A shiver ran through Scarlett like ice-cold water from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Slowly, she put her head back. The fog was so thick that it hung like clouds in the treetops. But Scarlett saw the silhouette of the devil, the glow on his head ... and the jaws.

Drool dripped from the blackish flesh and moistened the yellowish teeth. Scarlett faced her imminent death. Her entire body was stiff and rigid.

'Why isn't it attacking?'

The teeth were bared, and the dull light from her Tinderling cast an eerie black and red glow on the rough, scaly skin. Long claws cracked the tree bark and dug into the wood as if it were nothing more than soft earth. The lurking creature had glowing red but... milky-looking eyes. 

Scarlett squinted hers a little as if she could see better that way. There was no pupil! Only the dog-like, pointed ears twitched and kept turning in new directions. Then Scarlett had a flash of realization: 'They're blind! They react to sounds!'

The young woman hardly dared to breathe. She didn't have time to think about why Hunter - that rotten dog! - hadn't told her about it. Her fingers clutched the revolver, and the pain her body was feeling from the injury she had sustained earlier faded into the background. 

Suddenly, even her heartbeat became boomingly loud and rushed in her ears like foaming spray on the high seas. The soft hissing of the valves, the whispering of the Tinderling ... everything suddenly seemed treacherously loud to her. She instinctively shifted her weight; at that moment, a small twig cracked under her boot. 

'Oh no... no-no-no-no!'

She could see the creature crouch and prepare to attack. A tremor ran through Scarlett's body, then the survival instinct kicked in and overtook her clumsily stumbling thoughts: with a jerk, she leaped forward, rolled sideways across the ground, immediately jerked her arms in front of her, and pulled the trigger. 

The thunder of the shots shattered the deceptive calm of the forest of bones like glass. The bullets whizzed away and smashed into the beast's massive body with a thud. Flesh burst, and blood spurted before the creature's shrill scream shattered the last veil of silence. 

The drum rattled and spun, and the next shot thundered. Another bullet drilled into the devil's shoulder, then he dodged, and the next missed its target. Splinters flew around as the bark of the trunk splintered. With a mighty leap, the beast disappeared into the mist, and the cover of the surrounding thicket.

But Scarlett knew it wouldn't give up easily - and the noise might have attracted more of these devils! So Scarlett hurried back to the nearest tree trunk and pulled new bullets wrapped in the gleaming brass shells from the cartridge belt. The drum clicked open, and she quickly pushed the bullets into the device, closed it again, and let her gaze wander around hastily. 

It rustled and cracked, first in one direction, then in the other. However, there still seemed to be some distance between her and the beast. Like a predator, the devil circled its prey and waited for the decisive moment. 

"Damn it!" Scarlett groaned breathlessly, pulled out the compass, and bent over. Panicked, she tugged at the bars of the seven-league boots, trying to push the guide rails that had popped back into the piston and repair the mechanism. But the rod was broken! 

"This can't be happening!" she gasped, panic rising inside her. 

What should she do? She couldn't escape the devils on foot! 

Her thoughts twisted and turned, fluttering in all directions like startled chickens. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, and Scarlett reached for the compass dangling from her belt. She glanced briefly at the engraved letters on the tarnished brass and hesitated. 

'For my beloved sister. May you always find your way home. Raine.'

'Forgive me, Raine,' she murmured and slammed the case on the floor. The glass shattered, the disk lost its grip, and Scarlett reached for the compass pin that held the needle in the middle. She quickly pushed the iron wheel back into place and then slid the pin into the axle of the seven-league boot. 

She heard the tinderling hiss as the flickering figure pressed itself against the glass, and the small eyes blinked curiously to see what she was doing. 

"I know it won't last for long," she said hastily, even though the creature hadn't said a word, "but it's our only chance!" As soon as she spoke, she scrambled to her feet. 

Not a second too soon because the rustling was mixed with a growl coming from several directions. 

"Come on! Move!" 

She didn't want to die here! To her right, the fog billowed like fabric under a breeze - but Scarlett didn't look; she pressed the lever of the seven-league boots ... and prayed. 

The mechanism worked, and the Tinderling cracked noticeably—after all, his life was at stake, too. With a groan of metal, the wheels finally began to move, and Scarlett hastily took a long step to speed them up. 

Scarlett felt that the right boot was not working as it should. Usually, the seven-league boots glided effortlessly over the ground as long as there were no huge obstacles. It hardly took any effort and only needed a little help. It took more effort, but she covered the meters faster and faster. 

