It was not a Mud Raptor, but a magical beast much stronger and more dangerous….a Storm Maw.
The beast laid low on the ground, its body resembling a mix between a crocodile and a serpent. Dark scales were layered across its long frame like a plated armor while its forearms were thick and muscular, more like a lion than a reptile really. At the end of each of its paws there were hooked talons that tore into the earth.
Behind it, a long tail was swishing back and forth in the air cutting through the roots besides it with ease. Alongside its spine, half formed wings were folded tight to side. They were not large enough for flight, but rhat was not their purpose. A faint static seem to crackle alongside the ridges of death growths on the sharp wings.
This was a Stage 3 Beast that was known as one of top ten apex predators of the jungle. Unlike Mud Raptors that relied on packs, a single Storm Maw could dominate an entire territory. What made them dangerous was the natural affinity for not only earth, but the rare lightning element that rarely appeared within Kaltrava outside the mountain ranges. Their ability to channel it from within to release in bursts or to enhance their own physique allowed them to easily dominate a battle.
And standing right before them was one, a beast even a Hunter would not approach without a full team.
The only thing that seemed to be good about the situation was that the creature before them was not fully grown, it was still small enough to be consider a cub even.
It's yellow eyes were locked on them as it's jaws parted slightly to reveal rows of bloody teeth. They could still see the flesh of the mud raptors inside it.
It eyes were locked onto them, filled with a strange intelligence as it observed them. The only reason why it probably had not attack yet was because it was digesting the remains of what it was eating beforehand.
Selene looked at the beast, her eyes moving quickly over its body. She pointed a finger to its side.
"The only reason it hasn't attack yet is because it's hurt."
Elijah followed where she pointed, only then noticing the huge scar on its right side. A fresh and deep wound was there causing it to favored one hind leg over the other.
His thoughts quickly flashed through his head. Their predecessors had been hoping to bond a low Stage 2 beast and here was a wounded Stage 3 beast right in front of them. They had to take this opportunity while they had it.
"Don't split up," he suddenly said sharply, his eyes becoming a bit more focus. "We will have to use the trees and rocks to wear it down."
"Wait dude," said Logan, "are we seriously about to fight that thing?"
"We don't have any choice or time right now. What do you want to do run deeper into the jungle and wait for it to pick us off one by one?"
He took a deep breath. This was real, but it was also like the games they played in the past. All they had to do is assume their usual roles.
"Logan, your up buddy. Tank and warrior role, your goal is to distract while Selena damages it from long range."
As the words left his mouth, Elijah felt his whole body becoming more relax. This was it, this was a feeling he could relate to. The calm before the battle. Strategies and planning running through his head.
The Storm Maw rose slightly from its position where it had been crouching. The muscles on its body seem to shift like beneath its scales like coiled springs. A low growl was released from the beast's throat, deep enough to vibrate the air.
Selena had never taken her eyes off the beast, studying it for any little detail or information that could be helpful.
"It most likely going to favor its left side. We need to move now before it recovers any further," she told them.
"Alright. Logan your up. Draw its attention and make it turn towards you."
"Why is my role always the one that most likely to die?"
"Shut up. I can see the grin on your face. Your actually starting to enjoy this."
True to Elijah's words, Logan had a huge grin on his face as he ran towards the right side of the beast, diving behind a stone. He popped up immediately with his arms spread wide while he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Come here ugly! Come get me!"
The Storm Maw's head instantly snapped in his direction as its eyes narrowed. Without another moment of hesitation it exploded forward. The ground caved in beneathed its claws as it launched itself forward with a terrifying speed.
Logan was calm though as if he had been in this scenario a thousand times, a wide grin still on his face as he waited until the last possible second to dodge to his side. The stone he had hidden behind was shattered in fragments upon impact as the Storm Maw slammed into it with its full weight trying to bite down on Logan.
Already rolling away in the dirt, Logan had a glean in his eye as he shouted aloud.
"Selena, your mo-"
"Already on it dummy," Selena shouted back, two large fist size rocks in her hands that she had picked up were now being hurled directly at the Storm Maw side as it turned. One of them bounce harmlessly off the scales while the second struck closer to its open wound. The beast jerked and snarled in pain after the second hit.
"There!" barked Elijah," Keep hitting it on that side."
He was rushing in from another angle with a sharpen branch he had broken off from a tree. Every movement of the Storm Maw was being burned into his mind as his body moved on instinct. The creature was fast, but its movements were not flawless. They could win this.
