LEVEL EVERYTHING UP in my Eldritch Tribe

Chapter 301: Mating

The relief that washed over the soldiers after the intense battle was short-lived.

Their beast slowed its flight, wings beating in steady rhythm as it glided through the air.

The tension began to dissipate, though exhaustion clung to every man and woman.

They exchanged weary glances, their grips on the feathers loosening as they allowed themselves to believe the worst was behind them.

"Finally," Harlin muttered, his voice strained. "I thought we were done for."

"You think it's really over?" Tova asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Of course it's over," Reva said, though her trembling hands betrayed her confidence. "That thing is gone. We're safe now."

Lucas stayed silent, his gaze fixed on the horizon. Even though the immediate danger seemed to have passed, his instincts screamed that something wasn't right. Lyerin, standing at the edge of the beast's back, also remained quiet, his sharp eyes scanning the skies.

The soldiers began to relax, some even lying back against the beast's feathers.

"Does anyone else feel like throwing up?" Kell asked, breaking the silence.

"I think my arms are permanently locked from gripping these feathers," Reva joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"You're not the only one," Harlin said, stretching his fingers and grimacing at the pain. "How is this our life now?"

"Better than being dead," Tova said.

"Barely," Harlin muttered.

As the group's chatter grew louder, a strange sound cut through the air. It was faint at first, like a distant hum, but it grew louder with each passing moment.

Lucas stiffened. "Do you hear that?"

The others fell silent, their heads tilting as they tried to identify the noise.

"It's probably just the wind," Kell said dismissively.

"That's not the wind," Lucas said, his voice firm. "It's something else."

Lyerin turned to face them, his expression unreadable. "You're right," he said simply.

The soldiers froze, the weight of his words sinking in.

"What is it?" Reva asked, her voice trembling.

Before Lyerin could respond, the beast beneath them rumbled again, its massive body shuddering as if in anticipation. The soldiers immediately gripped the feathers tightly, their eyes wide with fear.

"Not again," Harlin whispered. "Please, not again."

The hum grew louder, evolving into a deep, resonant vibration that seemed to come from all around them. The air grew heavy, thick with tension, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

Lyerin's eyes narrowed, and he pointed toward a distant point in the sky. "There," he said.

The soldiers followed his gaze and saw it—a dark, shifting mass on the horizon, growing larger and more distinct with every second.

"What is that?" Tova asked, her voice breaking.

"Another one," Lyerin said, his tone calm but edged with something that made the soldiers' blood run cold.

The beast beneath them let out a low growl, its wings beating faster as it prepared for the inevitable confrontation.

"No, no, no," Reva muttered, shaking her head. "We just got through this. We can't do it again."

"We don't have a choice," Lyerin said sharply.

The dark shape in the distance resolved into another massive creature, this one even more menacing than the last. Its scales glinted like obsidian in the dim light, and its wings were jagged, like shards of broken glass. Its eyes glowed a sickly yellow, and it emitted a piercing screech that sent shivers down the soldiers' spines.

"It's bigger than the last one," Kell said, his voice barely audible.

"And meaner," Tova added, her knuckles white as she gripped the feathers.

The soldiers erupted into panicked chatter.

"What do we do?"

"We can't survive this!"

"We're going to die for real this time!"

"Shut up!" Lyerin barked, silencing them instantly. "You survived the last fight because you listened to me. You'll survive this one if you keep doing the same."

The soldiers exchanged nervous glances but nodded, their fear tempered by Lyerin's commanding presence.

The new monster roared again, closing the distance with terrifying speed. Their beast responded with a roar of its own, its muscles tensing as it prepared for battle.

"Hold on tight!" Lyerin shouted. "This is going to be rough!"

The clash was immediate and violent. The two creatures collided midair with an earth-shattering impact, sending shockwaves through the sky. The soldiers screamed as they were jolted violently, some nearly losing their grip.

"Stay low!" Lyerin commanded. "Don't let go, no matter what!"

The beasts grappled, their massive bodies twisting and turning as they clawed and bit at each other. The sky was filled with the sounds of roaring, snapping jaws, and the sickening crunch of scales against flesh.

The soldiers clung desperately to the feathers, their terror mounting with each violent movement.

"This one's stronger!" Harlin shouted over the chaos.

"Thanks for the observation!" Reva snapped, her voice laced with panic.

The monster lashed out with its claws, raking them across the side of their beast. The soldiers screamed as the creature beneath them shuddered, blood spraying into the air.

"It's hurt!" Tova cried. "What do we do?!"

"Nothing," Lyerin said, his voice calm but firm. "It knows how to fight. Focus on surviving."

The battle raged on, the two monsters locked in a brutal struggle for dominance. The soldiers could do nothing but hold on and pray, their screams and cries lost in the cacophony of the fight.

After what felt like an eternity, their beast let out a victorious roar. It had pinned its opponent, its massive claws digging into the other creature's throat. With one final, brutal twist, it ended the fight.

