Before the mana of the world was sealed away by The First during his return, the lands of Mythrin teemed with life beyond measure. From the great and powerful to small and timid, each creature was formidable in its own right. From what was understood, dungeons—or more specifically, the cores inside dungeons—were the entities responsible for the creation of almost every monster to ever walk the lands, swim the oceans or soar through the skies. Little is known about these sentient objects, except that they ruled this world before the false gods ever taught the elves how to harness the world’s mana.
Each core was a nation, a kingdom, an empire unto itself. Its creatures formed their subjects, and their territory covered everything the invisible hand of their influence could reach. To delve into a dungeon was to declare war against a country, and in the days before history was written, an impossible feat for the small and divided races of the world to accomplish.
All those who that died within a dungeon’s authority were broken down and added to that dungeon’s arsenal, to be respawned and repurposed in defence of its master’s lands. They were the world’s best scavengers, engineers, mages, scientists, blacksmiths, armourers, tailors—everything rolled into a single, perfect entity.
The longer a core survived, the more intelligent it became. Experiments were common among the cores, involving the modification or blending of its accumulated races, while constructing more elaborate dungeons to safeguard its existence. This terrifying path led to the birth of many such monsters: chamber wolves, liders, and, of course, the megabears.
The rise of the elven empire and the great wars that followed did much to turn these ancient horrors into little more than burrows for brave adventurers to clear for the richest that might lay within. Yet, in their diminished state, these dungeons remained lethal. Whether through overwhelming force or cunning traps, even the most skilled parties would fall within their depths, bringing fresh materials for the dungeons to integrate.
These dungeons fell into silence when The First sealed all the mana of Mythrin away. At first, creatures dependent on a constant stream of mana stopped functioning, singlehandedly wiping out all but the most heavily enchanted, mana-reliant undead and golems in an instant. Next, creatures of natural infertility, produced in defence of their dungeon master, soon died out, ridding the world of most of the horrid abominations too sickening to describe. Although The First made the world vastly safer with that single act, it was only the beginning.
Over the centuries that followed, both humans and angels worked tirelessly to eradicate all modified life deemed too dangerous to exist. The crusades were long and bloody. Angels claimed the skies from the great eagles and greedy dragons. The Faithful purged the lands, burning the great forests and burying the old dungeons that lay underground. Only the great oceans remained a haven for such creatures now within the Divine Kingdom, too vast and deep for even the angels and the Faithful to boil them away.
After many generations of work, the crusades were declared successful, and the lands of Cirilya, the continent of the Divine Kingdom, was made safe at last. Now, only creatures that were either well-integrated into society, part of the wild, or those too difficult to remove remained.
Unfortunately, one such creature of the “too hard to remove” category that remained, despite intense purging, was the megabear. This monster was a simple concept for a dungeon to spawn—bears with bones as thick as tree trunks, hide tougher than any crafted leather, and lest it be forgotten, a monster that lives at such a scale that even the largest among the Orcs would be dwarfed by comparison. However, their most insidious trait was the changes to their breeding habits.
Megabears would now have multiple cubs—sometimes as many as a dozen at a time—all of which would be indistinguishable from their natural cousins. In solitude, they grew at a normal pace for most of their lives, until reaching late adulthood. It was then that an explosive growth spurt would kick in, replicating a lifetime’s growth in mere weeks.
Indeed, the presence of a megabear is not marked by its large footprints or the trails it leaves behind but by the savage ruin brought on by its dungeon-inherited growth spurt. Half-eaten animals left to rot, trees shredded and broken on the forest floor, even cannibalizing their own kind. In this period of madness, the megabears grow to the size of buildings. Despite the tireless efforts of both the Faith and The Heavens, these creatures always survive to wreak havoc upon the world once more.
And here one was now.
*STOMP*
The world trembled with every step the colossal beast took, drawing closer to the unprotected settlement of Carnifex. The streets were barren, its inhabitants sheltering inside their homes and basements in anticipation of the monster’s arrival. All except for the two knights of the Faith, standing firm at the edge of the village, preparing themselves to face off against the Dungeon beast. That and—
“Aksel! What the hell are you doing out here?” Theo shout-whispered to him, as he practically jumped out of his skin in surprise, torn away from peeking at the knights from behind a distant wall.
“What? Theo? What in The First’s name are you doing here? And…is that, Vine?” Aksel questioned, watching the less cunning of his companions stroll directly toward him in clear view of the knights. She didn’t even have the courtesy to pretend to be sneaky.
“I asked you first. Now, why are you trying to kill yourself?” Theo countered.
“I’m not trying to kill myself; I’m trying to watch how two knights take on a megabear. I’ve never seen a real knight in action, and I thought this would be a good introduction to the life I want to throw myself into, okay? Now, what are you two doing here?!” His accusatorial finger pointed to the both of them.
