The agonized squeals, hisses, howls, and vociferations echo in Venus's sensitive ears. She only captures clips of the suffering noises, brief moments as she swings her great head left to right along the surface. Her massive, sharply pointed beak pierced, crushed, and dragged groups of monsters under the unyielding bone. Flinging them away from the small group of Hunters settled at her paws, unbothered by the gunk and gore that now stained her golden beak. This time, she stays closer to the Hunters. She paces behind them while they move forward, her oversized body lowered to hear them better. It helps that the Witch communicates without words, Addy sends Venus small instructions and requests if she feels they need extra assistance.

The Hybrid is all too happy to release her flaming breath, the faint cries of the enemy pleased her flickering pointed ears. There is tension down her spine, and her grand shoulders are rigid as they shift and flex. Her long, weighty tail slaps and smacks abandoned varmints the Hunters wounded, yet failed to ash in the distraction from more incoming. The monsters are too injured to attack again, but it doesn't stop them from following their instincts to kill. Being bitten by these lowly creatures is offensive to Venus, and rather than waste the effort to crush them with her beak or colossal paws, her tail flicks them off carelessly. Multiple grotesques are flung into the unseen walls of the enormous hallway they fight in, the harsh impact collapses their bodies; flattening them into spots of splattered blood and chunks of flesh, and organs.

On the ground, the Hunters grunt and bellow in effort. Kane acts as Valli's shield, keeping the slimmer blind man at his back to use the distance the spear gives. The rope tightens and tugs, pitches at their flesh through the fabric of the increasingly ripped and worn jackets and long-sleeved shirts. Valli knows better than to go against Kane and Sunny's orders, and stays behind his bae. He peeks from the man's shoulder, whispering what creature is closer and what it looks like. From there, Kane decides who will handle it. To their right, Sunny and Addy have a similar process. Sunny front center, the Witch at her shoulder prepared with little glass jars filled with sloshing liquid crafted to cause anguish. The men can not hear the women, their position is too far and the Void too vast. Valli keeps his eyes on them, thankful for the limited sight of their silhouettes.

They had started with the flamethrower – per Kane's eager excitement to use it again. The blind hunter was amazed at how powerful the flame was compared to the last time they were here. Before the flame was large, but it was weaker than it needed to be – running out of fuel and the ten-foot length wasn't reaching as many creatures as it could have; Kane needed to get closer than comfortable for lasting damage. Now – with the upgrades – it is a good, long thirty fee, the flame is stupendous and immense, blasting with the strength of a speeding pick-up truck. Even without his sight, Kane felt the power in his arms and how hard it hit, the kick-back jerking his shoulder.

He howled in pure, unadulterated euphoria, vaguely catching Valli laughing over his broad shoulder as he watched the herd of creatures go up in a dimmed blaze. They yelped, the strange roasting unknown to them, screeching, hissing, and clawing at their flesh to extinguish the fire. Kane kept the flame swinging left to right until the fuel ran out with a sharp click in his ear, only then did he curse and scowl. Valli ran defense while the man refilled the tank with the jugs, the potent scent of the holy gas burned his nose as he jabbed out with the spear end of the weapon Kane crafted. When a monster got too close, he flipped over to the sword and sliced through the beast's torso to keep the distance between them.

He can witness his Aunt toss a glass jar over Sunny's head, out of the corner of his eyes. A blast of pure, ferocious energy explodes upon impact, imploding the beings in the blow and coating the women in various fluids. In his mind, he can hear Addy squeal in fury at her pretty long shawls getting ruined in monster viscera. Sunny stumbled back, the potion bomb taking her by surprise, grunting as she fought her body forward to thrust her machete into the head of an unseen creature.

A spurt of fluid splattered onto her cheek, adding to the gore coating her. The creature gives a low growl, flesh-tearing teeth snapping as it pushes against the large knife embedded in its oddly shaped forehead. Clawed paws grasp for the female Hunter, ripping into the flesh on her torso, and arm. She snarls, lifting her boot to serve a fierce kick to the being. The beast clings to life, pure spite to take the woman with it into death. The force of the machete coming loose jerks her body forward as she missteps, the monster shoved to the ground with a whined groan as its last breath. She gets no moment to breathe, more beings crowd around them with another one down.

