Beast and Monster Collision

Eugene felt it and screamed, 'More Eyes!' Immediately she snapped and made all those around her open their eyes and they saw the monster falling from the sky at Zeera.

It was too late, Eugene was bombarded with images of different scenes as that was one of the commande she gave.

Literally, Eugene was close to the wall, but he turned back. In fact, going ahead goes against the instinct of the beast he was in but because of the trust Zeera showed, it allowed it but now Eugene urged and the beast too ran and thus that created synergy between them and their golden palm print glowed, accelerating their speed.

But even with that, they will never reach her before impact. Heck, even the beast around her can't do a thing.

Zeera stared at it before she heaved a sigh, reining in her fate.

Shattered!

A white shield appeared before her and the monster collided with it and shattered like a fragile glass.

A realization occurred to her and immediately Eugene felt she had only three of those.

Unfortunately there are more than 40 of the monsters now and they are bigger and have reached the limit of their growth.

They all attack at the same, Eugene jumped at one of them but the stone monster turned and swiped him away.

That swipe alone destroyed the Silent Treaders' left foot and left face and one thing came to Eugene, they are an absolute natural enemy to the Silent Treaders.

He slid and stopped before he stood barely, the pain was great but held on as flashes of images of what was happening kept appearing.

'We are damned!'

The stone monsters weren't only attacking Zeera they were actively killing the Beasts.

They seem to understand if the beasts were around Zeera will never be harmed.

Immediately Eugene created a strategy and punched it toward Zeera using their connection and before she knew it she had dissipated it to others before she realized what happened.

There should be no fight but pure shield as Zeeras' ride moved ahead. The beasts will just throw themselves as a cover for the Zeera to be taken toward the wall.

And that what happened, Eugene from the side began to run toward the wall, his speed slowed due to lacking one forelimb while avoiding attacks

Zeeras' light was what the stone light craved that was why she had their attention but then one of the stone monsters that was far away and couldn't reach Zeera due to so many of them noticed Silent Treader Eugene's head had a minute glow and immediately it jumped at him.

Eugene didn't know what happened but as he was just close to the wall something rammed at his back and he felt being liquified and stretched.

It wasn't painful but the sensation was horrible and he loved to embrace melting in acid more than this feeling.

with one pull of the right paw, the beasts touched the wall and he was sucked in.

A horrible realization reached him, from his middle back down, everything was gone. The penguin hair moved and squirmed, weaving and closing the wound.

The worst part was there was no pain.

"You have survived the damned!"

Eugene's heart skipped a bit as he heard the dignified voice but the truth was he only had 10 days worth of life.

He must use them sparingly or he will become a mere figment of imagination of the Silent Treader he inhabited.

But what soothed Eugene's heart was hearing the soft, kind voice of the girl. He wished to open his eyes but didn't as images were sent to him.

He saw barely 32 Silent Beasts around her. Four of them have opened their eyes and looked around suspiciously.

"Greetings, Elder. I have come!" She said, holding back a trembling voice. If not for the fold around her face she would have been weeping.

"Good." The dignified voice said, it was a man of strong stature, hidden behind a shade of darkness and light. Behind him were numerous people standing in silence.

The atmosphere was eerily and somber.

However, there was faint light from each one of them but their faces were hidden behind a shade of shadows.

The image that reached Eugene scared him and the next word of the man made him feel relieved before he understood what it meant.

"You go back and take your castle!"

"What?" She shouted and the beast around her got agitated.

"Don't worry the Grime Stone Monsters are now your servants. Commande them however you like!"

"No, I can't go…" She didn't finish when the man flicked his finger and she was sucked back into the wall and the beast also turned and followed her. Eugene too.

The grim battlefield they barely survived was empty and silent.

As if they forgot what had happened, the Silent Treaders became relaxed and even began to sniff each other.

Zeera stood there before she collapsed on the ground panting.

"Greetings, Blind Sanctity Maiden!" A hoarse voice was heard and the beast with eyes looked up and saw four Blind Servants walking toward her from the deeper jungle.

Their robes still float behind them above the ground, they each held a cane as they probed the ground before them.

But one thing was different, there was no fold on their eyes and they had no eyes. It was hollow and dark.

"We came to guide you back to the castle. One of the last bastions that stayed against the Great Darkness above!"

Eugene immediately understood this was how that boy lost his eyes. He was right not to open his eyes all this while.

"You all should open your eyes, after that you will regain your human body"

"Not now, take us inside!" Zeera commanded. Her beast took her on his head before she faced toward Eugene . He has only one limb to drag himself.

At her command, two beasts came toward him and aided him. The return trip was uneventful and they didn't see any stone mountains.

The only problem was the bridge ladder that they have to look for the one that won't snap.

They came back into the field they were flogged and went into the half destroyed half ruined castle.

Eugene didn't do anything, knowing he has only 10 days of life then he was now in a new struggle.

If this Challenge doesn't end by next 10 days, he is doomed.

"Blind Sanctity Maiden, you should command them to open their eyes. That is the only way for them to see the world and also assume human form." One of the hollow eyes said.

The next carry on, "Failure to do that will result in the souls of the Challengers to vanish forever and Silent Treader might vanish too!"

The third Hollow eyes added, "They are still in their, but only by loosing their eyes would they ever assume humans form"

The last, which was more composed, said in a less robotic manner, "That is the only way for the challenge to end and go back as human!"

She was sitting in a corner in the underground of the castle. She looked around and she released a sigh and intent.

All the best around her felt that, if they truly want, they are free to do what they want.

Immediately most of them open their eyes and they gasp, some even transform into humans immediately with their eyes.

Of course since they are not under the sky, there won't be a lasting risk of losing eyes.

Eugene focused on the day's worth of life and probed should he open his eyes.

The dread was there but very minute. At first he became indecisive but then he refused all together. His eyes will stay closed.

Little danger isn't an abscess of danger.

"You," One of the four hollow eyes faced Eugene and said, "You will regain your body. Open your eyes!"

"Leave him alone." Zeera shouted annoyed. "Everyone can do whatever they want. Open or not, no one should be forced"

This silenced them but Eugene can feel their gaze on him despite all that.

After a day of resting Zeera walked out and scouted the castle.

She was still dazed and confused. She has no idea what to do next. Well, that's what she appeared to Eugene.

She has tried to talk to him but he sacrificed one day's worth of life and told her will die in 8 days.

Maybe that was what prompted her to move.

Despite being underground Eugene heard activity going on in the castle. The hollow eyes and the newly transformed were going up and down as if performing tasks.

Whether they too became hollow eyes, didn't matter to Eugene .

He was on his last leg. It turned out, having a lot of days worth of life has hidden perks and that was it allowed one to be hyperactive in both body and mind.

Now that his juice of days was very low, he felt tired and his emotions were dull. And the present of his body was also what caused that to the extreme.

However, there was a growing hope in his heart, a hope he doesn't know where it came from.

After three days, Zeera came back.

He didn't see her and no images were sent to him but in his mind he imagined her to be an angel, the only bright thing in the darkness, her golden hair cascaded down and swaying with every move.