Bleeehhh!

Braaaaawwggbl!

The different warring cries of the opposing forces echoed above Alex and his companions. The screams went on for only a few moments but felt much longer to Alex. Then, suddenly, the ground above him was shaking. Little chunks of dirt fell in clumps as the ground rumbled above him. It felt like an elephant was stomping just over head and he wondered just how big this ‘larger’ creature really was. The vibrations got more intense before finally he felt and heard a clash above him, which was instantly accompanied by roars and screams from the monsters fighting. His Orbs and V.V. were very close to him now, just staying quiet while a war raged above.

Rumbling, roaring, screaming, over and over; that was Alex’s world now. The tunnel continued to rain down on him while the battle raged. It could have been seconds or hours for all Alex knew, as time didn’t seem to exist or matter. A loud crash could be both heard and felt from above and V.V. spoke.

“One of the creatures seems to have perished.” V.V. said from where she had practically glued herself to Alex’s shoulder.

“T-the.. big one?” Alex stammered.

“Definitely not the big one.”

“That… felt like a big one.”

“The three smaller creatures are still very large. The larger one is just… much larger. Hmm, enormous is a fitting word. Yes, I like that, enormous shall do nicely.”

Alex didn’t say anything as V.V. discussed the different synonyms for 'large' that they liked the most. He focused back on the fight above, which honestly didn’t take much effort on his part. The raging continued for some time until finally, another thud happened but farther away this time.

“Another of the smaller creatures has fallen.”

“Come on little guy!” Alex blurted out, cheering on the last of the smaller monsters.

“I did not realize we were taking sides in this battle. I will wager on the larger creature. What are the betting stakes?”

“W-what? No, I just want the big thing to go down because it seems worse than the smaller one.”

“Hmm… I see, unfortunate. The bet is off then?”

“There was no…” Alex trailed off… The crumbling ceiling seemed to sink slightly as another huge thud came from above them.

c-CRASH!

A giant claw burst through the ceiling of Alex’s makeshift nighthome.

“Fuuuuuuuuuu!” Alex screamed!

The clawed limb reached deep inside towards Alex and slammed into the ground, digging deeply into the soft soil. Alex tried to scramble back but he was already as far back as he could possibly go. As quickly as what Alex had thought was an enormous arm had reached into his hideaway, it retracted and did not return for him. He could still hear and feel the battle, but it was even more distinct now that he had a new skylight installed.

“Oh my god, that arm! oh my god, it’s fucking huge! oh my god!” Alex had entered a very healthy panic mode.

“Alex, we should either begin digging deeper or possibly think of moving from this spot. That foot was easily large enough to squish us all. If it happens to make another errant step, splat.”

Alex craned his neck to look down at V.V. with wide eyes. His heart was practically dancing outside of his body from the experience and V.V. talked so nonchalantly about being squished like a bug. The absurdity of his little companion did manage to take his mind off the near-death experience he’d just had, somewhat. Alex sat there, listening to huge monsters battling to the death and decided.

“…We need to dig deeper. V.V, you Sapphire and Ruby start digging deeper. Emerald and Opal are with me.” Alex shakily started crawling his way back up to the surface. The dome had not even been touched, as the foot, which V.V. had clarified to Alex’s panicking mind, had entered further back from where the actual entrance was.

As Alex began to give commands to his Orbs, as always, they started moving before he could verbalize his orders. They started shoveling bits of rock and debris onto either side of the opening. Alex’s hope was that he could have Opal cast another Dome just behind the first to fill most of the gaping hole. Alex was still on his hands and knees after crawling back up to the entrance but decided to slowly stand up. The monsters were still going at it off to his left and he felt that he was being exceedingly stupid. Stupid for sure, but he needed to see what he could be facing in the next few minutes if the winner became an issue.

“…Oh boy, I’m a moron… What am I doing…” Alex said as he slowly started to peak his head through the opening. His eyeline just barely broke the surface when he saw them. It was dark but there was enough light coming from the moon to make out the creature that stood only twenty feet or so away. An elephant wasn’t too far off, he thought. Sure, the thing that had nearly turned him into a pancake wasn’t shaped like an elephant at all, but it was easily as large as one. It was… a turkey?

“No freaking way… It’s… a giant turkey!” Alex hissed to himself. The enormous bird was standing horizontally to Alex’s cave, but its head was turned away from him and towards its foe. It was hard to make out how wounded the giant was, but Alex was pretty sure its legs were covered in blood. Whether its own blood or the other monsters, he was unsure. The other creature was running back and forth, nipping at the giant bird. The turkey would lunge its giant beaked head at the… goat? A goat and turkey were fighting to the death right in front of Alex and all he could think was, I thought turkeys gobbled. As the thought passed through his head, so did the roar of the giant turkey monster.

Braaawgblgbl!

“That’s definitely not a turkey noise…” Alex quietly spoke to himself.