“You’re joking, right? You saw the way those people were looking at me. Do you think I’m willingly going to walk into someone’s creepy dungeon so they can have their way with me? No thank you.”
“What are you talking about? We’re in a small village under the protection of the knights of the Faith, not a seedy slum governed by lawless thugs. You need to get back there before it’s too late.”
“You saw the way they looked at me! I know their type, and they were just waiting for their chance! I’m not leaving your side until we’re free and clear of this place.”
“What about Vine and the other women in the inn? Look, just stop being ridiculous and get back inside where it’s safe.”
“They looked at me even worse than the men did! And Vine’s so passive she’d probably watch it happen!”
“… Trouble?” Vine joined in.
“Yes, why are you here?” Aksel turned the question to her.
“… Because you’re here.”
“For the love of— Will you two just get back inside already? They’re going to notice us.”
“Actually,” the Knight’s masculine voice overpowered their not-so-quiet conversation, “we noticed you right away. You’re free to watch, but I ask that you please don’t interfere, and try to keep out of sight. Trust me, you don’t want it thinking you’re part of an adventuring party. Alright?”
“Don’t worry, The First’s light can fend off any foe, so just sit tight for now,” Miya cheerfully added. Aksel couldn’t hide his embarrassment at being called out so bluntly, a faint tinge of red creeping into his face, which he tried hard to conceal.
*STOMP*
The terrifying beast emerged from the forest, only a short distance from the village. It was a colossal brown Megabear, so powerful it had cleared a path through the lush forest simply by walking, leaving a trail of broken and uprooted trees in its wake.
Only a short clearing separated the dungeon-kin from the village. Here, the two brave knights stood their ground, unwavering in their resolve. The behemoth paused, spotting the humans blocking its path, seemingly assessing the situation. With confidence born of his divine gifts, August stepped toward the monster, issuing a challenge the Megabear could never ignore. Rising so tall on its hind legs that it could peer over the roofs of nearly every building in Carnifex, it unleased its ferocious roar.
“Nice to meet ya,” August coyly replied, his jokey, almost playful demeanour contrasting heavily with Aksel and Theo’s. They hid behind a nearby wall, gawking in both awe and terror at the sight of such a nightmarish creature. The stories could never do a monstrosity like that justice, to realise just how truly insignificant and weak humanity must seem in the face of such a beast from the old days of magic.
“… Is that the bear?” Vine asked, as though she was removed from the situation.
“Not now, Vine!” Aksel snapped his head around to quiet his companion, whose expression hadn’t moved an inch.
Is she even taking this seriously? Even she should feel something after seeing a Megabear like this.
“Hammer of the heavens,” The mighty knight commanded, as a flash of light appeared in his hand that began to take shape.
Aksel couldn’t suppress the open-mouthed smile that spread across his face, the rush of excitement flooding his body as if he was drowning in it. Had the terror of the dungeon-kin not equally gripped him, he would have relished a closer look, if only to bask in the benevolent glow of The First’s divinity. The power he always dreamed of wielding was on display before him in all its glorious and flashy splendour, as August finished forging his weapon of divine origin, ready to take on the dungeon-made horror.
“You’re fortunate, you know. Not many creatures force me to use my hammer from the start, but I don’t think my longsword is going to, cut it!” Miya could be heard groaning at the comment.
“RRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!”
The Dungeon beast dropped back to all fours with an earth-shaking crash, charging the cocky knight who stood in its way with a force many times that of a raging bull. A realisation struck Aksel only too late that should the knights be crushed underfoot, or fail to stop the creature, he, his companions and a sizable portion of the village would be reduced to little more than ruins and gore before the great bear would finally come to a halt. The wall easily endured the increased grip of his fingers, doubts flooding his mind as to the soundness of watching so openly from such a distance. Though the view was superb, it was difficult to fully enjoy it knowing he might become part of the show. He looked to the knights for clues on what to do, but both stood firm, facing down the monster like an unyielding barrier. With little else to guide him, he put his faith in their prowess as knights and prayed for their victory.
“Miya?” August called back with a glance.
“Oath to humanity, First’s shield!” the second knight chanted as the Megabear thundered only a few strides away from them, throwing her hand out in front of her. A heavenly glow radiated from her, akin to the light that had formed August’s hammer. The Megabear continued forward like a force of nature, until it was forced to halt by the wall of light that manifested before its challenger. The creature slammed head first into the construct, and for a moment, it seemed as though its entire body might topple over itself from the sheer momentum, before it collapsed onto its stomach. The reverberation from its failed charge rippled throughout the area, kicking up everything loose on the ground and within the nearby houses.
