The Hellish Hirsute Horror (Part 2): Kreznic's Revenge

The trio tried to put the harrowing events of that first night out of their minds, intent on still enjoying the rest of their camping trip despite the near-death encounter. After all, Kreznic and his foul beard-demons were gone...for now. 

But in the back of their minds, they knew the vengeful old crone wouldn't let their transgression slide so easily. They were powerful, but so was he in ways they barely understood. Ronin, Zane and Akari treaded carefully through the Black Pine woods, keenly aware that they could be vulnerable to another ambush at any moment.

Sure enough, at the crack of dawn on the third morning, a dense ground fog started creeping through their campsite once more heralding the arrival of fresh new horrors. The three friends wasted no time leaping to their feet, powers at the ready for whatever Kreznic would throw at them next.  

From within the obscuring mists, a series of bestial roars and inhuman shrieks pierced the air. Hideous undulating shapes began emerging - twisted amalgamations composed of tangled beard hair, splintered wood, and sharpened bones. 

They took the forms of grotesque wolf-like creatures, with toothy maws lined with jagged fangs and splintered claws capable of shredding flesh in an instant. There were at least a dozen of the unholy beasts, circling the young men while gnashing their teeth menacingly.

"These things just keep getting uglier," Zane grimaced. "Somebody really needs to buy that old freak a hair trimmer."

The bearded wolf demons needed no further provocation. With a guttural rallying howl, they charged forth at the friends with blinding speed and feral hunger. Ronin swiftly formed a protective energy bubble around them to deflect the first clawing attacks.

Akari concentrated and caused razor sharp stalagmites to erupt from the earth, spearing several of the hairy horrors before they could get too close. Yet for every one that was skewered, two more instantly emerged from the fog to replace it.

The battle raged on until the air itself started to distort and fluctuate. Ronin and Akari could sense that Kreznic had personally entered the fray now, lending his dark energies to overpower them at last.

Zane realized there was no way they could withstand the relentless demonic horde and the old warlock's formidable presence bearing down upon them. He knew they needed to escape the camp and flee deeper into the Black Pine wilderness where Kreznic's reach may not extend as far.

Focusing his own previously untapped strength, Zane gathered his inner energies and unleashed a devastating shockwave that knocked the remaining beasts back. Using that brief window, he grabbed his friends and channeled his power into a speed-enhancing ability that allowed them to race away from the campsite like speeding bullets.

The fog parted as Kreznic's conjured demons gave chase after their prey through the twisting woodland paths. But the farther the trio fled, they could sense the unnatural forces weakening in pursuit. The old mage's dominion over the forest only stretched so far before his foul magic began to wane.

At last, after putting several miles between them and their pursuers, Ronin called for them to stop so they could catch their breath. The oppressive sense of dread had fully lifted, signaling that Kreznic was unable to track them any longer. 

For now, they were safe from the demonic hirsute horror that constantly dogged them...

"Did you see how he sent those things after us?" Ronin panted, still winded from the frenzied chase. "And when we got far enough away, I could feel his power weakening."

"Yeah, he's limited to just the woods surrounding the town," Akari frowned, quickly piecing together the entity's limitations. "He can create his demons anywhere in that space, but can't project them far beyond it."

Zane shook his head in disbelief. "Guys...what the hell are we dealing with? Seriously, that was some twisted stuff straight out of a nightmare!"

"Uh, pretty sure nightmares would be terrified of the horror we just survived," Ronin deadpanned. "But you're right bro, Kreznic's some kind of ancient evil we know nothing about."

"Well we're not going to just tuck tail and run!" Akari boldly stated. "That demented forest freak sent his foul minions to kill us. We need to figure out who - or what - he is, and put an end to his torment for good. No more holding back."

His determined words hung in the air as the other two solemnly concurred. Until now, they had been three ordinary college buddies with extraordinary powers simply trying to enjoy a weekend camping trip. But now, Kreznic's vendetta had made things deeply personal. He awoke abilities within them that had been mostly dormant, only flaring up in rare circumstances before now. But their uncanny talents would need to be fully unleashed and mastered if they hoped to end the demon beard's reign of terror forever.

The time for playing defense was over. They would rest, regroup, and strike back against the eldritch force known as Kreznic with everything they had.

Ronin sighed as a new sense of purpose and determination set in. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm kinda over this being our relaxing summer break..."

To be continued...