I crushed her face into a bloody mess of broken bones, shredded skin, and torn muscles. One of her eyes flew off somewhere as I finished her off. And yet, I did not stop. I bashed the rock into her face again and again and again, until I felt hands grab me and pull me away.

I snarled and roared and swung the rock at anything that moved.

Someone screamed and cursed as I hit something that felt soft and squishy, followed by what felt like the crunching of bone. But there were many people around me and I wasn’t sure just who or what I’d struck. Men, woman, or children; I didn’t care. I roared and screamed and flailed my arms around me, hitting people left and right with the rock in my hand.

A punch flew and crashed into my face, followed by another and another and another; the last one was a kick, sending me hurling back towards the shoreline. My other eye was swollen shut and bleeding. And my nose was broken – also bleeding. Screams and roars of rage exploded around me, the clashing of metal and flesh and bone – the symphony of battle.

Several people rushed towards me. One of them barked something and the others stopped charging towards me and, instead, walked elsewhere. A blurry figure approached and screamed something in a tone that was filled with rage and grief, but my ears were ringing and I barely heard anything.

I felt another kick, crashing into my ribs, sending me further into the water.

I pushed myself up, blood dripping down my mouth as I grabbed a particularly sharp piece of bone from underwater. My vision was dull and hazy, but I saw enough to make out the humanoid shape that was rapidly approaching. Someone grabbed me by the air and pulled me up.

All I saw was an exposed neck.

I screamed and jammed the sharp bone right into the person’s neck and twisted it. Blood exploded and covered my face, before I was dropped right back into the water. Salt filled my mouth. In the distance, I idly noted, the sounds of battle were dying down; the warriors of Blood Hall were winning. And that meant the Wolf’s Quest was about to end. I’d only killed one. I needed to kill another.

Unfortunately, the hazy figure before me was still alive – bleeding and roaring in pain, but still very much alive. I couldn’t allow that. My vision was a bit clearer now, but not by much. I could see his neck and the piece of bone I’d jammed into it and the red that gushed from the open wound. They were dying, but not fast enough.

“RAAAAAAAGH!” I rushed and jumped forward, wrapping my arms around the blurry person before me, before sinking my teeth into their neck. My limbs weren’t strong. I was just a scrawny child, after all. But my bite was strong and I felt skin and flesh give way as I tore out chunks of both. Warm blood gushed right into my face and my mouth; I cringed at the coppery taste of it, but I did not stop. I bit down harder and pulled and ripped until I was covered in blood and the person I’d attacked was falling into the water. I fell with him, because I saw a man fall backwards as my vision returned in full.

I’d torn his neck open. He was dead.

Not a moment later. The battle ended. Only a handful of people from my village survived the onslaught; the rest died beautifully – no doubt welcomed in the embrace of the gods. I counted for or five survivors – not a good haul by any stretch of the imagination. I figured someone was about to be punished, likely taking the place of those who were supposed to be sacrificed.

Quest Successful! (2) Mutations received!

I spat blood and a single tooth and grinned as I pushed myself up and wiped the vitae and saltwater that dripped from my mouth. I’d never received a mutation before, only a perk and a skill – both of which were useless in combat. I felt my insides shifting immediately, the dark power of the gods made manifest in my flesh. My bones cracked and my flesh ripped from within. Something moved within me, slithering across the breadth of my innards like a snake. It did not stop. I wanted to scream.

But the grin never left my face as I pushed myself up.

It was painful. I didn’t care. I wasn’t even sure the mutation actually was or what it did; I only knew that it was a gift from the Wolf himself. My hands balled into fists. My skin burned in the water and tears fell from my eyes. I gritted my teeth as the pain worsened, my skull cracking and crushing. The tearing of my flesh from within grew too much. This time, I screamed in both rage and agony.

The pain, however, lasted only a few moments, before disappearing entirely – as though it’d never assailed me at all. I didn’t feel any different. But I’d been given gifts all the same.

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I glanced at the shoreline and there was a warrior, standing there with an emotionless mask over his features. He was old. His beard was long and gray and the armor he wore looked as though it had seen better days. His gaze was fixed on me, silently judging. He was a warrior of Blood Hall. The battle might’ve been over, but I was going to kill him.

I dove under the cold and bloody waters of the Shore of Bones. The man I’d killed had a bearded axe, hanging from his hip. I grabbed and took his weapon. It was surprisingly light, even as I rushed back out of the water and charged towards the old warrior. I leapt high and brought the axe low in a vertical strike. I knew I possessed little in the way of physical prowess, but a sharpened edge, combined with what little weight I did have, should still be dangerous and, maybe, even deadly; though, its deadliness would be dependent on where I struck. Unfortunately for me, the old warrior was tall – and I was just a scrawny child. At best, I can stick the axe’s sharp bit into his stomach.

