It was lupine in shape, if unnaturally long and with pointed ears. It’s fur was a wild mixture of vibrant colors, shifting in a non existent wind, and more of that infernal fog billowing from its mane. It seemed to shimmer in sight, parts of it translucent to allow it’s internal structure to be seen. It locked its black eyes onto Jeremy, primal anger stared into his soul, and without a sound it lunged forward like a bolt of lighting.

 

The mystic phased through the weeds and branches with only a slight disturbance, the thorns collected whips on their point as it passed through. Jeremy held his carbine close to his side, firing a one handed shot toward it and forcing it to swerve away. He made a break for it, the last of the bush lashed at him while he pulled away with brute strength. A tug at his arm yanked his weapon away, the strap connected to it caught between one particularly tough plant and his elbow. The elasticity of the strap robbed Jeremy of his full strength to rip it way, and as the Mystic spun back towards him the choice was made for him. He lets go of the weapon, a pang piercing his heart, then made a run for it as the wolf seeked to rip him apart.

 

It’s was a short sprint to the rocky path, the beast snapped at his heels as he made it to the incline leading up to the bunker. Gravel had pooled at the bottom with the last few rainstorms and with no one clearing it up. The cliff face angled slightly as it curved around a small plateau before the path was finally exposed. The plateau was maybe eight feet wall with plenty of handholds, and was a short jump to get higher on the path.

 

In a straight run, he would be eviscerated once the faster creature caught up to him, but a plan started to weave together in the ranger’s mind.

 

Sprinting at full pelt, Jeremy leapt across the gravel and planted his feet onto the wall, he used the momentum to take a few steps across the cliff face before using the rest of his volocity to make a jump for the pillar. His hands gripped around it, and with strain in his arms he pulled him up on top.

 

The lupine attempted to charge up after him, but small stones start flying behind it as it failed to catch any traction and tumbled head under end before sliding back to the bottom. A roaring laugh flew out of Jeremy’s mouth as he watched, pointing as the creature stumbled over itself as it tried to get to its feet.

 

It was a trick he has used to show off to recruits before,and now he was grateful he had practiced it as much as he did. He crouched to his feet and jumped up higher on the path and made a break for it.

 

He could not go at the speed he had been earlier, the path was too perilous for that. It would be too easy to slip off the edge and swan dive back into the briar patch or rocks below. That was beside some unlucky falling rock splitting his head open. He had been asking for proper stairs to be installed for years, but it was “more natural looking”. A fact he wouldn’t admit was benefiting him at the moment as he pushed on.

 

He turned a corner facing open air and the bottom of the gorge and made it to the entrance: a steel reinforced door set into the cliff face, painted to the color of the stone around it. If it was locked, that was time lost and possibly the lost of his life as well. He gave a groan as he realized that he was relying on Carol being the last one to leave and that she forgot to lock it again. He reached for the handle, and pray to the dead gods.  

 

To his luck, the handle swung freely. He pushed at the door, the tension springs pushed back as he tried to slip in. He heard something rapidly approaching, claws scraped at stone. As he was halfway inside, Jeremy  looked to the corner to see if perhaps the Mystic will carreen off the bend and splat into the ground. His heart stopped when instead he saw it running on the wall, its legs perpendicular to the ground as it defiled gravity and mouth hungerly open with droll running off the cliff.

 

Jeremy slipped through that door with barely a moment to spare, nearly catching his own leg in the door frame with his frantic scramble. He braced the entirety of his weight onto the door, and the Mystic outside threw itself at the barrier similar unfettered fanaticism. The ranger was nearly thrown to the floor from the impact, but he recovered quick enough to shoulder slam the pierce of steel back.

 

But fear gripped him as it refused to close the whole way. The door was caught on something, and he looked down to see the beast had forced its snout into the gap and was pushing through. His knife flashed as it was raised above his head, and with a strike is plunged into the creature’s face. It drove home, ichor splattering on the floor as he felt the sharp blade taste meat. Finally, something solid to hurt.

 

It let out a yelp and retreated, the door slammed closed with its absence and as the range held the door to the frame a loud click rang out as it locked into place.

 

A smile spread across the monster hunter’s face as he relaxed, only to be thrown back as something hit the door again. It held, but he was on his back, and when he tried to crawl away he realised something was pulling at him. Did it grab him? He felt a scream reach his throat before looking to see that his boot strap was wedged in the door. With a displeased growl he sliced them with his bloody knife and scampered to the rest of the room to find something to block the door.