It was well passed midnight at this point and Dante decided it was best to have Marilyn rest before it became any later. They’d be going out to search tomorrow for her friends and in her current condition, she’ll need all the sleep she could get.

“Hey, Mar-” a sudden yelp nearby cut him off and drew both his and her attention.

“What was that?” she asked as she turned back at him.

“Not sure,” he said as he stood up. Soon rustles sounded out from the dark and Dante once again placed himself in front of her. His eyes peered into the forest, despite it being cloaked in darkness images soon entered his view, “that’s…” as he spoke the white quill hound from just a while ago returned. However, something wasn’t right. As it came closer, it walked was off almost like a limp.

I have a bad feeling about this… Dante said. Suddenly tremors traveled through the earth. They grew stronger as a loud stomping sound drew closer.

“We have to hide!” Dante grabbed her and hid her behind his jeep. He quickly took a bottle of water and doused the campfire. The Darkness of night enveloped the area as he too hid behind the jeep and held Marilyn close. While the quilhound soon cowered behind a nearby tree.

As the tree branches being broken sounded out, a large ape-like creature entered the camp.

“Oh no, that’s a Behemoth!” she whispered out.

“A behemoth?” Dante looked at the beast.

It had the upper body of a gorilla, hoofed legs, and long arms with four fingers on its hand, each with sharp nails. The behemoth sniffed multiple times as it looked around. It stood taller than some of the nearby trees. Its head had a single horn that protruded from the middle of its forehead and it had lower fangs that were exposed even when its mouth was closed.

Dante embraced Marilyn more as he placed his hand over her mouth. She was surprised at first but for some reason, she soon felt quite safe in his hold and leaned into him more.

Suddenly the albino quilhound stepped on a stick, the noise that came out alerted the monster as it turned to the direction of the sound and roared. Its beastly shout pondered their eardrums causing the two to cover their ears. The Behemoth rushed up to the tree and with a single swing of his arm, it threw it down. The quillhound looked up in fear as the Behemoth growled down at it.

In a last ditched resort, the quilhound unleashed its quills at it, but that only served to anger the giant beast more as the quills pierced it. It roared again, before slamming its hand down upon the quilhound. The wolf-like creature cried out as it was forced into the ground.

“What do we do?” Marilyn slowly asked as she removed Dante’s hand. Dante wondered himself as he looked at the poor creature being crushed before him.

The hell am I thinking if anything this would be a good chance to escape. Even though he thought that Dante couldn’t bring himself to move away. His hand gripped tightly into a fist as heard the yelps of the quillhound. “Fuck me…”

Marilyn heard him speak, though she didn’t know the meaning of the word she could tell by his expression what he was about to do. “Surely you’re not considering fighting that behemoth.”

“Stay here and stay quiet, I’ll be back soon,” but as Dante stood up a sudden pull hindered his approach.

“You can’t be serious! A single person alone can’t take on a Behemoth, especially one who’s not equipped. One sweep from it could instantly cripple someone and that’s if the Triune’s luck favors them!”

“I may not have this Triune’s luck, but I’m no average person,” as he said that, Dante removed her hand and proceeded to face the giant monster.

He pulled out his Glock and fired a shot straight into the beast’s shoulder. It roared out again as it turned its attention to Dante, who soon fired another shot into its chest. IT growled as the bullet pierced it and raised its hand from the quillhound. Dante Holstered his gun as the Behemoth charged at him.

“Look out!” Marilyn cried out.

The Behemoth swung at him but Dante swiftly dodged. Phew, that was close. Yet it wasn’t over yet the beast roared again as it swung again and again.

Marilyn watched on in disbelief as Dante skillfully avoided attack after attack. Not even Lacey or any knight maiden could dodge such an attack.

The Behemoth panted as all of its attacks missed the human before him.

“That all you got?!” Dante smirked at the beast, and as it heard his taunt charged at him once more. Alright, I guess it’s time to see what I can really do here. As he thought that, the behemoth raised its arm and slammed it down upon Dante. However…

“No…way,” was all Marilyn could say.

The beast grunted and growled as it tried to force its hand down, but Dante easily held it in place.

“Alright, my turn,” with that said Dante pulled the beast over him and slammed it into the ground. Dust and pebbles raised from the earth which was dented in by the impact. The creature growled as it got back up, but Dante wasn’t done. With all his might, he sent a fist into its leg. A loud crack sounded out as its leg bent in an unsightly way, the bone itself could be seen poking out into its skin.

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The behemoth roared in agony, as it staggered back. Dante approached it with a smirk and that was all it took. The Behemoth yelped and limped as quickly as possible away, back into the forest.

I can’t believe it… who is this person?

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“Alright, I know it hurts but bear with it.” Dante said as he wrapped the bandage around the quillhound’s leg, “there, done.”

“Will it be alright?” Marilyn asked, “I still could use some more healing magic.”

“Nah, we’ve done enough, the rest will be up to him, besides you shouldn’t push yourself too much.”

“You may say that, but you’re the one who fought with a behemoth,”

“Anyway, I think it’s time to get some rest,” Dante said as he tried to stare the conversation away.

“I think not. There are still things I want to know!” Marilyn protested.

“I know and I do too, but it’s already so late, didn’t we agree that we would look for your friends tomorrow?”

Marilyn’s eyes rounded as she remembered their earlier conversation.

“You expect to find them when you’re all tired?”

“I understand, but give me your word that you’ll explain it all tomorrow.”

My word? Now that’s old school, yet it fits so well with her British accent. He thought, “Fine, I’ll answer your questions as long as you answer mine.”

