It was the blood curdling screams that woke Jason from a deep slumber. His eyes shot open, growing wider at a dazzling moon that graced the night sky. Silver rings encircled the moon, leaving Jason in awe as brilliant swirls of energy danced across the horizon.

Jason’s eyes followed the energy trail, watching the moonlight blanket a dark forest. The same forest he found himself in.

What the hell?

Slowly, Jason rose to his feet. He stood on a hillside cliff, just out of reach of the moonlight. Deep shadows covered his location, and as he looked behind himself the shadows seemed to grow darker. Seemed to grow more dangerous.

Something was wrong. Obviously. He was sure he shouldn’t be here. But where was here?

Jason’s brow furrowed as a white haze clouded his mind. He shook his head, trying to search his memories for clues.

“What–” he faltered. “happened to me?”

A dull throb answered his question, and he began rubbing his temples as the pain grew.

It seemed the more he tried to remember, the more his mind hurt. Glimpses of his past slowly emerged from the haze. His memories steadily clicked into place, yet still nothing made sense to him. His mind was like a fragmented mosaic left abandoned in a dilapidated cellar.

The white haze filled the metaphoric room. It scattered like dust, covering everything, even seeping into the nooks and crannies of who he was. His very sense of self was called into question as he scrutinized the memories, yet they slipped away before he could process them.

Who… am I?

A sharp pain stabbed into Jason’s mind as he pondered the question. Distantly he realized his nose was bleeding, and his panic kicked into overdrive when his sight dimmed, silencing not only his vision but all his five senses.

“Shit.” Jason’s legs buckled in that instance and for a second he almost forgot how to walk.

With ragged breaths he leaned against a tree, his heart raced as he tried to calm down. Just thinking was like balancing on a tightrope. The more his thoughts swayed from the present, the more sense of self he lost.

It was only the cries of the wild that got him to focus. An unknown predator roared, the sound vibrating through the trees. It was a guttural proclamation of triumph; a warning to any who’d dare challenge its claim.

In that moment, goosebumps flared over Jason’s skin, his instincts flaring. He felt like a mouse before a cat, wondering what size of a creature could cause trees to shake simply by the force of its roar.

Whatever beast made that sound, was close—and it was hungry.

As Jason’s vision returned, he slunk away from the shadows, seeking the moon’s comforting light. And it was a good thing he did.

Near the shadows edge, an eight legged creature walked out. Its dark red eyes bore the same count. Tufts of fur stuck to its carapace, slick with blood and some other mucus Jason wasn’t keen on finding out. Before the spider could pounce, Jason threw himself down the hill. Caution mattered little before a spider the size of a wolf with mandible fangs the size of his fingers.

How is it that big?! Jason swallowed. Spiders aren’t supposed to be that size. Not even in Australia!

Bushes and thorns slashed into Jason as he descended the hill. The steep incline made for a rough terrain. Jagged stone jutted from the earth, and a series of thorny shrubs littered the area as if planted by a mad gardener.

It was all Jason could do to avoid the pitfalls. He nearly fell down the hill, leaving crimson trails in his wake. The sharp pains only multiplied the prickling sensations driven by the spider’s gaze. It was as if a thousand needles pressed against his skin.

His heart was beating faster and faster until it felt like it was ready to burst out of his chest. His lungs were squeezed of everything they had when he tripped, tumbling down into a clearing below.

“Fuck!”

Panting, Jason rose, cradling his ribs as he looked around. Only now did he realize it was foolish to blindly run anywhere. He was in an open field with nowhere to hide. Moonlight illuminated the entire grove, yet up on the hill, shrouded in shadows, awaited the spider. Its eyes still bore into him, but thankfully it hadn’t pursued.

It wasn’t until Jason turned around to run that he realized why.

An alarming wail split the night, snapping his attention to the far end of the clearing. Two figures darted out of the treeline—a man and a woman, terror etched across their faces.

Jason’s heart skipped a beat. Before he could process what was happening, a shadow leapt out of the forest and pounced onto the man. The beast’s fangs sank into the man’s neck, then suddenly, saber-like protrusions ripped forth from his chest.

Jason’s jaw dropped, his instincts screaming at him to run, but his body refused to move. The fanged beast dwarfed the spider, and its fangs could extend to an absurd length.

Time seemed to slow, and at that moment, a shiver ran down Jason’s spine. A remnant written in his DNA, from before the time humans became Apex Predators, screamed. He was prey, and this was death. Nothing would override this reality. Yet as the cold grip of fear consumed him, the woman raised her hands, and a torrent of flame erupted from her palms, bathing the creature in burning light.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

The beast snarled, detaching its fangs in the man’s chest as another set instantly grew. It didn’t attack her however. The beast grasped the corpse and slunk back into the shadows. Its muscles rippled under a pristine coat, and moonlight glinted off of hidden blades that retracted into its limbs.

What the fuck was that?!

By now he was certain this wasn’t Australia.

Jason was still afraid, but he stood in awe–shocked. Every nerve in his body was on high alert until the woman’s sharp voice slapped him out of it.

