Scrambling to an equal stance, Matt flicked his hand out and summoned his energy blade in a flash of light. "Come at me, bro!"

On the lower floor, Helena moved under the hole in the roof and snapped up, throwing her arms over the edge, digging her claws in the roof to try and stay still. Her legs flailed as she tried to keep her spot.

The beast lunged once more, swinging out at Matt's sword.

Outside, Alasea rushed up under Helena, grabbing her by the feet and pushing her up, trying to give her the leverage she needed. "What's attacking him?!" she demanded.

Helena's claws scampered onto the roof and she erupted towards the shadowy monster just as Matt sliced the air in a threat. She leapt onto the creature and sank in with her claws, unloading a gout of fire breath right into the thing's hint of a face.

The creature snarled as Helena got the drop on it, and raged about as the flames washed over it. The gout lit the room, but even then, it seemed no radiance could pierce through the shadowy veil covering its body. It thrashed about as it tried to dislodge the weredragon, presenting its back to Matt more than once.

Well, hello there, obvious weak point! Taking the chance, Matt spun around and swung his blade up the monster's exposed backside.

The thrashing of the beast ensured that Matt's blade would not hit its back--but as luck would have it, the movement caused blade and arm joint to connect in conflicting directions, and the beast's arm flew through the air as it roared.

Searing hot blood splashed against Matt's clothing and the barrier held, deflecting it away. Steam rose up off of it as it splattered on the floor, spurting from the wound. With an enraged cry, the beast finally threw Helena off and fled through a nearby door and into darkness.

"Keep your head down!" Matt shouted at Helena. "Bladearang!"

Helena shielded her horns as Matt threw his blade, spinning like an aerial buzzsaw. It sliced a path through the doorway and travelled a short distance before fading.

"Damn it, I don't think I got it," Matt said. "What the FUCK was that thing?"

"Is everyone okay?" Alasea called over the building wall, still outside.

"We're fine!" Matt called, cupping his mouth. "Just tangled with some shadow monster!"

Helena brought her nose to the ground and sniffed a few fast times. "...it didn't leave a scent," she said, glancing up at Matt. "That means I can't track it."

"Uh...thanks?"

"Did you manage to hurt it?" Alasea called back.

"I took off its arm!" Matt walked over to the steaming hunk of darkness, and poked it with a newly formed energy blade.

"Bring it out with you when you come out," Alasea called out. "I want to get out of here as quick as possible!"

"Man, I ain't touching that," Matt said, dismissing the blade. "I dunno where it's been. Or if it could kill me or not."

"Pick it up with some vines," Helena suggested. The weredragon had risen to her hind feet again, but still she sniffed, trying to catch a wisp of scent.

"Good idea." With a gesture, Matt called forth crawling tendrils that slipped around the shadowy limb.

"That's an interesting specimen," Alasea commented when they returned with the severed limb.

"What is it?" Ileyna asked, arching an eyebrow in confusion and revulsion.

"I have no idea," Alasea replied, taking the limb from the vines. She made sure that none of the blood dripped on her, as it was still steaming, and may have been dangerous. Her hand seemed to disappear into the blackness, which still covered the limb even after it had been separated from the creature's body. "I've never seen this kind of property in a monster."

Matt reached out. "Hey, man, don't grab that with your bare fingers!"

"She can heal herself if it's neccessary," Hugo said. "Stay calm."

Alasea wove a seal around the arm to prevent it from decaying, and it immediately stopped bleeding.

"It's not harmful," Alasea mentioned, then blanched. "But it feels disgusting. There's no way whatever this came off of was created naturally. You weren't able to kill the creature?"

"I hit it with a blast of fire and Matt sliced it with his energy sword," Helena explained. "It just ran off after that."

"If it was working alone, then it might be wild," Alasea mused, looking off to the side. "But we shouldn't take that risk. Not here. Let's get back to the camp and get ready to move on from here."

"Okay," Matt said. That thing was way too freaky. He'd definitely rather not risk running into more.

They backtracked through the facility and the adjacent mine tunnel to their campsite and the destroyed bridge. Above them, the black and silver clouds hung imposingly as they did their best to cover their tracks and break down the camp site. Scents were masked and the wards were unwoven.

As they gathered the last of their belongings, Alasea took one last look out over the blasted city far in the distance. Somehow, in her heart she felt like another storm was brewing.

"You okay?" Helena asked. The weredragon clacked over to Alasea's side, shouldering a pack that seemed dwarfed by her frame. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, I think we're set," Alasea said, shaking her head. "I just feel... uneasy. But I always feel uneasy here now."

"I know what you mean." Helena looked out at the tattered city skyline. "I felt like running away from here ever since we set foot into the city. It's either my instincts are trying to overtake my brain or we've genuinely entered the most dangeous place we could be. Either way, it feels like things are going to get worse until they get better."

"They always do here," Alasea said softly. "They always do."

Lightning flashed in the distance, over the twisted husk of the city. Alasea spoke again, her voice stronger. "C'mon, let's get out of here."

Helena laid her claw on Alasea's shoulder and smiled. "We'll get through this. I'll make sure of it."

Alasea nodded and placed a hand over Helena's. "Here's to hoping."

They regrouped and left the campsite, moving deeper into the forest, past the wrecked bridge. They continued traveling until night fell, forcing them to camp for the night once again.

This forest was creepy as hell. Okay, the whole world was creepy as hell, but a small group camping alone in a forest, surrounded by lots of little places for pants-shitting monsters to leap out and get pants shitting? Not the place Matt wanted to be. He shielded his eyes - sun wasn't out but it helped him focus - and he squinted, trying to gauge the edge of the forest murked in darkness. "I really don't think we should camp here."

"We're not being given much of a choice," Alasea said. "It's getting too dark and there's worse things out at night on this world."

"Two people on guard tonight," Hugo said. "This is asking for an ambush and I'm not taking any chances."

Ileyna was staring up at the skies above as the older members of their team spoke amongst each other. After a while, the girl finally spoke up. "What's up with the clouds?" she asked.

"We don't know, Ileyna," Alasea replied. "I can't tell why there are black and silver clouds."

"But what happened to the silver clouds?"