A giant cry echoed across the forest, sharp enough to make everyone instinctively look up. A creature burst out of the portal together with more than two hundred others, but this one was completely different from the rest. Unlike the creatures they had faced before, it actually flew. That alone was enough to send a ripple of unease through the defenders, as no flying monsters had appeared from this secret realm until now, anyone, for that matter. The sudden change caught everyone off guard, especially because the creature seemed far larger and faster than anything they had expected.
"Right, let the new recruits focus on shooting the rest, and have family members focus on the eagle. Watch your arrows so we don't hit friendlies," said Arin with a warning in his tone. He never took his eyes off the creature as it soared above the battlefield. The arrival of a flying enemy complicated everything they had practiced during the last week. Ground targets were predictable, but an enemy that could move freely through the air was an entirely different challenge.
"Clear!" shouted Bill immediately. He began yelling the order further down the line so the message could spread across the hill without delay. Arin appreciated the help because it allowed him to concentrate entirely on the eagle. There was no point in everyone trying to relay orders when someone needed to keep track of the creature's movements. The eagle was already proving difficult enough to follow.
At first, the creature appeared to be flying directly toward their position. Arin drew his bow and prepared to release an arrow the moment an opportunity presented itself. Before he could fire, however, the eagle abruptly banked to the right with astonishing speed. It descended toward a group of recruits who were concentrating on the creatures pouring from the portal below. The sudden maneuver immediately transformed the bird into the highest-priority threat on the battlefield.
Without hesitation, Arin adjusted his aim. At this point, experience mattered more than conscious thought. He did not calculate trajectories in his head anymore. Instead, he simply looked at the path of the target and felt where the arrow would land. If the shot appeared safe and had a chance of hitting the target, he fired. Years of training had taught him that instinct was often faster than reason.
Arin was not the only one reacting to the danger. Three aimed arrows shot from concealed positions within the treeline. At the same time, nearly two hundred arrows arced into the air to target the mass of creatures emerging from the portal. The battlefield briefly became a storm of wood and steel. For a moment, it looked as though the eagle would be caught in the barrage.
Unfortunately, the results were disappointing. One arrow missed the eagle by nearly a meter. Another passed harmlessly beneath it. The third managed to clip its wing, drawing a shrill cry from the creature. Rather than falling, however, the eagle simply climbed higher into the sky. Within seconds it had reached an altitude where many of the archers were no longer confident they could hit it.
"Damn it, bastard," muttered Arin under his breath. There was no point obsessing over a missed opportunity. He quickly redirected his attention toward the battlefield below. The last thing he wanted was for a surviving monster to slip through because everyone had become distracted by the eagle. Fortunately, the ground assault had been completely annihilated by the rain of arrows. Nothing remained alive near the portal.
The only things left behind were arrows scattered across the dark soil. Normally that would have been excellent news. Recovering arrows was an important task because even handmade equipment required time and effort to produce. Yet under the current circumstances, nobody seemed particularly eager to rush forward. The eagle circling above made the entire area feel like a trap.
Berhto whistled softly as he observed several people preparing to collect ammunition. Under normal conditions he would have encouraged the effort. This time, however, he had serious reservations. Anyone stepping into the open could easily become bait for the creature overhead. The eagle had already demonstrated both intelligence and patience. That combination was rarely a good sign.
"Right, get one of the new recruits to fetch the parents," said Arin while staring upward. "I am not dealing with that thing without a proper plan, and I don't have any idea how to bring it down." His frustration was obvious. The creature remained nearly three hundred meters above the battlefield, circling lazily while occasionally releasing arrogant cries. It looked completely unconcerned about the people below.
Although Arin did not bother using Identify, he could already tell what the creature was. It was a corrupted bald eagle. The irony annoyed him more than he wanted to admit. The famous cry associated with bald eagles was not actually theirs, yet somehow this corrupted version sounded exactly like the dramatic calls people expected. Even in a new world, misinformation seemed impossible to escape.
"This is nothing like the drone training," Arin said while tracking the eagle through gaps in the canopy. He glanced briefly toward the sky and estimated it was around eleven o'clock in the morning. The sun had risen high enough to illuminate the battlefield clearly. Unfortunately, better visibility did little to solve their current problem. The eagle remained frustratingly out of reach.