“Don’t just stand there, you idiot! Run!” She didn’t wait for him, sprinting past him as if she hadn’t just confronted a nightmare.

His thoughts raced as he stumbled after her. “W-what the hell was that thing?!”

“...A Blade Stalker,” the woman replied after a second. “An Elite Prowler variant. Her den must be somewhere around here. That’s what ticked her off.”

Jason was at a loss for words, dumbfounded by the woman’s nonchalant attitude. Did she not know that guy? In the blink of an eye he had died, dragged into the shadows by a creature that should not exist–

“Wait!” he yelled. “O-on the hill. There’s a giant spider.”

He tried to warn her about the creature, but the eight legged menace had disappeared. Thankfully she still heeded his warning and veered left.

A giant spider, a monstrous man-eating cat… And her, Jason looked at the red headed woman cloaked in tight dark robes that billowed as they ran. How the hell did she do that?

His mind spun, trying to grasp the situation as they ran. Am I in a coma? Did I fall, and hit my head? Jason rubbed the back of his head, still feeling the pain from when he tried to force his shattered memories together. “Or have I just simply gone mad?”

“You’re not mad,” the woman said, making him realize he had spoken aloud. “But you are slow. Have you assigned any of your points?”

“What?” Jason panted, struggling to keep up.

“Your attribute points,” she replied.

“Attribute points? What do you mean?”

The woman glanced back at him, her eyes wide in surprise.

“Impossible,” she muttered to herself as a disbelieving maniacal laugh bubbled out. “You can't be serious. I lost two wolves only to find a pup.”

Jason’s frown deepened, but he kept running. Kept following behind a woman that had shot fire out of her palms... If she was crazy, who’s to say she wouldn’t turn those flames on him? Once more Jason felt like prey.

Could she be a cannibal? He wondered.

His eyes refocused on her, taking in the red hair tied into a loose bun. Her clothes weren’t raggy, though they weren’t in perfect condition either.

Perhaps she’s not a cannibal, but I should still proceed with caution. Hell, I don’t even know where she’s taking me.

“Where are we going?” Jason asked as they reached the tree line. Well, as he reached the tree line. The woman was almost twenty paces ahead of him and it seemed she had no plans on slowing.

As each minute passed Jason doubted if he should continue to follow her. His pace grew slower and slower until out of nowhere the red head stopped, spinning on a dime to face him. It was then he got a proper look at her eyes, and his heart skipped a beat. They were beautiful almond shaped doe eyes that glowed hot with magic.

Fire magic.

For a second Jason was lost in them. But it wasn’t out of lust or enchantment. Hormones weren’t clouding his judgment. If anything they were screaming at him. A scream that intensified as she smiled, wiping blood and dirt from her cheeks and brow.

Her eyes gave him the same feeling the spider had. Only it hadn’t gotten so close…

Fuck, Jason cursed under his breath, trying to remain calm as he returned a smile which he was sure was more like a grimace.

The closer she came, the greater the intensity of her eyes grew. She looked around the forest when her eyes finally returned to him, and for a second he would have sworn she licked her lips.

“I-I don’t taste good,” he stammered out.

The woman raised an eyebrow. “Hmph, trust me. I’m not the one that wants to eat you.”

Before her words even finished, he heard the quietest of sounds. The sound was muffled, almost a whisper. A muted patter that made his head turn. Something was behind him. Or rather, some things.

“Duck!”

Without questioning anything, Jason crouched into a ball. His arms came up to shield himself. After seeing her hand rise, he knew what was about to happen, yet that knowledge did nothing to withstand the heat.

Barely two meters away, a great ball of fire ignited and a torrent of flames shot straight towards him. The blast pushed heat into his face. Beads of sweat dripped down his brow as he curled into the fetal position, trying to hold his breath as the flames charred the air.

It was a failed prospect. Jason's lungs burned as he took shallow breaths. His throat swore in agony as a coughing fit erupted. The cries of pain were quickly drowned out by the death throes of countless spiders. He had expected one spider. Two wouldn't have been much of a surprise for him. Even five spiders were in the realm of possibilities, but the screeches that filled the night echoed like a haunted graveyard.

With his eyes closed, Jason could only imagine how many there were. They trampled over him as they died, one remaining on top of him. Thankfully the flames hadn't managed to catch hold.

It’s because of her.

Jason wanted to open his eyes, but the heat was unbearable. He imagined the woman as he’d first seen her do the impossible. Only, it wasn't impossible. Fire had leapt from her open palm with an intensity that challenged the saber-toothed cat. And right now she was burning a legion of wolf-sized spiders to a crisp.

In the back of Jason's mind, a warning told him to not get on her bad side.

Before long, the screeches stopped, but the sizzle and pop of their chitin continued.

“It is over. You can get up now.”

Jason opened his eyes and was more than surprised at what he saw. Not twenty, not fifty, not even hundred spiders lay dead around him. The number was likely double that. Maybe even triple, and the worst part was that at least a quarter of the spiders were larger than the one he'd seen on the hill.

“We better go before another hunting party arrives.”