Lost in a daze, the bear’s head drooped low, unable to rise to its feet, undoubtedly confused by what foul thing had appeared so suddenly between itself and its prey. With its thoughts muddled, August was keen to seize the advantage.
“Now it’s my turn!” he bellowed, wielding his hammer with both hands just as the barrier vanished. A glow of gold and blue illuminated August’s eyes, his body radiant with the essence of the one true god flowing through him, as his heavenly hammer crashed into the Megabear’s bobbing head. A standard warhammer striking such an opportune blow would have certainly been felt by even a creature of the Megabear’s calibre, but this was no ordinary hammer. As the weapon’s head made contact, there was a flash of light, quick as a blink, and the Megabear was turned into a megabird, its body propelled through the air with a trail of teeth and blood to mark its passing.
“Damn, these things are tough—its head’s still attached,” August remarked, genuinely surprised at the revelation.
“Just don’t let it go to your head again like last time. Remember, confirm the kill. I don’t want to be the one carting your ass back like that Kamikaze Goat incident,” Miya informed him.
“Please, don’t remind me. I swear I’m still walking funny.”
Their chatter was cut short as the bear’s bloodied form rose to its feet. Even from a distance, it was obvious the bear had taken substantial damage. August wasn’t just providing small humour or idle boasts when he spoke of the head still being attached. The grave indentation buried into the left-most side of the bear’s cranium served as testament to both the might of divine weaponry and the endurance of the Megabear.
In a few blinks, the bear’s eyes, one now bloodshot from the impact, refocused on the two knights before erupting into a rage like no other.
“RRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!!!”
Aksel and Theo covered their ears, and even Vine expressed mild surprise at the intensity of the roar. The bear’s feet tore up the ground, its claws digging deep in its fight for traction as it barrelled towards the knights once more. Carnifex’s protectors never wavered for a moment.
“Bows?” August suggested, eliciting a short nod from Miya.
““Bow of the Heavens.”” the two spoke in tandem.
A new flash of light heralded the transformation of August’s hammer into a gleaming angelic bow, with Miya spawning her version simultaneously. Unlike the Warhammer Aksel had witnessed earlier, these bows didn’t materialise as fine metal or exquisite wood; instead, they manifested as raw divine energy shaped into bow form. It was not an uncommon form; in fact, it was quite the opposite. The raw weapon mold was the first stage before it was refined into a more potent and personalised weapon.
Observing closely, Aksel noticed the differences between the two. Miya’s bow possessed a graceful, curved design, resembling an ideal bow, while August’s appeared blockier, a little too large to wield comfortably, with a string that seemed too thick. Though crude, it was still usable. In perfect sync, the pair drew their strings taut, staring down the natural disaster speeding towards them with a composure Aksel would find impossible to maintain.
A bolt of light spawned in place of an arrow and smoothly loaded itself into each bow, mirroring the refinement of each archer’s weapon. Without a word, they loosed their projectiles. With perfect accuracy, both bolts struck the eyes of the Megabear, blinding it only moments before it reached them.
The beast cried out in agony, its vision burned away in an instant by the piercing light of God. Even without vision, the bear did not slow, determined to crush the humans underfoot. August and Miya dodged swiftly in their light leather armour, appearing on either flank of the creature before riddling the monster with heavenly bolts as it passed.
Even with pain and projectiles racking its body, coupled with the loss of its vision, the bear still had plenty of fight left. Relying on the knights’ movements and their distinctive scents, the creature launched a counterattack amid the arrow fire piercing its hide. With a swift motion, it dug its claws into the ground and hurled chunks of earth and rock straight towards Miya.
“Oath to humanity, First’s shield!” Miya commanded, prepared to defend herself. The new barrier of divine essence manifested just in time to block the incoming barrage. With a few words, August’s imperfect bow transformed back into his finely tune warhammer, followed swiftly by another miracle.
“Oath to humanity, Reinforcement!” A heavenly light enveloped the knight’s legs as he charged towards the bear. The rush of footsteps drew its attention, prompting its colossal limb to swipe towards the approaching noise. Its paw, so large it could crush a man, leaving almost no trace of their existence, cleaved through the air in a bid to reduce the knight into a broken pulp. However, before the Dungeon-kin’s strike could reach him, August, with the strength of his newly reinforced legs, propelled himself high into the air—soaring beyond even the reach of the bear on its hind legs. This wasn’t merely a flashy method of dodging the blow, although it certainly did work out that way; it was a set up for his next attack.
Reaching the apex of his jump, August completed a full-frontal flip before descending towards the Megabear. The knight—using all the weight of gravity and his borrowed divinity—brought his mighty hammer down directly on the Megabear’s spine. With the essence of the divine radiating from his body, the hammer flashed once more on impact, and the entire creature was slammed into the ground like a collapsing building, forced to experience a whole new realm of agony as the ground cracked and compressed beneath it. Blood poured out from every orifice, the pressure from the heavenly-constructed hammer forcing the viscous liquid to burst out of its body.