The old warrior sighed and caught the axehead with one hand, before flicking the whole weapon away, hurling it back into the water.

My eyes widened, but I did not take a single step back. Instead, I leapt up as high as I could, hoping I could somehow bite his neck open. His beard got in the way and I got a mouthful of hair. The aged warrior merely grabbed both my arms and held me aloft. He chuckled heartily. “You’re brave, little girl; the gods must be proud of you. I can tell. You’re one of the Blessed, are you not?”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I screamed and roared at his face, hoping he’d keel over and die of old age right there and then.

He glanced to the side. I followed his gaze and saw the man in the crimson armor walking towards the shore, followed by his warriors, who dragged behind them the bound survivors of the battle. The leader turned his burning gaze towards me and I snarled at him in turn. I would’ve charged right at him if the old warrior hadn’t been holding me in place. So, I could do little more than glare at him, though that would’ve seemed silly, given my one swollen eye. He turned and walked towards me, looming over the old warrior who held my arms. His crimson armor gave him the appearance of a burning, blood-drenched giant. The draconic horns atop his helmet almost seemed to hiss in the cold air. Blood and salt water dripped from his rune-covered axe. He glanced down and our gazes locked. I did not look away.

“Tsk, you’re definitely going to be a headache,” He said with a sigh that sounded like the billow of a burning forge. He then turned to the old man who held me. For a moment, I wondered if another head was going to fly off. “Take her to the dungeon – her and the boy. And send for the healer; get her wounds checked and fixed.”

I blinked. I’d almost forgotten about the boy who aided me. I turned to the shoreline and found him where I left him, still asleep. Huh, I didn’t think anyone could just sleep through all that.

“Very well, Lord Morkai,” The old man bowed and turned to me. “Now, I understand why he brought you back here, little girl.”

I blinked. I’d never really considered the reasoning before. All I knew was that I was taken from my village and brought to Blood Hall; not once did I ask why. Sure, the man in crimson armor, whose name was Morkai, told me something about a seer and prophecy, but I wasn’t listening to him at the time; no, I was, in fact, trying to kill him and not quite listening to whatever he said.

Morkai then turned and walked away. His warriors followed closely behind him and, behind them, the prisoners trudged, all five of whom were heavily injured and quite close to death. One of them recognized me, based on the slight widening of her eyes, but I did now know who she was.

“Come, follow me, girl.” The old man turned and dragged me, forcing me to follow. I glanced over my shoulder and watched as another warrior took the boy and followed after us. I glared at him and briefly entertained the idea of biting his face off, but that wouldn’t work. He was taller, faster, and stronger than I was. And, truth be told, I was... exhausted and hungry. My stomach gurgled and the old warrior chuckled. “Don’t worry, you’ll be given plenty of food in the dungeon. You have a special purpose, after all. Lord Morkai would flay the flesh from my bones if I let you starve to death.”

And so, I savored the victory I’d achieved and simply nodded and followed along. This wasn’t a loss, I told myself. After all, I’d just received a mutation from the Wolf. That was already a victory in itself. I’d find out just what those mutations actually are when I have the time to experiment with my body, but – for now – I was content with the gifts for what they were.

“Why was I spared?” I asked. “Am I not a worthy sacrifice to the gods? Why does your lord insult me in this manner?”

The old warrior scoffed. “You’re so quick to throw your life away, little one, when your life is still ahead of you. But, after the bravery you’ve shown, I’m certain the gods would not turn your soul away should you be sacrificed to them upon that altar. However, Lord Morkai does not insult you.”

I growled. “Then what does he want with me? If he desires a slave or a bed warmer, I’d kill myself.”

“No, you’re too young to be a desirable bed warmer,” The old man answered. He was taking me, I noted, towards the Blood Hall, the crimson tower that loomed over the village that was named after it, made of stone, instead of wood and bone. “Our lord’s purpose for you is greater than mere bondage, little girl.”

“Answer me old man,” I grew tired of his answers. “What does he want with me?”

The old warrior stopped walking and turned to face me. I expected rage in his eyes, but there was... nothing of the sort. Instead, the old man smiled. “He wants you to kill him. Specifically, Lord Morkai wants you to grow stronger so that you may, one day, take his life as the seer prophecied – one final battle, the greatest battle he will ever see, against a Blessed of the Gods. T’is a fitting end for the Lord of Blood Hall, I believe.”

I blinked. “What?”