Rosie's Games

Chapter 374: Canyon

Rosalind and her friends huddled together against the cold, hard surface of the cliff, their breathing quick and shallow. Above them, the monstrous creature feasted on the remains of its latest kill, its guttural growls and crunching bones echoing through the rocky canyon.

Rosalind knew that using her illusions was useless against beasts since their sense of smell was far too keen for any illusion to fool it. However, it was better than doing nothing.

She used her illusion to hide them from the beast's gaze, hoping it would not smell them.

Everyone stared at the beasts with wide unblinking eyes as they devoured the other.

For what felt like an eternity, they waited in silence, holding their breath. Finally, the snake-like creature let out a deafening roar and began to move away. As the monster moved, its scales rustled against each other, making a sound like a thousand blades being sharpened at once.

They immediately let out a collective sigh of relief, their tension releasing in a rush.

Slowly, they emerge from their hiding spot, their eyes scanning the rocky canyon for any signs of danger.

"That was-"

"What was that?" Elias asked. "This was the first time I have seen something so..." Elias shivered.

That snake-like monster was an imposing sight. Its massive body stretched out. They could not see how long it was but Rosalind was pretty certain it was more than ten meters. Its scales were a deep glossing black, shimmering in the light like an obsidian.

Its head was elongated and triangular, with glowing red eyes and a set of razor-sharp teeth.

On top of its head, there was a large, twisted horn that curved back towards its neck.

Despite its monstrous appearance, the creature looked fast and agile, striking with lightning speed.

"I have never seen something like that in the past," Magda said. She had fought so many wars against the beasts that by now, she was familiar with what they looked like. "That was not a demonic beast." She looked at Huig, her expression grim.

"That is a demon monster," Huig said. "I have... seen one in an illustration in the past."

"A demon?"

"Yes. They are- They are more dangerous than a normal beast and their bite could make one like them," Huig said. "I have never seen a real one before."

The frown on Rosalind's face turned deeper. "We need to be more careful. Stay alert and keep moving. We need to find a good spot where we could camp for the night." The longer they stayed in this place, the more vulnerable they were.

They needed a place where they could safely camp for the night.

She looked up at the sky. The sun was still up but this place was full of haze. It is unpredictable.

"Demon monsters are very active at night," Huig said. "That book says that only the bigger ones would hunt during the day. The smaller ones would take advantage of the dark and hunt."

"Then we need to hurry. Set up a camp and take turns guarding it for the night," Rosalind announced.

The group continued on their journey, moving quickly through the rocky canyon, their senses on high alert. They searched for a suitable spot to set up camp for the night, but the terrain was treacherous.

Finally, they stumbled upon a small clearing surrounded by tall rocks near the base of the tall cliff, which provided a natural barrier from the outside world. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best they could hope for in this unforgiving terrain.

As they set up camp, Rosalind instructed everyone to keep their weapons close at hand and take turns keeping watch throughout the night. The tension in the air was palpable, and even the slightest sound made them all jump.

As the sun set and the darkness descended upon them, the group huddled together around the campfire, their eyes darting nervously.

"Isn't this place a little too quiet?" Valentin noted. This small clearing was surrounded by tall rocks yet it does not explain the quietness around it.

No one answered him as everyone was having their own thoughts.

While they were prepared for this trip, no one knew how dangerous it really was.

Rosalind looked around, scanning the surrounding area for any signs of danger. The silence was unnerving, a sense of foreboding rushed inside her.

"Valentin's right. This place is too quiet," she said, voicing her concern. "We need to be on high alert. Two people will be watching over the camp. We will be watching the camp for three hours each. So each of us can have six hours of rest. That should give up plenty of time to recuperate."

"I agree... Huig and I can take the first watch," Magda was quick to volunteer. She then looked at Rosalind. "You should get some sleep so you can heal us if we are injured. We need you to be at your full strength all the time."

Rosalind nodded. As a healer, she understood how important her role was in this trip.

Alright," Rosalind said, her voice low and serious. "The rest of you get some rest while you can. We don't know what's ahead of us." They already had their beef jerky, so everyone should be ready to sleep.

With that, Magda and Huig took their positions, keeping watch for any sign of danger.

As the night wore on, Rosalind felt her eyes grow heavy with exhaustion. She knew she needed to rest, but she couldn't shake the feeling of unease that hung over them all.

Just as she was about to drift off, a faint rustling sound caught her attention. She sat up, her senses on high alert, and scanned the darkness around them. They had already put the fire out as they did not want to attract the attention of the demons.

At first, she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. But then, she noticed a pair of glowing red eyes staring back at her from the shadows.

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

"Huig?" she whispered. "Magda?"