The creature quickly recovers, turning its attention back to me, recognizing that I am the bigger threat.
"Fornicate, Drasuk. Fight!"
He just stands there, trembling.
As it closes in, the creature's many eyes glint with malice. I shoot again, aiming for another eye, but it's too quick, dodging to the side. It lunges at me, and I barely dodge out of the way, its claws swiping through the air where I stood moments ago.
Drasuk charges at it, his powerful legs propelling him forward.
I assume he intends to slam into the creature, knocking it off balance, and some of my panic eases.
Instead, he swerves at the last moment, his momentum making him hit a tree with a loud crack. The creature swipes at him and this time Drasuk manages to hold on to it.
I can't understand why he isn't using his claws to tear into it. Instead, they grapple, a tangle of limbs and tails. I take advantage of the distraction, moving in close and firing another shot.
This time, the bullet hits its mark, striking one of the creature's eyes dead center.
It screams, a high-pitched, keening wail that makes my ears ring. It thrashes, trying to dislodge Drasuk, but he holds on, his claws digging into his own limbs, leaving long scores.
He's lost his fucking mind.
I fire again and again, each shot taking out another eye. The creature's movements grow more frantic, more desperate.
But it's not done yet. With a mighty heave, it throws Drasuk off, sending him crashing to the ground, then swipes at him, leaving long gashes on his neck. It turns its attention back to me, its remaining eyes filled with rage. I back away.
My gun is almost empty, but I refuse to show fear.
It charges at me, and I dive to the side, barely avoiding its snapping jaws. I roll to my feet and fire again; the bullet hitting one of its few remaining eyes. The creature roars in pain, but it's not enough to stop it.
It lunges again, and I have no choice but to meet it head-on.
With a burst of adrenaline-fueled strength, I close the distance, dodging its claws and teeth. I slam the barrel of my gun into one of its eyes and pull the trigger. The creature's roar of pain is deafening, but it's still not dead.
I keep pushing forward, using my gun like a club, bashing at its eyes with all my strength.
Finally, the creature falters. It stumbles, its many eyes reduced to bloody sockets. With one last desperate effort, I shove the gun into its largest eye and fire. The creature convulses, its death throes shaking the ground beneath us.
It collapses with a final, shuddering breath, its body twitching before going still.
I stand there, panting, covered in sweat and blood. My entire body aches, but I can't rest yet. Drasuk needs help, if he's even still alive. I move to his side, pushing the creature's bloody corpse off him. He's breathing hard, blood seeping from wounds on his neck.
"Are you okay?" I ask, my voice hoarse.
Drasuk winces. "I'll live. Thanks to you."
I help him to his feet, supporting his weight as best I can, which is pretty much not at all since he's massive. As we move away from the creature's corpse, I feel a sharp pain in my stomach. I look down and see the creature's spiked hair embedded in my flesh, blood flowing down the thin black suit.
"Great," I mutter, gritting my teeth against the pain. "Just what I needed."
We find a relatively safe spot and collapse to the ground. I dig into my pack for medical supplies, pulling out a spray container. I experiment with it for a moment before using it on the gashes on Drasuk's neck. The spray hisses as it comes into contact with his wounds, but it seems to help.
"Hold still," I say, trying to keep my hands steady.
My vision blurs again, and I blink rapidly, trying to clear it, then shake my head when it doesn't.
"Something wrong?" Drasuk asks, noticing my discomfort.
"It's nothing. What the fiery pit in the ground happened back there, Drasuk? I thought we were a team?"