Addy raises her hands, mentally calling for inner power. She can feel the creatures closing in, Sunny's strain as she tries to hold them off with her weapons piercing into thick meat. A well-aimed tackle from a slim, thin, and barking beast sent her machete flying from her hand while she was dragged down under what felt (slim, dangerously thin, and gangly) like a Windigo. The terror growls and snarls in the darkness, the eyes of the being observing her fight against it with determination. Addy screams, arms falling to spread at her sides, letting her eyes glow as she creates a whirlwind of poisonous wind and energy. The tornado spins around Sunny and the Witch in a hurricane of infected air and nuclear-strength energy, protecting them from the herd long enough for Addy to snatch one of the hunter's guns from Sunny's duffle bag hung on her shoulder.

In the void, she cannot see where she aims. However, in the proximity, she can hear the creature and Sunny's struggle. Hoping she is heard, she prepares herself for more magic draining in case the answer is negative. Shouting, "Is it on top still?!"

"Fuck–!" was the only hissed response for a moment, a feminine growl erupts before an inhumane whine sounds. Then, the affirmative comes with a grunt. "It's on top!!"

The gun goes off instantly, Addy's thin wrist knocked back from the three rounds she fired. She waits, straining her ears for any sign she hasn't just killed the Hunter. Kane would surely kill me then. Thankfully, there's a dull thump as Sunny shoves the body off her, and a tired groan. "I'm too old for this shit anymore." In the dark, Addy steps closer and carefully kneels to check on the hunter. Sunny snarls, annoyed as she pats her hands around in search of the knife she stabbed into what she thought was the heart. "Fucker just absorbed my damn pocket knife!" She pauses, shifting to sit up on her butt, wincing when her clothes stick and peel to her skin. The blood of the oddly soft yet firm monster is gooey, the texture of slime and gelatinous. "Ugh. Its blood is so thick. Gross. And that definitely wasn't a Windigo."

"Perhaps it was a mix of Windigo and new inbreed." The Witch theorizes. She wishes she could see, curious what these new species look like. Searching for a spell to see would be impossible – she attempted it – to find one specific to the void's blackness, especially.

"Maybe. Whatever it was, it was fucking strong." The woman hunter hummed, too aware of the whirlwind blocking the part of the herd from them. She quickly takes stock of her body, allowing the adrenaline to be pushed to the backburner. While she's sore, there is a stabbing pain at her side where the other monster scratched. I hope that's a flesh wound – but the stinging in my arm is new. Reaching up, she cautiously pats her left upper arm. The first tap comes away with fresh blood under a rip of her dense military-issued jacket, the second reveals five long, jagged claw marks. The flesh of her bicep is torn, loosening the muscles and tissue. Adrenaline blocks most of the pain, right now the wound is numbed by her survival instincts, leaving a throbbing sting in its wake.

"Shit." Addy perks up at the hiss, inching closer on her knees.

"What is it?" She questions, hands searching for Sunny's. The woman guides the Witch to the wound, hearing the gasp and wince. Gentle hands, slim and cool poke and prod at the gashes. After a moment of silence, Sunny feels the numb sting fades slightly at the witches soft touch. The hunter blinks into the darkness, curious. The other woman briefly explains, in a hurry. "I tried to heal some of it. We'll need better light to know the damage, but I'll keep healing it in case it gets infected or the monster is like the one Valli encountered." Addy assists Sunny in standing, balancing her when both of them stumble over a limb of the creature next to them. Quickly, she adds anticipation and worry in her tone. "We have to hurry, the energy will fade soon. The poison is weakening them, but we'll still need to fight."

On the other side, Valli and Kane work like a well-oiled machine. The larger Hunter may be the lead, but he obeys the snapped order to dodge, allowing Valli to thrust the spear into the eye of a grotesque with four, curved horns on its head. The beast stumbles, saw-blade teeth clenching, its eye leaking a darker fluid as the spear is snagged out with a sharp movement – the square-shaped orb pops out, stuck to the crude tip. Valli observes as the monster pauses only briefly, processes the missing piece – and then promptly lunges its burly, furred body at them.