From atop the beast, August retracted his hammer, breaking it down into motes of light that returned to his body. Wiping his brow, he shot a confident smile toward his partner.
“Ugh, you just had to kill it in a way that would ruin the only suit of armour I have with me,” Miya remarked, wiping the blood from her cheek after finding herself in the worst kind of splash zone. “You’re cleaning this.”
“You’re always so hard to please.”
“Well, it would also be nice if you weren’t so reckless. That bear was half an inch from taking your legs off.”
“Tell me about it, I felt the breeze pass me by on my way up.”
“That’s what I’m talking about. Serving The First’s justice doesn’t excuse you always giving me a heart attack.”
“Ha ha, what? Not going to threaten to get me demoted this time?”
“Ugh, I gave up trying months ago.”
“Ah, my efforts are paying off after all. I knew there was a person under that automaton they partnered me with, that’s double the reason to celebrate tonight.”
“Just get down from there already,” Miya couldn’t help but smile at her partner.
August slid off the dead Dungeon-kin’s back via the neck and leapt from its head, landing right into the blood pooling out of its mouth, far less concerned about the mess than his partner.
“A-amazing,” Aksel finally spoke after witnessing the battle. He had often daydreamed of becoming a hero, wielding the powers of the heavens in countless fantasies. But to be able to witness those abilities in action was on a completely different level. Two knights, two humans, had just defeated a monster that would have proven a challenge for even a hundred soldiers all working in tandem, all thanks to the blessings of the one true god, The First.
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I’m definitely going to use this as material, Aksel thought, already considering a raft of new scenarios to daydream about.
“They just killed a megabear, by themselves…” Theo surmised. It seemed the display had left her in awe—something Aksel hoped would provide a new appreciation for the faith.
“… Is it dead?” Vine pointed to the lifeless corpse clearly displayed in front of them.
“Yeah, it’s not getting back up after that one,” Aksel confirmed.
“… Okay.”
The barren streets of Carnifex began to fill once more, as the villagers who fled into hiding emerged to see the aftermath. The gathering crowd stood in disbelief, before erupting in jubilant cheers for their protectors. The knights did not dissuade their praise, both offering bright smiles while August performed a few short bows, like a performer receiving the adulations of his adoring audience. The children were quick to push through the crowd to lap up the sight of their glory-stained heroes—something Aksel was proudly restraining himself from doing until later.
“… Are you—” Vine asked Aksel something, though it was lost amid the cheers of the villagers.
“What was that?” he shouted over the crowd.
“… Are you sure it’s dead?” she spoke directly into his ear, her voice at the same volume, but close enough to make out.
“Wha— Yes! The damn thing just got popped like a tomato. Living things don’t typically survive that.”
“… It’s… still here, though.” Her statement was as witless as it was confusing.
“Where else is it supposed to be? Vine, how much deader can the thing be?”
“… When it’s gone.”
“Huh? Are you even listening to what you’re saying? Where is it going to go? Think through your words before you say them, okay!” Aksel turned away from Vine to the Megabear’s corpse. Sure enough, it was as dead as the last time he saw it, deader even, as blood continued to drain from its broken body.
What is she even talking about? I don’t think I want to know what goes on in the head of a girl that thinks rocks are essential items, and that stuff before about “preserving the light of civilization” is a red flag if ever I’ve seen one. What am I going to do—
*SNAP*
The sickening sound of crunching bones echoed loudly, reaching the ears of everyone celebrating their victory, as the bear’s fully healed eyes flew open, flashing red and yellow, and filled with rage.
“RRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!”
August turned, only to see the massive maw of the Megabear already closing down upon him.
“Wh—”
“O-Oath to Humanity, First’s—”
*CRUNCH*
The jaws snapped shut, the horrifying sound reverberating throughout the once celebratory atmosphere. What had once been a scene of joy, hope and happiness was swallowed up in that instant, as the great saviour August was bitten in two, his entire torso disappearing inside the muzzle of the beast. The grim spectacle was something out of a nightmare, etching itself into the memories of those who witnessed it. Mayhem ensued, as the crowd fled in every direction to escape the blood-soaked monster. All, except one. A lone child that now stood in front of the bear, paralyzed with fear. He had witnessed August’s death up close; his clothes and body were stained with the knight’s blood. Traumatized, the boy couldn’t move. An easy snack for the bear’s ravenous hunger.
Before another tragedy could befall the village, a heavenly barrier formed between the two, shielding the child.