Marilyn nodded in agreement and with that finally brought an end to this over eventful night.

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“Why are you crying?” Marilyn’s eyes raised up. Before her, a slightly older girl with dirty blonde hair girl stood in front of her.

“Everyone doesn’t want to play with me,” the tears streamed down as she talked, “I heard them say I’m cursed.” The young Marilyn explained as she sniffled.

“Why?” the girl asked

“Because of my magic,” she sniffled, “I see things in my mind and then bad things happen to people. I hate it!”

“Magic? That’s amazing,” the girl’s violet eyes lit up when she heard about her gift for magic, “I’ve decided! Show me the girls who’ve been troubling you, I’ll teach ’em all a lesson!” the young girl collided her fist into her palm as she spoke.

“Nay! I don’t want to fight, I just want some friends,” the young Marilyn stop the girl before she could go on a fighting spree.

“Fine, then come play with me and my friends,” the young girl announced as she pointed to a blue-haired girl and a chestnut brown-haired girl who stood nearby.

“Huh? You’re not afraid?”

“I’m going to be the queen when I’m older, so I can’t let something like that stop me,” she said as she beamed a smile, “besides, not every day you meet a magic user, so let’s be friends…”

Soon everything faded as a strong brightness hit her eyelids. The sound of rustling leaves entered her ears.

“Ah, a dream,” Marilyn said as she raised up and rubbed her eyes. Wet drops stained her fingers, “Moyra, Lacey, Kayla…” While she reminisced about her missing friends, Marilyn soon looked around as she tried to find that person.

“He’s not here?” she said as she climbed out of the sleeping bag. Her bare feet walked off in the direction of the sound of running water. “Did he head to the river?” she pondered as she moved toward it.

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“Dante! Dante?!” as the dirty streaming water came into view, she paused in her tracks.

The memories of yesterday invaded her mind. The rough waters, the debris that battered her, and that siren that bit into her and almost killed her.

“If he didn’t show up, I would have…” as she trailed off, she placed her hand to the area where she was bit, “He must have put this thing on,” her fingers touched the fabric plastered over her skin. “To think I got bit here, yet there’s no pain at all. Can he use healing magic too?”

“Hey, there you are,” a deep voice spoke from behind.

“Ah!” Marilyn screamed out as she staggered back.

“Hey! It’s just me,” Dante said as he raised his arms to her.

“Dante, sorry I didn’t mean to scream...” she trailed off as she noticed something about him.

“It’s fine, you were looking for me right. I was busy searching for that quillhound, but it looks like it disappeared.” Though she heard his words, they took a back seat to the view before her eyes. Dante stood before her shirtless, all his tanned and physically toned upper body laid bare for her to see.

I saw the paintings and sculptures, but this, it’s… her mind became infatuated with Dante’s muscles. So big… to think last night, I was embraced by him.

“Marilyn?” Dante called out to the girl who blankly stared at him, “Hey Marilyn? You Okay?”

“Oh! Yes, I’m fine why wouldn’t I be,” she soon snapped back to reality and replied.

“You looked a bit flushed, plus I saw you touch your wound so…”

“Ah! No, it’s nothing, really!” she quickly responded, “I’m still a little sleepy is all and my wound doesn’t hurt at all so thanks for treating it.”

“Is that so? A wound like that should still definitely be painful,” puzzled by her words Dante approached her, “mind if I take a look.”

“Ah, of course.”

He came up close and cautiously removed the gauze from her shoulder. While there was blood, it was only on the gauze. Marilyn’s shoulder however didn’t even have a bruise on it.

“Mind if I check the rest of your body,” he asked, Dante was quite puzzled at the scene before him, though, he wanted to see if that was the only injury that disappeared from her.

“Ah, by all means, go ahead.”

Dante began his inspection of her on the spot. As he searched for the areas that were scrapped and had injuries yesterday, only her smooth creamy skin appeared.

Why is my heart beating so fast? He’s just checking my body, yet it’s like he’s feeling me all over, and it feels good. While Marilyn’s mind was preoccupied with his touches and gaze, Dante bent down to check her legs last, but as he looked his way up her inner lush thigh, he got quite an exciting view.

Ah shit, that’s…! He gulped down saliva as he quickly stood up, I forgot that she’s naked under the shirt. He cursed his forgetfulness as the image of her womanly privates entered his mind. “A-ah, well somehow it looks like your all good,” Dante spoke as his face reddened.

“I-I see, that’s good to hear, you have my thanks,” Marilyn replied back her face burning bright red as well.

“Anyway, let’s head back and eat,” Dante said.

“Right, I could use some food.”

As the two returned to the camp. Dante said one final thing, “Remind me to give you some more clothes to wear later.”

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The morning rays shined through once again within this accursed forest. Her dark brown eyes slowly but surely opened up, but they soon twitched as pain ran through her.

“Your finally awake, thank the goddesses,” a familiar voice spoke. She searched around until the owner came into view.

“Lacey, where-ah!” Kayla tried to talk but as she raised up the pain caused her to cry out.

“Don’t push yourself, you took some serious damage from yesterday,” Lacey said as she walked up to her friend.

“I’m good, just a little body ache is all,” she said as she gritted her teeth to sit upright. Kayla looked around and saw the expansive forest around. It was apparent they won’t near that river from yesterday. “What happened?”

“We almost met our ends, that’s what,” a sigh left her mouth, “It took a lot out of me to make it back to camp after that siren’s attack and to save you.”

“Then how’d we end up here,” Kayla said as she looked around once more, “and where’s Marilyn?”