"No, that is true," replied Berhto. "Those drones were nowhere near as fast, and they were much more predictable." He remembered the countless hours they had spent training against aerial targets. Karl had insisted on the exercises after studying footage from various conflicts around the world. At the time, most of the younger members had complained constantly. Now everyone was grateful for every minute of preparation they had received.
The drone exercises had been difficult, but at least drones followed recognizable patterns. Their movements often revealed their intentions before they acted. Governments had become extremely sensitive about civilian drone usage, leading manufacturers to build extensive safety measures into commercial models. As a result, most training drones behaved in ways that were relatively easy to anticipate. The eagle was proving to be the exact opposite.
Government restrictions had not appeared without reason. Drones had become so cheap and effective that they fundamentally changed modern warfare. In many regions, elaborate underground tunnel systems had become the norm because remaining above ground was simply too dangerous. A machine costing little more than a hundred euros could threaten equipment worth millions. The imbalance had forced militaries around the world to rethink their entire approach to combat.
Sadly, none of that experience translated perfectly to fighting a living creature. The eagle did not follow programming. It did not repeat predictable patterns. Most importantly, it could adapt. Every minute it remained in the sky allowed it to gather more information about the defenders below. That realization left everyone increasingly uneasy.
Suddenly, Berhto began swearing under his breath. The reaction immediately caught the attention of the others because he was usually one of the calmer members of the group. Arin turned toward him almost immediately. If Berhto was worried enough to start cursing openly, then something serious had occurred to him.
"What is it, Berhto?" asked Arin. "Did you figure something out?" His voice carried a sense of urgency that he rarely displayed. Several nearby archers also looked toward Berhto, curious about what had caused the sudden change in mood. Nobody liked surprises when dealing with secret realms.
"Yes," said Berhto grimly. "I think that bastard is trying to summon its companions." He continued watching the eagle while speaking. "And I don't believe it is anything less than a stage one creature. Otherwise, staying here makes no sense. If it were weaker, it would be better off heading toward another secret realm that isn't guarded by humans."
The implications of that theory settled heavily over the group. A stage one creature was dangerous enough on its own. The possibility that it might be attempting to call reinforcements was far worse. If additional powerful creatures arrived while the defenders were already occupied, the entire situation could spiral out of control. Suddenly, the eagle's refusal to attack directly seemed much more alarming.
Berhto turned around and searched the distant forest for signs of approaching adults. Unfortunately, he did not see anything encouraging. The nearest experienced fighters were roughly ten kilometers away. Even moving at impressive speeds, they would still need considerable time to reach the battlefield. The original relief shift was not scheduled to arrive until two in the afternoon.
"Wait," said Bill, his voice filled with concern. "You mean we might have to deal with another stage one creature while also keeping an eye on the sky?" The prospect clearly unsettled him. Managing one major threat was difficult enough. Handling multiple threats simultaneously was something else entirely.
Tom remained unusually quiet. Earlier he had been joking and complaining as usual, but now the weight of the situation had finally reached him. He knew logically that the eagle's appearance had nothing to do with his earlier comments. Even so, the timing was uncomfortable enough to make him feel guilty. Nobody wanted to tempt fate, especially not when fate seemed eager to prove a point.
Arin took a slow breath before making a decision. Panicking would accomplish nothing. They still had responsibilities, and people were looking to him for direction. The situation was dangerous, but not hopeless. What mattered now was ensuring that everyone remained organized and alert.
"Right," said Arin firmly. "I will keep an eye on the sky. The rest of the family members focus on the stage one beast whenever it comes down." He pointed toward one of the recruits standing nearby. "Relay this to everyone. On each side of the hill, I want at least one person watching the sky at all times. Nobody takes their eyes off that eagle."
The recruit nodded immediately and hurried away to spread the orders. Around the hill, archers adjusted their positions and prepared themselves for what might come next. The portal continued to pulse ominously beneath the dead tree. High above them, the corrupted eagle circled silently against the morning sky. No one knew exactly what would happen next, but every person present understood one thing. The battle was far from over.