Expertly, the long weapon spins over Valli's palm and brings up the, now coated in gooey gore sword. To Valli, the creature was similar to a werewolf; stood on long, muscled hind legs, and clawed paws deadly, towering over Kane's height with a large snout filled with discolored menacing teeth. Its slitted pupils sit under square eyelids – throwing the hunter off since he has never witnessed such an odd feature. Massive paws reach out, a bloody snarl smiling at them, too close for comfort and Valli prepares to be taken down by Kane's and the beast's weight — sudden heatless flames erupt the dark fur in fire, sending the being crashing to its knees while wiggling in agony, the howls and whines and whimpers are faint.

Kane barrels Valli backward as the flamethrower engages, the abrupt trigger forcing his body to stumble. He hollers the victory he feels in the stream of fire, the sensation of hitting the target trembles through his arms. A callused finger stays settled on the trigger of the weapon, keeping the spray of holy flame going to light more creatures. Valli grins, relieved. He slashes and slices at the werewolf descendant, the sword chopping through the spine and heavy throat muscles to slice the head off. The head, flaming with dimmed wisps of fire, drops soundlessly to the surface. With no time to pause, he copies the action with the group of unrecognizable beasts; chopping, stabbing possible hearts, and playing offense for Kane's defense.

The moment the flamethrower stutters to a stop, Kane tosses it onto his shoulder, the thick leather strap clinging to him. Experienced hands snatched two loaded pistols from a belt on his waist – Sunny insisted on it, said loose guns will fall out of the waistband – and swung his arms out. The guns fire in rabid sessions, colliding into the beast's heads, torsos, and limbs. The crowd is so clogged the bullets hit marks, even when they miss. This is the moment of truth; will the newly crafted bullets work, or will the monsters walk right through the rain of them? With bated breath, Valli watches. The beings scream simultaneously, a seen action for the hunter; heads rise and dunk in agony, jaws and maws wide with the unheard roars. The barrage of bullets jerks bodies left and right, and trembles them, ripping through flesh and intestines. The men move forward slowly as Kane fires, Valli at his back, ashing the ones that shake and crawl after them with well-aimed chops and jabs by his weapon.

Both of them have superficial wounds; scratches and grazes, small nicks and bruises. They're sore, yet they push through as carefully as they can. Valli watches out for Venus, unable to feel her presence or catch a glimpse of her in the dull sight he has. He's assured Addy is aware of the hybrid, proven by the soaring crushed body that bulldozes into five others in front of them, all beings dropping like bowling pins. Kane flinches at the unexpected sensation of interrupted space, only moving forward after Valli pats his shoulder blade, mumbling in his ear. "Just Venus having a game of bowling. We can keep moving, I'll put them down."

Further ahead, there's a mysterious break in the attack. The Hunters stand in darkness, uncertain where the creatures went. They were non-stop only moments ago, attack after raid that never seemed to end. Kane shoves them toward the women, untrusting the dangerous darkness. Valli offers small instructions about where their Aunts are, allowing himself to be swept up in the man's protective, unyielding hold. Upon reaching them, Valli's eyes zero in on Sunny's wounded arm. Her bicep is torn, leaking blood sluggishly and the shredded fabric reveals as much. However, with his sight limited, he can't comprehend if the wound is infected like he was. The female hunter is cautious with the limb but shows no sign of the agony he was in, rather shifts her gun to that hand for less effort-use.

For a vague second, he considers informing Kane. Glancing at the valiant man, in awe of the strength and determination that always meets him when looking at his broad partner – but decided against it. As much as his boyfriend is relentless, and almost beastly, he doesn't tolerate loved ones hunting while injured. He'd worry himself over Sunny, who would refuse to return home, she'd merely remind the man she's Head Hunter and has worked a Hunt with worse injuries before. Kane would be unfocused, more than he already is with his worry over Valli. He'll be in trouble if the older man finds out he hid the fact, but Valli is prepared to beg for forgiveness if needed.