The gigantic animals exchanged blow after blow. The goat would bite feather and leg with far too sharp and long teeth, while the turkey would peck and kick with fierce and all too familiar talons. The goat would lunge, and the turkey would meet it with a swift kick to its face. The goat would meet the kick by putting its head down to utilize its large and deadly looking curved horns as a shield. The turkey would peck at the goat’s side only for the goat to nimbly dance out of the way. Maybe his pick would win after all. The goat was so fast, and the turkey seemed to be slowing down bit by bit.

Alex continued to stare at the scene unfolding before him. He wondered how and why the animals were even fighting each other. He’d always thought of both as prey animals. Sure, turkeys ate bugs or whatever, but V.V. said that predators came out at night and these, although huge animals, were not on any predator list Alex would make. As Alex mused over the randomness of what he was witnessing, the goat made a lunge for the turkey and managed to bite onto its left leg. Alex was shocked that the smaller creature was able to move so quickly even though it was as large as a horse.

He thought that if the goat could injure its leg enough, it could bring the thanksgiving dinner to the ground. Sadly, it was not to be as the turkey reached down with its razor-sharp beak, grabbed the goat by its flank and ripped it away from its leg in a flash. The goat still held a chunk of turkey leg in its maw as it was swung up into the air and over the turkey’s head. Alex watched as the smaller animal was slung in an ark towards… him!

“Oh! Shit!” Alex dove back into his pit just in time. The goat hit the ground and slid over the top of the tunnel and its opening. In a panic, Alex whirled around, searching for Opal and Emerald. He need not have worried though, as they were both still floating around him. When he’d had the thought to dive away from the quickly descending goat, his orbs reacted as well. It seemed like the goat was attempting to rise from the ground, but just as Alex was seeing light filter in as the goat moved…

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

SLAM!

Bleeehhhhgglgglgglggl!...

The goat made a loud screaming cry and then it broke off into grotesque gurgling noises. Alex wasn’t positive but he was pretty sure his underdog… undergoat?... had just gotten turkey stomped. The world was silent but for the sound of dirt clods being dropped behind him. V.V. and the others were still diligently digging deeper and depositing their excavations further up the tunnel. Once the space was filled with too much dirt and rock, V.V. would take the pile into their inventory. Alex stared at the new hairy ceiling.

After a few heartbeats and not hearing the turkey move from above, Alex started to get worried. All of his Orbs rejoined him now and floated soundlessly around him. Whether V.V. had somehow known Alex wanted them to stop or if they somehow detected his will like his Orbs, he didn’t know but they joined him as well. The giant death bird wasn’t moving away. Had it heard, seen or smelled him and his companions somehow? His heart was starting to pound harder and faster when it happened.

CRASH!!!

Yet another earsplitting, brain vibrating collision with the earth had occurred. Alex put his arms against either side of his tunnel to keep from toppling over.

“What was that!?” Alex turned to V.V. in alarm.

“It appears that the fowl has also fallen to the ground.”

Alex stared at V.V. “How did you know it was a bird?” Alex said, momentarily distracted by V.V.’s knowledge.

“Hmm… You know it is a fowl, so I know it is a fowl. Yes, that makes sense.”

“How does that make sen…” Alex was cut off by the loud and odd sound of the turkey.

Blllggobl glbl!

Blglbl glbl!

“It’s making creepy noise now… Great…”

“The noises previously were not creepy? Interesting.” V.V. commented as if she were taking notes.

“Wha… No, it’s just… Nevermind. Is the goat still alive?”

“Deceased.”

“What should we do? The hole is covered now, so maybe we’re Ok now.”

“Incorrect. The smell of the freshly killed beasts will draw in more predators soon.”

“But the turkey is still up there.”

“The fowl is in a severely weakened state and most likely will expire in time.”

“How do you know its injured…?”

“Do you think it decided to plop down on its butt after a hard-fought battle?

“Uh… no?”

“Correct. It fell and does not seem to be getting back up. Thus, I believe it to be severely damaged.”

“So, what do we do then? Should we keep digging or try to move to a new spot? It seems like a waste of your time to move after you’ve made the hole so much deeper.”

“You think we should stay because we made the hole deeper? Alex, you’re strange.”

“I’m strange!?” Alex was gearing up to tell V.V. how extraordinarily strange that they were when the turkey let out another sound. This time, Alex’s blood ran cold. The screeching sounds that escaped the birds expansive throat were that of agony. Alex couldn't see, but he was sure something must have been eating the dying creature. It screeched and screamed over and over. Alex went from being terrified of the monster to feeling sorry for it. He just wanted the thing to die for its own sake.

“…Is something eating it?” Alex asked, starting to feel queasy.

“I am not detecting any other creatures in our immediate vicinity.”

“There’s no way something isn’t eating it… It’s terrible…”

“Would you like to take a look?”

Alex cocked his head to the side, looking at V.V. like they were truly insane. Whatever was happening to the turkey was something Alex wanted not a single part of.

“You’re bananas…”

“I am in fact, not produce.”