Scarlett ran as fast as she could. 

A devil jumped down from a tree above her to get its prey. At the last moment, the redcoat dodged, staggered a few meters, but caught herself again and regained speed. Beneath her, the seven-league boots trembled and cracked loudly as if an iron cauldron was about to burst at any moment. 

Scarlett gasped and tried to push the boots to their limits under her power. She slipped around a bend. Mud swirled up, and the snorting and growling came closer behind her.

Then, she reached a small clearing. The dense canopy opened up, and the dark shadows receded. Although the mist had gathered here, too, as if in a bowl of soup, it could not conceal the enormous silhouette that jutted into the sky like a spear. 

"A beanstalk!" Scarlett gasped breathlessly, feeling the sunshine of hope in her heart. If she made it that far...! 

The valves hissed louder. She could see the meter's pointer slip shakily into the red zone on her left arm. Then, another beast started to jump. Scarlett pulled the trigger of her revolver and, this time hit the beast directly in the forehead.

The massive body fell to the ground, and suddenly, another devil pounced on the carcass like a bloodthirsty beast. Then, a second and a third. Flesh ripped, teeth dug into the dead body and tore it apart in seconds. Scarlett shuddered, but she could not and would not remain a witness to what was happening for long - she shot forward too quickly.

The few moments until she reached the beanstalk seemed like an eternity. When she reached the mighty tower, which towered into the sky surrounded by thick cables and pipes, her heart pounded so hard in her chest as if it wanted to leap out and escape faster than her. 

The beanstalk rose in the middle of the overgrown landscape like a mighty monument from the old, glorious days. Many trees had been felled around the tower, and ivy was growing on them again. The thick pipes and cables had been dug into the ground from all sides around the vine and then led upwards like a spiral staircase. However, many of the pipes were tarnished and partially eaten away. No wonder many of the watchtowers had already collapsed or no longer worked. 

But this one was their last hope. 

The young woman braked so sharply that the wheels on her boots cracked - and Scarlett was sure they were broken. She yanked on the stiff lever as if reaching for the last lifeline. Screeching loudly, it clattered towards her and... 

"Jump on, you damn thing!" 

The wheels of the rope drum rattled, and finally, the elevator cage came into view. The fog had corroded the framework of the elevator, which had once looked like an ornate birdcage. 

'Yes! Just a little bit more,' Scarlett thought, reaching for the doors before he had even reached the bottom. She slipped into the cage and hastily slammed the doors shut, which consisted of long, vertical bars, before flipping the thick latch. In one swift movement, she holstered her revolvers. Then, the redcoat reached for the control lever to start the elevator. 

But the rusty thing was jammed, and she tugged and yanked at it with a groan - but it just wouldn't move!

The beasts burst out of the nearby thicket like wild wolves. The background noise was a single, loud growling and snapping. The drumming of the huge paws as they sprinted closer was thunderous, and they seemed to want to give their end one last drum roll. 

Panicked, Scarlett threw her whole body against the elevator lever - and it gave way. Although she crashed painfully to the floor, it started moving not a second too soon. 

A body slammed against the cage. Long, scrawny claws swiped at her, and Scarlett cowered against the opposite wall. Loud rattling sounded, and the thick cable strands buzzed like busy bees. Then he gave a jerk and climbed upwards. 

Scarlett heard the devil's furious roar and finally exhaled. 

She had made it! 

She was safe! 

"That was pretty clo-" 

>>WHAM<<

A massive body crashed directly into the elevator cage, shaking it. The metal groaned, the bars did the same, and a long paw snatched at the prey again from behind the bars.

Razor-sharp claws struck and caught it by the boot. 

The leather crackled as the beast drew a long cut into it. Scarlett immediately screamed as she felt her flesh being torn open. Reflexively, she kicked with her other leg - right into the face of the beast that was trying to kill her. 

The devil howled as the sharp runners dug into its face, and Scarlett kicked again. Once, then again. The blade-like runner dug into the flesh and smacked like a dagger, finding its target repeatedly. And then - finally - the claws of the beast were released. 

Scarlett saw the devil slip, lose footing, and plunge into the depths. 

Gasping, she herself fell back into the corner of the elevator. With the protective steel cage at her back, she hardly dared to breathe for a few moments, fearing that somewhere the next threat would crave her life. 

But all that remained was her heartbeat, the rattling of the elevator, and the increasingly distant sounds of the feasting beasts.