The sickly scent of decay permeated the air.

"They are [i]not[/i] the ones who wronged you," the girl said, her voice firm as her green eyes remained fixed on the creature, "You will come no further."

Leaning forward, the monster's gaping maw stretched wider, the green fluid now tinged with black as it dripped to the ground.

[i]Give them... to me... suffer... they shall... suffer...[/i]

A whispering voice, raspy, seemingly emanating from the entire forest just as the breathing had.

[i]Consume... I will devour...[/i]

The girl thrust her staff higher.

"They are [b][i]not[/i][/b] the ones who wronged you," she spoke again, her voice louder now, "You shall come [i][b]no further[/b][/i]."

An eternity seemed to pass. The sickly rot scent only grew stronger.

But the creature suddenly rose, its decayed body turning as it slowly shambled off into the blackness of the forest.

The sound of breathing faded. The sickly rot odor disappeared, too.

The forest seemed lighter again. Slowly, the songs of birds could be heard once more.

The girl lowered her staff, letting out a heavy sigh.

And then---

She turned on her heel, marching right up to the medusa and the two smaller girls and aiming a swing of her staff squarely at her head.

"What were you thinking?!" she exclaimed, "Intruding on [i]that shrine[/i] of all places?! You're lucky Relki saw you...!"

[@Rune_Alchemist][@Rin][@Pyromania99]