Sigh…

The wailing of the surely dying beast continued. There was no way Alex could see the animal living through whatever was happening to it. The sick feeling in his throat was threatening to spill over as he contemplated doing something extremely insane. He looked at V.V. and decided that his companion fit him quite well as taking a look was exactly what he was going to do… and more. If he was capable, he’d put the animal that had fought so hard against three enemies, only to die an excruciating death after its victory, out of its misery.

“…Let’s take a look.”

“Oh? You were wanting to stay in the hole a moment ago.”

“I’m just scared V.V… You know, terror, horror, dread… these feelings are a constant companion to me, and you don’t seem to experience them in the slightest.”

“Ah, I see. I do worry about your well-being, but I don’t process situations the same way that you do. I do want to protect myself and you, but I am not afraid to face the things that we must. I have changed since your Class acquisition but that part of me does not seem to have been affected.”

“So, you’re not afraid of anything?”

“Not that I’m aware of. We’ll have to do some testing when we have the time.”

“…Right. Let’s get out of here… it’s still dying up there…”

Alex and his companions dug around the fallen goat in only a few short minutes. He was able to squeeze his way around the fallen goat and soft soil to emerge into the well-lit night. Using the hairy monster’s corpse as purchase, Alex climbed out and onto his feet. The turkey wasn’t immediately visible from where he had come out from so, he slowly made his way around the goat’s corpse, being as quite as possible.

Sliding along the side of the corpse was disgusting but Alex didn’t want to walk out into the open air without some kind of cover near him. A few seconds later he could see the heaving feathered body of the turkey. He looked for a moment and tried to take a step forward when the mewling cry of the beast sounded out again and it thrashed its still deadly taloned feet wildly. Luckily the kicks were directed away from the goat’s corpse and mostly towards the air. Alex felt like it was fighting an invisible monster for a moment and fear gripped him. Maybe it was fighting an invisible monster and V.V. couldn’t detect it. He stayed as close to the goat as he could and waited but nothing seemed to be ravaging the bird. Its legs kicked out and it would scream every few seconds, but the kicks were never directed towards anything that Alex could make out at all.

Finally, he decided to act. He moved around the back end of the goat where it seemed to have relieved its final movement, but Alex barely noticed it. Focusing on the task of ending this gigantic bird’s misery was all that he had time to think about. The turkey was on its back, so Alex didn’t have the option of approaching from that angle. He ran at the beast as quickly but quietly as possible and plunged his barely passable fanged knife into its throat. The bird didn’t even seem to notice the new wound as whatever was causing it so much pain overshadowed anything Alex could do to it. He quickly pulled back and struck again and again. Tears ran down his face as he attempted to kill the beast that needed so badly to die.

System Alert.

Combat initiated with Mana Crazed Meleagris Wild Turkey Level 17.

Combat finished. User defeated 1 Mana Crazed Meleagris Wild Turkey Level 17.

System experience has been acquired.

System rewards are awaiting retrieval.

“Wha… what?” Alex said, arms heavy from the constant stabbing. The System had forced the message in front of his face this time. Usually, he’d not see the message unless he went looking for it.

“Congratulations, Alex. You have put the beast out of its misery.”

“…Did you even help?”

“What would you have me do? Bonk it to death? Consume would not work on such a high-level target.”

“Oh… Maybe bonking it would have worked?”

“Hmm… Maybe. But you didn’t want my help, regardless. You felt that you needed to end the beast yourself.”

“…Why do you say that?”

“I felt it, also, your Orbs. They did not move to assist you at all during your… mercy killing. They hovered around, protecting your back the whole time.”

“Ah… I don’t know… I just…”

“It is fine. You should loot this… turkey and the goats. After that we should move to another spot to wait out the night and hope no more territorial disputes take place.”

“That’s what this was? Territory dispute? …Also, I thought you said only predators would come out at night?”

“My best assumption would be that this was indeed a territorial dispute and no, I didn’t say that. I said that predators would come out but not only predators. That being said, both of these types of creatures would fall into the predator category.”

“It’s a turkey and some goats…”

“You need to remove your previous worlds norms from your mind and look at this new world through fresh eyes. If you see something that could be dangerous, it probably is. If you see something that shouldn’t be dangerous, then it’s still probably dangerous. Goats, Turkeys, Hares, Squirrels, who knows what else will pop out”

“Right…”

Alex was about to reach out to the turkey to loot it when its body jolted. Alex jumped back in surprise.

Gyaaa

“What the hell was that?” Alex said, after letting out a very manly scream.

“Hmm… Curious. Possibly a death twitch?”

“Uh… It’s still doing it…” Alex said as he watched the body of the turkey spasming in different spots.

“Oh, this is unexpected. Hmm… Loot and run.” V.V. said with a bit of urgency in her voice.

“Wha…”

“Loot and Run!” V.V.’s slight urgent voice was turned up to eleven this time.

Alex did, he slapped his hand to the turkey and had the loot deposited into his inventory. He rushed back to the goat that covered his hole, looted and ran to the next and did the same. Before he could run to the final goat, something new happened. A whole new horror was visited upon Alex’s vision. Things were bursting out of the turkey’s body. Things with teeth!