“Jason, you need to get out of here, now!” Miya called out to the child, her palms emanating a divine glow. But the petrified child didn’t move, frozen in place before the terrifying monster. Rage had consumed it’s mind like a bitter poison, its blows raining against the barrier like a thunderous storm. Every strike chipped away at its resilience, the light flickering against the onslaught, until finally, it began to crack. Not even the shield of The First could hold out forever, not against such raw strength, not alone.
“Jason! Run!” Miya urged him again, but the boy could only collapse to his knees, unable to stand, his eyes locked in terror at the sight of the bear. If she was stronger, if she was more experienced, she could have rushed over to save him while maintaining the barrier. But as things stood, even maintaining the shield was becoming an impossible task.
“Not the time for that kid!” Aksel suddenly returned with a shout, swiftly scooping the boy off the ground and putting himself firmly in the gaze of the Dungeon-Kin.
Oh bloodfalls! Aksel cursed to himself.
With the motionless child in tow, Aksel hauled ass back towards the village market, moving faster than he had ever gone in his entire life, his heart pounding out of his chest.
Miya watched as the panicking man disappeared from view and breathed a short sigh of relief. There was no time to mourn her loss, not yet at least. All that mattered now was buying enough time for everyone to get to safety before this bear killed her too.
“Bow of the Heavens.” The knight released the barrier, forming her radiant bow in her hands, and loosed its arrow. The burning bolt pierced its brown hide, dragging the beast’s attention away from the village.
---
“Aksel! What in The First’s name were you doing?!” Theo’s voice echoed through the deserted market, long since abandoned by the fleeing villagers.
“I’m not just going to leave a child to die if there’s something I can do about it!” Aksel argued.
“You stupid, hero-complex dumbass! Let’s just go already!”
“Not just yet, there’s still—”
“What do you mean “not just yet”?! We need to run now!”
“But that knight’s taking on that bear alone. If we don’t do something, she is going to die!”
“Aksel, you could barely fend me off!” Theo screamed, dragging him by the arm away from the fighting. “Now come on!”
“… Why did its eyes change colour?” Vine casually asked her question in the middle of the chaos.
“Because it’s just registered everyone in this village as part of a damn adventuring party!” Aksel snapped back.
“All the more reason to run away!” Theo pulled harder against Aksel’s arm.
“… We should go to Treda-lake,” Vine remarked with a nod, as though she was completely removed from the situation. “… Is he coming too?” she pointed to the child.
“Look at him! I can’t just leave him here!”
“Fine, he can come too then! Invite the whole damn village for all I care! Just come on already!” Theo pulled Aksel along, though he barely put up a fight. In his heart, he knew going back would be suicide. Saying they should help was one thing, but acting on it was something else entirely. Meekly, he allowed Theo to drag him away.
Something smashed into a cart behind him, sending debris soaring into the air and scattering across the market. Unable to ignore this, Aksel turned back and gasped in horror. In the shattered remains of a once well-stocked cart lay Miya, with her battered and bloody body breathing shallow breaths, completely immobilised. She had been flung through several houses, both wood and brick, before rest upon the trader’s cart. The ground around her was littered with a varied assortment of knickknacks and clothes.
The approaching stomps gave way to an explosion of rubble as the last building the knight had exited was easily barrelled through. The Megabear charged her broken form with all its fury, its lance-like fangs bared. Miya could do little but watch—
“MOVE!” Aksel shouted his impossible command, appearing next to the knight at the last moment. He clutched her broken arm and wrenched her free from the cart just in the nick of time, her body collapsing onto his as they fell to the ground. The bears wrath consumed the broken cart in her place, unable to halt its charge. Blood seeped into his clothes, carrying an uncomfortable warmth. Her breathing had become rapid and with stridor, as if the very act was etched in pain as her body lay limp atop his, blood pouring from the back of her head. Acting quickly, he scrambled to his feet with Miya in tow. He would be the first to admit that he knew little about medicine or first aid, nor could he guess how much damage moving someone with such extensive injuries would cause. However, he did know fleeing from a rampaging megabear was always sound advice.
RUN, RUN, RUN, RUN, RUN, RUN!
The bear crashed into a nearby house, finally halting its charge. Wrenching itself free, it almost brought down the entire dwelling, as it caught sight of its prey. As Aksel fled with Miya in his arms, it let out an ear-piercing roar. For just a moment, Aksel threw his head back toward the beast, only to be greeted by the bear’s open maw. It’s jagged fangs, each longer than his hands, bared down on him. He closed his eyes on instinct, pressing Miya against his body as if to shield her from being devoured, as death fell upon him.
…
At least, that’s what he thought was upon him. However, he felt exactly the same as before. Was he not dead?
Gingerly, he opened his eyes, once again coming face to face with the Megabear on the cusp of providing him residence in its digestive track. Yet, that wasn’t all he saw.
“V-Vine?” Aksel stammered in utter disbelief.
