With quick reflexes, Dimas pulled Shella and me behind the largest tree root nearby. We crouched low, trying our best to remain silent.
A few moments later, the swarm of creatures passed by us. As their name suggested, the Black Vampire Bats were indeed pitch black—covering their fur, wings, eyes, and claws. In the darkness of the night, perhaps all that could be seen was the shadowy silhouette and the sound of their wings flapping.
To me, as a Haier-Elvian, the appearance and form of the bats were crystal clear. These creatures resembled the bats I had seen before. What set them apart, however, was their size. They were as large as a dog, with wingspans of around three meters. Their large fangs jutted from their mouths, ready to suck the blood from their prey. Perhaps that was why people called them Black Vampire Bats.
These creatures moved in packs when hunting. Just like bats on Earth, their vision was poor, and they relied heavily on echolocation to navigate. When their sound waves hit an object, the echo would bounce back, allowing them to identify what was in front of them. That's how they saw. The bats distinguished between prey and inanimate objects by movement. So, as long as we remained still, they wouldn't be able to detect us.
Now, all we had to do was stay perfectly still until the entire group passed. I had to hold my breath, making sure my movements were as slow as possible. My hands tightly gripped Shella and Dimas's hands. A feeling of tension and fear overtook me. This was the first time I had encountered Black Vampire Bats since entering Elvian territory. These creatures were aggressive; they attacked indiscriminately when hunting. They were wild animals that roamed freely in the northern foothills, but I had no idea why they had come here.
Every second felt like an eternity. I was almost out of breath, but I held it in, praying the swarm would pass by quickly.
Suddenly, Shella let out a small gasp and pressed herself closer to me. I saw several bats glance in our direction for a brief moment. As I was about to warn her to stay still, I finally realized what had terrified Shella. On top of the tree root was a centipede as large as an adult's thigh. The five-meter-long insect crawled slowly toward Shella, possibly trying to hide from the swarm of Black Vampire Bats. But it only made the situation worse for her.
Its antennae repeatedly brushed against Shella's pale face. Her breath quickened.
"Shella, stay calm!"
"Close your eyes!" I whispered urgently, hoping to prevent any sudden movements that would attract attention.
Shella shut her eyes tightly, clearly terrified. The fear was evident on her face. It was understandable; anyone would be horrified by an insect that large. Worse still, the centipede's long antennae hinted at its venomous nature.
Instead of retreating or avoiding her, the massive centipede climbed onto Shella's shoulder. She screamed softly as the insect crawled across her body. Her face was filled with sheer terror, and beads of sweat poured down her forehead. She fought to keep her eyes closed, trying to remain still and not make any sudden movements.
Without thinking, Dimas suddenly stood up. He thrust his sword into the centipede, piercing its body, and threw it far away. The insect writhed after being stabbed. Several bats that sensed the movement on the ground immediately swooped down to feast on the centipede. The fangs of the bats tore through its hard exoskeleton with ease, like tearing paper. An ominous shadow loomed as the swarm of bats focused their attention on us.
For some reason, my body froze. I watched in horror as the bats zeroed in on our position. Several bats looked at me, landing in front of me, as if to confirm if I was part of their prey. One bat approached, opening its mouth wide to reveal its long fangs. My heart pounded loudly in my chest as I imagined those fangs sinking into my flesh, tearing my skin apart.
Dimas, already standing with his weapon, wasted no time and cleaved the bat in front of me. Immediately, many of the other bats turned their attention toward us. They rushed toward us with their mouths wide open, ready to feast.
"Run!!" Dimas shouted.
Without wasting a single moment, I dashed away from the scene. As usual, I was in the lead, guiding my companions who had poor night vision. The swarm of Black Vampire Bats turned around, following us. They swooped down on us like the wind, but they didn't attack right away. They hovered above us, flying just over our heads.
Suddenly, two bats dove down sharply, mouths open wide. I quickly nocked two arrows and shot them down. Occasionally, I fired arrows toward Dimas's direction. He seemed to be struggling. Deflecting the bats while protecting Shella wasn't an easy task. He had to swing his sword several times, narrowly missing the bats as they charged. Five bats came from behind. I stopped running for a moment and allowed them to pass. Then I took a defensive stance.
One by one, the bats fell to the ground. However, one arrow missed its mark. A bat that had evaded the shot lunged at me. But I managed to deflect its two fangs with my bow. The force was so strong that I was pushed backward. I drew a small dagger from my pocket and stabbed it repeatedly until the bat was dead.
"Damn, filthy creature!" I cursed angrily.
After that, I chased after Dimas and Shella, who were ahead. It seemed they were having difficulty. About ten bats had surrounded them from all sides, trapping them like rabbits in a cage. I intended to ready another arrow for my bow, but I held back.
There were too many of them. I would run out of arrows before even a single day had passed since we started this journey. In the midst of my confusion, I suddenly realized something.
"Of course! The viglet!" I exclaimed joyfully.
I don't know why I had forgotten about my primary weapon. I pulled out a small staff from inside my sock. The ivory-colored viglet with black markings looked elegant in my hand now.
"Vitr Bris!" I uttered, pointing the viglet at the swarm of bats surrounding my two companions.
I could feel the energy flowing from my body through the viglet I held. It was clear, almost tangible, as I felt the current of Esze coursing through my magical circuits. A gust of wind shot from the tip of the viglet, knocking down the bats that surrounded Dimas and Shella.
The force was immense. Not only the bats but also the trees around us were affected. The giant tree trunks nearby cracked, some even looking as though they would topple if struck again by the force of the wind. The entire swarm of Black Vampire Bats was drawn to the chaos. Many of them turned around and came toward us.
"Damn it! Run!" I shouted.
I led the way again. Around us, the towering trees still provided plenty of space for the bats to fly between. They could dive and circle above us, their wings cutting through the air.
After what felt like an eternity, I found a hollow beneath the root of a giant tree. Without hesitation, I dragged Dimas and Shella inside. The hollow was large enough to fit the three of us.
The swarm of bats followed us in, but because the entrance was narrow, only one or two bats could enter at a time. Dimas and I swiftly killed each bat that tried to get through. We stabbed with our daggers and swords, one after another. The bats, relentless as they were, didn't give up easily. Every time a bat fell, another would take its place.
"Damn it! It's never-ending like this!" I muttered. I pulled out the viglet and aimed it at the entrance. "You two stay behind me!"
After making sure Dimas and Shella followed my lead, I unleashed a massive gust of wind. I could feel the powerful wind rushing from the tip of the viglet. As I recited the words and released the stored power, I saw the entrance explode, and the bats surrounding us were blown away.