Shaping the world: a spear and the essence

Ferrin grasped his spear in anger, so hard that his nails started to hurt.

"Relax, man" slender girl covered in jaguar's fur whistled. "You are always so angry."

"How can I not be? Look at the mountain Jeeva. Look at what they had done to it." He pointed a finger towards a quarry, far away. It was abandoned some time ago, leaving only scarred land behind.

"This is probably a tenth quarry we had seen. You just always get too upset", she said, in vain. Jeeva knew she could do nothing to reach him now, when he was overcome by emotions. She had sometimes wished he could redirect them at her instead.

"We are late again", Ferrin gazed into the sky. "They know they are being hunted, so they are not sitting in place for so long anymore."

"They are afraid of us", she agreed. "Lets hurry. Kaid and the others should be waiting for us."

She turned to run, but he suddenly grapsed her wrist. "I wish you had seen the spirits angered, Jeeva. Then you wouldn't think I'm crazy anymore."

Their eyes met for a moment before he let her go, and so they ran.

Poor Ferrin... At first, she was against letting him join the group, but he could control the essences just too well. Even now, he is amazing fighter, second only to Kaid. They had to endure his insanity, as long as he can kill some of the shapers for them.

Soon they had reached the clearing where the group of six people was waiting.

"The place is empty", Ferrin yelled while still on the run. Some men of the group looked at him distrustfully, since he was still too enraged. And after all, that spear he carried...

Suddenly, Kaid took a stance. Someone was near. Everyone knew what happens when Kaid takes fighting stance. There is something dangerous around, be it giant redfur bear, shapers, or the raging spirits themselves.

Her body shivered like always while watching Kaid embracing his essence. Wolf fur cloak he wore suddenly stiffened, claws clenching over his fists. Giant head of an Ironspine wolf came to life, resting on his shoulder and growling, it's eyes glowing silver.

Nobody knew how Kaid had slain Ironspine wolf, nor how he could acquire it's essence. She had never heard anyone else took it in. Ferrin might have been outstanding, but compared to him, Kaid was completely out of this world.

The others had their essences ready as well, taking in the spirits of bears and wolves; they even had one tiger, and her, a jaguar essence.

Ferrin lowered down, one hand in the dirt while almost laying his spear to the ground, holding it aside. Once shapers had found their position thanks to over two meters tall weapon. Ferrin was using deer and rabbit essences. Everyone else opted for predator essences, since they needed to kill themselves, and they had no weapons. Their kind had never dared to wear a shaped object, but Ferrin was insane enough to carry it. Even after seeing what he saw.

A shaper was moving towards them. He was not trying to hide his pressence, and he seemed to be alone. His body, covered in silver reflected sunlight into her eyes. Flail was crashing branches behind him, digging a trail into the ground.

He had already embraced the essence. Is he seriously planning to take them all alone?

"We run" Kaid whispered, exchanging looks with the approaching man. Everyone seemed a bit surprised, but no one disagreed. Everyone turned to escape, waiting for the command.

"No", Ferrin simply said, and then he moved. His powerful stomps thundered while he was flying straight towards shaper. That fool! We can't beat a man with mountain essence!

But also this was a fight between a spear and a flail in the middle of a forest. Both of these should be terrible anywhere aside the open field. That might be the only chance Ferrin had.

The group waited. It was his own decision to abandon an order. The rest will stand and watch him kill or be killed.

He sprung with a forceful leap. Spear crackled out of tension, straining; she hated that sound. Shaper didn't move to dodge. Instead, he whipped the giant flail like it was a rope. It was Ferrin now who had to dodge or be crushed; he redirected spear to the ground, and bounced to the side just enough. If it was anyone else, even Kaid, he would have been dead. Shaper's attack was too fast.

Ferrin's disadvantage is too large. Not only the weapon of his enemy outranges him, but even if he hits, he might not pierce his skin. The essence of mountain is not meant to be tamed. This was never supposed to happen.

"If we die, don't keep fighting. Just run", Kaid suddenly whispered. Before anyone could talk, he ran towards the enemy too.

Why? Why would Kaid risk everything to save Ferrin? He abandoned orders on his own behalf! He knew that he was alone in this...

Silver shaper didn't seem to care too much about the other man running at him. Why isn't he scared? He must have heard at least something about the terror Kaid had wreaked upon other shapers.

As soon as Kaid was in range, he whipped his flail horizontally and hit. That threw the man away five or six meters, but didn't seem to hurt him much. Kaid didn't try to block and instead let the weapon's force carry him, soaking only a bit of damage.

Ferrin took the chance, and attacked with his spear while the flail was busy. It seemed like it would hit, but Silver stepped aside in the last moment. Spear flew under his armpit and he grabbed it, keeping it in place. He seemed surpise though, as he couldn't lift it with Ferrin holding it. 

Actually, he couldn't move it a single bit.

It was when Ferrin took in the black bear essence. He was not only holding three essences at a time, but he mixed a beast and it's prey. Only few men in history were able to do such a thing, and it was almost as amazing as what Kaid was doing.

On the other side, a wolf-coated man was charging at the Silver too. That man knew that if he let the spear go, Ferrin is gonna get him. He also had only one chance to hit Kaid; if he misses, he's dead.

Instead, he swung towards Ferrin. He was the one also kept in place; he had to let go off his spear, something he would rarely do, at times even holding it in his sleep.

That swung gave Kaid an opening, but it was just a bait. Silver leaned backwards and let the flail run, making a full circle around his body, going straight towards Kaid.

This time, he will take in the full hit.

Kaid blocked with his right arm. The flail broke through the iron fur and bones, as well as his strenghtened body, and crushed his arm. But there it stopped, and Kaid managed to make a contact.

And once his hand makes a grasp, it will never let go.