It was definitely Vine, there was no mistaking her distinctive clothes, hair and figure. But there in laid the problem, it should have been impossible for her to be there, considering he left her standing with Theo and the child. Not only that, grasped in her hand was a silver sword, etched in strange symbols and patterns, though it was difficult to tell given half of it was buried in the bear’s upper jaw. Her free hand and foot prevented the dungeon-kin’s mouth from snapping shut around them, straining under the intense pressure.
The clatter of rocks striking the ground caught Aksel’s attention, and he discovered Vine’s bag, stuffed with rocks as before, unstrung on her belt, dripping her precious cargo near her remaining foot partially buried inside the cracked cobblestone.
Did she just… pull a sword from there? Was but the first among a growing list of questions he was compiling for Vine, likely to be stapled to his current, sizable list of queries that already needed answering.
“… Aksel?”
“H-Huh?!”
“… Are you okay?” If she was struggling to hold the bear at bay, her voice never portrayed it.
“I’m… fine. Wait, Vine, what’s happening?! How are you doing this?!”
“… Don’t worry. I’ll protect you; I promise.”
“What?”
He caught a glimpse of Vine’s right eye, dripping with blood like red stained tears. With another ear-shattering roar, the Megabear swung its head to the side, dislodging Vine from the ground, before launching her into a nearby building.
“VINE!” Aksel shrieked, helpless to save Vine as she crashed into the first floor of an unsuspecting home. His concern seemed almost wasted however, as Vine briskly sat up through the rubble, rubbing the back of her head as though she’d bumped it from a light fall. Never had Aksel changed from such a state of panic to utter confusion so quickly, but whatever was happening was enough to divert the bear’s attention away from himself and Miya. Glancing hurriedly between Miya, the bear, Vine, and then back to Miya again, he ran as quickly as his jelly-feeling legs could manage, his eyes constantly drawn back to his companion, praying his imagination wasn’t running wild.
Bruised, but still able to move, Vine got to her feet and looked out towards the approaching bear. Her blade retreated back into her pouch, like a space-bending scabbard, before she withdrew it at once. A sudden, intense light flared from the sword’s silver body, blinding all who dared to gaze upon it. Aksel too was forced to avert his eyes, lest his sight be burned away by the dazzling display. Hearing the uncomfortably familiar roar of the bear behind him, he exited the village market.
As he had hoped, Theo remained nearby, tucked away in one of the many small alleys that separated the buildings, though he might have missed her had she not beckoned him over. The boy was back to his feet at least, having the life squeezed out of his hand by Theo, preventing at least one person from abandoning her to suddenly dash towards the Megabear. Aksel wanted to apologise for foisting the care of the child on her, but there was no time to waste.
“Theo, here, take Miya and get to the church!” Aksel pointed to the holy structure upon the hill that overlooked Carnifex. “There’ll be a priest and a crap ton of people there that can help you. Don’t wait for me!”
“What? AGAIN?! Aksel, will you please hold on for a few seconds!”
An impossible request, for as the crow flies and the fish swims, this too was Aksel’s nature. Relieving Miya of her unused sword, he hurriedly inspected it. Despite the shape of its owner, the blade was in impeccable condition. Aksel even noted the artistry of its cross guard, forged in the shape of two angelic wings. The blade was not of divine origin, but its well-honed steel would still prove worthy against any mortal foe. Though the weapon was perfectly balanced, he was initially surprised by the weight. Indeed, that single moment showed him the true difference between a real weapon and the imitations he’d used for practice, though it didn’t deter him in the slightest.
Offering hasty apologies to the fallen knight, he tuned out Theo’s words and rushed back to help Vine—though he’d put little thought into how he might accomplish that.
Last night, she didn’t even know how to set up her bed properly, and she wants me to believe she can solo a fucking megabear! What in Nith is even going on? He thought, half-believing this to be little more than another of his twisted nightmares.
He reached the ruined village centre, just in time to witness Vine slice through one of the bear’s legs, a spray of blood erupting from the wound as the bear cried out in agony. He could hardly believe his eyes. Vine may have appeared slow in both speech and action, but this battle was proving those concepts false. She was quick, unnaturally so, avoiding the stomps, swipes, bites and slams of her opponent, and always able to offer a swift counter of her own, however small. As a result, the creature that had once seemed invincible was now marred in bloody cuts and vicious stab wounds that stretched across its entire body.
Aksel believed he’d be entering a battle the word hopeless was invented to describe. At the very least, he’d expected to come upon a desperate struggle between Vine and the dungeon-kin. But, never had he expected this. Not even great admirers and friends of the Megabears (if such a thing even existed) could watch this display and boast of its performance.