The defeated monster fell, its body plummeting into the abyss below. The soldiers watched in stunned silence as their beast let out a triumphant cry, its wings spreading wide as it steadied itself in the air.

"Oh no," Lyerin said, his voice cutting through the silence.

The soldiers slumped against the feathers, their bodies trembling with exhaustion and relief.

"I hope this is over," Lyerin added, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

The air seemed to shift, the tension of the previous fight still lingering like a heavy fog.

The soldiers, weary and battered, were trying to gather their composure when the beast beneath them suddenly began to descend.

Its movements were slow and deliberate at first, but then they became erratic, sharp dips and jolts sending waves of panic through the group.

"What's it doing now?" Tova shouted, her voice trembling as she clung tightly to the feathers.

"Is it hurt?" Harlin asked, looking around wildly. "It has to be, right?"

"It doesn't feel like it's crashing," Lucas said, his voice steady but uncertain. "It feels... deliberate."

The beast gave a sudden, violent shake that almost threw some of them off. The soldiers screamed, gripping the feathers even tighter.

"Hold on!" Lyerin commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos. "This thing isn't done yet."

"What do you mean 'not done'?" Kell shouted. "We just survived a fight! What else could it possibly do?"

The beast roared again, a deep, guttural sound that resonated through their bones. Its wings angled sharply downward, and it dove toward a dense cluster of floating islands far below. The air around them grew hotter, and the wind screamed in their ears as the beast picked up speed.

"It's going too fast!" Reva screamed.

"Lyerin!" Harlin shouted. "Say something!"

Lyerin, standing at the edge of the beast's back, watched its movements with an intense, calculating gaze. "This isn't an attack," he muttered.

"What does that mean?" Tova asked, her voice high-pitched and panicked.

"Shut up and hold on!" Lyerin barked.

The beast barreled through the sky, weaving between floating islands with a precision that seemed almost impossible for its massive size. Below them, the islands became clearer, revealing strange, glowing formations that pulsed with light. Rivers of molten lava snaked through the terrain, casting an eerie red glow that illuminated the sky.

"Why is it heading toward that?" Lucas asked, his voice tight with fear.

"Do you think it's trying to land?" Harlin suggested.

"It doesn't look like it's slowing down," Reva said, her eyes wide with terror.

The beast let out another roar, this one louder and more resonant than before. The sound echoed across the islands, and suddenly, the glowing formations began to move. What had seemed like static, natural formations were actually creatures—massive, glowing serpentine beasts that rose from the molten rivers like spirits of fire.

"What the hell are those?" Tova cried.

"They're attacking!" Kell shouted as the serpents lunged toward their beast.

The soldiers screamed as the first serpent struck, its glowing, fiery body wrapping around the beast's wing. The impact sent a shudder through the creature's massive frame, and it let out a furious roar, twisting violently to shake the serpent off.

"Hold on!" Lyerin shouted again.

The soldiers clung to the feathers for dear life as the beast began to fight. It thrashed and clawed at the serpents, its movements wild and unpredictable. The serpents were relentless, their fiery bodies coiling and striking with precision, each attack more ferocious than the last.

"This isn't a fight!" Lucas yelled over the chaos. "It's—"

The beast suddenly dove into one of the molten rivers, its body plunging through the fiery surface with a speed that left the soldiers breathless.

"What is it doing?!" Harlin screamed.

"It's going to kill us!" Reva cried.

The heat was unbearable, the air around them shimmering with intensity. But to their shock, the beast emerged unscathed, its scales glowing faintly as if absorbing the molten energy. It let out a triumphant roar and turned sharply, its massive claws swiping at the serpents with renewed vigor.

"This thing's insane!" Kell shouted.

"It's winning," Lucas said, his voice filled with disbelief.

The serpents began to retreat, their glowing bodies flickering as they sank back into the molten rivers. The beast roared again, its wings spreading wide as it hovered above the fiery landscape.

For a moment, there was silence, broken only by the sound of the beast's heavy breathing.

"Is it over?" Tova asked, her voice trembling.

But before anyone could answer, the beast let out a low, rumbling growl and began to descend again, its movements slower this time but no less deliberate.

"What now?" Reva asked, her voice tinged with dread.

The beast landed on one of the larger floating islands, its massive body shaking the ground beneath them. The soldiers were too stunned to speak as the creature began to move strangely, its massive wings folding against its sides as it lowered itself to the ground. Read new chapters at ???

"What's it doing?" Lucas asked.

Lyerin's eyes narrowed as he watched the beast's movements. Slowly, realization dawned on his face.

"No," he muttered, his voice filled with disbelief.

"What?" Harlin asked, his tone panicked. "What is it?"

Lyerin turned to face them, a mixture of irritation and amusement in his expression.

"This damn thing," he said, his voice dripping with exasperation. "The hell is this beast mating after a fight?"