Dark Divinity

Omen rose slowly, taking in his surroundings with all of his senses keenly tuned in. The air was heavy with humidity and the smell of rotting leaves, as the dense forest surrounded him appeared to shut in on him. Long, menacing shadows swirled from the tall trees, their gnarled trunks entangled with crawling vines. Every step was dangerous because of the tangled jumble of underbrush and roots on the ground.

The other two who had come out of the threshold stood beside him, having been teleported to the same location as him. One had a head like a serpent, and his eyes were small slits that gleamed like a predator. The other, in sharp contrast, had enormous vertical holes for eyes and was as pale as death, giving it a strange aspect. Each of the three of them was waiting for the other to initiate contact in a tense standoff.

Omen's heart pounded in his chest. He knew he wasn't strong enough to confront them directly. In the split second of decision, he turned and ran. The dense underbrush clawed at his legs, but he pushed forward, the sound of his own ragged breath filling his ears.

Omen sprinted through the forest, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps. The jungle seemed to conspire against him, branches and vines reaching out to snag his limbs, the uneven ground threatening to trip him with every step.

"Ah for fuck's sake!" His heart thundered in his chest as the sounds of his sudden pursuers grew louder, why couldn't they just fight each other! Was it right to pick on the weakest one who only wanted to flee, the serpentine hiss and the pale one's eerie, almost silent movement spurring him on.

His sharp vision cut through the dense foliage, and ahead he saw a massive brown creature, its body a bizarre combination of sinewy muscle and chitinous armor. Six eyes, closed in slumber, dotted its head, and six powerful legs were tucked beneath its bulk. Omen's mind raced, devising a desperate plan.

Without breaking stride, he snatched a fallen tree branch from the forest floor. Drawing on every ounce of strength and precision, he hurled it at the creature's top right eye. The branch struck with a dull thud, not enough to cause real harm, but enough to jolt the beast awake. Its six yellow eyes snapped open, and it let out a deafening roar, shaking the trees around it with its terrifying vibrations.

Omen didn't wait to see the aftermath. He veered sharply to the side, diving into an underbrush. He rolled through the thick foliage and disappeared into a shallow swamp, the murky water swallowing him just as the monstrous creature reared up, its roar echoing through the jungle.

His pursuers skidded to a halt, momentarily distracted by the now enraged beast, giving Omen precious seconds to conceal himself in the swamp's dark, muddy embrace.

The two boys stood frozen in shock as the creature rose to its full height, towering three meters above them. Its six eyes glowed a violent yellow, locking onto the pair with a furious intensity. The jungle seemed to hold its breath as the beast, now fully awake and enraged, focused its wrath on the perceived intruders.

Omen, submerged in the shallow swamp, was unaware of the chaos unfolding above. He crawled through the muddy water, his heart pounding, trying to mask his scent and stay hidden. The cool, thick sludge clung to his skin, and he held his breath, praying the creature wouldn't detect him.

The beast convinced that the two were the culprits who had disturbed its rest, moved with terrifying speed. It lunged forward, its massive limbs tearing through the underbrush. With a sickening crunch, it seized the serpentine-headed boy, ripping the head from its body in one violent motion. The creature's powerful jaws crushed the skull, silencing him instantly.

The pale had turned in a desperate attempt to follow Omen's path, but his tall frame became ensnared in the dense thorns of the bushes. The beast, not willing to let its prey escape, launched itself at the struggling slave. It stomped him repeatedly, each blow shaking the ground and breaking bones with sickening force. When the creature was satisfied, it began to devour its meal, the crunch of bone and tearing flesh echoing through the jungle.

Omen crawled silently through the swam and finally, he emerged on the other side of the beast's territory, gasping for breath. A brief moment of reprieve washed over him until he looked ahead and felt his hopes extinguish.

He stood on the edge of an extremely high cliff, overlooking a massive, violent river below. The waves were tumultuous, crashing against rocks with such ferocity that Omen was certain the river could rip the flesh from his bones. The roar of the water filled his ears, and he realized the hopelessness of his situation.

There was no safe way down the cliff, and the river offered no salvation. Omen's heart sank as he understood that he had merely traded one peril for another. Thankfully he wasn't being chased by the creature behind.

Omen's brief moment of despair was shattered by a roar behind him. His intuition screamed danger, and he knew without a doubt that the six-legged beast had tracked him despite his mud covered body. The mud from the swamp hadn't been enough to mask his scent. The realization sent a chill down his spine.

