System Break

The whimpers echoed up the mountain as the beastmen squeezed their prey eking out the last scraps of information. 

Reyas hid to the right of the entrance and I was on the left. Gisael was above, high up on the mountain, lying under a blanket which matched the colour of the rocks.

The wolf walked upright but otherwise looked nothing like a man. Clawed hands, feet and with his long snout he sniffed the air. He wore a harness with weapons and pouches hanging from it but was otherwise naked. His grey fur provided the needed warmth for the mountains.

Lumbering behind the wolfman was the massive ape like beast. It was almost as wide as it was tall. It was bent over most of the time, switching between travelling on all fours and  two legs. Its arms almost touched the ground and it never stood fully upright while Demon Bird watched it.

The wolf sniffed again, and I hoped that all he could smell were the shaman's pungent ingredients. He looked at the ape and flicked his head towards the massive boulder covering the entrance to the shaman's cave.

He lowered down his captive woman and stuck a single claw under her chin. His voice carried and it sounded well enunciated for a growl. "Stay or you wish you did."

The ape lay his woman down, she was much younger than the first. She sobbed, crawled towards the older woman, then cowered in her arms.

I hid behind a boulder and watched them with Demon Bird's eyes. Gisael could see us all and Reyas would have to rely upon her ears. We were well hidden, and our bodies were rubbed down with spices and oils to cover our scent.

The wolf climbed up onto the wide ledge and inspected the boulder. He nodded to the ape and they were silent since they were close to the cave's entrance.

The ape listened and then looked at the gap. He was far to big to squeeze through. I watched the qi flow through him, and his muscles tensed as he grabbed hold of the boulder.

My own qi flowed as I cursed that the plan had deviated before the first blow. We never guessed that the ape would move the fucking boulder. It must have weighed ten tons and it slid outwards as his muscles strained.

So much for a silent approach on their part. The screeching of rock on rock assaulted my ears. 

I sprung and ran as fast as I could hoping the noise from the rock would cover mine. The clay pot sitting atop the boulder teetered and fell the wrong way. It cracked open on the ledge and its toxic powder spread into the air.

We were wearing cloth masks, mine was underneath my wooden antler helmet and it covered my nose and mouth.

The powder floated in the air and it was on the outside of the boulder. It would have worked beautifully in the tight passage, but instead it spread wide in the open air. The wolf's head jerked as a small whiff met his sensitive nostrils. 

The moment of shock was all I needed, and I charged him. His eyes widened as the toxin worked its way into his lungs and my hand met his back. I shoved with all my strength and pushed with my qi - he flew off the ledge.

The ravine below was deep, it was at least a two hundred yard fall before he hit a face and bounced to another. I was focused on the ape and missed the chance to watch him fall like a flying brick. Demon bird dived to begin the search for his entrails which should be splattered on several outcroppings as he fell.

The ape roared as an arrow cracked and broke on top of his head. His fur and pitch black skin were covered in a lattice of qi. Not only did the beastman possess insane strength his defences were more advanced than ours.

I skidded to a halt, took a step back and his eyes fixed on me. Another arrow broke against his neck and he ignored it entirely. He took a step away from the cave towards me and his eyes blazed red. He didn't look happy that his friend decided to take up flying lessons today.

His smile showed me two rows of large yellow teeth. I watched as his qi flowed from his stomach to his fists as he launched himself at me. I stepped back using my agility and speed as his lethal jab fell short by a foot. But his qi flowed out from his fist and hit me in the head.

The power of the impact rocked me and only my wooden antler mask saved me from what could have been a devastating blow. I let my qi flow to every part of my body using everything that I knew.

I was seeing stars, but my reaction was pure survival instinct. 

She had been stalking the ape since I pushed the wolf from the ledge, but the battle moved so quickly her axe met his back while he prepared to smack me down for the second time.

She swung the axe with all her might and her qi licked the head as she struck. Only I could see the flash of blue as her qi met his. His pattern was intricate and refined. Hers was crude but backed with her strong desire to protect her home.

The ape grunted as the axe broke through his defence and sunk into his back. It dug into it by an inch but because he was so massive it was like a bee sting.

He began to turn away from me and his long arm swung through the air with Reyas directly in its path.

She did not back away, she brought her second axe over her shoulder and down. She was courageous and I feared for her life. I wished she would have jumped back instead.

The first axe ripped free as he turned. The fight was taking place at furious speeds but for me it seemed like slow motion. It was always like this for me, ever since I played basketball in high school and the coach praised my court vision.

I launched myself at the ape, Reyas forced my hand I could not let him smash her into the side of the mountain. Qi ran up the wood in my chest, back and arms, all the way to my fingers which reached for his chest as he turned.

He was strong but I was fast. Remembering Reyas' example I overcame his defence with sheer volume of qi. It flowed over my fingers like a fountain as they dug into his shiny black chest. I ripped hunks of flesh and he howled. But it did not stop him. It did not slow his momentum. He hit her on the side of her shoulder before her second axe could land. There was a loud crack and she flew into the rock wall like a rag doll thrown by an angry child.

Another sickening crack followed, and she crumpled to the ground in a heap. She must have broken every bone in her upper body. Blood dribbled from her eyes and ears while her mouth hung open. Her eyes were open, but lifeless.