Coming to a standstill, he gazed at the battle between Dungeon-Kin and Human, if that’s what Vine truly was. He couldn’t help but ponder, was Vine perhaps a knight herself? The blinding light was certainly an ability a warrior of the Faith could achieve, but that light came specifically from the blade, rather than Vine herself. Enchanted perhaps? She already possessed one enchanted item, so carrying another was not wholly out of the question, however implausible it might seem. But then there was her strength, her speed, where did she draw that from?
In the midst of his contemplation, he failed to notice the situation until it was too late. The bear suddenly struck his companion with a powerful kick as she moved behind its hind legs. Her flight through the air was brief, leading to a violent tumble across the cobbled ground, her silver sword flung amid the debris scattered across the floor. With a single strike, the dungeon beast had turned the tables. With its legs sliced and blooded, it slowly padded towards its vulnerable prey.
“No! Vine!” Aksel’s shout echoed across the market, his body moving before his mind could tell him otherwise. Whether his actions stemmed from stupidity or a yet untapped well of heroics only now being discovered, he could not say, as he charged at the beast. Like a lance, he pointed the tip of his blade at the creature, piercing deep into its wretched hide until he struck the hard leg bone underneath, the abruptness of the stop almost costing him his footing. Blood spurted from the wound in an instant, though that was of little consolation to Aksel in that moment, as the bear’s attention turned to him. Aksel’s breath stuck in his throat, as the gravity of his situation dawned on him.
Did I really just do that? He thought to himself, feeling as though he’d made the gravest mistake of his life.
The hilt of the blade was ripped from his grasp as he was thrown aside by the bear’s enormous leg. He accomplished only a single bounce, toppling over from his back to his stomach, and fully expecting at least a dozen bruises to follow. For now, however, he was alive and mobile, a state of affairs that might not remain accurate for much longer. Still in the crosshairs of the beast, he scrambled to his feet, turned tail, and ran for all he was worth.
“AHHHHHHHHH!!!” His screams echoing down the streets of Carnifex were as manly as anyone could have hoped for, with the dungeon-kin giving chase. For a time, He outpaced the injured Megabear, hopeful that if he could just get far enough away, turn enough corners to disappear from the monster’s sight, he could… well, he’d definitely know what he’d do next once that happened, he was sure of it.
To his dismay, the creature’s thunderous pursuit grew closer with every passing second. Dread consumed Aksel as he dared to look back. The bear was rapidly closing in, the distance between them shrinking far too quickly. Stealing a glance at the creature’s legs, he was shocked by what he saw. All the wounds the monster had sustained had vanished, the last of its injuries somehow neatly knitting themselves back together. Even the blade he’d personally driven into the beast’s leg had been popped out as little more than an annoying pimple, worthlessly clattering to the ground. With little else to offer, Aksel screamed with unbridled hysteria, outdoing his previous efforts by a country mile, though it did little to aid him as the jaws of the beast drew closer. The speed of an uninjured megabear easily topped that of a human, and with little else to slow the beast down, his chances of escape fell to zero.
Its hot, humid breath struck his back, but he refused to look upon it again, focusing only on his feet, on his speed. Even then, he could sense the jaws closing in, about to tear him in half as they did to August. He could sense them opening around him, teeth priming to bite down hard, it would only be a matter of seconds until—
The ground splintered as the beast’s head came crashing down, its teeth scattering across Carnifex’s streets. its jaw buried in the cobblestone, carving a trench through the ground. Dirt and stonework piled up around the edges of the dungeon-kin made moat, until it came to a stop. Barely having outrun the sudden excavation behind him, Aksel turned back to see what in God’s name had happened.
With her feet firmly planted on the beast’s snout, Vine’s dust-covered face, now covered in dust, exhibited the same emotionless demeanour as their first encounter. Despite her minuscule weight compared to the colossal creature beneath her, she had somehow driven the bear nearly subterranean with her attack. A remarkable feat, and another unbelievable one at that. Aksel had little time to think, however, as Vine abruptly swept him up in her arms, whisking him away like a rescued princess to the outer edge of Carnifex.
“Speechless” would have been appropriate to describe Aksel in that moment as he gazed at Vine’s face. The kick she sustained may have been clumsy, with less power behind it than what Miya might have suffered, but it was still a strike from a megabear. Any normal person would have been crippled by such an attack, yet aside from the small trickle of blood from her mouth and eye, she appeared uninjured. Despite himself, Aksel tried his best to collect his thoughts.
“Vine, what—"
“I’ll protect you,” Vine cut him off as they arrived at an open field just outside the village, close to the road heading north toward Treda-lake. Allowing Aksel to stand on his own, they both turned their gazes back toward Carnifex, the bear still occupying its streets. Its mouth hung open, and inside, the teeth that had been missing were regrowing anew.
