The group of families stood in front of a mountain or mountains gazing at the natural pathways coiled around it's body, ascending higher and higher until it vanished along with the peak into the clouds.
The group were tensed and ever few steps taken they would look back as if scared of someone or something pursuing them. Just few moments ago they heard screams coming from behind them, the screaming urged them to move faster in the vast jugged expanse littered with broken rocks so black it looked like black diamond.
Looking at the mountain there were supposed to ascend, the mountain was unlike the others, while the others ended with pointy tips this one ended with a plateau.
'This most be where those black rocks came from'. Eclipse marvelled as he gazed at the black mountains. 'we haven't ascended yet why is the air heavy'. The air wasn't heavy with tension but it was as if the molecules were denser and heavy as the wind were moving sluggishly as if carrying an invisible weight.
"Careful the Aether here is dense, it will cause Aether poisoning if you inhale too much". Timon spoke out explaining the situation.
"It's basic knowledge, I don't know why you have to mention it. The thing there got to know is that anyone who moves sluggishly will be left behind". The short man who Eclipse came to know as Yuno spoke out with hostility in his tone.
"We are not leaving anyone behind". Jo a tall man with a beard which he seems to love twirling around with his fingers spoke. "We have left a lot behind, and besides i think it good that Timon let out his warning you know children can be explorative". He turned his head to Eclipse as he finished his words.
'shame on you that wasn't me and besides is explorative even a word'. Eclipse adverted his gaze to see his sister stealing a glance at a boy standing near the short hostile man, through the walk he had come to realize somethings. For one, the boy Maria was looking at was her first love, yep the one whose family tarnished her image although it was found out that it was the other way round, the people weren't dumb, after a little investigating eyewitnesses proclaimed to have seen the boy together with the girl numerous times but each time they make an excuse. The girl in particular was also standing a few feet away with her family, his mother Claire was still ignoring his father Timon, things were pretty awkward, but not as it was for him.
A few feet to his right the girl whose name he didn't know but responsible for the slap that sent his thoughts out of his head was staring daggers at him, gritting her teeth, ever since the journey he haven't turned his head right.
"Okay that's enough we are not leaving anyone behind and I will appreciate it we all move fast." Timon gave one last look at the direction of the village before turning his back. "Let's go". And thus they ascended the mountain.
Every one was silent as they walked on the pathway up the mountain each to their own thoughts, every one except the warriors who were focused on their surroundings, even though the mountain were Lifeless with no sign of life, there had explored this particular mountain before and didn't find a single living thing.
'Hmmm Timon was right, just inhaling a breath is enough to last me two minutes without the need to breathe, Aether is wonderful". Eclipse marvelled at the abilities of Aether. 'But why is there no living thing, no plant, no Stain, wait hold on to that thought, you remember what thinking can do— the good things never gets to happen but the bad thing is constantly popping. Wait a moment if I think of bad thing and it doesn't happen that means I am no jinx, hmm a stain is about to appear'. Right as he finished the thought Timon held his hand up to stop them from moving forward.
"Something is following us".
'damn it, what have I thought' Eclipse started to swerve his head left and right looking for signs of anything. 'I am no jinx's.
"Don't be delusional Timon, this mountain is dead there is nothing here". Yuno said finality in his voice.
"No I see it's traces".
"I don't see anything do you guys see anything, no".
"Be quiet"
"Yo—
"Be quiet". After staying in one position with Timon looking around.
'He is probably seeing it through his eyes of truth, they doesn't seem to be anything different from his regular eyes, why would I have even thought they would have been anything different'
"Let's go".
"What did I tell you all, nothing.
The group tensely continued on the movement this time cautious of there environment. There arrived at a wide clearing at the side of the mountain, there was a cave on the far end of the clearing.
"We go through there and we are safe". Jo spoke in relief.
Everyone started to move in the direction of cave easing up with else step.
'And to think I thought it was an invisible creature'.
Out of nowhere something appeared which caused everyone including the hunters to freeze. It has a human body with thin wings which caused buzzing sound as it flapped keeping it in the air, with seven stingers that looked like rapiers extending from it's back and the head of a mosquito with multiple eyes blinking on it's compound eyes, it's human body was twitching rapidly as if it was having a convulsion, it was as if the body was disgusted by itself— a Stain.
As soon as it appeared it exploded in motion stabbed it's stinger into the nearest person close to it which happened to the wife of Yuno and vanished, she couldn't even scream as she passed out in fear, pain and disgust when she was stabbed, fear— because of the appearance of the Stain, pain— due to being stabbed by the rugged stingers, disgust— due to the feeling of the stingers twitching inside her body, disgust dwarfed her other emotions.
Everyone just stared at the position she previously was in shock, no one moved until a headless body of the lady fell down blood still gushing from her rapidly twitching body, no one knew who screamed first but it was contiguous and everyone started to scream, everyone except four people. Timon, Jo and Yuno because they had seen worst, Eclipse because he couldn't feel any emotions, but as he continued to stare at the now headless body fear began to set in, there was a knot in his stomach and a lump in his throat, it was as if he was numb to emotions.
The beast appeared again already stricking at another person, but someone somehow intercepted it.