Tales of The Demi Human

Chapter 9 : Guardian Spirit Leviathan

The shaman abruptly cast a spell. In just a second, a magic circle appeared under Kyran's feet.
"That's earth bind, a tier-two restriction spell! And he could cast it in a mere second?" Carol gasped. Although drained, thankfully her vigor was still alive and kicking.

The ground below Kyran cracked and made him sank a bit, entrapping his feet. Before he could react, several vines rushed from the crack, binding him starting from his feet up to the upper body. He mustered his strength trying to break free but to no avail. The shaman cast another one on Carol, then releasing the bind on their feet. As the shaman ordered them to move, four of the Euri came forward and walked by their side. Judging from their efficiency, It seemed that this is not the first time they did this kind of thing. Aren't they a bit too cautious? Even without guards by their side, there're still roughly fifty of them. The possibility of them escaping was almost non-existent. Kyran realized they didn't intend to kill them, at least not for now. While walking, soaked in the yet unceasing rain, he scanned the surrounding. The shaman and the beastmaster were the only one riding a beast and leading the way. What really caught his interest was the beast they're riding on. Back then he could only catch a glimpse of it. Now in closer proximity, he could clearly see the creature. It's almost twice the size of an Arbaros and had an appearance similar to a tiger with crimson eyes and two long fangs protruding from its mouth. Its silverish fur made an opponent difficult to perceive them in the rain and mist, putting it in the top of deadly predator.

"It's a silver saber-tooth tiger. Don't ever think to fight one. It's on the late stage of elementary rank," Carol said, seemed to know what's on his mind.

No wonder it looked imposing and could kill an Arbaros with ease. But the Euris was even more frightening, capable of taming such a beast.

In fifteen minutes of walk, they had come across several groups of ten to twenty Euris, some even had a saber-tooth silver tiger mixed in. In the group with a saber-tooth tiger, Kyran noticed it was carrying an Arbaros tied on its back. In a closer look, each of the group actually had beasts of various size tied on alive, like a hunter carried its prey home, heading toward the same direction.They're all, like Kyran and Carol, somehow being let alive for an unknown reason. He could do nothing at this rate, and could only comply until they reached their destination.

The downpour turned into drizzle, indicating hunting time had come to an end. The tree slowly thinned, as though being dispersed by setting the sun bathed the land with a hue of orange, then tangerine, until they reached a meadow. The leaders in front halted, followed obediently by others. Before them, countless tents were scattered as far as eyes could see. The Euris were bustling around , indulging in their daily routine. Some were making fire, the other were enjoying the last chunk of meat in their hand, and the rest idled around. As soon as they saw their leader had returned, they stopped their activities and cheered loudly until it shook the ground.

The captives were soon gathered at the center, encircled by the tribe. One of the Euri came forward and passed a wooden bowl filled with blood to the shaman. He immediately took the bowl and put it in his mouth and drank the content without hesitation, accompanied by the eerie chanting of the tribe. Then, the shaman sprayed the blood from his mouth toward the captives, one by one, including Kyran and Carol. Kyran peeked at Carol, hoping to find some explanation, but Carol shook her head in response, as clueless as he was. It seems that they're taking part in a certain ritual.

After the procession they're forced to walk again toward the edge of the meadow. The rain had stopped, but as they're approaching the edge, each step felt even heavier than before. Some beasts even began to berserk and dashed madly in random direction, howling in agony, but soon was controlled by the beastmaster. The suffocating air-not because of the breeze left behind by the rain but by inexplicable phenomenon, could be felt from quite a distance. What awaited them afterward was a large, dark blue pond covered in thick mist. The surface of the water was so calm not even a ripple was formed, and the mist dancing over the pond added an ethereal feeling to it. Kyran concluded the uneasy feeling was permeated from the pond. There's something resided deep in the pond, something far more dangerous than any beasts he had ever encountered.