The Hunters and Witch stand back to back, silent. While the Hunters prepared — Sunny reloading her guns and Kane unsheathing his machete at his hip — Addy retreats into her mind's eye. Conjuring Venus's appearance into an image, intending to send words through to the hybrid. "We're at a standstill. The creatures disappeared. Are there threats still active?"

Above, the Hybrid rumbles quietly at the information. She has paced around, head lowered and eyes strained, for the past few minutes. Put off by the peacefulness she felt — no such sensation has been found in the Void, it is a space where species are left to decay. The Parents leave them here, and watch as their Children give into the feral mindset where they cannibalize, breed, and repeat. Never has the intelligent animal heard of The Void offering mercy, nor did she expect to get through the feral herd. However, the tension eases out of her slowly, reluctantly the further time passes by with no ambush, no attack.

Taking no chances, she steps over the hunting group towards the double doors. They're only half a football field away, perhaps closer. If there are defenders left, they'll reveal themselves to attack her. She moves easily, unbothered by the possibility of an ambush; she's far larger than those measly chew toys. Her dulled senses capture nothing, simply the emptiness of the blackness. So quiet her sensitive ears begin to ring high-pitched, shaking her head aggressively doesn't relieve the irritation and she huffs, decidedly unhappy with this entire mission.

"If there are stragglers, I'll handle them." She answers, the voice in her mind is deep and rumbling. "We're at the doors. Come, I'll open it."

Addy relays the message, snatching hold of Valli's arm when her nephew brushes against her. She can feel the giggle he gives, shifting slightly to hug her gently with thin yet strong arms. Kane has a firm grip on his free wrist, the man keeping them close on the journey towards the mysterious, towering doors. None of them speak, too busy catching their breath and blindly checking their supplies. Valli spots Venus's silhouette in front of the entrance, an enormous shadow as they walk closer. She stood to her full height, nearing the top of the doors. Her head is turned to them, tail swishing.

The large beast comes to life from the statue she posed as, curling around to face the blockade. With a noiseless grunt, she pushes onto her hind legs, great wings spread wide as she uses her front paws to crash against the doors. They don't shake, tremble or give. Growling, she increases her strength, shoving herself severely into the material. Her claws dig into the doors, scratching and clawing. Disgruntled, she pauses. Dropping down, she walks away — steps over the humans, and disappearing into the shadows. Valli gaps, blinking in shock.

However, before he can tell the others they've been abandoned she returns. His jaw falls, head tracking the soaring hybrid's path. She had taken a running start, jumping high and wings spread as they glided at a neck-breaking speed over their heads. He winces, preparing himself for the impact of her grand body colliding with the unyielding doors. Aiming her head down, she uses the dense plate at the top of her head to bash the door, the speed and weight of her emphases a tremendous shock through the blockade. The creature repeats, and repeats — until finally, at the eleventh, last, strikes the doors give in.

The humans gasp, hands flying to shield their eyes as bright electricity shocks their retinas. Kane curses, rubbing the balls of his eyes through the lids, and blinks to refocus. The women copy him, blinking against the blue and white barks of the electrical storm that greets them. Venus tumbles through the doors, landing on her side haphazardly on cracked, desolate land. The sky is alive with deep black and gray clouds, thunder shakes the ground and the lightning casts shadows and sparks dry fires here and there. The air is heavy with suspense, a certain immorality and maliciousness overwhelm the group.

Valli's sight remains, clearer than ever, rendering his mind stuttering to a halt. He thought he'd only have sight due to the magic of the Void, in the darkness, in the pitch unfeeling blackness of that world. However, he can see the brilliant lightning strike down on the cracked and burned land. The isolation, the lifelessness. All brown dust, no grass or earth, nor animal or man. There is no trace of the monsters from before, empty of the outcries, howls, and hollers — only the booming and rumbling of the thunder. They've gone from a void of nothingness to a lifeless tundra. Traded the deadly blackness for strikes of eerie white and blue, for... nothing.

Nothing greets the group as they step foot onto the dusty land, puffs of loose dirt flutter at their boots. Valli was expecting two creatures, two Parents Of the Void. Expected a fight; a life or death, a world-in-the-balance battle.

But there is no sign of either of those. Simply a desolate wasteland with no features or landmarks. It appears, they've fought, risked their lives — all for nothing.