Without looking back, he took off running. Survival was all that mattered now. His legs pumped furiously as he sprinted along the riverside, the rough terrain barely registering as he fled. The beast, despite its massive size, was astonishingly fast, closing the distance between them with terrifying speed.

Omen could hear the pounding of its feet and feel the vibrations in the ground as the creature chased him. The roar grew louder, and he knew he was running out of time.

As the beast lunged at him, Omen arched his back flat against the wet shore, narrowly dodging the creature's brutal attack. He recovered almost instantly, the beast's momentum causing it to roll before it regained its footing and faced him once more. Now the beast was in front of him instead of behind. The malice in its glowing yellow eyes was palpable, a brutal promise of imminent death.

"Damn", was all he could whisper as he stood face to face with such terrifying malice.

Omen's options were stark and terrifying: die at the hands of the beast or by the unforgiving forces of nature. With no other choice, he made a split-second decision. He sprinted towards the edge of the cliff and, without hesitation, flung himself into the violent waves of the river below.

The icy water swallowed him instantly, the force of the current yanking him beneath the surface. The roar of the river filled his ears, and he struggled to keep his head above water. The waves battered him mercilessly, each one a potential death blow.

Omen soon realized the folly of his plan as he fought against the violent river waves. The brutal current tore at his skin, and his energy waned rapidly. He frantically scanned his surroundings, desperate for any chance of survival. Then he saw it—a lone branch jutting out, dividing a small portion of the river in two. It was like a beacon of hope amidst the chaos, and Omen silently thanked the gods as he tried to swim towards it.

Just as he felt the glimmer of hope, something violently rammed into him, completely dislocating his shoulder. Pain seared through his body, and he struggled to keep his head above water, fighting the urge to swallow the river's relentless onslaught.

Through the haze of agony and desperation, he caught sight of what had hit him. It was the beast, its eyes still filled with intense malice. Omen's mind raced with incredulity.

'Was its sleep that good?' he pondered inwardly, shocked by the creature's relentless determination to have him for lunch…though he felt it was more because he had disturbed its slumber.

The beast's presence in the water was terrifying, its massive form cutting through the waves with ease. Omen's situation had gone from dire to nearly hopeless. With one arm useless and the river threatening to drag him under, he focused on the branch, summoning every ounce of strength left in his battered body to reach it.

The roar of the river echoed through the ravine, the relentless tide churning and slicing through the air with a savage hiss. Omen's breaths came in ragged gasps, each inhales a struggle against the pain radiating from his dislocated shoulder. His left arm hung useless at his side, the swollen, purple flesh a stark contrast to the bronze skin of his right. Blood seeped from multiple wounds, mixing with the icy water that threatened to pull him under with every surge.

'gods give me a break'

The creature, a bizarre amalgamation of scales and sinew, thrashed in the water a few feet away. Its six eyes, each a different hue of malevolence, locked onto Omen with an intensity that sent a shiver down his spine. Its gnarled limbs clawed at the water, struggling against the current that seemed to slice at its flesh with razor precision.

Omen could see the creature's frustration; its monstrous form was not built for the fluid ferocity of the river. Yet, despite its struggle, it moved towards him with alarming speed, propelled by an otherworldly determination. Omen knew he couldn't match its strength, not in his current state. His left arm screamed in agony, a constant reminder of his vulnerability.

The river's roar grew louder, a deafening harshness that threatened to drown his thoughts. He could feel the current tugging at his legs, trying to pull him under, to claim him as its own.

The creature's eyes burned with an unholy fire as it drew nearer, its maw opening to reveal rows of jagged teeth. Omen tightened his fist, readying himself for the inevitable clash, his heart pounding in sync with the river's violent rhythm.

Then all of a sudden the creature's advance halted abruptly, its six eyes widening in terror. The malevolent fire that had burned in them moments before was extinguished, replaced by a primal fear. Omen, still grappling with his pain and fatigue, couldn't comprehend the sudden change. His own survival instincts screamed at him to stay alert, to prepare for whatever new threat loomed.

'what's up with this bastard?', he was more alarmed with the fact that something else could terrify such a deadly creature.

Before he could react, the sky darkened, a massive shadow blotting out the sun. The roar of the river was momentarily drowned out by an ear-piercing screech that echoed through the ravine. Omen's gaze snapped upward, his breath catching in his throat.

Above him, descending with a terrifying grace was a monstrous two-headed bird. Its black wings spanned the width of the ravine, each feather a blade slicing through the air. The bird's twin heads, each adorned with piercing eyes that seemed to see through flesh and bone, scanned the water with predatory hunger.

Eyes that gazed straight at them from the cloudless sky.