“That bear just keeps healing itself!” Aksel exclaimed in his panic-stricken voice. This bear should be impossible. Without a dungeon, without mana, without any range of alterations or items at the creature’s disposal, it should have been killed at least twice over by now. Yet, it persisted, ignoring death’s embrace. However, there was something off about its movements. It seemed… dizzy, the rage and vigour it once possessed now severely diminished.
“Look Vine, I think whatever it’s doing to heal itself is finally catching up to it,” Aksel said, drawing her attention to its behaviour. “I still don’t know how you’re doing what you’re doing, but I think I have an idea. You should be able to outpace this thing, right? If you can just lead it somewhere deep into the forest, it could lose itself in there without causing any more harm to the village.”
“… I can take it,” Vine stated passionlessly, moving towards the bear.
“Don’t be stupid! You can’t fight the Megabear on your own! You don’t even have a sword anymore! What are you planning to do, punch it?!” Aksel shouted. Vine halted for a moment, gazing at him as the beast’s figured rapidly approached them from a distance.
“… I can take it.”
The bear halted before it reached them, stumbling slightly as it rose to its full height. Its black and brown eyes fixed on the lone human marching toward it, unfazed by its overwhelming stature. Her challenge couldn’t go unanswered. With a roar that rattled the windows of Carnifex and echoed across the surrounding forests and fields, the bear raised its paw high into the air and sent it plummeting down on the spot where Vine now stood. She made no attempt to dodge, to maneuver, or escape; she was right where she wanted to be. She drew back her fist, just as the hammer strike came down.
Aksel saw it, like a match struck in the darkness, her eyes glowed with a power shining behind them akin to that of August, but different, not of gold sweeping over blue. Instead, brightening like stars in the night, her scarlet red and emerald green eyes displayed a power behind them Aksel could not fathom.
Just as its paw seemed ready to crush her into the dirt, Vine countered with a punch of her own. Her fist collided with the bear’s paw, overpowering the monster in an instant, and blasting it back with the force of a well-taut catapult. The paw twisted and bend sickeningly in under the force of the impact, her single strike rending the very bones that lay beneath asunder, and sending flecks of blood jetting from the broken skin. But that wasn’t all—Vine fracturing the bear’s paw with sheer strength was one thing, but what happened next was far more alarming. That same limb, now broken and useless, quickly saw a spiderweb of shining bright blue lines spreading across it. In mere seconds, the entire limb was consumed and then shattered like glass, disintegrating into a bloodless rain of hundreds of meaty pieces.
Forced to the ground, the bear attempted to rise, but the loss of a limb was an injury not so easily overcome. Aksel, meanwhile, stood there with his mouth agape—how could he not after all? The sound of violent coughing drew his attention away from the flailing dungeon-kin and back to his companion. The hand that covered her mouth was coated in so much blood, that you’d be forgiven for thinking it was paint.
“Vine, you’re hurt!” He told her. But her expression barely conveyed a single emotion.
“… It’s okay,” her words barely lingered before the bear, battered and broken, found the strength to rise again, unwilling to yield. There was something else too, a faint glow, just barely visible to Aksel’s eyes, began emitting from its neck. The bear’s head shook violently from side to side, its expression etched with pain, before it paused, drooping in silence. Then, its eyes snapped open, revealing a pair of glowing crimson orbs.
Its deafening roar created a gust of wind that almost knocked Aksel off his feet, as it locked onto Vine. Its rage was so palpable, that Aksel was sure he could taste it in the air. It charged once more, undeterred by its missing limb, putting everything it had left into its lunge that would see her devoured. Its jaw snapped shut, but Vine, unparalleled in her speed, had already dropped to the ground—her movements a blur even to Aksel’s eyes—her legs coiled and ready, before they sprang. Both feet struck the bear’s chin, forcing its massive body onto its hind legs before it came crashing back to the ground. With a single attack, Vine had knocked the bear out cold. As its body fell, the same web of blue that destroyed the creature’s paw returned, enveloping its entire head from the chin up. When it finally crashed into the ground, it was clear the monster would never rise again, as the dungeon-kin’s cranium shattered into little more than meaty chunks for the crows to feast upon.
“… It’s gone now,” Vine announced as she got to her feet, pointing to the dead Dungeon-kin. Even now, there was no sense of triumph in her voice, no sense of pain, relief, regret, anger, or happiness—nothing. She spoke those words in the same flat, passionless tone Aksel had become all too accustomed to, with her face just as expressive.
Aksel didn’t respond to her statement. So many questions required answers that picking out his first question felt impossible, like a parent choosing their favourite child. It was then, as Vine wiped the blood from her face using only the sleeve of her shirt, that Aksel found his first question, the one he wanted to know more than anything. He walked up to her, the gaze from her eyes the definition of neutrality, and spoke.
“Vine… What did you just do?”