He lowered his body and pushed forward. At the same time the Storm Maw's tail whipped across the air towards him. The tattoos on his arms began to glow as his body moved into overdrive.
Elijah slide beneath the tail feeling the wind lash in his face as it passed over him, while he drove the broken branch with both of his hands into the fresh wound on the Storm Maw's side.
The Storm Maw let out a roar instantly that shook air and trees. A burst of lightning exploded from its body before Elijah even had a chance to react. He was sent flying backwards into the dirt. His entire body felt numb all over.
"Elijah!"
"I'm okay! Focus," he barely managed to return back.
The beast was furious now. Static was dancing widely across its half-formed wings while it sighed its claws deep into the earth. It crouched as if preparing for another explosive charge like it had at Logan earlier.
This time though it had switch targets and was looking straight at Selene who had just shouted.
Instead of panicking like most people, Selene looked back at it with an almost daring look. Only she would dare taunt a beast like that. As the Storm Maw released another roar and charged forward, she did not move an inch.
Then just as Logan had earlier, she dodged at the last possible second, diving between two giant roots too narrow for the Storm Maw to cleanly pass through. Still the beast tried.
One of its wings smashed into the root and got caught for a brief moment. A moment fhat Logan had been waiting for.
His bulky figure came running out with a thick branch that he was wielding like a club. He brought the branch down on its jaw with everything he had. The branch shattered in half as it hit the scales, but the force of his blow caused the Storm Maw face to hit the ground.
The entire clearing shook from the impact.
"I got—"
For one brief moment, they thought they had gotten it. Then before they could even catch their breath, they were interrupted as the Storm Maw moved.
Its head snapped forward like a whip while at the same time one of its forearms slammed into Logan's chest. He was launched backwards in an instant backwards through a curtain of vines before he crashed directly into a tree trunk. All the air in his body was knocked out instantly.
"Logan!" shouted Elijah.
The beast rose again, this time a lot slower, with blood dripping from its wounded side and from its jaws. Rage and confusion burned in its eyes as its head whipped around. Lightning could be seen flickering and crawling over its scales in violent bursts and flashes. It was clear as day that it was hurt badly, but Elijah also knew that only made it more dangerous.
He had to find a way to get them out of this fast. He glance over to his side to see Selene had already bent down and grabbed another stone. She was preparing to launch it when Elijah rose his hand to stop her.
"If it fires that lightning again we all will be toasted."
Meanwhile as he spoke, the Storm Maw had lowered its body again, readying for a charge at Logan. He was still on the ground trying to recover his breath with one hand over his ribs. Still even then he was forcing out a laugh.
"Alright ugly, come on then."
The beast charged him. Elijah and Selene both ran at it from the sides, but neither was close enough. It would reach Logan before they or any attack they could throw could hit it.
As Logan looked upon at the charging monster, he felt something change in his mind. He still felt the fear in his bones, but an acceleration in his blood also. This was just like when they played the fantasy games and he was the tank, just way more realistic. It felt like his wildest dreams were coming true despite the fear in his bones. He found himself smiling in the face of death as he dragged himself to his feet.
Instead of running, he stepped forward as if he was about to embrace the Storm Maw. It roared at him, opening its mouth once again to reveal the rows of sharp fangs.
"Hurry up then!" he roared back at the beast. "As long as I still got energy I'll wrestle with you!"
The Storm Maw was almost on top of him when suddenly it just stopped in its tracks.
Its claws tore into the ground as it skidded to a halt just several inches away from Logan. The entire jungle went silent as it observed him for a moment, until its yellow eyes looked directly into his.
The markings on Logan began to glow while at the same time matching lines of light spread on the scales of the Storm Maw. A torrent of energy and memories ran through Logan mind and the Storm Maw as a yellow light encompassed them both.
Logan felt so many emotions and feelings at once…confusion, anger, pain. He could remember his first hunt and the first time he produced a spark of lightning within his body. He remembered tearing into stone with his claws. Then there was escaping the hunters rhat had ambushed him. Memories and feeling sped through his mind until finally he landed on the last one—
"I'll wrestle with you…" he heard himself say.
Then a bolt of lightning passed between the two of them, from the Storm Maw into Logan chest. The beast's growl became lower and calmer as it moved behind Logan and began licking its wounds.
Elijah and Selene were stopped in their tracks by the sight of it all.
"Did he just bond with it?" asked Selene.
Before Elijah could even answer, a spear whistled through the air and buried itself into the ground besides Logan. A voice suddenly rung out from beyond the tree line.
"You thieves have ten seconds to explain why you have touch my beast."